Miss Kelly

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"Redistribution of Wealth"

I find that many young-ish people in their 20's are unfamiliar with what the term "redistribution of wealth" means.  They don't know that those words are a basic concept of Marxist ideology, and that "redistribution of wealth" is exactly what socialist and communist governments attempted to do in the 20th century.  These rigid, totalitarian societies failed to provide functioning economies, they lacked basic freedoms, they killed more people (more than 60 million) than all the wars of the 20th century put together. Kids these days don't seem to know much about that.  But "spread the wealth" and "redistribution of wealth" are red flags for older folks, who know what Senator Obama is talking about here:

"To redistribute wealth, you first have to confiscate it from those who earned it with hard work, and the way to do that is with confiscatory taxes. Then you give it to those who didn't earn it."

Obama's true colors are becoming clearer and clearer every day.  Great column in the Washington Post today by Wesley Pruden.  Some excerpts:

"The tape recording of an interview that Barack Obama gave to Radio Station WBEZ in Chicago in 2001 surfaced, and in that interview Mr. Obama, then a law professor and a state senator, lays out how he would redistribute the wealth. He sounds like a man with a plan."

"....Mr. Obama doesn't think much of the Constitution, or even of the Supreme Court justices who have rewritten it over the years to accommodate notions of 'social justice.' The Warren Court, which wrote finis to public-school segregation with its unanimous Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954, has been decried since as radical, but it wasn't radical enough. Earl Warren only pretended to be a soldier of the revolution"

" 'One of the 'tragedies of the civil-rights movement,' Mr. Obama says, is that the Supreme Court did not address redistribution of wealth, probably because of the inherent difficulty of achieving such goals through the courts. The Supreme Court did not break from the restraints of the Constitution and 'we still suffer from that.' Mr. Obama is not 'optimistic' that the Supreme Court can achieve redistribution of wealth - of taking from the workers to give to the deadbeats - but he obviously thinks he knows how to do it. A president with a compliant Congress, which he expects to be in January, can do it through legislation and 'administration.'"

"The Barack Obama of this interview clearly does not think much of what the Founding Fathers bequeathed to us: 'The Constitution reflected the enormous blind spot in this culture that carries on to this day. The framers had that same blind spot ... the fundamental flaw of this country. ' "

Obama does not deserve to be president of our country.

"There's nothing ambiguous about Mr. Obama's radical views, as revealed in this interview. He clearly thinks the Constitution was a 'tragedy,' that the men who wrote it were not the revolutionary heroes plain Americans regard them to be, and their work must be corrected by the surviving radicals of the '60s and their progeny. Anyone who listens to this interview, available on YouTube.com, understands why Michelle Obama was never proud of her country until she thought the opportunity was at hand to destroy the country to save it, and why Barack Obama could spend 20 years comfortably listening to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright exhort God to damn America."  

Please vote for people who love this country and will make it stronger and better, John McCain and Sarah Palin.

McCain Will Be Elected the Next President

I firmly believe this is true.  McCain is far more representative of who Americans are, what we believe and value. From the first time I heard Mr. Obama, he struck me as a person of considerable style but precious  little substance.  And the more I know of him, especially his many anti-American, socialist/Marxist associates, the more frightening a figure I find him to be.  As Thomas Sowell wrote, Obama is a phony and he is dangerous. 

We all know McCain's many faults and shortcomings.  He's a known quantity with a considerable record, and we know what we're getting.  WYSIWYG.  Obama, on the other hand, has left few tracks. He has virtually no accomplishments to point to. In his scant two years as a senator, he's mostly voted "present" rather than "yes" or "no."   What kind of record is that?  An intentionally vague one. He hasn't done anything except promote himself.  A man is known by the company he keeps, and Mr. Obama has way too many sketchy, radical friends (Jeremiah Wright, Fr. Michael Pfleger, Rashid Kalidi, Bill Ayers, Antoin Rezko, etc.).  More from Thomas Sowell:

"Of the four people running for President and Vice President on the Republican and Democratic tickets, the one we know the least about is the one leading in the polls-- Barack Obama."

"...Obama could have allied himself with all sorts of other people. But, time and again, he allied himself with people who openly expressed their hatred of America."

Mr. Obama has raised and spent some $700 million dollars on his campaign, well over half a billion dollars.  Yikes!  If McCain had done that, he would be criticized as a fat cat Republican, accused of buying the election.  Bush is mocked by the goofy "Billionaires for Bush" folks.  Will they start a "Billionaires for Barak" chapter for Obama's many "ultra-rich Democratic donors"?  How is it that being wealthy is bad if you're a Republican but OK if you're a Democrat?

Colin Powell endorses Obama, and we hear about it all over the media.  Norman Schwarzkopf endorsed McCain, and only Fox News covered it.   The media's coverage of McCain is overwhelmingly negative, a Pew Poll finds.  Surprised?

Despite Mr. Obama's record-breaking spending and despite the many polls showing that an Obama win is all but inevitable, I think that Mr. McCain will in fact be elected president.  There's a big poker bluff going on right now in the Obama camp.  Americans know authenticity, which McCain has in spades and which Obama is utterly lacking.  Despite Obama's fervently religious followers, there are more people who can see through the B.S.   Two recent polls reveal the heartening trend:

From Sunday, October 19: "Obama's Lead Slips to Three Percent."  Sinking, sinking, and surely within the margin of error. 
From today, October 22: "AP presidential poll: All Even in the Homestretch." And Investor's Business Daily finds that Obama's lead has shrunk from 6.0 to 3.7, with 12.3 percent of the population undecided.  And young people between 18 and 24 are McCain's staunchest supporters! This election is definitely still in play!

Yippee!  Vote for McCain!

McCain Does Good! Obama's Authenticity Problem

I thought John McCain did pretty good at tonight's debate.  He landed quite a few  punches, and it looked like he got under Obama's skin a couple of times.  McCain appeared to be having more fun tonight than at the previous deadly boring debates. 

Also for what it's worth, my husband - a staunch Democrat who hails from the Midwest - announced last week that he had made up his mind on who he would vote for president. It was driving me crazy that he took so long (how could anyone in good conscience vote for a Socialist/Communist to be president of the United States of America?!?).  In the end, Husband said there were three reasons he didn't like Obama and would vote for McCain:

• Obama hasn't done anything in his short career in the Senate, he's too green to be president;
• Obama is vague and talks in meaningless platitudes; and
• Husband doesn't believe that Obama is telling the truth, he finds Obama to be inauthentic.

I'm hoping that this is indicative of what many Americans (including lots of Democrats) really think too. My husband's decision reminded me of a quote I read somewhere today:

“Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.”

Charles Mackay

I hope tonight's debate brings more people back to their senses. 

What Passes for Education These Days

What passes for education these days sounds an awful lot like Communist "re-education camps."  A few examples:

• "A group of San Francisco first-graders took an unusual field trip to City Hall on Friday to toss rose petals on their just-married lesbian teacher - putting the public school children at the center of a fierce election battle over the fate of same-sex marriage."
• Dear Leader Obama gets fifteen pages in an 8th grade English literature textbook, excusez moi?!?! Hat tip to Gateway Pundit. Majorly creepy. 
• Talentless, angry grade school art teacher creates sculpture of George Bush made out of bull excrement.  Prints using the F word, sculptures made out of dung, how transgressive!

Simple Way to End Voter Fraud - Purple Fingers

From the Campaign Stop, National Review Online, a simple solution to the problem of voter fraud, such as ACORN's widely reported fraud across twelve states:

"Picking up from a thought by Mark Steyn, why do Iraq and Afghanistan have better protections against voter fraud and multiple voting than the United States? Why does the simple, visible, tough-to-evade purple finger ink get put into effect in new democracies in those countries, but we can't get something so simple and effective on the books here in this democracy?"

"What would it take to get 'purple finge'" rules here in the United States?"

Rampant Voter Fraud by ACORN

Rampant voter fraud, courtesy of ACORN.  This is an old story, they've been doing this for years.  Assisted by a man seeking the office of President of the United States.  Obama cut his teeth as a "community organizer" with ACORN. 

I fear that, in some respects, we're becoming a third world nation.

Excessive Apologizing

Theodore Dalrymple wrote about a subject that is near and dear to my heart: the tendency of modern folks to fall over themselves apologizing for something that somebody else did ages ago.  And Dalrymple calls it "The False Apology Syndrome."  Excerpts from the recent issue of In Character, on forgiveness:

"There is a fashion these days for apologies: not apologies for the things that one has actually done oneself (that kind of apology is as difficult to make and as unfashionable as ever), but for public apologies by politicians for the crimes and misdemeanours of their ancestors, or at least of their predecessors. I think it is reasonable to call this pattern of political breast-beating the False Apology Syndrome."

"....Let us examine briefly the apology for the Crusades as an example of the whole genre. It is not exactly a new discovery that the Crusaders often, perhaps usually or even always, behaved very badly. It is not in the nature of invading armies to behave well, even when discipline is strong, morale is high, and control of the foot soldiers is firm; it is no secret that these conditions did not exist during the Crusades, to put it rather mildly."

"They were, however, rather a long time ago. The Crusades were an attempt to recover for Christendom what had been lost by force, with all the accompanying massacre, pillage, and oppression that the use of force in those days implied. No one, I think, expects an apology from present-day Arabs for the imperialism of their ancestors, either as a matter of moral duty or political likelihood. We are all born into the world as we find it, after all; we are not responsible for what went before us."

And should companies and universities be apologizing for the slave trade?  Are Black Americans justified in seeking reparations for slavery?

"...The demand for an apology supposes that there is a clearly definable person, or group of persons, who can be held responsible for the trade, or at the very least to have been the beneficiaries of it. In other words, the world can be neatly divided into historical oppressed and oppressor, victim and perpetrator."

"Most historical situations and their consequences are more complex and ambiguous than this simple schema would suggest, and the slave trade is no exception. For medical reasons having to do with relative immunity to malaria, if for no others, the supply of slaves depended crucially on the co-operation of African suppliers who captured slaves for sale. No apology from their descendents is required. The trade was abolished almost entirely through the efforts of white abolitionists. However discontented with their lot present-day American descendents of slaves may be, they are much better off than they would have been had their ancestors not been brought to America. Are they morally obliged, then, to offer up thanks to the slave traders who brought their ancestors to America?"

"Thus the demand for an apology for the Atlantic slave trade is a demand that people with no personal responsibility for it apologize to people who have suffered no personal wrong from it. From the point of view of morality, this is a very strange demand."

I wonder what acceptable things our society is doing now that, in another 40 years or so, we'll look back on in disbelief and disgust.

Nonstop Bible Reading in Rome

Saw this at National Review Online:

"...It’s a livestream of an event in Rome, sponsored by the Pope, in which they’re reading the entire Bible out loud. Kudos to the Vatican for doing this; it’s part of the kickoff for a Synod of Bishops focusing on the role of the Bible in the Church."

In Italian, natch.  Beautiful music, check it out.

More info from Martha's Italy Travel Blog:

"If you're in Rome and wondering why there are suddenly huge crowds at Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, it's because there's a one week nonstop reading of the Bible interspersed with religious music, according to the Canadian Press. Yesterday the Pope started the reading from the Vatican. Readers who continued at Santa Croce included Roberto Benigni, known for his movie Life is Beautiful. Other Italian celebrities will participate for a total of about 1200 readers that includes Catholics and people of other faiths. Their plan is to read all 73 books of the Catholic Bible."

Pope Benedict keeps doing wonderful things.

“The word of God will enter the homes and accompany the lives of families and individual people,” Benedict said of the program after his traditional blessing Sunday. “If welcomed, this seed will not fail to bring abundant fruits.”

Obama's Associates Getting Well-Deserved Attention

Finally, more folks are paying attention to Mr. Obama's ickky associates. Bill Ayers, Jeremiah Wright, Tony Rezko, the list goes on and on. Commentary called it out as did the Volokh Conspiracy.   Even the NY Times noticed (flawed though that article is), will wonders never cease?

And some of Obama's major donors go by unusual names:

"Mr. Good Will - who lists his employer as 'Loving' and his profession as 'You' - has contributed 1,000 times to the Barack Obama campaign. All the contributions have been in amounts of $25 or less. But they add up to $17,375 - far more than the legal limit of $4,600.
....Mr. Doodad Pro made 786 contributions for a total of $19,500. Like Mr. Good Will, Mr. Pro lists his employer as 'Loving' and his profession as'"You.' Mr. Pro said he is from Nunda, N.Y. Directory assistance found no listing for him either."

More funny names who gave Obama beacoup $$$: Dahsudhu Hdusahfd of Df, Hawaii and Uadhshgu Hduadh listed as living in Dhff, Florida.  And there's the donations from foreigners. Change somebody can believe in, I suppose.

Sayonara, Imam Masood

Former Sharon imam Muhammed Masood is likely flying out of New York tonight and back to Pakistan.  He's expected to land in Islamabad sometime tomorrow evening.  What sort of reception will he receive there?  Will the Pakistani papers cover this return of one of their own?

"Tonight’s Pakistan Airlines flight from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City to Islamabad will bring an end to a case that has lasted almost two years, first in immigration court and then with a criminal case for the same visa fraud charges."

A handful of local papers covered the story, let's start with the Boston Globe:

"....today, under an agreement with federal immigration authorities, the 50-year-old former imam of the 1,500-member Islamic Center of New England promised to leave the country Friday night and return to his native Pakistan to avoid being arrested and held in jail for months until he is deported."

"... 'This is a very disturbing case to our office,'' he (Masood's attorney Zalkind) told Judge Douglas P. Woodlock as Masood sat silently next to Zalkind during a brief sentencing hearing. 'His family has been living in the country for 20 years. He is totally petrified of going back to Pakistan.' ...''I don't know what you want me to do,'' the judge said. 'The defendant was convicted of a crime.' ''

Thanks for reminder, Judge.  US Attorney Michael J. Sullivan echoes that, saying that "this individual lied to immigration officials a number of times over a number of years."

From the Patriot Ledger, where reporter Lane Lambert (perfect reporter's name!) gets an exclusive interview with Masood:

"...the former spiritual leader of the Islamic Center of New England’s Sharon mosque said he’s worried about returning to Pakistan at a time when violence there is escalating and political tensions are high."

"Imam Masood was detained by federal immigration agents for visa violations in November 2006. The government arrested him on criminal visa fraud charges in August 2007, and has since pursued immigration and criminal cases for the same violations."

"The imam pleaded guilty to five fraud charges in February, setting the stage for his deportation."

The Patriot Ledger page has lots of excellent links about this story. Lambert has followed this case far more than any other reporter, and he's covered lots of angles.  Kudos to Lambert and the Patriot Ledger for their coverage. 

Scroll down here for my previous postings on Masood and his brother-in-law Abdul Hannan, who were both arrested in November 2006.  Kudos to our Immigration and Customs Enforcement folks and our US Attorneys.

From the Pakistani paper Daily Times:

"Imam Muhammad Masood, brother of Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, founder of the banned Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, was ordered deported by a Boston, Massachusetts court on Thursday on an immigration violation charge."

"Under an agreement with federal immigration authorities, the former imam of the 1,500-member Islamic Centre of New England agreed to voluntarily leave the United States on Friday night and return to Pakistan rather than be deported by the authorities which would have taken months, a period he would have spent in jail."

Masood Getting Sentenced Today?

Good gracious, this case has gone on for a long time.  But it does appear that former Sharon, MA imam Muhammed Masood is finally being sentenced today, with a trip back to Pakistan on Friday.  It's been almost two years since his arrest back in November 2006.

On September 23, a "Joint Status Report" was filed in the federal court, but it's a sealed document.  The September 26th sentencing hearing was postponed and rescheduled (again!) for today, October 2.  The hearing will be at 2 PM before Judge Douglas P. Woodcock in Courtroom 1.

The former imam was at the mike last weekend at the Friday noon and evening prayers at the Islamic Center of New England in Sharon. It's been a very long goodbye for Masood.  You can read my previous postings on this case here, including info on Masood's numerous relatives both in Massachusetts and Pakistan. Much of his immediate family is apparently staying here, so the saga will continue.

Meanwhile, back at Masood's mother country, the Pakistan government is allowing Masood's brother Hafiz Saeed to import a bullet-prooof Land Cruiser. You thought Pakistan was a mess under Musharraf?  Things aren't really looking up under the new president, Asif Ali Zardari (aka "Mr. 10%").  Saeed is the founder of two banned terrorist groups -  banned even in Pakistan - although his groups operate openly there.

"The Pakistan government has granted permission to the chief of the Pakistan-based terrorist group, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, to import a duty free bullet-proof Land Cruiser, worth Rs 25 million"

"According to the interior ministry sources in Islamabad, the LeT chief, who fears a possible attempt on his life by his 'external enemies', had sought the government permission to import a duty free bullet proof Land Cruiser in view of the rising number of terrorist acts across Pakistan."

"The sources said that after some lengthy deliberations on the issue, the government has decided to give him a go ahead to import a fully armoured Land Cruiser for his use from Dubai. It was for the first time that the leader of a banned jehadi group had made such a request to the government and it is also for the first time that the government has acceded to such a request."

Rising number of terrorist attacks?  What a joke, Hafiz Saeed is behind many of them. Giving all the competing jihadi terrorist groups in Pakistan, Saeed is more at risk from them than from "external sources."   From the NEFA Foundation:

"The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated Arabic-language biographies of foreign fighters-particularly those from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait-which appear to document a shift in focus away from the jihad in Iraq and towards the growing conflict in Pakistan and Afghanistan."

Things could get crowded there in Pakistan for jihadis.

Reminder: Magnificat Pilgrimage at Boston, Oct 11-12

Don't forget, there's a wonderful pilgrimage at Boston over Columbus  Day weekend. The Pilot had a lengthy article about the Magnificat event, which you can read here.  There's going to be a beautiful concert on Saturday at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. : 

"That evening there will be a concert of sacred music performed by Boston’s Seraphim Singers. The concert will trace the evolution of the Magnificat, Mary’s canticle of praise and thanksgiving, with reflections on its phrases and a slideshow of Christian art."

' “It’s going to be a real experience of beauty, saturating all the senses, drawing us into the prayer of Mary herself -- a fundamental prayer of Christians and the inspiration for the very name of Magnificat the publication' said Father Barron."

More concert details: "Boston’s Seraphim Singers, Musica Sacra, and the Orchestra of Emmanuel Music will perform selections from Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony, concluding with Bach’s Magnificat in D."

Wouldn't miss it for the world.  This will be a memorable, inspirational event.  They've got a jam-packed program of lectures, musical offerings, masses, a Eucharistic adoration chapel, confession, and more.

"The final event is the closing Mass (Sunday, Oct 12), held at 2 p.m., which is free and open to all. Anyone who wishes to attend can arrive at the Convention Center as early as 1:30 p.m."

Please attend and help bring back authentic, reverent Catholic worship!