Executive Order Gives International Police Immunity in the U.S.

On December 17, Barack Obama quietly signed an executive order giving the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) international immunity from search, seizure and confiscation. 

The U.S. government can now do anything it wants, whether constitutional or not, keep the file with INTERPOL and an investigative journalist (remember Woodward and Berstein?) can not have access. There is no Freedom of Information Act for them.  INTERPOL is now beyond the reach of even our own CIA or FBI.

We  have an international police organization who now is above the law in the United States of America!! They are no longer subject to search and seizure by our police. They can not be made to turn over their documents under the Freedom of Information Act.  Because of this, our own government can therefore transfer any documents it wants to and they are beyond our reach as American citizens--legally. 

Our constitutional rights as American citizens have been placed in the hands of an international police organization that has been given the power to act on American soil!

This is all being done in the midst of the fight on healthcare, not to mention during the Christmas season, so that no one notices. 

Hat tip to the Anchoress.

On the Darkest Day of the Year, Where is Our Light?

This is the darkest day of the year, both astronomically, politically and spiritually. December 21 is, of course, the Winter solstice, when we in the Northern Hemisphere have the fewest hours of daylight. It is also turning out to be the darkest time in a spiritual and moral sense.
Last night it was reported in Great Britain that U.S. Major General Anthony Cucolo, head of the U.S. troops in Iraq has decided that any male or female soldier who are expecting a baby under his command will face court martial with a possible prison sentence!!!! 

Guess what the effect of *that* will be?  Yep.  Convenient, career saving abortions.  Kill your baby, keep your job.

And a little child shall lead them.  ~Isaiah 11:6

Increasingly, our society refuses to follow. 

On another front, there are more and more voices within the environmentalist community who want to bring China's one child policy here to the west.  It's necessary, they say, to combat shrinking natural resources and feed those of us lucky enough to have been born.

To these secularists, the solution is not sharing.  No.  That would be naive and stupid. The solution is not respecting and cherishing our Judeo-Christian heritage that asks that we feed the poor and take care of those who are more helpless than ourselves.  All that Christian stuff is just too oppressive. The obvious solution is to kill the children.

Let's wipe Christmas of its real meaning.  That will make everyone equal--everyone happy.  Let's take away the baby in the manger so we can go on killing the babies that are conceived today--in the most prosperous century mankind has ever seen. 

We are losing our grip as a nation and as a people.  We no longer have a moral compass.  We are orphans who have run away from the only Parents we ever knew and we think we are free.

Hat tip to Mark Shea.

Obama's New "Safe School Czar" and the End of Western Civilization

**See update and action request below**
Warning: While I am doing my best to keep the content in this post as non-disturbing as possible, it is nevertheless upsetting and possibly triggering. I apologize ahead of time if this is disturbing for any of my readers, but I think this is important information to disseminate.  Unfortunately, the main stream media apparently do not think this is urgent enough to cover.   

When the priest abuse crisis surfaced, along with being horrified and saddened, the thought occured to me that one day in the not so distant future, given the direction we are moving in today, our society will look back and wonder what all the fuss was about.

I'm afraid that day has arrived.

As difficult as it is for most of us to wrap our minds around, there are groups of people who believe that sexual acts between adults and children should be legal and indeed encouraged.  Many people assume that such an opinion is both horrifying and rare.  It is sickening, I agree, and I hope it is rare, but lately, I have begun to question that assumption.

President Barak Obama's new Safe School Czar (the irony there is unfathomable) is Kevin Jennings, founder of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). GLSEN 's proported purpose is to "empower gay youth" by, among other things, a "recommended reading list" for Kindergarten through 12th grade with very  graphic sexual content including what could only be described as felony child sexual abuse portrayed as normal and "natural".

(I am putting a link here to Gateway Pundit, who decided it was crucial to reproduce some of this horrifying recommended reading material to educate the public on exactly what this new Safe School Czar believes in.  Click at your own risk.)

This man is now the unelected, un-nominated so-called Safe School Czar who has recommended graphic descriptions of sexual acts between adults and children as required reading for school children!!!!!!

Sit with that bit of information and let it sink in.

Why is this ok!?!?!?

This evening, my husband and I attended an Advent Lessons and Carols at Mt. St. Mary's Seminary.  It was beautiful, transporting and reverent.  As we were leaving, the thought occurred to me--*this* is where    
 "civilization" has gone.  The orthodox churches and seminaries are the only place where true Judeo-Christian civilization still exists.

We think tabloid media is civilization.  We think "reality tv" is civilization. We think public sex acts as entertainment is civilization.

I believe we have entered a new Dark Ages in our society.  We no longer study art.   We no longer study, play or listen to music.  We no longer read literature, attend plays or study philosophy. We no longer study Latin or Greek.  We have no idea what we believe or why.  We have no idea of the linguistic roots of the most widely spoken language in the world. We no longer, as a society, hear the basic stories from Jewish and Christian scriptures during our childhoods, not to mention its mores and values.

True civilization is being preserved, as it was during the Middle Ages, in the churches, homes, schools and seminaries that follow the teaching of the Magisterium and dare to be truly counter cultural in birthing, raising and educating future generations in what is lasting and important and in what has sustained our civilization for thousands of years.

For those of us, including myself, who have not done our part in passing on this civilization to future generations, may God have mercy on our souls.

Update:  Eastern Catholic priest The Byzantine Rambler has just posted about this issue.  Father is recommending calling the White house at 202-456-1111 and e-mailing them through the White House website. 

Before you call, Father recommends saying the Prayer of St. Ephram the Syrian as well as the penetential psalm 50. (51)  Both are reproduced below.

Prayer of St Ephraim the Syrian

"O Lord and Master of my life, a spirit of idleness, despondency, ambition, and idle talking give me not. But rather a spirit of chastity, humble-mindedness, patience, and love bestow upon me Thy servant. Yea, O Lord King, grant me to see my failings and not condemn my brother; for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen."

Psalm 50 (51)


Have mercy on me, God, in your goodness; in your abundant compassion blot out my offense. Wash away all my guilt; from my sin cleanse me. For I know my offense; my sin is always before me.

Against you alone have I sinned; I have done such evil in your sight That you are just in your sentence, blameless when you condemn. True, I was born guilty, a sinner, even as my mother conceived me. Still, you insist on sincerity of heart; in my inmost being teach me wisdom.

Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may be pure; wash me, make me whiter than snow.
Let me hear sounds of joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

Turn away your face from my sins; blot out all my guilt. A clean heart create for me, God; renew in me a steadfast spirit. Do not drive me from your presence, nor take from me your holy spirit. Restore my joy in your salvation; sustain in me a willing spirit.

I will teach the wicked your ways, that sinners may return to you. Rescue me from death, God, my saving God, that my tongue may praise your healing power. Lord, open my lips; my mouth will proclaim your praise.

For you do not desire sacrifice; a burnt offering you would not accept. My sacrifice, God, is a broken spirit; God, do not spurn a broken, humbled heart.

Make Zion prosper in your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will be pleased with proper sacrifice, burnt offerings and holocausts; then bullocks will be offered on your altar.

Outrageous Watch

I saw this YouTube video today on Facebook.  The UN is close to signing a treaty that would take precedence over the Constitution of the United States.  Once signed and ratified by our congress, we will not be able to get out of it unless the other assignees let us out and they won't--because in the treaty it says that we will be the biggest payer (to third world countries) of  what the treaty calls our "climate debt."  Never mind the debt we are already wracking up in this country bailing out and controlling our own corporations, apparently we need to pay this imaginary debt as well.  

The Supremacy Clause in our Constiution establishes treaties to be on par with the Constitution and federal statutes to be the law of the land.  There are those who are very concerned that this treaty, which has in it UN enforcement as one of its purposes, would, in effect, hand over (some) authority and independence of the United States to the United Nations.

If any of this concerns you, please go to http://www.whitehouse.gov and click on "Contact us" in the upper right hand corner to voice your disapproval. A sample e-mail is below.

"Mr. President:


It has come to my attention you plan to sign a United Nations treaty entitled the "Global Climate Change Treaty" in Copenhagen, Denmark this coming December. DO NOT SIGN THIS TREATY! You will not be fulfilling your Oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States of America if you sign this treaty! Do not sell out the United States!


Respectfully,

After it is signed by President Obama, this treaty will need to be ratified by a 2/3 vote in Congress. http://www.senate.gov will help you to find the names of your senators, if you do not already know them and you can contact them in a similar manner.

Here is a sample senatorial letter for this issue.

"Dear Mr. Senator:


It has come to my attention that President Obama will be signing a treaty entitled "Global Climate Change Treaty" in Copenhagen, Denmark this December 2009. This treaty will sell out the United States, Her Constitution, and People! It will destroy the sovereignty of the United States! Under Article II, Section II of the United States Constitution that for this treaty to be in effect within the United States the Senate must ratify it by a 2/3s vote. DO NOT VOTE TO RATIFY THIS TREATY! DO NOT ALLOW THE UNITED STATES TO BE RULED BY A FOREIGN POWER! KEEP YOUR OATH!


Respectfully,

Hat tip to DSamSebe1 and Cindy Geee.

Outrageous Watch--Cyber Security Act of 2009

A bill currently making its way through congress would give the federal government unprecedented power over the internet.  Under the guise of...what else...homeland security (!) the bill would give the President power to SHUT DOWN THE INTERNET and disconnect infrastructure.  The bill would also federalize internet infrastructure security and tip the balance of power to the side of the federal government.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation reports that the bill also allows non-emergency

access to all relevant data concerning (critical infrastructure) networks without regard to any provision of law, regulation, rule, or policy restricting such access.

  In other words, "Just in case we ever want any information, we are above any law. Don't say we didn't warn you."

Outrageous Watch--A Democrat Speaks Out Against the Health Care Bill

Some Democrats are loudly decrying their party's botching of the all-important health care bill.  Dissident feminist Camille Paglia is complaining on Salon that

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whom I used to admire for her smooth aplomb under pressure, has clearly gone off the deep end with her bizarre rants about legitimate town-hall protests by American citizens. She is doing grievous damage to the party and should immediately step down.

This, ladies and gentlemen of the Democratic Party, is what scares the American people. This kind of talk, putting down free speech in the United States, is dangerous, no matter which party it comes from. Coming from Nancy Pelosi, it is bound to scare the crap out of most people to the right of center, and anyone else who values the Democratic process in the United States.

Ms. Paglia also says that

the president is promoting the most colossal, brazen bait-and-switch operation since the Bush administration snookered the country into invading Iraq with apocalyptic visions of mushroom clouds over American cities.

You can keep your doctor; you can keep your insurance, if you're happy with it, Obama keeps assuring us in soothing, lullaby tones. Oh, really? And what if my doctor is not the one appointed by the new government medical boards for ruling on my access to tests and specialists? And what if my insurance company goes belly up because of undercutting by its government-bankrolled competitor? Face it: Virtually all nationalized health systems, neither nourished nor updated by profit-driven private investment, eventually lead to rationing.

Why can't the Democratic party see this? Why can't their apologists see this? Having some form of guaranteed health care, or a wider safety net for those who need it is a humane thing. Pushing through a bill with government run medical boards and putting the federal government in the business of medicine is not.

This health care debate has shown the horrifyingly condescending way that that the voting public are treated by the Democratic party. Ms. Paglia says that the Democrats are so ready to defame concerned citizens as the "mob" -- a word betraying a Marie Antoinette delusion of superiority to ordinary mortals.

Another thing she complains about that many former Democrats, like my husband and I have been saying for years, is that

I thought my party was populist, attentive to the needs and wishes of those outside the power structure. And as a product of the 1960s, I thought the Democratic party was passionately committed to freedom of thought and speech.

As anyone who knows me can guess, I disagree with Ms. Paglia on most other things, but I do agree with her on this.  It is amazing how blind the mainstream Democratic party is to its supposed core values. I honestly think this country can not continue with either major party in power.

Outrageous Watch--We're all Government Informants Now

Jill Stanek is reporting on her blog that The White House is asking people to report the e-mail and web addresses of people who are spreading "disinformation" about President Obama's proposed health care reform. The White House website says,

"Since we can't keep track of all of them here at the White House, we're asking for your help. If you get an e-mail or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov." (Emphasis mine.)

So, now, private citizens are being asked to report anything that seems "fishy" or comes across (to supporters of the bill) as "disinformation" to The White House! This is more greasing of the already slippery slope of our modern government which seems hell-bent on taking away our rights.

It is responsible government to want to disseminate your party's reasoning behind a particular bill being proposed, but to ask private citizens to report anything that seems "fishy" is going overboard and infringes on the rights of this country's citizens to express their opinions and political viewpoints. America was built on free speech and open dialogue about issues.  It is counterproductive to restrict the freedoms on which this country was founded by encouraging citizens to inform the government about the legal activities of the American people.  

Exercise your right to free speech, before it is taken away completely.

Outrageous Watch--Government Health Care

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann addresses the U.S. House of Representatives about the current health care bill.   She quotes from a column by Betsy McCoy. 


Here is what some of President Obama's top advisors are saying about medical care under the federal government: 

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, brother of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and a health-policy adviser in the Office of Management and Budget says

• (Healthcare) savings will require changing how doctors think about their patients.  Doctors take the Hippocratic Oath too seriously.     (What is the Hippocratic oath?  Do no harm!!  This is in a country where it is legal to kill an unborn child up to and including the point where his or her head is out of the mother's body! And we take the Hippocratic Oath too seriously?!?! )
  

• Communitarianism should guide decisions as to who gets care.  Medical care should be reserved for the non-disabled.
  

• Unlike allocation by sex or race, allocation by age is not invidious discrimination.  Even if the 25 year old receives priority over 65 year olds, everyone who is 65 right now was previously 25.  (So, its ok to tell 65 year olds that they can't get that operation?!)
  

Dr. David Blumenthal, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology

• recommends we slow medical innovation to control health spending. (So, America is supposed to turn its back on continuing medical innovation?!  Our quality of life is going to go down under this bill!  Our life expectancy is going to go down!!  In a few short generations, we will not be living as long or as healthily as our parents did, if this bill passes.) 
  

We've seen all this coming.  We now have advisers to the President of the United States stating that health care should be rationed away from those who are older or disabled to those who are young and can "contribute" to society.  We see this already in the mindset of companies who are ridding themselves of older workers while those workers are more proven and experienced and still need to work.  Oh, and of course, these older workers take up valuable medical resources too.  So, I guess we just refuse them jobs and refuse them health care.  Eventually they will go away. 

Outrageous doesn't even begin to cover it.

A high level government official in a formerly prosperous western country recently hit with hard times pens a book that outlines some ideas that are seen by some to be radical and extreme. Those few familiar with his ideas are concerned. Others are too enamored of him and his party to pay much notice.

World War Two Germany?

Well, yes, but also twenty-first century United States.

President Obama's new "Science Czar" is John Holdren. In 1977 he wrote a book along with Paul and Ann Ehrlich called, Ecoscience--Population, Resources, Environment. Here are a few choice sections from the book.

This man who President Obama has appointed as Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, and Co-Chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, has written in support of forced abortion. Not only that, he has declared that, in his opinion, such forced abortions would be constitutional in the United States!

He also proposed a program of "involuntary fertility control" where a fertility suppression drug would be implanted under the skin of women at adolescence.  He acknowledges that the other part of his involuntary sterilization program, that of "sterilizing women after their second or third child" presents "greater difficulty" than "a vasectomy" but "might be easier to implement than trying to sterilize men."  So, he's a misogynist as well.

He also proposes adding sterilizing drugs to the public water supply, as long as it does not harm "the opposite sex" or "livestock".  

This is only a small sampling of his views.   He also wants to enforce this through "an armed international organization, a global analogue of a police force." 

President Obama has just appointed this man as our "Science Czar" to advise the president on "science policy".   We have no say in this appointment.  It does not have to be vetted by Congress.  There are no confirmation hearings necessary for these positions--and Obama has appointed more czars than anyone else in history. 

We have been warned.  He, like Adolph Hitler, has written his views out for all to read.  In this information age, there is even less excuse not to speak out.

Ginsberg and Eugenics

Supreme Court Judge, Ruth Bader Ginsberg said Tuesday in a New York Times article, 

Frankly I had thought that at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don’t want to have too many of.

This reminds us that for many, including Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger, and, apparently, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, abortion is not about "choice". Abortion is about reducing "growth in populations that we don't want to have too many of."

Poor people, black people, people who suffer from physical, emotional or mentally disabling conditions...who are those that "we don't want to have too many of"?

Perhaps Judge Ginsberg agrees with Margaret Sanger:

We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population. If it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members. Woman's Body, Woman's Right: A Social History of Birth Control in America by Linda Gordon

Or perhaps she agrees with Adolph Hitler:

The demand that defective people be prevented from propagating equally defective offspring. . . represents the most humane act of mankind. Mein Kampf

Those who beleive in reducing "growth in populations that we don't want to have too many of", usually hold that opinion until it is they who are suddenly struggling with poverty or serious illness. Then, they want the social programs that Margaret Sanger spoke of as a waste of resources on "human weeds."

Who is the King?

It seems that everyone has weighed in on the recent death of Michael Jackson. (Except, Oprah, apparently, and the conspiracy theories abound.)

I wanted to talk about something that I observed during the televised memorial "service". The memorial was an odd combination of concert, funeral and eulogy. As these things go, especially with someone in the public eye, I thought it was a moving tribute.

I've been trying not to jump on the "people think MJ is God" bandwagon--at least not without some real proof. That was before I watched his memorial on television.

Many of those who stepped forward to eulogize Michael Jackson, spoke directly to Jackson as if he were present. I can certainly understand this. People of various faiths believe that the human soul lives on after death. Too, Jackson's casket was literally right below them in front of the stage (more on that later.)

What concerned me was the (as I see it) misplaced Christian references used during the funeral. There has been a troubling blurring of the line between worship of God and  media-fueled "worship" of a pop star.  I did not watch the entire broadcast, so I only noticed two specific instances.

Rev. Al Sharpton came forward and spoke in a rather subdued (for him) manner about Jackson and his legacy. At one point, he was gearing up, using emotionally charged rhetoric common to his particular oratorical style. He started chanting, "THANK you, Michael! THANK you, Michael!" in much the same way as a preacher might exclaim, "THANK you, Jesus! THANK you, Jesus."

The other moment came in the very beginning of the event. A gospel choir was on stage and began to sing, "Soon and Very Soon (We Are Going to See the King.") Immediately, I knew how some in the audience would take this. I was right. They began cheering and clapping.At that point , I noticed the surviving Jackson brothers wheeling in Michael's casket under a blanket of flowers and placing it in front of the stage. It was then, that I realized that the organizers of this memorial probably did not decide on this particular song being used as the pseudo-processional by accident. (Jackson, remember is called "The King of Pop".)

I literally gasped.

People are now using hymns written about the Divine Creator to refer to dead human beings. I can understand the impulse to use bits and pieces of one's religious heritage during times like these even when one may no longer believe. What I can't fathom, though, is using references to God to refer to the deceased, much less praising the deceased as if he were God.

I wonder if the general public honestly knows the difference.

White House controls "town hall" meetings

Helen Thomas, veteran White House reporter, calls the Obama White House on its so-called "town meetings" which are pre-selected and controlled by the White House.

"I'm amazed at you people who talk about openness." Go, Helen.

Politics Makes For Strange Bedfellows

Drudge is reporting today that

on the night of June 24, the media and government will become one, when ABC turns its programming over to President Obama and White House officials to push government run health care -- a move that has ignited an ethical firestorm!

ABC news is teaming up with the Obama White House to do a special on health care in America. On June 24, Charlie Gibson will do the World News from the Blue Room of the White House.

In a letter to the head of ABC news, Ken McKay, Republican National Committee Chief of Staff states that, "according to an ABC News report, Good Morning America, World News, Nightline and ABC's web news 'will all feature special programming on the president's health care agenda.'" There will also be a prime time special "town hall meeting" that day, where ABC will choose members of the audience who will question the president.

This certainly does nothing to uphold the appearance of unbiased news reporting.

Just imagine if Walter Cronkite had broadcast the news from the White House trying to explain in news programs broadcast throughout the day, Johnson's rationale for raising troop strength, or Nixon's proclamation of innocence in the Watergate cover up.

In a free and democratic society, government and media should be separate entities. The media's job is to report on the government, not to join it.

Outrageous Watch--Obama is sort of Who?!?

Obama supporters, this sort of thing doesn't help.

Evan Thomas is the editor of Newsweek Magazine. He should know a potentially politically damaging quote when he utters it! (Also, what ever happened to journalistic objectivity!?)

Hat tip: Creative Minority Report.

Outrageous Watch --"Preventive Detention"

I know it's not Wednesday, but outrageous things rarely wait for Wednesday. President Obama has proposed something he calls "preventive detention". In the midst of a stirring speech about the Constitution in front of the Constitution itself, (not coincidentally, I'm sure) the President proposed the outrageously unconstitutional idea of changing the law to indefinitely incarcerate people who can not legally be tried under either the court system or the military courts.

Before you protest that we need to keep the country free from terrorists, consider this: We already have anti-terrorism laws in this country. These would be people who have not done anything to warrant prosecution, otherwise the government would prosecute them.

Also, as I reported on April 15, ironically enough, this is the same administration who has declared the following groups as right wing extremists:

* (Those who go about) rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority. (Report, page 2)

* (Those who) are antagonistic toward the new presidential administration and its perceived stance on a range of issues, including immigration and citizenship... and restrictions on firearms ownership and use. (Report, page 3)

* It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration. (Report, page 2)

This proposal would set the very dangerous precedent of being able to indefinitely detain anyone deemed a "threat". As the above list indicates, what the administration thinks of as a threat, may not necessarily always be someone else.

Watch the video below for an intelligent commentary on the President's speech.

Watch out! You may be a right wing extremist!

Sorry for the delay in posting this week's Wednesday Outrageous Watch.

It is being reported that the Department of Homeland Security has issued a new document warning law enforcement about a possible new upsurge in "Right Wing Extremism". Their definition of "right wing extremism" however, is troubling.

Among the groups the Federal Government is keeping an eye on:

• (Those who go about) rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority. (Report, page 2)
  

• (Those who) are antagonistic toward the new presidential administration and its perceived stance on a range of issues, including immigration and citizenship... and restrictions on firearms ownership and use. (Report, page 3)
  

• It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration. (Report, page 2)

The DHS report lumps the above groups with actual extremist groups that *should* be watched, such as those based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups such as Anti-Semitic extremists.

To lump those dedicated to the pro-life cause, those who are in favor of more local government and less federal government, and those who disagree with the administration's policies on issues such as immigration and gun control in with those groups who use violence and spread hatred is restrictive, propagandistic and extremist in and of itself.

We have freedom of opinion in this country. We are free to vote for, or against, anyone or any party that we choose. We are free to speak our minds on all kinds of issues. Disagreeing with the current administration is not extremist, and it is not even necessarily right wing.

A current democratically elected government having to stoop to such tactics boggles the mind.

And we thought Nixon was paranoid.

Is This the Change You Want?

In what the Washington Times calls "a shocking display of fealty" President Obama bowed before Saudi Arabian King Abdullah in London last week. The Times also called the bow an "extraordinary protocol violation".

This does not seem to matter to President Obama, who seems determined to do things as he sees fit, following neither diplomatic nor legal protocol.

Traveling down these uncharted waters is a dangerous thing in a world where symbolism matters and resources are scarce.

Once again, either Mr. Obama is woefully ignorant, incredibly inexperienced, or unbelievably arrogant.

Wednesday Outrageous Watch

Today's Wednesday outrageous watch features none other than Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. CNA reports that Mrs. Clinton visited Mexico on March 27, 2009 to accept the Margaret Sanger award from Planned Parenthood. (Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, was a eugenicist who believed that the handicapped, the poor and African Americans were "human waste" whose "stocks" needed to be "eliminated" and that charitable programs "tend(s) to render them to a menacing degree dominant".)

In what could be interpreted as a planned stop to quiet Catholics made uncomfortable by the raison d'etre of her Mexico visit, Clinton stopped by the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe and left a bouquet of white flowers "on behalf of the American people" in front of the image of the Mother of Jesus that Catholics believe was created miraculously during an apparition of Mary to St. Juan Diego in 1531.

Mrs. Clinton turned to Msgr. Diego Monroy, the rector of the Basilica, and asked, "Who painted it?" Wisely, Msgr. Monroy replied, "God!"

The Secretary of State's question revealed a couple of possible things. It could have shown her lack of belief in the miraculous nature of the image. That's fine. She has every right not to believe. Even Catholics are not required to believe in apparitions--even Church approved ones, like this one is.

It also, however, could have shown her lack of knowledge about the story behind the Mexican apparition. This shows a deficit on the part of her staff. Apparently she wasn't briefed ahead of time on the background of the image in the Basilica and its importance to the Mexican people.

This puzzling deficiency in researching the background of a planned stop during a trip abroad for a sitting Secretary of State leads one to ponder the reason. Perhaps her staff is incompetent. That's hard to believe for someone who has been in circles of power for as long as Hillary Clinton has. If it is just a staff oversight, and I were her, heads would roll.

The other possibility could be that the long held beliefs of a predominantly Catholic country were just so unimportant as to be off the radar screen of Mrs. Clinton and her staff entirely. This is mind boggling given the fact that Hillary Clinton is Secretary of State of the United States--a position that requires diplomacy towards various cultures other than our own. The fact that Mrs. Clinton is, in all possibility a non-believer in Catholic apparitions, is, therefore, no excuse for her insensitive remarks given the fact that part of her job is to show respect for the cultures, traditions and beliefs of the countries she visits. Imagine making a similar statement to a member of the clergy of another religion (Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim...) in light of that religion's similar belief!

Even without my vehement disagreement on almost all positions taken by Hillary Clinton, this latest gaff leaves me concerned as to her personal qualifications to represent the United States abroad.

No More Freedom of Conscience

The Obama administration has officially stated its expected intention to rescind the 2008 U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services regulation stating that health care providers have a right to abstain from providing services that their consciences will not allow them to perform.

The 2008 regulation stated the following:

U.S.C. 300a-7 (C)(2) prohibits any entity that receives a grant or contract for biomedical research under any program administered by the Department from discriminating against any physician or other health care personnel in employment, promotion, termination of employment or extension of staff or other privileges, because he performed or assisted in the performance of any lawful health service or research activity or because he refused to perform or the assist in the performance of any such service or activity on the grounds that his performance of such service or activity would be contrary to his religious beliefs or moral convictions...

The current administration has proposed rescinding this regulation, requiring all health care providers to perform or assist in procedures whether or not they are against their religious or moral beliefs. This sets a horrendous precedent in our country. The United States was founded on certain freedoms that are being taken away while we watch--or, don't watch, as it were. Freedom of conscience is a cornerstone value on which our country was founded and it is being taken away in our lifetimes. We ask ourselves, those of us who ponder these things, how the citizens of Nazi Germany stood by and let people's rights as human beings be taken away before their very eyes.

We are in danger of ceasing to be a free country, ladies and gentlemen.

Wednesday Outrageous Watch

Today's Wednesday Outrageous Watch involves none other than former president Bill Clinton. Apparently, his relativistic world view extends even to basic biology. In an interview with CNN’s Sanjay Gupta the former president asserts no less than FIVE times, that an embryo is NOT FERTILIZED. The equally sad and perhaps more disturbing thing about this, is that Mr. Gupta who did not correct Clinton on that point even once during the interview, is the man currently nominated by President Obama to be Surgeon General of the Unites States!!