Sound like OU, but its in South Korea

The South Korea government is beginning to realize why there is such a vigorous anti-U.S., pro-North Korea movement in a country that was devastated by a North Korean invasion 58 years ago. The reason is that most (OK, 51 percent) of South Korean teenagers know little about the Korean War (1950-53). After all, this was their grand-parents, or great-grand-parents war. The reason for the ignorance is the education system, dominated by leftists who have, over the decades, played down the unprovoked and savage North Korean invasion in 1950.

The South Korean Communist Party was outlawed in 1946, by the American occupation forces, for using violence to try and gain control of South Korea. But the South Korean Communists went underground, and some remained after North Korean forces were driven out in late 1950. After the war, North Korea sent agents and money south to keep leftist organizations going. Suppressing the bad memories of the Korean war (the North Koreans were exceptionally brutal, ask any South Korean over 70) was a typical communist Information War ploy, and it has paid big dividends by creating a generation of teenagers who can be convinced that the Korean War was all the fault of the United States (who had withdrawn its troops just before the North Koreans invaded, and that was not a coincidence.) After the Cold War ended, the Russian archives were opened a bit and it was revealed that the Soviets had convinced the North Koreans that the Americans would not defend South Korea. When that didn't work out, the Russians talked the Chinese to come in and keep the UN forces from taking control of North Korea. That operation cost the Chinese half a million dead, and a grudge against the Russians that led to decades of bad feelings. But the South Korean educational system has managed to purge most of this from the curriculum, or downplay the teaching of it in the classroom.

The Big Lie technique not only lives, it thrives, and you can see it happening in South Korea.

JSTARS Forever

The U.S. is spending about $95 million on each of the 18 E8-C Joint JSTARS radar aircraft operated by Air Force Reservists and the Air National Guard. This will include new engines, an Internet-like communications capability, long range optical sensors (like that on combat aircraft targeting pods) and the ability to search water surfaces.

The E8 is a militarized Boeing 707 (a 1950s design, also used for the KC-135 aerial tanker and other U.S. Air Force electronics warfare aircraft). The main capability is the JSTARS ground search radar. This system has two modes; wide area (showing a 25 by 20 kilometer area) and detailed (4,000 by 5,000 meters). The radar can see out to several hundred kilometers and each screen full of information could be saved and brought back later to compare to another view (to see what has moved). In this manner, operators can track the movement of ground vehicles, or ships. Operators can also use the detail mode to pick out specific details of what's going on down there, like tracking the movement of many small missile boats trying to rush an American warship. JSTARS can stay up there for over 12 hours at a time, and two or more JSTARS can operate in shifts to provide 24/7 coverage.

The Air National Guard aircraft can be kept in service another 40 years, although they may be replaced by cheaper, unmanned, aircraft before then. JSTARS first proved its worth during the 1991 Gulf War, where it accurately, and in real time, tracked the movement of Coalition and Iraqi ground forces.

Iran, Will somebody attack us. Please !

The Iranian leadership is desperate to have someone invade their country, or make some kind of spectacular attack.

The reason is simple, years of stealing oil revenue is catching up with the larcenous clerics who have been running the country since the 1980s.

It was the Iraqi invasion of 1980 that enabled the clerics to seize power, and enact a constitution that made the clergy the final word on what was legal, and what was not, forever. In effect, this created a religious dictatorship. People being what they are, it wasn't long before the clerics began helping themselves to the oil money.

It wasn't just the clerics, there were plenty of the faithful with useful skills that had to be paid off as well. The problem was, this was not a secret. Give a guy a pile of cash and one of the first things he does is build a big house. It soon became apparent that most of the big houses were for clerics and their minions.

In the last few years, the theft has grown, and so have the number of luxury homes in the outskirts of Iran's major cities. But so much money was being diverted (we're talking billions of dollars a month, tens of billions in some months), that there wasn't much left to build homes for anyone else, or invest in businesses that would provide jobs for young Iranians. Except, of course, for the children of the clerics. You can always tell who they are, riding around in late model cars, often accompanied by an SUV full of bodyguards. There has been some violence against these spoiled "princes", and measures have been taken to prevent the angry poor from getting out of hand.

The bodyguards are often poor, but pious, kids from the country. Lots of villages out are still out there where everything, including religious beliefs, are old school. Iran's rulers have recruited the most religious Iranians to staff the secret police and the Revolutionary Guards (which mainly guards against any disloyalty in the armed forces, or any other dangerous group of Iranians.) About twenty percent of the population is still pretty religious, and willing to look the other way (when it comes to corruption) in return for a good paycheck and some slick sermons. Everyone else can rely on stealing, begging and prostitution.

But the clerical dictatorship realizes the clock is ticking. With so many of the people against them, and evidence of the corruption so obvious, something else is needed. Something like an American invasion, which would instantly tap into latent nationalism and rally the people behind the dictators. But the U.S. isn't cooperating. A poor second would be an attack by Israel. That would be embarrassing, given all the negative propaganda Iran generates against Israel (and how it will be destroyed and so on.) Of course, an Israeli strike against Iranian nuclear weapons facilities can be blamed on the Americans, but that doesn't really have the same impact as U.S. tanks crossing the Iranian border and moving towards the capital.

So, for the moment, the corrupt clergy can only steal, and hope.

American Minute - Jun. 30 - First European Settlement in North America

American Minute
with Bill Federer

The first settlement in North America was Fort Caroline at St. John's River in Florida, founded by French Christians known as Huguenots.

On JUNE 30, 1564, they set a day of Thanksgiving and offered the first Protestant prayer in North America:

"We sang a psalm of Thanksgiving unto God, beseeching Him that it would please Him to continue His accustomed goodness towards us."

Rep. Charles E. Bennett sponsored a bill, September 21, 1950, establishing the Fort Caroline National Memorial.

In 1989, Rep. Bennett recited the history:

"The 425th anniversary of the beginning settlements by Europeans...renamed from Fort Caroline to San Mateo, to San Nicolas, to Cowford and finally to Jacksonville in 1822...

Three small ships carrying 300 Frenchmen led by Rene de Laudonniere anchored in the river known today as the St. Johns."

Charles Bennett continued:

"On June 30, 1564, construction of a triangular-shaped fort...was begun with the help of a local tribe of Timucuan Indians...

Home for this hardy group of Huguenots...their strong religious...motivations inspired them."

Rep. Bennett related the colony's end:

"Fort Caroline existed but for a short time...Spain...captured...the fort and...slaughtered most of its inhabitants in September of 1565."

JOHN McCAIN TOWN HALL FAKE POLLS DEMOCRATS CAUSE RECESSION

Hat Tip to my buddy Michael aka ConservativeVoiceUSAHILLARY SUPPORTER DEMOCRATS STOLE NOMINATION FROM HILLARY

Seal

American Minute - Jun. 29 - Henry Clay - Speaker of the House

American Minute
with Bill Federer

"I would rather be right than President," stated Henry Clay, who died JUNE 29, 1852.

The son of a Baptist minister, Henry Clay was elected Speaker of the U.S. House 6 times, serving in Congress over 40 years with Daniel Webster and John Calhoun.

The State of Kentucky placed Henry Clay's statue in the U.S. Capitol's Statuary Hall.

Struggling to hold the Union together prior to the Civil War, Henry Clay stated in 1829 to the Kentucky Colonization Society in Frankfort:

"Eighteen hundred years have rolled away since the Son of God...offered Himself...for the salvation of our species...

When we shall...be translated from this into another form of existence...we shall behold the common Father of the whites and blacks, the great Ruler of the Universe."

In an obituary address upon his death, Representative John C. Breckinridge recalled Henry Clay as saying:

"The vanity of the world, and its insufficiency to satisfy the soul of man, has been long a settled conviction of my mind.

Man's inability to secure by his own merits the approbation of God, I feel to be true."

Henry Clay concluded:

"I trust in the atonement of the Saviour of mercy, as the ground of my acceptance and of my hope of salvation."

American Minute - Jun. 28 - Ben Franklin at the Constitutional Convention

American Minute
with Bill Federer

The Constitutional Convention was in a deadlock over how large and small states could be represented equally. Some delegates gave up and left.

Then, on JUNE 28, 1787, 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin spoke and shortly after, the U.S. Constitution became a reality.

As recorded by James Madison, Franklin stated:

"Groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights."

Franklin continued:

"In the beginning of the Contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room for Divine protection.

Our prayers, Sir, were heard and they were graciously answered.

All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a Superintending Providence in our favor...

And have we now forgotten that powerful Friend? or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?"

Franklin concluded:

"We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that 'except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it.'...

I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed...no better than the Builders of Babel."

Lawmaker Alarmed by Bond Oversight Appointment

The appointment of former state Sen. Ted Fisher to the Council of Bond Oversight "is an alarming development for anyone who believes in government accountability," state Rep. Mike Reynolds warned today.

"To put it mildly, Senator Fisher has an extremely weak record when it comes to ensuring tax dollars are not wasted or funneled to questionable business transactions," said Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City.

"Thanks to former Senator Fisher's actions, Oklahoma taxpayers were fleeced out of millions of dollars through a tax credit scheme."

During his time in the state Senate, Fisher (D-Sapulpa) authored the Small Business Capital Formation Incentive Act and the Rural Venture Capital Formation Incentive Act. Supporters claimed the two programs,
which provided tax credits on money invested in certain projects, would
spur economic development.

In reality, the two programs were massive tax loopholes that drained state coffers without generating new jobs, Reynolds noted.

Under Fisher's legislation, there was no requirement for a person to seek pre-approval of an investment plan to obtain the tax credits. Ultimately, individuals had the ability to borrow money to obtain tax credits whose value actually exceeded the initial loan, allowing recipients to pay off the loan and make a profit solely on the paper transaction. Apparently, some "investors" never spent a dime on any actual projects, yet they still reaped massive financial rewards.

When lawmakers finally closed the Fisher loopholes, it was unclear how much the tax credits would ultimately cost the state, but officials suggested several hundred million dollars in credits had already been issued, according to news reports at the time.

Fisher, who left the state Senate in 2004 due to term limits, has now been appointed to the Council of Bond Oversight.

"I am very concerned that someone with Senator Fisher's track record would now be in charge of a program that involves billions of dollars through the state bond program," Reynolds said. "This makes about as much sense as putting an Enron official in charge of utility regulation."

Real ID imposes big burden on Md.

Real ID imposes big burden on Md.
June 28, 2008

It was disappointing to read the misleading statements by Stewart Baker, assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in his letter "Real ID offers real protection" (June 22).

As a Maryland state legislator who has been working closely with our Motor Vehicles Administration as well as with national state advocacy organizations on driver's licensing issues, I know that the Real ID Act is one of the largest unfunded federal mandates ever imposed on the states.

Furthermore, Real ID is not "simply a set of minimum security standards," as Mr. Baker claims.

The Real ID Act requires states to undertake expensive and substantive changes in the ways they license drivers.


But neither the act nor the federal government's final regulations on its implementation set out data security standards. Instead, they leave it to the states to determine and pay for the yet-unspecified level of security that will be required to protect residents' personal information.

In recent years, Maryland has invested more than $40 million to make our driver's license one of the most secure in the nation.

The Real ID law would force us to throw away that investment by Maryland taxpayers and supplant our existing security system with one that uses less-secure national databases and provides less protection of drivers' personal information.

Last week, Arizona became the 10th state to opt out of Real ID when Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat, signed a bill passed by a Republican-led legislature.

Next year, I hope that Maryland will act in a bipartisan manner and follows the lead of our sister states that have said no to Real ID.

We can and should provide more secure driver's licenses without the costs and threats to privacy posed by the Real ID law.

Ana Sol Gutierrez

Chevy Chase

The writer represents District 18 in the Maryland House of Delegates.

Iraq Freedom Minute - 25 June 2008

Hoo-ah: Freedom Alliance Sponsors Family Fun Day for Wounded Soldiers at Fort Sill

On June 20, nearly 150 wounded servicemen and their families enjoyed the first ever Warrior Transition Unit Family Fun Day at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Sponsored by Freedom Alliance, this Troop Appreciation event was held at Lake Lectra at Fort Sill for wounded soldiers and those who care for them. Freedom Alliance provided food and entertainment including a dunk tank, moon bounce, face painting, miniature golf, paddle boats, and horseshoes.

"It is our honor," commented Freedom Alliance President Tom Kilgannon, "to sponsor this Family Fun Day as a way to show our support and appreciation for those who serve and sacrifice for our country. The families of our service members make great sacrifices as well and we want to do what we can to show our appreciation to our military families and help our wounded warriors in their recuperation."

The WTU provides transition assistance with the mission of overseeing the health, welfare, and morale of Warriors receiving medical care at Fort Sill. While most of the recovering soldiers in the care of the WTU are from the National Guard, there are others who were stationed in Germany and Puerto Rico.

The Troop Appreciation event at Fort Sill was one of twenty-three similar events held by Freedom Alliance so far this year, in support of our troops. Freedom Alliance has hosted Troop Appreciation Dinners for servicemen and women at Fort Campbell in Kentucky; Fort Bliss in Texas; Fort Carson in Colorado; Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas; McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey; Fort Bragg in North Carolina, among others.

In addition to hosting Troop Appreciation Dinners, Freedom Alliance distributes "Gifts from Home" care packages to military personnel deployed overseas and provides scholarships to children of military heroes, among other programs. For more information please visit www.FreedomAlliance.org.

The mission of Freedom Alliance is to advance the American heritage of freedom by honoring and encouraging military service, defending the sovereignty of the United States and promoting a strong national defense.

Hoo-ah: No Cure For The Arab Curse?

In East Baghdad, and Shia cities throughout the south, the Mahdi Army is no more. The Iran supported group was taken apart by government security forces during the last two months. All that's left of radical cleric Muqtada al Sadr's private army are a few hundred die hard members who are, for the moment, keeping their heads down. And for good reason. While appreciated in 2006 -7 for keeping Sunni Arab terrorists out of Shia neighborhoods, the Mahdi Army quickly evolved into a collection of self-serving thugs. Once civilians realized that the army and police were stronger, and moving in to stay, the cell phones came out and the police were buried in tips about Mahdi Army safe houses and arms caches. Sadr has been hiding out in Iran through all this.

Sunni Arab terrorist diehards are undergoing the same experience up north, but with more violence. Around Mosul, U.S. Special Forces ODA's, which have been chasing al Qaeda leaders for years, are having enormous success. The surge offensive drove many al Qaeda, and Iraqi Sunni Arab terrorist leaders to the Mosul area, where a spectacular last stand was supposed to give the terrorists a badly needed victory. Didn't work out that way, and now the terrorist leaders are either hunkering down, or running for the border. Either way, they are getting caught. The combination of wide spread cell phone availability, and anti-terrorist Iraqis, is giving the police and Special Forces the tips they need.

The downside of all this is that U.S. troops are now regularly travelling to areas, long been labeled "extremely hostile", they have never been in before. While those Sunni Arab towns are generally considered safe and well policed for Iraqis, there are still scattered groups of terrorists about, capable of pulling off an impromptu ambush or suicide bombing against foreigners. The terrorists are also using more women as bombers, there having been an outbreak of Islamic feminism on the Internet, where the women demanded that they be allowed to participate and die for the cause. Since women suicide bombers have been, and still are, quite rare, their chances of evading security are better. The overall result of this new freedom-of-movement is a near doubling of American combat deaths (from the record low last month of 19).

Several terrorist groups are trying to negotiate some kind of amnesty deal, using kidnapping victims as trade bait. These hostages have, in some cases, been held for a long time. The most prominent of these, five British citizens, have been captives for a year (as terrorists demanded the release of nine pro-Iran killers). This has put the government in a difficult position, as hundreds of Iraqis are being held (some may actually be dead, but even getting "proof-of-life" requires giving the kidnappers something.) While most Iraqis want the hostages released, they also do not want to reward the terrorists.

The defeat of the major terrorist organizations is bringing the spotlight back to Iraq (and the Arab worlds) primary problem; corruption. With reconstruction money and police pouring into Sunni Arab towns for the first time in seven years, there's been some culture shock. The Sunni Arabs have long been accustomed to the old rules (which Saddam Hussein exploited artfully) whereby local strongmen were paid off, and then these tough guys did whatever it took (murder, kidnapping, mutilation, etc) to keep the locals quiet. The new Shia government is trying (with mixed success) to get away from the old ways. It isn't easy. Centuries of tradition don't willingly change overnight. There will be more violence, as corrupt locals decide old school customs are worth killing for. Actually, they always have been, which is why most Arab nations are police states, where murder, or the threat of it, is the final arbiter of disputes with the government. Meanwhile, reconstruction efforts are delayed, or derailed, by rampant theft, lies and deception supplied by local officials.

U.S. troops are back to their pre-surge strength of 15 brigades, although troop strength is a little higher (142,000 versus 135,000) because some additional support units are still around. The surge offensive that began in early 2007 has reduced Iraqi civilian casualties by 80 percent and lowered violence against U.S. troops to 2004 levels. But a lot of this security is held together by U.S. troops, who still advise and assist Iraqi troops and police. U.S. Commanders believe that it's only a matter of time before all Iraqi units are capable of doing their jobs on their own, but for now only about ten percent of Iraqi police and military units are in that category. It may take 5-10 years to get everyone able to operate on their own. Meanwhile, ten of Iraq's 18 provinces have their security provided by Iraqi security forces, with Iraqis in charge (and U.S. forces just on call.)

Hoo-ah: Terrill to be Keynote Speaker for Moore 4th of July Veterans’ Event

State Rep. Randy Terrill will be the keynote speaker at a July 4th event held at the Moore Veterans Memorial at the southeast corner of 4th Street and Bryant Ave.

“As we observe the anniversary of our nation’s founding, it is appropriate that we also recognize the sacrifices of the men and women who have kept our nation free,” said Terrill, R-Moore. “I am both honored and excited by this opportunity.”

“While this is an American Legion ceremony, I’d encourage anyone who appreciates the sacrifices of our veterans to attend,” said Preston Simms, commander for American Legion Post 184. “This memorial honors all veterans and we’d love to see our fellow Moore citizens show up in force.”

This is the first Fourth of July ceremony conducted at the memorial since it was completed in August 2007.

Terrill, who chairs the House Revenue and Taxation Subcommittee, has led the charge to create new tax breaks for Oklahoma veterans since Republicans gained control of the Oklahoma House of Representatives in November 2004.

Oklahoma’s benefits for military veterans include the following:

· Up to 75 percent or $10,000 (whichever is greater) in military retirement benefits are now exempt from state income tax.

· 100 percent of service-connected disability benefits are exempt from both federal and state income-tax for most veterans.

· Both active military and veterans receive an ad valorem tax exemption in the amount of $200 of the assessed value of their personal property.
Veterans are also entitled to claim an exemption for the full amount of the fair cash value of their homestead.

· Veterans are exempt from paying motor vehicle excise tax on one vehicle and disabled veterans do not have to pay sales tax on up to $25,000 in purchases each year.

· Sales to the Disabled American Veterans of Oklahoma and their subordinate chapters are also now exempt from sales tax.

· Sales to nonprofit organizations that limit membership to honorable-discharged veterans and provide financial support for the purpose of constructing a memorial or museum are exempt from sales tax.

· Sales to the Oklahoma chapters of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States are exempt from sales tax.

Lawmakers have also voted to honor Oklahoma veterans with special license plates for Congressional Medal of Honor recipients (with no annual registration fee), spouses of veterans killed in action (with only an $8 annual registration fee), veterans who were prisoners of war (at an $8 annual registration fee), the parents of those killed in action (Gold Star license plates), and veterans with at least a 50 percent service-connected disability are entitled to a reduced rate on annual registration and/or a special DAV license plate.

Hoo-ah: Freedom Watch Afghanistan - 26 June 2008

Hoo-ah: Freedom Journal Iraq - 25 June 2008

Hoo-ah: This Week in the Pentagon

Hoo-ah: The Pentagon

Taliban Seek To Regain The Magic

In Afghanistan, the Taliban are trying out a lot of new tactics, trying to find something that works. The recent prison break in Kandahar worked, but partly because the government had been sloppy, and had ignored NATO warnings, over a year ago, about security vulnerabilities in that jail. Two suicide bombers and a few dozen gunmen got nearly a thousand prisoners out of the jail. There's also suspicion that there was some inside help. That, alas, is quite common in Afghanistan.

But elsewhere, the new Taliban ideas have been failures. Shortly after the jail break incident, nearly 500 Taliban rode into a dozen villages south of Kandahar, took control of ten villages, and basically challenged the government to do something about it. The government, and some NATO troops quickly did so, and the Taliban troops were promptly driven out, with about half of them being killed, wounded or captured.

The Taliban have brought over 10,000 gunmen into the country from Pakistan. They have learned to bring most of these guys in as civilians, because the millions of dollars the Taliban are earning by "taxing" the drug gangs, enables them to buy weapons in Afghanistan for their Pakistani recruits. Most of these kids, and a lot of them are teenagers, recruited from religious schools, are pretty green. They have been studying the Koran for the last year or so, not how to move around the hills and fire a weapon. But these youngsters do have religion, and that makes it easy to use them as enforcers for the lifestyle rules the Taliban wants to impose. That means all women are covered up when outdoors, do not work outside the home, and don't go to school. For the men, no barbers, no music, no videos, no booze, no sex before marriage, not much fun at all. Many of these kids only use their guns to bully Afghan civilians. When faced with Afghan or NATO troops, the Pakistanis tend to quickly die, or flee, or both.

Even with all this effort, the overall casualty rate so far this year has been less than half what it was last year. The Taliban are active this year, but so more it's mostly smoke, and not a lot of fire. It's the NATO and government forces that are on the offensive this year, and the Taliban is desperate to change this embarrassing state of affairs.

American Minute - Jun 27 - Helen Keller

American Minute
with Bill Federer

Helen Keller was born JUNE 27, 1880.

At the age of two she suffered an illness that left her blind and deaf.

Her parents took her to Dr. Alexander Graham Bell who recommended the Perkins Institute for the Blind in Boston. There, at age of 7, Helen was tutored by Anne Sullivan through the sense of touch.

Eventually Helen Keller learned to read Braille and began attending Radcliffe College, where Anne Sullivan interpreted lectures.

Helen became concerned about all the blind, especially those blinded in war or by poor working conditions.

She received numerous international honors for her efforts.

Helen Keller learned to type on a Braille typewriter and wrote many books between 1903 and 1941, including: The Story of My Life, Optimism, The World I Live In, The Song of the Stone Wall, Out of the Dark, My Religion, Midstream, Let Us Have Faith, and The Open Door.

Helen Keller stated:

"The Bible is one mighty representative of the whole spiritual life of humanity."

Helen Keller wrote:

"I thank God for my handicaps, for, through them, I have found myself, my work, and my God."

Helen Keller concluded:

"Four things to learn in life: To think clearly without hurry...To love everybody sincerely...To act in everything with the highest motives...To trust God unhesitatingly."

Mexican Army Members Busted for Home Invasion and Murder -- in Phoenix?

Police Report: Mexican Army Members
Busted for Home Invasion and Murder

The suspects may have been hired by drug cartels to perform home invasions and assassinations in the U.S.

Police reports show that three men arrested in a Phoenix home invasion and homicide Monday may have been active members of the Mexican Army.

While on the J.D. Hayworth show, Phoenix Law Enforcement Association President Mark Spencer said that the men involved were hired by drug cartels to perform home invasions and assassinations.

The Monday morning incident at 8329 W. Cypress St. resulted in the death of the homeowner. Between 50 and 100 rounds were fired at the house.

Spencer said a police officer told him that one of the men captured said they were completely prepared to ambush Phoenix police, but ran out of ammunition.

He added that all were all dressed in military tactical gear and were armed with AR-15 assault rifles. Three other men involved in the invasion escaped.

However, Phoenix Police have not confirmed the men were Mexican Army members.

Sgt. Joel Tranter said one suspect revealed that he had "prior military training," but "no credible evidence" that any of them were active in the military.

View Police Documents:
Page 1
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Click Here to listen to Sgt. Tranter with KFYI reporter Bob Bennett and Mark Spencer's entire interview on the J.D. Hayworth show.

SECOND AMENDMENT LIVES...

The Supreme Court says Americans have a right to own guns for self-defense and hunting, the justices' first definitive pronouncement on gun rights in U.S. history.

Answering a 127-year old constitutional question, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to have a gun, at least in one’s home. The Court, splitting 5-4, struck down a District of Columbia ban on handgun possession.

Justice Antonin Scalia’s opinion for the majority stressed that the Court was not casting doubt on long-standing bans on gun possession by felons or the mentally retarded, or laws barring guns from schools or government buildings, or laws putting conditions on gun sales.

In District of Columbia v. Heller (07-290), the Court nullified two provisions of the city of Washington’s strict 1976 gun control law: a flat ban on possessing a gun in one’s home, and a requirement that any gun — except one kept at a business — must be unloaded and disassembled or have a trigger lock in place. The Court said it was not passing on a part of the law requiring that guns be licensed.

China Deploys Bomber Coverage Of Korea And Taiwan From Shandong Peninsula

The JH-7A fighter-bombers of China's No. 5 Attacker Division deployed on the Shandong Peninsula theoretically could cover all the U.S. military bases in Korea and the Taiwan Strait.

They also could receive aerial support from the J-11 fighters deployed at the No. 19 Fighter Division at Jining in southwestern Shandong. Jining has the best military airport on the peninsula, where huge underground aircraft hangars and first-line maintenance and support facilities have been completed.

By contrast, the No. 12 Fighter Division, armed with J-8II fighters, has been somewhat neglected both in terms of construction at its airport and upgrading of its equipment. In terms of combat missions assigned to the two fighter divisions in this region, the No. 12 Division probably would be responsible for territorial air defense, while the No. 19 Division would be engaged in out-line operations along with the No. 5 Attacker Division.

In line with this trend of development, as well as the experiences of the No. 2 and No. 3 Fighter Divisions, the No. 19 Fighter Division may very likely receive more advanced combat aircraft in the future.

The Navy Aviation Force No. 5 Division also has been strengthened. This division is now equipped with new-generation J-8F fighters. The electronic reconnaissance and intelligence collection capabilities of the Navy Aviation Units under the People's Liberation Army's navy North Fleet have been fully enhanced over the years.

In recent years, there have been quite a number of occasions on which U.S. or Japanese fighters have intercepted Y-8 serial high-tech electronic reconnaissance and maritime patrol aircraft in the airspace above the East China Sea. The key base of the Y-8 serial reconnaissance aircraft is Laiyang, in the middle of the peninsula, the home base of the Independent Reconnaissance Regiment of the North Sea Fleet.

By extensively reinforcing the air force units stationed in Shandong, the PLA has naturally upgraded its air defense posture. The Shandong Peninsula has become another key area for the deployment of S-300 or HQ-9 surface-to-air missiles. So far, two S-300 or HQ-9 SAM positions have been located, currently under construction in Shandong. One is at a location close to Qingdao, which obviously is intended to provide protection for the headquarters of the North Sea Fleet and the No. 1 Nuclear Submarine Flotilla.

The other SAM position is located at Penglai, in northeastern Shandong. It is likely that the purpose of deploying S-300s or HQ-9s in this region is to provide protection for the nuclear power stations that are now in the planning stages. Shandong is planning to construct three nuclear power stations along 120 kilometers (about 75 miles) of coastline connecting three major cities -- Qindao, Yantai and Weihai.

Of course, reinforcing air defense on the Shandong Peninsula will also enhance Beijing's air defense posture. Some of the U.S. Air Force units stationed in Korea and Japan would have to cross the Shandong Peninsula in order to attack Beijing. The above two S-300 or HQ-9 SAM positions, both currently under construction, very likely will be put into use after receiving S-300PMU2 air defense systems.

Reinforcing Shandong's air defense naturally will give nearby Henan province an effective air defense shield as well. Henan is the key strategic base of the PLA Second Artillery Force, with the mission of exerting strategic nuclear deterrence against the United States.

Also, an unconfirmed source says that a DF-31 long-range strategic missile (ICBM) brigade of the No. 52 Group Army is based at Laiwu in central Shandong province. China's immense efforts to reinforce Shandong's long-range air defense system seem to have special significance.

Hoo-ah: Afghanistan Becomes The Most Dangerous Place...for the Bad Guys LOL

Last month, two trends collided. It's now more dangerous for U.S. (and NATO) troops to be in Afghanistan, compared to Iraq.

In May, U.S. troops suffered 19 dead in Iraq. On an annualized basis, that's 1.6 troops per thousand (per year). Still dangerous, but not particularly scary.

In Afghanistan, U.S. and NATO troops suffered 29 dead in May. On an annualized basis, that's 5 troops per thousand (per year). There are about twice as many foreign troops in Iraq compared to Afghanistan. If the trends continue, this year will see Afghanistan being 2-3 times as dangerous for foreign troops, compared to Iraq.

Violence in Afghanistan is actually running at about half the level of last year, but NATO and Afghan troops are operating more aggressively this year. Unlike the past two years, there was no big "Taliban Spring Offensive" this year. Instead, government and foreign troops are attacking Taliban and drug gang control of parts of southern Afghanistan (where most of the world's terrorism currently comes from.)

It's a different kind of war in Afghanistan, with the enemy taking higher losses than their Iraqi counterparts. Al Qaeda has shifted its operations to Pakistan and Afghanistan, and is using the same tactics that caused it to be defeated in Iraq.

Yes, it sounds idiotic. But these are the same people who believe they get 72 virgins (to abuse for eternity) when they are killed in combat, and seriously believe that if they keep fighting long enough, the world will become one big Islamic religious dictatorship, where women will live very restricted lives and all the men will wear beards. If it weren't for all the innocents these maniacs kill, it would be comic. But they do, and it isn't.

American Minute - Jun. 26 - United Nations Charter signed

American Minute
with Bill Federer

The United Nations Charter was signed JUNE 26, 1945, by 51 member nations.

Two months earlier, President Truman addressed the delegates:

"At no time in history has there been a more important Conference than this one in San Francisco which you are opening today...

As we are about to undertake our heavy duties, we beseech our Almighty God to guide us in the building of a permanent monument to those who gave their lives that this moment might come."

In 1953, President Eisenhower addressed the UN:

"The whole book of history reveals mankind's never-ending quest for peace and mankind's God-given capacity to build."

As UN actions began opposing the United States, former President Herbert Hoover told the American Newspaper Publishers Association in 1959:

"I suggest that the United Nations be reorganized...with those peoples who disavow communism, who stand for morals and religion, and who love freedom...

What the world needs today is a definite, spiritual mobilization of the nations who believe in God against this tide of Red agnosticism."

Hoover ended:

"It is a proposal for moral and spiritual cooperation of God-fearing free nations...rejecting an atheistic other world."

We're Mad as Heck and We're Getting Involved!

Hat Tip to Jeanie @ Jeanie's Journey

Well we headed to our first Town Hall Meeting this evening with our State Representatives Randy Terrill, Paul Wesselhoft of District 54 and our Fabulous State Senator Anthony Sykes tonight!

Representative Paul Wesslhoft is responsible for writing the bill which effectively forces The Westboro Church wackos a minimum of 500 feet from funerals held within the State of Oklahoma! He also has another feather in his cap in that he wrote a bill designed to keep sex offenders off websites such as MySpace and our own beloved Multiply!

Representative Randy Terrill is the hero of Oklahoma in that he authored our own immigration bill of which we are so proud, making it illegal to rent to or hire illegal immigrants. The bill also prohibits them from obtaining any state documentation such as drivers licenses, etc. He's actively involved in the current law suits and vowed to fight to the Supreme Court if necessary!

All three of these men worked to pass the English as the official state language bill which died recently. I was honored to meet these gentlemen, their wives and children!

And yes, as in the world of Multiply the Liberals were out in force claiming that these bills discriminate against sex offenders and lead to profiling! My hand shot up and I quickly pulled it down! You know how I get so I thought it best to remain quiet. Representative Terrill effectively handled the situations much better than I could have!

I also got to ask the question I've been dying to ask someone for the past few months. How come the Democratic Party has their Headquarters on Main Street, front and center and when I checked on line we have to got up to the city to find the nearest GOP Headquarters! The gentleman in charge asked me "are you a realtor?" Now I've got a mission for my lunch hours! I'm gonna hunt down a building! I got his card and come to find out he's friends with a lady I work with. Now there's just a little something that I CAN do for my country!

We're heading to a fund raiser for Representative Terrill next week? Now where's that idiot who called me a couch potato? Oh yeah, I blocked him!

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT ENERGY SAVER LIGHT BULBS!

American Minute - Jun. 25 - Korean War began, 1950

American Minute
with Bill Federer

The Korean War started JUNE 25, 1950.

Communist North Korea invaded South Korea, killing thousands.

General Douglas MacArthur was given command of the U.N.

Forces and after a daring landing of troops at Inchon, MacArthur recaptured the city of Seoul.

Political involvement prolonged the war, resulting in high casualties.

President Truman stated in his 1952 Christmas Message:

"Our hearts turn first of all to our brave men and women in Korea. They are fighting and suffering and even dying that we may preserve the chance of peace in the world."

Truman continued:

"Let us remember always to try to act...in the spirit of the Prince of Peace. He bore in His heart no hate and no malice - nothing but love for all mankind. We should...follow His example...

As we pray for our men and women in Korea...let us also pray for our enemies...Through Jesus Christ the world will yet be a better and a fairer place."

To the Salvation Army, December 12, 1951, General Douglas MacArthur said:

"History fails to record a single precedent in which nations subject to moral decay have not passed into political and economic decline.

There has been either a spiritual awakening to overcome the moral lapse, or a progressive deterioration leading to ultimate national disaster."

HOO-AH: 19th Special Forces Group Soldiers help local community during flood

"To Liberate the Oppressed," is the motto and primary mission for every U.S. Army Special Forces Soldier.

They spend months training for a mission that could possibly last only hours and work aside foreign forces to fight an enemy that others run from.

On June 7, 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group Soldiers from the West Virginia Army National Guard put aside their elite war-fighting skills to help liberate hundreds of Indiana Hoosiers from a dangerous flood that displaced thousands of residents and killed three.

While traveling to Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center to train on various weapons systems, several advance party team members were separated by dangerous storms that eventually dumped more than 10 inches of rain in a short period of time.

As one half of the team arrived at CAJMTC safely, another was hampered with vehicle problems due to the high waters.

Lead by Staff Sgt. Dan Casey, of Paintsville, Ky., the stranded team was suddenly surrounded by quickly rising flood waters in Columbus, Ind., located 10 miles from their destination.

Armed with years of experience in dangerous, harsh environments, the Kenova, W.V.-based group quickly changed focus and did what every American would do - helped those in need.

With high waters inching to near the 1,000 year flood plain mark and medium tactical vehicles at their immediate disposal, the team that reached CAJMTC decided to head back into the heart of the storm to help their fellow comrades and others in need.

Upon arriving in Columbus, local emergency authorities asked the Soldiers for assistance to aid in rescue efforts.

Although their vehicles were loaded with military equipment for the scheduled three-week training at CAJMTC, Soldiers quickly unloaded the trucks and prepared for rescue operations.

"We had some guys who had some boat experience, and we had a medic," said Lt. Col. H.B. Gilliam of Huntington, W.V., battalion commander. "We started helping rescue people throughout the area we were in."

Hundreds of residents were trapped by rising waters from the nearby, overflowing White River and Princes Lake Dam, their only hope was the small band of Soldiers determined to make a bad situation better.

As the team kicked the rescue operations into high gear, small stories of heroism quickly surfaced throughout the community.

Command Sgt. Major Kevin Harry, of Milton, W.V., the senior enlisted Soldier in the battalion, was credited with saving a woman's life as she was being swept away by raging waters. "I had positioned the boat just enough as to where, when she came up with her hand, I grabbed her hand and secured her to the side of the boat," said Harry.

With local residents out of harm's way, the team knew it was just an ordinary day for the Special Forces Soldiers.

"The best thing was that the local police or state police who knew the area guided the vehicles through the city streets," Casey said about the help they received from local rescue efforts.

"We'll rend aid at anytime possible," he said.

Harry says it was a difficult and trying situation, but the team was in the right place at the right time.

"We were just reacting," Harry said. "We were fortunate and I think that Columbus was fortunate we just happened to have vehicles that could forge some of the water in the areas."

Whether these elite Soldiers are on the front lines fighting terrorists or providing security and safety for hometowns around America, they will accomplish the mission set for them and do it without hesitation.

"I told my men in the beginning, do whatever you can to help them out," said Gilliam.

HOO-ah: The NEW Q School

Seven years of war have brought many changes to the U.S. Army Special Forces SFQC (Special Forces Qualification Course / Q School).

This is the year long process by which Soldiers are turned into Special Forces operators. The major changes are that the trainees going through Robin Sage, are getting more realistic training for the specific part of the world they are going to (usually Iraq or Afghanistan).

Trainees now get their first language training in the SFQC. Previously, you went to language school after SFQC. Many still do, but they already have some working knowledge of the language.

Tactical training is much more realistic, and loud. Before 2005, trainees fired only about a hundred rounds of live ammo during SFQC, now they fire at least 3,400. There's much more tactical training. Much greater use is made of computer simulators and wargames. Most of this stuff didn't exist before 2001. The sims provide more training, more realistically, and in less time. There's more training on cultures, and how to play cultural quirks.

The old training system (which was phased out three years ago) went on for 63 weeks, although there was a lot more time spent waiting around (for aircraft, special equipment, whatever). Now the training is more intense, and there's much less wasted time. The current training is kept as close to real operations as possible.

The new system works. The Special Forces have been able to expand the size of the force. Many believed that would be impossible, if high standards were also maintained.

Currently there are five active duty Special Forces Groups and Two National Guard Special Forces Groups. Each special forces group has a small headquarters unit and three Special Forces battalions. Each Special Forces battalion has a small headquarters (known as a C detachment), three operational companies (known as a B detachment) and one support company. Each operational company has six Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) of twelve men. Total strength of a Special Forces company is 83 men.

Total strength of a Special Forces Group is about 1200 troops, when at full strength. Currently, strength is at 111 percent.

Starting next year, and for each of the next five years, an additional battalion will be added to the current force of fifteen battalions.

Hoo-ah: Arab Nations Unite Against Al Qaeda

Most Arab nations have agreed on a new set of regulations to crack down on terrorist fund raising and money laundering in their countries. Until the recent defeat of al Qaeda in Iraq, it was considered too politically risky to go after wealthy donors to Islamic radical groups. Money laundering was another untouchable area, because corruption was so common, and money laundering was part of that. But "reform" has become increasingly popular in the Arab world over the past few years, and these new counter-terrorism efforts are part of it.

It's no longer fashionable to rejoice whenever a Islamic terrorist bomb goes off in the West, or anywhere else for that matter. Since 2003, most of the al Qaeda violence has been against Arabs, and after a few years of this, public opinion turned on the Islamic terrorists. Public opinion wants these butchers shut down. This means that those who support Islamic radicalism are no longer as tolerated as they used to be.

Another aspect of the crack down on money laundering is the growing popularity of honesty is business and government. Lots of corruption is still tolerated, and many Arabs insist that corruption is "part of the culture." But the money laundering is seen as primarily criminal, a tool largely for gangsters and terrorists.

How successful these new agreements will be remains to be seen. It will be at least a year before one can tell with any certainty.

American Minute - Jun. 24 - Jedediah Smith - Explorer - Santa Fe Trail & Mojave Deser

American Minute
with Bill Federer

His travels were exceeded only by Lewis and Clark.

He led expeditions up the Missouri River, discovered the South Pass through the Rockies and the first land route to California.

He led settlers across the Santa Fe Trail, the Mojave Desert and up the Oregon Coast.

His name was Jedediah Smith, born JUNE 24, 1798.

In a letter to his brother, Ralph, December 24, 1829, Jedediah Smith wrote:

"Many Hostile tribes of Indians inhabit this Space...

In August 1827, ten Men who were in company with me lost their lives by the Amuchabas Indians...in July 1828, fifteen men who were in company with me lost their lives by the Umpquah Indians...Many others have lost their lives in different parts...

My Brother...I have need of your Prayers...to bear me up before the Throne of Grace."

On May 27, 1831, Jedediah Smith was ambushed by Comanches near Sante Fe and killed.

Just four months earlier, January 26, 1831, Jedediah Smith wrote to his brother Ralph in Wayne County, Ohio:

"Some, who have made a profession of Christianity & have by their own negligence caused the Spirit to depart, think their day of grace is over; but where did they find Such doctrine?

I find our Saviour ever entreating & wooing us."

Norman City Council race Controversial flier traced back to Marshall volunteer

Controversial flier traced back to
Marshall volunteer
Ward 2 winner Kovach outspent by 2 to 1 margin

The person who ordered and paid for a controversial flier distributed during the recent Ward 2 Norman City Council race has been identified.

In a June 4 e-mail from City Clerk Brenda Hall to Adam Gleason, a worker in the Chebon Marshall campaign, Hall wrote FedEx Kinko's had confirmed that Gleason had ordered and paid for the flier with a credit at the bottom, "Paid for People Tired of Tom's Lies." The e-mail was obtained through an Open Records Act request by The Transcript.

The target of the flier, Marshall's opponent Tom Kovach, was the winner of the Ward 2 race in a runoff vote May 13. Although most allegations on the flier contained a kernel of truth, many the flier's assertions were pulled out of context and manipulated.

Kovach said he feels like the overall effect of the flier was negative.

"There's some people who were outraged by it and felt like that kind of politics don't belong in Norman," Kovach said. "But I think there were others who didn't get all the facts and probably voted against me. ... It probably did work against me in the whole."

Gleason will be required to file a campaign contribution and expenditure report with the City of Norman, although he missed the June 12 deadline for final City reports.

"It is my understanding that for this to be necessary, a committee must spend a certain amount of money as defined by state law at $500 in an issues campaign and for donors' names to be taken down donations must be in (aggregate) of $25 that were accepted from any source," wrote Gleason back to Hall in an e-mail.

But the City of Norman requires that candidates detail all contributions and expenditures and document them in a report.

Hall said she hopes to have the report before the Norman Enforcement Authority meets July 2 to evaluate any discrepancies in campaign reporting. She said if the form is not filed at that time, the Enforcement Authority could choose to ask the City to prosecute Gleason for not filing the form. Hall said it would likely be a misdemeanor.

She said Marshall denied to her any knowledge of who printed the flier.

Efforts to reach Marshall were unsuccessful.

The City reports indicate Marshall raised and spent more than twice as much as Kovach.

The Kovach campaign raised $10,153, with the Marshall for Norman campaign reporting $22,037 in contributions.

Kovach reported expenditures of $9,274.36 during the campaign.

Expenditures following the initial election period included $300 to Step Brothers for an election night party, $75.25 to Hooper Printing for printing, and $268.13 to the Norman Transcript for a thank you ad.

His in-kind contributions tallied $958.95 after the primary election, with most going for copies and mailing supplies.

Contributions of more than $100 included $500 from June Holyfield; $350 from the State Federation of Oklahoma Stonewall Democrats; $200 from attorneys Lydia Barrett or Richard L. Denney; and $100 from Ben Hayden.

Marshall reported $8,450 in additional contributions after the primary. He spent all $22,037 that he raised during the campaign.

Contributions came from Tracey Bates, $500; Trey Bates, $500; Todd Booze, $500; Vernon McKown, $500; Gene McKown, $500; Judy McKown, $500; Rebecca Adair, $500; Josie Armstrong, $500; Hajeh Farzaneh, $500; Azam Farzaneh, $500; Mohammed Farzaneh, $500; and James Adair, $475.

Other contributions over $25 came from Stanton Nelson, $250; Roy Oliver, $250; Gail Armstrong, $250; Gary Armstrong, $250; Stephen Wyse, $200; Jay Dee Chase, $200; Harold Heiple, $200; Marc Young, $200; Peter Liesenfield, $200; Karen Kuhlman, $150; Steve Williams, $100; Nell Pryor, $50; Steven Corley, $50; Edward Adwon, $50; Jan Cunningham, $50; and Jerry Privett, $25.

Marshall's expenditures after the primary of more than $100 included Scott's Printing for $3,402.19; Norman Transcript, $1,907.87; Norman Transcript, $1,134.38; L.L. James Printing, $663.21; Cingular/ AT--T, $386.09; Legend's Restaurant, $300; Scott's Printing, $236.42; Cingular/AT--T, $208.63; U.S. Postal Service, $168; Wal-Mart, $190; and On the Border, $110.09.

He donated his remaining balance of $59.06 to the Center for Children and Families.

Carol Cole-Frowe 366-3538 ccole@normantranscript.com

American Minute - Jun. 23 - William Penn's Treaty with Chief Tamanend

American Minute
with Bill Federer

Indians along the Delaware River called themselves "Lenape," meaning in Algonquin "the people," and were in three clans: Turtle, Wolf and Turkey.

William Penn, called "Miquon" meaning quill, and Turtle chief Tamanend made a peace treaty JUNE 23, 1683, under an elm tree in what was to be Philadelphia.

The Peace Treaty with the peaceful Quakers lasted 70 years.

In 1697, Tamanend's last message before he died was:

"We and Christians of this river have always had a free roadway to one another, and though sometimes a tree has fallen cross the road, yet we have removed it again and kept the path clear."

During the French & Indian War, the Turkey clan attacked English settlers.

In 1778, Turtle clan chief Gelelemend signed the first Indian treaty with the U.S. Government and later was converted to Christianity by German Moravian missionaries.

The Wolf clan converted, being called Christian Munsee, but were mistakenly confused with hostile Indians and tragically many were killed.

The Lenape Indians fled to Canada, Kansas and Oklahoma, where in 1861, John Henry Killbuck, great-grandson of Chief Gelelemend, was born.

John attended the Moravian Seminary and in 1884 was one of the first Christian missionaries to the Yupik Indians in Alaska.

George Carlin mourned as counterculture hero...

George Carlin, the dean of counterculture comedians whose biting insights on life and language were immortalized in his "Seven Words You Can Never Say On TV" routine, died of heart failure Sunday. He was 71.

Carlin, who had a history of heart trouble, went into St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica on Sunday afternoon complaining of chest pain and died later that evening, said his publicist, Jeff Abraham. He had performed as recently as last weekend at the Orleans Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas.

"He was a genius and I will miss him dearly," Jack Burns, who was the other half of a comedy duo with Carlin in the early 1960s, told The Associated Press.

Carlin's jokes constantly breached the accepted boundaries of comedy and language, particularly with his routine on the "Seven Words" - all of which are taboo on broadcast TV and radio to this day. When he uttered all seven at a show in Milwaukee in 1972, he was arrested on charges of disturbing the peace, freed on $150 bail and exonerated when a Wisconsin judge dismissed the case, saying it was indecent but citing free speech and the lack of any disturbance.

When the words were later played on a New York radio station, they resulted in a 1978 Supreme Court ruling upholding the government's authority to sanction stations for broadcasting offensive language during hours when children might be listening.

"So my name is a footnote in American legal history, which I'm perversely kind of proud of," he told The Associated Press earlier this year.
Despite his reputation as unapologetically irreverent, Carlin was a television staple through the decades, serving as host of the "Saturday Night Live" debut in 1975 - noting on his Web site that he was "loaded on cocaine all week long" - and appearing some 130 times on "The Tonight Show."

He produced 23 comedy albums, 14 HBO specials, three books, a couple of TV shows and appeared in several movies, from his own comedy specials to "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" in 1989 - a testament to his range from cerebral satire and cultural commentary to downright silliness (and sometimes hitting all points in one stroke).

"Why do they lock gas station bathrooms?" he once mused. "Are they afraid someone will clean them?"

He won four Grammy Awards, each for best spoken comedy album, and was nominated for five Emmy awards. On Tuesday, it was announced that Carlin was being awarded the 11th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, which will be presented Nov. 10 in Washington and broadcast on PBS.

Carlin started his career on the traditional nightclub circuit in a coat and tie, pairing with Burns to spoof TV game shows, news and movies. Perhaps in spite of the outlaw soul, "George was fairly conservative when I met him," said Burns, describing himself as the more left-leaning of the two. It was a degree of separation that would reverse when they came upon Lenny Bruce, the original shock comic, in the early '60s.

"We were working in Chicago, and we went to see Lenny, and we were both blown away," Burns said, recalling the moment as the beginning of the end for their collaboration if not their close friendship. "It was an epiphany for George. The comedy we were doing at the time wasn't exactly groundbreaking, and George knew then that he wanted to go in a different direction."

That direction would make Carlin as much a social commentator and philosopher as comedian, a position he would relish through the years.

"The whole problem with this idea of obscenity and indecency, and all of these things - bad language and whatever - it's all caused by one basic thing, and that is: religious superstition," Carlin told the AP in a 2004 interview. "There's an idea that the human body is somehow evil and bad and there are parts of it that are especially evil and bad, and we should be ashamed. Fear, guilt and shame are built into the attitude toward sex and the body. ... It's reflected in these prohibitions and these taboos that we have."

Carlin was born May 12, 1937, and grew up in the Morningside Heights section of Manhattan, raised by a single mother. After dropping out of high school in the ninth grade, he joined the Air Force in 1954. He received three court-martials and numerous disciplinary punishments, according to his official Web site.

While in the Air Force he started working as an off-base disc jockey at a radio station in Shreveport, La., and after receiving a general discharge in 1957, took an announcing job at WEZE in Boston.

"Fired after three months for driving mobile news van to New York to buy pot," his Web site says.

From there he went on to a job on the night shift as a deejay at a radio station in Forth Worth, Texas. Carlin also worked variety of temporary jobs including a carnival organist and a marketing director for a peanut brittle.

In 1960, he left with Burns, a Texas radio buddy, for Hollywood to pursue a nightclub career as comedy team Burns & Carlin. He left with $300, but his first break came just months later when the duo appeared on the Tonight Show with Jack Paar.

Carlin said he hoped to would emulate his childhood hero, Danny Kaye, the kindly, rubber-faced comedian who ruled over the decade that Carlin grew up in - the 1950s - with a clever but gentle humor reflective of its times.

Only problem was, it didn't work for him, and they broke up by 1962.
"I was doing superficial comedy entertaining people who didn't really care: Businessmen, people in nightclubs, conservative people. And I had been doing that for the better part of 10 years when it finally dawned on me that I was in the wrong place doing the wrong things for the wrong people," Carlin reflected recently as he prepared for his 14th HBO special, "It's Bad For Ya."

Eventually Carlin lost the buttoned-up look, favoring the beard, ponytail and all-black attire for which he came to be known.

But even with his decidedly adult-comedy bent, Carlin never lost his childlike sense of mischief, even voicing kid-friendly projects like episodes of the TV show "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends" and the spacey Volkswagen bus Fillmore in the 2006 Pixar hit "Cars."

Carlin's first wife, Brenda, died in 1997. He is survived by wife Sally Wade; daughter Kelly Carlin McCall; son-in-law Bob McCall; brother Patrick Carlin; and sister-in-law Marlene Carlin.

David Boren to hike Tuition 10%

Tuition hikes of nearly 10% will be considered this week for students at the University of Oklahoma, Rogers State University in Claremore and Cameron University in Lawton.

OU regents govern all three schools and will begin their annual retreat in Ardmore tomorrow. They will consider business items from Rogers State and Cameron tomorrow, with OU business set for Wednesday.

Regents will consider raising rates for OU's tuition and mandatory fees by 9.9%. Rogers State students also could face a 9.9% hike, while Cameron officials have requested a 9.4% tuition and fee increase.

Other items on the agenda include potential raises for OU athletic director Joe Castiglione, football coach Bob Stoops, men's basketball coach Jeff Capel, women's basketball coach Sherri Coale, baseball coach Sunny Golloway and softball coach Patty Gasso.

OU President David Boren also is set to receive his annual performance review, during which he could be offered a raise.

American Minute - Jun. 22 - Voting Rights Act

American Minute
with Bill Federer

In Medieval Europe no one voted except the kings.

In colonial America only landowners voted.

After the Revolution, States gradually let those without land vote, but many had religious and literacy tests.

In 1870, the 15th Amendment let former slaves vote.

In 1920, the 19th Amendment let women vote.

In 1924, American Indians could vote in Federal Elections.

In 1961, the 23rd Amendment let District of Columbia residents vote in Federal Elections.

In 1964, the 24th Amendment let vote those who could not pay a poll tax.

In 1965, the Voting Rights Act removed literacy tests.

On JUNE 22, 1970, President Nixon extended the Voting Rights Act to let 18-year-olds vote.

The Supreme Court, in Oregon v Mitchell, limited this right so the 26th Amendment was passed in 1971 to confirm it.

President Nixon stated March 24, 1970:

"In other areas, too, there were long struggles to eliminate discrimination...Property and even religious qualifications for voting persisted well into the 19th century - and not until 1920 were women finally guaranteed the right to vote."

On August 24, 1972, Nixon said:

"For the first time in the 195 year history of this country, men and women 18 to 21 years of age will have the chance to vote."

American Minute - Jun. 21 - U.S. Constitution ratified

American Minute
with Bill Federer

The U.S. Constitution went into effect JUNE 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the 9th state to ratified it.

The 55 writers of the U.S. Constitution consisted of:

26 Episcopalians, 11 Presbyterians, 7 Congregationalists, 2 Lutherans, 2 Dutch Reformed, 2 Methodists, 2 Roman Catholics, 2 Quakers and 1 Deist - Dr. Franklin, who called for prayer during the Constitutional Convention, June 28, 1787:

"I therefore beg leave to move - that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessing on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning."

The Journal of the U.S. House of Representatives, March 27, 1854, recorded the unanimous vote of the 33rd Congress to print Congressman James Meacham's report, which stated:

"At the adoption of the Constitution, we believe every State - certainly 10 of the 13 - provided as regularly for the support of the Church as for the support of the Government...

Down to the Revolution, every colony did sustain religion in some form.

It was deemed peculiarly proper that the religion of liberty should be upheld by a free people."

Congressman Meacham concluded:

"Had the people, during the Revolution, had a suspicion of any attempt to war against Christianity, that Revolution would have been strangled in its cradle."