USS IOWA = RAINBOW WARRIOR?

By Bill Horton
10/19/05

The USS Iowa is the subject of a strange proposal.

Originally, the ship was to be moored on the Embarcadero in San Francisco with other ships of historical significance.

The city council rejected that plan because they did not want to send a pro war signal to the world after all it was still San Francisco right?

Back to the story. A second proposal has come about to place the ship in the bay to serve as a museum to minorities. You know the usual suspects, ethnic minorities, women and gays. Gays? Oh yes, it is to depict how all minorities have had to overcome hardship to serve in the military and the final display will be how the struggle goes on with the quest for equality. Gays are being stifled by not being allowed to serve openly gay.

Let’s see, in World War II Japanese Americans DID serve but had to overcome obvious difficulties because of Pearl Harbor. Blacks were discriminated against under the segregationist policies of the day.

William Jefferson Clinton introduced the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy to DoD. Realistically, homosexuals have served and continue to serve. Members are not "required” to proclaim their sexual preference upon entrance. I have heard it all, “heteros are accepted and they can talk about their evenings all they want with no fear.” You know, that is true, there is usually little complaining when a hetero member discusses his/her experience the night before. The position that draws fire is that it isn’t fair that homosexuals can not freely discuss their experiences.

Frankly if all things were equal I would prefer not to hear about any exploits but I do not find a conventional pair’s exploits as disturbing. Call me what you like but male/female relationships “work”.

The Iowa is a proud ship. I have served in the U S Navy for the past twenty years and upon my enlistment the ultimate duty would have been to be assigned to one of those massive beauties.

The Iowa should be left alone rather than become a political tool for the agenda of a few deviants that would, in my humble opinion, disgrace the good ship Iowa (BB 61).

Homosexuality is not a social norm regardless of what the New York Times says and the USS Iowa should sit in mothballs rather than be a rainbow clad disgrace to all who served in her!

______-Americans, yeah right.

By Bill Horton
10/18/05

The Nation of Islam had it’s big “get-together” in Washington D C this past weekend.

It seems they fell a bit short of their million man goal.

Anyway, they proclaimed white America guilty of various crimes against everyone.

Ever heard anything like that? Of course you have. Everyday in America there is one group of folks that are the culprit for each and every wrong in the world. Let’s see if you can guess whom it may be.

Folks ridiculous comments of this nature are thrown around everyday. The name calling from the hate groups of the left are sort of easy to ignore since it is almost daily.

I could hardly care less what Mr. Farrakhan or Mr. Shabaz have to say about me.

They certainly are not taken seriously when they are fighting for a separate ministry of defense and essentially a separate government as well as provide reparations from the very government they refuse to recognize.

I have grown up in a world where it is OK to call me a bigot for simply disliking a type of music but because of my skin color I am oppressive and uncaring. I like to think of myself as one that despises people based on their individual achievements not their skin color or some other ridiculous criteria.

America is comprised of many people of many nationalities. Many of these folks choose a specific nationality from their lineage and choose to ignore the parts they dislike. Many receive payments from the federal government based on a purported link to a nation or tribe. It is a toss-up as to whether or not these claims are valid but if it comes down to money you can bet they will fight to provide some sort of evidence credible or not.

I fail to see the point in the association with a group or culture many times removed if one has no true sense of the true culture.

If you look around there are plenty of newly-flourishing tribes in America. Some tribes had been extinct for as many as three hundred years but suddenly after a certain state allowed for native gambling an amazing rebirth of the tribe has taken place. A story of a long gone tribe rising from the ashes to claim it’s rightful treasure from the gaming industry. Hmmmm?

Folks, I am an American. I am sure to be a mixture of any number of cultures from as many nations but I only KNOW one culture. I am an American.

I laugh at the folks around me that get almost militant when someone mentions a culture or nation in an off way. They are as American as I am but they have to defend, almost with blows, a culture they have likely only seen in movies or read about in a cheap novel.

What it really boils down to is that if you live the US and this were you were born, you are likely not going to be readily accepted in the nation that precedes the hyphen in the highly coveted ______-American.

Get over it! NEXT!

By Bill Horton
10/4/05

Conservatives seem to be at their level-best when
they are fighting amongst themselves.

The President could have nominated anyone and there
would have been a big noise. Harriet Miers is as good
as anyone. David Souter got by. He was a “stealth”
nominee.

The folks that are about to lose their land in New
London Connecticut certainly did not expect to Souter
to do what he has done!

The President handled the press conference well
this morning. The exercise Gods got an extra half
hour out of me this morning as I was running on a
treadmill listening to the president’s answers to the
grilling. I had already done 45 minutes and it took
25 more to get through the press conference.

I walked away thinking that Bush picked whom he
wanted to pick. All of the had wringing is wasted
time. Ann (Coulter), you may cry over the spilled
milk but we as a movement must march on.

Oil prices slid below 64 dollars a barrel today.
Up, down what do we do? If you listen to the useful
idiots you ”conserve”. So let’s say we have 20 years
of oil left, if we conserve we are screwed in 25
instead, yippee!

Look, we need production capacity. We are not
short on crude just refining capacity. This is
hitting us hard right now. Enviro-nut-jobs are
preventing us from being able to stop this madness.

For those of you with a vivid imagination I will
let you continue screaming out names like
“Illuminati”, “Bilderberg” and “Skull and Bones”.
What would you do if they did set the gas price? This
is some mystical problem. We have the oil, we can not
refine it fast enough. Any questions on the next
step?

Solar power while enticing is not yet practical. I
am not going to trade my Porsche for a *%$)(# Prius,
ain’t happening!

Washington has got to hear from folks that WANT to
be able to support our demand for fuel. Until we have
a viable alternative to fossil fuels this is what we
have to do.

Lastly, have you noticed a kind of hush from Sen.
Landrieu? Hmmm, seems she has stirred up enough of a
mess for herself and her contingent from Louisiana.
They asked for an astronomical amount of federal money
to sink into New Orleans. I am looking to see how
much begging is happening on behalf of Mississippi and
Alabama. I would love to know if Trent Lott is
begging or is he rolling up his sleeves and getting
busy rebuilding.

On Diversity . . .

By Bill Horton
05-14-05


Diversity.

This word can do so much damage yet so few
realize it.

Diversity in the modern sense means many
different things. My take on the word is to value the
inputs of those with whom I disagree. No more, no
less. I do not value opinions based on the way a
person appears at the conversation.

To value a person that looks differently seems to
me to be discrimination.

Appreciating someone's opinion because they are a
member of one group or another seems fundamentally
wrong to me. When discussing the issues of the day
what standard do you use to consider another�s point
of view? Do you consider their ethnicity when
discussing gas taxes? Do consider one's sex when
discussing property taxes? Is it important to you to
ensure there is a "correct" mixture of ethnicity and
sex before discussing weighty matters? If so, I
actually pity you.

I am rather proud of whom I am and it is not
because my parents were oppressors or possessors of
great with and fame. No I am proud of the fact that
my parents started out with modest means and worked
hard every day until they reached the goals which they
had aimed for.

They were NOT members of the country club. There
were no great luxuries in our home but it was
comfortable, clean and warm.

Working hard and achieving is not something that
should bring shame. But in these times it seems that
in order to respect ones self one must march down the
street on May 1st and celebrate one�s victimization.

I subscribe to the belief that one can achieve
anything one strives to achieve if one is serious and
works diligently toward that end.

My folks did not tell me to look to my heritage
to get through life, my father told me when I started
mowing lawns for summer cash that "boy, you are going
to work from now on until the day you die." That was
not meant as a threat, it was simply insight from a
life spent working. Robert was no philosopher but he
did not bullshit me either. Reality can be hard to
swallow but accepting it can make one stronger and
improve your outlook as you improve you place in life.

I see folks around me every single day that envy
the lives of others. I am looking for the
"opportunity" to achieve while they watch. Accepting
ones lot in life does not mean that you have forsaken
improvement, it simply means that you know where you
are and know where you want to be.

The Big Easy

By Bill Horton
9/13/05

The headlines read “THE GOVERNMENT FAILED”.

I could not agree more. The government at fault
was reported to be bankrupt today. But alas, they
were bankrupt before Katrina!

Yes folks, that’s right, the Mayor of New Orleans
made the statement that the City of New Orleans was
seeking federal loans to make payroll for the city
workers.

I would have to agree but I think our agreement
falls apart when I blame Governor Blanco and governors
before her. I blame Mayors Nagin and former Mayor
Morial they acquired federal funding for the city to
rebuild the levees and did nothing.

New Orleans always managed to doge the bullet when
it came to hurricanes. The money went elsewhere. I’m
sure you would find a politician with a brother,
sister, mother or father running and environmental
consulting firm somewhere making a nice chunk of
change to tell the city “everything is just great.”

Meanwhile, as we watch the stories rolling out of
the Big Easy, we see destruction. This destruction
was due to the levees failing AFTER Katrina. The
levees failed after the media declared NOLA made it
through!

It will be interesting to see where did the money
go?

Every city and state has its stories. Louisiana
has hers. “Louisiana, the best politicians money can
buy” Laugh now, watch for the results of the
congressional inquiry into this mess. You will hear
tales as tall as two Empire state buildings.

I know I sound as if I am lacking in compassion.
Believe me, I am not! Some of best people I know are
in the immediate vicinity and I still cannot get a
call through!

I also know that it is far easier to say “blame
Bush!” Sure, go ahead, but be careful, because there
is a paper trail out there and it will be a mess when
the truth comes out.

After living in the area and seeing how things
work, I know that Bush is not going to be the odd man
out after this one. Nagin, Blanco, Foster and Morial
are names you will hear as these hearings start
rolling.

As for Senator Mary Landrieu, her father was the
Mayor of New Orleans during the 70’s and
many-a-colorful tale exists out there regarding ole
“Moon” Landrieu.