Success story without affirmative action

LA Times article starting off Black History Month is a whopper of a true story showing that freedom, opportunity, and hard work are much better than a hand out or government support.

Biddy Mason was born a slave in 1818 somewhere in the South, her owner moved a few times before settling in FREE Southern California. In 1855 she was freed to begin her life in Los Angeles where by 1891 when she died as one of the richest women in Southern California.

Read the article from the link above and rejoice in knowing that Bill Cosby is preaching the right message.

Open letter to Governor Schwarzenegger

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:

While you are entitled to your belief on this matter and were well within your right to express you opinion during the campaign, as Governor of California you owe the people your support (or at least silence) once the people have expressed their will through a fair election. I was very disappointed to read in the LA Times about your CNN interview where you expressed your "hope that the California Supreme Court would overturn Proposition 8."

Now as the week has progressed I continue to wonder where is your response is to the vigilantism carried out on supporters of Proposition 8 who are only guilty of legally supporting a proposition placed on the ballot as approved by the State's Attorney General and Secretary of State.

Today, again in the LA Times you are quoted as saying about Proposition 8 "that it's unconstitutional," which makes absolutely no sense given Article 18, Sections 3 and 4, of the California Constitution. It is apparent that the people are given the right to "amend the Constitution by initiative" and "if approved by a majority of votes thereon takes effect the day after the election." While I was surprised to learn how easy it is to amend the Constitution, there is no basis for the State Supreme Court to do anything but uphold the Amendment as written.

Are voters stupid?

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, believes the California voters are not able to understand the written election information produced by the Secretary of State and approved by the Attorney General, and make an informed decision. It is disappointing to hear the level on contempt the Speaker has for the voters of California.

Unfortunately, I think people (voters) thought they were making a statement about what their view of same-sex marriage was ("Eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry." see below). I don't know if it was clear that this meant that we are amending the Constitution ("Changes the California Constitution..." see below) to diminish freedom ("...eliminate the right..." see below) in our state.
- Nancy Pelosi, November 7, 2008

Proposition 8 is only 14 words:

Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.

Attorney General's official title and summary:

Eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry. Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.

• Changes the California Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California.
• Provides that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.

Given the relative simplicity of Proposition 8, obviously the Speaker must question the results of the other 11 proposition voted on during the November 4, 2008, election.

The Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) Readability Index puts the information sent to the voters on par with Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine (Grade 11 to 12), which is judged to be significantly simpler than the IRS code (and text of the other propositions).

California voters can change Constitution

There has been some discussion about the ability of the people to change the California Constitution. Well by checking the document it is clearly, YES!

CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE 18  AMENDING AND REVISING THE CONSTITUTION

SEC. 3.  The electors may amend the Constitution by initiative.

Hopefully, if Proposition 8 passes, no one challenges the voters decision and if they do, the California Supreme Court follows the writing of the Constitution.

Presidential Qualification and Best Choice

Many have ask weather the current Presidential and Vice President candidates are qualified for the position? The simple answer is "yes."

Article II of the US Constitution provides for the qualifications for President...

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

Constitutional Amendment XX, Section 3, covers the rules for the Presidency when either the President or Vice President are not qualified...

...if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.

Given all of the candidates are qualified for the position of President of the United States, are they the "best" people for the position? This is too vague to be a realistic question. "Best" is based upon personal view and "best" takes every possible context of the candidate and the position they are running for.

In the long run, yes, these are the "best" candidates for the positions because these are the people their parties have nominated for the election. The winner of the 2008 electoral college will be the "best" because the country selected that team to become our top executive.

In a few short weeks we'll know our "best" choice of President and Vice President for the next term in office.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

The recent nomination of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and her story reminded me of Frank Capra's classic movie with one of the great American hero, Brigadier General, James (Jimmy) Stewart.

Whoopi Goldberg, Matt Damon, MSNBC, Keith Olberman, and others act similar to the "Taylor Machine" trying to crush and lick the VP nominee. Palin should feel comforted by the words from The Gettysberg Address that inspired Smith to put up his fight

"...that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." - Abraham Lincoln

Hopefully, like "Smith" the VP nominee will continue to speak to the people, not get discuraged by lies (even if it becomes a "hopeless cause"), and outlast the "corruption" trying to control the media.

The Second American Revolution...

While a revolution is not needed since we are lucky enough to live in a country provides the people the power of representation to change the government. Here is an interesting YouTube video clip about their "Second American Revolution." There is some good support for a unifying common language.