I pledge allegiance... what do you mean I can't???

COSTA MESA, Calif. — Student leaders at a community college voted to drop the Pledge of Allegiance after a tense meeting in which one flag-waving pledge supporter berated them as anti-American radicals.

What?

Orange Coast College's student trustees voted Wednesday not to recognize the pledge, with three of the five board members saying it should be dropped from their meetings.

Excuse me?

Board member Jason Ball argued that the pledge inspires nationalism, violates the separation between church and state with the phrase"under God,"and is irrelevant to the business of student government. He cited a 2002 San Francisco federal appeals court ruling _ later dismissed by the Supreme Court on a technicality _ that the pledge is unconstitutional when recited in public schools.

Stop, stop, stop.... enough of this crap.

I'm done with this whole campaign of making sure that we can not be proud to be American anymore.

I have had people approach me and tell me that either the pin on my coat is offensive (An American Flag) or the tattoo on my ankle is offensive (again, an American Flag). I will bet you dollars to donuts that if I had a flag of Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, North Korea, or anything from Al Qaeda, I would be the popular talk of the town!

This Costa Mesa school states that the pledge makes those from other cultures uncomfortable. Why??? If they don't want to pledge allegiance to the flag that represents the country that's offering them a damn good education, they should sit their asses down while those who appreciate this country get's on with their appreciation.

I just timed it... The Pledge of Allegiance takes 15 seconds to recite. My question now is "Do these un-American, leeching, uninformed, cocky, kids have ADHD so bad that they can't sit still for 15 seconds? Or do they really feel so threatened by even the act of showing appreciation to a country that is THIS great, they must put a stop to it?"

How does this sound... How about we pass around a petition for anyone to sign who wants any mention of America and God removed from the public eye, and also offer this petition to anyone who wants to put our country in harms way by removing the troops in the middle east before the job is done, anyone who owns any Michael Moore film, anyone who voted for Nancy Pelosi, anyone who voted for Hilary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, or John Murtha... then take that petition, give it to Al Qaeda and say, "You wanna kill Americans? Start here."

Darfur, apparently the 51st state

Women have been raped. Men, fathers, brothers, sons, have been killed and the US Government hasn't done anything!! Oh my GOD!!! President Bush must be shot!

After all, isn't Darfur our responsibility? Sure it is! Remember when Darfur became a state back in.. hold on a second... *looks at annoying person tapping me on the shoulder... "What??? Can't you see I'm DOING SOMETHING???? Huh? Darfur ISN'T a state? Hmmmm."*

Okay. Someone explain to me why Darfur is our problem. Why the tear-jerking commercials? Yes, I do feel bad that this is happening, but shouldn't the UNITED NATIONS step up to plate here?

I'm sorry, but when did the US become everyone's bitch? We're so terrible and stupid, we're so backwards, we can't get support from other countries against our enemies in the war on terror, but who do the countries go to when the shit goes down?? Us.

Explain this to me. Get John Kerry to explain it to me. He'll talk to me like I'm stuck in Iraq, then maybe I'll get it.

Stupid is as stupid does.

" You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, uh, you, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq."

Oooh... nice job, John Kerry. What now?

For those of us who apparently fell through the cracks and aren't very smart and managed to stay out of Iraq, let me explain what Kerry said.

During a campaign speech for Phil Angelides, running for Governor against Arnold Swartzenegger in California, John Kerry said that all our brave, honorable, fighting men and women, people just like you and me, but know how important it is that we fight and win this war on terror, people who are willing to die for our freedom, those people who should have our prayers every night and our thanks every day... those men and women are STUPID.

And when he was asked for an apology to our brave men and women, he said no. He said he wouldn't be bullied by "stuffed suit, Whitehouse mouthpiece". (Tony Snow, for those of you who didn't get that.)

This is a man who wanted to be the president of the United States of America.

What amazes me the most is, those supposedly stupid men and women in Iraq are fighting and dying for his freedom, too.

I know this sounds really Un-Christian of me, but I wouldn't cry if John Kerry was torn limb from limb by an Islamo-Facist.

Papa don't preach, I'm goin' to Africa!

Madonna, you really did it this time.

I don't know what's up with you and your buddies who are all adopting babies from third world countries, but YOU, Mrs. Richie, have really pissed me off.

First off, did you know that according to the AFCARS Report (Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System Report), there were approximately 542,000 children in the U. S. in foster care on September 30, 2001.

All these children need homes and families they can call their own.

Oh, I'm sorry... that's right. You turned your back on the US.

How about this? There are currently 39,000 children in foster care in England. Again, children who need and deserve good homes and families.

So, what do you do? You go to Africa and buy a baby who HAS A FATHER! You paid a pretty penny for this baby, too! So... let me get this straight... you don't want a baby who really needs help and has no one. You want to be just like Angelina Jolie. Her hobby is ignoring the thousands of children in this country and doing the new, fashionable thing... buying a third world baby.

You're a real piece of work, lady.

Shake, Rattle and Campaign

I know. I'm going to sound heartless. You're going to think, "Meatpies has finally lost her mind."

The bottom line is, I want embryonic stem cell research to stop.

I am offended that the Missouri politician, Claire McCaskill, used Michael J. Fox for her ad for election to the Senate. I understand that Parkinson's is a horrible disease. Anyone with brains larger than a peanut knows this. I don't need to see Michael J. Fox humbling himself before the American public to know how debilitating this disease is. I don't even know anyone with Parkinson's... but I do have a heart.

Frankly, I haven't been able to find any substancial proof that states that embryonic stem cell research shows any promise to cure Parkinson's.

I AM NOT AGAINST STEM CELL RESEARCH.

I am against using embryos to do so.

Here's the difference. Stem cells are used for research because they are the cells that create other blood cells. Basically, it is where blood cells "stem" from.

The difference between adult stem cell and embryonic stem cells is this. Embryonic stem cells can create most any kind of blood cell. Adult stem cells can not.

Show me that adult stem cells have been researched fully. Show me that all of the capabilities of adult stem cells have been exhausted. Show me that, even with all the knowledge scientists have, with all the miracles of modern medicine, that adult stem cells have been completely researched to their full potential.

I'm sorry, but it still won't get me to believe that taking the stem cells from aborted embryos is a good thing.

Two things need to be researched.

1. When does a stem cell become "adult".
2. (this is hard to even ask) How many infants die each year? How many are still-born? What is the status of a new-born's stem cells?

We need to see the medical community urging everyone to understand that THIS is an area that needs to be researched.

God forbid anyone lose a child. I can't imagine the pain and sorrow one would feel. But I also know deep in my heart that if I did lose an infant, or if I gave birth to a still-born infant, I would allow my loss to possibly help others.

THIS is why I am against embryonic stem cell research.

Hard work and US misfortune just don't splice!

I'm sure you remember that "Loverboy" song, "Hard Work and US Misfortune Just Don't Splice!" Aw... forget it... it's a SouthPark joke.

What I'm getting at is the new Chevy truck commercial with John Mellencamp.

In case you haven't seen it, tune into any professional football game this coming weekend. I'm sure it will be on. The imagery is fabulous. It's a great blend of what makes America great, with what's made America not so great. But, you know what? Every country on the planet has good and bad points to it.

The commercial shows hard working people, images of the Katrina devistation, more hard working/playing people, images of Vietnam, more hard working people, Richard Nixon as he boards the plane right after resigning, images of Chevy trucks, images of NYC with the beams of light coming from Ground Zero, etc... Do you see any reason why that ad should be pulled?

The liberals do.

Their biggest issue is showing images of Vietnam and Nixon. Okay... let's show Hanoi Jane Fonda and Clinton... would that be better?

The libs aren't getting the point. Chevy isn't glorifying anything. The point of the commercial is very clear. "We aren't perfect, but we work hard because we're America. Chevys represent a part of America."

When Democratic Strategists were asked about why they have such an issue with this ad, they said, "What does Nixon and Vietnam have to do with selling trucks?"

My answer... About as much as Paris Hilton have to do with selling burgers. But I didn't see the Dems freaking out and getting their speedos in a wad over that.

Think about it... would we be hearing anything about this ad if they showed the picture of Jane Fonda with the Viet Cong children and an image of Bill Clinton saying "I did not have sexual relations with that woman!"?

But no... they're freaking out because of footage of soldiers in Vietnam, and the smiling, peace sign waving image of a president who left office because he knew what he did was wrong.

I would much rather think of America as not-so-perfect, but willing to fess up to it's issues than think of America as the country who impeached a president that just wouldn't go away.

Makes me wanna go out and get a Chevy.

People are the funniest creatures!

I'd like to tell you about a person I had the pleasure to meet today. I do not know his name, but his actions facinated and entertained me.

Actually, what I'd like to do is tell you about folks I run across on occasion. My reason is this... I find some people's actions facinating. Laughable, but facinating.

Okay, I had a job interview today... got the job BTW, anyway... this guy was interviewing for the same position. We both had to wait outside today for the office to open. Well, I kinda figured on doing that since they scheduled the interview for 8am. So, I had my coat and coffee and patiently waited outside.

This guy wasn't so patient. I could tell by his body language that he was upset having to wait outside until the office opened, with his constant mumblings of "This is ridiculous. I shouldn't have to wait outside!" over and over and over.

We're let in five minutes early. Hey, they could have let us stand outside in the rain another five minutes, so I was happy to be inside! I approached the reception desk as I saw a sign in book. The man I was waiting with said to me, "I was here first!!" I said to him, "I'm just signing in, sir. The receptionist is waiting for you. Please go ahead."

The receptionist said, "How may I help you? Are you here for an appointment?"

The man said, "I have an 8am appointment. It's now 8:05. Do I need to explain the problem here?" (his watch was WAY wrong.) She asked his name, he blurted it out, and she said (and I'm sure she wish she didn't) "I'm sorry, I see here your appointment is for 8:30." Well, our friend went off like a rocket!

"No it's not! I was told to be here at 8am, and if you're going to push me off until 8:30 I'm leaving! That's disrepectful to expect me to wait!!"

Turns out that his appointment was at 8:30 because mine was at 8am. So he states that I'll just have to wait! I said, "Okay. Whatever. I have coffee, so I'm fine! (with a chuckle)"

So, we swap appointments. I knew what was going to happen. See, we were both there for a skills test as well, so 30 minutes really won't mean much. Some of these tests can take up to an hour.

Turns out, I finished about the same time he did. Not tooting my own horn or anything, of course.

So, he and I were placed in a room together to fill out forms, and on this form it asks if the person has any felonies or any convictions dealing with theft. I answered 'no' of course. I got busted for vandalizm when I was 15, and that consisted of toilet paper and spray paint. No theft. I did see that he spent an awful lot of time in that area of the form, even having to use the back of the paper.

So, our interviewer came in and said, "It's very important that you fill out the criminal activity section of the form. This particular client can only employ those without a theft conviction on their record."

This guy pops up, curses how "This is all a huge waste of time" and "this is discrimination!!" and left.

I glanced at the paper before the interviewer could pick it up.

He has three convictions for theft, and one for grand theft/auto.

I have to laugh. Not because this person is trying to turn his life around by actually working for a living, but because he's got this attitude that everyone owes him something!

The funniest thing is, had he waited, they would have probably been able to place him with employment with a different company, so he COULD turn his life around.