The Islamization of America

I am writing this as my response to the uproar over Donald Trump’s speech where he said at a rally that we should stop allowing Muslims to enter our country until we find out what is going on. He has been pounced on from all quarters including the other candidates on the Republican side who are competing to become our next President. You cannot turn on any news channel and not find someone condemning him. They say he is violating our Constitution and that he is promoting hatred and that his statements go against American values. I pulled the speech by Teddy Roosevelt in 1907 to show you his position on immigrants. I subscribe to it 100%. Read it below then I will continue. Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907. "In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American ... There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag ... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language ... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people." The Muslim religion is different from all others. They pray facing Mecca, the place where they swear allegiance. They believe that Sharia Law is the law that all Muslims must agree to. This is taught in the Mosques. They cannot support a secular government. They must strive to attain the goal of transforming the world to their belief system. If you type into the Internet the title I gave this paper you will find many articles confirming what I am saying. I have tried over the last decade or so to alert my readers to the threat to our way of life should this religion overwhelm us. Jack B. Walters December 9,2015

Response to an article in the Daily Star

Muslims, Christians have much in common article On the same day that 14 people were killed in California you chose to publish a letter from Roberta Wright. She pointed out accurately the similarity between the Bible and the Koran. What she wouldn’t admit was that where there are unacceptable statements in the Bible as well as the Koran, the difference is that Christians and Jews have moved beyond those that are not acceptable today but Muslims haven’t. They still are determined to convert all to Islam or become second class citizens or die. Christians are asked to convert to Christianity but not by force. I believe that when all the facts are ascertained the shooters in California were motivated to spread fear in our country as they did recently in France. In this way they hope to convert the world at a faster pace. We make a serious error by thinking that ISIS is a fringe element of Islam and not representative of the religion. In my opinion we can bomb to our hearts content and not accomplish anything as more and more will volunteer to take their places. Once a Muslim you must remain a Muslim. Those who denounce the religion can be put to death sometimes by members of their own family. Women are considered second class citizens with no rights of their own. They are to serve their Muslim husbands with the threat of physical punishment to assure they do. I can find no redeeming value in their belief system. Certainly while Obama is President our country will not be allowed to recognize the threat to world peace Islam presents. He still refers to the Ft. Hood killing “work place violence”. No matter how far this new effort of Muslims to speed up the process by random killing here and there, our leaders will not admit the truth and condemn all, like myself, as uninformed and outside the mainstream. Keep tuned, this is just the beginning. Jack B. Walters December 3, 2015

My Attempt to Understand the Pressure Our Military Faces on a Daily Basis

We hear a lot about Military personnel under great mental stress, many committing suicide being unable to cope. Many are homeless, drifting without purpose. This isn’t a new condition but seems, in my opinion, to be getting worse. I am going to put forward my thoughts without the benefit of first hand knowledge. I am relying on literature I have read over the years in book, magazine or other means. The downward spiral, I contend, started in Korea. General Mac Arthur had completed the goal of defeating the North Koreans and should have been able to start the re-unification of both Koreas into one nation. When the Chinese poured over the border by the hundreds of thousands our soldiers were caught unawares and were severely beaten and forced to fall back. At the time we possessed over whelming superiority in air power. The General was not allowed to use it to punish the Chinese above the Yalu River. He could have cut off their supplies, destroyed their airfields and after recovery started pushing back. He was not interested in invading China. The airfields had Russian personnel. President Truman was fearful of Russia so our pilots had to fight off MIG fighter planes which shouldn’t even have existed. As a result some of our pilots were killed. On the ground the Chinese couldn’t be stopped until they had entered far enough South for our planes to sever their supply lines. Further, the useless loss of life continued into the Presidency of Eisenhower. Do you remember Pork Chop Hill? It was taken and abandoned and retaken a number of times while the negotiations dragged on. Our boys were dying for no purpose. Wouldn’t you be demoralized if that was your lot? This was followed by Vietnam, a war which in my opinion never should have been entered into by America. Our boys faced an impossible situation, never knowing for sure who was with us and who was against us. This war was worse than Korea. Lyndon Johnson would start his day in the war room picking out places to bomb and then go about his daily routine. From this time forward including today, the military officers on the ground have not been allowed to fight a war to win. They have been kept under tight control. Soldiers sent to take ground and then give it back. War has become a game. Allowing our men to fight and die without purpose, don’t you realize how demoralizing that would be? If Russians were known to be in a place on the bombing list, that place was left alone until they were gone. The SAM missiles were known to be unloading from Russian Cargo ships. We were not allowed to bomb the ships. Once they were set up many of our brave pilots were shot down, either dying or being made prisoners. The Middle East is another situation all together. I contend we never should have initiated war against Afghanistan, IRAQ, Syria nor Libya. Just look at the chaos we unleased by our actions. We could have bombed terrorist camps and punished the perpetrators of 9/11. We have spent two trillion dollars and thousands of deaths of our soldiers and the people of those countries. President Bush thought he could convince them to become Democracies without understanding the tribal nature of the Arab people and the religious beliefs that have pitted one sector the other to fight and kill those of different beliefs for thousands of years. The interesting thing I have learned is that Christians and Jews had been inhabitants of those countries living alongside Muslims. That is no longer true. They have all left or have been killed, as a direct result of our attacking those countries. In all of these actions our troops have been handicapped in fighting by the concern for civilian deaths. I have read that at the current time as many as 70% of our airplanes return to their bases without dropping bombs for that reason. Do you think that the Russians under Putin return without dropping their bombs, I don’t think so, do you? Similarly soldiers can be court martialed if they kill civilians, which causes them to hesitate before firing putting their lives at risk. Don’t you think, if you returned from fighting like this that your mind might be a little screwed up? I contend it does. In WWII this was not the case. We fought to win. The Generals on the front line were not directed by Washington except to win. Cities were bombed without mercy. Many thousands of civilians died. They lived in cities where war making factories existed. Had we not defeated Germany and Japan as quickly as we did, there was the possibility of the AXIS powers developing the Atomic Bomb before we did. They did have jet fighters shooting down our bombers. With more time they might have stopped our bombing altogether. A great man once said,” War is Hell”. Mac Arthur on the deck of the Missouri battleship said “Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world and that God will preserve it always”. How wrong he was. He never considered a government that would drain its resources on a continuing basis and send troops into harm’s way without allowing them to fight to a quick completion. As I listen to the contenders for President, I have yet to hear anyone state the simple truth as I have above in this letter. Regardless of who wins, the carnage will continue, as to do otherwise you are considered weak on defense. Anyone so accused has no opportunity to be President. So our boys and now girls will continue to be used as pawns fighting and dying without any chance of ending a conflict honorably. Jack B. Walters November 13, 2015

Veteran's Day Thoughts

November 11 is the date set aside to honor our Veterans. I decided I would like to share some thoughts. Last Sunday after church I attended a luncheon for veterans. I am one also but my three years of service (1946-1949) did not include combat. My service was with the Air Force in the occupation of Japan. The speaker shared information I had never thought about before. During WWII 11.1% of American citizens were in uniform. What that meant was that every family was impacted one way or another which I believe is why that generation is considered the greatest generation. We were all in it together. In each succeeding decade afterwards the percentage decreased. He stated that today less than 0.5% of our current population is affected. This would appear to explain why most of us don’t know anyone on active service. Both President Bush and Obama told us to do our part by going shopping and leave the fighting for the professionals. As a result we treat them like paid mercenaries rather than brothers and sisters sons and daughters as we did before. This just isn’t right. I don’t have an answer to solve it but just making the point to you I felt was important. Whenever we see one, we should go out of our way to say Hi and thank them for their service. They are the thin red line between us and disaster. I have on occasion left a 20 dollar bill with a waitress to apply to their tab. Not much but the hope was that they would appreciate the gesture. A really great way is to donate airline miles to the hero miles program. You can find it using this name or go to Fisher House Foundation. I had miles with two airlines that would be expiring soon. I knew I wouldn’t be using them so I gave 43,755 miles. It is easy to do, just enter your account and look for donate. Scroll down to Heros, enter the amount and the good deed is done. You help military personnel travel home when they must purchase tickets. I am really hoping you will participate. Jack B. Walters November 13, 2015

Obama's gift to Warren Buffett

Yesterday Obama killed the Keystone pipeline project stating his aversion to “dirty” oil. He has kept it hanging for the seven years of his presidency. Now he is free to go to Paris to the global climate summit with his head held high. I have no doubt he will commit the United States to a reduction which will result in foreign countries directing our economy and thereby lessening our sovereignty. It will be the same as the Iran agreement. Since it is not a treaty the Republicans will not have sixty votes in the Senate to kill it and once again in spite of majorities in both houses the Democrats will stand firm in support of anything Obama wants. For your information “dirty” oil from Alberta has been coming into our country on a daily basis by rail car. I am guessing that when Warren Buffet invested $5 billion in the stock of the Northern Pacific Railroad, he was speculating that Obama would kill the pipeline. The cost to ship by rail is considerably higher than a pipe line. The possibility of spill is ever present. There are thousands of miles of pipelines crisscrossing America today. The concern about the aqueduct in Nebraska was resolved by a change in the routing. Whether Obama is paying back for Mr.Buffett’s support I don’t know but I do know the environmental activists who support Obama, Hillary and Bernie will reward the party with their votes a year from now. The Democratic President I loved was FDR. He would have approved the pipeline in a heartbeat. Jack B. Walters November 7, 2015

The Roosevelt I knew by Francis Perkins

I learned of this book while reading “The woman Behind the New Deal”, which was the life story of Francis Perkins. I became so interested I wanted to learn more. Reading this book accomplished my purpose. In my review of the other book I tried to get the reader to understand the great contribution she made for Americans then and now. This book which she authored repeated some of those accomplishments but from a more personal basis, particularly with FDR as the main subject. She provides input into how he was able to make everyone he met feel that they were important. He placed capable people in positions of authority, gave them direction and let them do their job. Should someone be unable to perform for whatever reason he would find a replacement and continue on with the job. Forgive me if I digress but throughout my entire career with Firestone and the State of Iowa that is how I attempted to accomplish my responsibility. I might not have been as gentle as he, but I took my responsibility seriously and strode to accomplish whatever the objective might be. Management that failed was replaced. Referring to factory life, I took the position that if the Plant failed, we all lost. Replacing someone while never easy had to be done so our primary objective succeeded. I tried to be as humane as possible to the Union workforce as they were the ones doing the production work not management. There were inevitable conflicts that resulted in strikes or walk outs. Through it all they and I tried to resolve without rancor. There are many firsthand accounts of how FDR was able to accomplish his goals. I leave it to you, the reader, to discover for yourself. It is sufficient for me to say that this book added to all the other information I have gleaned over the years and only adds to my great admiration for this unique person who was there when needed the most. He stove to get America out of the Depression and he guided us skillfully to the attainment of victory over the Axis powers. We, as a people could not stand the thought that he would not be our leader which is why in 1944 he was re-elected to a fourth term. Just as with Lincoln we lost his leadership for the after war years. We can only wonder what the world lost with his untimely death. Jack B. Walters October 7, 2015

Ben Carson Speaks Out

Yesterday, in answer to a reporter’s question, Ben Carson stated he would not support a Muslim as a presidential candidate. The news media are having a field day. He is not backing down. He has the courage and wisdom to say what others are afraid to say. A true Muslim who is a strict believer in Islam cannot have allegiance to a secular State. Hasan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood stated “It is the nature of Islam to dominate, not to be dominated, to impose its law on all nations and to extend its power to the entire planet.” This quote is from a book “The Looming Tower” by; Lawrence Wright. In all religions there are variations of belief from fundamental to moderate. There are moderate Muslims just as there are moderate Christians and Jews. In today’s world the fundamental Muslims are leading the assault all over the world with devastating results. That is true even here in America. The moderate Muslims do not speak out against the carnage, in my opinion, out of fear of retribution. Atta boy Ben, keep up the good work of trying to wake up Americans. Jack B. Walters September 21, 2015

Ben Carson Documentaries

A good friend mentioned that he had seen a documentary about Ben Carson on the Internet. I checked it out and found several. One is an hour and ½ movie starring Cuba Gooding playing the role. It includes actual footage of Carson operating, including separating two German boys joined at the head. After days of agonizing thinking he came up with a plan. He assembled fifty Doctors and Nurses. It required stopping their hearts for an hour at a time and lowering the blood temperature. The scenes in the operating room are incredible. The precision and co-ordination are beyond belief. The entire process took 22 hours without a break, incredible stamina by him and the others. When he met with the parents he said “Which boy would you like to see first”. That was their first indication that both boys had survived. The Movie is called “Gifted Hands”. It was released in 2009. There is another shorter video “Dr. Ben Carson-Gifted Hands-You Tube”. It is 26 minutes and contains actual pictures of Dr. Carson. Of particular importance to me was the final segment which is of Dr. Carson talking to school children. He is telling them that they can be anyone they want to be if they are willing to put in the effort required. In it he tells of his troubled youth including him attempting to stab a boy. A belt buckle broke the knife. He went home and pleaded with God to release the anger in him. It worked. He could have spent his life in prison instead of becoming a skilled surgeon. What a powerful message. This is also a part of the Gooding movie. There was another movie “A Breath of Fresh Air”. It is no longer available. Whether you believe, as I do, that he could be a President, I hope you will take the time to see what a wonderful man he is. In my opinion, we don’t need boisterous leaders who will plunge us into wars and ruin the budget by plowing evermore funds into the military. A man who believes that life is God’s precious gift would not sacrifice our young men and women unless absolutely necessary. Jack B. Walters September 16, 2015

CNN Presidential Debate on CNN

I sent the following note to CNN 22 million watched trying to learn more about the candidates positions on issues we care about. You were more interested in stirring up controversy between them. In the process some were limited to less than 10 minutes in a three hour program. You used them to make money. You did not show them respect and dignity. To make them stand idle during commercial breaks was equally demeaning. One of them may become president of the U.S. Next time treat them with respect and ask pertinent questions about the issues. Let the disagreements happen on other programs.

The Woman Behind the New Deal by; Kirstin Downey

The Life of Frances Perkins, FDR’s Secretary of Labor and His Moral Compass Mrs. Perkins is one of the most important persons before and during the Presidency of FDR and decades later after leaving government service. She was directly responsible for many of the freedoms we take for granted today. The following is from the Prologue. It outlines the programs she was determined to enact. On a chilly February night in 1933 she met with President Elect FDR. He wanted her to become his Secretary of Labor when he was sworn in as the thirty second president of the United States. She was interested but only if the president would assist and support her in achieving her goals. They were; a forty hour work week, a minimum wage, worker’s compensation, unemployment compensation, a federal law banning child labor, direct federal aid for unemployment relief, Social Security, a revitalized public employment service, and health insurance. “Nothing like this has ever been done in the United States before,” she said. “You know that, don’t you?” He said he would back her. Everything on that list was accomplished with the exception of health insurance. The medical industry was able to kill that idea. She faced enormous opposition especially since she was a woman. The rough, tough labor leaders wanted one of their own men to have that job. Having to work with a woman was distasteful to them and frankly to most of Washington. Why she was so successful was due to her keen sense of necessity and her intelligence. It was also due to the strong backing of FDR and of course the terrible depression that was in full bloom at that time. She was the first woman ever to be made a member of the Cabinet. All of her life had prepared her for this position. In her 20’s she came to Chicago and worked at Hull House. It was the nation’s leading settlement house. It offered job training, health services, child care, a library, and a savings bank. She became active in carrying out services to the needy and came to realize the plight of the average worker and families. Moving to New York City and Philadelphia she continued learning and helping. She emerged as a leader in the feminist movement, stating “Feminism means revolution, and I am a revolutionist. I believe in revolution as a principle. It does good to everybody”. She witnessed the Triangle Fire in N.Y.C. 146 girls died as a direct result of the doors being locked and no fire equipment to warn or contain. The floors were littered in lint and cloth which quickly consumed everything and the workers. Just like 9/11 girls jumped to their deaths rather than be burned alive. She took her activism to the Legislature and after a lengthy process a 54 hour work week for women was enacted in N.Y. Doesn’t sound like much now, but in 1912 it was a great stride forward. With the endorsement of Teddy Roosevelt she was named executive director of the nation’s most prominent reform organizations. Out of this a new State Factory Investigation Commission was created with the responsibility to enforce safety standards to prevent another Triangle Fire tragedy. In 1918 she helped Al Smith to be elected Governor of N.Y. He promptly made her a member of the Industrial Commission. When FDR became Governor in 1928 he promoted her to being the Director of the Industrial Commission, the first female to hold such a high position. Most of the book describes the details on how each of her goals were achieved. With Roosevelt’s strong support she accomplished her goals. With the advent of WWII her work was diminished in scope but was still important to FDR. Upon his election for his fourth term in 1944, he pleaded with her to stay on. Shortly after he died she tendered her resignation to Truman. It was accepted and so ended her government service. She enjoyed teaching at Cornell University for a number of years dying at the age of 85. All females owe a debt of gratitude for the pioneering spirit of this brave woman. We males should also remember her for broadening the leadership to include women together with men. She was indeed a very great lady. Jack B. Walters September 15, 2015

Iran Nuclear Deal

I have spent considerable time trying to understand whether this deal as proposed should be approved by our Congress. On a weekly basis I read Time and the Economist as well as newspapers, TV news channels and when in my car radio talk show hosts like Dennis Prager and even Rush. Last night I was privileged to attend a dinner meeting. There was a speaker with extensive experience in the Middle East. As a result I finally was able to clearly understand the issue. Up until then I had been concerned about who would check for compliance the many critical areas in Iran where nuclear activity is involved as well as military bases where missile systems are being perfected. I realize now that all of that is just a smoke screen to confuse the electorate. None of that makes any difference. The sum total of this agreement is that Iran in a few years’ time should they play fair will legally become a nuclear power. Voting for this agreement is voting to accept Iran into the nuclear club, of which we are the charter member. You might say, so what. Other nations have the capability to make and deliver nuclear bombs, so why deny Iran? The simple answer is because they state on a daily basis their desire to eliminate the Jewish people from Israel and also their continuing hatred of the United States. One or two bombs hitting Israel and it is all over for them. Of course they will retaliate. Why wouldn’t the Islamic clerics who are the rulers of Iran be concerned about that? The answer, in my opinion, is they just don’t care. From all I can find out without actually being there, most of the people just want to live normal lives. These are the ones who have suffered the most by the embargo and holding up to 150 billion of Iran’s money. They are the ones who took to the streets in 2009 protesting a rigged election and were crushed by doing so. The clerics have no concern for them. The destruction of Israel is of much greater concern. When we were in the Cold War with Russia Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) was the idea that saved us all. Both countries understood that they faced total destruction should either side nuke the other. That was rational and sane. The clerics are neither rational nor sane. That is the difference. In the interim while they still don’t have the bomb they will have the released funds to continue their support of Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations which continue on a daily basis to destabilize the Middle East. No doubt many Americans will fall victim to these groups. I call upon all members of Congress to find a way to keep this agreement from being enacted. There has to be a way. This is not just another little argument between parties. It is the survival of mankind. Jack B. Walters September4, 2015

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)

I discovered this organization three years ago. During an OLLI class someone said something critical about Israel. I spoke for Israel. After the session a class member came to me and asked if I knew about AIPAC. I said I didn’t. He asked if I was interested in learning, I agreed. Several weeks later I met two young men who enthusiastically told me about the committee. They assured me that funds contributed were not political donations for members of Congress or candidates. The money raised was used solely to educate members of Congress on the various issues of concern for Israel and the need that country has for continuing to have America as its most important friend. Included in this effort are trips to Israel so they can see firsthand the Garden of Eden that the Jewish people have created in Israel and the constant threats to their very existence from the many Muslim countries surrounding them. They try their best to be party neutral. Most members of Congress support Israel on a continuing basis. More than a little of this support is due to the ongoing effort of AIPAC. I am concerned that this hard won joint effort is being torn asunder as the Iran Deal has become a partisan issue with nearly all Democrats supporting the President and nearly all Republicans against. It will take great skill and diplomacy over the coming months to restore the neutral status, so dearly needed. While the Iran Deal is of utmost importance, it is not the whole package. As the years go by there will be other concerns requiring America’s backing. For the most part members of the United Nations vote against Israel on a continuing basis. Why they always side with the Palestinians is beyond me. Thousands of rockets fired into Israel are not important but when Israel fires back they are condemned. I have tried in the past to make the point of what America would do if faced with rockets being fired into our country. Regardless of which party held the White House I can assure you our response would be swift and of sufficient quantity to convince the enemy to reconsider, but when Israel responds they are accused of killing civilians when it is well known that Hamas locates the rockets in neighborhoods. In my opinion this is done to bring scorn down on Israel. Not only the United Nations but also here at home they are any number of groups urging their members to boycott Israel businesses. Some of these proclaim to be Christian. They always support Palestinians. Israel is always bad, etc. My purpose in writing this article is to ask that some of you might wish to learn more about AIPAC and perhaps contribute. Contributions are not tax deductible. For three years now I have given $2,000 each year. I would give more but there are other areas I try to support including grandchildren in their college funds and other organizations that are important to me. In Arizona the contact is Arizona@aipac.org. Other States would no doubt be similar. Thanks for considering. Jack B. Walters September 4, 2015

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus

By; Nabeel Qureshi This, purportedly, is an account of a religious Muslim young man and his transition over a considerable period of time, to Christianity. I say purportedly as I was not convinced. Over decades of time as he struggled, only near the end did he discover the truth about the Prophet Mohammed, that he married a girl at age three and had intercourse with her at age nine, that he encouraged his followers to have as many wives as they wanted including women captured even if their husbands were still alive, that he slaughtered those unwilling to convert to Islam, etc. Any interested person, such as I, could have discovered these facts much earlier than he did. I have read many books that have articulated these happenings. It took him three dreams, which were messages from God (Jesus) for him to accept Christianity over Islam. Perhaps you have also been privileged to have direct communication with God. I will state that it has not happened for me, at least not as far as I can recall. Reading this was a chore. What I had hoped for was more reasoned testimony for moving away from Islam whether converting to Christianity or not, just based on the fallacy of the tenets of Islam and its hateful outlook on life, their belittling of all females, girls and women both, their glad acceptance of the use of force to get conversions or the use of force against any who attempt to leave the faith. By force I mean death. Their often spoken goal is of converting all to Islam or die or live as a second class citizen and forcing all young boys and girls to study the Koran to the detriment of basic information which could provide skills as they enter the grownup world. Until that happy day when sanity comes to the Muslim community and they decide to live peacefully with all others regardless of religion, I will continue to speak out attempting to get my readers to agree that in their present status all civilization is in peril. Jack B. Walters August 27, 2015

Social Security Trust Fund Depleted

Once again Congress is considering siphoning off funds that should be saved for the old age benefit that was the original purpose when FDR had it enacted in 1935. This continued until 1956 when Ike was President. At that time part of the payroll tax was diverted to disability. That portion is within a year of drying up. In my opinion the original program has been scammed as millions have applied for disability and have been granted monthly checks similar in size to Social Security checks for the aged. To feed this never to be satisfied demand would be outrageous. This is just one more example of our government bending to pressure and not making common sense decisions. Jack B. Walters August 14, 2015

Reflections

Jack B. Walters August 5, 2015 This has been a quiet week for me with Roxanna in Indiana. Without a new book to read I picked up my First Angry Man book and reread, then I continued with Still Angry. It was interesting to me the transition I went through from the beginning of 2,003 and 2,010. I didn’t continue with A Wake up call to America as it was still fresh in my mind. When I started writing I was enthused with this new tool at my disposal and the opportunities it gave me to express myself. The disillusionment is evident as the years pass by with the realization that my effort was of no redeemable value. I am convinced that even friends and family who received copies did not take the time to read other than scan. I started by writing thoughts that had been in my mind for decades. Until the computer and Word they had remained just thoughts. I voted for Bush. As each day went by he made bad judgement calls, one after the other. The Middle East wars which continue to this day, tax cuts which took a surplus trend to deficit. Other programs I will not repeat taking us deeper and deeper into debt. As you read the first book you should sense the anguish page by page as it worsens year by year. The second book starts with the last two years of Bush’s reign. I enthusiastically voted for Obama. Every speech he made he talked about issues which I agreed with. It soon became apparent that those were only words. His programs were even worse than Bush with the added emphasis of his strident support of all things Muslim, including bringing thousands to this country and sending to communities large and small. He has purged the military of those who dare recognize that the conflicts we are facing are with the radical element of Islam. He filled important positions with, in my opinion, those more in tune with Islam than America. To continue to argue that Islam is a religion of peace is a mockery. All through history they have created havoc whenever they were strong enough to do so. World domination is their goal. They are very successful at this. Europe will surely become a Muslim republic within the next decade or so. I assume we will hold on a little longer but we too will be taken over before too many more years pass by. I still wait to hear a candidate tell the truth of this. That will be the one I vote for. If any of you have a candidate that has said bold things like this, please let me know. The debate tomorrow night will probably be the same old garbage, issues that inflame and cause us to let our passion take over. Then when the smoke clears, these issues will remain as they have always been, ready to do the job again two years from now. How tragic.

Meet John Doe

I have a collection of old movies that I taped decades ago. I seldom watch as Roxanna is more interested in new films in color. She is in Indiana enjoying her 50th reunion with class mates and family. I am a sucker for any movie with Gary Cooper. Last night I watched Pride of the Yankees. It is about the life of Lou Gehrig, the iron man of baseball. He played in 2130 games consecutively, even when sick or with broken bones. The Lou Gehrig disease finally forced him to quit. He died a young man. Tonight I watched Meet John Doe it is a tearjerker about a drifter who was talked into playing the role of a man who was going to take his own life out of disillusionment with the world. Pretty corny, but I can never watch to the end without bawling. Funny isn’t it. The idea of the movement was to bring people together in a common cause. It was financed by a rich man, D.B. Norton, who then attempted to use the club to endorse him as the President of the United States. You should know by now of my feeling about the Supreme Court which on a 5 to 4 decision has turned loose the big money machine with billions already committed to support candidates for President. The reason a man like Trump can garner support is because he is spending his own money. He will be beholden to no rich man. I am not saying I support him but he is creating havoc with the normal process where countless dollars are spent to convince the electorate to vote for or against some person. It matters not whether Democrat or Republican, the process is the same each time and regardless of who wins the fat cats come out on top and the average John Doe is clobbered once again. The formula is almost perfect. I still have a Ben Carson bumper sticker on my car. It has been there for six months now and will remain until he drops out or another person of his caliber rises to the top. I have read that 67% of contributions to him are from John Doe types. Check out the others to see the million dollar and higher contributions from those who have and are determined to keep it and add further regardless of the turmoil endured by the average citizen. What an ongoing tragedy the election process is. We keep looking for a savior and it never happens, or I should say hardly ever. The Congress was gone over July Fourth and now is on a month leave to be followed by Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Never enough time to solve problems. Wait until after the next election and then the following. In the meantime we are entertained by frivolous stories that fill the airways distracting from the real issues that need to be addressed. I think the reason I cried is the hopelessness of it all. Jack B. Walters August 3, 2015

Thanks Don and Bernie

We owe a debt of gratitude for these two men. They are stirring the pot and making it very uncomfortable for Hillary and the other fifteen candidates for President. Bernie is drawing large crowds of dissatisfied Democrats forcing Hillary to move left to keep her base while she wants to move right to garner more moderate voters. Don is having so much fun it is hilarious. He has all the money in the world. He doesn’t have to prostrate himself to the fat cats groveling for financial support with all the promises to repay by legislating rewards to them, which has become par for the course, vastly more heinous since the Supreme Court decreed Corporations were people and can contribute as much as they want to. Jon Stewart, Bill O’Reilly and all the rest are beside themselves as Trump could care less what they think. Every word Trump utters is repeated verbatim over and over trying to prove that Trump is an idiot. Trump is leading the pack. They think voters are crazy. They are not crazy; they are fed up with the state of our economy and the complete lack of fortitude of most elected officials. When Trump hits at Republicans they cringe. Some have lashed out, others have kept their peace but one and all they are trapped. Fine words from politicians that have been said over and over just will not be acceptable. They want to move gently left to show how nice they are, that they are not racist or against women. Now they will have to show they have a spine and respond. The voters are not giving them a pass this time. Hang on; it’s going to be a fun ride. Jack B. Walters July 23, 2015

Internal Revenue E-Filing Scam

Last September 60 Minutes reported on a scam costing billions each year. Sunday June 28, 2015 they gave an update. No significant progress reported. In fact the scam is growing rapidly. It is so simple anyone can do it. All that is needed is a SSN and date of birth. You fill out a bogus form with any numbers you chose then request a modest refund of $1,500 or so. On the average within 7 days the check is in the mail. It can be sent to a prepaid debit card. The IRS will send the money to it. It can be spent until all funds are used up and then discarded with no chance of locating the owner. This has been known since 2008. The senate Finance Committee has reviewed this three times; in 2009, 2011 and 2012 without correcting. The so-called experts predict it will grow and exceed $21 Billion by 2016. With the added exposure by 60 Minutes, no doubt many others will try their hand at something so simple. The reason given for the E- IRS tax form is to help those who don’t have a bank account which means they would have to pay to have checks cashed. In other words those highly paid individuals promoting this program are willing to have us robbed of Billions in order to continue for what must be a very few families. I can tell you as a former member of private management, that within days of realizing a new programs failure, it would be shut down. I am sending this to my elected officials requesting that they order the IRS to immediately stop E-filing and require all taxpayers to use paper forms and send in, as I have always done, together with all required W-2 and other forms required. At the very least the IRS should be allowed to not refund money until the proper forms are in their hands. How can we ever recover with known scams like this being allowed to continue? Jack B. Walters June 30, 2015

Follow-up article on the Trans-Pacific Partnership

Two days after composing my article on TPP I received the latest edition of the Atlantic Magazine. There was one article which intrigued me and had at least some bearing on my original attempt. By the way I only received responses from four people. What follows are the writings of Mr. Derek Thompson whose article was “Technology will soon erase millions of jobs. Could that be a good thing? The End of Work”. He uses Youngtown, Ohio as the basis for his theme. While he describes the devastation correctly, blaming it on technology is wrong. The loss was due to lower cost producers in China and elsewhere, not technology. “The end of work is still just a futuristic concept for most of the United States, but it is something like a moment in history for Youngstown, Ohio, one of its residents can site with precision: September 18, 1977.” “For much of the 20th Century, Youngtown’s steel mills delivered such great prosperity that the city was a model of the American dream, boasting a medium income and a home ownership rate that were among the nations highest. But as manufacturing shifted abroad after WWII, Youngstown steel suffered, and on that grey September afternoon in 1977, Youngstown Sheet and Tube announced shuttering of its Campbell Works mill. Within five years, the city lost 50,000 jobs and $1.3 billion in manufacturing wages. The effect was so severe that a term was coined to describe the fallout: regional depression.” “Youngstown was transformed not only by an economic disruption but also by a psychological and cultural breakdown. Depression, spousal abuse, and suicide all became much more prevalent; the caseload of the area’s mental-health center tripled within a decade. The city built four prisons in the mid-1990s_a rare growth industry. One of the few new downtown construction projects was a museum dedicated to the defunct steel industry.” “Youngtown’s story is America’s story, because it shows that when jobs go away, the cultural cohesion of a place is destroyed.” “The share of prime-age Americans (25to 54 years old) who are working has trended down since 2000. Among men, the decline began earlier; the share of prime-age men who are neither working nor looking for work has doubled since the 1970’s.” All in all, about one in six prime-age men today are either unemployed or out of the workplace altogether.” “Since 2000, the number of manufacturing jobs has fallen by almost 5 million or about 30%.” “Most people want to work, and are miserable when they cannot….There is a loss of status, a general malaise and demoralization…. “The transition from labor force to leisure force would likely be particularly hard on Americans, the worker bees of the rich world. Between 1950 and 2012, annual hours worked per worker fell significantly throughout Europe by about 40 % in Germany and the Netherlands but only about 10% in the United States.”….” Germany promotes job sharing. The government gives incentives to cut all workers hours rather than lay off some of them during hard times.” This proves to me that government can get involved to work with industry. Have you ever heard our government get involved in this way? The bulk of this article is the prediction that over time technology will make labor obsolete and how to prepare for those times by providing important things to do which are done for satisfaction not money. To learn more I suggest you go to your local library and read the entire article. It is timely and important. I want to finish this with my own comments about continuing to send our jobs overseas with the additional breakdown of our America culture. It is so obvious to me but to no one else it seems. Never-the-less I will try again. Wouldn’t you rather have Americans fully employed, supporting their families and paying taxes rather than spend countless billions on welfare in all its forms and prisons which appears to be our only growth industry. There are many ways to improve American productivity. Government could assist. Instead of the TTP why not lower business taxes in our country. Why not lower the stringent government edicts which cost great sums and have the effect of making it harder to compete. Why not absolve all industry from paying health care costs. Other countries do. I have read that health care is the highest component in the cost of manufacturing an automobile in America. Onerous law suits with outrageous penalties must be curbed. I don’t understand how any company can survive with this sword hanging over their heads. These are just some of the ways government could aid American industry. There are many more. Why can’t elected officials or the readers of this article understand that we cannot survive? I mentioned previously about our national debt of $18 Trillion. In today’s paper there was an article about China having a surplus of $21 Trillion. I ask you which country is doing the best and which country will overwhelm the other? Jack B. Walters June 27, 2015

Trans-Pacific Partnership

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) won approval by the Senate yesterday with a vote of 60 for to 37 against. The irony of this whole process is that most Republicans support President Obama and most Democrats are opposed. The prediction is that the House will follow suit and approve today. There will then be a following Bill to provide funding for retraining those American workers who will lose their jobs; not only manufacturing but also service. Ask yourself if the other countries are providing for the loss of jobs as we are. The answer is no, as they, one and all, will garner new employment for their people. I firmly believe that America is the only country to not strive to maintain a healthy workforce. On this point I agree with Donald Trump. We are the suckers; we are stomped on and are sucking the hind tit, as the old expression goes. It might not be nice but it does make the point in a forceful manner. I know that most who I decide to send this to will be in agreement with passage of TPP. These for the most part take the position that the rule of comparative advantage should rule in all cases pertaining to world trade and therefor it is only right and proper that our high paid workers should lose their jobs by sending to these Asian countries similar to the loss as a direct result of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Presidential contender Ross Perot was right when he referred to it as a giant sucking sound of jobs leaving America. I request that you use Google and listen to Mr. Perot during his debate with Clinton and Bush. Just enter Ross Perot 1992. He answers a question. Too bad he didn’t get the chance to save American jobs. I have also heard some of you denigrate unions as if they were evil. I doubt if any of you ever had to contend with them as I did. The concept of unions was to have some leverage to improve wages and working conditions. Back in the 1900’s President T. Roosevelt, as a Republican, realized the enormous power of the industry barons of the day and did what he could to improve their lives. My father in the 30’s was active in Lockport, N. Y. in getting the CIO to represent the employees of Harrison Radiator Company, a subsidiary of General Motors. At the time there was a company approved union which was supposed to give employees a voice but was not effective. It wasn’t until 1938 that the 40 hour week was secured. Google AFL-CIO and you will find information about the union. I do believe that they were useful and that the workers of America saw improvement all thru the decades until mid-1970. I was the manager of a tire factory during this period. Foreign competition was surging. Boatloads of tires were being unloaded at the docks with products from Japan (Bridgestone), and Europe (Pirelli and Michelin). These were quality products produced in new factories rebuilt after WWII with modern equipment and reliable workers. This was the time American union employees lost their focus. They refused to accept that we were entering a new world and that we had to lower our cost and improve quality if we were to continue to exist. The labor strife was painful. It was during these years that the great progress we had made was diminished. Many factories were closed or downsized. This continued in the following decades with continuing loss of factory jobs. By 2000 service jobs started to be outsourced at an accelerating rate, so it wasn’t just manufacturing. Not being active in the workforce today I have no personal knowledge that the attitude and understanding by labor union officials has changed to reflect the reality of competition as it exists today. I can only hope that they are willing to assist management as American Industry struggles to compete. I know I have read that European Unions have adjusted. There are even Union officers on the Boards of many companies. This is the reason they have been able to continue paying good wages and still compete. Now I want to ask you to reflect upon the demand today to increase the minimum wage to $15/ hr. for hamburger flippers. These wage increases are being granted by different States and is surging across America. They are for jobs that can only be done in America as the franchises are located in America. Having worked in factories most of my working years I believe that those jobs deserve higher wages than hamburger flippers in order for those workers to become part of the middle class as they were 40 years ago. This is nearly impossible today as there is always some country willing to have their people work for low wages with unsafe conditions, without regard for the environment, labor unions and health care cost. These are among the many reasons why it is nearly impossible for America to compete. Of course, we do have the exception of the military industrial system. These industries are protected from foreign competition. They are located in every State and those involved will fight to the death to continue their favored status. How can I get you to understand? All it seems people care about is getting the lowest price without regard for the loss of decent paying jobs for Americans. I refer to them as the Wal-Mart generation. I continue my lone avoidance of Wal-Mart but I will admit my resistance is starting to weaken. I have read recently that they are refusing to purchase pork from producers who put sows in steel crates without the ability to lie down and rest. This is a barbaric practice in my opinion. Wal-Mart with its enormous purchasing power can demand anything. The main reason I have boycotted them is the sure knowledge that they have pressured American manufacturers to send their factories overseas in order for Wal-Mart to purchase their products at a lower cost. Now I want to switch gears and come at this from another angle. 40 years ago America was working. There were no drug problems, there weren’t millions living off of government handouts like food stamps, workers comp, rent subsidies, free cell phones, free or low cost medical care, etc. These were not needed as Americans had jobs, paid taxes and supported their families by the dint of their personal effort. We, as a people are often conned into thinking of things as they are, not what they were. I am totally convinced that most students today are not learning American history. If they were I believe they might be more vocal in demanding a return to those days of not so long ago. The Democratic Party defended the working force then. The Democratic Party of today buys votes by giveaway programs which leaves millions of able bodied Americans living off the dole and not contributing to the benefit of society. I am equally convinced that the race problems which are getting worse every day are at least partially the result of young black men who cannot get a decent paying job. As to them abandoning women to raise children without their support, this I blame on government programs which have the direct result of removing fathers from homes. For those of you who are enjoying high stock prices, I believe I can assure you stocks will continue to rise as the Corporations will increase their profits. Right here, I guess, I have lost you, as who wouldn’t want their portfolio to grow. I can only request that patriotism and love of country would be more important than a soaring stock market. The long and the short of it is that our country is dying. We are $18 Trillion in debt and it is growing astronomically. Do you really believe that this is not critical to our survival? Congress keeps approving more costly programs without regard to the increase in debt. Our foreign adventures continue to suck us dry without ever providing the satisfaction that the Trillions spent or the lives lost are worth the cost. I have composed this in utter frustration knowing full well I don’t have a chance in hell of convincing anyone or making a positive contribution. Jack B. Walters June 24, 2015

Defending Beef- a book report

The Case for Sustainable Meat Production The Manifesto of an Environmental Lawyer and Vegetarian Turned Cattle Rancher By; Nicolette Hahn Niman I have a friend whose daughter and son-in-law own a ranch in New Mexico. They presently have a herd of cattle of 19 head. Working together they are trying their best to raise cattle the right way which means range fed. He asked me to read this book and then write a report. He knows that writing reports on important books is something I enjoy doing. I have just finished reading, so here goes. As usual I will add my own comments. In my opinion, the author did a credible job of pointing out the advantage and the necessity of including beef in the food available to humans. Much of the world’s surface is unacceptable to crop planting. That is where cattle are the most productive. Their interaction with the earth is beneficial to it. They chew the grass, step on the soil and leave their droppings and urine as they move along. This encourages grass to growwhen exposed to sunlight. The depressions allow rain water to puddle and the nutrients to be added. She was, and still is, a vegetarian. She married a man who was and still is a rancher. She helps him on the ranch by doing any chore necessary. She firmly believes that living on a ranch among animals is rewarding and beneficial to understanding and appreciating the relationship. She doesn’t explain why she personally doesn’t eat meat. I believe that adds persuasion to the words she writes. She strongly condemns modern animal husbandry, particularly as practiced in the U.S.A. This process which is largely dependent on drugs is unnatural and has little or no concern for the wellbeing of animals. They no longer are considered animals but merely products to sell. For most of their lives they are confined to feed lots as they are being fattened as rapidly as science will allow. I spent 23 years of my life living in Iowa. The stench as you neared a confinement was atrocious. I often wondered how people could live and work in those conditions, never mind how it was to be a cow or pig herded together like that. The other phenomena I experienced was the step by step process of farmers being driven from their farms as the mega farms took over. I felt then and I still do today, that it was wrong. Raising families on farms is the healthy and wisest way to rear children. They learn work habits from an early age and assume their responsibilities as normal. Interacting with live stock of any kind brings them to appreciate what life is all about. There is another book I read which I recommend to you. It is called “Soil not Oil” by Vandana Shiva. I wrote a book report on it February 14, 2010. It was an article published in my third book entitled “Still Angry”. In it she points out the tremendous expense of energy in the production of food when the same result could be attained by families living on farms as millions did just 40 years ago. The largest farms receive the greatest government subsidies. They and Agri-business and drug companies all benefit the most while rendering the greatest harm to the environment through polluting land and water. I can assure you that in the current debate in Congress about granting the President authority to make trade agreements, that counties like Japan, who have traditionally defended the small farmer, are being pressured once again to let our mass produced and hugely subsidized agriculture overwhelm them and close them down. It is my sincere hope Japan will not cave. I might add that we continue to pressure Europe in the same fashion while they have continued to support small farms as being beneficial to maintaining their landscape and livelihoods of those families. After NAFTA was approved the process of lowering tariff protection was begun, in short order reducing to zero in Mexico. Millions of farmers were forced to enter the U.S. when they could no longer sustain their families with their produce and meat from their small farms. There is much in this book of a technical flavor far beyond my limited knowledge. It adds to the truth of Mrs. Niman’s words that she writes from knowledge and experience. The conclusions drawn make complete sense to me. If our elected leaders would only reflect on the harm their programs are inflicting on our country and the world they might find the wisdom to reverse the process towards small family farms. Not only are the chemicals harmful to the land she believes that they are harmful to people as well. She is convinced that obesity is caused more from huge intakes of sugar and carbohydrates than from eating meat. In conclusion beef and other livestock raised in a humane fashion are not only essential for the survival of humans but also add to human joy and good health. Grains alone cannot sustain human life. Grain together with domesticated livestock can and will. I highly recommend reading. Jack B. Walters May 31, 2015

Nixon's Secrets-a book report

The Rise, fall, and untold truth about the President, Watergate, and the Pardon By, Roger Stone I found this book at my local Library. I’m almost sorry I did. It is a 600 page book containing numerous references to people, some of whom I remembered but others not. With so many names it becomes confusing. Out of pure stubbornness I plowed my way thru, finally finishing it this morning. Although very well written, by a man who had a close relationship with Nixon: I cannot recommend reading. Most of it concerns the many years before becoming President. While interesting and informative, I would have preferred more input while Nixon was President. Contrary to most I believe he was a strong President. There were many achievements. He reduced the tension between us and Russia. He opened up China where before him, that was not to be done. He saved Israel during their 1973 Yon Kippur War by immediately sending everything Israel needed to continue fighting Egypt and Syria. In retaliation the Gulf States drastically increased the cost of oil which caused chaos in the U.S. and Europe. With the economy devastated he installed wage and price controls, released the dollar from gold, He pioneered the affirmative action program leading to an increase in Federal purchases from black firms. He believed that blacks had been treated unfairly in America and he worked energetically to rectify that mistake. He created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), halted dumping in the Great Lakes, passed the Clean Air Act, and opposed an amendment to protect school prayer. Other programs were accomplished; the Noise Control Act (1972), the Marine Mammal Protection Act (1972), the Endangered Species Act (1973) and the Safe Drinking Water Act (1974). Aren’t you amazed that a so-called Conservative President could accomplish these goals? He tried other social initiatives which were not approved but he did try. Good for him. As to Watergate, that is such a jumbled mess that it is hard even after reading to understand. I think I accept that there were groups in the government out to get him and they did. There was absolutely no reason to burglarize the Democratic Party headquarters. Nixon was well ahead in the polls and easily won his second term. Nonetheless it was Watergate that brought him down. Just for the heck of it, I am going to include the author’s comments about Hillary’s involvement in Watergate. In 1974 she was a 27 year old staff lawyer for the House of Representatives Judicial Impeachment Inquiry Committee. It was a partisan project. She helped to manipulate the political process and strip Nixon of his constitutional rights to a fair hearing. She was fired after it was uncovered that she was working to impede the investigation and undermine Nixon’s defense. Her boss said “Hillary’s lies and unethical behavior goes back farther-and much deeper-than anyone realizes”. I decided to add this little tidbit for those of you who think she is worthy of being our President. Jack B. Walters May 18, 2015

A Fighting Chance by Elizabeth Warren

I guess I am a person who is easily swayed. My good friend Darlene told me about this book and how much she admired Senator Warren. For whatever reason, I had only a slight knowledge about her. I knew she had defeated Scott Brown to become a Senator for the State of Massachusetts. It was an uphill battle all the way. Scott Brown is a handsome, likable guy who was elected to finish the term of Ted Kennedy who died while in office. At the time it was the most expensive Senate race in the entire nation that year. She actually outraised Brown with $42 million to Brown’s $35 million. She claims that more than 80% of her contributions were for $50 or less. One very interesting piece of information was that Brown agreed shortly after campaigning began, that to reduce the outside funding groups that they would contribute ½ of the outside groups’ costs to charity. Surprisingly both sides kept their promise and hereby reduced the power of those groups. This book is a biography of her life. She grew up in Oklahoma in a working class family with a stay at home mother until it became necessary for her to also take an outside job. She was ambitious from the start encouraged by her father but not her mother. Those were still the days when women were expected to become wives and mothers while the men earned the paycheck and were active in politics, not unlike my own experience. My world was a man’s world whether serving in the Air Force, being an Engineering College student or working in a tire factory. It was during my final eight years in the workforce when I held a position with the State of Iowa that I began to work alongside and with women who were either in equal positions to my own or were managers and professionals in my Department. It was during those years that I began to become a women’s rights defender. She attained a college degree and later graduated from law school. She really enjoyed being a teacher. She has children, grandchildren, dogs and family just like most families. She was teaching bankruptcy law at Harvard when she was asked by Congressman Mike Synar to come to Washington to review bankruptcy laws and make recommendations. She did accept and worked on the Commission for two years. The effort was to help those in need. At the same time they published their recommendations a big bank coalition had persuaded members of Congress to introduce a bill to toughen the rules. In 1998 she met with Senator Ted Kennedy and was able to get him to commit to leading the fight. It became a draw when the bank bill stalled and could not get passed. In 2003 she and her daughter published a book entitled “The Two-Income Trap” which got a lot of attention The financial crisis hit hard in 2008. On 11/13/2008 she received a phone call from Senator Harry Read asking her to come to Washington to be part of a five person Congressional Oversight Panel (COP). The purpose was to oversee the disbursement of the $700 billion fund to bail out the financial system (TARP). In 2009 she began to create interest in a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as a separate entity. It became part of the Dodd-Frank Act to attempt to prevent another financial meltdown as had occurred in 2008. It was finally enacted into law on July 21, 2010. She was invited to the signing ceremony. President Obama asked her to help in setting up the agency but could not put forth her name to head as she was considered toxic and could never be confirmed. She was able to do it and it grew to something worthwhile to protect consumers. After finishing reading this book I went to Google to find out more about her. There are many videos to choose from. The more I watched and listened, the more I grew to appreciate how special this lady is and how determined to help everyday Americans striving to achieve the American dream against a stacked deck. Just this week she was a leader in defeating President Obama’s request for authority to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. She was publicly chastised by the President. He said she was wrong. The Democrats in the Senate wanted protection for American workers. All Republicans including McCain and Fleck voted for it, continuing their lack of concern for American workers. This agreement as presently written will, in my opinion, cost more American factory jobs creating more desperate cities’ like Detroit and Baltimore. NAFTA cost many American jobs. Those of you who shop regularly at Walmart will undoubtedly disagree with my statement. I hope she reconsiders and takes on Hillary in the race to the White House. She is an FDR type Democrat. Perhaps she could restore that party to the greatness it had in the days of FDR. Jack B. Walters Mat 13, 2015

The New Reloigious Freedom Laws

Ever since a bakery refused to supply a cake for a gay wedding there has been a flurry of efforts to grant religious freedom for faith based companies. An uproar has been the result. In my opinion these efforts are being pushed by Christian adherents who feel threatened. They are making a huge mistake which we all will regret when those of a different faith demand respect for their religious beliefs. I have in mind the growing population who are Muslims. They could demand the right to have four wives, beat their wives and kill female members who have violated the Koran as we have learned so very well this past decade. Will their right to their beliefs be allowed to stand in opposition to our moral code that we try to live by as American citizens. Politicians and citizens wake up before it is too late. Jack B. Walters

American Sniper

American Sniper Produced and Directed by Clint Eastwood This film is an outstanding achievement by Mr. Eastwood. I was stunned by the realism portrayed knowing beforehand that it was a true story about an American hero who put his life on the line over four tours of duty on behalf of his country, his family and his comrades. It seemed as if I was watching it in real time. In spite of the tragic scenes there were lighter moments that caused me to chuckle. You felt the anguish as Kyle had to decide whether to shoot and take a life to save our own soldiers. As the tours continued the strain was easy to feel. A best actor award certainly is Bradley Cooper’s to take. Those who have condemned this film should be ashamed. All Americans should see this to understand what our soldiers have been living with for over 13 years while the rest of us enjoy our day to day activities without giving it a thought. If you haven’t seen it yet I urge you to do so with the hope it will be as meaningful to you as it was to me. Jack B. Walters January 27, 2015

My response to the State of the Union Address

I listened carefully to President Obama’s speech last night waiting to hear what he would say about Islamic terrorism. His comment was very short. "We will continue to hunt down terrorists and dismantle their networks, and we reserve the right to act unilaterally, as we have done relentlessly since I took office to take out terrorists who pose a threat to us and our allies." "It's why we continue to reject offensive stereotypes of Muslims---the vast majority of whom share our commitment to peace." My immediate reaction was that he will not ever link terrorism to the Muslim community. Not recognizing the connection leaves our military and law enforcement in a quandary as to what they should be doing. I firmly believe now that the reason neither he nor anyone else in a high administration position attended the rally in Paris. It was not an oversight or a lack of staff support. The European leaders had finally, after decades of denial clearly stated that the attack was by Islamic terrorists. Obama would not support that and so he stayed home. Eric Holder was in Paris. All that was needed was a phone call to have him show up. If he got a call it was to not show up. I do not condemn all those who profess their allegiance to Mohammed but at the same time I believe that they for the most part are taking passive positions against terrorism with only a few exceptions. Those who dare to speak out are endangering their own lives. There is very little wiggle room. I believe we have been made suckers with our multi trillion dollar expenditures in the Middle East and that our evolvement has merely strengthened and encouraged more to join the crusade. Right now we are bombing Sunnis while at the same time Shias are taking over Yemen. If it was up to me I would withdraw completely and let them sort it out. I would suspend all financial support. Jack B. Walters January 21, 2015

Predictable Tragedy in Paris, France

Listening to CNN this morning I heard that in order to not place any of the far flung journalists in danger they are going to limit their commentary about the killings in France by Muslim terrorists. With due consideration, I disagree. This response is the same as Sony when they cancelled the opening of a film after threats by N. Korea that patrons going to a theatre showing the movie would do so at risk of losing their lives. Extortion like this is as old as the hills. The sure fire way to destroy an economy is by threats. In today’s world with government leadership afraid to speak out the terrorists will continue to win. The first time I was alerted to death threats for anyone who dared to insult Mohammad was years ago when Salman Rushdie published his book “The Satanic Verses”. He has been hiding ever since. Then Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Theo van Gogh collaborated to produce a ten minute film depicting four punishments that women could receive for various offences. In 2004 Gogh was murdered while walking down a street. His throat was slit. The knife thrust into his chest had a warning to Ali that she was next. She has been in hiding or been protected ever since. In 2005 another Danish cartoonist, Kurt Westergaard published a Mohammad cartoon. He was attacked in his home by an assailant with a knife. He was rescued and the assailant was sentenced to 10 years in prison after which he would be expelled from Denmark. There were over 200 deaths of non-Muslims in Muslim dominated countries as they expressed their outrage. This current attack which killed Editor Charlie Hebdo and 11 others is a deadly reminder that Islam is bringing the war to Western nations including the United States. More will follow as they must destroy our cultures in order for Islam to reign supreme throughout all nations on Earth. We have little or no defense since leadership refuses to acknowledge that there is uniformity to these actions. They strive to convince us that it is only small groups of radicals. Our President will not allow any disparaging remarks about Islam by those in the military. The gunmen in France while carrying their attack shouted “Allahu akbar”. May I remind you that Major Nidal Malik Hasan shouted the same words while killing 13 and wounding 30 in Ft Hood, Texas. Under Obama’s edict it was considered work place violence instead of what it really was a Muslim terrorist attack on Americans. It is up to us to speak out and demand clear, concise policies to recognize the threat and to take unified action to stop it from spreading. Denying it just will not be successful. Jack B. Walters January 8, 2015