Meaning of Christmas.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Is President Bush The Dark Knight?

The blockbuster hit The Dark Knight which has made a total of $995,624,658 worldwide is now out on dvd. I have seen it countless times in the past few weeks and the same thing has been going through my mind when I watch the movie. I thought I was losing it until I found a article online. Someone who thought the same thing when I watched the movie. President Bush is the Dark Knight!


By ANDREW KLAVAN

A cry for help goes out from a city beleaguered by violence and fear: A beam of light flashed into the night sky, the dark symbol of a bat projected onto the surface of the racing clouds . . .

Oh, wait a minute. That's not a bat, actually. In fact, when you trace the outline with your finger, it looks kind of like . . . a "W."

There seems to me no question that the Batman film "The Dark Knight," currently breaking every box office record in history, is at some level a paean of praise to the fortitude and moral courage that has been shown by George W. Bush in this time of terror and war. Like W, Batman is vilified and despised for confronting terrorists in the only terms they understand. Like W, Batman sometimes has to push the boundaries of civil rights to deal with an emergency, certain that he will re-establish those boundaries when the emergency is past.

And like W, Batman understands that there is no moral equivalence between a free society -- in which people sometimes make the wrong choices -- and a criminal sect bent on destruction. The former must be cherished even in its moments of folly; the latter must be hounded to the gates of Hell.

"The Dark Knight," then, is a conservative movie about the war on terror. And like another such film, last year's "300," "The Dark Knight" is making a fortune depicting the values and necessities that the Bush administration cannot seem to articulate for beans.

Conversely, time after time, left-wing films about the war on terror -- films like "In The Valley of Elah," "Rendition" and "Redacted" -- which preach moral equivalence and advocate surrender, that disrespect the military and their mission, that seem unable to distinguish the difference between America and Islamo-fascism, have bombed more spectacularly than Operation Shock and Awe.

Why is it then that left-wingers feel free to make their films direct and realistic, whereas Hollywood conservatives have to put on a mask in order to speak what they know to be the truth? Why is it, indeed, that the conservative values that power our defense -- values like morality, faith, self-sacrifice and the nobility of fighting for the right -- only appear in fantasy or comic-inspired films like "300," "Lord of the Rings," "Narnia," "Spiderman 3" and now "The Dark Knight"?

The moment filmmakers take on the problem of Islamic terrorism in realistic films, suddenly those values vanish. The good guys become indistinguishable from the bad guys, and we end up denigrating the very heroes who defend us. Why should this be?

The answers to these questions seem to me to be embedded in the story of "The Dark Knight" itself: Doing what's right is hard, and speaking the truth is dangerous. Many have been abhorred for it, some killed, one crucified.

Leftists frequently complain that right-wing morality is simplistic. Morality is relative, they say; nuanced, complex. They're wrong, of course, even on their own terms.

Left and right, all Americans know that freedom is better than slavery, that love is better than hate, kindness better than cruelty, tolerance better than bigotry. We don't always know how we know these things, and yet mysteriously we know them nonetheless.

The true complexity arises when we must defend these values in a world that does not universally embrace them -- when we reach the place where we must be intolerant in order to defend tolerance, or unkind in order to defend kindness, or hateful in order to defend what we love.

When heroes arise who take those difficult duties on themselves, it is tempting for the rest of us to turn our backs on them, to vilify them in order to protect our own appearance of righteousness. We prosecute and execrate the violent soldier or the cruel interrogator in order to parade ourselves as paragons of the peaceful values they preserve. As Gary Oldman's Commissioner Gordon says of the hated and hunted Batman, "He has to run away -- because we have to chase him."

That's real moral complexity. And when our artistic community is ready to show that sometimes men must kill in order to preserve life; that sometimes they must violate their values in order to maintain those values; and that while movie stars may strut in the bright light of our adulation for pretending to be heroes, true heroes often must slink in the shadows, slump-shouldered and despised -- then and only then will we be able to pay President Bush his due and make good and true films about the war on terror.

Perhaps that's when Hollywood conservatives will be able to take off their masks and speak plainly in the light of day. - The Wall Street Journal

Powers of Ten

This is amazing! It shows how massive and vast space is. It shows how powerful, mighty and awesome God is to create something this big. Space and life is way to complex to be made by mistake. It was all made with a plan. Gods plan.

Don't Waste Your Sexuality

A Christmas Story

It was Christmas eve in the midwest. There was a man who had been in a family where his wife and his children were Christians but he was not. And he rejected it. He sat home that Christmas eve in front of the fire. It was cold out and the snow was blowing. His wife and the little children had gone to the chapel in the nearby village for a Christmas eve service to honor the Christ they loved. He sat by the fire reading the paper.

All of a sudden he heard a loud and repeated thumping. He thought someone was banging on the door. He went to the door and opened it but found no one was there. By the time he got settled back into his chair, he heard it again and again. And he was bewildered as to what was causing it until he realized that something seemed to be smashing against the window. And so he went to the drapes and he pulled the drapes aside and to his amazement, a flock of birds was flying into the window. A snowstorm, you see, had blown in. And the birds had been caught away from their shelter and they couldn't find their way back. They couldn't fight the wind. They saw the lighted window and the warmth of the light had attracted them. And they were literally flying into the glass trying to get to the light to get warm. They would freeze to death, you see, if they didn't find some shelter.

Well, the man who had refused to go with his family to the Christmas eve service because he had no interest in the Christ of Christmas was all of a sudden very compassionate for these poor birds. And so he wondered how he could help them. And so he opened the door and went out in the cold and tried to chase them away so that they wouldn't kill themselves against the window. And then he ran to the barn and he threw the doors open and he whistled and he shooed them and did everything he could to get them to fly to the barn, they wouldn't do it. He even went so far as to take some corn and some bread and make a big trail from the window to the barn. And they wouldn't follow it.

In frustration, he said to himself, "If I could just communicate with them. If I could just tell them that I don't want to hurt them, that there's warmth and there's shelter and that they'd need to stop beating themselves to death against the glass. But I'm a man and they're birds and we don't speak the same language. Oh, if I could just become a bird, I think I could tell them."

And then it hit him. The whole meaning of Christmas dawned on that man. Mankind had been beating itself to death against the barrier that kept him from the warmth of God's love until somebody became a man and told us the way.

Global Warming Update: Frigid Storm Closes California Freeways, Drops Snow in Malibu

LOS ANGELES — Snow snarled major mountain highways and even dusted Malibu on Wednesday as a cold storm hit parts of California. One person was killed by a wind-related helicopter crash, and an overflowing river on the U.S.-Mexico border led to the evacuation of nearly two dozen people, rescues of about 50 horses and the deaths of four others.

Styming thousands of commuters and travelers, snow shut Interstate 15 over 4,190-foot Cajon Pass east of Los Angeles and roads through the San Gabriel Mountains connecting metropolitan Los Angeles to the commuter suburbs of Palmdale and Lancaster in the high desert to the north.

Interstate 5, a major trucking and travel route connecting Southern California with the Central Valley and Northern California, stayed open over 4,144-foot Tejon Pass most of the day, with on-and-off Highway Patrol escorts, then finally was shut down in the afternoon as conditions deteriorated. Massive backups developed below all the passes.

Click here for photos.

Calen Weiss, 19, of Tarzana, his brother and two friends wanted to go snowboarding at Big Bear in the San Bernardino Mountains but instead got stuck on I-15 in Cajon Pass for an hour as visibility fell to about 40 yards.

"It looks like Whoville, all snowy, but with less joy and more extreme misery," he said by phone from the Summit Inn.

Heavy rain also fell in some parts of Southern California through the day.

Near the California-Mexico border, San Diego firefighters and lifeguards evacuated 21 people along the overflowing Tijuana River, said spokesman Maurice Luque. They included 12 to 15 people who were on high ground outside a home, surrounded by up to 4 feet of water.

Five people were taken out by helicopter, while others were escorted in Border Patrol all-terrain vehicles, Luque said. Three men were taken to a hospital for treatment of hypothermia.

About 50 horses also were evacuated, but three others drowned and one was euthanized after tripping on barbed wire, Luque said.

To the east, several vehicles collided and slid into ditches on Interstate 8's mountainous grades as heavy snow fell at the San Diego-Imperial County line. Other vehicles were stuck on the steep upgrade, their wheels spinning on the snow-packed surface, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Blowing snow, slush and ice prompted the Antelope Valley Transit Authority to cancel all its local buses, along with 18 commuter runs that usually carry some 650 people from the Palmdale-Lancaster area down to Los Angeles and back home.

The regional Metrolink rail system agreed to carry bus commuters who had already reached Los Angeles back home, spokesman Francisco Oaxaca said.

However, trains were ordered to proceed slowly because of the snow. Two trains also were delayed around 45 minutes at midday because engineers could not see the red, green and yellow track signals.

It was the first time in his 15 years with Metrolink that snow had caused such problems, Oaxaca said.

Transit agencies in the East have special equipment to clear tracks and otherwise handle snow but "we're not equipped for this kind of weather on a consistent basis in this part of the world," Oaxaca said.

In the Santa Clarita area north of Los Angeles, a wind gust caused a helicopter to crash, killing an electrical worker on the ground and leaving the pilot with minor injuries, county fire Inspector Frank Garrido said.

The helicopter was hired by Southern California Edison to string electrical lines between power poles in the Bouquet Canyon area.

"It was hovering above the ground. A gust of wind made the helicopter spiral," Garrido said.

Garrido said the accident report stated that the dead man was an Edison employee, but utility spokesman Steve Conroy said the victim was employed by the company operating the helicopter.

Late in the afternoon snow fell in the Malibu area.

"It's a combination of snow and rain, so none of the snow is sticking on the ground," said Craig Levy, director of a juvenile detention camp near Mulholland Highway. "It's kind of cool if you think about it. It's kind of unusual to see snow in Malibu."

More severe cold was on the way, the National Weather Service said.

Freeze warnings were issued for late Wednesday through Thursday morning for the Sacramento Valley, the northern San Joaquin Valley and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta region, among others.

"A freeze warning means subfreezing temperatures are imminent or highly likely. These conditions will kill crops and other sensitive vegetation," the NWS said.

Freeze warnings were also issued for north San Francisco Bay area valleys, and a combination of frost advisories and freeze warnings were issued for parts of southwestern California. - FoxNews.com

This Global warming keeps getting worse and worse. New York City is going to get get 6 inches of snow tomorrow, Vegas has biggest snow in 30 years, Chicago is going to get a snow storm that will dump a foot of snow. What next?

Global Warming Hits Las Vegas: McCarran closed to arriving and departing flights due to snowstorm

The ongoing snowstorm has stopped flights from landing or leaving at McCarran International Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

"No planes are departing for Las Vegas from anywhere in the U.S. right now," said FAA spokesman Ian Gregor.

Gregor said the airport doesn't have snow removal or deicing equipment, which means there's no way for snow-covered planes to leave safely.

"The forecast is not looking particularly promising for anybody who wants to fly into Las Vegas," he said.

Officials at McCarran International Airport say there have still been some arrivals since snow started falling in Las Vegas, although departures from other airports to Las Vegas have been stopped for the time being.

"McCarran International Airport is not closed. In the last hour, the airport has handled 14 arrivals and zero take-offs," airport officials said in a written statement. "Normal flight operations will resume once the inclement weather has improved."

The National Weather Service in Las Vegas has issued a winter storm warning for heavy snow for the valleys and deserts of Clark, southern Nye and Lincoln counties until 6 a.m. Thursday.

John Adair, a meterologist with the National Weather Service's Las Vegas office, said as of 2:30 p.m. the entire Las Vegas Valley was receiving either snow or sleet.

“This is a very rare snow event,” Adair said.

Snow is expected to accumulate on the valley floors across Clark and southern Lincoln counties. Snow will continue to fall through the afternoon and tonight before tapering off Thursday morning.

This storm is expected to bring 3 to 6 inches of snow to the valley floors and up to 10 inches to the foothills above 2500 feet.

Icy conditions are resulting in major road closures in Southern Nevada.

Interstate 15 was closed at 1:30 p.m. in each direction at Primm due to snow and icy conditions, the Nevada Department of Transportation announced.

U.S. Highway 95 was closed from Railroad Pass to state Route 163, the Laughlin turnoff.

Chains, snow tires, or four wheel drive vehicle restrictions are in place for Mountain Springs and Mount Charleston.

The transportation department announced at 2:30 p.m. that state routes 163, 164 and 165 have been closed in both directions due to the weather.

State Route 160 between Las Vegas and Pahrump was closed as well. Motorists who must go to Pahrump are being advised to head north on U.S. Highway 95 to Indian Springs and then south on state Route 160.

Transportation Department Spokesman Bob McKenzie said motorists are being advised to stay in Las Vegas if possible.

The Nevada Department of Transportation plans on using a liquid deicer called magnesium-chloride on the part of the valley's freeway system tonight, McKenzie said. The liquid will be spread over bridges and viaducts and areas most likely to freeze on Interstate 15 and U.S. Highway 95, McKenzie said.

State Route 159 is being plowed and remained open as of 3 p.m.

Because of travel conditions, Henderson employees were sent home from work at 3 p.m., city officials announced. Emergency operations will continue and public safety and public works employees are on call.- Review Journal.com

People! This is global warming at its best. We should be very afraid! We are all going to burn to death due to our man made carbon print! We need Al Gore to save us! Where is Obama and his imaginary Office of President Elect to address this horrific change in the temperature due to global warming. We need immediate government action!. . . . .It is the end of the world people.

12 Reasons for Christmas

By John Piper

1. "For this I was born and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth." (John 18:37)

2. "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8; cf. Hebrews 2:14-15)

3. "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mark 2:17)

4. "The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (Luke 19:10)

5. "The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)

6. "God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons." (Galatians 4:5)

7. "For God so loved the world that whoever believes on him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved." (John 3:16).

8. "God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him." (1 John 4:9; cf. John 10:10).

9. "The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." (1 Timothy 1:15).

10. "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against . . . that the thoughts of many may be revealed" (Luke 2:34f).

11. "He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed." (Luke 4:18)

12. "Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy." (Romans 15:7-8; cf. John 12:27f).

- DesiringGod.org

Auto Bail Out Money

In the words of the Joker in the blockbuster hit "The Dark Knight."

Joker: "Everything burns!"

Video Shows Every Flight on Earth.

This is awesome!

Aspiring scientists from the Zurich School of Applied Sciences have built a video simulation that displays the flight path of every commercial flight in the world over a 24-hour period. There isn't much of an application for it, but it sure is cool to look at.

While the map may look complex, Dr. Karl Rege tells us he and his team found it surprisingly simple to assemble using data readily available on the internet.

"We used a commercial website called FlightStats to gather global flight and schedule information," he says. "So there was no need to contact the different airlines."

The team mined FlightStats for the departure and arrival times of every commercial flight in the world, then plugged it all into a computer to assemble their simulation. For the sake of simplicity, they assumed every plane traveled at the same speed and every flight took the most direct route to its destination. Then every flight was assigned a position on a Miller cylindrical projection, which is similar to a Mercator Projection but doesn't distort the poles so much.

"After that we drew it, that was it," Rege says. "It was that easy. We are astonished that nobody did it beforehand."

Well, others have done it, but on a much smaller scale...

Below: This one shows traffic into and out of Atlanta. Keep in mind that Delta operates the world's largest hub here.



Below: Flight activity over Europe.

Man Told to Remove American Flag From Desk.

"You will be poking your eyes out over this one."

Ralph Silvestro, a legal clerk who works at the Criminal Justice Center in Philadelphia, never imagined that anyone would have a beef over the American flag he had taped to the side of his work computer.

After all, he works in a courthouse.

To Silvestro, who served in the Navy for six years and in the Air Force Reserve for another six, the miniature American flag affixed to his computer was a symbol of his patriotism, he said.

For months, that flag and another one that Silvestro had taped to his computer - a black "pirate" flag with skull and crossbones - greeted a steady stream of folks, mostly lawyers, who lined up daily at the front counter of the court's Active Criminal Records department to file motions that Silvestro processed.

No one complained about the flags, Silvestro said.

Then on Sept. 23, Silvestro got an e-mail from his supervisor:

"Keith has advised me as your supervisor, that the flags must come down. They are not appropriate for the workplace," the e-mail said.

The "Keith" mentioned in the e-mail was Keith Smith, the new director of Active Criminal Records.

Silvestro, 34, said he could understand why Smith didn't want him to display a pirate flag - a symbol of thievery on the high seas - in a criminal courthouse. The flag was a gift from a co-worker who had bought it while on vacation and knew that Silvestro liked pirate stories and had served in the Navy, Silvestro said.

But Smith's ban on the American flag just burned Silvestro's butt, he said.

"I served this country for 12 years. I could have died for this flag, but I can't hang it up. What's up with that? I don't understand," Silvestro said in an interview earlier this week.

Silvestro added: "For me, this is about my rights being taken away from me in a building where your rights are supposed to mean more than anything."

Smith did not return two phone calls from the Daily News yesterday.

When asked if Smith had violated Silvestro's constitutional rights, perhaps infringing on his freedom of expression, a civil-rights lawyer said: "No."

"Here's the thing: Your boss rules your life," said Mary Catherine Roper, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania's Philadelphia office. "Your employer gets to make the rules."

As long as Smith applies the same rules to everybody evenly, meaning no staffer is allowed to display the American flag at the public counter, Smith is on solid legal ground, Roper said.

"People really have no idea how much control they have to give up when they go work," Roper said. "Workers generally don't have a lot of rights."

Even so, the episode has outraged many of Silvestro's customers. And, being lawyers, they didn't mince words.

"It has me so ticked off," said lawyer Rania Maria Major-Trunfio. "It's absolutely ridiculous"

Silvestro, who grew up in South Philly and wears his jet-black hair slicked back in a ponytail and talks in a rapid-fire staccato, is a colorful figure in an otherwise sterile space. Major-Trunfio said she immediately noticed that the flags were gone and asked Silvestro about them.

"It offends me that he had to take the American flag down," she said. "Not enough people feel a real strong sense of patriotism for our country and, quite frankly, if someone is going to be upset that an American flag is in the courthouse, then America is really in a sad place."

Silvestro said he talked with Smith after receiving the e-mail from his supervisor. Smith told him that he wanted to keep the front counter looking clean and uniform, according to Silvestro.

"I kept telling him, 'I don't understand. It's the American flag. Who is it bothering? Who is it offending?' " Silvestro recalled. "He said, 'You can hang it up at the back of your desk and it has to be kept out of sight.' I was really furious and hurt."

Major-Trunfio said she walked up to the motions counter yesterday and her eyes widened when she saw the Christmas lights, garland and small fake tree.

"I'm like, 'How come you get to put Christmas decorations up, but you can't put the flag up?' " Major-Trunfio asked. "The female clerk just looked at me and said, 'You're funny.' "
- Philly.com

What this boss needs to understand is that the American flag symbolizes our great democracy our freedom. Any boss who forces an American flag to be taken down should be fired. As for Silvestro I am proud of him for standing up! I just don't understand how the American flag offend anyone expesially in America?

ACLU Starts up a Racial Profiling Hotline.

I guess if your a Muslim acting suspicious at an airport or along the border and the police pull you aside to ask questions or if someone stares you down at the airport you can call ACLU and take them to court and win a lot of money. sighhhhhhhhhh I just think a lot of people are going to be falsely accused of racial profiling.

Rapid-Fire Killer Robot Passes Flight Test

Rat-tat-tat-tat!

That's the sound made by the "Multiple Kill Vehicle," a frightening but fascinatingly cool hovering robot meant to shoot down enemy ballistic missiles.

Video of a Dec. 2 flight test conducted at Edwards Air Force Base in California by defense contractor Lockheed Martin has made it onto the Web, and it looks like something out of the "Terminator" movies.

Rival defense contractor Raytheon is also working on its own multiple-kill-vehicle program.

Inside a large steel cage, Lockheed's MKV lifts off the ground, moves left and moves right, rapidly firing all the while as flames shoot out of its bottom and sides.

The plan is to mount one or more MKVs onto carrier missiles, which would launch into space to engage enemy nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles at the apogees, or peaks, of their trajectory arcs.

Once in space, the MKVs would break off from the carrier vehicles, then use highly accurate targeting computers to shoot big bullets — in military speak, "kinetic interceptors" — to destroy the enemy warheads before they drop back down to Earth.

None of this description does any justice to the video. You have to see it for yourself. - FOXNEWS.com

This is awesome. Check out the video below.

Happy "Day Without A Gay!"

SAN FRANCISCO — Some same-sex marriage supporters are urging people to "call in gay" Wednesday to show how much the country relies on gays and lesbians, but others question whether it's wise to encourage skipping work given the nation's economic distress.

Organizers of "Day Without a Gay" — scheduled to coincide with International Human Rights Day and modeled after similar work stoppages by Latino immigrants — also are encouraging people to perform volunteer work and refrain from spending money.

Sean Hetherington, a West Hollywood comedian and personal trainer, dreamed up the idea with his boyfriend, Aaron Hartzler, after reading online that a few angry gay-rights activists were calling for a daylong strike to protest California voters' passage last month of Proposition 8, which reversed this year's state Supreme Court decision allowing gay marriage.

The couple thought it would be more effective and less divisive if people were asked to perform community service instead of staying home with their wallets shut. Dozens of nonprofit agencies, from the National Women's Law Center in Washington to a Methodist church in Fresno collecting food for the homeless, have posted opportunities for volunteers on the couple's Web site.

"We are all for a boycott if that is what brings about a sense of community for people," said Hetherington, 30, who plans to spend Wednesday volunteering at an inner-city school. "You can take away from the economy and give back in other ways."

Hetherington said he's been getting 100 e-mails an hour from people looking for volunteer opportunities, and that his "Day Without a Gay" Web site has gotten 100,000 hits since mid-November.

Despite Hartzler and Hetherington's attempt to fashion a positive approach, some organizers of the street demonstrations that drew massive crowds in many cities last month have been reluctant to embrace the concept, saying that it could be at best impractical and at worst counterproductive to "call in gay."

"It's extra-challenging for people to think about taking off work as a form of protest, given that we are talking about people who may not be out (as gay) at work, and given the current economic situation and job market," said Jules Graves, 38, coordinator of the Colorado Queer Straight Alliance. "There is really not any assurance employers would appreciate it for what it is."

Graves' group nonetheless is arranging for interested participants to volunteer at the local African Community Center in Denver. The agency said it could find projects to keep 20 people busy, but so far only 10 have pledged to show up, said Graves.

Scott Craig, a fifth-grade teacher at Independence Charter School in Philadelphia, had no problem requesting and being granted the day off. So many of the school's 60 teachers were eager to show support for gay rights they had to make sure enough stayed behind to staff classrooms.

About 25 teachers plan to take Wednesday off and to have their work covered by substitutes while they discuss ways to introduce gay issues to their students and volunteer at the local branch of the American Civil Liberties Union, Craig said. A letter telling parents why so many teachers would be out went home Monday.

"We want to get the conversation going in the community that gay is not bad," Craig said. "For kids to hear that in a positive light can be life-changing."

Join The Impact, the online community that launched protests last month over the passage of gay marriage bans in California, Florida and Arizona, has urged people to withdraw $80 from their bank accounts Wednesday to demonstrate gays' spending power, and to devote the time they might otherwise spend watching TV or surfing the Internet to volunteer work.

Witeck-Combs Communications, a public relations firm in Washington that specializes in the gay and lesbian market, published a study this year that estimated that gay and lesbian consumers spend $700 billion annually.

Bob Witeck, the firm's chief executive officer, said it would be difficult to measure the success of Wednesday's strike since gay employees occupy so many fields. And rather than suspending all consumer spending for the day, gay rights supporters would have a bigger impact if they devoted their dollars to gay-friendly businesses year-round, Witeck said.

"Our community leaders who are running book stores, newspapers, flower shops, coffee houses, bars and many, many other things are hurting right now, so paying attention to their needs during this hard time is an effective form of activism," he said.

Hetherington said he has been careful to design A Day Without a Gay — he came up with the name after the film "A Day Without a Mexican" and liked it because it rhymed — so no one feels excluded or threatened.

He has specifically urged high school students not to walk out of their classes and assured college students they won't be disloyal to the cause if they go ahead and take their final exams. He also has listed opportunities — ranging from writing letters to members of Congress about federal gay rights legislation to spreading the word about Wednesday on social networking sites — for gay marriage backers who cannot miss work. - Associated Press

I'm sorry but this is funny. They think it is really going to effect anything. Didn't the Latinos do the same thing and it really didn't effect a thing.

College Bowl Games.

Just in case you missed it.

1. BCS FedEx National Championship Bowl: Florida vs. Oklahoma Sooners

Perdiction: Florida beats Oklahoma.

2. Rose Bowl: Penn State vs. USC

Perdiction: Penn State beats USC.

3. Orange Bowl: Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech

Perdiction: Cincinnati beats Virginia Tech

4. Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. Utah Utes

Perdiction: Alabama beats Utah Utes

5. Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State Vs. Texas

Perdiction: Unfortunately I feel Texas is going to beat my Ohio State Buckeyes.

I Can Do Whatever I Like

I found this funny video on You Tube. It is an Obama parody on the song, "Whatever You Like" By T.I.

49 States Get An "F" For Making College Affordable

http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=videolandingpage&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=3262631&referralPlaylistId=playlist


This will be our next problem if colleges don't stop getting greedy by jacking up the price of tuition. More and more people wont be able to pay for college so you will see a record number of people not going with with a very competitive job market many won' t be able to get jobs because they have not attended college.There will be like 30 to 40% unemployed because nobody can get a job without going to college. Then colleges will lose lots of money. Schools will be asking the government to bail them out. Talk about a more messed up situation than what we have now. Its pretty weird I was thinking about this a few months ago and look I was right!

President Washington's Thanksgiving Day Proclamation

"Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor, and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanks-giving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many single favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

"Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the Service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks, for His kind care and protection of the People of this country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the single and manifold mercies, and the favorable interposition's of His providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, of the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have to acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge and in general for all the great and various favors which He hath been pleased to confer upon us."

"And also that we may then unite in most humble offering our prayers and supplications to the Great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all people, by constantly being a government of wise, just and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone know to be best." - President George Washington.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Be thankful for what you have!

(1 Chronicles 16:34-35) - Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever. And say: "Save us, God of our salvation; gather us and rescue us from the nations so that we may give thanks to Your holy name and rejoice in Your praise."

Wave of Terror Attacks Strikes India's Mumbai, Killing at Least 80

Several sites in Mumbai, India's financial capital, were hit Wednesday night by a wave of terror attacks, reportedly aimed at Americans and Britons, that left dozens dead and hundreds injured as Indian forces battled with terrorist gunmen to free hostages from two luxury hotels.

There were varying reports of at least 50 and as many as 100 people rescued from the Taj Mahal where a fire had broken out, and India's NDTV reported Thursday morning that gunfire was still errupting. Several staff members were killed, and there are some reports of hostages still being held.

Meanwhile, police continued to evacuate people through the Oberoi hotel's basement, and gunmen reportedly had taken hostages elsewhere in the city, inlcuding a hospital.

Casualty figures varied, with most media reporting at least 80 dead and 200 injured, but Reuters reported 86 people were killed. Of the gunmen, at least four were dead and nine arrested. NDTV is reporting five suspected terrorists were dead, but that couldn't be confirmed.

Eleven police officers were killed in the attack, but it was not clear if they were included in the number already reported dead, Reuters reported.

It isn't clear yet what motivated the attacks, which also targeted a popular tourist attraction and a crowded train station, though eyewitnesses said gunmen were heard shouting questions about who American and British passports.

Mumbai has frequently been targeted in terrorist attacks blamed on Islamic extremists, including a series of bombings in July 2007 that killed 187 people.

A little-known organization calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen claimed it was behind attacks. Some analysts suggest that the little-known group is actually an amalgam of existing Indian terror groups, including the Mujahideen Kashmir.

"The terrorists have used automatic weapons and in some places grenades have been lobbed," Maharashtra Police Commissioner A.N Roy said.

The White House condemned the attacks, through Press Secretary Dana Perino.

"President Bush offers his condolences to the Indian people and the families of the innocent civilians killed and injured in the attacks in Mumbai, India...We will continue to stand with the people of India in this time of tragedy," read the statement. "The U.S. government continues to monitor the situation, including the safety and security of our citizens, and stands ready to assist and support the Indian government."

The State Department established a Consular Call Center for Americans concerned about family or friends who may be visiting or living in Mumbai, India. The number is: 1-888-407-4747.

"These coordinated attacks on innocent civilians demonstrate the grave and urgent threat of terrorism.," said Brooke Anderson, President-elect Barack Obama's chief national security spokesperson. "We stand with the people of India, whose democracy will prove far more resilient than the hateful ideology that led to these attacks,”

Blood smeared the floor of the Chhatrapati Shivaji rail station, where attackers sprayed bullets into the crowded terminal. Press Trust of India quoted the chief of the Mumbai railway police, A.K. Sharma, as saying several men armed with rifles and grenades were holed up at the station.

Other gunmen attacked Leopold's restaurant, a landmark popular with foreigners, and the police headquarters in southern Mumbai, the area where most of the attacks took place. The restaurant was riddled with bullet holes and there were blood on the floor and shoes left by fleeing customers.

Officials also reported that terrorists attacked the city's Cama and Albless Hospital and G.T. Hospital, but it was not immediately clear if anyone was killed in those places.

A British citizen who was dining at the Oberoi hotel told Sky News television that the gunmen who struck there singled out Britons and Americans.

Alex Chamberlain said a gunman, a young man of 22 or 23, ushered 30 or 40 people from the restaurant into a stairway and ordered everyone to put up their hands. He said the gunman spoke in Hindi or Urdu.

"They were talking about British and Americans specifically. There was an Italian guy, who, you know, they said: 'Where are you from?" and he said he's from Italy and they said 'fine' and they left him alone. And I thought: 'Fine, they're going to shoot me if they ask me anything — and thank God they didn't," he said.

Chamberlain said he managed to slip away as the patrons were forced to walk up stairs, but he thought much of the group was being held hostage.

Early Thursday, several European lawmakers were among people who barricaded themselves inside the Taj, a century-old seaside hotel complex and one of the city's best-known destinations.

"I was in the main lobby and there was all of a sudden a lot of firing outside," said Sajjad Karim, part of a delegation of European lawmakers visiting Mumbai ahead of a European Union-India summit.

As he turned to get away, "all of a sudden another gunmen appeared in front of us, carrying machine gun-type weapons. And he just started firing at us ... I just turned and ran in the opposite direction," he told The Associated Press over his mobile phone.

Hours later, Karim remained holed up in a hotel restaurant, unsure if it was safe to come out.

The British Foreign Office said it was advising all British citizens in Mumbai to stay indoors.

Britain's foreign secretary, David Miliband, strongly condemned the attacks. "Today's attacks in Mumbai which have claimed many innocent victims remind us, yet again, of the threat we face from violent extremists," Miliband said in a statement.

India has been wracked by bomb attacks the past three years, which police blame on Muslim militants intent on destabilizing this largely Hindu country. Nearly 700 people have died.

Since May a militant group calling itself the Indian Mujahideen has taken credit for a string of blasts that killed more than 130 people. The most recent was in September, when a series of explosions struck a park and crowded shopping areas in the capital, New Delhi, killing 21 people and wounding about 100.

The Associated Press, Reuters and Sky News contributed to this report.

This is crazy! Lets keep the people of India in our prayers. This goes to show the kind of sick twisted enemy we are facing. A enemy that can't be dealt with in peace talks. This is a enemy that must be dealt with by force.

What Happens If You're on the Gay "Enemies List"

By Alison Stateman / Los Angeles

Ever since a slim majority outlawed gay marriage in California, opponents have waged national protests and petitions, urging the judicial system to reconsider the results of the Nov. 4 referendum. (Proposition 8 overturned an earlier decision by the Supreme Court of California legalizing same-sex marriages.) While the court weighs whether or not to get back into the fray, the civil unrest ignited by the ban shows no sign of abating. A National Protest Against Prop 8 organized by JoinTheImpact.com is scheduled for this Saturday. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which opponents say donated more than $20 million to the Yes on 8 campaign, has already become a focus of protests, with demonstrators gathered around Mormon temples not only in California but across the country. The Mormon Church is not the only group being singled out for criticism. African-Americans, 70% of whom voted yes on Proposition 8, according to a CNN exit poll, have become a target. According to eyewitness reports published on the Internet, racial epithets have been used against African-Americans at protests in California, directed even at blacks who are fighting to repeal Proposition 8. Said Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, "In any fight, there will be people who say things they shouldn't say, but that shouldn't divert attention from what the vast majority are saying against this, that it's a terrible injustice." (See the Top 10 ballot measures.) In addition to protests, gay activists have begun publishing lists online exposing individuals and organizations who have donated money in support of Proposition 8. On AntiGayBlacklist.com, individuals who gave money toward Proposition 8 are publicized, with readers urged not to patronize their businesses or services. The list of donors was culled from data on ElectionTrack.com, which follows all contributions of over $1,000 and all contributions of over $100 given before October 17. Dentists, accountants, veterinarians and the like who gave a few thousand dollars to the cause are listed alongside major donors like the Container Supply Co., Inc. of Garden Grove, Calif., which gave $250,000. "Anyone who steps into a political fight aimed at taking away fundamental rights from fellow citizens opens themselves up to criticism," said Wolfson. "The First Amendment gives them the right of freedom of speech and to support political views, but people also have the right to criticize them." Even before the passage of Proposition 8, Californians Against Hate compiled and published a "dishonor roll" of those individuals, along with their company affiliations, who gave $5,000 or more towards supporting the measure. Telephone numbers and Web sites were added along with commentary about some of the larger donors to public information obtained through the California Secretary of State's Office. "My goal was to make it socially unacceptable to give huge amounts of money to take away the rights of one particular group, a minority group," says Fred Karger, a retired political consultant and founder of Californians Against Hate. "I wanted to make the public aware of who these people are and how much they're giving and then they could make a decision as to whether or not they want to patronize their businesses." The negative publicity is having effects on both companies and individuals. Scott Eckern, artistic director of the California Musical Theatre in Sacramento, whose $1,000 donation was listed on ElectionTrack, chose to resign from his post this week to protect the theater from public criticism. Karger says a "soft boycott" they started against Bolthouse Farms, which gave $100,000 to Proposition 8, was dropped after he reached a settlement with the company. Bolthouse Farms was to give an equal amount of money to gay political causes. The amount ultimately equaled $110,000. Meanwhile, lists of donors to Proposition 8, once trumpeted on the Yes on 8 Web site, have been taken down to protect individuals from harassment. "It's really awful," says Frank Schubert, campaign manager for Yes on Proposition 8. "No matter what you think of Proposition 8, we ought to respect people's right to participate in the political process. It strikes me as quite ironic that a group of people who demand tolerance and who claim to be for civil rights are so willing to be intolerant and trample on other people's civil rights." - Times Mobile

For Christmas give the Gift of Convenience.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Gift certificates have become a popular holiday gift option, but a controversial new one, already has people talking.

For the first time, Planned Parenthood in Indiana is offering gift certificates. The organization said a big increase in calls and visits from newly unemployed and uninsured Hoosiers prompted what it calls the unusual, yet practical gift option.

"People are making really tough decisions about putting gas in their car and food on their table, so we know that many women especially put healthcare at the bottom of their list to do," said Chrystal Struben-Hall, Vice President of Planned Parenthood of Indiana.

The certificates come in $25 increments. They can be used for everything from birth control to $58 examinations that include breast exams and pap tests. Men who receive healthcare at Planned Parenthood can use them too.

"They can be seen for sexually transmitted disease screenings, HIV tests and general prostate exams and those kinds of things," said Struben-Hall.

Some Hoosiers 24-Hour News 8 talked to asked if the gift certificates could be used towards abortions. The answer is yes. But, Planned Parenthood said that's not the purpose of the gift certificates.

Struben-Hall said, "They really are intended for preventative healthcare. We decided not to put restrictions on the gift certificates so it's for whatever people feel they need the services for most."

Indiana Family Institute President Curt Smith said he is appalled by the certificates.

"I think the way to help family planning is to give the money where there's no agenda. So if somebody wants to help a woman at a time of crisis, they can support the life centers throughout Indiana," said Smith.

Planned Parenthood hopes philanthropists look at it differently. The organization hopes people might purchase the certificates, and then turn them back in for their patients who need reproductive healthcare, but can't pay for it.

This might be a good idea! We don't know whats going through people minds as we reach the holiday season. Bush has screwed our economy so bad that people can't afford Christmas gifts to put under the tree let alone afford the cost of having a kid to give the gifts to. So why not give the gift of Convenience? Nothing says marry Christmas like a dead fetus in a box under the Christmas tree! Merry Christmas! (Much Sarcasm!!!) Sigh......These people need Jesus.

- God Bless-

Awesome: 'James Bond' Computer Interface Becomes Reality

The astounding technology seen in science fiction films rarely becomes a reality. We have yet to travel back in time or enjoy a chat with a hologram.

So it is not surprising that many believed that the computers from films such as "Minority Report," "Iron Man" and the latest James Bond movie were also the stuff of wild imagination.

The characters point and gesture at projected screens, using their hands to control and manipulate what they see in a vivid portrayal of the interaction between man and marvelous machine.

Now a scientist who advised the makers of "Minority Report" in creating this futuristic vision has made these imagined technologies a reality. The development could fundamentally change the way we interact with computers, consigning the mouse to the scrap heap.

Instead of using just one hand to control a mouse, someone with "G-Speak" — after slipping on special gloves — uses both, and is able to communicate with a PC intuitively.

"Human hands are the most sophisticated manipulating tools in the world," said John Underkoffler, chief scientist at Oblong Industries, the Los Angeles-based company that has created the technology.

"The idea is to drop the mouse and let hands do what they're fully capable of. That is to describe and push, poke and pull and manipulate the world." - Fox News

CHANGE to come.......on this Blog

In the next few weeks this blog will be going through some "CHANGE." I for sometime now have been working on a new outline and concept for this blog. The topics on this blog will stay the same but I will be adding more topics rather than politics and religion. The look and feel of this blog will also look different and there will be much more material so stay tuned through out this transition period. I'm pretty excited in the direction I will be taking this blog.

-God Bless-

Thoughts on the Election and Obama

I have finally been able to find time to post on this topic. Americans have voted and picked our next president of the United States. I may not like the results of the election and I may get a lot of flak for what I am about to say. First off we have to understand that God is Sovereign. Daniel 4:25 states that God is the ruler over all kingdoms of men and he will He will give it to whoever he wants. Ephesians 1:11 states that God works out everything in agreement with the decision of His will. Also we should not be fearful of the election of Obama because Romans 8:28 says, " We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those called according to his purpose."

We not have a hateful heart towards Obama. God chose him to be the ruler over our Nation. That doesn't mean we have to agree with everything Obama stands for and we can oppose him on things like abortion but we have to do it in a loving and understanding way. We should respect Obama and pray for him and that's what I'm calling all my readers to do. Pray for our new president Obama. Pray not only for his safety but that he will be wise and God will guide him in the way that he should lead the country. We shouldn't be waiting for Obama to fail or hope he fails. We want Obama to succeed. If Obama succeeds America succeeds if Obama fails America suffers.

(1 Timothy 2:1-3) - "First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quit life in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior."

Let us look on the bright side. God is in control, His ways are better than ours even though we don't fully understand. Also be thankful that we live in the United States of America a free country where we can proclaim His name without being persecuted, hunted and killed. We have been given the opportunity to vote in a democracy thanks to those brave men and women in uniform. Look at how far we have come as a nation. Our nation is 232 years old. Just a few hundred years ago we had black African American slaves, slaves treated badly. Now we have the first African American president. That is amazing! It truly shows how wonderful our Nation is. I give Obama my respect and he is my next president and I will be praying for him on a daily basis as should you. but when issues like abortion arise we should show him in a respectful way that abortion is the taking of an innocent life. Let this also be an opportunity for Churches to get more involved in creating opertunitys to help Pregnate women who are thinking about abortion. Think how much the abortion rate would drop if more and more churches created programs that would help pregnate women.

-God Bless-

I'm Finised!..............for the semester that is.

Well I am done for the semester and I have two months off of school which means I will have plenty of time to blog. To much time! In the next blog I will finally get to my thoughts on the election and on President Elect Obama. The only post I have only made one post sense he was elected and I did not really put anything well thought on on here. But I have had some time to blow off some steam and finish the semester. So stay tuned I have a lot on my mind.

You Can Vote for whoever U Like!

This is a funny video no matter which candidate your are going to vote for.




P.S. VOTE!

Vote!

Well the news media has already given the victory to Barak Obama even though the votes haven't been counted. Talk about drinking the Kool-Aid. I just want to say to everyone GO VOTE! and of course vote for McCain/Palin! But hear is the truth and I don't want this to discourage you from voting. I think Barak Obama will win the election. We just need to learn to deal with it. If McCain can pull a victory than great! but its not looking very good right now. I will blog ya when the results start to come in.

GO VOTE

Sad...........

Two days till election day people. And it is sad that Americans are about to elect the most pro-choice or in reality the most "pro-genocide" man in the history of the presidency. I know, know! Y0u might say, "Roe vs. Wade will never be overturned so there is no point in fighting it so we should pick the candidate that is best on the economy."....that's another debate....see previous blog posts. Anyways it is far from the truth. pro-life presidents will choose pro-life judges and so forth. It may not be a touchdown for Pro-life but at least we are gaining yardage. Eventually if we have pro-life people in higher offices this culture of murder will change. For the fact that more programs will be available for pregnant women to realize it is a life and give her opportunities for adoption. Also when a women who wants an abortion sees that the baby is a human being through an ultrasound she is more and likely to change her mind and keep the baby. But many lawsuits from woman's rights groups are saying, "the new law endangers health, invades privacy and attacks woman's dignity."

What I want to know is were is the lawsuits to defend life by saying, "Abortion endangers the health of the baby, and invades its privacy." You wont because to many liberals are in charge. Also how could you vote for a person even if he is good on the economy that thinks that the ongoing genocide is okay. How can you vote for a man that says its okay for people to kill there own child. Even though he disagrees with it he will allow people to do it. How can you vote for someone who will allow the genocide to continue without standing up and giving the unborn a voice.

In the Words of Dr. Albert Mohler President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, "This is a moral conflict that might take a century or more to run its course.Those fighting for the abolition of slavery pressed on against obstacles and set backs worse than these because, after all, these were human lives they were defending. What if they had listened to those who, after Dred Scott and the Missouri Compromise, said that the battle was "permanently" lost? What if they had been intimidated by critics accusing them of "single-issue" voting?

If every single fetus is an unborn child made in the image of God, there is no moral justification for settling for a vague hope of some reduction in the number of fetal homicides. If the abortion fight is "permanently lost," it will be lost first among those who claim to be defenders of life -- those who tell us that the argument is merely changing."

Please think about the abortion issue long and hard. Don't vote Obama because you think its Hopeless because its not. We should fight this issue and tell Washington how we really feel about abortion. A friend of mine posted a link to this amazing website on the truth and effects of Abortion. All the info you need. More than I can give. Please check it out and send it to everyone you know. http://abort73.com/HTML/I-case.html

Don't forget to VOTE this Tuesday! VOTE for Life, Country, Freedom, Family, Prosperity! VOTE McCAIN!

Redistribution of Wealth

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.

You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.

You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatreds.

You cannot establish security on borrowed money.

You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man's initiative
and independance

You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and
should do for themselves.

William J. H. Boetcker, 1916 (often attributed to Lincoln)

6 days left!

The Voices Being Silenced

With the election days away we here about the different debates about taxes, health care, energy independence. What we haven't heard about in this election is Abortion. Millions of babies silenced! It's genocide! The reason why it hasn't been brought ups is because Obama is the most liberal and pro-choice man to every run for president. And if you are a Demacrate who thinks abortion is wrong but is still going to vote for Obama because abortion will never be over turned that is poor excuse. It seems we as Americans are more upset about gas prices than the genocide that is going on in our own nation. Well below I have posted a awesome well done paper that my sister did for one of her classes on abortion and I was touched by it so I thought I would share it with you. So I take no credit for this I just wanted to share it with you and I want you to think about this issue long and hard before you vote if you havent thought about it long and hard.

The Voices Being Silenced

Since the year of 1973, in the United States alone, there have been nearly 50 million deaths of living, human beings who have heartbeats. These deaths were not from natural causes, or from some tragic accident or some horrible disease. Those who died were starved to death, were morbidly mutilated, some by a sharp tool that was lunged into the base of the skull vacuuming out their lives. What is the cause of these horrific actions? Abortion—the slaughtering of innocent babies who are simply “inconvenient” or “unwanted.” I believe abortion is murder. If someone performed any one of these abortion procedures on a fully delivered baby, then it would be considered murder, so what difference does it make if the baby is unborn or partially delivered? None. A life is a life whether it is in the womb or not. I do not believe this is a matter of stripping a woman of her rights, because we, as human beings, simply do not have the right to murder another being. Why should this be any different? We must stand up for the voices that cannot be heard. Unborn babies are human too, and they should have the right to be protected, just as we have rights to be protected.

According to The Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI) and The Abortion Resource Handbook, there are approximately 1,206,200 abortions performed yearly in the U.S. That means that one baby is aborted every 26 seconds, 137 babies every hour, 3,304 babies every day, 23,196 babies every week, and 100,516 babies are aborted every month. Nearly twenty-two

percent of all U.S. pregnancies end in abortion. Many people do not know the actual procedures taken place to terminate the baby. The facts of the procedures are disturbing as well as graphic; however, people must learn these facts in order to determine whether they are really pro-life or pro-choice. The procedures sanctioned and performed by abortionists, if performed on a postnatal child, it would be considered a heinous crime.

One method of abortion is with two potent synthetic hormones—RU 486 and Misoprostol. The pill restricts the uterine lining from providing nutrients to the baby, causing the baby to starve to death. The woman then discharges the baby after she has taken Misoprostol. Another abortion method is Suction Aspiration. This is usually done when the woman is 7-15 weeks pregnant. Suction Aspiration is where a powerful vacuum tube is inserted through the cervix; the vacuuming action dismembers the baby, who is then vacuumed into a container. The abortionist then examines what is in the container to make sure everything has been removed. Another method is called Dilation and Curettage (D&C). With this technique a knife-like object, a Curette, is put through the dilated cervix in order to sever the baby into pieces. The baby is then removed. The method of Dilation and Evacuation (D&E) is usually the procedure performed in the second trimester of pregnancy when the baby’s bones are calcified. When the woman’s cervix has been dilated, the abortionist inserts a tool, a forceps, in through the cervix and then crushes and twists the baby’s body parts out of the womb. The abortionist then reassembles the body parts in order to be certain all parts were removed from the womb. According to the Disease Center of Control (DCD), the D&E method is used in 95 percent of all abortions. The Dilation and Extraction method (D&X), also known as partial-birth abortion, is performed twenty weeks into the pregnancy and as late as a couple of weeks before birth.

This method is where the baby is partially born, legs first, while the head is still in the womb. The abortionist then punctures the back of the baby’s head with scissors; a suction catheter is then inserted into the wound to vacuum the child’s brains out. The collapsed baby is then removed.

Who could not see these actions as murder? This is exactly the reason I believe abortion is murder. It is taking a life and destroying it when we should not have a say so of who can continue on with life or who dies. Just because the baby is unborn and very young, it does not make it any less of a human than you or I. For example, is a twelve-year-old child any more of a human being than a three-year-old child? No. If a heartless crime like an abortion procedure were to be performed on a grown being, it would be considered murder. Just as abortion should be considered murder.

Many people claim that life does not begin at conception, but rather at another time, possibly birth. They use the psychological method of depersonalizing the victim by using the term “fetus” for the baby in order to make the victim seem more unhuman-like. However, the article, “Life Begins at the Beginning,” written by Dr. Fritz Baumgartner--a graduate of UCLA School of Medicine--for a pro-life website, states that life does begin at conception. He says,

“There is no more pivotal moment in the subsequent growth and development of a human being than when 23 chromosomes of the father join with 23 chromosomes of the mother to form a unique, 46-chromosomed individual, with a gender, who had previously simply not existed. Period. No debate.” He goes on to say that the new individual is complete, it has a gender and it is programmed and equipped to grow and change until death, and all it needs is a place to grow and receive nutrients. The geneticist Jerome Lejeune capitalizes on this in the book, A Symphony of the Preborn Child, by stating:

…each of us has a unique beginning, the moment of conception…As soon as the 23 chromosomes carried by the sperm encounter the 23 chromosomes carried by the ovum, the whole information necessary and sufficient to spell out all the characteristics of the new being is gathered…a new human being is defined which has never occurred before and will never occur again…[it] is not just simply a non-descript cell, or a “population” or loose “collection” of cells, but a very specialized individual…This shows that life is very intricate and complex at the beginning; the baby is not just some lifeless blob.

Another argument some pro-abortionists may use is that the baby is not able to feel pain during the abortion procedure, so therefore, it is rather harmless. This, however, was proven wrong by a medical resident, Kanwaljeet Anand, in a neo-natal intensive care unit at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford about twenty-five years ago. In the article, “The First Ache,” from The New York Times says that Anand’s little patients, many of whom were premature babies, were frequently rushed out of the ward, and into the operating room. This caused the tiny infants’ breaths to become shallow, their heartbeats to decline and their skin to turn gray. Anand spent a lot of time supplying more oxygen to the babies and overseeing insulin to keep their blood sugar balanced. He began to wonder what was going on to make these babies so stressed, so he obtained permission to go with his patients into the operating room. He soon discovered the infants were not administered anesthesia before the operation, but only a paralytic to keep them stationary. Doctors were persuaded to believe that newborns’ nervous systems were undeveloped enough that they could not sense pain, and that anesthetics could be potentially harmful to the

babies. In a series of clinical trials, Anand tested the stress levels of infants who were administered anesthetics before an operation, and of the infants who did not receive the anesthetics. Anand’s clinical trials revealed that the infants who received little or no anesthesia had a high-stress response, in which a surge of stress hormones were released. This disproves the claim that many people make, that it does not hurt the baby; because it does, in fact, cause the baby pain, and it would be inhumane to cause a human being such agony.

I believe it is very wrong to put a baby to death in such an inhumane and painful way. With the facts provided by doctors, I do not see how someone would believe that life does not begin at conception. It is a shame that 50 million babies have been put to death since 1973, simply because the baby is “unwanted” or because it would be a burden. I believe abortion is murder, and it is an epidemic that must be stopped in order to save the innocent lives being taken. There are other alternatives, such as, birth control, condoms, and adoption, but murder should not be an option. We must stand up for the voices that are being silenced because an unborn baby should have the right to live.