THE SPITTING LYON

It is unquestionable that our Congress of today is dysfunctional. Members of the opposing political parties are disrespectful to each other. The lack of respect contributes to the dysfunction.

 

Politicians of opposing parties dislike each other. They speak poorly of each other. Even of the President.

 

I hear people comment how they long for another day when our elected officials showed respect to each other and got along.

 

Guess what? There was another time when Congressional representatives were disrespectful of each other and showed disdain for the President. Today is not new.

 

The time is January 30, 1798. The place the United States House of Representatives. Then sitting in Philadelphia, which was the capital of the U.S. at the time. The players Congressman Matthew Lyon of Vermont and Congressman Roger Griswold of Connecticut.

 

The two men were of opposing political parties. Lyon was a Democratic-Republican, also known as a Jeffersonian Republican. Griswold a Federalist.

 

Lyon had a checkered background. He was an experienced fighter, having fought Indians with the Green Mountain Boys. Durinmg the Revolution, he fought with the colonists against England. He ran into some problem during the Revolution and was court martialed for being a coward.

 

The preceding did not prevent him from being elected to the fifth and sixth Congresses of the United States.

 

On January 30, 1798, Lyon got into a heated argument on the floor of Congress with Griswold. Griswold reminded Lyon of his purported cowardness during the Revolution. Lyon spit in Griswold's face.

 

Lyon became known as the spitting Lyon. Even in those days, a play on words was common.

 

Congress had an Ethics Committee. Same as it does today. No one had ever been charged for an ethics violation to that time. Lyon became the first. The ethics carge was gross indecency. Spitting fell under gross indecency in the Committee rules.

 

Lyon now had two distinctions. The first to spit on a fellow Congressman and the first to be charged with an ethics violation by the Ethics Committee.

 

It was not the end of Lyon's mishaps, however.

 

Two weeks after the spitting incident, Lyon and Griswold physically fought on the floor of Congress. Lyon started beating Griswold with a cane. In defense, Griswold struck Lyon with fireplace thongs.

 

Lyon's political problems were still not at an end.

 

John Adams was President during these times. Lyon did not like the President. At the time, the Alien & Sedition Acts were in force. One of the provisions prohibited any one from slandering the President. Could you imagine if such a law were in effect today. Lyon accused the President of being pro British. 

 

Lyon was jailed. His time for reelection came up while he was jailed. The people of Vermont reelected him. He subsequently was found guilty and fined $1,000. An exorbitant sum at the time.

 

Does all this sound familiar? Without question. Political hatred today. Political hatred yesterday. 

JORAN VAN DER SLOOT

Justice triumphs. Sometimes it takes a while. Sometimes it is not perfect in form. But one way or another, it evens the score.

 

Remember Joran van der Sloot? He was the Dutch citizen living in Aruba in 2005 when an American citizen disappeared. She was a young lady on holiday. Her name, Natalee Holloway.

 

Her disappearance received international media attention. The suspicion, then and to this day, is that Natalee was murdered and her body hidden. Her body has yet to be recovered.

 

Joran and two of his friends were taken into custody in connection with Natalee's disappearance. The two friends were never prosecuted. Charges were dropped because of a lack of evidence. Joran was taken into custody and/or arrested several times. In each instance, the charges were withdrawn because of a lack of evidence.

 

Recently, Joran plead guilty to a murder in Peru. A 21 year old Peruvian lady. Flores Ramirez. He admitted strangling her in a casino hotel room.

 

Joran has been sentenced to 28 years in jail for the murder.

 

There are charges pending against Joran in the United States. The United States apparently is intending to extradite Joran for his Aruba conduct. Wire fraud and extortion. It is alleged Joran contacted Natalee's mother and offered to tell her where Natalee's body was buried for $25,000. Some money changed hands. The body was not found.

 

Bottom line. Justice has a way of triumphing. Not necessarily for the crime one may want. But for some crime. Then Justice has its day. Remember O.J.Simpson.

 

The Good Book says it best.....As ye sow, so shall ye reap.

GREECE AND PEDOPHILIA

 

You are not going to believe this..... Greece is in the process of recognizing pedophilia as a disability entitling such person to a government pension.

The Greek Labor Minister announced recently that a new code had been prepared. Listed there in are a number of newly recognized disabilities. One is pedophilia. The new code is on its way to the Greek Parliament to be voted upon. Then it becomes law. It is anticipated that the code will be favorably voted upon, including the new pedophilia disability language.

Adult sexual activity with children is perhaps the most abhorrent of crimes. Modern society does not look well upon such activity. Pedophiles are generally condemned. I am unaware of any present society that looks favorably upon pedophiles and pedophilia as yet. Greece will be the first.

In Russia, convicted pedophiles are castrated. Oklahoma and South Carolina carry the death penalty. Florida has a 25 year mandatory sentence, with no earlier release possible.

American society has become enraged with pedophilia. First was the Catholic Church and pedophilia in its priestly ranks. More recently the Penn State and Syracuse University revelations.

A group of medical/mental professionals met last year in Baltimore. Pedophilia was a top agenda issue. It was the consensus of the group that pedophilia should be considered as a disability rather than a moral depravity.

The preceding suggests that the wheels are already in motion. The door has been opened wherein pedophilia will be viewed as a lifestyle choice, rather than a moral depravity to be condemned.

There is an irony in all this. It concerns money.

The United States is in a severe economic crisis. Greece is also in a severe economic crisis. However, Greece's economic crisis is the most severe of any nation in the world. Most nations are working hard to bail out Greece. It is thought that if Greece fails economically, the rest of Europe will follow. Thereby resulting in a worldwide depression.

Part of the bail out involves the International Monetary Fund. Greece is $445 billion in debt. The International Monetary Fund will be providing Greece with significant dollars to help relieve the problem. The United States contributes to the International Monetary Fund. The United States is the biggest contributor to the International Monetary Fund.

This year's contribution by the United States is $100 billion. That number is presently before Congress for approval.

Which means means that at some point, directly or indirectly, United States taxpayers will be contributing to the disability pensions of Greek pedophiles.

This does not make sense to me from two perspectives. The recognition of pedophilia by Greece as a disability warranting a governmental pension. And the underwriting of Greek pedophilia by American taxpayers.

Beware. It seems that every significant social change in recent years started off being described as a lifestyle choice. It should not be permitted with pedophiles. Depravity is depravity. Immorality immorality.

LUNACY

Two examples of lunacy became apparent this past week. One on the national level and the other the international.

The national one involves Pat Robertson. The noted religious leader. TV religious spokesman for the 700 Club.

Robertson claims he had a vision. An "insight." God talked to him.

Robertson published  "word for word" what he claims to have' "heard" from God.It specifically had to do with American Presidential politics. God told him who the next American President would be. Robertson would not share the Divine revelation with the rest of us. He would only say it would not be Obama.

Robertson set forth word for word a lengthy portion of what God told him.. Paraphrasing God's words, Robertson said God sees Obama's views so radical and out of touch with the American public that the very fabric of America will be damaged.

 

Wow.

 

Even certain Republican Presidential candidates claim God has communicated with them.Each claiming that at God's direction they were running. From my perspective, these statements by Robertson and the Presidential hopefulls are made to appeal to a fringe element of the voting public.

 

God never spoke to me. I doubt he ever spoke to you. I cannot believe he spoke to these political right wingers.

I paraphrase the Bible regarding present persons who claim God has communicated with them.....Render unto Ceasar the things that are Ceasar's, and to God the things that are God's.

Lunacy also revealed itself internationally this past week.

 

Venezualia's President Hugo Chavez was diagnosed and treated for cancer this past year. So too was Argentina's President christina Fernandez. And in recent years the Presidents of Paraguay and Brazil.

 

Chavez made a public statement this past week warning the leaders of all Latin American countries to beware. The United States was probably behind the cancer epidemic among Presidents. Chavez claims he discussed the issue with Fidel Castro. Castro warned him about the Americans. Claims they do strange and terrible things. Like getting close to a person and innoculating them with a small needle.

 

Both Robertson and Chavez are national and international leaders. Better is expected from both.

No wonder our world is in so much trouble.

ABUSE OF ARAB WOMEN

Abuse of women in a Muslim based society is ongoing. It appears to be the culture. Women are second class citizens.

There have been many examples in the past and near present. Women cannot vote, women cannot drive, women cannot divorce easily, women must cover their bodies and face with clothing, men will only marry virgins. The list is endless.

Today, I share with you two recent examples which have occurred in the past week.

The first involves Saudi Arabia. I smile as I consider the situation. Saudi Arabia is one of the leading, if not the leading, oil producer in the world. They are purportedly the friend of the United States. That friendship buys us nothing  when it comes to paying for oil purchased from Saudi Arabia. Involved in 9/11 where a significant number of Saudi Arabian citizens, also. Not Iraqis.

What has Saudi Arabia done now?

Beheaded a woman.

The woman was in her 60's. She claimed she could treat illnesses. Her charge was $800..

The government charged her with practicing magic and sorcery. Yes, in this day and age, magic and sorcery.

She was tried. Under Sharia law. Saudi Arabia has no written criminal code. The charge was based upon  uncodified Islamic law.

This was not the only beheading this past year in Saudi Arabia. There have been in excess of 70. Just a few weeks ago a Sudanese national was beheaded. Note  he was  Sudanese. Sudan is a country in Africa. 

Obviously, the Saudis are not necessarily nice people!

Let's move over to Pakistan now.

Pakistan is also purportedly our friend. We are throwing billions of dollars a year into and at Pakistan. We are buying their friendship. However it appears that a significant amount of the monies received end up in the hands of political and military persons. A corrupt use of American dollars. Especially at a time when our country is hurting economically.

The Pakistani woman is Azim Mai. Married with five children.

Her husband wanted to sell two of their sons. He wanted to sell them to some sort of camel business.

Azim refused. Her husband threw acid in her face. She is deeply scarred. She cannot obtain work even as a maid because of the way she looks.

You might assume that acid throwing by a husband upon his wife's face is an isolated incident. It is not. In 2010, there were approximately 8,000 husbands who threw acid in their wives faces disfiguring them.

Apparently Pakistan has seen the light. Laws were passed last week which prohibit acid throwing and other female abuses. Acid attacks are now considered criminal. The husband will receive a minimum of 14 years in jail with the possibility of a longer sentence. Even life imprisonment. Additionall,y there is a fixed fine in all cases of $11,200.

One of the other female abuses claimed to have been corrected by this new law was forcing women to marry. There are still tribal disputes in Pakistan. The strong tribe meets a weak one in conflict. The weak tribe saves their butts by offering their women to the stronger one to marry. This settles the tribal dispute.

Things are economically tough in the United States at the present. No matter how bad, no woman could take the position that a better life exists as a Muslim living in Saudi Arabia or Pakistan. I would be shocked to hear to the contrary.