Day Three of Our Lincoln Highway Road Trip

Today, October 3, 2011 was the third day of our Lincoln Highway Road Trip. We got a late start today, but the breakfast was good at the Comfort Inn. I would compare the CI to a Hampton Inn for room amenities and breakfast.

We started off and somehow got off the track on 395 and ended up heading towards Idaho. We had plugged the Medicine Hat destination into the GPS and it routed us away from 395 over to 95 and Idaho. As it was all Interstate we really didn’t care as we had enough of 395.

It was fun driving through Idaho and I got to go through Sandpoint where I had done an airport survey about 12 years ago. I always liked Sandpoint. When I was there in 1999 you could buy a great house on the lake for about $250k and the town was peaceful and conservative. I was quite surprised how it had changed. Houses were much more and the congestion was horrible. It looked like the libs in Southern California had discovered Sandpoint and brought their money and politics to another conservative area like they did in North Carolina. I wish they would stay home in Santa Monica and Beverly Hills. It seems that they mess up their cities than take their money out of their expensive homes and head for another place to mess up.

We reached the US/Canadian border around 11:00 and then waited. They were building a new facility and the whole place was a construction site with flag persons holding those “Stop and Slow” flip signs. This border crossing gets around 500-1,000 cars each day and our government is building a new multi-million dollar border crossing facility. I guess this is one of those shovel ready jobs.

Anyway the border crossing was a breeze. The Canadian officer asked a few questions and we were on our way. We did notice a car that was pulled over and the trunk was open for the customs inspectors. The trunk was loaded with tomatoes. I guess you can get good tasting tomatoes in Idaho. I don’t know if the Canadians confiscated the tomatoes. I hope not.

Once across the border we changed $400 US in Canadian dollars and walked out with $390 Canadian. I remember when the Canadian dollar was worth about $0.75 US. Those days are gone.

Driving through British Columbia was quite enjoyable. The weather slightly overcast and the temperature in the mid-60s. The roads were good but we had to change the GPS to read in kilometers. Canada uses the metric system for everything, gasoline, speed limits, bridge clearances, and highway information signs. The usual speed limit on a provincial highway is 100 km/hour (62 mph) and 110 km/hr. on the interstate limited access roadways (68 mph).

It would be 490 miles (788 km) to our motel in Medicine Hat, Alberta. This took us quite a while as we stopped a bit along the way for gas, photos, snack at the Safeway, coffee and lunch. Our lunch was at Kelvin’s Kitchen in Fernie, BC. I had a BLT and Kathy a Monte Cristo sandwich. Her sandwich had mayo and mine did not. When we asked the Thai waitress why the mayo on the Monte Cristo and no mayo on the BLT she relied the people around her like it that way. I guess we had to surrender to local taste in cuisine.

The drive across the Continental Divide was quite lovely as we passed through pine forests and birch trees with their yellow and gold autumn leaves.

We finally arrived at our Super-8 in Medicine Hat at 8:30 (We lost an hour to time zone change from PST to MST) and I heard my first “hey” from the Canadian person at the desk. Now I knew I was in Canada.

You can see all of my pictures by clicking here. Don’t forget to click the “Slideshow” button at the upper right to view the largest image.

Till tomorrow night.

Day Two of Our Lincoln Highway Road Trip

Today, October 2, 2011 was the second day of our Lincoln Highway Road Trip and it began at 06:30 when we went for our meager “continental” breakfast at the Super-8 Motel in Alturas, California. It appeared that it would be a great day for traveling and it was. The temperature was in the mid-60s with clear skies.

We were about 40 miles from the Oregon border and after we filled the tank we headed north on US 395 for Oregon. As soon as we entered Oregon we noticed a change in the speed limit from 65 to 55. The only road we found a 65 mph limit on was the Interstate. All other state highways were posted at 55 mph, even the most deserted, desolate sections of 395. I guess people in Oregon like to go slow. I set my cruise control for 70 and watched for cops.

Another annoying thing in Oregon was the filling stations. First they had no ice as this was the opening day of hunting season and the hunters took all of the ice. The second is that you are not allowed to pump your own gas. The station has an attendant who pumps the gas and inserts your credit card into the pump. You can clean your windows though. I guess this helps unemployment in Oregon.

Our trip on 395 started very nice. No traffic, straight road, and nice scenery. We passed a big lake and a geological marker about this being a rift valley covered with basalt rocks. The maker was next to Lake Abert.

After the rift valley 395 turned into one straight two lane highway that seemed to stretch on forever. We soon discovered this would not be the case as we entered the national forests and the mountainous sections of 395. For the next 5 or 6 hours we would navigate curve after curve with recommended speed limits of 45, 35, or 25 mph. Curve after curve, right and left. Up and down. It was nor pleasant driving this stretch of the road.

We decided to eat our lunch in the park using some of the vittles we brought with us. This was a very nice break from the mountain driving and our ham and Swiss sandwiches were just the thing. After about a 45 minute break we were back on the road again driving more mountain road.

As we came into the town of John Day I somehow missed the speed limit sign and when I looked behind me there were the flashing lights of the police cruiser. Deputy Mobley approached our vehicle and politely introduced himself and informed me I was doing 60 in a 35 zone. He requested my driver’s license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance, which I gave him. He retreated to his car to check out my documents and when he returned he asked if we were on vacation. We told him we were heading for Washington and Canada and about our planned road trip. Deputy Mobley then told us he would not ruin our day with a citation and told us to drive slowly through the town. I thanked him and we went on our way sans a ticket.

After more tedious mountain driving and listening to the NFL scores and updates on ESPN radio we finally exited Oregon and entered Washington where the speed limit jumped to 65 of state highways and 70 on the Interstates.

We arrived at the Comfort Inn in Spokane, WA about 19:30, checked in and went out to get something to eat. We were recommended a Perkins Restaurant and Bakery about 10 minutes from the motel. The food was okay, but the service was really slow. I was getting very frustrated because I wanted to get back to the motel download my photos and write this blog before I got too tired, which I am right now.

Tomorrow we venture through the state of Washington and across the border into Canada. It should be fun.

You can see all of my pictures by clicking here.

Till tomorrow night.

Day One of Our Lincoln Highway Road Trip

Today, October 1, 2011 was the first day of our Lincoln Highway Road Trip. We departed our home in Menifee, CA at 5:00 am on the dot. At 5:30 we stopped at the San Bernardino IHop on 215 for a quick breakfast and by 6:00 am were back on the road again. We wanted to get an early start as we would be driving the longest leg of our 21-day adventure this day — a 633 mile jaunt to Alturas, California.

The day was perfect for traveling — blue sky and temperatures in the mid-70s – just perfect for travel and photos. After a quick stop for gas somewhere along 395 we reached Lone Pine where we stopped to take some shots of Mount Whitney. As always there was a brisk wind blowing and to get a good telephoto shot I needed the tripod.

Our next stop was the McDonalds in Bishop, California at 11:30 for lunch and gas again. It was here we calculated or gas mileage and found we were getting 26 miles to the gallon in our ten-year old Toyota Sienna van. That’s about 45% better than our Acura MDX. This was good news as we will be saving quite a bit on our gasoline bill.

Prior to leaving we had toyed with the thought of renting a SUV for our 8,000 mile trip. The best price we could get was about $1,600 plus tax for the four weeks. We decided to put the money in our van by getting it running tip top and having it professionally detailed. The van runs great and looks like new. So, rather than blow almost two grand on a rental car we put about $1,200 in the van. This is a much better return on our investment.

Also the van has GPS and satellite radio. The satellite radio is a must on a cross-country trip. You can listen to the station of your choice all day without losing a word or a note. We listened to Fox News in the morning, then Patriot radio until lunch. After Lunch we listened to the college football games.

The big excitement was Kathy almost hitting a deer crossing the road. We were cruising along about 70 mph through a wooded stretch of 395 where there were numerous caution signs warning to watch for deer. 99% of the time you never see a deer. This time was different. All of a sudden two deer ran out to cross the highway and Kathy had to slam on the brakes. We stopped in time but everything in the back of the van went flying. Fortunately I had my camera ready and got a shot of the deer crossing at his leisure.

We arrived in Alturas at 18:23 just as the GPS predicated after driving exactly 633 miles. Alturas is a town of 3,000 people mostly in the cattle and farming business. We are staying at a Super-8 motel that I would rate 2 stars. It’s old and mostly clean. It’s quiet because the town is quiet.

We had diner at Antonio’s Italian Restaurant where the food and service was good, but the décor sucked. Robert Irvine of the Food Network’s Restaurant Impossible would have his work cut out at Antonio’s.

Tomorrow it’s off to Oregon and Washington. It looks like we may encounter rain and cooler weather. We are targeting Spokane as our next stop. I hope to write more tomorrow night. I am tired and I had to set up my photo galleries tonight, which took some time over a slow internet connection. You can see all of my pictures by clicking here.

Till tomorrow night.

Obama Doesn’t Know a Damn Thing about Bridges

“There are two ways to conquer and enslave a nation. One is by the sword. The other is by debt” — John Adams 1826

Last week President Obama made one of his political stump speeches with the Brent Spence Bridge over the Ohio River connecting Covington, Kentucky with Cincinnati, Ohio as a backdrop. He claimed his jobs bill would create millions of jobs for construction workers, cement and steel manufactures and others connected with the construction industry.

Obama picked this bridge for political reasons as Speaker of the House Boehner’s district is in Cincinnati and Minority Leader McConnell is from Kentucky. He made one on Obamaesque speeches about shovel-ready jobs and how we needed to pass his phony jobs NOW! It appears that while focusing on his reelection and putting down his Republican opponents he or his White House staff picked the wrong bridge. The problem is that the bridge is in fine condition, according to The Los Angeles Times:

“It's the Brent Spence Bridge. It doesn't really need repairs. It's got decades of good life left in its steel spans. It's just overloaded. The bridge was built to handle 85,000 cars and trucks a day, which seemed like a lot back during construction in the Nixon era.

Today, the bridge sort of handles more than 150,000 vehicles a day with frequent jam-ups.

So, plans are not to repair or replace the Brent Spence Bridge. But to build another bridge nearby to ease the loads.

But here's the problem, as John Merline graphically notes here, that could screw up all those envisioned photo op shots of the Democrat and the traffic:

The president's jobs bill is designed for "immediate" highway spending.

And the new $2.3 billion Cincy bridge is not scheduled to even start construction for probably four years, long after Republicans have scheduled the Obama presidency for completion.

And without delays, it wouldn't be finished until 2022, when no one will be counting Obama's rounds of golf.

Politicians hate these kinds of messy distractions when they pick a place to make a symbolic statement. But Brent Spence was so tempting linking, as it does, the home states of GOP House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.”

“The Brent Spence Bridge is technically not a shovel-ready project,” Geoff Davis (R-Ky.) told Fox News:

"President says the stimulus bill will rebuild 'this bridge.' Someone missed the front page of the (Cincinnati) paper," tweeted McConnell spokesman Don Stewart. He was referring to the front page of The Cincinnati Enquirer, which has several articles suggesting the president's visit and jobs bill would not guarantee repairs to the bridge. One headline called it a "prop."

GOP lawmakers noted the project is at least four years from being shovel-ready. They also questioned why the president was holding his event on the Ohio side since the bridge is owned by Kentucky.

"But I respect his decision in a presidential year to do it on the Cincinnati side of the river considering the Ohio electoral votes," Rep. Geoff Davis, R-Ky., quipped.

Davis and other Republicans acknowledged the importance of the bridge for people traveling between Ohio and Covington, Ky. But they said the stimulus bill won't necessarily help the project along in the near-term.”

The proposed project would need more than $500 million from State and local authorities, on top of the $1.9 billion from the Federal government. Republican leaders have mocked Obama due to the fact that only $90 million has been generated so far, according to the news outlet.

But environmentalists and others are opposed to the bill. Earth Justice said in a statement that the bill would erode Clean Air Act protections against some of the nation's "worst polluters" by stripping restrictions on emissions from cement companies. The group said the bill would encourage the companies "to burn tires, plastics and other wastes without controlling or monitoring the resulting pollution."

“Obama’s stimulus rhetoric fails to span the gap to Realityville,” the Republican National Committee said in a memo concerning the lack of practical planning.

How Obama gets away with these crazy and unfounded statements is beyond me. It seems that the main stream media is just not interested in reporting anything that would make this community organizer look bad. Obama runs about the country making these outrageous claims about jobs, especially green jobs, and it seems as though he gets a one day shot at getting his face on the TV and then moves on to his next mistake. He was wrong about green jobs in Seattle. He was wrong about Solyndra’s solar panels and LightSquared broadband. He is wrong about high speed rail and now he is wrong about bridges and infrastructure. The nest time Obama wants to talk about bridges and roads I suggest he go to his home state of Illinois where the condition of the bridges and infrastructure is deplorable. If you doubt me just take a drive in I-90.

On another note this will probably be my last political blog for a while. Beginning next Saturday my wife and I will be embarking on a 8,000 mile road trip across the United States and Canada. Our trip will begin in Southern California where we will travel north on historic US 395 (the Three Flags Highway) through California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington to the Canadian border. We will then venture east via the Trans-Canada Highway through Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario where we will swing down to the U.S. border in upstate New York. After a brief stop in Syracuse to visit relatives we will continue south to York, Pennsylvania where we will join with the Historic Lincoln Highway.

From York we will travel west along the Lincoln Highway, our first trans-continental highway, through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada to Sacramento, California. From Sacramento we will head for home on I-5 through California’s San Joaquin Valley.

Two years ago we made a westward trip along Historic Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles. It was quite an adventure along the “Mother Road” where we passed through many historic towns and points of interest.

I plan to post a blog everyday as we travel along. I will focus on the terrain, scenery, culture, and historic significance of the route. My main focus, as a highway junkie, will be on the Lincoln Highway. Of course I will take hundreds of geo-tagged photos that I will eventually post to Google Earth. Once we return home I plan to publish several newsletters, as I did with the Route 66 adventure, about the history, significance, and culture of America along the Lincoln Highway.

If you enjoy reading about travel, especially road trips, keep watching my blog. I hope you will be informed and entertained by the blogs and the photos.

The Winners, the Losers and the Also-Rans

My next door neighbors’ two dogs have created more shovel ready jobs than this administration.” — Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson

As I muddled through last night’s Fox News/Google sponsored Republican debate I was having a difficult time picking the winners and losers. There were just too many candidates on the stage to make any real choices as to who I could support. It was more like a Jerry Springer show than a presidential debate.

There are several ways to watch a debate like the one last night. One way is to watch it like an academic giving a grade for debating points and style. If you watch the debate with this in mind I think Mitt Romney scored the most debating points with his style, presence, and ability to give his well-prepared answers. Conversely Rick Perry scored the least points with his confusing responses and weak position on illegal immigration and his willing to allow in-state tuition rates for the children of illegal immigrants. His “you don’t have a heart” statement bombed with the audience and probably most people watching the debate on TV.

Another way to watch the debate is to see which candidate’s philosophy, record and positions most agree with yours. To do this you have to ignore the one line quips and look for the meat in what they say. This is difficult with so many people on the stage and the limited time to respond to the questions posed by the moderators. This is how I watched the debate. With this in mind here is my take on who the winners, losers and also-rans were.

Let’s begin with the apparent front-runner, Mitt Romney. At times, Romney seemed determined to show that he could be as aggressive as anyone in the GOP field. He fired a powerful broadside at Perry over his granting of in-state tuition to illegal residents in Texas, for example. “It’s an argument I just can’t follow,” said Romney. “If you’re a United States citizen from any other of the 49 states, you have to pay $100,000 more. That doesn’t make sense to me. That kind of magnet draws people into this county to get that education, to get that $100,000 break. It makes no sense.”

Romney was, as usual, polished and well groomed. His suit fit well and he listened respectfully to the responses of the other candidates. There were several issues, like abolishing the Department of Education and his support of Arnie Duncan, I did not like. Of all of the candidates on the stage he is the one who could probably beat Obama, but he will be going against a one billion dollar campaign and a sitting president. If the economy remains in the state it is in today Romney may win, if the economy improves Obama wins. Of course his Achilles heel is RomneyCare. This issue is big with the GOP and conservatives, but in the general election I don’t think it will be a big deal.

Rick Perry looked disheveled and unsure in his answers. As I stated above his response on the Texas DREAM act and allowing in-state tuition for illegal immigrants does not wash well with GOP voters, but again it will not be an issue the general election if he can get a better story together to defend it. Perry has to get away from his attacks on Romney and get a better story to tell if he wants to garner the GOP nomination, something I think he will not be able to accomplish. All in all I think Perry lost points last night.

Perry’s performance may disappoint conservatives who wanted to see an improved performance from him. Before the debate, National Review editor and columnist Ramesh Ponnuru had said on MSNBC that Perry needed to step up his game. “In the previous debates Gov. Perry has come across as unprepared. He hasn’t had crisp, convincing responses to predictable lines of attack,” Ponnuru said on MSNBC Thursday. “And I think, not just my colleagues at National Review, but a lot of Republican voters who are interested in electability and like a lot about Gov. Perry’s record, are going to want to see him step up.”

Michelle Bachmann, while demonstrating passion on her support of the Constitution and reducing the size of government, did nothing to improve or decrease her standing with GOP voters. She was stuck on the HPV vaccine thing with Perry and is just not gaining with the voters. She sounds like a broken record with her constant claim of 23 foster children and her ability as a tax attorney. People, while admiring her willingness to take on 23 foster children, do not really care about that issue and are more concerned about her ability to take on Barack Obama’s billion dollar machine.

She didn’t get a lot of time, she was desperate to get her answers in, and they had a tepid reception for the most part. Michele Bachmann’s 15 minutes are over. She really needs to fold her tent. It’s just not going anywhere,

Herman Cain was the most enjoyable candidate to watch.. The audience loved him. Other than his question on Israel, Cain’s answers really were out of the park awesome. He provided the most uplifting moments and the most memorable lines, with substance included. His answers were crisp and his delivery was sharp. He smiled and showed humor in his responses. His 9-9-9 plan makes sense and the audience responded with great rounds of applause. He did not play the “gotcha” game as did Romney, Perry and Santorum. He stuck to his principles and previously stated positions. Of all the candidates on the stage I like Cain the most. My wish is that he could catch on with the rest of the GOP and it would fun to see him go against Obama. Just think, half black against black. How would the African-American community respond to that? I can’t recall who said it but I liked the thought of combining Cain’s philosophy, demure, and business acumen with Gingrich’s knowledge of government and history. It would be awesome.

Rep. Ron Paul got some of the loudest applause early in the evening when he pledged to veto any bill that violated 10th Amendment constraints on big government. I am extremely conflicted with Ron Paul. I know his Libertarian supporters are extremely passionate over his positions on government, taxes, the Federal Reserve and foreign policy. I like his positions on government, taxes, education, immigration, and states’ rights, but I cannot get on board with his foreign policy and isolationist positions. Also he comes across as mean and dictatorial. I just can’t see him catching on with more than his core of loyalists.

Santorum, while having some good answers, did not come across well. He appeared to be mean and frustrated and for the most part he was ignored most of the night. He played gotcha with Perry and Romney and his stance on sex in the military won’t play well in a general election. He seems to want to play on the social issue too much. These issues, while important to some voters like me will just not play a major part in a general election.

Gingrich, as usual, was Gingrich. Always with the big picture answers and promise of a plan. I liked his position on unemployment insurance and business training. Like Paul, Gringirch has is cadre of loyal supporters but is not moving in the polls.

The laugh line of the night went to former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson. Commenting on the Obama administration’s efforts to stimulate the economy, he remarked: “My next door neighbors’ two dogs have created more shovel ready jobs than this administration.” That was about it for the former governor. Oh, he wants a balanced budget, don’t we all.

Jon Huntsman with his yellow tie is still the most liberal of the GOP candidates. When will he, like Bachmann and Johnson, do us a favor and drop out.

This business of having the media attempt to generate “good TV” by constantly trying to figure out how to generate clash between Perry and Romney id getting a bit old. It is not doing the voters well. I don’t care if Bachmann has a problem with Perry’s HPV vaccine program, a program he has admitted he would do differently today. I don’t give a damn what Romney thinks of Perry’s book and what Perry thinks of Romney’s health care bill in Massachusetts. What I want to hear are straight answers to questions we all care about; jobs, the debt, the size of government, our Constitutional rights, the obscene abundance of federal regulations, the wasteful and coercive spending of the departments of education, agriculture, and energy. What are their stances on the pipeline from Alberta to the Gulf of Mexico? What will they do about Iraq and Afghanistan? How will they secure the border and guard against the military buildup in China. These are the answers we are looking for not the Jerry Springer gotcha and sniping sideshow. It’s time for these candidates to get serious and begin skirting the media and talking to the American voters and not each other.

When Losing the Debate Invoke Godwin’s Law

“A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy. While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but when once they lose their virtue then will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or internal invader.” — Samuel Adams

Godwin's law (also known as Godwin's Rule of Nazi Analogies or Godwin's Law of Nazi Analogies) is a humorous observation made by Mike Godwin in 1990 that has become an Internet adage. It states: "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches In other words, Godwin observed that, given enough time, in any online discussion—regardless of topic or scope—someone inevitably criticizes some point made in the discussion by comparing it to beliefs held by Hitler and the Nazis.

Godwin's law is often cited in online discussions as a deterrent against the use of arguments in the widespread Reductio ad Hitlerum form. The rule does not make any statement about whether any particular reference or comparison to Adolf Hitler or the Nazis might be appropriate, but only asserts that the likelihood of such a reference or comparison arising increases as the discussion progresses. In other words people of small minds and without facts to support their position will eventually call their opponents Nazis in hope of discrediting them and thus believing they will win the debate.

A perfect example of Godwin’s Law can be seen in the video shown below.

On Tuesday, the San Antonio Tea Party was part of a panel supported by a local public radio station – 89.1 KSTX. The topic of discussion – the DREAM Act and the problem of illegal immigration. Jonathon Bryant, a Government Studies teacher from John F. Kennedy High School attended the event along with some of his students (who, according to Bryant, may be illegals). Mr. Bryant asked a question of the panel about students that were illegal aliens and what should be done with them. After the president of the group affirmed his support for the laws governing illegal aliens in the schools, Mr. Bryant just couldn’t contain himself. He decided to invoke Godwin’s Law and levy a “Nazi” charge.

Note the smugness of this twenty something teacher as he walks away from the microphone to the cheering of his personal peanut gallery thinking he has won the debate. What a genius he is. This is a government studies teacher. What is this “cool” teacher teaching his class? What nonsense will they learn from this progressive left-wing teacher with an obvious agenda?

This is just one more example of the state of our government schools today. Not only do these union teachers have an agenda they are also mentally challenged.

In another example a 14-year-old honors student in Fort Worth, Texas, was sent to the principal’s office and punished for telling a classmate that he believes homosexuality is wrong. Fox News reported:

“Holly Pope said she was “absolutely stunned” when she received a telephone call from an assistant principal at Western Hills High School informing her that her son, Dakota Ary, had been sent to in-school suspension.

“Dakota is a very well-grounded 14-year-old,” she told Fox News Radio noting that her son is an honors student, plays on the football team and is active in his church youth group. “He’s been in church his whole life and he’s been taught to stand up for what he believes.”

And that’s what got him in trouble.

Dakota was in a German class at the high school when the conversation shifted to religion and homosexuality in Germany. At some point during the conversation, he turned to a friend and said that he was a Christian and “being a homosexual is wrong.”

“It wasn’t directed to anyone except my friend who was sitting behind me,” Dakota told Fox. “I guess [the teacher] heard me. He started yelling. He told me he was going to write me an infraction and send me to the office.”

Dakota was sentenced to one day in-school suspension – and two days of full suspension. His mother was flabbergasted, noting that her son had a spotless record, was an honor student, volunteered at his church and played on the school football team.

Officials at the high school did not return calls for comment. However, the Fort Worth Independent School District issued a statement that read:

“As a matter of course, Fort Worth ISD does not comment on specific employee or student-related issues. Suffice it to say that we are following district policy in our review of the circumstances and any resolution will likewise be in accordance with district policy.”

After a meeting with Pope and her attorney, the school rescinded the two-day suspension so Dakota would be allowed to play in an upcoming football game. Obviously they were fearful of a First Amendment lawsuit along with the adverse publicity it would bring.

“They’ve righted all the wrongs,” said Matt Krause, an attorney with the Liberty Counsel. “This should have no lasting effect on his academic or personal record going forward.”

Pope contacted the Liberty Counsel immediately after her son was punished.

“I told the school that he should never have been suspended for exercising his Constitutional rights,” Krause told Fox News Radio. “The principal is sincere in trying to do the right thing and hopefully they will tell the teacher, ‘Do not do that anymore.’ He won’t be pushing his agenda.”

Krause called the incident “mind blowing” and said the teacher had frequently brought homosexuality into ninth grade classroom discussions.

“There has been a history with this teacher in the class regarding homosexual topics,” Krause said. “The teacher had posted a picture of two men kissing on a wall that offended some of the students.”

Krause said the picture was posted on the teacher’s “world wall.”

“He told the students this is happening all over the world and you need to accept the fact that homosexuality is just part of our culture now,” Krause said.

The school district would not comment on why a teacher was discussing homosexuality in a ninth grade German class.

“In German class there should be no talk of being pro-Gay or homosexual topics,” Krause said.

Dakota’s mother said she believes the teacher should apologize.

“He should never have been punished,” Pope said. “He didn’t disrupt the class. He wasn’t threatening. He wasn’t hostile. He made a comment to his friend and the teacher overheard it.”

“My son knows people that are homosexual,” she said. “He’s not saying, ‘I don’t like you.’ He’s saying, ‘I’m a Christian and I believe that being that way is wrong.”

Students don’t lose their first amendment rights just because they go in the schoolhouse door,” Krause said.

Krause said school leaders told Dakota that in the future he should be careful when and where he talks about his opposition to homosexuality – suggesting that he talk about such matters in the hallway instead of the classroom.

He said Liberty Counsel will monitor the situation to make sure there is no future retaliation. Meantime, Pope said her son will return to the teacher’s classroom.

How much of this nonsense are we willing to accept? A union leader introducing the President of the United States at a political rally can call Tea Party members sons of bitches and the President did not blink an eye responding that he is not the “speech police.” Yet Christians and conservatives have to talk in whispers in dark places so as not to be overheard and sanctioned by the thought police. Where was the ACLU, that bastion of civil liberties, in this case? Without Christian-based legal organizations such as Liberty Counsel Dakota Ary would have been deprived of his First Amendment rights by vindictive, homosexual teacher and a weak school board.

The War Against Christians Heats Up

“It is not religion but atheism that requires a Darwinian explanation. It seems perplexing why nature would breed a group of people who see no purpose to life or the universe, indeed whose only moral drive seems to be sneering at their fellow human beings who do have a sense of purpose.” — Dinesh D’Souza

Remember when Rev Terry Jones burned a Quran and the Taliban went crazy by attacking a UN facility in Afghanistan and slaughtering 10 innocent aid workers? Remember the outcry from politicians such as Harry Reid and Lindsey Graham calling for restrictions of free speech. Even General Petraeus imposed similar restrictions on the U.S. Military in Afghanistan? Do you recall the outcry from the Muslim community and its mouthpiece CAIR over the opposition to the proposed mosque at Ground Zero?

There was no such outcry or even a mention in the main stream media when last Saturday a group of atheists tore up pages of the Bible on the Huntington Beach pier in Orange County, California. The Orange County Register posted a video report on its web site and stated:

“Members of a grassroots atheist group say they will tear out pages of the Bible at the Huntington Beach pier Saturday to point out what they say is immorality in the book many Christians base their faith on.”

Over the years, believers and atheists have had their fair share of spats. But, as time progresses, it seems that the tit for tat arguments that often season debates between the two parties are increasing in their ferocity.

Over the weekend, Backyard Skeptics, an atheist group out in Orange County, California, decided to rip apart photocopied pages of the Christian Bible in an effort to rail against the book’s “immoral” teachings. Beliefnet’s Rob Kerby has more:

“[The group] says the demonstration is based loosely on Thomas Jefferson’s Bible – an 86-page book that omits huge chunks of the New Testament, according the Religion News Service. Jefferson’s Bible, which the Smithsonian National Museum of American History is restoring, chronicles Jesus’ life but leaves out the Resurrection and all miracles the Bible says Jesus performed.”

Bruce Gleason, the group’s director, explained the Backyard Skeptics’ opposition to the holy book. “We’re not there to burn the Bible or desecrate,” he said. “But there are plenty verses in the Bible that if you did any of those things today, you’d be thrown in jail immediately.” He continued:

“We want to make this a better world for secular and humanistic values. We don’t believe prayer works. We don’t believe religion adds anything except a sense of false hope.”

In actions that the Washington Post’s Brad Hirschfield called “hypocritical” (after all, these are “free thinkers” who are purposely destroying something they disagree with), these non-believers decided to hold the very public demonstration to showcase their disrespect for Christian scriptures.

To make sure that people would see the event regardless of their location, Backyard Skeptics even aired it live on UStream.com. Below, find a report from an atheist involved in the event as well as some raw footage from the demonstration:

Hirschfield responds to all of this, writing:

“Fanatical atheism is no worse and no better than fanatical religion, though it may be more bitterly ironic. There is something pretty odd, dare I say hypocritical, about a bunch of people who call themselves “freethinkers” and “humanists” not only verbally abusing people of faith, but actually tearing up verses from the Bible as an act of protest.”

And in the Baptist Press, Kelly Boggs discusses the lack of media coverage the event has received:

“If the organization were Christian and ripping pages from the Quran or destroying the book “Heather Has Two Mommies,” it likely would have garnered media attention from sea to shining sea, with the Christians portrayed as insensitive bigots or intolerant censors.”

Considering the negative attention a Florida pastor brought upon himself over his Koran-burning exploits, it‘s a wonder this hasn’t warranted more media scrutiny.

In another related example and Orange County couple was fined $300 for hosting Bible study groups in their San Juan Capistrano home and could face another $500 files if they continue. (It should be noted that San Juan Capistrano is home to the second oldest mission in California.)

City officials in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. say Chuck and Stephanie Fromm are in violation of municipal code 9-3.301, which prohibits “religious, fraternal or non-profit” organizations in residential neighborhoods without a permit. Stephanie hosts a Wednesday Bible study that draws about 20 attendees, and Chuck holds a Sunday service that gets about 50.

The Fromms appealed their citations but were denied and warned future sessions would carry heftier penalties. A statement from the Pacific Justice Institute, which is defending the couple in a lawsuit against the city, said Chuck Fromm was also told regular gatherings of three or more people require a conditional use permit, which can be costly and difficult to obtain as it requires a costly environmental impact statement.

“How dare they tell us we can’t have whatever we want in our home,” Stephanie Fromm told the Capistrano Dispatch. “We want to be able to use our home. We’ve paid a lot and invested a lot in our home and backyard I should be able to be hospitable in my home.”

According to the Dispatch, the Fromms live in a neighborhood with large homes and have a corral, barn, pool and huge back lawn on their property, so parking and noise aren’t a problem.

“There’s no singing or music,” Stephanie said. “It’s meditative.”

The Dispatch reported a code-enforcement officer gave the Fromms a verbal warning about the meetings in May, then returned to issue citations in June and July. According to the paper, the city’s code-enforcement department is reactive, meaning they only respond to complaints.

I am sure if the Fromms hosted a pool party with 20 attendees there would be no visit from the code enforcement people.

In my third example I go to a case in Virginia where the ACLU has filed suit against a high school for posting the Ten Commandments as a historical document.

Earlier this year, the American Civil Liberties Union defended students’ right to post the Ten Commandments to their lockers — and The Atlantic smugly said that proved “the right’s antipathy toward the organization is misplaced.” But the ACLU still fails to see that the Ten Commandments might have a legitimate educational purpose in schools, that it might make sense to display the biblical legal code as a part of the history of Western civilization. The organization recently sued Narrows High School in Giles County, Va., for featuring the Ten Commandments next to other historical documents like the Declaration of Independence, the Magna Carta and the Mayflower Compact. As the blog of The Manhattan Declaration explains, it would seem ACLU barely has a case.

“Claiming that a display of the Ten Commandments “promote a specific religious faith, but do not support a secular purpose,” the ACLU argument is weak on both counts. ACLU’s first argument, based on The Establishment Clause of the US Constitution, fails because the Establishment Clause merely states:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, nor the free exercise thereof.

Somewhere along the line, this tiny phrase has been joined together with a private letter to a group of Baptist preachers, and now the ACLU is claiming that the mere posting of the Ten Commandments is the “establishment of a religion”. This line of thinking ignores the first tenet of interpreting law that the original intent of the law must be scrutinized and maintained. Anyone who has ever studied history and is even remotely aware of why the Colonies chose to unite and rebel against the most powerful nation in the world, could not even begin to make the leap that the forced acceptance of the king’s church is anywhere near the same thing as the mere posting of the Ten Commandments.

ACLU also argues that posting the Ten Commandments fails to promote a “secular purpose.” This is interesting in light of the rise in plagiarism, cheating on test scores and school violence. It would seem that a reminder to students of how to stay out trouble would certainly serve a “secular purpose.”

I question the efficacy of ignoring history. Nor do I think a school should have to display every moral, religious or legal code side by side to ensure it doesn’t inadvertently endorse the Ten Commandments over any other such code. Schools have limited display space, and, in fact, certain codes disproportionately influenced different cultures. It makes perfect sense for a school to focus on the history of the civilization and culture in which the school exists.

On some level, I can’t help but think the ACLU’s repeated protests of the Ten Commandments lend them special credence. By its objections, the organization implicitly acknowledges the compelling nature of the simple, time-tested formulations of right behavior.

At almost a daily rate there are reports of attacks by the courts and government policies against Christians. Christians are berated in the media for their beliefs on abortion and called right-wing fundamentalist. Christians are called stupid and mocked for their beliefs in Creationism. Christians are prohibited from demonstrating their traditions in the public square and public buildings. Christmas trees are and nativity scenes are banned in most municipalities. Christmas Carols are prohibited in public school Christmas pageants. Even the name Christmas has been stricken and replaced with holiday or winter celebration. To wish someone a Merry Christmas or exchange a Christmas card in a public school is an offense that can draw a suspension yet the same schools will allow celebrations of Ramadan and Christians will keep their mouths shut out of a sense of tolerance

No such attacks are permitted against Islam or even radical Islam. Even when talking about the attacks of 9-11 no mention is made of those who perpetrated the attacks.

Even Jews draw a pass in the media. When Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA 30) make a remark that the Jews are only protecting their wealth in regards to a recent Democratic defeat in New York’s 9^th district, a heavily Jewish district, he draws no comment in the media for his blatantly anti-Semitic comment. It was Adolph Hitler who blamed Jewish wealth for Germany’s problems in the 1930s before he and his Nazi cohorts began confiscating that wealth and ultimately exterminating those Jews. Yet Waxman draws no criticism in the main stream media.

It is only the Christians who draw the fire of the media and the government. They are told to hide in the corner and keep their mouths shut. So what do these “militant” Christians do? They turn the other check as Jesus Christ commanded and pray for forgiveness for their detractors — a truly Christian thing to do.