Category Archives: America

Jefferson condemned slavery in first draft of Declaration of Independence, Greensboro News Record makes no mention, Revisionist history at play

Jefferson condemned slavery in first draft of Declaration of Independence, Greensboro News Record makes no mention, Revisionist history at play

“he has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating it’s most sacred rights of life & liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither. this piratical warfare, the opprobrium of infidel powers, is the warfare of the CHRISTIAN king of Great Britain. determined to keep open a market where MEN should be bought & sold”…Thomas Jefferson, original draft, Declaration of Independence

“I congratulate you, my dear friend, on the law of your state [South Carolina] for suspending the importation of slaves, and for the glory you have justly acquired by endeavoring to prevent it for ever. This abomination must have an end, and there is a superior bench reserved in heaven for those who hasten it.”…Thomas Jefferson

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”…Jesus, John 8:32

Revisionist history is rampant in the US and regular attempts are made to denigrate Thomas Jefferson and the founding fathers.

The following from the Greensboro News Record Friday July 2, 2021 seems to follow that narrative.

“5 surprising facts for July Fourth”

“A deeper dive into the Declaration of Independence”

Americans may think they know a lot about the Declaration of Independence, but many of those ideas are elitist and wrong, as historian Woody Holton explains.

His forthcoming book “Liberty is Sweet: The Hidden History of the American Revolution shows how independence and the Revolutionary War were influenced by women, Indigenous and enslaved people, religious dissenters and other once-overlooked Americans.

In celebration of the United States’ 245th birthday, Holton offers six surprising facts about the nation’s founding document — including that it failed to achieve its most immediate goal and that its meaning has changed from the founding to today.”

“Like the U.S. Constitution, the final version of the Declaration never uses the word “slave.” But African Americans loomed large in the first draft, written by Thomas Jefferson.

In that early draft, Jefferson’s single biggest grievance was that the mother country had first foisted enslaved Africans on white Americans and then attempted to incite them against their patriot owners. In an objection to which he gave 168 words — three times as many as any other complaint — Jefferson said George III had encouraged enslaved Americans “to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, by murdering the people upon whom he also obtruded them.””

https://greensboro.com/news/national/the-declaration-of-independence-wasnt-really-complaining-about-king-george-and-5-other-surprising-facts/article_1841f6ec-e306-5169-8268-4782768caaff.html

Now what Jefferson wrote:

From Citizen Wells July 3, 2019.

Slavery did not begin in the United States or original colonies.

It was an accepted condition of being conquered or bought and sold for thousands of years.

If the dumbed down people who are being used by demagogues want reparations, they should petition their African tribesmen and/or the parties who actively traded for them prior to shipment to the US such as the Portuguese, Arabs, etc.

Slavery did not start here. It ended here at the cost of many lives.

And Thomas Jefferson, who was raised in a world that accepted slavery as the norm, condemned it in his original draft of the Declaration of Independence.

“he has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating it’s most sacred rights of life & liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither. this piratical warfare, the opprobrium of infidel powers, is the warfare of the CHRISTIAN king of Great Britain. determined to keep open a market where MEN should be bought & sold, he has prostituted his negative for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or to restrain this execrable commerce: and that this assemblage of horrors might want no fact of distinguished die, he is now exciting those very people to rise in arms among us, and to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, & murdering the people upon whom he also obtruded them; thus paying off former crimes committed against the liberties of one people, with crimes which he urges them to commit against the lives of another.”

Jefferson’s words are powerful.

More here:

https://citizenwells.com/

http://citizenwells.net/

https://parler.com/profile/Citizenwells/posts

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July 4th and slavery, Founding fathers catalyst for change, All men are created equal paradigm shift, Most blacks enslaved by Africans

July 4th and slavery, Founding fathers catalyst for change, All men are created equal paradigm shift, Most blacks enslaved by Africans

“I congratulate you, my dear friend, on the law of your state [South Carolina] for suspending the importation of slaves, and for the glory you have justly acquired by endeavoring to prevent it for ever. This abomination must have an end, and there is a superior bench reserved in heaven for those who hasten it.”…Thomas Jefferson

“I can only say that there is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do to see a plan adopted for the abolition of slavery.”…George Washington

“Negro Slavery is an evil of colossal magnitude.”...John Adams

 

The Declaration of Independence and the founding of the US was a paradigm shift for humanity.

For all of the existence of mankind, the accepted belief was that if you were conquered, you were subject to murder, rape, pillaging, torture and enslavement.

That was the norm over the entire planet and involving all ethnicities and skin colors.

That includes whites.

Perhaps the most famous white slave was Saint Patrick.

For founders of America to think otherwise took a lot of reflection, soul searching and faith.

Three of the more prominent founding fathers come to mind: Washington, Jefferson and John Adams.

From the Thomas Jefferson original draft of the Declaration of Independence.

“he has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating it’s most sacred rights of life & liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither. this piratical warfare, the opprobrium of infidel powers, is the warfare of the CHRISTIAN king of Great Britain. determined to keep open a market where MEN should be bought & sold, he has prostituted his negative for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or to restrain this execrable commerce: and that this assemblage of horrors might want no fact of distinguished die, he is now exciting those very people to rise in arms among us, and to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, & murdering the people upon whom he also obtruded them; thus paying off former crimes committed against the liberties of one people, with crimes which he urges them to commit against the lives of another.”

https://citizenwells.com/2019/07/03/thomas-jefferson-original-draft-declaration-of-independence-condemns-slavery-king-of-great-britain-determined-to-keep-open-a-market-where-men-should-be-bought-sold/

George Washington’s metamorphosis.

“And as a leader of soldiers, Washington was acutely aware of the importance of black soldiers even as he waffled over the question of their eventual freedom. ”George Washington won the Revolutionary War with an army that was more integrated than any military force until the Vietnam War,” Mr. Wiencek maintains. His book offers evidence that the role of black soldiers under Washington’s command was under-reported simply because it was taken for granted.”

“George Washington’s encounter with black poet Philiss Wheatley.

“In December of 1775, Washington – the newly appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army – received a letter from Wheatley containing an ode written in his honor. The poem illustrates Wheatley’s somewhat surprisingly passionate patriotic sentiment, which factors strongly in much of her poetry. It ends with a stanza reading: “Proceed, great chief, with virtue on thy side, / Thy ev’ry action let the goddess guide. / A crown, a mansion, and a throne that shine, / With gold unfading, WASHINGTON! Be thine.”

Washington responded with a letter expressing his appreciation for Wheatley’s poem. He even considered publishing it but feared people might interpret that action as self-aggrandizing. Not only was this letter the only one Washington is known to have written to a former slave, but he addressed Wheatley as “Miss Phillis” and signed off as “Your obed[ien]t humble servant,”1 unusual and even paradoxical courtesies. Washington also extended an invitation for Wheatley to call on him at his headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts.””

From George Washington’s Last Will and Testament.

“Upon the decease ⟨of⟩ my wife, it is my Will & desire th⟨at⟩ all the Slaves which I hold in ⟨my⟩ own right, shall receive their free⟨dom⟩.”

“And I do moreover most pointedly, and most solemnly enjoin it upon my Executors hereafter named, or the Survivors of them, to see that th⟨is cla⟩use respecting Slaves, and every part thereof be religiously fulfilled at the Epoch at which it is directed to take place; without evasion, neglect or delay, after the Crops which may then be on the ground are harvested, particularly as it respects the aged and infirm; seeing that a regular and permanent fund be established for their support so long as there are subjects requiring it; not trusting to the ⟨u⟩ncertain provision to be made by individuals. And to my Mulatto man William (calling himself William Lee) I give immediate freedom; or if he should prefer it (on account of the accidents which ha⟨v⟩e befallen him, and which have rendered him incapable of walking or of any active employment) to remain in the situation he now is, it shall be optional in him to do so: In either case however, I allow him an annuity of thirty dollars during his natural life, whic⟨h⟩ shall be independent of the victuals and cloaths he has been accustomed to receive, if he chuses the last alternative; but in full, with his freedom, if he prefers the first; & this I give him as a test⟨im⟩ony of my sense of his attachment to me, and for his faithful services during the Revolutionary War.”

https://citizenwells.com/2019/02/14/george-washington-last-will-and-testament-of-a-good-man-freed-his-slaves-and-made-provisions-for-their-education-welfare-transformed-by-his-interactions/

John Adams, who owned no slaves.

“1776: John Adams discussed trade resolutions before the continental congress: “There is one Resolution I will not omit.  Resolved that no Slaves be imported into any of the thirteen colonies.” (Peabody,p 197)

1776: John Adams was delighted with Jefferson’s draft of the Declaration of Independence and its “flights of oratory… especially that concerning Negro slavery, which, though I knew his Southern brethren would never suffer to pass in Congress, I certainly would never oppose.” (Peabody, p201)

1819: “Negro Slavery is an evil of colossal magnitude.” (Ellis,p140)”

https://pres-slaves.zohosites.com/john-adams.html

“Advocates of reparations for the descendants of those slaves generally ignore this untidy problem of the significant role that Africans played in the trade, choosing to believe the romanticized version that our ancestors were all kidnapped unawares by evil white men, like Kunta Kinte was in “Roots.” The truth, however, is much more complex: slavery was a business, highly organized and lucrative for European buyers and African sellers alike.

The African role in the slave trade was fully understood and openly acknowledged by many African-Americans even before the Civil War. For Frederick Douglass, it was an argument against repatriation schemes for the freed slaves. “The savage chiefs of the western coasts of Africa, who for ages have been accustomed to selling their captives into bondage and pocketing the ready cash for them, will not more readily accept our moral and economical ideas than the slave traders of Maryland and Virginia,” he warned. “We are, therefore, less inclined to go to Africa to work against the slave trade than to stay here to work against it.””

“Our new understanding of the scope of African involvement in the slave trade is not historical guesswork. Thanks to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database, directed by the historian David Eltis of Emory University, we now know the ports from which more than 450,000 of our African ancestors were shipped out to what is now the United States (the database has records of 12.5 million people shipped to all parts of the New World from 1514 to 1866). About 16 percent of United States slaves came from eastern Nigeria, while 24 percent came from the Congo and Angola.”

“But the sad truth is that the conquest and capture of Africans and their sale to Europeans was one of the main sources of foreign exchange for several African kingdoms for a very long time. Slaves were the main export of the kingdom of Kongo; the Asante Empire in Ghana exported slaves and used the profits to import gold. Queen Njinga, the brilliant 17th-century monarch of the Mbundu, waged wars of resistance against the Portuguese but also conquered polities as far as 500 miles inland and sold her captives to the Portuguese. When Njinga converted to Christianity, she sold African traditional religious leaders into slavery, claiming they had violated her new Christian precepts.”

Read more:

https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/23/opinion/23gates.html

 

More here:

https://citizenwells.com/

http://eachstorytold.com/

 

Wuhan China flu aka Coronavirus Covid-19 observations and lessons, America’s finest hour?, Safety over profit and people over fear

Wuhan China flu aka Coronavirus Covid-19 observations and lessons, America’s finest hour?, Safety over profit and people over fear

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,”...Franklin Delano Roosevelt

“We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men”…Edward R. Murrow

“In this entertainment, sports centric culture of ours, one of the actions that has impressed me most is the quick action to cancel sporting events in the interest of public safety while subordinating the money interest.”…Citizen Wells

 

Natural disasters are inevitable. A part of life on Earth.

Something like the Wuhan virus was coming sooner or later.

I, like many of my friends and associates are concerned about the origins and possible intents of the virus.

Was this designed and planned by the Chinese to impact the US?

I do not know.

But it did cross my mind.

For the moment I am in survivor mode.

Encounters from yesterday prompted me to ponder a variety of things and to write this article.

First, to satisfy the concerns of many, and to honor a long time commenter, is the following information:

“Now, regarding what you’ve heard about this virus and how it got going. It did NOT originate at the ‘live market’ in Wuhan; bats were not being sold there at the time, but it IS a bat virus. I got a report from an ‘insider’ in China who said that they’d be killed if discovered. This is what they said: There is a researcher in Wuhan (one of the very few labs on the planet that works with viruses) and any researcher-being who they are-wants to make an amazing discovery, publish papers and be well known. This researcher was able to isolate the virus and have it jump from bat to human. The next project was transmission from human to human and obviously, that was successful. The researcher published a paper. It was read by some. It has since disappeared. Bioweapon? Unlikely. ‘Escape from the lab’ a la Stephen King’s ‘The Stand?’ Probable. Why this research? Unknown.”

Within hours of receiving the above, I met a young man who is a friend of a relative. Someone who I had heard much about but never spoken to. A very level headed, intelligent person.

A few minutes into the conversation, he stated his belief about the origin of the Wuhan China virus. He believed that it was developed by the Chinese in retaliation for Trump’s tariff measures. Something that had crossed my mind.

This needs to be investigated after the emergency is over.

Now for the most important thing to be written.

I went to Harris Teeter for some grocery items yesterday. Not a lot. I stay pretty well stocked under normal circumstances, buying in bulk sale items.

The folks at Harris Teeter, as usual have done a great job of trying to keep the shelves full. I was pleasantly surprised and purchased what I needed.

I thanked them for their efforts. I urge you to do likewise.

They are a shining example of Americans doing their jobs in the face of adversity and America’s ability to keep the supply chain rolling.

Of course I was focused on my task.

Two conversations stick out:

  1. A woman in my age group and I discussed ice cream and grandkids. It turns out that she is unable to see hers because of a quarantine situation.
  2. In the checkout line behind me the younger woman had an overflowing cart. She has 3 teenage boys. We talked about kids and remote schooling and one thing or another. When leaving I stated I enjoyed talking to her and she said she did too because she had few people to talk to.

Perhaps I should have spent a few more minutes speaking with the first lady.

As I have aged I have tried to be more aware of the person who is checking me out in a store or assisting me with more empathy. To slow down and interact.

Not everyone wants to interact but it does not matter.

Perhaps we all should reach out to our fellow Americans as we are increasingly being isolated.

We are all in this together and should behave as Americans have done in other hard times.

Lastly, I am thankful for President Trump.

Aside from his being a strong leader, the following 3 things stand out:

  1. The strong economy that we entered this crisis with.
  2. His insistence on protecting the borders and limiting travel early.
  3. His efforts to get manufacturing back in the US and out of China.

A long time UNC TV personality recently stated that this crisis could be the World War II for the younger generation.

How we handle this will be a defining moment in American History.

Let’s hope that we look back on it with pride.

Wells.

 

More here:

https://citizenwells.com/

http://citizenwells.net

 

Thomas Jefferson original draft Declaration of Independence condemns slavery,  King of Great Britain determined to keep open a market where MEN should be bought & sold

Thomas Jefferson original draft Declaration of Independence condemns slavery,  King of Great Britain determined to keep open a market where MEN should be bought & sold

“he has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating it’s most sacred rights of life & liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither. this piratical warfare, the opprobrium of infidel powers, is the warfare of the CHRISTIAN king of Great Britain. determined to keep open a market where MEN should be bought & sold”…Thomas Jefferson, original draft, Declaration of Independence

“I congratulate you, my dear friend, on the law of your state [South Carolina] for suspending the importation of slaves, and for the glory you have justly acquired by endeavoring to prevent it for ever. This abomination must have an end, and there is a superior bench reserved in heaven for those who hasten it.”…Thomas Jefferson

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”…Jesus, John 8:32

 

Slavery did not begin in the United States or original colonies.

It was an accepted condition of being conquered or bought and sold for thousands of years.

If the dumbed down people who are being used by demagogues want reparations, they should petition their African tribesmen and/or the parties who actively traded for them prior to shipment to the US such as the Portuguese, Arabs, etc.

Slavery did not start here. It ended here at the cost of many lives.

And Thomas Jefferson, who was raised in a world that accepted slavery as the norm, condemned it in his original draft of the Declaration of Independence.

“he has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating it’s most sacred rights of life & liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither. this piratical warfare, the opprobrium of infidel powers, is the warfare of the CHRISTIAN king of Great Britain. determined to keep open a market where MEN should be bought & sold, he has prostituted his negative for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or to restrain this execrable commerce: and that this assemblage of horrors might want no fact of distinguished die, he is now exciting those very people to rise in arms among us, and to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, & murdering the people upon whom he also obtruded them; thus paying off former crimes committed against the liberties of one people, with crimes which he urges them to commit against the lives of another.”

http://eachstorytold.com/2018/07/04/thomas-jefferson-original-rough-draught-of-the-declaration-of-independence-violating-its-most-sacred-rights-of-life-liberty-in-the-persons-of-a-distant-people-who-never-offended-him-ca/

 

More here:

https://citizenwells.com/

http://citizenwells.net/

Mexico migrant caravan update October 28, 2018, Report of abducted child, Hold a meeting Sunday in Tapanatepec, Assisted by Grupo Beta

Mexico migrant caravan update October 28, 2018, Report of abducted child, Hold a meeting Sunday in Tapanatepec, Assisted by Grupo Beta

“Human Traffickers and Criminal Elements in Caravan”…Chris Farrell, Judicial Watch

“exclusive information and photos from Guatemalan authorities revealing that they have recovered seven unaccompanied minors from human smugglers working inside the caravan.”…Judicial Watch

“We are being lied to on a scale unimaginable by George Orwell.”…Citizen Wells

 

From the NY Times October 28, 2018.

“Migrant Caravan to Rest Following Report of Abducted Child

Coordinators of a caravan of several thousand Central American migrants moving through southern Mexico urged its members to rest Sunday. At first the migrants vowed to press on anyway but later changed their minds amid reports that a child had been abducted.

The migrants said they would stay and hold a meeting Sunday in Tapanatepec. Late Saturday night, groups of migrants were running through the town’s streets saying a migrant’s child had been snatched. Something similar led to a panic at an earlier stop, but was not confirmed.

After being delayed for a couple hours when federal police halted their exit from the town of Arriaga Saturday morning, most of the migrants arrived in Tapanatepec in the searing heat. Dozens headed down to the Novillero river below the central square to bathe, wash clothing and cool off. Others lined up at a medical aid station mostly for attention to their battered feet.

For the first time an arm of the federal government seemed to be directly helping the migrants advance rather than trying to diminish the caravan. In this case Grupo Beta, Mexico’s migrant protection agency, gave rides to stragglers and passed out water.

At the caravan’s regular evening meeting in the town square, its coordinators tried to force a little chivalry.

Many of the migrants have depended on hitchhiking to move between towns rather than walking the entire way. When trucks stop it’s usually young men who sprint to reach them first. Women carrying children or pushing strollers are at a disadvantage.

On Saturday night, a nun scolded the men and urged the women to be more aggressive in pursuing the rides. She said the church would help arrange five trucks to transport only women with children on the next trek to Niltepec about 33 miles (54 kms) away.

“To me it’s bad because there has to be equality because we are all struggling on this path,” said Hector Alvarado. The 25-year-old from Atlantida, Honduras said he had to quit school and leave his wife and 2-year-old daughter to try to make a living in the U.S.”

Read more:

https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/10/28/world/americas/ap-lt-migrant-caravan.html

 

More here:

https://citizenwells.com/

http://citizenwells.net/

 

Decline of middle class? Increase of stupidity and bad habits, Plenty of jobs in “education” restaurants breweries tattoo parlors, Common sense and time tested frugality out the window

Decline of middle class? Increase of stupidity and bad habits, Plenty of jobs in “education” restaurants breweries tattoo parlors, Common sense and time tested frugality out the window

“Mercury is a highly toxic element; there is no known safe level of exposure. Ideally, neither children nor adults should have any mercury in their bodies because it provides no physiological benefit.”…National Institute of Health

“U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, investigating the issue”
“What he learned was astonishing. In 2013 and 2014 alone, ICE set loose more than 66,000 illegal immigrant criminals who had over 166,000 convictions (30,000 for drunk or drug driving, 414 kidnapping, over 11,000 rapes or other sexual assaults and 395 homicides). Already thousands of those have already been convicted of new crimes in the U.S., including felonies, since their release.”…WND October 25, 2015

“There is an epidemic of stupid in this country.”…Citizen Wells

 

From Zero Hedge.

“The Number Of Americans Living In Their Vehicles “Explodes” As The Middle Class Collapses

As the gap between the rich and the poor continues to increase, the middle class is steadily eroding.  In fact, I recently gave my readers 15 signs that the middle class in America is being systematically destroyed.  More Americans are falling out of the middle class and into poverty with each passing day, and this is one of the big reasons why the number of homeless is surging.  For example, the number of people living on the street in L.A. has shot up 75 percent over the last 6 years.  But of course L.A. is far from alone.  Other major cities on the west coast are facing similar problems, and that includes Seattle.  It turns out that the Emerald City has seen a 46 percent rise in the number of people sleeping in their vehicles in just the past year

The number of people who live in their vehicles because they can’t find affordable housing is on the rise, even though the practice is illegal in many U.S. cities.

The number of people residing in campers and other vehicles surged 46 percent over the past year, a recent homeless census in Seattle’s King County, Washington found. The problem is “exploding” in cities with expensive housing markets, including Los Angeles, Portland and San Francisco, according to Governing magazine.

Amazon, Microsoft and other big tech companies are in the Seattle area.  It is a region that is supposedly “prospering”, and yet this is going on.

Sadly, it isn’t just major urban areas that are seeing more people sleeping in their vehicles.  Over in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, many of the homeless sleep in their vehicles even in the middle of winter…”

Read more:

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-08-01/number-americans-living-their-vehicles-explodes-middle-class-collapses

People in the US during the Great Depression had to resort to desperate measures.

Though times now can be challenging, the situation now is far better than then.

So why are so many homeless? Living in cars.

Part of the answer is the epidemic of stupid which I believe began in the sixties.

Growing up, I not only had a good education in school, I had one at home.

My parents were depression era survivors and also survivors of the hard times of settling this country. What used to be status quo.

They shared their stories of growing up in rural NC and what they and their families did to survive. This has stayed with me.

Part of my life and training was my duties (luxurious compared to theirs):

  • I was the oldest of 4. I babysat my siblings.
  • I was given a tiny allowance. If I wanted more, I had to work for it in addition to my chores.
  • I had a paper route, cut grass, babysat for others, picked blackberries, collected returnable bottles, etc.
  • I knew how to use a hammer & tools and liked it. We collected used nails & lumber scraps for our treehouses. Recycling.

By example we learned reality 101.

Starting with we ate out infrequently. Drank our own coffee. Used hand me down clothing. Had a garden. Paid with cash. My mom made some of our clothing and repaired much. And of course, my mom’s sayings for every occasion such as “You’re not too old for your wants to hurt you.”

I am frugal to this day.

I made really good money most of my life, lived beneath my means and this served me well when my disability hit.

I am a strong believer in education, real education, not just receiving a piece of paper and piling up debt.

There are many fine institutions of higher learning training medical professionals, engineers, accountants, etc.

However, we have created a myth, perpetuated by an unholy alliance between institutions and politicians that a diploma will cure practically everything.

We are not educating our young folks. And older folks.

I am around a lot of young people near the university and I have advised many of them to buy a house in an area that is conducive to high rent demand and perhaps with a layout that facilitates having renters who will help pay the mortgage. I knew an attorney couple years ago who did just that.

Many of them are sharing houses and that is another good way to save money.

We are not sacrificing enough, as our Greatest Generation did, to get started or managing our spending habits.

Just examine what is thriving in the economy. Restaurants, breweries, coffee shops, tattoo parlors, etc. None of which are essential for survival or condusive to saving and prospering.

We are not prepared for marriage and having kids and we are not being educated about the costs or responsibilities.

Too many people are having kids too soon without having the necessary funds or skills.

What more important skill to be educated about?

Our understanding of survival skills, cost versus benefit and common sense must increase, not attendance at college, restaurants, breweries, coffee shops, tattoo parlors, etc.

Wells

 

More here:

https://citizenwells.com/

http://citizenwells.net/

 

 

 

 

 

We were unseen poverty report from News Record, Living among Greensboro’s unseen, Frank McCain and Michael Cottingham, 41 million Americans living in poverty

We were unseen poverty report from News Record, Living among Greensboro’s unseen, Frank McCain and Michael Cottingham, 41 million Americans living in poverty

“And although the slights they felt that day during instances of people who knew them basically looking right past or through them might have momentarily hurt their feelings, they said they felt worse knowing that homeless and needy people are “looked past” every day.

“People don’t admit it, but most people in our community are two to three checks from being in that same position,””…Frank McCain, News Record expose

“Feeding the homeless sounds like you are not the same, that we are not the same community, but if I invite you over and serve you dinner it’s because you are my friend, we are in the same community, we are the same.”…Greensboro’s Amy “The Chicken Lady” Murphy

“He who has two coats, let him give to him who has none. He who has food, let him do likewise.”…Luke 3:11

 

This morning Zero Hedge reported.

41 Million Americans Are Living In Poverty This Christmas

It is being reported that 41 million people are living in poverty at this moment, and 9 million of them do not receive a single penny of income from anyone.  Once you have been unemployed for long enough, you don’t qualify for unemployment payments any longer, and once you are on the street there is nowhere for other governments programs to send a check to.  I have previously discussed the rising epidemic of homelessness in our nation, but most people don’t want to think about that sort of a thing these days.  Even though New York City has the most homeless since the Great Depression, and even though homelessness in Los Angeles is at an all-time record high, most people want to pretend that everything is just fine.

Read more.
The Greensboro News Record reported Christmas Eve.
“We were unseen”
“Poverty is not unique to the state or to this,

North Carolina’s third-largest city.

It is fueled by the addition of families who have fallen out of the middle class because of layoffs or companies closing or underemployment; of working-class people grappling with loss of benefits or reduced hours or rising prices that have given them less to live on; and of those who can’t find work or have given up on looking for it.

Many of those people and families have ended up in a state of homelessness or near homelessness — either sleeping on the streets, in vehicles or couch-surfing among friends and family. Or struggling to stave off an eviction.

Those who work with the local homeless and needy population say it is difficult for others to fathom the depths of the problem — or even see the people behind the statistics.

Such as the family who found a place at the YWCA’s family shelter after neighbors in an out-of-the-way cul-de-sac noticed a car idling there for hours. When the car’s dome light flipped on, children could be seen moving around inside. The residents called police, who called the shelter.

Also at that shelter was the single dad who had been sleeping on a park bench in a quiet park with his 4-year-old daughter because an old eviction kept him from being able to rent again.

That’s one of the reasons McCain, the vice president of community impact and investment at the United Way of Greater Greensboro, and Cottingham, the vice president of marketing and communications, came up with “GSO Unseen.”

In recent winters the extent of the need for shelter has been so intense that the Interactive Resource Center, a day center for the homeless, has been forced to double as a warming station during brutally cold nights because even those people who try to brave the outdoors in the city’s numerous “tent cities” needed a place to go. The YWCA does the same.

At the same time, the United Way decided to focus more of its resources on a long-term approach to fighting poverty.

McCain was telling a good friend about the work, as a way of moving the whole community forward.

“He said, ‘Well, Franklin, what do you really know about poverty?’ He said you don’t know poverty. I do.”

McCain admits he initially was offended. He had upper-middle-class roots, but growing up he had friends whose families struggled. That was also true in college and in his life as an adult.

“Unless you are blind, you see things,” McCain said. “I went to school with people who had less than they needed — but had I truly experienced it? I said maybe he’s right.”

He said he thought about a story on the nightly news about a woman in Phoenix who had left her young children in the car during a job interview. The woman later was arrested.

“Who could think that’s right?” he said he thought at the time.

But as McCain delved more deeply into the root causes of poverty, it became clearer how she came to that bad decision: The woman didn’t have child care. She took a chance, and it was the wrong one. But the story also shed light for him on the kinds of support low-income people need that other people would assume they had.

“I thought, maybe for me to be more effective in the work that we are doing, maybe I needed to get a better understanding, and he was right,” McCain said.

He looked first at the homeless population.

“I saw them as being those who had the least of all,” McCain said.

He shared his thoughts with Cottingham, who had also grown up in a family that didn’t have any needs there weren’t met. Cottingham, who had worked with needs for Medicaid recipients and people with mental-health issues, substance abuse and developmental disabilities, said he knew McCain was onto something.

“It’s easy to think you understand populations you are serving,” Cottingham said.

But had he ever had to choose between food and heat? No.

The idea was to step into the shoes of someone homeless or nearly homeless.

Cottingham, who grew up in Kernersville and graduated from Mars Hills College, has two children younger than 6. McCain, who grew up in Charlotte and graduated from N.C. A&T, has two children, the youngest of which is in college.

On a Monday morning in November 2016, McCain, dressed in a hoodie and slightly stained pants he wore around the house to do odd jobs, and Cottingham, in a flannel shirt and blue jeans, parked their cars near downtown and mentally closed the doors on their middle class lives.

Stepping into their “characters” would be, invariably, easier than they thought.

Traveling with luggage in the middle of downtown during the day gave them an instant invisibility of sorts.

“We were unseen …,” Cottingham said.

“… Even by people who knew us,” McCain added.

As they navigated downtown, two people — a past and a current board member — walked out of a building on Elm Street and directly in front of them.

“People who know us, work with us …,” McCain said.

“… We had to move out of the way,” Cottingham added.

These people who knew them on a first-name basis quickly moved past without even a glance in their direction.

“I almost said, ‘Hello,’ because it was natural to say,” McCain said.

Instead, McCain and Cottingham just looked at each other and kept walking.

The two found the building on the edge of downtown, on a path familiar to those needing help.

“We knew it was important to start the day off at the IRC,” Cottingham said of the day center for people who are homeless or at risk of being homeless.

The IRC provides showers, a laundry, an address for mail that could come from a potential employer or family states away and access to services, such as mental-health management.

McCain said he had known very little about the IRC up to that point.

Developing similar cover stories — each said he was unmarried with a child and girlfriend who would be coming in the near future — they separately walked into the lobby and signed up for an appointment with a case manager. Each took a seat among tables full of people already there.

Nothing seemed unusual to those around them.

When McCain spotted Michelle Kennedy, the IRC’s executive director, walk through the open area, he pulled a newspaper up to his face, fearing she might recognize him.

People in the nonprofit world tend to know him because he is among the people who they talk to about needs.

He wasn’t worried about anyone else.

“I think that people made the assumption that if you are here with us, it’s because you have to be here,” Cottingham said.

Many of the chairs were filled with regulars, but McCain and Cottingham were not the only ones there for the first time. Some others had suitcases or carried bags of clothes and seemingly, the last of their belongings.

“I was sad because there were just so many people,” McCain said. “Women, children and families. Young and old. People with disabilities.”

McCain and Cottingham took in the faces and conversations going on around them, from sports to the challenges of fighting for custody of children.

“Some of the most basic things that they offer there help make the people who use those services feel like they are human,” McCain said of seeing people stop by the IRC to take showers and change clothes.

Among those who rested or waited for appointments, they found people in khakis and button-down shirts, dressed for the lives they hoped for, and others waiting for the shower, to get out of clothes they had slept in.

“There were some people who seemed really into making positive steps, and there were some people who seemed checked out, who seemed tired, worn out,” Cottingham said.

They asked those around the different tables where they could find food and a place to sleep, even a job.

Someone mentioned a temporary agency that had luck with helping the homeless find work, including on a construction project going on downtown.”

I urge you to read more:

http://www.greensboro.com/news/local_news/living-among-greensboro-s-unseen/article_cb3a0bc1-f523-5c55-a372-fb6e8efcf978.html

 

More here:

https://citizenwells.com/

http://citizenwells.net/

 

President Trump inaugural address Whitehouse.gov, Friday January 20, 2017, 45th president, You will never be ignored again, Whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska they look up at the same night sky they fill their heart with the same dreams and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty Creator

President Trump inaugural address Whitehouse.gov, Friday January 20, 2017, 45th president, You will never be ignored again, Whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska they look up at the same night sky they fill their heart with the same dreams and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty Creator

“And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty Creator.”…Donald Trump

 

 

From Whitehouse.gov January 20, 2017.

“The Inaugural Address

REMARKS OF PRESIDENT DONALD J.  TRUMP – AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY

INAUGURAL ADDRESS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2017

WASHINGTON, D.C.

As Prepared for Delivery –

Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans, and people of the world: thank you.

We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and to restore its promise for all of our people.

Together, we will determine the course of America and the world for years to come.

We will face challenges. We will confront hardships. But we will get the job done.

Every four years, we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power, and we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent.

Today’s ceremony, however, has very special meaning. Because today we are not merely transferring power from one Administration to another, or from one party to another – but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the American People.

For too long, a small group in our nation’s Capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost.

Washington flourished – but the people did not share in its wealth.

Politicians prospered – but the jobs left, and the factories closed.

The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country.

Their victories have not been your victories; their triumphs have not been your triumphs; and while they celebrated in our nation’s Capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.

That all changes – starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your moment: it belongs to you.

It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America.

This is your day. This is your celebration.

And this, the United States of America, is your country.

What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people.

January 20th 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again.

The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.

Everyone is listening to you now.

You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement the likes of which the world has never seen before.

At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction: that a nation exists to serve its citizens.

Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families, and good jobs for themselves.

These are the just and reasonable demands of a righteous public.

But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists: Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system, flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of knowledge; and the crime and gangs and drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential.

This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.

We are one nation – and their pain is our pain.  Their dreams are our dreams; and their success will be our success.  We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny.

The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans.

For many decades, we’ve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry;

Subsidized the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military;

We’ve defended other nation’s borders while refusing to defend our own;

And spent trillions of dollars overseas while America’s infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay.

We’ve made other countries rich while the wealth, strength, and confidence of our country has disappeared over the horizon.

One by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores, with not even a thought about the millions upon millions of American workers left behind.

The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed across the entire world.

But that is the past. And now we are looking only to the future.

We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, and in every hall of power.

From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land.

From this moment on, it’s going to be America First.

Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families.

We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs.  Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength.

I will fight for you with every breath in my body – and I will never, ever let you down.

America will start winning again, winning like never before.

We will bring back our jobs. We will bring back our borders.  We will bring back our wealth.  And we will bring back our dreams.

We will build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways all across our wonderful nation.

We will get our people off of welfare and back to work – rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor.

We will follow two simple rules: Buy American and Hire American.

We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world – but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first.

We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to follow.

We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones – and unite the civilized world against Radical Islamic Terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth.

At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other.

When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.

The Bible tells us, “how good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.”

We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity.

When America is united, America is totally unstoppable.

There should be no fear – we are protected, and we will always be protected.

We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement and, most importantly, we are protected by God.

Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger.

In America, we understand that a nation is only living as long as it is striving.

We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action – constantly complaining but never doing anything about it.

The time for empty talk is over.

Now arrives the hour of action.

Do not let anyone tell you it cannot be done.  No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America.

We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again.

We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the Earth from the miseries of disease, and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow.

A new national pride will stir our souls, lift our sights, and heal our divisions.

It is time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget: that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots, we all enjoy the same glorious freedoms, and we all salute the same great American Flag.

And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty Creator.

So to all Americans, in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, and from ocean to ocean, hear these words:

You will never be ignored again.

Your voice, your hopes, and your dreams, will define our American destiny. And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way.

Together, We Will Make America Strong Again.

We Will Make America Wealthy Again.

We Will Make America Proud Again.

We Will Make America Safe Again.

And, Yes, Together, We Will Make America Great Again. Thank you, God Bless You, And God Bless America.”

https://www.whitehouse.gov/inaugural-address

 

 

More here:

https://citizenwells.com/

http://citizenwells.net/

9/11 15th anniversary September 11, 2016, Clinton administration most responsible, Citizen Wells proof, Bill Clinton multiple opportunities to capture Bin Ladin, INS weakened by Clinton political agenda, Government and country immersed in scandals and prosecutions

9/11 15th anniversary September 11, 2016, Clinton administration most responsible, Citizen Wells proof, Bill Clinton multiple opportunities to capture Bin Ladin, INS weakened by Clinton political agenda, Government and country immersed in scandals and prosecutions

“As I stated earlier, this is not about sex or private conduct, it is about multiple obstructions of justice, perjury, false and misleading statements, witness tamperings and abuses of power, all committed or orchestrated by the President of the United States.”…David Schippers report to House Judiciary Committee

“August 1998: covert operations limited to a ‘capture operation,’ not kill
As will be shown, Clinton vacillated over signing a memo that would authorize the killing of bin Laden. He first authorized only a capture, then agreed to allow bin Laden’s killing, only to weaken the language later. CIA officials were under the impression they did not have permission to kill the al-Qaeda leader.”…Washington Post February 16, 2016

“I could have killed’ Osama bin Laden in 1998”…Bill Clinton

 

 

After reading the below, if you do not believe that the Clinton Administration is the most responsible for 9/11, you are some combination of the following:

1. Dim witted.
2. Hard core end justifies the means liberal.
3. Anti American.

Part 1

Clinton had multiple opportunities to capture Bin Ladin.

From NewsMax November 1, 2001 via Citizen News.

“CIA Sources: Clinton Administration ‘Didn’t Want’ Bin Laden Arrested”

“A U.S. intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, this week called the Clinton administration’s decision to pass up a chance to arrest Osama bin Laden in 1996 a “disgrace,” saying “somebody didn’t want this to happen.”

A second intelligence official, also speaking anonymously, corroborated the charge that there was a deliberate effort to let bin Laden escape from the Sudan to Afghanistan, saying “somebody let this slip up.”

The intelligence officials, both of whom were involved in secret negotiations between Washington and Khartoum to take bin Laden into custody, offered the damning accounts to New York’s Village Voice.

The Voice’s first source said the chance to arrest bin Laden should have been a no-brainer, despite FBI claims that it lacked the evidence to convict him in an American court. “We kidnap minor drug czars and bring them back in burlap bags,” he told the paper.

The State Department may have blocked the wily terrorist’s arrest to placate a part of the Saudi Arabian government that supported him, he speculated.

The second official lamented that the U.S. lost a treasure trove of intelligence on the elusive al-Qaeda chief when it let him slip away. “It was not a matter of arresting bin Laden but of access to information,” he told the Voice.

“We could have dismantled his operations and put a cage on top … That’s the story, and that’s what could have prevented September 11. I knew it would come back to haunt us.”

Sudan’s former defense minister, major general Elfatih Erwa, agreed, telling the paper that he tried to warn the Clinton administration that letting bin Laden escape from the Sudan to Afghanistan was a major blunder.

“We knew that if he went to Afghanistan no one could control him (but) the U.S. didn’t care,” Erwa said. “They forgot about human intelligence after the Cold War. The feeling of supremacy led them astray. Many think that. Now they’re harvesting the thorns.”

CIA Sources Clinton Administration didn’t want’ Bin Laden arrested, Newsmax November 1, 2001, Two US intelligence officials, Deliberate effort to let bin Laden escape from the Sudan to Afghanistan

From the LA Times August 1, 2014.

“Bill Clinton: ‘I could have killed’ Osama bin Laden in 1998”

“A day before Sept. 11, 2001, former President Bill Clinton told an audience that he could have had Osama bin Laden killed, but chose not to, because an attack could have endangered innocent women and children in Afghanistan.”

http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-bill-clinton-osama-bin-laden-20140801-story.html

Citizen Wells comments:

  1. What was Bill Clinton and his staff busy doing in 1998? If you don’t know the answer you had better start reading this site.
  2. This sounds like damage control because Clinton had many opportunities. See below.

From the Washington Post February 16, 2016.

“Bill Clinton and the missed opportunities to kill Osama bin Laden”

“1. May 1998: Tarnak Farms raid plan rejected

The CIA planned hard on an effort to capture bin Laden and to bring him to the United States for a trial. But at the last minute the CIA senior management lost its nerve and apparently never brought the plan to Clinton for a decision.”

“2. August, 1998: A campaign for continued air strikes is shelved after al-Qaeda attacks two U.S. embassies in Africa

After the embassy attacks, Clinton ordered air strikes against al-Qaeda targets, which were deemed ineffectual. Officials discussed but do not reach agreement on a campaign of follow-on air strikes.”

“3. August 1998: covert operations limited to a ‘capture operation,’ not kill

As will be shown, Clinton vacillated over signing a memo that would authorize the killing of bin Laden. He first authorized only a capture, then agreed to allow bin Laden’s killing, only to weaken the language later. CIA officials were under the impression they did not have permission to kill the al-Qaeda leader.”

“4. December 1998: Missile strike against Kandahar is rejected; memo to ‘kill’ bin Laden misunderstood

Officials had intelligence on bin Laden’s whereabouts, but decided not to allow a missile strike because of fears of civilian casualties. Later intelligence indicates bin Laden had already left that location.”

“5. Early 1999: Decision not to deploy the AC-130 gunship option

From the 9/11 Commission report:

After the decision — in which fear of collateral damage was an important factor — not to use cruise missiles against Kandahar in December 1998, Shelton and officers in the Pentagon developed plans for using an AC-130 gunship instead of cruise missile strikes. Designed specifically for the special forces, the version of the AC-130 known as “Spooky” can fly in fast or from high altitude, undetected by radar; guided to its zone by extraordinarily complex electronics, it is capable of rapidly firing precision-guided 25, 40, and 105 mm projectiles. Because this system could target more precisely than a salvo of cruise missiles, it had a much lower risk of causing collateral damage. After giving [White House official Richard] Clarke a briefing and being encouraged to proceed, Shelton formally directed Zinni and General Peter Schoomaker, who headed the Special Operations Command, to develop plans for an AC-130 mission against Bin Laden’s headquarters and infrastructure in Afghanistan. The Joint Staff prepared a decision paper for deployment of the Special Operations aircraft.”

“Though Berger and Clarke continued to indicate interest in this option, the AC-130s were never deployed.”

“6. February-March 1999: A decision not to strike bin Laden’s desert camp

Another potential target — bin Laden’s desert camp — slips by because of diplomatic considerations.

From the 9/11 Commission report:”

“No strike was launched. By February 12 Bin Laden had apparently moved on, and the immediate strike plans became moot. According to CIA and Defense officials, policymakers were concerned about the danger that a strike would kill an Emirati prince or other senior officials who might be with Bin Laden or close by. … The lead CIA official in the field, Gary Schroen, felt that the intelligence reporting in this case was very reliable; the Bin Laden unit chief, “Mike,” agreed. Schroen believes today that this was a lost opportunity to kill Bin Laden before 9/11.”

“7. February 1999: The decision to again amend the covert action authorization, canceling the ‘kill’ authorization of December and reinstating the ‘capture’ language

From the 9/11 Commission report:

In February 1999, another draft Memorandum of Notification went to President Clinton. It asked him to allow the CIA to give exactly the same guidance to the Northern Alliance as had just been given to the tribals: they could kill Bin Laden if a successful capture operation was not feasible. On this occasion, however, President Clinton crossed out key language he had approved in December and inserted more ambiguous language. No one we interviewed could shed light on why the President did this. President Clinton told the Commission that he had no recollection of why he rewrote the language.

Later in 1999, when legal authority was needed for enlisting still other collaborators and for covering a wider set of contingencies, the lawyers returned to the language used in August 1998, which authorized force only in the context of a capture operation. Given the closely held character of the document approved in December 1998, and the subsequent return to the earlier language, it is possible to understand how the former White House officials and the CIA officials might disagree as to whether the CIA was ever authorized by the President to kill Bin Laden.”

“8. May 1999: The decision not to do the missile strike on Kandahar

Another opportunity presents itself, and top officials again do not pull the trigger, to the intense frustration of lower-level officials.

It was in Kandahar that perhaps the last, and most likely the best, opportunity arose for targeting Bin Laden with cruise missiles before 9/11. In May 1999, CIA assets in Afghanistan reported on Bin Laden’s location in and around Kandahar over the course of five days and nights. The reporting was very detailed and came from several sources.

If this intelligence was not “actionable,” working-level officials said at the time and today, it was hard for them to imagine how any intelligence on Bin Laden in Afghanistan would meet the standard. Communications were good, and the cruise missiles were ready. “This was in our strike zone,” a senior military officer said. “It was a fat pitch, a home run.” He expected the missiles to fly. When the decision came back that they should stand down, not shoot, the officer said, “we all just slumped.” He told us he knew of no one at the Pentagon or the CIA who thought it was a bad gamble. Bin Laden “should have been a dead man” that night, he said.”

“9. November-December 2000: The decision not to strike against bin Laden after the al-Qaeda attack on the USS Cole

As the nation is gripped by the post-election struggle between Bush and Al Gore, Clinton administration officials hesitate about retaliating against bin Laden for the attack on the USS Cole in Yemen. Bin Laden was fully prepared for retaliation, but it never came. Eventually, a response gets lost in the transition from the Clinton to Bush administration.”

“[No attack was launched and one angry official] rhetorically asked of Defense officials: “Does al-Qaeda have to attack the Pentagon to get their attention?””

Read more:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/02/16/bill-clinton-and-the-missed-opportunities-to-kill-osama-bin-laden/

Part 2

INS effectiveness weakened due to political agenda demands of Clinton Administration.

 

David Schippers was the majority chief investigative counsel for the impeachment of Bill Clinton. He was also a lifetime Democrat and voted for Clinton twice.

From Schippers and his book “Sellout: The Inside Story of President Clinton’s Impeachment.”

“My staff and I agreed that we needed to focus on the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), which appeared to be running out of control. By the time we came to the subject, investigations by the General Accounting Office (GAO) and congressional committees had already indicated that the White House used the INS to further its political agenda. A blatant politicization of the agency took place during the 1996 presidential campaign when the White House pressured the INS into expediting its “Citizenship USA” (CUSA) program to grant citizenship to thousands of aliens that the White House counted as likely Democratic voters. To ensure maximum impact, the INS concentrated on aliens in key states — California, Florida, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, and Texas — that hold a combined 181 electoral votes, just 89 short of the total needed to win the election.

The program was placed under the direction of Vice President Al Gore. We received from the GAO a few e-mails indicating Vice President Gore’s role in the plan (which are included in Appendix A at the back of the book). He was responsible for keeping the pressure on, to make sure the aliens were pushed through by September 1, the last day to register for the presidential election.”

“Farbrother and the NPR won the assignment of getting the INS to process more than a million applicants by the end of the summer. As early as March 1996, GAO documents reveal, he was reporting his efforts, recommendations, and results to Vice President Gore. Farbrother reported how he had told the INS and the Justice Department to waive “stupid rules,” and he told Gore that unless reforms were implemented, the backlog wouldn’t be “processed in time.”

As Farbrother noted in a March 22 e-mail to Gore, he had told INS Deputy Commissioner Chris Sale and Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick “to delegate broad authority to the managers in” New York, Chicago, Miami, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. But the INS and the Justice Department were not immediately complying with his demands, he said. Keeping the pressure on, Farbrother sent Sale a fax reiterating how important this delegation was in order “to get the results the Vice President wants.” In the fax he also commented, “I need you or Doris [Meissner] to sign something like the attached,” referring to a memo giving those INS district directors “full authority to waive, suspend, or deviate from DOJ and INS nonstatutory policies, regulations, and procedures provided you operate within the confines of the law.”

The White House wanted any applicant for citizenship to be naturalized in time to register for the November election, so the pressure on the INS was constant. On March 21 Elaine Kamarck in the Vice President’s office sent an e-mail to Farbrother saying: “THE PRESIDENT IS SICK OF THIS AND WANTS ACTION. IF NOTHING MOVES TODAY WE’LL HAVE TO TAKE SOME PRETTY DRASTIC MEASURES.” Farbrother responded, “I favor drastic measures.” If he couldn’t get what he wanted from the INS, he wrote, he would “call for heavy artillery.””

Read more:

http://cis.org/BookReview-InsideStoryClintonImpeachment

Clearly the priority of the INS,  Immigration and Naturalization Service, was to naturalize as many immigrants as possible befoer the next election.

Next we will examine the immigration status of the 9/11 hijackers.

From FAIR, Federation for American Immigration Reform.

“Identity and Immigration Status of 9/11 Terrorists

“According to authorities, all of the hijackers who committed the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks were foreigners. All of them entered the country legally on a temporary visa, mostly tourist visas with entry permits for six months. Although four of them attended flight school in the United States, only one is known to have entered on an appropriate visa for such study, and one entered on an F-1 student visa. Besides the four pilots, all but one of the terrorists entered the United States only once and had been in the country for only three to five months before the attacks.

The four pilots had been in the United States for extended periods, although none was a legal permanent resident. Some had received more than one temporary visa, most of which were currently valid on September 11, but at least three of them had fallen out of status and were, therefore, in the United States illegally.”

The Pentagon Plane (AA Flight 77, Dulles to Los Angeles)

  1. Hani Hasan Hanjour (26) — Saudi Arabian — pilot
    • First came to U.S. in Oct. 1991 to study English in Tucson, Arizona.
    • Had been in U.S. in April 1996, when he lived in Oakland, Cal. where he studied English, and later received flight training in Scottsdale, Arizona. He left in Nov. 1996 and returned again in Nov. 1997 while he obtained a FAA commercial pilot certificate. He left again in April 1999.
    • Obtained student visa (F-1) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in Sept. 2000 after an initial refusal. According to the 2/04 Staff Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, Hanjour failed to reveal in his visa application that he had previously traveled to the United States.
    • Returned Dec. 2000 to study English at Holy Names College (Oakland CA) but never showed up at the school. In illegal status because he did not enroll, and his entry permit had expired at the time of the attack.
    • Lived in San Diego, Phoenix and Mesa, Ariz. (with Nawaf al-Hamzi), and later in Northern Virginia.
    • Had a Virginia driver’s license.
  2. Khalid al-Mihdhar (or Almidhar) — Saudi Arabian
    • Obtained U.S. tourist visa in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in April 1999.
    • In Malaysia in Jan. 2000. Followed by Malaysian agents tipped off by CIA (see Wash. Post 2/3/02).
    • Arrived at Los Angeles Jan. 15, 2000 with Nawaf al-Hamzi on B-2 tourist visa from Malaysia.
    • Lived in San Diego, where he took flight training in May 2000 with Nawaf al-Hamzi.
    • Left U.S. in June 2000 and obtained new B-1 visa in Saudi Arabia. According to the 2/04 Staff Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, his application falsely indicated he had not previously traveled to the United States and contained “suspicious indicators.” It also revealed that he had more than one passport.
    • Returned July 4, 2001, lived in New York.
    • Put on the Watch List for terrorists in August 2001 after entering U.S. last time.
    • In legal nonimmigrant status at the time of the attack.
    • Had a Virginia driver’s license.
  3. Nawaf al-Hamzi (or Alhamzi) — Saudi Arabian (brother of Salem)
    • Obtained U.S. tourist visa in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in April 1999. According to the 2/04 Staff Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, his application contained “suspicious indicators.”
    • In Malaysia in Jan. 2000. Followed by Malaysian agents tipped off by CIA (see Wash. Post 2/3/02).
    • Arrived at Los Angeles Jan. 15, 2000 with al-Midhar from Malaysia.
    • Lived in San Diego, where he took flight training in May 2000 with al-Midhar, in Dec. 2000 moved to Mesa Arizona (with Hani Hanjour), and later to Fort Lee, N.J., Wayne, N.J. and Northern Virginia.
    • Applied to INS July 12, 2000 for extension of permitted stay in U.S. (apparently granted for additional six months).
    • Put on the Watch List for terrorists in August 2001. (with al-Mihdhar)
    • Had been in illegal visa overstay status for nine months at the time of the attack.
    • Had California, Florida and Virgina driver’s licenses.
  4. Salem al-Hamzi (or Alhamzi)- Saudi Arabian (brother of Nawaf)
    • Obtained U.S. tourist visa in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in April 1999.
    • Arrived U.S. June 2001.
    • Lived in Fort Lee, N.J., Wayne, N.J.
    • In legal nonimmigrant status at the time of the attack.
    • Had a Virginia driver’s license.
  5. Majed Moqed — Saudi Arabian
    • Identity in doubt.
    • Entered on tourist visa obtained in Saudi Arabia after May 2001.
    • In legal nonimmigrant status at the time of the attack.
    • Had a Virginia driver’s license.

The WTC North Tower Plane (AA Flight 11, Boston to Los Angeles)

  1. Mohamed Atta — Egyptian (43) — pilot
    • Born in Egypt in 1968.
    • Graduated from Cairo Univ. with degree in Architectural Engineering in 1990.
    • Obtained visitor visa in Berlin Germany, May 2000.
    • Entered U.S. at Newark on June 3, 2000 on tourist visa and given entry permit until December 2, 2000.
    • Applied in Sept. 2000 to INS for change in status to trainee.
    • Attended Huffman Aviation school in Venice Florida with al-Shehhi.
    • Arrested in Florida for driving without license, and failed to show up for court date — bench warrant issued.
    • Subsequently obtained Florida driver’s license.
    • Obtained FAA pilot’s certificate.
    • According to the 2/04 Staff Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, had overstayed his entry permit as of Dec. 4, 2000.
    • Flew to Madrid Jan. 2001.
    • United Arab Emirate (UAE) authorities state Atta detained in January 2001 on basis of his name appearing on terrorist alert list, but was not held in absence of U.S. charges. UAE states that U.S. authorities were warned Atta intended to return to U.S.
    • Returned to U.S. on January 10, 2001 at Miami and was sent to secondary inspection because he acknowledged being in flight training but did not have required trainee visa. Interagency Border Information System (IBIS) database checked. Admitted by INS based on pending application for change to trainee status.
    • Moved to Georgia in Jan. 2001 for additional flight training with al-Shehhi.
    • Left U.S. and returned from Madrid on July 19, 2001 and given permission to stay until November 2, 2001.
    • Also lived in Hollywood and Coral Springs, Fla.
    • Received change of status approval by INS in September a year after the attacks.
  2. Satam al-Suqami (25) — Saudi Arabian
    • Obtained business visa in Saudi Arabia (but was residing in United Arab Emirates).
    • Entered U.S. in May 2001. According to the 2/04 Staff Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, asked for and was admitted for 20 days and was in overstay status at the time of the attacks. The Commission staff also said his passport was doctored (presumably with pages removed to hide his travel to countries where he obtained terrorist training).
    • Was the only terrorist who did not have a U.S. ID to board the plane and used his passport.
    • Was in overstay status at the time of the attack.
  3. Waleed al-Shehri (or Alshehri) (21) — Saudi Arabian (brother of Wail)
    • Obtained tourist visa in Saudi Arabia.
    • Entered U.S. in May 2000.
    • Licensed pilot.
    • Lived in Hollywood, Orlando and Daytona Beach (all in Florida).
    • In illegal nonimmigrant status (visa overstay) at time of the attack.
    • Had a Florida driver’s license.
  4. Wail (or Wael) al-Shehri (or Alshehri) (25) — Saudi Arabian (brother of Waleed)
    • Obtained tourist visa in Saudi Arabia.
    • Lived in Hollywood, Fla. and Newton, Mass.
    • Had a Florida ID card.
  5. Abdulaziz al-Omari (or Alomari) — Saudi Arabian
    • Obtained tourist visa in Saudi Arabia in June 2001.
    • According to the 2/04 Staff Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, his passport was doctored (presumably with pages removed to hide his travel to countries where he obtained terrorist training).
    • In legal nonimmigrant status at the time of the attack.
    • Lived in Hollywood, Fla.
    • Had a Florida and Virginia driver’s licenses.

The WTC South Tower Plane (UA Flight 175, Boston to Los Angeles)

  1. Marwan al-Shehhi (or Alshehhi) — United Arab Emirates — pilot
    • Studied electrical engineering at Tech. Univ. in Hamburg.
    • In January 2000, obtained 10-year, multiple entry tourist visa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
    • Entered the U.S. in May 2000, applied September for change of status to student.
    • Attended flight school in Florida, obtained FAA pilot’s certificate.
    • Took at least 3 trips out of U.S. and back. (Overstayed entry permit as of Nov. 2000, left U.S. in Dec. 2000, returned Jan. 2001.)
    • Attended flight school in Georgia with Atta in Jan. 2001. According to the 2/04 Staff Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, was sent to secondary inspection, but was admitted.)
    • Flew to Egypt April 8, 2001, returned from Morocco May 2, 2001.
    • In legal nonimmigrant status at the time of the attack.
    • Lived in New York City area, Georgia and moved to Hollywood, Fla. in July with Atta and trained at Huffman Aviation in Venice.
    • Had a Florida driver’s license.
  2. Fayez Ahmed Rashid Ahmed al-Qadi Banihammad (aka Fayez Ahmed) — United Arab Emirates
    • Obtained tourist visa in United Arab Emirates.
    • Entered U.S. in June.
    • Lived in Delray Beach, Fla.
  3. Ahmed al-Ghamdi (or Alghamdi) — Saudi Arabian
    • Obtained tourist visa in Saudi Arabia.
    • Entered U.S. in May.
    • In illegal visa overstay status at the time of the attack.
    • Lived in Delray Beach, Fla.
    • Had a Florida ID card.
    • Had a Virginia driver’s license.
  4. Hamza Saleh al-Ghamdi (or Alghamdi) (20) — Saudi Arabian
    • Obtained visa in Saudi Arabia.
    • Lived in Delray Beach, Fla.
    • Had a Florida driver’s license.
  5. Mohand al-Shehri (or Alshehri) — Saudi Arabian
    • Identity in doubt.
    • Obtained tourist visa in Saudi Arabia.
    • Admitted to U.S. in May.
    • Lived in Delray Beach, Fla.

The Pennsylvania Plane (UA Flight 93, Newark to San Francisco)

  1. Ziad Samir Jarrah — Lebanese — pilot
    • Born in Lebanon in 1975.
    • Studied aircraft construction and maintenance at Hamburg tech. univ. 1996-00.
    • Obtained five-year, multiple-entry tourist visa in Germany.
    • Entered U.S. in June 27, 2000 at Atlanta.
    • Trained as a pilot in Venice, Florida and Virginia Gardens, Florida but never obtained student trainee visa.  Received FAA pilot’s certificate.
    • Took at least 5 trips out of U.S. and back (flew to Germany July 25 and returned August 5, 2001).
    • Lived in Delray Beach, Fla.
    • In legal nonimmigrant status at the time of the attack.
    • Had a Florida driver’s license.
  2. Saeed al-Ghamdi (or Alghamdi) — Saudi Arabian
    • Identity in doubt.
    • Obtained tourist visa in Saudi Arabia. According to the 2/04 Staff Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, application falsely stated he had not previously applied for a U.S. visa.
    • Entered U.S. in June 2001. According to the 2/04 Staff Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, he was sent to secondary inspection, because he had a one-way ticket and $500, but was admitted.
    • Lived in Delray Beach, Fla.
    • Had a Florida ID card.
  3. Ahmed Ibrahim A. al-Haznawi (or Alhaznawi) (21) — Saudi Arabian
    • Obtained tourist visa in Saudi Arabia.
    • Entered the U.S. in June 2001. According to the 2/04 Staff Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, his passport may have had “suspicious indicators.”
    • In legal nonimmigrant status at the time of the attack.
    • Lived in Delray Beach, Fla.
    • Had a Florida driver’s license.
  4. Ahmed Abdullah al-Nami (or Alnami) (23) — Saudi Arabian
    • Obtained tourist visa in Saudi Arabia.
    • Entered the U.S. in May 2001. According to the 2/04 Staff Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, his passport may have had “suspicious indicators.”
    • In legal nonimmigrant status at the time of the attack.
    • Lived in Delray Beach, Fla.
    • Had a Florida ID card.

Other Conspiritors:

  • Khalid Sheikh Mohamed (Coordinator) — Indicted in 1996 in N. Y. for his role in an earlier terrorist plot. Had a Saudi Arabian passport (although not a Saudi national) — obtained a U.S. visa in July 2001.
  • Ramzi Bin-al-shibh — Yemeni (potential pilot) — denied visa four times.
  • Zakariya Essabar — Moroccan — potential pilot/hijacker — denied visa.
  • Saeed “Jihad” al Gamdi — Potential hijacker — denied visa.
  • Ali Abdul Aziz Ali — Pakistani — financial facilitator — denied visa.
  • Mohamed al Kahtani — potential hijacker — denied visa.

http://www.fairus.org/issue/identity-and-immigration-status-of-9-11-terrorists

Part 3

Bill Clinton, his staff and other government resources were distracted by his sexual escapades, coverups and legal wrangling.

From just July 1998, before the Impeachment.

“July 1998

July 1, 1998: Linda Tripp makes her second appearance before the grand jury, during which the Lewinsky tapes may have been played.

July 7, 1998: Linda Tripp returns for her third day of testimony before the grand jury, as the Maryland state’s attorney opens investigations into Tripp’s taping of her conversations with Monica Lewinsky. The investigation is aimed at deciding whether Tripp had broken Maryland state laws that require both parties in a conversation to consent to be taped.

July 7, 1998: The U.S. Court of Appeals rules that Secret Service agents must testify before the grand jury, upholding Judge Norma Holloway Johnson’s earlier decision.

July 9, 1998: Monica Lewinsky announces she is prepared to cooperate in the Maryland investigation into the legality of Linda Tripp’s tapes of phone conversations as Tripp appears before the grand jury for the fourth time.

July 14, 1998: Ken Starr subpoenas Larry Cockell, head of the president’s security detail. The Justice Department, backed by the Secret Service, requests a full panel appeal of the Secret Service testimony decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals.

July 17, 1998: Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist denies an extension of the temporary stay on Secret Service testimony. The subpoenaed Secret Service agents appeared before the grand jury, although only three of them testify. Larry Cockell, who is not one of the agents to testify, spends the afternoon waiting.

July 21, 1998: The U.S. Court of Appeals holds a hearing on alleged leaks of grand jury information to the media by Ken Starr’s office. The hearings center on Judge Norma Holloway Johnson’s secret sanctions against Starr and his subsequent appeal. The sanctions would require Starr to turn over documents and other evidence related to the alleged leaks.

July 25, 1998: Word emerges that Independent Counsel Ken Starr has served President Clinton with a subpoena that calls for his testimony before the Lewinsky grand jury next week. Negotiations are underway on the scope, timing and format of Clinton’s testimony.

July 27, 1998: The U.S. Court of Appeals rules that attorney-client privilege does not protect presidential confidant Bruce Lindsey from answering all questions put to him before the Lewinsky grand jury.

July 28, 1998: In a dramatic breakthrough, lawyers for Lewinsky and Starr work out a full immunity agreement covering both Lewinsky and her parents, Marcia Lewis and Dr. Bernard Lewinsky.

July 29, 1998: President Bill Clinton agrees to testify voluntarily and Starr’s office withdraws the subpoena. Clinton’s testimony is set for August 17 at the White House.

July 30, 1998: Sources say that as part of her immunity agreement, Lewinsky has handed over to prosecutors a dark blue dress that she alleges may contain physical evidence of a sexual relationship with President Bill Clinton. The dress is turned over to the FBI lab for testing.”

http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/history/johnson/clintontimeline.htm

Once again, this was only one month.

The tip of the iceberg.

Bill Clinton, his staff and the government was consumed by this!

They were distracted from their duties.

The nation and the world suffered for Bill Clinton’s self absorption.

This is not an opinion.

It is fact!

 

More here:

https://citizenwells.com/

http://citizenwells.net/

 

 

 

Ryan Lochte should be stripped of his medals, Actions at gas station during interviews and lame apology do not represent America and Olympic spirit, Lochte should also be prosecuted, Washington Post is correct

Ryan Lochte should be stripped of his medals, Actions at gas station during interviews and lame apology do not represent America and Olympic spirit, Lochte should also be prosecuted, Washington Post is correct

“If you are not guided by God, you will be guided by something or someone else.”…Eric Liddell

“It is not by muscle, speed, or physical dexterity that great things are achieved, but by reflection, force of character, and judgment.”…Marcus Tullius Cicero

“We are being lied to on a scale unimaginable by George Orwell.”…Citizen Wells

 

 

Ryan Lochte is a disgrace to America, the world and the Olympics.

His apparent participation in drunken revelry may can be overlooked.

However, his actions at the Brazilian gas station, repeated lies during interviews, escape from Brazil leaving his teammates to be interrogated by the law and finally his lame apologies, cannot be.

Ryan Lochte should be stripped of his medals and prosecuted.

I am not inclined to agree with the Washington Post often, especially with their biased election coverage, but I do on this occasion.

From the Washington Post August 19, 2016.

“Let’s say you’re a guest in someone’s home. You and your friends are invited to a dinner at which the hosts, though cash-strapped, do their level best to put out a nice spread and show you hospitality. You over-serve yourself on their liquor, stagger around drunk and tear a picture off the wall, then unzip your fly and urinate in their bushes. The morning after, the best you can muster to your hosts is some vague, mumbled regret for being a “distraction” from the party.

Really?

Here’s a new slogan for the U.S. Olympic Committee: “Leading the medal chart but dead last in apologies.” Ryan Lochte still doesn’t get it. His so-called apology was a lame, crisis-crafted statement that showed zero sincerity and no awareness of his affront to Brazil and, if anything, only added to the insult by continuing to suggest he’s somehow this country’s victim.

“I want to apologize for my behavior last weekend — for not being more careful and candid in how I described the events of that early morning,” he parsed, via Instagram.”

“Wielgus said: “The last five days have been difficult for our USA Swimming and United States Olympic families. . . . We do not condone the lapse in judgment and conduct that led us to this point. That this is drawing attention away from Team USA’s incredible accomplishments in the water and by other athletes across the Olympic Games is upsetting.”

None of them gets it. None of them gets why, at last count, around 1.8 million Brazilian people had gone on Rio2016’s Twitter account to register their outrage against Lochte and his junior swim club pals.

“It’s clear the Brazilian population felt humiliated,” Rio 2016 spokesman Mario Andrada said.”

“Lochte made a convenient self-promotional vehicle out of a city tortured by crime and poverty. There were nearly 11,000  street robberies here in June. The unemployment rate is 11 percent and expected to rise to 12 percent by next year. The Brazilian minimum wage amounts to $228 a month. It should not need to be stated that the gas station was someone’s business, someone’s wherewithal.

Lochte created a needless problem for a strung-out police force with pay issues, short supplies and the overwhelming task of trying to secure Rio during a Summer Olympics. They had to chase his bogusness for four days.”

“The reason they all thought they could get away with it? It was just a little Brazilian gas station. Who could possibly care about that? Who would ever notice?

“They thought this would be forgotten,” said Sergio Riera, the lawyer who got Bentz and Conger released. “They did not think it would have a more serious consequence.”

Here is what is missing from Lochte’s apology. Any sign of manners. Any sign of humility. Any sign of real regret. Any sense of where he had spent the past two weeks. And that is truly sorry.”

Read more:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/ryan-lochtes-apology-is-clear-he-doesnt-realize-what-he-has-done-wrong/2016/08/19/182e2348-6614-11e6-8b27-bb8ba39497a2_story.html?wpisrc=nl_az_most