"Apparently we didn't have enough faith"

A family who watched their daughter die from a treatable disease explained away what happened with the comment that "apparently we didn't have enough faith".

Police: Girl Dies After Parents Pray for Healing Instead of Seeking Medical Help

WESTON, Wis. — An 11-year-old girl died after her parents prayed for healing rather than seek medical help for a treatable form of diabetes, police said Tuesday.

Everest Metro Police Chief Dan Vergin said Madeline Neumann died Sunday.

"She got sicker and sicker until she was dead," he said.

Vergin said an autopsy determined the girl died from diabetic ketoacidosis, an ailment that left her with too little insulin in her body, and she had probably been ill for about 30 days, suffering symptoms like nausea, vomiting, excessive thirst, loss of appetite and weakness.

The girl's parents, Dale and Leilani Neumann, attributed the death to "apparently they didn't have enough faith," the police chief said.

They believed the key to healing "was it was better to keep praying. Call more people to help pray," he said.

The mother believes the girl could still be resurrected, the police chief said.

Telephone messages left at the Neumann home by The Associated Press were not immediately returned.

The family does not attend an organized church or participate in an organized religion, Vergin said. "They have a little Bible study of a few people."

The parents told investigators their daughter last saw a doctor when she was 3 to get some shots, Vergin said. The girl had attended public school during the first semester but didn't return for the second semester.

Officers went to the home after one of the girl's relatives in California called police to check on her, Vergin said. She was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.

The relative was fearful the girl was "extremely ill, dire," Vergin said.

The girl has three siblings, ranging in age from 13 to 16, the police chief said.

"They are still in the home," he said. "There is no reason to remove them. There is no abuse or signs of abuse that we can see."

The girl's death remains under investigation and the findings will be forwarded to the district attorney to review for possible charges, the chief said.

The family operates a coffee shop in Weston, which is a suburb of Wausau, Vergin said.

No, they were stupid, insane, and negligent. This child had a treatable disease. But they chose to "pray" instead of getting this child medical treatment. They even had the audacity to say that they never expected her to die during prayer. What the hell did they expect? Did they honestly think that she was going to jump up and declare that she was magically cured? These people are insane!!

It's one thing to have religious beliefs. It's a totally different thing to withhold medical attention and treatment because you think that "prayer" is going to be the magical cure. They watched her get sicker and sicker over the span of about a month. They watched her dying right before their eyes, and they did nothing.

The thing that gets me is that the police actually said that the other kids in the house weren't removed from the home because "There is no abuse or signs of abuse that we can see." HELLO!! A child died in that house because her parents let her die. I don't know about anyone else, but that is a clear case of abuse if you ask me!! She didn't have to die. She could have been treated, and she'd be alive today. She had diabetes. It's not like she had a terminal illness and nothing could be done to treat her. She had a treatable disease, and they let her die!!

It doesn't matter whether it was out of pure stupidity or because of religious beliefs. They let their child die for no reason that anyone can rationalize. No matter how hard they or anyone else tries, nobody can justify what they did. There is no excuse!!

Walmart Sure Knows How To Screw Its Employees

Walmart sure knows how to screw its employees. As if paying your employees shit wages and offering worthless "benefits" wasn't bad enough, Walmart has reached an all-time low!! They're stealing from a disabled former employee. I didn't know about this story until they aired it on CNN this morning. Still, it's disgusting and truly pathetic.

Helping the Shanks: Wal-Mart's Health Care Leaves One Family Desperate

When Missouri Wal-Mart employee Deborah Shank was left brain damaged after a tragic collision with a semi-trailer truck seven years ago, her Wal-Mart health care plan paid her initial medical bills. As it became evident that Deborah would need a lifetime of professional care for her debilitating condition, her family resorted to drastic measures to cover expenses. The Shanks successfully sued the trucking company responsible for the accident, and created a special trust to pay for Deborah's future, ongoing medical expenses.

Any hope of financial security for Deborah's care was crushed, however, when Wal-Mart sued the Shank family for $470,000 - the amount it paid in medical expenses, plus the company's legal expenses and attorney's fees. The retailer's demands will completely drain the settlement money from Deborah's trust and force her to rely on public assistance for her medical and living expenses.

As Wal-Mart publicly touts its new health care plan and pays big dollars for holiday public relations campaigns in attempts to bolster its bad reputation, this story once again exposes the company's poor business practices and total disregard for the health and welfare of its employees.

Wal-Mart Watch launched a fundraising drive to help support Mrs. Shank, and pledged to match all donated funds dollar-for-dollar. Click here to donate now. For more information on the story of Deborah Shank and Wal-Mart, read the Wall Street Journal article that brought the story to national attention last week and watch Jim and Chris Shank on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet.

The Shanks' story is a reminder this holiday season that Wal-Mart's low costs come with a very high price paid by American families like the Shanks every day.

Walmart fucking sucks!! How greedy can they be that they need to steal a settlement from a disabled woman? Give me a break!!

In another article about this story, a bitch who is a Walmart spokeswoman offers up the reason why Walmart sued this woman.

Sharon Weber, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart, declined to discuss the details of the Shanks' case, but she said the company was obliged to act in the interest of the health benefits of its employees as a whole. "While the case involves a tragic situation, our responsibility is to follow the provisions of the (company health) plan which governs the health benefits of our associates," she said.

"Employers are trying to make sure these plans run as efficiently as possible," says Jay Kirschbaum, a senior vice president at global insurance broker Willis Group Holdings. "They also have a fiduciary duty to the plan and the entire group of employees that are covered by it."

Somehow I highly doubt that other Walmart employees are bitching that this woman got a settlement for her accident, and they're being screwed if she keeps it. I highly doubt that they're bitching about the "unfairness" of it all. This is purely Walmart lingo for WE DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT ANYBODY. ALL WE GIVE A SHIT ABOUT IS SCREWING PEOPLE AND MAKING A BUCK!!

Here's a thought bitch!! Why don't you ask the owner of Walmart to pay for her medical care? After all, you profess to give a damn about your employees. So, instead of stealing this woman's money for her medical care, why doesn't Walmart pay for her medical care for life? Oh that's right!! YOU COULDN'T CARE LESS!!

I've always known that Walmart was evil, and this proves it!! That's why I don't shop there. I won't give Walmart a fucking penny. If Walmart was the last place on Earth that I could get a job at, I'd rather live on the streets homeless and starving than to work for this piece of shit company. FUCK YOU WALMART!! YOU'RE SICK, EVIL, WORTHLESS BASTARDS!!

Got A Violin Handy?

Jesus, you'd think the world fell in, listening to these politicians and their media mouthpieces cry over the fact that the administration investigated their passport information.

I seem to remember a whole slew (myself included) of people telling Democrats and Republicans NOT to allow the Bush thugs to get their hands on OUR personal information and each and every goddamn "major" candidate told us to fuck ourselves and allowed them to start and then continue to wiretap, surveil and record OUR phone conversations, look into OUR personal records, investigate the minutae of OUR lives and put OUR names on No-Fly lists as they deemed fit.

We were told that it was in the "defense" of the US. We were told that we had to give up some of OUR "freedoms" in order to be "safe" and basically told to sit down and shut the fuck up.

Thursday night, I listened to people such as Keith Olbermann go apeshit because Barack Obama's records had been searched and defiled and oh, the humanity of it all! Keith really has fallen for the okeydoke, hasn't he?

Then I sat and listened to the media mouthpieces cry that Hillary Clinton and John McCain had had the same treatment conducted towards them.

I have to tell you that I have laughed many times, long and loud, about this non-story.

Look, fuckheads, you knew you were handling snakes when you picked them up and told them to do whatever they wished with the American people. Did you really think that they weren't going to turn around and bite you?

***UPDATE***

Turns out that Barack Obama had more to do with the "investigations" than he or his media cronies let on.

Chief of firm involved in breach is Obama adviser

Obama Trashes Grandmother In Front Of The Whole World!!

What does Jeremiah Wright have on Obama? He has to have something because how else can you explain the fact that this man (and I use that term loosely) would rather trash his GRANDMOTHER on national television than kick his pastor to the curb!! She must be so fucking proud today!!

If you actually take the time to read reactions to his speech today, the stupidity of the commentors will blow your mind. That is of course if you haven't already been hoodwinked. They believe that his speech was amazing. It was so powerful. IT WAS SICKENING!!

Why can't he bring himself to call his pastor a racist? Why is it that he would rather treat his grandmother like shit than call his pastor a racist? He put his grandmother in the same category as this pig. By trashing his grandmother, he also spit on his dead mother!! How can anyone be proud of that? Barack Obama isn't a man. He's a pig just like his pastor. This is how he repays his grandmother for everything she has ever done for him? The whole world has seen his true colors today.

What I would really like to hear is his grandmother's side of the story. We don't even know that this is how she felt. Barack Obama has already been proven to be a liar, by his own admission. So, who is to say that this is not a lie too?

This is not just about race and racism. Obama has yet to denounce the fact that Wright thinks that this country deserved what it got on September 11th, regardless of who is to blame. Apparently Obama thinks the same!! This is not just about September 11th. This is about sexism. This is about bigotry. This is about everything!!

The only thing I find more disgusting than what he did to his grandmother today is the fact that these are the messages that he's sending to his children. The message is one of hatred for their heritage, and trying to win by any means necessary even if that means throwing your relatives under the fucking bus!!

Defending Wright Is WRONG!!

It should come as no surprise to anyone that people out there would actually defend what Jeremiah Wright has said.

Obama's church accuses media of character assassination

CHICAGO – The church attended by Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) fought back Sunday against mounting criticism of its pastor, accusing the media of character assassination and “crucifixion.”

Otis Moss III, the current pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, used his pulpit to defend his congregation and its past minister, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., from a wave of controversy stemming from inflammatory statements made by Wright.

"We have listened and watched as the wonderful work of our church has been vilified this week," he told about 3,000 congregants on Palm Sunday morning. "This week should be special for us because I guess we know a little something about crucifixion."

The church also released a statement that began: “Nearly three weeks before the 40th commemorative anniversary of the murder of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Reverend Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr.’s character is being assassinated in the public sphere because he has preached a social gospel on behalf of oppressed women, children and men in America and around the globe.”

Trinity, an 8,000-member church on the South Side of Chicago, came under intense scrutiny over the past week for statements made by Wright that harshly criticized American society as racist and blamed U.S. leaders for the Sept. 11 attacks.

Moss delivered a fiery sermon Sunday, defending the African-American church’s right to speak out about social issues. He stressed Trinity's work in its still-impoverished community, mentioning the church's scholarship programs, drug counseling, SAT prep classes, and missions to Africa.

"Our very sanity is connected to the church. If it hadn't been for the church we would have lost our minds in the insanity of racism," he said, in a sermon titled, "Why the Black Church Won't Shut Up."

Although Moss never mentioned Obama explicitly, he alluded to his most famous parishioner in a prayer asking God to "do something amazing in this country" and "break down walls that are centuries old."

Neither Wright or Obama were present Sunday.

Moss’s sermon also echoed the inclusiveness theme that runs though Obama's stump speeches, highlighting how the church welcomes worshipers of every color, creed, and sexual orientation.

In the statement released to reporters, Moss said called criticism of Wright and the church an “attack on the legacy of the African American Church which led and continues to lead the fight for human rights in America and around the world.”

Obama's relationship with his church has been a long-running hot button issue for his campaign. But new tapes that circulated of Wright last week reignited a firestorm of criticism.

"God bless America? No. God (expletive) America!" preaches Wright in one particularly fiery sermon circulated in news reports last week.

In a Friday column posted on The Huffington Post, Obama both rejected and condemned Wright's statements.

"The statements that Rev. Wright made that are the cause of this controversy were not statements I personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or heard him utter in private conversation," wrote Obama.

On Friday, Wright also stepped down from Obama's African-American Religious Leadership Committee. The 66-year-old pastor is currently in the process of retiring from his position as head pastor of the church.

Obama first distanced himself from Wright early last year, when he withdrew an invitation for the pastor to deliver a public prayer at his announcement for the Democratic nomination.

But in his commentary, Obama made clear his strong ties to his congregation.

Wright built the church from a small flock of less than 100, to a strong pillar of African-American Chicago. The church preaches an Afro-centric theology, describing itself as "Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian."

Their black heritage is seen throughout the sanctuary. Painted glass windows depict famous scenes from black history, like the founding of the NAACP, and church officials wear bright African print tunics and robes.

The church is a social force in the South side of Chicago, running everything from computer centers to addiction counseling programs.

Trinity also takes on various political causes as part of its mission, encouraging members to write the Cook County Board of Commissioners to stop cuts in the health care system and boycott Wal-mart.

It was at Trinity that Obama had his own spiritual awakening, while working as a community organizer in the community. A 1988 sermon by Wright, called "The Audacity to Hope," became the title of Obama’s second book, published in 2006.

In Wright's farewell sermon, early last month, he did not mention Obama by name but alluded to his biography and stump speech slogan.

"But, if you use your mind, instead of a lost statistic in a hate-filled universe, you just may end up a law student at Harvard University. In fact, if you use your mind, you might end up as the editor of the Harvard Law Review. If you use your mind, instead of [being] a statistic destined for the poor house, you just may end up a statesman destined for the ... Yes, we can!" he told cheering congregants.

On Sunday, business went on mostly as usual at Trinity. The 150-person choir rocked, 10 babies were blessed, and congregants prayed.

But Moss was well aware that he was hosting some guests. At least a dozen reporters sat in the pews, taking notes on the services. Moss asked them to be respectful and his congregants not to grant any interviews.

"Some people, looking for their 20 minutes of fame," Moss teased his flock, "No interviews."

Here is the full text of the statement, with the headline, “AN ATTACK ON OUR SENIOR PASTOR AND THE HISTORY OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CHURCH”:

Chicago, Ill. (March 15, 2008) — Nearly three weeks before the 40th commemorative anniversary of the murder of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Reverend Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr.’s character is being assassinated in the public sphere because he has preached a social gospel on behalf of oppressed women, children and men in America and around the globe.

“Dr. Wright has preached 207,792 minutes on Sunday for the past 36 years at Trinity United Church of Christ. This does not include weekday worship services, revivals and preaching engagements across America and around the globe, to ecumenical and interfaith communities. It is an indictment on Dr. Wright’s ministerial legacy to present his global ministry within a 15- or 30-second sound bite,” said the Reverend Otis Moss III, pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ.

During the 36-year pastorate of Dr. Wright, Trinity United Church of Christ has grown from 87 to 8,000 members. It is the largest congregation in the United Church of Christ (UCC) denomination.

“It saddens me to see news stories reporting such a caricature of a congregation that has been such a blessing to the UCC’s Wider Church mission,” said the Rev. John H. Thomas, UCC general minister and president, in a released statement. “ … It’s time for us to say ‘No’ to these attacks and declare that we will not allow anyone to undermine or destroy the ministries of any of our congregations in order to serve their own narrow political or ideological ends.”

Trinity United Church of Christ’s ministry is inclusive and global. The following ministries have been developed under Dr. Wright’s ministerial tutelage for social justice: assisted living facilities for senior citizens, day care for children, pastoral care and counseling, health care, ministries for persons living with HIV/AIDS, hospice training, prison ministry, scholarships for thousands of students to attend historically black colleges, youth ministries, tutorial and computer programs, a church library, domestic violence programs and scholarships and fellowships for women and men attending seminary.

Moss added, “The African American Church was born out of the crucible of slavery and the legacy of prophetic African American preachers since slavery has been and continues to heal broken marginalized victims of social and economic injustices. This is an attack on the legacy of the African American Church which led and continues to lead the fight for human rights in America and around the world.”

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preached the Christian tenet, “love thy neighbor as thyself.” Before Dr. King was murdered on April 4, 1968, he preached, “The 11 o’clock hour is the most segregated hour in America.” Forty years later, the African American Church community continues to face bomb threats, death threats, and their ministers’ characters are assassinated because they teach and preach prophetic social concerns for social justice. Sunday is still the most segregated hour in America.

I'm not one to defend America, ever!! But in this instance, I must take offense to what this filth who claims to be a holy man has said. If Trinity United Church of Christ wants to defend this pig, be my guest. What that says to me is that Trinity United Church of Christ believes and supports everything that this pig says. If United Church of Christ wants to defend this pig, be my guest. What that says to me is that the United Church of Christ believes and supports everything that this pig says.

The criticism and disgust hurled at Wright is not an attack on the African American Church. The criticism and disgust hurled at Wright is not an attack on Trinity United Church of Christ. This is not an attack on the United Church of Christ. It is an attack directed at Wright, and rightfully so!!

His character is being attacked? He should have thought about that before he opened his fucking mouth. The moment he spewed forth his hatred was the moment he became fair game. The moment he started talking shit was the moment that he opened himself up to criticism. He doesn't get a free pass just because he's a minister. He doesn't get a free pass just because he knows The Savior (Obama, not the cloud being).

This pig stood in a pulpit on the Sunday following September 11th, and he talked about the "chickens coming home to roost". This pig stood there and basically said that we got what we deserved. Now like I said, I'm not one to defend America but come on!! Whether you believe the official story of September 11th or not, nobody deserved what happened. Nobody deserved to be forced to jump to their deaths from a burning building because there was no other way out. Nobody deserved to be incinerated. Nobody deserved to die that day!! People are still dying because of that day. They don't deserve to die either. Does Trinity United Church of Christ or the United Church of Christ feel the same way? Do they feel that people deserved to die? How can anyone defend that?

This pig stood in a pulpit and talked about how Hillary isn't black. He talked about how Hillary has never been called a nigger. Where's Al Sharpton? He hates when people use that word. In fact, he wants it banned. He thinks that nobody should be allowed to use it. So, where was he when Jeremiah Wright was throwing it around? Oh that's right!! Nowhere!! But now he's conveniently making the rounds on television pretty much defending everything this pig has said. Apparently he thinks that we shouldn't be talking about this. It's not worth our time.

This pig stood in a pulpit and time and time again has trashed white people. What I find rather disgusting is that Obama hasn't said one thing about the trashing of white people. His mother was white. By exposing his children to this and saying nothing, he is allowing his own mother to be trashed. He is allowing his children to have hatred for their grandmother instilled in them because of her ethnicity. They are being taught to hate their heritage. They are white and black. They shouldn't have to choose!!

I don't believe for one second that Obama knew this pig for 20 years, and not once did he ever hear him say shit like this. Obama is a liar!! Nobody, except for his Savorites would fall for that line. He went on Fox News, and he said that he was aware of one or two of Wright's comments. Then he went on CNN, and he said that he wasn't aware of any comments until now. Which is it? Either you know, or you don't know. He says that he finds "some" of Wright's comments appalling. Some? Every comment he made was appalling. Hell, it was beyond appalling!! But that's all the Savior can come up with? If he only finds "some" of the comments to be appalling, what comments does he agree with? Oh wait, I can't ask him that because I'm being racist.

Wright is a vile, disgusting excuse of what apparently passes for a human being these days. He deserves to be criticized. He deserves to be trashed. He deserves a good VERBAL beatdown.

All I have to say is that when you have to turn on Limbaugh and find an ounce of truth in what he's saying, you know that HELL HAS FROZEN OVER!!

I'm not finished talking about this. This is only the beginning!!

I Love Obama Supporters

You know I do.

I especially love the two comments that I got in my last post.

The reason I'm posting here instead of commenting there is because, here, more people will see my response. So rather than make people scroll down to see what I might have said, I'd rather do it right here.

The first one sounds like he's part Obama supporter, part change promoter, whatever the fuck that's supposed to mean or be.

In reply to my comment about "There is no change coming", he/she wrote, "Change is coming. Barack can be in the vanguard of it, or be swept aside BY it. The choice is his."

My response is this: In what parallel universe does this person live? As long as the corporations own this country, there will be no change. The people can talk about taking back this country all they like.

The simple reality is this: unless you are willing to go to war with your own country and kill a lot of motherfuckers, taking back this country is not going to become a reality.

And even then the system will just start up again and it will be the same thing over again.

I'll say it again. There is no change coming.

The second commentator said, "You might want to take a look at my two sites Let's Talk and Let's Talk About It. (The links are in my previous post's comments if you want to have a look at these sites)

"I have no dog in this fight but Hillary is lying and playing very dirty to become President.

"She has stated that only she and McCain has the experience to be President and Obama brings only a 2002 speech.

"If She's not the nominee then she talks as if she will support McCain."

My response?

I highly doubt that Hillary Clinton would go out of her way to say that John McCain would be a good puppet, er, president, you know, just as she would. People who are running to be controlled don't usually try to equate themselves with the opposition so that they can wind up losing the selection. So I don't think she's stated anything of the sort.

Further, I couldn't care less if she supports McCain or not because, as I've said a couple hundred times, they are all owned by corporations so what the fuck does it matter who "wins", the American people will ultimately be the losers.

If you have no dog in the fight, what does it matter if Hillary Clinton is playing dirty or not?

And because someone says that someone is bringing only a speech with them doesn't make it dirty. It might make it lame but it doesn't make it dirty.

I invite you and everyone else to look at Barack Obama's 2002 speech, which is touted all over the media for being proof that Barack Obama is anti-war.

It's a boldfaced lie but what the hell, right? Let's just keep pretending while we live in fairy tale land.

For those of you that don't wish to be shown that Barack Obama IS NOT anti-war, or for those of you, like me, who have had just about enough of the bullshit and can't be arsed to look at this speech again, allow me to spell it out for you.

Barack Obama, take it away:

"I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars."

I've asked and I have yet to receive an answer but what the fuck is a "smart war"?

I do love how the anti-war protesters in this country have now found themselves in a quandry. For everyone's information, I used to go to the rallies, used to go to the mini-protests, used to stand on a street corner, used to do a lot of shit that the anti-war forces were involved in.

And then, I went to one of these protests and we were basically ordered to, get this, not even make eye contact with someone that might say something to us. Don't, we were ordered, even look at the recruitment center as we walk by.

That was my last protest. It was the last straw.

So you'll forgive me if I find some morsel of glee at the anti-war forces in this country finding themselves supporting a guy that isn't opposed to all wars.

I can't wait until they're forced to decide whether or not they're going to continue to prop up the...whoops, almost said Fuhrer...Fearless Leader (that's better) or if they're going to stand outside the White House (locked out again) and protest his ass.

We were always asked when on these marches whether or not we protested Clinton and his wars and the majority of us had. I certainly protested his continued bombardment of Iraq.

Now the question will be whether or not the anti-war protesters in this country will protest Obama's wars or just give him a pass because, after all, he's just like us.

Change is not coming. But interesting times are.

Pot...Meet Kettle!!

Pot, meet Kettle!!

US: Olympic host China lacks freedoms

WASHINGTON - The United States branded China an authoritarian human rights abuser Tuesday, citing alleged torture, state control of basic aspects of daily life, tight controls on religion and harassment of foreign charities.

China, host of the summer Olympics, has rampant and chronic human rights problems despite rapid economic growth that has transformed large parts of Chinese society, the State Department said in its annual accounting of human rights practices around the world.

The world's most populous nation, China is an increasingly important U.S. trade partner and a chief competitor with the United States for energy and shrinking natural resources. It is the object of broad U.S. economic and diplomatic outreach, with mixed results.

The United States, other nations and outside advocacy groups have tried to use the world media attention and prestige associated with the Olympics to leverage internal change and diplomatic cooperation from China, but the games are barely mentioned in the human rights report.

"The government tightened restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, particularly in anticipation of and during sensitive events, including increased efforts to control and censor the Internet," the report said.

Forced relocations went up last year, the report said. It noted claims that people were forced from their homes to make way for Olympic projects in Beijing.

President Bush plans to attend the Olympics this year. Visiting U.S. lawmakers would get help from the U.S. Embassy for a "safe, memorable and enjoyable experience," the U.S. ambassador in Beijing wrote in a letter last year.

The report detailed the lengths some Chinese officials have taken to enforce their country's well-known "one child" policy, and gave a chilling account of alleged torture in China, including the use of electric shocks, beatings, shackles, and other forms of abuse. It includes an account of a prisoner strapped to a "tiger bench," a device that forces the legs to bend sometimes until they break.

The Chinese Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But China annually decries U.S. criticism of its rights record. It has denounced the United States for rampant violence and widespread discrimination against minorities.

The study, published each year since 1977, offers a comprehensive analysis of all countries in the world except the United States. There are no automatic penalties to nations that get poor marks.

The report noted further backsliding in President Vladimir Putin's Russia last year, and ticks off a string of undemocratic moves taken by close U.S. ally President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan.

Political adversaries Cuba, Iran, Zimbabwe and Syria were all listed as human rights abusers. Sudan's record was called "horrific."

A "pervasive climate of violence" characterized Iraq in the fifth year after the U.S.-led invasion, the State Department report said. Specific problems included official corruption, disappearances, torture, anemic legal protections, restrictions on religious freedom and "arbitrary deprivation of life."

"Sectarian, ethnic and extremist violence, coupled with weak government performance in upholding the rule of law, resulted in widespread, severe, human rights abuses," the report said.

Afghanistan was not much better.

"The country's human rights record remained poor due to a deadly insurgency, weak governmental and traditional institutions, corruption, drug trafficking, and the country's legacy of two-and-a-half decades of conflict," the report said.

In both Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. forces are at war to back U.S.-allied democratic governments. The two nations account for a huge chunk of the U.S. defense budget, and a disproportionate amount of diplomatic attention and resources.

The country-by-country report is compiled separately from U.S. diplomatic efforts, and presented to Congress.

"In Russia, centralization of power in the executive branch, a compliant State Duma, corruption and selectivity in enforcement of the law," onerous restrictions on aid groups and the media "continued to erode the government's accountability to its citizens," the report said.

It said Pakistan's human rights situation worsened during the year, "stemming primarily from President Musharraf's decision to impose a 42-day state of emergency, suspend the constitution, and dismiss the Supreme and High Provincial Courts."

North Korea was called an absolute dictatorship with repressive policies that control the most basic aspects of daily life. The report did not mention the intensive U.S. campaign for nuclear disarmament in North Korea, which included the first regular visits in decades by U.S. diplomats to the secretive regime in 2007.

"Pregnant female prisoners underwent forced abortions in some cases, and in other cases babies were killed upon birth in prisons," the report noted in its section covering detention and imprisonment in the North.

Here you have the United States pointing fingers at other countries when they do the exact same things!! It's typical American bullshit!!

The United States branded China an authoritarian human rights abuser Tuesday, citing alleged torture, state control of basic aspects of daily life, tight controls on religion and harassment of foreign charities.

The United States tortures!! The United States is attempting to control more and more aspects of daily life. The United States has tightened controls on religion, particularly when it comes to Islam. The United States harasses foreign charities and even domestic charities. They are constantly trying to connect various charities to terrorism, and when they can't they just make the shit up!!

"The government tightened restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, particularly in anticipation of and during sensitive events, including increased efforts to control and censor the Internet," the report said.

Does this sound familiar? National Security is our excuse!!

Forced relocations went up last year, the report said. It noted claims that people were forced from their homes to make way for Olympic projects in Beijing.

Does this sound familiar? We've been throwing people out of New Orleans in particular since Hurricane Katrina, in an attempt to make it "more attractive" to potential investors. Oh, and let's not forget the countless number of people in this country who are thrown out of their homes and forced to relocate because companies or government entities wants to build something.

A "pervasive climate of violence" characterized Iraq in the fifth year after the U.S.-led invasion, the State Department report said. Specific problems included official corruption, disappearances, torture, anemic legal protections, restrictions on religious freedom and "arbitrary deprivation of life."

"Sectarian, ethnic and extremist violence, coupled with weak government performance in upholding the rule of law, resulted in widespread, severe, human rights abuses," the report said.

I don't think that I need to remind people that we, the United States, created this 'climate of violence' when this government decided to go to war. I also don't think that I need to remind people that we, the United States, have added to this 'climate of violence' by murdering countless innocent people in Iraq.

"In Russia, centralization of power in the executive branch, a compliant State Duma, corruption and selectivity in enforcement of the law," onerous restrictions on aid groups and the media "continued to erode the government's accountability to its citizens," the report said.

It's like looking in a mirror!!

Pot meet Kettle is right!!

Pro-lifers Crash "Horton" Premiere

Leave it to the so-called pro-lifers to show their hypocrisy!!

Horton Hears an Abortion Protest

All hell broke loose at the Hollywood premiere of "Horton Hears a Who!" today when a group of pro-lifers infiltrated the screening, then chanted anti-abortion slogans after the flick.

The theme of the movie is based on the motto: "After all, a person is a person, no matter how small." So the pro-lifers thought it was a good idea to use this theme to their advantage -- even though their complicated message was falling mostly on the ears of children.

The stars in attendance included Victoria Beckham and her three kids, Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy, Steve Carell and all 12 contestants from "American Idol."

After the chanting ended, the group put red tape over their mouths that said "Life" on them, and paraded around the event.

Shouts of protest were returned by some in attendance, including, "This is a kid's premiere," "How dare you," and "Do you really care that much about this?"

Isn't it ironic that the very people who denounce Hollywood are using Hollywood to promote their bullshit? Aren't these the very same people who time and time again have accused Hollywood of "indoctrinating the children" with their subliminal messages in various movies for kids? Absolutely!! Now, they're using a movie motto to further their agenda.

Hypocritical? Yes!! Shocking? Not in the least!! They can't get their bullshit across. They can't get anyone to listen to their hate-filled rants. They can't get anyone to listen to their lies. So now they have to STEAL from Hollywood, and Dr. Seuss!! How truly pathetic, yet extremely hilarious!!

Sally Kern Is A Bigoted, Vile Excuse For A Human Being

Sally Kern is a bigoted, vile excuse for a human being. Oh, and she's a Republican too. Big shocker there!! According to this bitch, gays are a "bigger threat than terrorism".

Republican lawmaker says gays are bigger threat than terrorists

Oklahoma House representative Sally Kern is under fire after an audio recording was leaked of her comparing gays to terrorists and telling fellow Republicans the “homosexual agenda is destroying this nation.” The recording and accompanying YouTube video have sparked outrage from many, but Kern defends her words, telling the press: “What I’m saying, I believe in.”

The YouTube video posted this weekend by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund featured Kern speaking out against gays to a group of Republicans who had invited her to express her views about homosexuality. Leaked audio of the speech is accompanied by images of people holding signs such as “Words matter,” “I am listening” and “You don’t represent me.”

In the speech, given privately to a group of about 50 Republicans, Kern says homosexuality, “according to God’s word, that is not the right kind of lifestyle. It has deadly consequences for those people involved in it.” Although she claims she is “not gay-bashing,” Kern continues by saying gays “have more suicides… there’s more illness, their life spans are shorter… studies show that no society that has totally embraced homosexuality has lasted more than, you know, a few decades.”

Kern also accuses homosexuals of pushing a “gay agenda” and trying to “indoctrinate” children as young as 2-years-old through tolerance education and gay-straight alliances. “This stuff—it’s deadly,” Kern says, “and it’s spreading, and it will destroy our young people. It will destroy this nation.”

The infiltration of gays into city councils also seems to be of major concern to Kern, who speaks out on this perceived problem at length. Kern said that city councils from Pittsburgh to West Palm Beach, FL are under the “control” of gays.

The Oklahoma representative’s hate speech extends several times into another sensitive arena as well, religion. A staunch Christian, Kern says in the speech that “Not everybody’s lifestyle is equal, just like not all religions are equal” and believes gays are an even bigger threat than “terrorism or Islam, which I think is a big threat.”

I love how "Christians" throw around "facts", but they have zero evidence to support their "facts". For example, Kern claims that "studies show that no society that has totally embraced homosexuality has lasted more than, you know, a few decades." Really? What studies would those be? Who conducted those studies? Where is the evidence proving that such studies were actually done? Where are the people who participated in these studies? Oh wait, they would be dead I guess.

Another example of the ridiculous hate spewing forth from this bitch's mouth was her comment that homosexuals are, "pushing a 'gay agenda' and trying to 'indoctrinate' children as young as 2-years-old through tolerance education and gay-straight alliances." Where is the evidence that supports her notion of a "gay agenda"? Where is the evidence that supports her notion of "indoctrination"? I didn't realize that 2 year olds went to school, but okay!! We should be teaching our children about accepting people for who they are. We should be teaching our children to love people no matter their race, religion, sexuality, etc.

She's right about one thing. We shouldn't be teaching tolerance education because I sure as hell wouldn't teach any of my children to tolerate someone who is as ignorant, vile, and bigoted as this bitch is. My children would be taught to stand up for themselves against this type of hatred.

Here's how another site reported the story.

Oklahoma legislator's anti-gay comments stir hostile reaction

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A Republican member of the Oklahoma Legislature has received death threats since telling a political group that "the homosexual agenda is just destroying this nation" and poses a bigger threat to the U.S. than terrorism or Islam.

"I'm not gay-bashing. But according to God's word that is not the right kind of lifestyle," Rep. Sally Kern of Oklahoma City said during an appearance before a group of Republicans. Her comments were recorded and posted on the video sharing Web site YouTube on Friday.

"Studies show no society that has totally embraced homosexuality has lasted more than a few decades," Kern says in the recorded comments. "It is not a lifestyle that is good for this nation."

On Monday, Kern said her comments were edited and taken out of context. Kern said they were directed at wealthy, politically active homosexuals who are contributing money to gay and lesbian candidates for public office in Oklahoma and other states.

"I was talking about an agenda. I was not talking about individuals," said Kern, the wife of a Baptist minister. "They have the right to choose that lifestyle. They do not have the right to force it down our throat.

"I have never said hate speech against anybody. I would never do that."

Kern said she has received more than 3,000 e-mails and hundreds of telephone calls since her comments were posted online. She said a few supported her comments but that most condemned them and that some contained death threats and obscenities.

"I hear what you said and you should be killed...," said one.

"You honestly think that homosexuality is a greater threat than terrorism?" said another. "How someone as petulant and vile as yourself got elected to office, I will never understand."

The only openly gay member of the state Legislature, Rep. Al McAffrey, D-Oklahoma City, said Kern's comments have alarmed gay voters in Kern's district and elsewhere in the nation.

"It saddens me that we hear bigotry from our representatives," said McAffrey, who embraced Kern as the two lawmakers discussed her comments about gays in a state Capitol hallway Monday morning.

"There is not a gay agenda," McAffrey told The Associated Press afterward. "There are a lot of people who have money who are willing to support progressive candidates."

McAffrey said he is a father and a grandfather. "And I happen to be gay. I think we need to look at individuals."

In her recorded comments, Kern expressed concern that gay candidates "are winning elections" and control city councils in Arkansas, Maryland and other states.

A former teacher, Kern also said gays are teaching young public school children that their lifestyle is acceptable. "We're not teaching facts and knowledge anymore. We're teaching indoctrination," Kern said.

"We have the gay-straight alliance coming into our schools. Kids are getting involved in these groups, their lives are being ruined," she said. "They are going after our young children, as young as two years of age, to try to teach them that the homosexual lifestyle is an acceptable lifestyle.

"This stuff is deadly and it's spreading and it will destroy our young people, it will destroy this nation."

In a response to one e-mail, Kern said she was primarily concerned about "the aggressive movement" to support gay candidates across the nation and in Oklahoma, where a gay candidate is seeking a statewide office.

Jim Roth, a member of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission who is openly gay, is seeking a full six-year term on the commission that regulates utilities and the oil and gas industry.

"As a public official I have taken an oath to serve 100 percent of our citizens and I only wish that Representative Kern would honor the same spirit of our democracy," said Roth, a Democrat and former Oklahoma County commissioner who was appointed to the statewide position by Gov. Brad Henry last year.

"My focus is on serving the citizens of Oklahoma, not on responding to the rantings of an angry legislator. We all have a duty to serve all people," Roth said. "The politics of division and demagoguery only steal the future from what our state needs for everyone's sake."

Wow, what a big surprise that this bitch would use the famous "my words were taken out of context" defense. Her words weren't taken out of context. She knows exactly what she said. She knows exactly what she meant. And so does everyone else. She meant every single thing she said in the most hateful way possible.

It doesn't sadden me that this is the bigotry that people are faced with. It pisses me off!! This is the kind of shit that creates hate crimes against gay people in the first place. This is the kind of shit that allows it to continue. I bet that if she saw a gay person being beaten, tortured, or murdered, she would walk by without even a second glance. Her response would probably be, "well that fag deserved it".

She can go fuck herself, and so can anyone else that shares her beliefs. People like her are the lowest of the lowest scum on Earth.

Philly Mayor Backs Clinton

Well, I think it's safe to assume that the Philadelphia mayor will soon be the recipient of death threats if he already hasn't been. After all, he's backing Hillary Clinton over The Savior and we have already seen some of the work of The Saviorites!!

City Councilman W. Wilson Goode Jr., who is supporting Obama, said he has no reason to believe Nutter will suffer any voter backlash for his Clinton endorsement — partly because of timing.

"Mayor Nutter's re-election campaign is at least three years from now, and I believe he will be judged on his record," Goode said. "He is too early into his tenure for any one thing to destroy or impact his chances of re-election."

This comment struck me as rather interesting. Is that a threat from Mr. Goode? Nobody brought up the idea that the mayor would suffer for his endorsement, well nobody except Mr. Goode. Is this a hint at career destruction because the Philadelphia mayor isn't kissing the feet of The Savior? Or is this just the prelude to death threats?

More Obama

The Black Agenda Report is a great source of information about many things, not the least of which is the Wall Street wolf in sheep's clothing known as Barack Obama.

Pam Martens writes today:

"We are being asked to accept at face value the notion that after more than two centuries of entrenched racism in this country, which saw only five black members of the U.S. Senate, it's all being eradicated with some rousing stump speeches.

"We are asked to believe that those white executives at all the biggest Wall Street firms, which rank in the top 20 donors to the Obama presidential campaign, after failing to achieve more than 3.5 percent black stockbrokers over 30 years, now want a black populist president because they crave a level playing field for the American people."

I gotta stop here and just echo what Pam Martens is saying here.

As if, suddenly, this gust of fresh air, this Obama, comes in and says some shit, which I have no idea if he actually believes or not, and he's changed everyone's minds, especially those that would lock the door to each and every black person prior to today.

As if, suddenly, the movers and shakers of the world have decided that the poor and disadvantaged should have a chance to get what they, the executives, already have.

Pam Martens continues:

"The number one industry supporting the Obama presidential bid, according to the widely respected, nonpartisan Center For Responsive Politics, is 'lawyers/law firms' (most on Wall Street's payroll), giving a total of $11,246,596.

"This presents three unique credibility problems for the yes-we-can, little-choo-choo-that-could campaign: (1) these are not just 'lawyers/law firms'; the vast majority of these firms are also registered lobbyists at the Federal level; (2) Senator Obama has made it a core tenet of his campaign platform that the way he is going to bring the country hope and change is not taking money from federal lobbyists; and (3) with the past seven ignoble years of lies and distortions fresh in the minds of voters, building a candidacy based on half-truths is not a sustainable strategy to secure the west wing from the right wing...

"The Akin Gump law firm is a prime example of how something as mundane as a business classification code can be gamed for political advantage. According to the Center For Responsive Politics, Akin Gump ranks third among all Federal lobbyists, raking in $205,225,000 to lobby our elected officials in Washington from 1998 through 2007. The firm is listed as a registered federal lobbyist with the House of Representatives and the Senate; the firm held lobbying retainer contracts for more than 100 corporate clients in 2007. But when its non-registered law partners, the people who own this business and profit from its lobbying operations, give to the Obama campaign, the contribution is classified as coming from a law firm, not a lobbyist.

"The same holds true for Greenberg Traurig, the law firm that employed the criminally inclined lobbyist, Jack Abramoff. Greenberg Traurig ranks ninth among all lobbyists for the same period, with lobbying revenues of $96,708,249. Its partners and employee donations to the Obama campaign of $70,650 appear not under lobbyist but the classification lawyers/law firms, as do 30 other corporate law firm/lobbyists.

"Additionally, looking at Public Citizen's list of bundlers for the Obama campaign (people soliciting donations from others), 27 are employed by law firms registered as federal lobbyists. The total sum raised February 16-29, 2008 by bundlers for Obama from these 27 firms: $2,650,000. (There are also dozens of high powered bundlers from Wall Street working the Armani-suit and red-suspenders cocktail circuits, like Bruce Heyman, managing director at Goldman Sachs; J. Michael Schell, vice chairman of Global Banking at Citigroup; Louis Susman, managing director, Citigroup; Robert Wolf, CEO, UBS Americas. Each raised over $200,000 for the Obama campaign.)

"Senator Obama's premise and credibility of not taking money from federal lobbyists hangs on a carefully crafted distinction: he is taking money, lots of it, from owners and employees of firms registered as federal lobbyists but not the actual individual lobbyists. But is that dealing honestly with the American people?"

You don't even need to read between the lines to get this. All you need to do is to actually read. And then you understand that Barack Obama was created by the powers-that-be and is being steered towards the presidency so that they can get what they want.

And what they want is more of what they already have.

This is nothing new and has been going on forever. But it's why I've been harping over and over again about the threats that an Obama presidency holds. And it wouldn't matter if I changed the name to McCain or Clinton. No matter which of these three gets in the Oval Office, they will be owned.

There is no change coming.

Some people are so desperate that they don't seem to understand this and Barack Obama, more than anyone else, is preying on this vulnerability to get one over on all of us, save his corporate puppeteers.

Think This Is Going To Change?

For some time now, I've been warning of the dangers that I see with a Barack Obama presidency.

Some people have decided to take umbrage with my comments, while others (just as slimy as the Obama Death Squads) have decided that I'm right and that I'm Right-Wing, hell, even Clan-like. The latter has been addressed elsewhere, with the offending jackass being put straight about my feelings on Obama.

Today, I ask Obama fans, sycophants and worshippers alike to answer the following question:

Do you really think that Barack Obama, as president, will be able to change anything about the genocide, the holocaust of the Palestinians by the Israelis?

If your answer is an emphatic NO, then you've come to your senses or you always kept them about you.

If your answer is NO with the caveat that no one could really ever do anything to change the situation, then you're covering up for not just Obama but Bush, Clinton and all the rest that have "tried" in the past.

If your answer is YES, then you're simply deluding yourself.

As proof, I offer the following from last year, a July/August 2007 Foreign Affairs piece written by the man himself.

Obama wrote:

"This century's threats are at least as dangerous as and in some ways more complex than those we have confronted in the past. They come from weapons that can kill on a mass scale and from global terrorists who respond to alienation or perceived injustice with murderous nihilism."

He continues with:

"For more than three decades, Israelis, Palestinians, Arab leaders, and the rest of the world have looked to America to lead the effort to build the road to a lasting peace. In recent years, they have all too often looked in vain. Our starting point must always be a clear and strong commitment to the security of Israel, our strongest ally in the region and its only established democracy. That commitment is all the more important as we contend with growing threats in the region -- a strengthened Iran, a chaotic Iraq, the resurgence of Al Qaeda, the reinvigoration of Hamas and Hezbollah. Now more than ever, we must strive to secure a lasting settlement of the conflict with two states living side by side in peace and security. To do so, we must help the Israelis identify and strengthen those partners who are truly committed to peace, while isolating those who seek conflict and instability. Sustained American leadership for peace and security will require patient effort and the personal commitment of the president of the United States. That is a commitment I will make."

So I trust Senator Obama was on the phone with the Israelis Friday after Israel's Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai told Israeli Army Radio:

"The more Qassam fire intensifies and the rockets reach a longer range, they [the Palestinians] will bring upon themselves a bigger holocaust because we will use all our might to defend ourselves."

I trust that Senator Obama asked the Israelis, Ehud Olmert or someone within the propped-up government over there, to can Matan Vilnai's ass.

I also trust that pigs can fly and that the sun sets in the east.

Those that have read the Council On Foreign Relations piece by Obama don't have to scratch their heads and try and figure out how it is a guy that claims to be for peace can write something like that. They know that he's the very same person that Hillary Clinton is or that John McCain is and that he'll be the same president that Bill Clinton was and George W. Bush is.

Either I'm going to be preaching to the choir with this comment or it's going to splatter against a brick wall like so many eggs.

There is no change coming. And those that have to resort to, how did Obama put it, "murderous nihilism" due to, what was that again, "perceived injustice" will continue to suffer with this so-called, wish-he-was-but-never-will-be savior in office. Just like it always was.

Good luck to us all.