Has Sen. Obama Attacked the Black Church?

In an address to the National Press Club on April 28, 2008, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. said that “attacks on him are really attacks on the black church… Mr. Wright told the press club audience that the black church in America grew out of the oppression of black people, and that his sermons reflected that struggle.” (The New York Times) In his speech, the Rev. Wright compared U.S. troops to the Roman legions that killed Christ, praised Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, and suggested that the AIDS epidemic was a racist plot. (ABC news)

In response, Sen. Barack H. Obama summoned reporters to say he was outraged by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's "divisive and destructive" remarks, calling his behavior "outrageous" and a "spectacle." (ABC & AP news)

Has Sen. Barack H. Obama attacked the black church in America?

Saving the Planet

Recent articles and columns move me to jump onboard the Earth day-environmentalism-global warming bandwagon. I have some further ideas about reducing greenhouse gasses.

First, eliminate all amusement parks. Except for selfish entertainment, they serve no useful purpose yet burn up massive amounts of carbon-generating megawatts every operational day. Everyone concerned about global warming should want to protest, not attend, these bigfoot carbon footprint generators.

Second, ban NASCAR, IRL, and all other forms of auto racing. How much greenhouse gasses must these operations generate? Do we really want to strand polar bears on melting polar icecaps just so folks can watch some cars going around in circles?

Third, limit the number of movies that can be produced annually and the amount of time that consumers can spend watching movies and television. Instead of creating and contributing to environmental hazards, we could redirect our time to, say, cleaning up a neighborhood.

Fourth, allow commercial planes to depart only when they have been completely filled. No use dumping all that fossil fuel exhaust directly into the atmosphere with partially filled planes. And eliminate first-class passenger sections in order to increase the carrying capacity. We have to be energy efficient.

These are just a few of my ideas to contribute to the global warming solution. They are a wee bit drastic, but, after all, we have to save the planet. What global warming alarmist could disagree with my proposals? Thank goodness that we have prospective presidential candidates this time around who are not afraid to talk about the draconian policies that need to be implemented in order to halt and reverse global warming terrorism.

Tax Season Keeps on Going

Well, the tax filing deadline has passed and, I am sure, most Americans have finished their taxes for another year. In reality, though, tax season is never over. Already you have made either payroll deductions or estimations for the current year. Already our governments are holding our money hostage until we can wade through the complex of regulations that will allow us to potentially free some of it. The paperwork & IRS instruction hassles are increasingly ridiculous.

This is why I have become more & more attracted to the grassroots, non-partisan Americans for Fair Tax movement. If you have never heard of the Fair Tax, or want to learn more about it, a wealth of information is available at http://www.fairtax.org/.

When I first heard of the Fair Tax plan, I was not in favor of it. It is, simplistically stated, a national sales tax. Who wants that? But before jumping to uninformed conclusions, give it a fair hearing. Take the time to be informed about its benefits. The website is full of research. I believe that the Fair Tax proposal is the most well-researched tax reform proposal around.

Here are some highlights of the proposal directly from the website: “The FairTax plan is a comprehensive proposal that replaces all federal income and payroll based taxes with an integrated approach including a progressive national retail sales tax, a prebate to ensure no American pays federal taxes on spending up to the poverty level, dollar-for-dollar federal revenue replacement, and, through companion legislation, the repeal of the 16th Amendment. This nonpartisan legislation (HR 25) abolishes all federal personal and corporate income taxes, gift, estate, capital gains, alternative minimum, Social Security, Medicare, and self-employment taxes and replaces them with one simple, visible, federal retail sales tax administered primarily by existing state sales tax authorities. The IRS is disbanded and defunded. The FairTax taxes us only on what we choose to spend on new goods or services, not on what we earn. The FairTax is a fair, efficient, transparent, and intelligent solution to the frustration and inequity of our current tax system.”

If the Fair Tax proposal interests you, learn more about it at http://www.fairtax.org/.