Why Do Many US Firms Avoid Federal Taxes, Ask Your Congressman Or Congresswoman They Write The Rules

The news buzz today, 08-12-2008 is Most US Firms Avoid Federal Taxes .

This news buzz is based on a Government Accounting Office (GAO) report. The GAO study did not investigate why corporations weren't paying federal income taxes or corporate taxes and it did not identify any corporations by name. It said companies may escape paying such taxes due to operating losses or because of tax credits.


Soap Box Ravings can immediately hear the politicians preparing their normal BS responses. basically it will be the same old Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah....this is bad and change must be instituted; immediately.

Slow down and engage your brain. If you pay taxes, you pay taxes based on a set of rules and regulations set upon you by the IRS arm of the government. When figuring your taxes, you do your best to follow the rules/regulations because you know their are penalties for "failure to comply."

If you have more money, you may pay experts (CPA's for this discussion) to ensure you follow the vague rules while saving as much of your money as possible. The more money you have, the more it costs you to hold onto it and keep it out of the governments hands.

Corporations (businesses) have to also follow the rules. If the businesses do not, CPA's and CEO's may end up suffering the consequences.

Where does the authority for taxes come from?

From our duly elected officials in Washington, D. C., Senators and Representatives work together (or not) and generate the laws. When the President signs the Bills presented by Congress they then become law.

Once A Bill is signed into a law, then the rich and famous work with Congress to get the perks they want. Both Democrat and Republican politicians work to ensure their sources of money are satisfied.

Yet, these same politicians will now be screaming the laws must be changed.

Some lawmakers are trying to institute the "Fair Tax Act" to allow a fair tax burden on all Americans and eliminate the loopholes of the convoluted tax system of the present.

Watch those who will make noise for change but who will also do absolutely nothing to initiate change.


Learn about and support the Fair Tax at: http://www.fairtax.org

Be Careful Who You Vote For In November, Iran's Turn Is Coming

Iran faces—gasp—more sanctions

From The Patriot Post, 08 August, 2008

Albert Einstein is famously said to have defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. He might have had a few choice words to say about the approach that the international community has chosen for dealing with Iran’s nuclear program. Last month the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany (P5+1) offered Iran the latest in a long series of incentive packages, aimed at convincing the country to halt uranium enrichment and come clean about its nuclear program. Iran offered the same obfuscation it has given many times before, claiming it was willing to discuss further negotiations after the P5+1 clarified its response to Iran’s questions—whatever that means.

The Bush administration subsequently declared that the P5+1 were going to begin discussing a new round of sanctions to add to the four currently in place on Iran’s nuclear program (1696, 1737, 1747 and 1803). But then the Russians announced that, no, the P5+1 had not agreed that more sanctions were needed, only that more diplomacy was in order. The Iranians must be laughing all the way to the bank. We have said it over and over again: Iran has no intention of stopping its pursuit of nuclear weapons, no matter how many UN sanctions are levied against it. Iran’s strategy since August 2003 has been to give the minimum acceptable appearance of cooperation and reasonableness, while dragging its feet at every opportunity. To their credit, the mullahs have executed this strategy brilliantly, making textbook use of the advantages to be had when a single rogue state negotiates with a group that must all agree before they can act.

Next week will mark five full years since Iran’s covert nuclear weapons program came to light, and what has changed in that time? Iran has demonstrated the ability to enrich uranium; it has installed and tested 3,000 centrifuges while announcing its intent to install 2,000 more; it has advanced the construction of its heavy water plant at Khondab; it has tested missiles with sufficient range to hit Israel; it has taken delivery of advanced Russian SA-15b anti-aircraft missiles; it has probably purchased even more advanced Russian SA-20 missiles; and it has not deviated an inch from its basic position of never yielding their “right” to a full nuclear program. Meanwhile, the UN does the only thing it knows how to do: dole out more sanctions—and hope for a different result.


Soap Box Ravings feels that it is only a matter of time before someone takes out the nuclear facilities located in Iran. God help us if we do not have a capable President when that hits the fan.

The Iranians and the Muslim world will be in no mood to discuss what happened. They will strike back, not only at the country that dropped the bomb, but all of the countries perceived (read any non-Muslim country)by Iran and her supporters to have supported the bombing of the Iranian nuclear facility.

What effect do you think that will have on oil prices. How much oil comes through the Straits of Hormuz which can easily be controlled by Iran.

What happens if suicidal Iranians or other Muslim freedom fighters put missiles onto merchant ships and launch them into American cities along the coastline. Their are a lot of population areas located within range of the missiles the Iranians recently demonstrated. They may not have the accuracy of our intercontinental missiles, but even a Scud missile could hit New York City from 10 miles away.

Suppose they use merchant ships as bombs or rams to destroy at sea oil rigs. How long does it take to rebuild or repair one of those rigs?

John Edwards, Liar And Hypocrite

August 8, 2008 -- Chapel Hill, North Carolina

In 2006, I made a serious error in judgment and conducted myself in a way that was disloyal to my family and to my core beliefs. I recognized my mistake and I told my wife that I had a liaison with another woman, and I asked for her forgiveness. Although I was honest in every painful detail with my family, I did not tell the public. When a supermarket tabloid told a version of the story, I used the fact that the story contained many falsities to deny it. But being 99% honest is no longer enough.

I was and am ashamed of my conduct and choices, and I had hoped that it would never become public. With my family, I took responsibility for my actions in 2006 and today I take full responsibility publicly. But that misconduct took place for a short period in 2006. It ended then. I am and have been willing to take any test necessary to establish the fact that I am not the father of any baby, and I am truly hopeful that a test will be done so this fact can be definitively established. I only know that the apparent father has said publicly that he is the father of the baby. I also have not been engaged in any activity of any description that requested, agreed to or supported payments of any kind to the woman or to the apparent father of the baby.

It is inadequate to say to the people who believed in me that I am sorry, as it is inadequate to say to the people who love me that I am sorry. In the course of several campaigns, I started to believe that I was special and became increasingly egocentric and narcissistic. If you want to beat me up feel free. You cannot beat me up more than I have already beaten up myself. I have been stripped bare and will now work with everything I have to help my family and others who need my help.

I have given a complete interview on this matter and having done so, will have nothing more to say.

John Edwards


Soap Box Ravings says that in 1999, Senator John Edwards, (D), NC said of President Clinton and his affair with Monica Lewinsky: "I think this president has shown a remarkable disrespect for his office, for the moral dimensions of leadership, for his friends, for his wife, for his precious daughter. It is breathtaking to me the level to which that disrespect has risen." I realize many people do not like President G. W. Bush but I suspect he is a lot more honorable person than Senator Edwards.

Memo To Barack Obama And Other Kool Aid Drinkers

Analysis: US Winning War That Seemed Lost
July 27, 2008, Associated Press

The complete article can be found at: http://www.military.com/news/article/analysis-us-winning-war-that-seemed-lost.html?ESRC=eb.nl

The United States is now winning the war that two years ago seemed lost. Despite the occasional outbursts, Iraq has reached the point where the insurgents no longer have the clout to threaten the viability of the central government.

This means the combat phase finally is ending and the new phase now focuses on training the Iraqi army and police, restraining the flow of illicit weaponry, supporting closer internal links between Baghdad and local governments, integrating former insurgents into legitimate government jobs and rebuilding the economy.

Scattered battles go on, but organized resistance, with the steady drumbeat of bombings, kidnappings, assassinations and ambushes that once rocked the capital daily, has almost ceased.

This is more than a lull in the violence, it is fundamental shift in the outlook of the Sunni minority who launched the insurgency five years ago. They now are either sidelined or have switched sides to cooperate in return for money and political support.

Shiite militias, such as the Mahdi Army, have lost their power bases in Baghdad, Basra and other major cities. Al-Sadr and his top lieutenants are now in Iran. They face major obstacles, including a loss of support among a Shiite population weary of war who no longer are as terrified of Sunni extremists as they were two years ago.

Iraq still faces many hurdles including sectarian rivalries, power struggles within the Sunni and Shiite communities, Kurdish-Arab tensions, and corruption.

With a sense of normalcy in the streets of the capital, people are expressing a new confidence in their own security forces, which in turn are exhibiting a new found assertiveness with the insurgents.

Statistics show violence at a four-year low. In Baghdad, parks are filled every weekend with families playing and picnicking with their children. Now a moment has arrived for the Iraqis to try to take those positive threads and weave them into a lasting stability.

Iraqi authorities have grown dependent on the U.S. military after more than five years of war. While they are aiming for full sovereignty with no foreign troops on their soil, they do not want to rush.

Although Sunni and Shiite extremists are still around, they have surrendered the initiative and have lost the support of many ordinary Iraqis.

Soap Box Ravings notes that while things were dim two years ago because of mistakes made by the chain of command during the war, the situation got much worse when the Democrat Party took control of the House and Senate. From that point on Pelosi and Reid have continued to do their very best to insist that we lose the situation in Iraq.

In bygone days, these individuals would have been tried for treason. I suspect because no deserving person was ever tried for treason after the Vietnam War means you can say and do whatever you want now. However, I believe when Pelosi and Reid exercise their "right of free speech" it is akin to screaming fire in a crowded movie theater or sports stadium.

I hold them personally responsible for the lives of many of our troops who have died since they took over the House and Senate.

Uh, Uh Uh

Soap Box Ravings notes that the presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee continually has trouble trying to string multiple words into a sentence unless he is on a teleprompter.

Having spent quite a few years teaching various topics I have come to believe that those who know their subject matter can usually answer the questions a little faster than "Senator" Obama. I think the words on the teleprompter are written by his staff and read by "Senator" Obama whether he knows what they mean or not. But when a question calls for an unscripted response the great "Senator" Obama sounds even worse that the President, yet the "Senator" never admits to not understanding the question or even worse, not knowing the answer. He just hammers and stutters along spouting nonsensical bulls**t and the media continues to adores him.

Democrat Presidential Nominee, Traveling As "Senator," Barack Obama Has A New Aircraft For His Mideast Tour

The Democrat presidential nominee traveling as "Senator" Barack Obama has a new charter aircraft. The North American Airlines charter Boeing 757 replaces a Boeing 737 that had served as his home in the air for roughly two months.

The new aircraft has a giant flag painted on its tail. Looks sort of appropriate for a guy running for president.

Then "Senator" Obama had the plane painted to his liking. Here it is ready for his Mid-east tour.






In Soap Box Ravings opinion the pictures above, of the aircraft which no longer has the American flag on it, needs no further comment.


Department of Obama Image (DOI) debuts a new "presidential nominee seal" which features "yes we can" in Latin.

The new Obama seal--inspired by the real presidential seal--debuted in Chicago on Friday at a meeting presumptive nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) had with Democratic governors. The seal--with the Obama "Yes we can" slogan in Latin--was created by the Obama campaign graphics team. In a bit of graphics whimsy, the seal incorporates the Obama "O" rising sun icon.



Soap Box Ravings can not help but note that the world suffered mightily under a previous "Rising Sun" icon during WWII.

"Senator" Obama Arrives In Afghanistan

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama arrived in Kabul, Afghanistan early Saturday morning.

Obama had said he wants to “talk to the commanders and get a sense, both in Afghanistan and in Baghdad of what their biggest concerns are. And I want to thank our troops for the heroic work that they’ve been doing.”

Asked prior to his departure whether he would repeat recent criticisms of the Iraqi and Afghan leadership when speaking to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Obama said he is “more interested in listening than doing a lot of talking.”

Obama also said that “it is very important to recognize that I’m going over there as a U.S. senator,” he added. “We have one president at a time, so it’s the president’s job to deliver those messages.”

This total story may be found at The Hill:
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/obama-arrives-in-afghanistan-2008-07-19.html


Soap Box Ravings notes that the entire article repeatedly refers to Obama as Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama while Obama himself said that it is important to recognize that he was going over there as a U.S. senator.

Soap Box Ravings would like to bet the Afghanis and Iraqis really believe that statement.

It also appears by this photo that the only soldiers he has appeared with are black females, both of which appear to be there to take his picture. Just my opinion.

Soap Box Ravings knows Barack is not racist, because he repeatedly says he isn't.

Obama's comment that "we have one president at a time, so it’s the president’s job to deliver those messages" probably should be aimed at the entire leadership of the Democratic Party, including himself, since individually or en masse Democrats continually send messages to foreign governments that conflict with the President of the United States to the point of treason.

Update, Sunday July 20, 2008

Soap Box Ravings is still looking for pictures in the news and on the internet showing "Senator" Obama meeting with the troops. There are very few pictures available but I did find two videos which I have presented below.

Look at the faces of the troops present with the "Senator." I had no idea the military was so racially unbalanced. I am not counting the troop pictures judiciously presented of troops on patrol, only the troops that showed up for "Senator" Obama. Nuff Said.

Obama stresses Afghan security
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25745500/

Obama meets troops, shoots hoops in Kuwait
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25745500/

On The Second Amendment, Don’t Believe Barack Obama!

It is time for gun owners to take a careful look at just where Barack Obama stands on issues related to the Second Amendment.

During the primaries, Obama tried to hide behind vague statements of support for “sportsmen” or unfounded claims of general support for the right to keep and bear arms.

But his real record, based on votes taken, political associations, and long standing positions, shows that Barack Obama is a serious threat to Second Amendment liberties.

Don’t listen to his campaign rhetoric!

Look at his demonstrated performance during the history of his political career.


FACT: Barack Obama voted to allow reckless lawsuits designed to bankrupt the firearms industry.
United States Senate, S. 397, vote number 219, July 2, 2005.
(http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_
vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00219)


FACT: Barack Obama wants to re-impose the failed and discredited Clinton Gun Ban.
Independent Voters of Illinois/Independent Precinct Organization general candidate questionnaire, Sept. 9, 1996. The responses on this survey were described in “Obama had greater role on liberal survey,” Politico, March 31, 20087.
(http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0308/9269.html)


FACT: Barack Obama voted to ban almost all rifle ammunition commonly used for hunting and sport shooting.
United States Senate, S. 397, vote number 217, Kennedy amendment July 2, 2005.
(http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_
vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00217)


FACT: Barack Obama has endorsed a complete ban on handgun ownership.
Independent Voters of Illinois/Independent Precinct Organization general candidate questionnaire, Sept. 9, 1996. The responses on this survey were described in “Obama had greater role on liberal survey,” Politico, March 31, 20087.
(http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0308/9269.html)


FACT: Barack Obama supports local gun bans in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and other cities.

David Wright, Ursula Fahy and Sunlen Miller, "Obama: 'Common Sense Regulation' On Gun Owners' Rights," ABC News' "Political Radar" Blog, http://blogs.abcnews.com, 2/15/08. (http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/02/obama-common-se.html)


FACT: Barack Obama voted to uphold local gun bans and the criminal prosecution of people who use firearms in self-defense.
Illinois Senate, SB 2165, March 25, 2004, vote 20 and May 25, 2004, vote 3.


FACT: Barack Obama supports gun owner licensing and gun registration.
“Fact Check: No News In Obama's Consistent Record.” Obama ’08, December 11, 2007.
(http://www.barackobama.com/factcheck/2007/12/11/fact_check_no_
news_in_obamas_c.php)


FACT: Barack Obama refused to sign a friend-of-the-court Brief in support of individual Second Amendment rights in the Heller case.


FACT: Barack Obama opposes Right to Carry laws.
“Candidates' gun control positions may figure in Pa. vote,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Wednesday, April 2, 2008, and "Keyes, Obama Are Far Apart On Guns," Chicago Tribune, 9/15/04. (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_560181.html)


FACT: Barack Obama was a member of the Board of Directors of the Joyce Foundation, the leading source of funds for anti-gun organizations and “research."
1998 Joyce Foundation Annual Report, p. 7.


FACT: Barack Obama supported a proposal to ban gun stores within 5 miles of a school or park, which would eliminate almost every gun store in America.
“Obama and Gun Control,” The Volokh Conspiracy, taken from the Chicago Defender, Dec. 13, 1999. (http://www.volokh.com/posts/1203389334.shtml)


FACT: Barack Obama voted not to notify gun owners when the state of Illinois did records searches on them.
Illinois Senate, May 5, 2002, SB 1936 Con., vote 26.


FACT: Barack Obama voted against a measure to lower the Firearms Owners Identification card age minimum from 21 to 18, a measure designed to assist young people in the military.
Illinois Senate, March 25, 2003, SB 2163, vote 18.


FACT: Barack Obama favors a ban on standard capacity magazines.
“Clinton, Edwards, Obama on gun control,” Radio Iowa, Sunday, April 22, 2007.
(http://learfield.typepad.com/radioiowa/2007/04/clinton_edwards.html)


FACT: Barack Obama supports mandatory micro-stamping.
Chicago Tribune blogs, “Barack Obama: NIU Shootings call for action,” February 15, 2008, (http://blogs.trb.com/news/politics/blog/2008/02 barack_obama_comments_on_shoot.html)


FACT: Barack Obama supports mandatory waiting periods.
Independent Voters of Illinois/Independent Precinct Organization general candidate questionnaire, Sept. 9, 1996. The responses on this survey were described in “Obama had greater role on liberal survey,” Politico, March 31, 20087. (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0308/9269.html)


FACT: Barack Obama supports repeal of the Tiahrt Amendment, which prohibits information on gun traces collected by the BATFE from being used in reckless lawsuits against firearm dealers and manufacturers.
Barack Obama campaign website: “As president, Barack Obama would repeal the Tiahrt Amendment . . .”
(http://www.barackobama.com/issues/urbanpolicy/#crime-and-law-enforcement.)


FACT: Barack Obama supports one-gun-a-month sales restrictions.
“Obama and Gun Control,” The Volokh Conspiracy, taken from the Chicago Defender, Dec. 13, 1999. (http://www.volokh.com/posts/1203389334.shtml)


FACT: Barack Obama supports a ban on inexpensive handguns.
“Obama and Gun Control,” The Volokh Conspiracy, taken from the Chicago Defender, Dec. 13, 1999. (http://www.volokh.com/posts/1203389334.shtml)


FACT: Barack Obama supports a ban on the resale of police issued firearms, even if the money is going to police departments for replacement equipment.
“Obama and Gun Control,” The Volokh Conspiracy, taken from the Chicago Defender, Dec. 13, 1999. (http://www.volokh.com/posts/1203389334.shtml)


FACT: Barack Obama supports mandatory firearm training requirements for all gun owners and a ban on gun ownership for persons under the age of 21.
“Obama and Gun Control,” The Volokh Conspiracy, taken from the Chicago Defender, Dec. 13, 1999. (http://www.volokh.com/posts/1203389334.shtml)

Obama's Thank You Letter

My fellow Americans:

As your future President I want to thank my supporters, for their mindless support of me, despite my complete lack of any legislative achievement, my pastor's relations with Louis Farrakhan and Libyan dictator Moamar Quadafi, or my blatantly leftist voting record while I present myself as some sort of bi-partisan agent of change.

I also appreciate how my supporters claim my youthful drug use and criminal behavior somehow qualifies me for the Presidency after 8 years of claiming Bush's youthful drinking disqualifies him. Your hypocrisy is a beacon of hope shining over a sea of political posing.

I would also like to thank the Kennedy's for coming out in support of me. There's a lot of glamour behind the Kennedy name, even though JFK started the Vietnam War, his brother Robert illegally wiretapped Martin Luther King, Jr. and Teddy killed a female employee with whom he was having an extra marital affair and who was pregnant with his child. And I'm not going anywhere near the cousins, both literally and figuratively.

And I'd also like to thank Oprah Winfrey for her support. Her love of meaningless empty platitudes will be the force that propels me to the White House.

Americans should vote for me, not because of my lack of experience or achievement, but because I make people feel good. Voting for me causes many white folk to feel relieved of their imagined, racist guilt.

I say things that sound meaningful, but don't really mean anything because Americans are tired of things having meaning. If things have meaning, then that means you have to think about them.

Americans are tired of thinking. It's time to shut down the brain, and open up the heart. So when you go to vote, remember, don't think, just do. And do it for me.


Thank You.
Barack Hussein Obama, Jr.


This "Thank You Letter" came via the Internet and has more than a grain of truth to it. Posted by Soap Box Ravings for your consideration without further comment.

Retiring NOPD Officer Punished For Wearing The Wrong Uniform

New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) Sergeant Robert L. Guidry, with minutes left on the last shift of his 35-year police career, received a call from a supervisor telling him he had been suspended for wearing the wrong uniform shirt. Instead of wearing the newly issued all-black uniform, Sgt. Guidry, chose to wear the powder-blue uniform shirt that he wore to work for more than three decades.

A Police Department spokesman confirmed the censure, though it quibbled with the term suspended rather, he said Guidry is under investigation for wearing the wrong uniform.

On Sgt. Guidry's last shift, the improper uniform complaint originated in his District and the Department's Public Integrity Bureau then opened a formal investigation with about 15 minutes remaining in Guidry's career.




UPDATE: Riley defends actions, calling punishment "appropriate."

New Orleans Police Superintendent Warren Riley said that a 35-year police veteran who was reprimanded for wearing the wrong uniform shirt just 15 minutes before he was set to retire was appropriately punished. "He suffered the consequences of his actions," Riley said.


As a retired LEO, Soap Box Ravings can see that Sgt Guidry was appropriately punished. It must be true if the "chief of police" says it is.

What is impossible to believe is that the Department's Public Integrity Bureau managed to record a complaint and then start a case plus get the Sergeant suspended before his shift ended. That is fast, especially for a Department with the record of the NOPD.

I suspect the integrity of the Department's Public Integrity Bureau has been compromised. I also suspect someone is, or has, settled an old grudge and since the man with the power is black and the victim is white there may be some racism in play in this game. This is also somewhat evident because the department can't make up it's mind if he is "suspended" or "under investigation."

Soap Box Ravings feels that with what he knows of Police Superintendent Warren Riley (see the picture above) and what he does not know about Sgt Guidry; that the City of New Orleans may have retired the wrong person.

General Petraeus Re-enlists Hundreds On The Fourth Of July In Iraq

In Saddam Hussein’s Al Faw Palace, 1215 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines raised their right hands and committed to a combined 5,500 years of additional service during the largest reenlistment ceremony in the history of the United States military.”

Within this group of service personnel, all fifty states were represented and personnel from each of the military services repeated the oath administered by General petraeus, Commander of Multi-National Forces Iraq. present and re-enlisting from all fifty states members of each of the services.

Soap Box Ravings is ashamed that this ceremony had such little impact with the news media. The better the troops do in Iraq the less you hear of them. Only losing is reportable news in our media.

Yellowcake

Saddam Hussein's 550 metric ton stockpile of yellowcake, a concentrated natural uranium, reached a Canadian port Saturday to complete a secret U.S. operation that included a two-week airlift from Baghdad and a ship voyage crossing two oceans.

Yellowcake is the seed material for higher-grade nuclear enrichment used in nuclear weapons. While yellowcake alone is not considered potent enough for a so-called dirty bomb which is a conventional explosive that disperses radioactive material it could stir widespread panic if incorporated in a blast.

Soap Box Ravings says there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. That yellowcake must have been left there by the Pillsbury Dough Boy.

Disney World Claims Exemption From New Florida Law

The new Florida law concerning an employees ability to have a legal firearm in the vehicle while parked in the employer's parking lot has an exemption that covers companies who have combustible or explosive materials as their primary business.

Central Florida's largest employer, with 62,000 employees, says it's exempt because the park has fireworks on its property. The NRA and Disney have a different take on the exemption in the law and it may end up in court. In the meantime, Disney isn't taking any chances. It sent an email to all of its workers telling them not to bring guns to work.

Disney's released statement says, "This new Florida Law does not apply to most areas of our Company, as all Walt Disney World Co. owned and leased properties are exempt from the new Florida law. We are not alone. Several types of institutions and businesses are exempt from the legislation – including properties owned or leased by an employer with permits for the manufacture and/or storage combustible materials such as fireworks."

They further stated they will continue to maintain their zero tolerance policy for guns and workplace violence on Walt Disney World Co. property, to include employees legal firearms in employee vehicles on Disney property.


The complete WFTV.com 9 article may be found at: http://www.wftv.com/news/16772559/detail.html

A Tale Of Two Officers

Today on AOL I read an interesting article about CPT Ivan Castro, US Army, titled Blind Special Forces Officer Pushes Limits by KEVIN MAURER.

The full article can be found at: http://news.aol.com/story/_a/blind-special-forces-officer-pushes/20080630093209990002


CPT Ivan Castro, US Army

When Capt. Ivan Castro joined the Army, he set goals: to jump out of planes, kick in doors and lead soldiers into combat. He achieved them all, until a mortar round took away his sight.

Capt. Ivan Castro is the only blind officer in U.S. Special Forces. "I am going to push the limits," he said. "I don't want to ... show up and sit in an office. I want to work every day and have a mission."

"Once you're blind, you have to set new goals," Castro said.

So he set them higher.

Not content with just staying in the Army, he is the only blind officer serving in the Special Forces - the small, elite units famed for dropping behind enemy lines on combat missions.

"I am going to push the limits," said the 40-year-old executive officer at the 7th Special Forces Group's headquarters company in Fort Bragg. "I don't want to go to Fort Bragg and show up and sit in an office. I want to work every day and have a mission."

Only two other blind officers serve in the active-duty Army: one a captain studying to be an instructor at West Point, the other an instructor at the Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

Castro's unit commander said his is no charity assignment. Rather it draws on his experience as a Special Forces team member and platoon leader with the 82nd Airborne Division. "The only reason that anyone serves with 7th Special Forces Group is if they have real talents," said Col. Sean Mulholland. "We don't treat (Castro) as a public affairs or a recruiting tool."

After 17 months in recovery, Castro sought a permanent assignment in the service's Special Operations Command, landing duty with the 7th Special Forces Group. He focuses on managerial tasks while honing the group's Spanish training, a useful language for a unit that deploys regularly to train South American troops.

"I want to support the guys and make sure life is easier for those guys so that they can accomplish the mission," he said.

"Obviously, he cannot do some things that a sighted person can do. But Ivan will find a way to get done whatever he needs to get done," Mulholland said. "What I am most impressed with, though, is his determination to continue to serve his country after all that he's been through."

Castro works out regularly at the gym and runs, his legs powerful and muscular. And though he has a prosthetic right eye and his arms are scarred by shrapnel, his outsized personality overshadows his war wounds: Nobody escapes his booming hellos, friendly banter and limitless drive.

He ran the Boston marathon this year with Adm. Eric T. Olson, commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command. Last year it was the Marine Corps Marathon. He wants to compete in the Ironman triathlon in Hawaii and graduate from the Army's officer advanced course, which teaches captains how to lead troops and plan operations.

Mulholland said Castro, who was awarded a Purple Heart like others wounded in combat, will always be part of the Special Forces family.

"I will fight for Ivan as long as Ivan wants to be in the Army," Mulholland said.

Married and the father of a 14-year-old son, Castro still needs help getting to the gym. He recently needed an escort to the front of the headquarters company formation, where he promoted a supply clerk.

Once in front, Ivan took charge.

Affixing the new soldier's rank to his uniform, Castro urged the soldier to perform two ranks higher. In the Special Forces, he said, one has to go above and beyond what is asked - advice he lives by.

"I want to be treated the same way as other officers," Castro said. "I don't want them to take pity over me or give me something I've not earned."


LTJG John Kerry, US Navy

Lets compare another officer, LTJG John Kerry, US Navy to Capt Castro. LTJG Kerry was very lightly wounded three times in Vietnam and then with the policies in effect at that time, he immediately asked to be transferred out of the war zone to a safe area in Washington, DC.

For further information see: http://www.snopes.com/politics/kerry/service.asp

As a retired Master Chief Petty Officer, Soap Box Ravings can only stand in wonderment of Captain Castro and all of the other severely injured military personnel who have continued to forge ahead in the service of their country.

My Dad, a 17 year old US Army Combat Medic and 18 year old POW, carried shrapnel in him until the day he died. Worse, he suffered post traumatic stress disorder which was never diagnosed until he was in his sixties.

Now, Trang Trong Duyet Says They Are Friends

Former Captor Says He'd Vote for McCain, by MARGIE MASON, on 27 June, 2008 at:
http://news.aol.com/elections/story/_a/former-captor-says-hed-vote-for-mccain/20080627155209990001

Tran Trong Duyet, the Vietnamese jailer who says he held John McCain captive for about five years as a POW and now considers him a friend says he would vote for him.

At the same time, Tran also denies prisoners of war were tortured.

Duyet, 75, grew testy during the interview when repeatedly questioned about torture and why so many other former POWs (Prisoners Of War) say they too were mistreated. He preferred to talk about McCain as an old buddy.

And although they never saw eye-to-eye on the war that killed some 58,000 Americans and up to 3 million Vietnamese, he said they listened to each others' views.

"He's tough, has extreme political views and is very conservative," Duyet said. "He's very loyal to the U.S. military, to his beliefs and to his country. In all of our debates, he never admitted that the war was a mistake."




Soap Box Ravings finds it very interesting that Duyet refers to his interactions with POW (Prisoner Of War) John McCain, pictured above, as debates in which he, Duyet, listened to POW McCain's views.

Debates that regardless of how physical they became towards POW McCain he maintained his loyalty to the U.S. military, to his beliefs and to his country and during these same debates he never admitted that the war was a mistake.

ESPN's Bonnie Bernstein Says Palestinian Kids Want to Be Suicide Bombers, Apologizes .............WHY

Here is the full text of Bernstein's comments as posted by Michael David Smith on Jun 27, 2008 at:
http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2008/06/27/espns-bonnie-bernstein-says-palestinian-kids-want-to-be-suicide/?icid=200100397x1204885082x1200218409

It's sort of like, you know, and this isn't -- I'm prefacing this by saying this is in no way an analogy to sports because I know we live in a hypersensitive society -- but I remember a while ago I was reading an article in the New York Times about Palestinian suicide bombers and I just remember being struck by the notion that from the point of birth, people in Palestine are taught to think that dying in the name of God is a good thing.

They grow up wanting to be suicide bombers. So bringing it back to sports -- and again, I'm not making the comparison or the analogy -- if a young talented basketball player is being told at an early age that they are destined, it is a good thing to focus on basketball and not worry about what's going on in the classroom, why are any kids going to be worried about what's going on in the classroom?

The article I read stated that she seemed to know that she would offend people, and supposedly it did.

Soap Box Ravings wonders why people would get offended by the truth. Upset, maybe, but offended is not real. Most of the major magazines including Time have repeatedly reported on children who have became Muslim martyrs.

My question would be "where are all of the offended people and the hoopla when Time or any other major news media reports on child suicide bombers"?. How do these children get to be suicide bombers? They are a lot children in the United States who look at their heroes and decide they also want to play.

The article continues to explain some Arab-Americans feel that her analogy was a poor one, but then those on the receiving side of the truth often feel that way. I for one believe the analogy was true and correct.

The Battle Has Only Begun

From The Patriots Post, 27 June 2008:

In the Heller case, Justice Scalia wrote, “Nowhere else in the Constitution does a ”right“ attributed to ”the people“ refer to anything other than an individual right. What is more, in all six other provisions of the Constitution that mention ”the people,“ the term unambiguously refers to all members of the political community, not an unspecified subset... The Second Amendment extends, prima facie, to all instruments that constitute bearable arms... The very text of the Second Amendment implicitly recognizes the pre-existence of the right and declares only that it ‘shall not be infringed’.”

Justice Scalia continued in defense of original intent: “We know of no other enumerated constitutional right whose core protection has been subjected to a freestanding ‘interest-balancing’ approach. The very enumeration of the right takes out of the hands of government—even the Third Branch of Government—the power to decide on a case-by-case basis whether the right is really worth insisting upon. A constitutional guarantee subject to future judges’ assessments of its usefulness is no constitutional guarantee at all. Constitutional rights are enshrined with the scope they were understood to have when the people adopted them, whether or not future legislatures or (yes) even future judges think that scope too broad... Undoubtedly some think that the Second Amendment is outmoded. That is perhaps debatable, but what is not debatable is that it is not the role of this Court to pronounce the Second Amendment extinct.”

Indeed, the Second Amendment is “the palladium of the liberties of the republic,” and those who fail to support it as such do so at great peril to the liberty of future generations of Americans. However, when the rights of man, as enumerated in our Declaration of Independence and its subordinate exposition, our Constitution, hang in the balance, Patriots do not rely on a court of men for interpretation.

Soap Box Ravings believes the Second Amendment battle is equally as important as the battle for energy. Therefore, Soap Box Ravings would like to invite all of his fellow citizen Patriots to please take 30 seconds to read and sign the petition at: http://patriotpetitions.us/second/ Please feel free to ask all your friends and relatives to sign also.

The following is the petition:

The Right of the People ... shall not be infringed

To President George Bush, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Republican Leader John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell:

To President George Bush, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Republican Leader John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell:

We, the people of these United States, rightfully petition our President, House of Representatives and Senate in affirmation of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

We affirm that said Amendment was established to define an individual "right of the People to keep and bear arms," and that there is no more important constitutional issue than that of defending the plain language and original intent of the Second Amendment.

The newly-emboldened Democrat Party, with Barack Hussein Obama leading the charge, is once again attempting to redefine the Second Amendment as a collective right only, as outlined on the ACLU's website under "Gun Control": "We believe that the constitutional right to bear arms is primarily a collective one, intended mainly to protect the right of the states to maintain militias. ... The ACLU therefore believes that the Second Amendment does not confer an unlimited right upon individuals to own guns."

Justice Joseph Story, appointed to the Supreme Court by our Constitution's principal author, James Madison, wrote in his Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States (1833), "The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of the republic; since it offers a strong moral check against usurpation and arbitrary power of the rulers; and will generally, even if these are successful in the first instance, enable the people to resist and triumph over them."

Indeed, the Second Amendment is "the palladium of the liberties of the republic," and those who fail to support it as such, and reject detractors like Obama, do so at great peril to themselves and the liberty of future generations of Americans.

Accordingly, we, the undersigned, declare that gun ownership is not only an individual right, but a duty and obligation of all Patriots.

Signed,

A Soap Box Ravings Prediction

Charlton Heston understood the Second Amendment better than four out of nine Supreme Court Judges.


Yesterday, the United States Supreme Court ruled the Washington, Dc gun statutes were unconstitutional. In their ruling, they also stated that possession of firearms was an individual right.

Today, Soap Box Ravings says "Now the games will begin. The politicians in Washington, DC city government are already at work trying to cobble together anything they can which will keep legal firearms out of their city.

They are Liberals and there is nothing else they can do. They do not want citizens protecting themselves, that can not be allowed. The politicians do not get tax dollars and therefore power from citizens who protect themselves.

The Court said firearms were legal, so now the politicians will have to work around that. Let me see, how can we do that?

1. They will certainly have to register every legal firearm within the city limits.

2. They will certainly have to license every legal firearms owner and qualify every legal operator within the city limits.

3. And there will be fees involved for the licensing of every legal firearm and the qualification and licensing of every legal operator

And there you have it, by making the administrative and financial burden great the City of Washington Dc can remain the same as it has been since 1976. The elite will have firearms and bodyguards, the bad guys will be armed and the local citizens and tourists will remain victims.

Don't believe me, listen to your Mayor, he is already babbling.

What Did The Presidential Candidates Say Regarding The Supreme Courts Second Amendment Decision

Barack Obama's statement in full:

"I have always believed that the Second Amendment protects the right of individuals to bear arms, but I also identify with the need for crime-ravaged communities to save their children from the violence that plagues our streets through common-sense, effective safety measures. The Supreme Court has now endorsed that view, and while it ruled that the D.C. gun ban went too far, Justice Scalia himself acknowledged that this right is not absolute and subject to reasonable regulations enacted by local communities to keep their streets safe. Today's ruling, the first clear statement on this issue in 127 years, will provide much-needed guidance to local jurisdictions across the country.

"As President, I will uphold the constitutional rights of law-abiding gun-owners, hunters, and sportsmen. I know that what works in Chicago may not work in Cheyenne. We can work together to enact common-sense laws, like closing the gun show loophole and improving our background check system, so that guns do not fall into the hands of terrorists or criminals. Today's decision reinforces that if we act responsibly, we can both protect the constitutional right to bear arms and keep our communities and our children safe."



John McCain's statement in full:

Today's decision is a landmark victory for Second Amendment freedom in the United States. For this first time in the history of our Republic, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms was and is an individual right as intended by our Founding Fathers. I applaud this decision as well as the overturning of the District of Columbia's ban on handguns and limitations on the ability to use firearms for self-defense.

Unlike Senator Obama, who refused to join me in signing a bipartisan amicus brief, I was pleased to express my support and call for the ruling issued today. Today's ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller makes clear that other municipalities like Chicago that have banned handguns have infringed on the constitutional rights of Americans. Unlike the elitist view that believes Americans cling to guns out of bitterness, today's ruling recognizes that gun ownership is a fundamental right -- sacred, just as the right to free speech and assembly.

This ruling does not mark the end of our struggle against those who seek to limit the rights of law-abiding citizens. We must always remain vigilant in defense of our freedoms. But today, the Supreme Court ended forever the specious argument that the Second Amendment did not confer an individual right to keep and bear arms.



Soap Box Ravings is quick to note that Senator Obama said, "I have always believed that the Second Amendment protects the right of individuals to bear arms, but."

It is Soap Box Ravings belief that when anyone says they agree with you and they follow their I agree statement with "but" they do not agree. They can soft soap or candy coat their response but everything that follows but is not in agreement. Then some kind of reference like "Justice Scalia himself acknowledged" follows until you then get to what the person really believes in which in this case is Gun Control. While both candidates for President used the word but, the context and meaning was different.

Scarier Than You May Think

An article by Peter Kasler, titled Police Have No Duty To Protect Individuals identifies some of the court cases which determined that the government (police) are not responsible for your self protection. The full article may be found at: http://www.firearmsandliberty.com/kasler-protection.html

Soap Box Ravings is overjoyed that the U. S. Supreme Court ruled today that the Second Amendment is an individual right. The City of Washington, D. C. passed a law in 1976 preventing citizens who lived there from effectively defending themselves while at the same time various courts were busy ruling it was not the governments job to protect individual citizens.

While Soap Box Ravings is delighted with the Supreme Court's decision, he is totally sickened that four Supreme Court Justices did not comprehend the Constitution and The Bill of rights.

This country came within one vote of losing its Second Amendment protection. Think about that as you decide on your choice in the next and any subsequent elections.