My letter to Senator Harry Reid

Dear Senator Reid,

I read the recent reports that you plan on voting against the confirmation of John Roberts for chief Justice of the Supreme Court. In your statement you said, "No one doubts that John Roberts is an excellent lawyer and an affable person. But at the end of this process, I have too many unanswered questions about the nominee to justify a vote confirming him to this enormously important lifetime position." You further state, "I have reluctantly concluded that this nominee has not satisfied the high burden that would justify my voting for his confirmation based on the current record. The question is close, and the arguments against him do not warrant extraordinary procedural tactics to block the nomination," Reid said.

Do you realize how hollow your statement sounds? You say you cannot confirm him, which in essence means you feel he is unqualified to be a Supreme Court Justice, yet you do not feel that you need to block the nomination. There is no doubt that a seat on the SCOTUS is enormously important, yet you don't think it is important enough to filibuster this nomination, yet you have supported filibusters for lower court nominations. Thus I am forced to conclude that your statement lacks intellectual honesty.

What I think has happened is that your party, having been hijacked by the extreme left wing, has become simply a party of opposition instead of a party that should be providing counter ideas to the Republicans. And since you are the minority leader, you feel that you have to lead this party by voting against this more than qualified nominee, simply because the fringes of your party are so vocally against him. Rather, would it not have been more prudent to throw your hat of support into the ring, and show that while you may not agree with Mr. Roberts ideology, you still must consent to his nomination because he is a qualified candidate.

This is what virtually every Senator did with Ruth Bader Ginsburg's nomination. I would have bet that more than 4/5ths of the Republicans felt that Ginsberg should not have been nominated, but because she appeared "qualified" they relented and confirmed her, despite the fact that she does not possess intellectual capacity or intuition that a Supreme Court Justice should have. Despite the fact that she really should not have been confirmed the Senate voted 98-0 to confirm her. This vote happened despite the fact that Ginsburg was General counsel and on the Board of Directors for the very left wing ACLU. And yet you cannot support John Roberts.

It is sad that a man with your religious background, could have lost so much of his roots. It seems that you have abandoned basic LDS principles and beliefs. Yes you are pro-life. But you vote against judges that will do what they need to do and simply interpret the constitution, not amend it by Judicial caveat. You should remember that the Doctrine and Covenants states that God, "established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom [he] raised up unto this very purpose" (D&C 101:80). Yet you oppose those people that would actually interpret the Constitution form it's original intent.

Now I do not pretend to think that the Constitution is a perfect document, but it is the foundation that the laws of this country were founded on. You have a charge as a Senator to defend it, not weaken it. Yet with each vote that you give in support of a far left wing agenda, you separate yourself from those of us who believe in this great land. As you stand arm-in-arm with Nancy Pelosi and other left wing liberals, you further align yourself with principles that are contrary to the Doctrines of the gospel that you profess to believe in.

Find some gumption and support this man for SCOTUS. Break ranks and vote what you know to be right.

Cindy Go Home!

So it looks like now that media circus around Cindy Sheehan has been assuaged by the Hurricane and Bush's going back to the White House. However, now I am reading that Cindy has signed on to speak on college campuses across the country.

What does this woman have to contribute to the national discourse on college campuses? She possesses neither the intellectual capacity nor the ability to maintain a discussion past her memorized talking points concerning her opposition to the war and President Bush. This is best illustrated by her statement that President Bush needs to pull troops out of occupied New Orleans. What in the world does that mean?

Man, I cannot wait until she comes to Arizona State University and talks about how the universe chose her as the spark that lit this anti-war "inferno" (yes she did say that). Now that is a deep thought. There is so much to discuss and debate in those remarks.

Arguments can be made against the war in Iraq, but they need to be rooted in some sort of intellectual honesty. They cannot be rooted in the over-emotionalism of a woman who lost her son in the war. Nor can these areguements be rooted in 60's radicalism that is so bankrupt of truth that rational people don't even listen.

She does have the right to say what she wants. The Constitution guarantees it. But for colleges and universities to spend money on such garbage is ridiculous and wasteful.

What is it about art?

Why does Art move us so much? If there is anyone who reads what I write, they would probably not expect this type of a post from me. My political leanings are obviously starboard, but I am still moved by things that touch my hear.

Great films reach me. Great books move me. Great songs ring true in my heart. I would imagine that the creators of these great things would probably disagree with most of what I believe, but I hope that they understand that what they create can touch people from all walks of life.

But I think that something that moves us now, might not move us later. The films that I enjoy now are not the same films that I loved growing up. I can remember seeing "The Breakfast Club" when I was a teenager and feeling that movie resonate within me. It captured the real dynamic of high school better than any film that I have seen before or since. I identified with all of the characters that were in that film. I understood them because because I knew them at my own school, and ultimately I saw myself in the characters I watched on the screen.

I watch that film now however and I see it in a different way. That film reminds me of my younger days. In high school, I as much as any other awkward kid who struggled with "teen angst" but now I don't remember much about what I loathed about high school. The sorrows are there in my memory, but the happy times seem to shine more brightly in my mind now than all of the garbage that I dealt with ( not that my childhood was that difficult) then.

Now, different films, books, and songs touch me in different ways. I don't remember crying very often when watching an emotional movie scene when I was younger, yet now I find myself pushing back tears way too often. Songs do this too. But I do know that what is happening now; these pieces of art touch my soul. They reach into me and pluck the strings that make the sweetest sounds within me.

Most people watch a film like "Black Hawk Down" and see a great military action film. I see a story about the struggle of man in the face of impossible odds. I see the selfless acts of soldiers doing their job. I watch a film like "October Sky" and I see a teenager, unable to understand his father, connect with him. I listen to a song like "100 years" and it makes me think about how short life is, and to live it right.

I thank God that he has given so many people on this earth, such wonderful talents. And I thank the artists of this world who do not hide their talent under a bushel, but use it so that we all can enjoy and benefit from it.

Remebering 9/11

It is the fourth anniversary of 9/11. I just finished watching a documentary of what happened on UA flight 93, the flight that went down in Shanksville PA. The documentary shows the passengers trying to retake the plane before it is crashed into someplace like the World Trade Center or the Pentagon. The passengers and crew on that plane were heroes. They were the first to sacrifice their lives in the War on Terror.

As I watched this film all of the feelings about 9/11 returned to me. The fear and disbelief did not go away for a long time. I don't think anyone knew what to think or believe. But make no mistakes, what happened on 9/11 was the first acts of War against democracy and freedom. Al Qaida and Islamic fundamentalists would like to supplant the free countries of this world with a theocratic government that would take away the freedoms of all people. These people are EVIL. They will not stop until they are eradicated from this Earth.

America has recovered from 9/11. America has taken the fight to the terrorists. President Bush has correctly acted by overthrowing two governments that sponsored and supported terrorists.

We cannot allow terrorists to threaten freedom and democracy. Our Government has acted correctly. I stand with those who are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan to stop these evil people. I honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in protecting my freedom.

I have not forgotten. I will never forget.