No, not the freedom train, but rather boxcars loaded up with the freedoms you and I used to enjoy.
The train is being pulled along by the present administration in an effort to force people into a dialog on a single issue, under a predetermined script, with a single predetermined outcome. If you disagree —“ loose a freedom.
Ask Flynt Leverett. The former CIA, Department of State, and National Security Council specialist has been censored. His crime, he criticized Bush Administration policies. You see, former CIA employees must clear anything they write by the CIA. He wrote an article based on previously published, publicly available information. He submitted that article for clearance and was denied, not by the CIA per-se, but by the White House. For the whole story see: Flynt Leverett Blasts White House National Security Council Censorship of Former White House Officials Critical of Bush Policies from TPM Café.
These boxcars contain much of what we hold dear: Habeas Corpus, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom to seek redress, freedom from cruel and unusual punishment.
This train, fueled by the Patriot Act and similar legislation with an added boost of egomaniacal energy, is fully under the direction and control of George Bush.
The real problem, the one beyond the obvious, is that once this train chugs through its long uphill slog and passes the crest of the hill, it will careen out of control – the whole rest of the way. When curmudgeonly uncle Bob, the self styled critic of the government, disappears one night and can’t be found, then you’ll know the train is at ramming speed.
A deli is not a deli when it represents the meddlesome level at which government planning boards and other such bodies interfere in free commerce.
Now I agree that planning boards are important in that they help to maintain the character of a community. Citizens generally would disagree with having a big box store dropped down into the center of their quaint downtown. At the same time these boards (often unelected) hold sway over the natural course of business. The story: New Hyde Park Village Reserves Decision on Polish Deli from the Illustrated News makes that fact pretty clear.
After just three months of opening, Polish Deli owner Grzegorz Bak, 916 Jericho Turnpike, New Hyde Park, came before the New Hyde Park Village Board to ask for a special use permit to allow for the ability to cook foods in his store.
And this is necessary because? Now I could see getting a permit from the health department or even an inspection from the fire marshal, but a ‘special use permit’ from an agency that has no business meddling in such things is beyond me. Anyway, if the area is zoned commercial and the establishment fits the zoning, why a permit?
The original permit was for the store to only be a Polish grocery store with no prepared foods and now Bak said he has had inquiries from quite a large number of customers who want him to provide hot Kielbasas, hot pirogies and sandwiches.
See a demand, meet the need – but that would be in a country that didn’t have a planned economy (oops, thought I was in the Soviet Union for awhile).
He explained he has a huge counter and it would be easy to prepare hot foods with a countertop grill. His hours are currently from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. but with the new permit he would also be asking for an extension of hours from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. so that he could provide breakfast foods such as kielbasa with egg sandwiches.
Mayor Daniel Petruccio said that he is always happy to see businesses succeed, but he said he was mindful of the fact that this store is located in very close proximity to Park Deli, which has been in business in New Hyde Park for 49 years.
So the mayor thinks that an older established business has a right of veto over newcomers? Who knew?
I do understand. We wouldn’t want Mr. Khrushchev coming in and pounding his shoe on the counter – oops, flashback again.
Deputy Mayor Robert Lofaro said that coming before the board shortly after receiving an initial permit puts the board in a very “awkward” position.
Of course politicians who make stupid, intrusive, overbearing, bureaucratic rules that require people to kow-tow every time they sneeze creates such an awkward situation. You makes the rules and people are going to have to follow them.
Bak said that most of his customers are of Polish descent and, for the most part, do not live in the New Hyde Park area, but rather come from other areas such as Glen Cove and Hempstead; and when they do they are looking for kielbasas, pirogies and stuffed cabbage.
When the meeting was open to the public, Artie Ruesch, representing his father who owns Park Deli, came to the microphone. He said he felt it was a very bad precedent of the village to allow a permit to be changed in such a short space of time. He pointed out that anyone could receive a permit for a facility and then within months come back to the board and change the conditions of the permit. When asked by trustee Donald Barbieri if he served kielbasa and pirogies he said he did so, but usually just for holidays. He also added that he felt sure that Bak had in the back of his mind when he first applied for the application that he would be coming back to change the conditions of the application.
He further pointed out that there are many food places in the vicinity such as an Italian deli, a diner and Blimpie’s, which closed because of the amount of competition in the area. He ended his short comments by saying, “I hope that you will consider my objections to this application.”
So Mr. Ruesch, who grew up fat and happy (of course I’m guessing, unlike Mr. Ruesch who is certain as to what was in Mr. Bak’s mind) because of his father’s hard work, wants to make sure dad has no competition. Free market and all why don’t you get yourself down to dad’s deli and cook up some pierogi? If Mr. Bak’s business model fails that’s his fault. If he succeeds maybe he’ll give you a job.
The next person to speak was David Peykar, who identified himself as the manager of the building at 916 Jericho Turnpike. He said he disagreed with Ruesch and that competition is good. He pointed out that many stores in the area sell foods, including the bagel shop, Umberto’s, Italian Deli, Pizza Shop and Chinese food store and he said that is good for the village. He said he did advise Bak to go the “extra mile” when he applied for the initial application so that would have been done in “one shot.”
David Peykar, the only person who made any sense in the whole matter. Hey, this guy succeeds my rents go up – cool.
The board reserved decision on the application because it now has to return to the Nassau County Planning Commission; and when their reply is received, in about 30 days, the board will vote on the application.
On a cold and snowy Sunday morning on December 13, 1981 the Poles woke up to find their country under Martial Law (literally – The State of War or “stan wojenny”). The Martial Law was imposed by the Military Council for National Salvation lead by, then, prime minister Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski and consisting of 20 other high ranking military officers.
The WRON declared Martial Law to “defend socialism”. They felt threatened by the members of the first independent trade union behind the Iron Curtin – the Solidarity (Solidarnosc). The Solidarity had been founded only 18 months earlier, in August of 1980 after several weeks of strikes. The workers had gone on strike to protest poor living conditions and lack of independent representation. With the birth of the Solidarity hopes were high that the new trade union would help to pressure the government to introduce economical reforms and ease restrictions. The government quickly realized that the Solidarity was a threat to the system. Several road blocks were created to derail the Solidarity but the union seemed to grow stronger. The situation made the Soviets very worried and they, on he several occasions, pressured the Polish government and the Polish Communist Party (PZPR) to de-legalized the Solidarity. For the Polish government it soon became apparent that the union was too strong and far too popular to simply de-legalize it. A drastic action was need to oust the Solidarity, so martial law was imposed.
The Constitution stated that martial law could be imposed for defense or national security reasons. The Constitution allowed the State Council (Rada Panstwa) to impose a martial law while the parliament (Sejm) was not in session. Although the parliament was in session, the State Council headed by Henryk Jablonski unconstitutionally passed the law under pressure from the military. Only one member of the Council, Ryszard Reiff, voted against the resolution. The vote took place in the early morning hours of December 13 while Martial Law was under way: people arrested, restriction imposed. The State Council merely rubber stamped the decision of the military that took over the control in the country.
Thousands of Solidarity leadership and activists were arrested and imprisoned without court sentence. Among those arrested was Lech Walesa, the legendary Solidarity leader. The WRON, in an obvious public relations stunt, also arrested some prominent figures from the previous government.
The borders were sealed, airports were closed and road access to main cities was restricted. Travel between cities required permission. Curfew was imposed between 10 pm and 6 am. Telephone lines were disconnected. Mail was subject to censorship. All trade union and other independent organizations were de-legalized. All TV and radio transmissions were suspended (except one government TV channel and one government radio station). Public administration, health services, power generation stations, coal mines, sea ports, train stations, and most of the key factories were placed under military management. The employees had to follow military orders or face a court martial. Classes in schools and at universities were suspended.
From the early morning hours the only TV channel and the only radio station transmitted Gen. Jaruzelski’s address . The anchors wore military uniforms. Only newspapers controlled by the Communist Party or the military were published.
The Poles actively resisted the Martial Law by organizing strikes and street marches, but any resistance to the Martial Law was brutally crushed. On December 16, 1981 the police killed 9 striking coal miners at the Wujek Coal Mine in Katowice. The Poles continued to oppose the WRON – many Solidarity members worked underground. They established, the so called, Revolutionary Solidarity and were involved in publishing independent newspapers, organization of street protests, broadcasting radio programs usually cut off by the government jammers). Thousands were arrested and prosecuted.
Martial Law was suspended on December 31, 1982 and terminated on July 22, 1983. Some of the restrictive legislation introduced during the martial law remained in force through the end of the eighties. The failure of the WRON and the ruling Communist Party became clear in 1989 when the Solidarity won by a land-slide in the first free election after World War II.
My friends in Poland, young, newly married lived in the bloky (concrete apartment blocks built by the communists). The husbands were still conscripts and they didn’t come home that night. They weren’t on the street, they were locked in at their base. The government didn’t want the soldiers armed or out there. The Milicja (police actually) and the dreaded Zomo (convicts let loose) were on the street.
My friends recounted their stories to me, but it wasn’t until we knew each other quite well. The Poles are very open about their private lives. Nothing seems private in a friendly discussion, even among acquaintances. But this issue, this pain, required a different level of closeness. The fear and the pain is very real and lasting.
I pray for them today, for those injured, killed, or imprisoned then and now – including those jailed and tortured by our own government. Were our ideals fashioned solely for the fight against communism, or are they deeper than that? I don’t really know.
All I can say is that it is very important that we do not forget, that we do not loose sense of what we stood for and what we stand for. It can happen here, martial law, shortages, an inability to speak openly. It is happening subtly right now. God have mercy on us.
Who said the following in rejecting the proposals made by the Iraq Study Group:
“The attempt to create a linkage between the Iraqi issue and the Mideast issue — we have a different view.”
Could it be Osama, the leadership in Iran, Syria, or Hamas? Perhaps Hezbollah? Maybe it was the Germans or the French, you know, our allies who ‘never’ support us? Could it even have been Mr. Stay the Course, President Bush.
Nope!
These were the words of our most faithful and trusted ally, the friend who gets every bomb and every dollar we can’t afford – the Prime Minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Thursday rejected a U.S. advisory group’s conclusion that a concerted effort to resolve Israel’s conflict with its neighbors will help stabilize the situation in Iraq, saying there is no connection between the two issues.
Olmert also rebuffed the group’s recommendation that Israel open negotiations with Syria, but said Israelis want “with all our might” to restart peace talks with the Palestinians.
Admitting the connection would mean admitting that our support of Israel facilitates the two-tiered apartheid system that fuels the fires of hatred toward the United States.
It appears that Ellis Hospital and St. Clare’s in Schenectady, NY have agreed to merge based on the findings of the Berger Commission.
Ellis, which provides abortions (God have mercy on us) and St. Clare’s, a Catholic hospital, have accepted the State’s merger recommendation.
Will St. Clare’s demand that all abortions cease? I see no other alternative. I can’t imagine that a Catholic institution would simply agree to moving abortion services next door (not out-of-site, but out-of-mind). Let’s see how strong Christian witness will be in the face of government. For my part I’m guessing that we already know who’s in charge – the State.
SCHENECTADY — Ellis and St. Clare’s hospitals have accepted the recommendation of a state commission to merge, both facilities announced Tuesday.
The hospitals released a joint statement in response to recommendations from the Berger Commission, the nonpartisan panel charged with undertaking an independent review of health care capacity and resources statewide.
The recommendations, released Nov. 28, were aimed at cutting costs in the health care industry.
“We approach this challenge together with a shared commitment to ensuring that the people of our community continue to receive the high quality of care they expect and deserve,” the joint statement said. “We face a great deal of work ahead to determine how together, St. Clare’s and Ellis can best deliver the full range of health care services our community expects. While a difficult and complex undertaking, we believe this is a positive step toward strengthening health care in Schenectady County, for generations to come.”
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Ellis Hospital opened with five beds in 1885, according to the hospital Web site. The facility bears the name of John Ellis, who founded the Schenectady Locomotive Works. Today, Ellis employs 380 physicians and dentists, in addition to support staff.
On the other side of the city of Schenectady, two community leaders had approached the bishop about opening a hospital in 1942. Seven years later, St. Clare’s Hospital opened, according to the hospital’s Web site.
Israel’s education minister has said school textbooks should show Israel’s pre-1967 borders, prompting a storm of criticism from right-wingers.
Yuli Tamir said changes were needed to give Israeli children a proper understanding of their history.
Currently, schoolbooks show Israel’s territorial conquests in the 1967 war – the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights – as part of Israel.
International law deems them occupied land that Israel has illegally settled.
The dovish minister is reported to have ordered the books to be changed. There has been no immediate comment from the prime minister’s office.
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Ms Tamir’s position is seen as a direct challenge to the Jewish settlement movement, which is a powerful interest group in Israel.
Settlers and their supporters have fought hard against any attempt by governments to withdraw from occupied land, either to foster peace with the Palestinians or enhance Israeli security…
Of course historical revisionism works for the settlers. Actually, if they want to be historically and biblically accurate they should claim all the land from the sea to the two great rivers.
Am I correct in assuming that the use of historical revisionism is a sin only when it is done by ones’ enemies?
The NY Times is carrying an article about a man who has erected a protest site, filled with crosses, which doubles as a memorial to those killed in Iraq. The following excerpt from Homemade Memorial Is Stirring Passions on Iraq sums up the situation:
LAFAYETTE, Calif., Nov. 30 —” The tranquil suburb of Lafayette hardly seems the most likely place in the Bay Area for a battle over the First Amendment and the war in Iraq. Liberal Berkeley is just over the hill, after all, and nearby San Francisco is always spoiling for a fight.
But over the last few weeks, it is Lafayette —” an affluent bedroom community 20 miles east of downtown San Francisco —” that has become the scene of a passionate debate over the place of political speech in suburbia.
At issue is a hillside memorial, made up of some 450 small white crosses and a 5-by-16-foot sign that reads: —In Memory of 2,867 U.S. Troops Killed in Iraq.— The memorial was created by Jeff Heaton, a building contractor and antiwar activist, who said it was meant —to get people involved on a local level— and talking about Iraq.
Sure enough, people here have become involved, including more than 200 people and a half-dozen television news crews and reporters who crammed into the usually sparsely attended City Council meeting last week to voice their opinions about the memorial. And while many there said they found the crosses deeply moving, others called the memorial unpatriotic, disrespectful or just plain ugly.
That camp included Jean Bonadio, a former Marine sergeant who said she was so offended that she stopped her car and climbed the hill to dismantle the sign, which sits with the crosses on private property of a fellow advocate just north of Highway 24, a major Bay Area thoroughfare, and the Lafayette light-rail station.
—My first reaction was, ‘What a disgrace to those who have sacrificed,’ — said Ms. Bonadio, 53, a dog trainer. —I had no tools with me, so I removed it with my bare hands and feet.—
So, free speech, and protecting the rights of all United States citizens (the alleged motivation of every soldier, and the alleged justification for every foreign venture) becomes exhibit A in the land of irony. Former Marine sergeant Jean Bonadio invades private property, destroys private property, and denies a fellow citizen his free speech rights, because he has no right to say it. Semper Fi Sgt. Bonadio, Semper Fi.
The retired sergeant qualified for the ‘Some people just don’t get it award.’
Kingston and Benedictine Hospitals should be joined under a single unified governance structure, contingent upon Kingston Hospital continuing to provide access to reproductive services in a location proximate to the hospital. The joined facility should be licensed for approximately 250 to 300 beds.
The Care of the sick must rank above and before all else so that they may truly be served as Christ. Faithful to the Gospel values of its Roman Catholic heritage and its 1500-year-old Benedictine tradition of hospitality, community, stewardship, respect of persons, and peace, Benedictine Hospital is dedicated to the provision of health care services through the use of available resources to meet the needs of the people who come for care. As part of its healing ministry, Benedictine Hospital upholds the sacredness of life at all stages, recognizes the dignity of each person and provides for the spiritual as well as the physical needs of those it serves.
Perhaps Benedictine’s mission statement scared the Commission because they are recommending (and the only time it is mentioned in regard to combining Catholic and secular hospitals) that Kingston’s abortion mill be moved next door.
TALLINN, Estonia – President Bush said Tuesday an al-Qaida plot to stoke cycles of sectarian revenge in Iraq is to blame for escalating bloodshed, and refused to debate whether the country has fallen into civil war.
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Bush said he will ask al-Maliki to explain his plan for quelling the violence.
I like that, ask the hobbled leader of a country torn by civil war what he’s going to do about it. He’s doing the only thing that makes sense, surviving by allying himself with fellow travelers in Iran and al-Sadr.
Perhaps Mr. Bush will be citing the world plotting against him when they carry him off to prison (for war crimes) or to the asylum (ala Captain Queeg). He will use the plot defense when his claims of being Napoleon are ignored.
