It is now February 2007, and the 2008 election is already in high gear. The democrat and republican parties have numerous candidates from both the far right and left of where the center of issues that are important to the average American ideals are. Most politicians are out of touch with their constituents, in what issues are important.
Iraq War: No matter who manufactured the lies and deceptions that started the Iraq War, it is time to end this conflict. Iraq had no involvement in terrorist attacks on the United States, and now Iraq is used as a terrorist training facility.
A. Divide Iraq into four major sectors.
1. Shiite
2. Sunni
3. Kurd
4. Bedouin
B. Negotiate with Iraq’s neighbors to supervise Iraq’s rebuilding.
1. Iran - Shiite
2. Syria - Sunni
3. Jordan - Kurd
4. Kuwait - Bedouin
C. Divide Iraq Oil Revenue equally between each sector, supervised by Euro nations with no connections with the United States.
D. Redeploy US military personnel out of Iraq starting Aug 2007 at a rate of 20,000 each 45 day period until all forces are removed, to be completed before October 2008.
National Security: With the redeployment of the US military, the US can direct its attention to resolving terrorist activities round the world, Afghanistan, Sudan, Jakarta, Bali and the Philippines; increase patrols of international waters surrounding the United States; increase screening of shipping containers coming into the US; contain the land borders with Mexico and Canada; implement background checks of foreign nationals attending schools in the US; and reduce carry-on baggage during air travel.
Social Issues:
1. Health Care. The US needs to implement a semi-social medicine system to provide basic care (colds, flews, viruses, broken bones) at no cost for all citizens in the US legally.
2. School System. School systems inside the US must accomplish basic education of citizens to become a competent work force, to include the elimination of sports and extra-curricular programs if necessary to attain a 90% graduation ratio.
3. Public Transportation. Since 1996 public transportation has either been put on the back burner or completely dismissed by the national government. During the years previous both metro and rural regions were served by an adequate bus and rail system. Living in Eastern Oregon, I had access to at least one east or west train or bus each day, since the town I live is located along a major rail line and east/west freeway. While the state spends $100s million to improve access roads and light rail systems around Portland, Salem, and Eugene, in rural Oregon I am forced to depend on my private car or truck.
A. The US needs to restructure the rural bus lines serving communities along major highways so people have access within 25 miles of the nearest bus stop.
B. The US needs to reestablish major Amtrak connections between rural areas to major metro areas such as Portland, Boise, Salt Lake City, and Denver where major connections can be made for east coast locations. This would be of great assistance to rural communities that can not afford airfare, considering air connections in rural areas are extremely high.
4. Environment. Problems with our environment can be described as decisions of the human race being based on greed and arrogance, with profit the ultimate goal. As the human population grows in the world, people must adapt a more environmentally orientated lifestyle.
A. Green house gasses are at a dangerously high level because of emissions from fossil fuels. We must adapt to fuels that come from live plants such as sugar beets, sugar cane, corn, etc. Instead of pocketing profits, we must invest in update processing and manufacturing plants. During World War II, the United State industrial complexes did not suffer any major loses from bombing so many plants today are just now considering to rebuild, 65+ years after the war. Some oil refineries are 100+ years old, and oil companies are using breakdowns as excuses to raise fuel costs to consumers.
B. In many countries clear cut logging is still the preferred standard. Forests are like living air filters, the greater the population the greater the need to maintain the proper balance of carbon dioxide and oxygen. Logging must be restructured to that of pruning old trees that allow the younger ones to flourish and also to protect the forests floor for wildlife.
C. In the beginning, cars were no more than tin boxes with small motors to provide basic transportation. In the fifties and sixties, the small cars such as Volkswagen, Datsun, and Toyota were still tin boxes with small motors, some reaching as much as 40-60 MPG. To become more acceptable to American drivers, foreign companies now make their products larger, heavier and more luxurious and their products are now averaging only 22-34 MPG. Another thing needed is reengineering the approach to transportation. I purchased a new Chevrolet Colorado a few years ago with the largest motor available (5 Cyl) and the lowest gear ratio (3.73) for power, and installed a tonneau cover over the bed producing highway mileage 29-32 as long as I drive at speeds at 60 MPH or lower, and sufficient power to do all I need. Drivers of this same truck equipped with a the standard 3.08 and 3.23 gear ratios and driving speeds of over 60 MPG report gas mileage 22-24 highway and complain they lack pulling power when loaded with maximum weight or going up hill. During the 1973 gas crisis President mandated a national wide 55 MPH speed limit, today not only is there higher speed limits but not enough police to enforce the higher limits.
5. Economics. The population of the United States has a problem of excess.
A. Growing up in a family of six, our house was approximately 1200 sq. ft. In today’s’ housing market the smallest new house I have seen is 1460 sq. ft., most are averaging 1860-2260 sq ft. The bigger house the more lumber is needed, the more power is needed to heat or cool, and of course more taxes to pay.
B. Today most family members think the deserve their own television, computer, phone, car, and bathroom.
C. People re making their lives more busy that they must eat out more often. While my wife eat restaurant quality food at home for an average of $2.60 per person, eating out cost $4.80 and up.
D. People buy so much stuff that there undeveloped properties are now filled with storage facilities.
Friday, February 9, 2007
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Israel needs to come of age
Israel was/is the United States’s best friend in the Middle East and, of all its allies, the one that has caused it the most trouble. It has acted with ruthless independence whenever it feels necessary. They shamelessly exploit the vulnerabilities of the open American political system to their own purposes, especially concerning gaining access to the American defense establishment and policy-making agencies making Israel the most flagrant offender.
The Israel Embassy in Washington, DC. does not confine their activities to trade negotiation and cultural exchange. On Capital Hill, the embassy consistently rated as the most powerful and influential, which maintains a rating system for measuring American publications’ loyalty to Israel and has filled huge libel suits against some.
“No one else is even a close second, partly because of their propaganda and lobbying skills along with it’s persistence, money, and mortal standing. No mater if it is the most minor, minute, irrelevant amendment, the Holocaust is invoked at every point.”
President Harry Truman recognized the first government of Israel in 1948, and no other president since has taken sides against Israel. It has now been sixty years since the establishment of Israel and I think it is time that Israel grow up. The United States should stop all aide except for food subsidies. If Jewish citizens of the United States transfer funds to Israel, they should be stripped of their citizenship and exiled to Israel.
Israel fails to recognize the Palestine and its people, and does not give full rights to the Arabs that live inside its borders. It makes excuses to bomb and invade Lebanon, and destroy its infrastructure to wreck havoc with Lebanon flourishing tourism business.
During the 1960’s and 1970’s Israel spied and bought classified information from the United States and Great Brittan to build a nuclear processing facility. They have failed to report any nuclear incidents, and have even dumped toxic waste in open areas. Yet President Bush beats his war drums against Iran because they have built a nuclear facility and may soon have nuclear weapon capability. If it is alright for Israel to have nuclear weapons, why not Iran?
Most of this reasoning is found in the book Heavy Losses by James Coates and Michael Kilian, published in 1985.
The Israel Embassy in Washington, DC. does not confine their activities to trade negotiation and cultural exchange. On Capital Hill, the embassy consistently rated as the most powerful and influential, which maintains a rating system for measuring American publications’ loyalty to Israel and has filled huge libel suits against some.
“No one else is even a close second, partly because of their propaganda and lobbying skills along with it’s persistence, money, and mortal standing. No mater if it is the most minor, minute, irrelevant amendment, the Holocaust is invoked at every point.”
President Harry Truman recognized the first government of Israel in 1948, and no other president since has taken sides against Israel. It has now been sixty years since the establishment of Israel and I think it is time that Israel grow up. The United States should stop all aide except for food subsidies. If Jewish citizens of the United States transfer funds to Israel, they should be stripped of their citizenship and exiled to Israel.
Israel fails to recognize the Palestine and its people, and does not give full rights to the Arabs that live inside its borders. It makes excuses to bomb and invade Lebanon, and destroy its infrastructure to wreck havoc with Lebanon flourishing tourism business.
During the 1960’s and 1970’s Israel spied and bought classified information from the United States and Great Brittan to build a nuclear processing facility. They have failed to report any nuclear incidents, and have even dumped toxic waste in open areas. Yet President Bush beats his war drums against Iran because they have built a nuclear facility and may soon have nuclear weapon capability. If it is alright for Israel to have nuclear weapons, why not Iran?
Most of this reasoning is found in the book Heavy Losses by James Coates and Michael Kilian, published in 1985.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Military Draft
Since Richard Nixon moved to end the draft in an attempt to buy the political time necessary to negotiate his way out of the Vietnam War, American presidents and congress have been willing to pay almost any price to avoid its reinstitution.
As George Washington well understood, a military carrying out a nation’s purpose must be a people’s military with its ranks reflecting a wide cross-section of the entire population. The American all-volunteer military demonstrated it did not during my years of service after Vietnam. My last year of active service, 1980, approximately 46 percent of Army recruits were high school dropouts with 40 percent reading at the fifth grade level.
Since my honorable discharge the military has raised it entrance requirements and rewritten its entrance examination. While dropouts are no longer recruited, military recruits from lower and working class families are still the norm, while the political power in the country still resides with the upper-class.
This is an altogether different military than that of the Vietnam era- on paper, a substantially more effective one. Each soldier now carries round the neck not only dog tags, but a plastic microchip containing his or her entire military record. Now commanders can track their soldiers and progress on computer monitors.
Much is made of reliance on reserves and National Guard units to meet manpower problems. Reservists cannot crew carrier task forces in the Pacific or forward-line combat units in Baghdad. The reserve and National Guard units could be called up to replace depleted units for rest and refitting, but would first have to be fitted and deployed from there home locations.
After four years of involvement in Iraq, the United States has used a majority of the active military resources and ha utilized a majority of their reserve and National Guard counterparts. According to law, National Guard unites can not be deployed more than one year out of five. With the commitment of 21,500 more troops to be deployed back to Iraq, President Bush is now on borrowed time, the peacetime draft must be reinstated. Pentagon officers dealing with or having had experience with combat arms acknowledge this, if only under their breath. President Carter had the courage to reinstitute draft registration, and President Reagan sought stiff punishments for draft-age men who refused to register.
A draft involving a year of service, as was the case with the 1941 peacetime draft, could be fairly implemented. It would have no exemptions or deferments except the traditional ones of hardship and sole support of dependents. There could be a form of alternative public service for conscientious objectors, also lasting one year. This would make possible a compulsory national service for women as well, one not involving combat arms.
The relatively short period of active duty would not be sufficient to train for highly technical jobs, but would certainly suffice for basic training and advanced infantry training and the attainment of some rudimentary technical skills. It would serve to create an expanded, self-replenishing backup pool of trained fighting men to be called on s the reserves are called up.
The risk of battle death should be shared by all, and not just the lower classes. To have all classes, including the best educated, serve in the military is healthy for the armed services, healthy for the citizenry, and healthy for the nation. If there had been 3125 plus killed in Iraq including the sons of powerful and prominent there would be a more swift and thorough reassessment of President Bush’s Iraq War Policy or lack there of.
Today while searching the net for military draft I found a new bill being proposed by Congressman Charles B. Rangel titled the Universal National
Service Act of 2007.
Universal National Service Act of 2007 (Introduced in House)
HR 393 IH
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 393
To require all persons in the United States between the ages of 18 and 42 to perform national service, either as a member of the uniformed services or in civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, to authorize the induction of persons in the uniformed services during wartime to meet end-strength requirements of the uniformed services, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make permanent the favorable treatment afforded combat pay under the earned income tax credit, and for other purposes.
SEC. 102. NATIONAL SERVICE OBLIGATION.
(a) Obligation for Service- It is the obligation of every citizen of the United States, and every other person residing in the United States, who is between the ages of 18 and 42 to perform a period of national service as prescribed in this title unless exempted under the provisions of this title.
(b) Forms of National Service- The national service obligation under this title shall be performed either--
(1) as a member of an active or reserve component of the uniformed services; or
(2) in a civilian capacity that, as determined by the President, promotes the national defense, including national or community service and service related to homeland security.
(c) Age Limits- A person may be inducted under this title only if the person has attained the age of 18 and has not attained the age of 42.
Considering that the Congress and Senate are arguing about our involvement in Iraq, it is strange that I have heard nothing about this legislation. Has anyone else heard of this?
As George Washington well understood, a military carrying out a nation’s purpose must be a people’s military with its ranks reflecting a wide cross-section of the entire population. The American all-volunteer military demonstrated it did not during my years of service after Vietnam. My last year of active service, 1980, approximately 46 percent of Army recruits were high school dropouts with 40 percent reading at the fifth grade level.
Since my honorable discharge the military has raised it entrance requirements and rewritten its entrance examination. While dropouts are no longer recruited, military recruits from lower and working class families are still the norm, while the political power in the country still resides with the upper-class.
This is an altogether different military than that of the Vietnam era- on paper, a substantially more effective one. Each soldier now carries round the neck not only dog tags, but a plastic microchip containing his or her entire military record. Now commanders can track their soldiers and progress on computer monitors.
Much is made of reliance on reserves and National Guard units to meet manpower problems. Reservists cannot crew carrier task forces in the Pacific or forward-line combat units in Baghdad. The reserve and National Guard units could be called up to replace depleted units for rest and refitting, but would first have to be fitted and deployed from there home locations.
After four years of involvement in Iraq, the United States has used a majority of the active military resources and ha utilized a majority of their reserve and National Guard counterparts. According to law, National Guard unites can not be deployed more than one year out of five. With the commitment of 21,500 more troops to be deployed back to Iraq, President Bush is now on borrowed time, the peacetime draft must be reinstated. Pentagon officers dealing with or having had experience with combat arms acknowledge this, if only under their breath. President Carter had the courage to reinstitute draft registration, and President Reagan sought stiff punishments for draft-age men who refused to register.
A draft involving a year of service, as was the case with the 1941 peacetime draft, could be fairly implemented. It would have no exemptions or deferments except the traditional ones of hardship and sole support of dependents. There could be a form of alternative public service for conscientious objectors, also lasting one year. This would make possible a compulsory national service for women as well, one not involving combat arms.
The relatively short period of active duty would not be sufficient to train for highly technical jobs, but would certainly suffice for basic training and advanced infantry training and the attainment of some rudimentary technical skills. It would serve to create an expanded, self-replenishing backup pool of trained fighting men to be called on s the reserves are called up.
The risk of battle death should be shared by all, and not just the lower classes. To have all classes, including the best educated, serve in the military is healthy for the armed services, healthy for the citizenry, and healthy for the nation. If there had been 3125 plus killed in Iraq including the sons of powerful and prominent there would be a more swift and thorough reassessment of President Bush’s Iraq War Policy or lack there of.
Today while searching the net for military draft I found a new bill being proposed by Congressman Charles B. Rangel titled the Universal National
Service Act of 2007.
Universal National Service Act of 2007 (Introduced in House)
HR 393 IH
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 393
To require all persons in the United States between the ages of 18 and 42 to perform national service, either as a member of the uniformed services or in civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, to authorize the induction of persons in the uniformed services during wartime to meet end-strength requirements of the uniformed services, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make permanent the favorable treatment afforded combat pay under the earned income tax credit, and for other purposes.
SEC. 102. NATIONAL SERVICE OBLIGATION.
(a) Obligation for Service- It is the obligation of every citizen of the United States, and every other person residing in the United States, who is between the ages of 18 and 42 to perform a period of national service as prescribed in this title unless exempted under the provisions of this title.
(b) Forms of National Service- The national service obligation under this title shall be performed either--
(1) as a member of an active or reserve component of the uniformed services; or
(2) in a civilian capacity that, as determined by the President, promotes the national defense, including national or community service and service related to homeland security.
(c) Age Limits- A person may be inducted under this title only if the person has attained the age of 18 and has not attained the age of 42.
Considering that the Congress and Senate are arguing about our involvement in Iraq, it is strange that I have heard nothing about this legislation. Has anyone else heard of this?
Monday, January 15, 2007
We Shall Overcome
Being today is Martin Luther King Day there has been many television stations broadcasting excepts of his most famous speeches. The one that caught my ear was on LinkTV, the rebroadcast of Reverend King's address of April 4 , 1967 titled Beyond Vietnam.
This address was given two years before my graduation from high school and enlistment in the U.S. Army. I can not remember hearing this address growing up in a small coastal town along the Oregon coast that had very limited radio and television stations, only if something made national news did any "negative" political addresses were made public.
This address is so up to date that one only has to replace the word Vietnam with Iraq, that you can say he was addressing today's America and its' society.
http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/058.html
My favorite part says everything.
"Increasingly, by choice or by accident, this is the role our nation has taken -- the role of those who make peaceful revolution impossible by refusing to give up the privileges and the pleasures that come from the immense profits of overseas investment.
I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a "thing-oriented" society to a "person-oriented" society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.
A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our past and present policies. n the one hand we are called to play the good Samaritan on life's roadside; but that will be only an initial act. One day we must come to see that the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed as they make their journey on life's highway. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it is not haphazard and superficial. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring. A true revolution of values will soon look uneasily on the glaring contrast of poverty and wealth. With righteous indignation, it will look across the seas and see individual capitalists of the West investing huge sums of money in Asia, Africa and South America, only to take the profits out with no concern for the social betterment of the countries, and say: "This is not just." It will look at our alliance with the landed gentry of Latin America and say: "This is not just." The Western arrogance of feeling that it has everything to teach others and nothing to learn from them is not just. A true revolution of values will lay hands on the world order and say of war: "This way of settling differences is not just." This business of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our nation's homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into veins of people normally humane, of sending men home from dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped and psychologically deranged, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice and love. A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death."
This address was given two years before my graduation from high school and enlistment in the U.S. Army. I can not remember hearing this address growing up in a small coastal town along the Oregon coast that had very limited radio and television stations, only if something made national news did any "negative" political addresses were made public.
This address is so up to date that one only has to replace the word Vietnam with Iraq, that you can say he was addressing today's America and its' society.
http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/058.html
My favorite part says everything.
"Increasingly, by choice or by accident, this is the role our nation has taken -- the role of those who make peaceful revolution impossible by refusing to give up the privileges and the pleasures that come from the immense profits of overseas investment.
I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a "thing-oriented" society to a "person-oriented" society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.
A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our past and present policies. n the one hand we are called to play the good Samaritan on life's roadside; but that will be only an initial act. One day we must come to see that the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed as they make their journey on life's highway. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it is not haphazard and superficial. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring. A true revolution of values will soon look uneasily on the glaring contrast of poverty and wealth. With righteous indignation, it will look across the seas and see individual capitalists of the West investing huge sums of money in Asia, Africa and South America, only to take the profits out with no concern for the social betterment of the countries, and say: "This is not just." It will look at our alliance with the landed gentry of Latin America and say: "This is not just." The Western arrogance of feeling that it has everything to teach others and nothing to learn from them is not just. A true revolution of values will lay hands on the world order and say of war: "This way of settling differences is not just." This business of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our nation's homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into veins of people normally humane, of sending men home from dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped and psychologically deranged, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice and love. A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death."
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Back Talk: The President's New Plan of Attack
Back Talk: The President's New Plan of Attack
If Moktada al-Sadr is not detained or eliminated from the influence of politics Iraq, no further goals in the American/Iraq War can be achieved. His elimination is worth the price of a smart bomb or device.
If Moktada al-Sadr is not detained or eliminated from the influence of politics Iraq, no further goals in the American/Iraq War can be achieved. His elimination is worth the price of a smart bomb or device.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Schools
I started school in September 1956 in the largest baby-boomer class ever to go through our local school district. While average classes numbered around 58-67 students our class started round 103-107, depending on who counted. Because of our size alone we had over crowded classrooms, learning 2-3 students per book, and having 5-7 students per class projects instead of 3-4. Also affected were things like Little League Baseball, just not having enough teams in our little town.
Competitive sports in the school district started in junior high, but were restricted to boys only (Football, Basketball, Baseball and Tract and Field) and our class managed to win championships in 7th and 8th grade Football.
During our first class meeting in high school our class councilors advised us to set some goals for us to compare to during our graduation and things to remember back on as we reminisced.
Goal 1. To do our best to help our school to win District Championships in Football every year since this was our towns favorite sport.
Goal 2. To do our best to help our school to win at least one State Football Championship.
Goal 3. To work together so that all of our classmates could graduate together.
June 2 ,1969 was the big day everyone looked forward to. As we sat waiting our turn to cross the stage were heard the principal share our goals with the audience. We had achieved District Championships every year, and at the state level we had made the second round of playoffs our freshman year, lost in the first round our sophomore year, hosted the state championship game our junior year but lost to receive second place, and hosted the state championship game our senior year to win and become state undefeated champions. As for graduation itself 93% of our class graduated with 58% of our class having registered or signed letters of intent for college the following fall. As for me, I had signed up for the delayed entrance program into the U.S. Army, and on June 12 entered active duty, the first student to leave our little community.
In November 1976 I was reassigned to the U.S. Army Signal School located then at Fort Gordon (Augusta) Georgia. Upon my arrival I was informed that the dropout rate of new recruits averaged 20-25%, for me was unbelievable. After receiving my instructor certification I assumed the position of head instructor of Section 1 which was responsible to teach basic electrical theory, wiring and soldering basics.
Instead of just doing my job I had to learn why the dropout rate seemed so high, and set out to design a plan to complete my objective.
How well can they understand directions orally?
How well can they understand what they read?
How well can they perform basic math and algebra?
To my utter surprise 20-25% of the recruits failed my screening test in these areas. Out of a class of 29 recruits, 5 failed the screening test. These recruits were compiled of two tall thin Afro-Americans (one from New Jersey and one from Los Angeles), and three shorter yet muscular types one Afro-American from Chicago and two white recruits (one from Billings Montana and one from Condon Oregon). My question for them. What makes them all the same. After a few minutes discussing between themselves that only similarity was that they were all star athletes in their schools, two in basketball and three in football. Being that I was single and lived in the barracks I set up a tutoring program for any student to better themselves to pass their required training.
To my surprise all of these recruits finished their programs successfully. During lunch on their graduation day I was introduced to the parents of the recruit from New Jersey. They had ridden all night on Amtrak to attend, the father was an engineer on the subway to New York and the mother worked as a maid in a hotel. Stating that they had been against their son’s decision to enter the Army they were so impressed how I had worked so had so he could have a chance at having a better future.
After implementing the screen tests into training orientation, and along with the tutoring dropout rates dropped to 0% within six weeks, and I was given a letter of appreciation from my supervisor.
Since my discharge in November 1980 I have lived in eight different school districts, all of which have a failing graduate success rate. Even though I have no children I have attended many school district meetings. Even with districts that are struggling with their budgets, a mention of reducing or eliminating athletic creates immediate aggressive behavior.
My neighbors youngest son graduated in 2004 with a 3.0 grade point average, and with no family funds for college he came to me for advisement on military service. Considering he was a top welding student I advised him that the Navy had the best welding program and that he could either serve in the Navy or Coast Guard (like his older brother). After failing his second attempt at entry in the service he has given up, even though the U.S. military has a shortage of recruits.
I have learned that he has a slight problem with dyslexia and received no additional assistance from his teachers in the district. Researching the problem I have found that teachers prioritize assistance to those who are college bound or athletics in season. Spending $4.8 million on athletics while 23% dropout and only 28% of graduates go on to collage does sound like a good investment of our tax dollars and the future of the U.S.
Competitive sports in the school district started in junior high, but were restricted to boys only (Football, Basketball, Baseball and Tract and Field) and our class managed to win championships in 7th and 8th grade Football.
During our first class meeting in high school our class councilors advised us to set some goals for us to compare to during our graduation and things to remember back on as we reminisced.
Goal 1. To do our best to help our school to win District Championships in Football every year since this was our towns favorite sport.
Goal 2. To do our best to help our school to win at least one State Football Championship.
Goal 3. To work together so that all of our classmates could graduate together.
June 2 ,1969 was the big day everyone looked forward to. As we sat waiting our turn to cross the stage were heard the principal share our goals with the audience. We had achieved District Championships every year, and at the state level we had made the second round of playoffs our freshman year, lost in the first round our sophomore year, hosted the state championship game our junior year but lost to receive second place, and hosted the state championship game our senior year to win and become state undefeated champions. As for graduation itself 93% of our class graduated with 58% of our class having registered or signed letters of intent for college the following fall. As for me, I had signed up for the delayed entrance program into the U.S. Army, and on June 12 entered active duty, the first student to leave our little community.
In November 1976 I was reassigned to the U.S. Army Signal School located then at Fort Gordon (Augusta) Georgia. Upon my arrival I was informed that the dropout rate of new recruits averaged 20-25%, for me was unbelievable. After receiving my instructor certification I assumed the position of head instructor of Section 1 which was responsible to teach basic electrical theory, wiring and soldering basics.
Instead of just doing my job I had to learn why the dropout rate seemed so high, and set out to design a plan to complete my objective.
How well can they understand directions orally?
How well can they understand what they read?
How well can they perform basic math and algebra?
To my utter surprise 20-25% of the recruits failed my screening test in these areas. Out of a class of 29 recruits, 5 failed the screening test. These recruits were compiled of two tall thin Afro-Americans (one from New Jersey and one from Los Angeles), and three shorter yet muscular types one Afro-American from Chicago and two white recruits (one from Billings Montana and one from Condon Oregon). My question for them. What makes them all the same. After a few minutes discussing between themselves that only similarity was that they were all star athletes in their schools, two in basketball and three in football. Being that I was single and lived in the barracks I set up a tutoring program for any student to better themselves to pass their required training.
To my surprise all of these recruits finished their programs successfully. During lunch on their graduation day I was introduced to the parents of the recruit from New Jersey. They had ridden all night on Amtrak to attend, the father was an engineer on the subway to New York and the mother worked as a maid in a hotel. Stating that they had been against their son’s decision to enter the Army they were so impressed how I had worked so had so he could have a chance at having a better future.
After implementing the screen tests into training orientation, and along with the tutoring dropout rates dropped to 0% within six weeks, and I was given a letter of appreciation from my supervisor.
Since my discharge in November 1980 I have lived in eight different school districts, all of which have a failing graduate success rate. Even though I have no children I have attended many school district meetings. Even with districts that are struggling with their budgets, a mention of reducing or eliminating athletic creates immediate aggressive behavior.
My neighbors youngest son graduated in 2004 with a 3.0 grade point average, and with no family funds for college he came to me for advisement on military service. Considering he was a top welding student I advised him that the Navy had the best welding program and that he could either serve in the Navy or Coast Guard (like his older brother). After failing his second attempt at entry in the service he has given up, even though the U.S. military has a shortage of recruits.
I have learned that he has a slight problem with dyslexia and received no additional assistance from his teachers in the district. Researching the problem I have found that teachers prioritize assistance to those who are college bound or athletics in season. Spending $4.8 million on athletics while 23% dropout and only 28% of graduates go on to collage does sound like a good investment of our tax dollars and the future of the U.S.
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Fore Warnings to Come
At the end of May 1979 I assumed the duties of acting Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge of Battalion S-2 (Intelligence) due to the shortage of senior Non-Commissioned officers for the U.S. Army, and upon the take over of the U.S. Embassy in Iran in November 1979 I was totally emerged in the study of Iran and Iraq for routes for possible rescue efforts of the hostages held in Tehran.
On the first Tuesday of March 1980 I was asked to perform a threat assessment of Islamic Fundamentalist in the middle east considering they had no air force or naval sources to speak of. I was assisted in the assessment by the S-3 Operations Clerk and the S-2 Intelligence Specialist. The assessment request was given at 1140 hours (11:40 AM) to be ready at 1300 hours (1 PM) for a Battalion Staff war games.
Immediate Threat (Completed October 2000)
Civilian: Hotels, Cafes, and nightclubs in countries with a Muslim populace will experience attacks on foreign (western) tourists. Attacks started in November 1976 in the Philippines and Malaysia.
U.S. Government: Embassies and Consulate buildings in countries with a Muslim populace will experience attacks. Philippines in October 1976, Iran 1979, Beirut 1983, Sudan 1994.
Military: Ground Bases and ships in foreign ports located in countries with a Muslim populace. Philippines October 1976, Turkey 1979, Beirut 1983 and the USS Cole October 2000.
Intermediate Threat (Completed September 11, 2001)
High jacking of fully fueled commercial airliners to be used in kamikaze attacks.
High-jacking will probably take place at Boston, JFK, Washington D.C. and Atlanta airports.
Targets will probably be New York Stock Exchange, World Trade Center, Pentagon, Congress and the White House.
Long Term Threat - Considering the long term threats are still looming I consider them classified. However, I can say of some of the things the United States must do and prepare for example Airport Security, Port Security, and Border Security must be increased and re-examined on a regular basis.
I was awaken early on Sept 11 by a phone call from an acquaintance telling me of the attack and to turn on the boob tube. I told her than if a second airplane were to hit that this was an real attack not an accident, then only a few minutes later the second plane hit. Then I found myself screaming at the tube as I saw firemen rush inside, having worked around aviation my whole military career I believed the buildings would collapse after 45 minutes, which eventually happened.
This threat assessment was studied from March 1980 to October 1980 at which time I was discharged from active military service. No military action ever discussed could halt the attacks, only changes in corporate and governmental operations could be effective. After the September 11, 2001 attack President Bush stated that the US had poor intelligence.
Starting around August 2002, President Bush started war talk against Iraq, stating connections with terrorists and possessing weapons of mass destruction. In December 2002 I sent letters to Senators Ron Wyden and Gordon Smith of Oregon (my home state) stating the facts I had access to while working in military intelligence:
Weapons of Mass Destruction - Since the end of the first Iraq War, there was a probability of 98% that Iraq had no serviceable chemical or biological weapons. 70% of their chemical weapons were used during the first Iran/Iraq war, 20% were used on Kurds and enemies of the state, leaving 5% to be determined (approximately 67) and verified by the UN weapons inspectors as being demilitarized.
Terrorist Connections - Saddam Hussein and his administration had no connections with any terrorist groups. The only connection is five fundamentalist Muslim clerics that have militant followers. (50,000)
While Senator Wyden voted against going to war with Iraq, Senator Smith replied that he would support the president right or wrong, legal or not being that they are both Republicans.
During the 2004 election, a veterans group supporting John Kerry produced a copy of an official Officer Efficiency Rating of Lt. George W. Bush. President Bush’s administration fabricated a story that it was a false document stating that it had not been typed on a IBM Selectric typewriter. I studied this document and found that it was typed on a Royal Executive model typewriter that was standard issue to the Army and Air Force services from 1969 - 1976, in which I used during my last assignment from March 1978 to November 1980.
Was intelligence available before 9/11? (yes) Was intelligence available about Iraq’s lack of weapons of mass destruction prior to going to war? (yes) Was the George W. Bush OER real? (98% probability yes)
It feels like a century since I was on active duty, and with my health issues I can not be called back to active duty or have children so like most Americans I can either sit and watch or turn off the tube.
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