Bill Bennett, Media & Kennedy Attempt to Destroy His Name

MoreThanCorn often listens to Bill Bennett’s “Morning in America”. While this show was not heard in person, I do no how very careful Mr Bennett is when discussing any issue which could flare up. He chooses his words carefully and simply speaks for academic thought.

Read the article;

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,170840,00.html

There are quotes from the show. Decide for yourself. It appears to MorethanCorn, this was an honest dialogue with a caller, taken out of context and now is being used by Nanci Pelosi and others to make their civil rights stand, try to be seen as a racial hero, show America their caring and Bill Bennett’s uncaring.

This kind of attacking to make a political statement or to destroy the name of a great American is what is reprehensible. All this attacking will do, is lessen the opportunities for publicly debating tough issues. More people will not want to bring up issues for discourse for they are afraid of how their monologue will be taken. A shame.

Listen to his show yourself. He is on early. Mr Bennett has the MoreThanCorn support.

Gay Support Should Come From Voters

Governor Swarzenegger vetoed today “California’s Gender-Neutral Same-Sex Marriage Bill (AB 849)”. http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/glrts/caab849.html

MoreThanCorn does support many gay causes. What is not acceptable is the use of the courts to move the agenda forward. The California Legislature introduced the bill with the following:

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act."

As MoreThanCorn has written regarding “changing minds”; As the older generations who are less inclusive, are replaced by younger generations, the anti-homosexual crowd will dwindle in numbers. Inclusion is a Christ like quality. As a man of faith it appears to MoreThanCorn there should not necessarily be acceptance of the life style, however acceptance of the person. One can disagree with a life style and still accept the individual.

Marriage is not a “State Institution” it is a religious institution supported by the state. MoreThanCorn, while not versed well in law, has the previous opinion. The Act proposed by
California made a couple points worth arguing against;

(c) In 1948, the California Supreme Court became the first state court in the country to strike down a law prohibiting interracial marriage. It was the only state supreme court to do so before the United States Supreme Court invalidated all those laws in 1967. The California Supreme Court held that "marriage is . . . something more than a civil contract subject to regulation by the state; it is a fundamental right of free men...Legislation infringing such rights must be based upon more than prejudice and must be free from oppressive discrimination to comply with the constitutional requirements of due process and equal protection of the laws" (Perez v. Sharp (1948) 32 Cal.2d 711, 714-15).

It appears to be inappropriate to compare a race based issue with a gay marriage subject. I would be offended if I were a man of color.

It was also troublesome to read the California Legislature decided it necessary to add to the bill, the decisions Canada has made with regard to gay marriage.

(e)…The highest courts in seven Canadian provinces have similarly ruled that marriage laws that discriminate in favor of different-sex couples to the exclusion of same-sex couples violate the rights of same-sex couples and cannot stand.

Does the California Legislature always look to other countries to justify there own opinions? The United States should have stopped making decisions based on laws from other countries after the late 1700’s. Many of our own laws have grown out of British Common law and there were adoptions of others for sure, however to continue this trend in 2005 would be a step rearward.

Now it appears from the article on Fox News (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,170835,00.html) the decision will be made by either the voters in California or the California Supreme Court. I hope it is the voters who decide what to do with the future of marriage. Many like to throw around “equal opportunity” and “civil rights.” These phrases help describe what is fair. How fair would it be for the California voters to not have a decision in the definition of marriage? We shall see the side The Civil Liberties Union will take on this case. History shows support for judicial decisions.

Media Overstatement of Katrina Disaster

Matt Drudge links an article from the LA Times today;
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-rumors27sep27,0,5492806,full.story?coll=la-home-headlines

I have been hearing more and more reports about the media and the mistatements of food supplies to body counts. The level of helplessness the media portrayed regarding those at the convention center and neighborhoods surround downtown New Orleans, may have contributed to the panic of millions of Houstonians for Rita.

These inaccuracies in reporting and what appears to be purposefully misleading statements appear to be motivated by a reporter wanting to get the biggest story and monumental footage.

Consider a situation;
Reporter Charlie works for a national affiliate for a national media company. He is sent out to cover the already hyped Katrina hurricane as it approaches the gulf coast. He is just south of the eye of the hurricane and getting pummelled by wind and rain. He issues a couple live reports showing the heavy winds and rain. Picture his wet face being buffetted by the winds and Charlie trying theatrically to both stay upright and hold his hood on his head.

Once the rain subsides he sees the aftermath of the hurricane in his area of the coast. It really is not very damaged. Branches and leaves from trees strewn everywhere. Some broken windows of a house and others have shingles missing (probably leaking water in the atticks). The is a low lying street just off the beach which is flooded up to the middle of car Ford Escort parked, left abandoned on the side of the empty street.

Yes, there is damage, however there is really only pretty standard information to report. Nothing absolutely rivetting or disastrous. Charlie probably feels pressure to get the breaking story and forward it to home base for broadcast. Charlie is faced with two choices. The first is to report everything how it is; some damage to homes, cars, trees, beach front... roads flooded, power out, and the city is empty. With this realistic picture of his assigned area, the storm did not cause a lot of relative damage compared to the hype prior to the storm hitting land. His reporting would be something like "This area faired pretty well. Damage is mainly what would be expected for a hurricane."

Or, the second is he could stand in the street which is flooded, with water up over his knees, show very close up footage of a large branch leaning against a house with part of the roof damaged, a front window blown out and someones dog roaming the streets wet and chilled. His reporting could be something like "Houses damaged, power out for unknown city blocks, trees felled, city streets are flooded and unnavigable." The two descriptions of the same scene are much different. Which of the reports would have been more likely to be aired by his employing affiliate or news company?

When you add pictures of corpses floating in water, a few leuters, and un-verified stories of rapes and robbings, killings and etc... occurring in the New Orleans Superdome, the picture can get very bleak, in hurry to the viewer. This hype could have easily spilled into Rita preparations by those in Texas.

The Poor & Single Mother

William Raspberry writes a brief article on some observations regarding the subject of poor, single moms.

"Poor Women's 'Magical Outlook'"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/26/AR2005092600294.html

Hamas and the Self Inflicted Casualty

Hamas is being faced with ramifications of "flaunting" homemade rockets at a rally in Gaza. The mishandling of the rockets has killed and wounded their own. The militant group who survives on the continued recruitment of impressionable Palestinian youth, has killed their own future members.

The most descriptive portion of the article is below. It shows the reader how counter productive the Hamas movement appears to be. Hamas really does not want peace. They only want to push Israel out of the Middle East and kill Jewish people.

Nearly 100 Casualties at Gaza Hamas Rally
Friday, September 23, 2005
Associated Press
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,170237,00.html

The rally was held in the Jebaliya refugee camp, one of the last military-style parades before a ban on flaunting weapons in public — agreed to by all militant groups — takes effect Saturday evening.

Witnesses said participants, including children, crowded around the pickup truck just before the explosion. The witnesses said the truck carried two homemade rockets.

One man, who only gave his first name, Hussam, said he helped pull three men out of the pickup, two of them dead and one still alive. The side of the pickup was charred.

The witness said he saw five dead children nearby. Dozens more were wounded. The Hamas military wing, Izzedine al Qassam, is popular with youngsters and when the pickup with the gunmen arrived at the rally, many crowded around the vehicle.

Also read the op-ed piece by Charles Krauthammer of the Washington Post regarding a similar topic; http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/25/AR2005082501617.html

UN Corruption; More Found, Roots Growing Deeper

The following article posted by Fox News tells of the latest 2 corruption investigations of the UN at the home office in New York and branch offices/activities around the world.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,168591,00.html

The UN has not been forced to account for the billions it receives from nations nor the money it spends. It has no overseeing body. The "world body" is looked upon by many nation's governments as the be all end all.

MoreThanCorn has a changing opinion. Once a supporter of Kofi Annan (through giving the benefit of the doubt), the number of cases showing corruption at the UN is becoming too great to give Annan the same benefit. Skepticism is growing and MoreThanCorn feels Annan's days are numbered. Also many top brass will be exiting the organization voluntarily or forceably.

The US appointed and confirmed John Bolton at the right time. He will be digging his feet in and learning. Bolton will be watching Paul Volker.

Large Classes or Small Classes?

Below is the link to an article written by Richard Vedder, Professor of Economics, Ohio University;
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,168107,00.html

The article asks the question if primary education was more like secondary education (if elementary and high schools were more like universities) would the education system improve?

He compares the numbers of students in high school classes (typically less then 30) with class sizes of Freshman in college (200+). He also makes other comparisons and then gives his opininos. He is supportive yet cautious of changes to the primary education to be more like a university or college.


When comparing class sizes and the benefit to student's learning. It is apparent those who made it to the university level of education were typically the students who a) worked harder b) were "made" for additional learning. It is reasonable to say some high school graduates are not cut out for a university education. This is where the Community Colleges and Vocational schools are playing a large role. The success rate of 200 valedictorians assembled in one classroom learning a great deal at a large lecture hall of 200 students is better then your average class of 30 students in high school where the schools valedictorian is present along with an average spread of 29 other students.