The debate continues.  “Water boarding is torture”.  “Water boarding is not torture”.  Proponents of water boarding as an interrogation technique state that such harsh interrogation techniques are needed to gain information that could save innocent lives.  Opponents ask how we would like it if our soldiers were water boarded.

 

The problem with the debate is that it starts with the wrong premise.

 

First of all, I would not like American soldiers (or any soldiers) to be water boarded.  The key word here is “soldiers”.  Soldiers are men and women who wear uniforms and who fight in wars sanctioned by one or more governments.  Soldiers have a very specific code and they are protected by the Geneva Conventions.  They should never receive any form of harsh interrogation (i.e., water boarding) and definitely should not be tortured.  Those are the rules.

 

The people who have been water boarded during the war against islamofascism are NOT soldiers.  They are terrorists.  They are murderers.  They are religious fanatics.  And they are people who set no boundaries in their goal to kill all people who disagree with their narrow, ignorant world view.  They do NOT wear uniforms.  They are not officially sanctioned by any government.  Regardless of what the leftists say, they do NOT fall within the purview of the Geneva Conventions. 

 

So let us re-begin the debate.

 

The question again? 

 

Is water boarding torture?  No.  It is harsh interrogation. 

 

Should soldiers receive harsh interrogation?  No. 

 

Should islamofascist murderers (who will not give up important information without some form of coercion) be harshly interrogated?  YES!  Should they be tortured?  NO.  They should just be tried and found guilty and then killed if they don’t tell us what we need to know.  Killing is not torture if done humanely….which is more than can be said for the manner in which the terrorists kill their enemies.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2008!

 

Merry Christmas!!!

Please scroll back to the August 7 post (Appalling) to read the newest entry by Belva updating on Kayle, the 17 year old who also had a head injury.

Please click the link...and think about saying thank you to all of those who are sacrificing so much for America.

http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/fullmovie.php

 

Science for sale or rent, no phone, no pool, no pets, ain't got no cigarettes....

 

Darn, I got lost there with the old song, "King of the Road".  But in reality, science IS for sale in the 21st Century (as it was in the 20th Century).  Here is what I mean. 

 

If you have spent the time as I have in trying to work your way through Danish author Bjorn Lomborg’s book, “The Skeptical Environmentalist: Measuring the Real State of the World”, you will see that it is a very big endeavor.  Lomborg, a former member of Greenpeace, wrote this book to help those of us who are not environmental scientists to gain a greater depth of understanding about environmental issues, including the issue of global warming.  As a psychologist, I am used to reading and deciphering data, but this is quite a task.  The book quotes study after study, giving the raw facts instead of the interpretations of others. 

 

Lomborg’s book (as well as his others) is controversial because it doesn’t follow the party line of environmental fanatics, many of whom are either politicians or scientists making a buck on the issue of the environment.  The book makes its arguments based on the data, concluding that “claims on certain aspects of global warming, overpopulation, declining energy resources, deforestation, species loss,  water shortages, and a variety of other global environmental issues are unsupported by analysis of the relevant data. The book was first published in English by Cambridge University Press in 2001”. (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). 

 

According to the Associated Press (12/14/07), the head of the U.N. panel on climate change has compared Lomborg to Hitler.  Others have labeled him a parasite and as launching stealth attack on mankind.  So much for the gentility of academia.  I guess when millions of dollars in research money is at stake, the gloves come off.

 

Lomborg and his fellow skeptics have not been allowed a voice in the debate on environmental issue.  Just read the reports, the journal articles that get published, and what shows up in the mainstream press.  I believe this is due to the fact that the dissidents base their arguments on hard data instead of interpretation.  They are not in the discussion for political or financial gain. 

 

Lomborg stated that he believes all of this reflects (badly) on the mainstream.  He believes that global warming does exist and that it is caused, in part by human beings.  But, he also believes that “it isn’t a big threat and that international treaties requiring sharp and immediate cuts in carbon emissions would cost a lot but do little good.  Angry words and table-pounding…only show that your argument is not that strong”.  He believes that other issues are much more significant than environmental issues, “for example, AIDS or malnutrition. 

 

Meanwhile, Europe continues its efforts to strong arm America into submission on the issue.  On Thursday the European nations threatened to boycott U.S.-sponsored climate change talks unless the Bush administration “compromises” and “agrees” to a road map for reducing greenhouse gases (Associated Press, 12/14/07) Of course, by compromise and agreement they mean submission.  And our own little environmental moron, Al Gore, joined in, saying that the United States was “principally responsible” for blocking progress at the current Bali talks (Associated Press, 12/14/07). 

 

There is money to be made by scientists who publish and they can only publish if they agree with the mainstream.  There is power to be gained by politicians who condemn America and join the self-aggrandizing scientists in promoting panic about environmental issues such as global warming.  When money and power are involved, we, the people, need to be cautious…very cautious.  We are the ones that will lose in the end.  And we will lose in a very big way!

I just discovered a new blog:

 

http://www.pheistyblog.com

 

On December 5 of this year, the author of PheistyBlog had some comments about our newest little commie here in Minnesota, Julie Mellum.  Mellum is the one that I commented on earlier (No Matter Where We Live, December 6, 2007) who opposes wood fires due to the “fact” that smoke is evil.  She noted the “fact” that second hand smoke is a “proven killer”.  Of course, we all know that is not a proven fact and is nothing more than leftist propaganda to help them gain even greater control of the rest of us. 

 

The author of  PheistyBlog had many comments…these are just a couple.

 

“It’s official.  We have enlightened ourselves into stupidity.

 

“First off, secondhand smoke is not a proven killer.  Secondly, just how far are we willing to take this ‘freedom to breathe’ crap?  I’m firmly convinced that the enviro-disciples won’t be happy until we’re all living in solar-powered huts, riding bicycles to our non-profit jobs, and eating grubs…raw grubs. 

 

“Do us all a favor, Julie.  Slap on an OSHA-approved respirator and shut your liberty-robbing, nanny-state mouth.”

 

I can only add one thing.  Way-To-Go!!!, Pheisty!

 

This is the most recent information I have been able to find on the medical status of Emmaline Manning and the legal status of her accused abuser.  This was written by Frank Zufall and published on Spooner Online (Spooner Gazette) on December 5, 2007. 

 

“Michael Stoner, 26, of Spooner stood mute Thursday, Nov. 29, in Washburn County Court when St. Croix County Circuit Court Judge Scott Needham, speaking over a video conferencing system, asked Stoner how he pleaded to the three charges against him. The charges relate to allegations of physically abusing a 2-year-old Spooner girl, Emma Manning.

 

“When Stoner did not respond, Needhman entered a plea of ‘not guilty’ on Stoner’s behalf.

 

“Stoner is charged with two felonies: first-degree recklessly endangering safety and recklessly causing great harm through child abuse. He is also charged with a misdemeanor for resisting or obstructing an officer.

 

“The state alleges Stoner harmed Manning, the daughter of his fiancee, Crystal Manning, 21, on Aug. 1.  Emma was airlifted to Children's Hospital in Minneapolis, where she was admitted in critical condition.  Washburn County District Attorney Michael Bitney said her condition has improved a little and she has been transferred to Gillette Hospital in St. Paul, Minn., for rehabilitation.

 

“‘She continues to have significant deficiencies, and time will tell just how far she will come back,’ said Bitney.

 

“Stoner’s lawyer, Jay Heit, submitted two motions to Needham. The judge denied a motion to reduce bail from $50,000 but said he would consider another motion for change of venue due to alleged pre-trial publicity.  Washburn County Circuit Judge Eugene Harrington heard Stoner's pretrial hearing on Aug. 25.  On Aug. 27, Heit had submitted a request for substitution of a different judge.  On Oct. 3, Needham was assigned to hear the case.

 

“Stoner continues to be held in custody, pending posting bail, at the Washburn County Jail.  The next court date for Stoner is a motion hearing on Jan. 18.”

 

I have also found another piece of information about this case that I missed during the first few days of media reporting.  This is from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, JS Online (August 14, 2007).  According to writer Jim Stingl, Cindy Manning, Emmaline’s grandmother told him the following at that time:

 

"‘Isn't that something? God was trying to wake them up’,"   According to Stingl, Cindy Manning said that “she tried many times herself to wake up Crystal and get her to dump Michael Stoner Jr. for good. A few times she helped her daughter move out of apartments she shared with him, but she always went back and forgave his transgressions and bad temper.

 

“Cindy Manning said she had been raising Emma, but Crystal and the child moved in with Stoner's family this year. She noticed a negative change in Crystal's personality since then, and she feared for her granddaughter's safety.”

 

According to Stingl, “Stoner, who is divorced and has two children from previous relationships, is a convicted felon on a burglary case, and he has other convictions for battery, disorderly conduct, damaging property and impersonating a peace officer.

 

As they say on Cops, the TV show, “suspects are always innocent until found guilty by a court of law”.  I really hope that Mr. Stoner is innocent.  But if he is guilty I hope he receives the maximum sentence available under law.

 

150,000 HITS!!

Thank you!

We have reached one of my personal goals for this blog.  150,000 hits.  I recognize that some people come in here on purpose and some by accident.  I realize that many who pass through are not reading the commentaries.  But if even one-tenth of our visitors read even one commentary or one response, I will be very happy.

So thank you.  We will keep plugging on!

 

 

 

No matter where we live…no matter what neighborhood, state, or country…there is always someone trying to control our actions.

 

Gillian Gibbons, the British teacher jailed in Sudan for letting her students name a teddy bear Muhammad, returned to her home this week.  She could have been given 60 lashes.  Instead she got to go to prison for several days…all because she broke Muslim law in Sudan. 

 

We can condemn Muslims for their strict rules, based on Islamic law (sharia).  We somehow feel above them for their primitive way of life and their primitive view of religion.  But when we turn around and look back at ourselves, we cannot help but see that in many ways we are no better.  We too have people who wish to control our every action…and we allow it!  Sometimes that control is in the name of religion but more often, in 2007, it is in the name of the fanaticism of the day.  In our secular society, fanaticism is generally secular.  The most dangerous of all of these new “religions” is the one we can call Environmental Fanaticism.

 

As far as I can tell, the majority of the members of this new religion are people with extreme personality disorders.  Many could probably be diagnosed as Borderline Personality Disorder or Narcissistic Personal Disorder.  Many claim to have “environmental sensitivity”, meaning that they cannot be confronted with nature.  In many cases, this is because they have been avoiding nature for most of their lives and don’t know how to manage when they run into real life “threats” such as pollen, cold, heat, water, mold, mildew, or, God forbid, SMOKE.

 

Julie Mellum is apparently one such member of the religion of Environmental Fanaticism who also admits to “environmental sensitivity”.  She is the president of Minneapolis-based Take Back the Air, yet another group created to try to take away the rights of individuals.

 

In the 12/5/07 Minneapolis StarTribune, Ms. Mellum wrote the following (excerpted for your mental health):

 

“One big source of air pollution -- as deadly as vehicle exhaust, and with many of the same toxicants as cigarette smoke -- is wood smoke.  The Star Tribune's recent feature on the joys of back-yard wood burning (‘All fired up,’ Oct. 24) was so well-written and enticing that it no doubt caused sales of wood-burning equipment to skyrocket. Yet it did not address the perils (beware when leftists use this word…it portends control!) of wood smoke. Wood smoke is more than a nuisance -- it is a health hazard.

 

“Minnesota's antismoking ordinance allows people to go to bars and restaurants and avoid smoke, because tobacco smoke is a proven killer. (By the way, this is questionable at best.  The research on second hand smoke is so biased by the left that it is difficult to sort out truth from propaganda.)  Yet because we still allow recreational wood burning in the city, where homes are close together on small lots, it has become a serious livability problem. (Of course, the question then has to be asked, why do these people choose to live in congested areas on small lots when they have the same choices as everyone else to move, which is what they tell the rest of us to do when we complain about anything that happens in the suburbs. Oh, wait…I know the answer…because they are righteous and the rest of us are evil. )  All citizens are forced to breathe outdoor air that smells of smoke in many neighborhoods, night and day, in all seasons.

 

“There is so much smoke, either faint or heavy, that many hardly notice it anymore. (Which then suggests that there is no REAL problem.)  But wood smoke is there, heavy in most neighborhoods at night or around our many wood-fired restaurants, if you stop to notice. (meaning, if you obsess about it long enough.)

 

“Everyone is at risk from wood-smoke exposure…Are we OK with this? Aren't these facts reason enough to stop recreational wood burning?  (ahhh, NO!  There have been no FACTS provided…just emotional arguments with little if any merit.)  Why, then, do people continue to burn? First, because they don't know how harmful it is. Second, because it is strongly promoted by the hearth and home industry. And third, because burning wood is an addiction.  (So, all of us are either stupid, being controlled by evil capitalists and stupid, or addicted and stupid.  Of course the addiction to Environmental Fanaticism is okay.) 

 

“I cannot be outside at all when wood smoke is in the air, because I have a ‘reactive airways’ condition affected by it. (Oh yes, here is the “environmental sensitivity” issue that I mentioned earlier.  This woman has apparently never gone outside except to complain.)  I ache for clean air outdoors in a world where nature often is our only respite. (By the way, there is SMOKE in nature, Julie.)  Bad air is forcing many others I know inside when, as city taxpayers, we have a right to be outside breathing clean air.

 

“We must urge our City Council members to ban recreational wood burning…”  (And here is the punch line…Julie wants the government to BAN yet another activity disliked by the left.)

 

Well, here is what I want.  I want the government to ban morons like Julie Mellum from living in my city.  She can move to some part of the world that does not burn wood.  Oh wait, where would that be?  Maybe Julie should move to a biosphere with a controlled environment.  But then she would probably be complaining about mold or mildew or warmth or rain or plants or lights or…

 

So, how are we different from the Middle East?  In Sudan Muslims prevent free expression.  In America we have people like Julie who are succeeding in doing the very same thing. 

 

Here is the difference.  It won’t be long before Americans really do get fed up and see the freedoms that are being lost every day.  When THAT happens, watch out.

 

Julie, get a life…leave the rest of us alone!