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Little Guy Isn't Doing Big Selling
By Yi Ping Ho
Staff Reporter
09/21/2001 08:58 AM EDT
Waves of selling keep crashing into the U.S. equity markets, sending stocks lower. Who's behind them?
U.S. stocks are off more than 10% since the terrorist strikes last Tuesday, and confidence in the world's financial powerhouse has been shaken. Market strategists, economists, and money managers say the selling is, broadly speaking, coming from everywhere. But some forces more than others are at work to drive the stock market lower.
Flight to Quality
"Obviously a lot of managed money is leaning on this quite heavily," said Jeff Hall, economist at IRF/Thomson Financial. Hall said the runup in the short end of the Treasury market suggests that many are placing bets on the safer and more liquid assets of short-term bonds. David Greenlaw, chief U.S. fixed-income economist at Morgan Stanley, agreed. The economist said one sign of the flight from stocks into short-term debt is the steeper Treasury yield curve, which tracks the difference in yields between short-term and long-term securities.
Cash has also become a safe alternative, said Maryann Hurley, Treasury market strategist at D.A. Davidson. "I'm hearing bank deposits are just bulging."
John Bollinger, president of EquityTrader.com, pointed out there have been large numbers of block trades on the New York Stock Exchange since Monday. "This to me says that a lot of professionals, fund managers, hedge fund operators and proprietary traders have been very active on the sell side. It's my sense that individuals are not as panicked."
Likewise, Hall said didn't think the individual investor was doing the bulk of the selling. "For many -- take myself as an example as I didn't bail out of my retirement plan money -- there could be optimistic betting that in 18 months or so [the market] will be restored."
Experts said Monday's activity on 401(k) assets was about nine times its normal level. But other data suggest it hasn't been a mad dash to the bank. A researcher at Trim Tabs, which tracks mutual fund flows, said a total of $7.8 billion flowed out of U.S.-based mutual funds on Monday and Tuesday, compared with withdrawals of $8.5 billion Aug. 28 and 29.
Margin Calls
According to John Babyak, portfolio manager at WHB/Wolverine Asset Management, margin calls on individual investors by brokerages are one of the reasons for the sharp drop in stocks since the market reopened on Monday. "I can guarantee it," Babyak said. "They're actually pricing customer portfolios on an intra-day basis -- which is unheard of -- and making margin maintenance calls based on those intra-day levels. They're giving people ultimatums." Traders at the major brokerages were not immediately available for comment.
Investors often sell stock when brokerages require them to increase the amount of cash backing up a margin account. Babyak said the "extreme situation" occurs when brokerages put "a squeeze on customers" who don't want to sell. This has exacerbated selling pressure in the market, Babyak said.
Related Stories
Skittish Consumer Is Economy's Biggest Concern
Defense Equipment Firms, Security Specialists See Big Gains
Markets Didn't Hear Anything They Liked
Who's Doing the Selling?
Margin calls tend to occur in days after a sharp decline, and are often taken as contrarian indicator that stocks are oversold and have reached a bottom. But Babyak cautioned against using it as a bullish sign. "There are other technical things you want to see happen, like the market closing up for a change."
Babyak also believes insurance companies, preparing to meet the plethora of claims in the wake of last Tuesday's terrorist hijackings, could be pulling out of equity investments. "These aren't numbers that tend to drive the market," said Babyak, estimating that the sector owns about $20 billion to $30 billion worth of stocks, "but it's certainly not helping."
Foreign Pressure
Strategists also think foreigners could be selling U.S.-based financial assets, including stocks. According to data by the Federal Reserve, foreigners owned about $1.7 trillion worth of stocks, excluding American depositary receipts, at the end of the second quarter, out of a total of $14.2 trillion. The proportion of foreign holdings of U.S. bonds is higher.
"Certainly we've seen dollar flows out of this country, we've seen fixed-income flows out, and we're seeing equity flows out," said Hall. Currency investors have been fleeing to the Swiss franc at the expense of the dollar, he said.
But the impact of any flight by foreign-owned capital won't be great, said Morgan's Greenlaw, even though there has been some repatriation of currency investments to Japan. "I don't think people are moving big chunks of foreign capital around at this point, because everything's unstable."
In the aftermath of the 1990-91 Gulf War, the U.S. became the beneficiary of a flight to quality abroad. But could the same thing happen again? It's hard to tell at this point, Greenlaw said, as the U.S. has become "more vulnerable in the short run because of the disruptions and near-term downsides in the economy." But things will be different over time. "As [Alan] Greenspan said in his testimony [Thursday] , there's reason to believe we still face an environment of pretty good economic performance."
God Bless America!
Excel
Joe here is someone elses opinion of selling............
Little Guy Isn't Doing Big Selling
By Yi Ping Ho
Staff Reporter
09/21/2001 08:58 AM EDT
Waves of selling keep crashing into the U.S. equity markets, sending stocks lower. Who's behind them?
U.S. stocks are off more than 10% since the terrorist strikes last Tuesday, and confidence in the world's financial powerhouse has been shaken. Market strategists, economists, and money managers say the selling is, broadly speaking, coming from everywhere. But some forces more than others are at work to drive the stock market lower.
Flight to Quality
"Obviously a lot of managed money is leaning on this quite heavily," said Jeff Hall, economist at IRF/Thomson Financial. Hall said the runup in the short end of the Treasury market suggests that many are placing bets on the safer and more liquid assets of short-term bonds. David Greenlaw, chief U.S. fixed-income economist at Morgan Stanley, agreed. The economist said one sign of the flight from stocks into short-term debt is the steeper Treasury yield curve, which tracks the difference in yields between short-term and long-term securities.
Cash has also become a safe alternative, said Maryann Hurley, Treasury market strategist at D.A. Davidson. "I'm hearing bank deposits are just bulging."
John Bollinger, president of EquityTrader.com, pointed out there have been large numbers of block trades on the New York Stock Exchange since Monday. "This to me says that a lot of professionals, fund managers, hedge fund operators and proprietary traders have been very active on the sell side. It's my sense that individuals are not as panicked."
Likewise, Hall said didn't think the individual investor was doing the bulk of the selling. "For many -- take myself as an example as I didn't bail out of my retirement plan money -- there could be optimistic betting that in 18 months or so [the market] will be restored."
Experts said Monday's activity on 401(k) assets was about nine times its normal level. But other data suggest it hasn't been a mad dash to the bank. A researcher at Trim Tabs, which tracks mutual fund flows, said a total of $7.8 billion flowed out of U.S.-based mutual funds on Monday and Tuesday, compared with withdrawals of $8.5 billion Aug. 28 and 29.
Margin Calls
According to John Babyak, portfolio manager at WHB/Wolverine Asset Management, margin calls on individual investors by brokerages are one of the reasons for the sharp drop in stocks since the market reopened on Monday. "I can guarantee it," Babyak said. "They're actually pricing customer portfolios on an intra-day basis -- which is unheard of -- and making margin maintenance calls based on those intra-day levels. They're giving people ultimatums." Traders at the major brokerages were not immediately available for comment.
Investors often sell stock when brokerages require them to increase the amount of cash backing up a margin account. Babyak said the "extreme situation" occurs when brokerages put "a squeeze on customers" who don't want to sell. This has exacerbated selling pressure in the market, Babyak said.
Related Stories
Skittish Consumer Is Economy's Biggest Concern
Defense Equipment Firms, Security Specialists See Big Gains
Markets Didn't Hear Anything They Liked
Who's Doing the Selling?
Margin calls tend to occur in days after a sharp decline, and are often taken as contrarian indicator that stocks are oversold and have reached a bottom. But Babyak cautioned against using it as a bullish sign. "There are other technical things you want to see happen, like the market closing up for a change."
Babyak also believes insurance companies, preparing to meet the plethora of claims in the wake of last Tuesday's terrorist hijackings, could be pulling out of equity investments. "These aren't numbers that tend to drive the market," said Babyak, estimating that the sector owns about $20 billion to $30 billion worth of stocks, "but it's certainly not helping."
Foreign Pressure
Strategists also think foreigners could be selling U.S.-based financial assets, including stocks. According to data by the Federal Reserve, foreigners owned about $1.7 trillion worth of stocks, excluding American depositary receipts, at the end of the second quarter, out of a total of $14.2 trillion. The proportion of foreign holdings of U.S. bonds is higher.
"Certainly we've seen dollar flows out of this country, we've seen fixed-income flows out, and we're seeing equity flows out," said Hall. Currency investors have been fleeing to the Swiss franc at the expense of the dollar, he said.
But the impact of any flight by foreign-owned capital won't be great, said Morgan's Greenlaw, even though there has been some repatriation of currency investments to Japan. "I don't think people are moving big chunks of foreign capital around at this point, because everything's unstable."
In the aftermath of the 1990-91 Gulf War, the U.S. became the beneficiary of a flight to quality abroad. But could the same thing happen again? It's hard to tell at this point, Greenlaw said, as the U.S. has become "more vulnerable in the short run because of the disruptions and near-term downsides in the economy." But things will be different over time. "As [Alan] Greenspan said in his testimony [Thursday] , there's reason to believe we still face an environment of pretty good economic performance."
God Bless America!
Excel
Fort Collins' ‘gun people' are stocking up
By Alex Tizon
Seattle Times staff reporter
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — The sign above Clifford Hamblen's shop reads GUNS GUNS GUNS in big white letters that span the width of the storefront. He wanted no ambiguity. He wanted to make sure unsuspecting citizens would not wander in thinking it was a bagel shop or a Socks Galore, which are nearby. If he had an extra five feet, he would have added another GUNS to match his business card.
But it hasn't been necessary. Customers come, young and old. More so lately with the nation anxious about the war on terrorists. President Bush has been telling the country to get ready, and that's what Hamblen's customers have been doing. Gun sales are up 20 percent; ammunition sales, 50 percent.
"People are nervous," Hamblen says. "Anytime people are nervous, the first thing they do is stock up on bullets."
It was a long haul southward along the Rocky Mountains from Sheridan, Wyo., to this eclectic town of college students, shopping malls and, for lack of a better term, gun people. This includes hunters, target shooters, paramilitary patriots, self-defenders and people who just like to shoot prairie dogs for relaxation.
Fort Collins began as a military outpost to protect white settlers from the Indians. The Indians are gone, but the name stuck, and some of the Old West gun-slinging culture remains.
In a city of just over 100,000, there are at least six shooting clubs and four shooting ranges, not to mention the Rockies to the immediate west, which some regard as one giant shooting range.
GUNS GUNS GUNS sits off Highway 14, in the truck-stop part of town. Across from the shop is a cornfield and next to that, a cemetery.
Hamblen is 42, a former traveling gun-safe salesman who decided, along with his wife, Carol, to open their own shop in 1996 and leave the life of the road.
He wears a Beretta polo shirt stretched tight around the midsection, old jeans and white Nikes. On his right hand he wears a shotgun-shell ring.
He looks harmless compared to his employees, who all have semi-automatic pistols tucked over their waistbands.
There's Tim Bliss, the sales manager, with a Glock 23 on his hip and 20,000 rounds of ammunition in his basement — just in case he's forced to protect his family from "a foreign army."
There's Steve McKinley, an office worker with one handgun and a knife on each hip — presumably in case one arm is disabled and he would need his other hand to access a weapon.
They are all self-professed rednecks — "My neck is as red as they come," says Hamblen — and exceedingly nice guys.
Don't think because they carry enough firepower to destroy a small town that they're uncivilized or mean.
But it did take a while for them to warm up. When I walked in, they were businesslike, aloof. As we talked and got to know each other, they loosened up.
The turning point came when the subject turned to God, and I mentioned that my younger brother was head pastor at a church in Berkeley, Calif. Everyone at GUNS GUNS GUNS is a born-again Christian, and many of them attend the same Assembly of God church. Suddenly, we were brethren.
While I was in the store, the director of missions for their church, Thomas "Doc" Collins, was looking over a Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum.
Doc Collins said he came in to sell two handguns for a patient of his. Collins is a real doctor. The patient, an elderly man, has a chronic illness and became depressed over the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks; he talked about shooting himself. Doc Collins took his guns away and offered to get rid of them.
Most discussion at the store — between staff and customers, staff and staff, even customers and customers — centered on the current crisis. It was coffee talk, over-the-counter and break-room talk.
"You know what Hitler said," says Hamblen. "A country needs a war every 15 years to get united."
"I thought it was the Founding Fathers who said that," McKinley says.
"No, it was Hitler, wasn't it?" says Hamblen. "Every 15 or 17 years."
"I'm pretty sure it was the Founding Fathers," McKinley insists.
"And it wasn't about being united. They said a country needs a revolution every once in a while to keep people vigilant."
Unity, vigilance, faith — they were all good.
The one with the Glock, Tim Bliss, says war always brings people to God.
"The day before, they couldn't give two hoots about God, but now... " Bliss says.
"You know what they say: There are no atheists in foxholes."
Bliss explained why citizens were stocking up:
If the country goes to a real shooting war, ammunition for civilians would be the first to run out because munitions factories would produce exclusively for the military.
And if martial law is declared, he says, all gun shops would be shut down.
Handguns and handgun ammo are selling faster than anything else. Handguns are considered by gun-shop owners as self-defense weapons.
Those who own or want handguns are "just-in-case" kind of people, anyway, and the current situation is seen as the ultimate just-in-case scenario.
So the rush is on.
The cash register rings from 9 to 5, six days a week, at GUNS GUNS GUNS. Citizens come with questions and fears — and cash. Clifford Hamblen and staff happily, dutifully, oblige.
Editor's note: Seattle Times reporter Alex Tizon started his journalistic road trip in Seattle on the day after terrorists attacked America. He is now somewhere in the Midwest, making his way to New York City. This is his sixth report.
He can be reached at 206-464-2216 or atizon@seattletimes.com.
God Bless America!
Excel
Hi Gary! Thanks for your response and idea. This is exactly why I need feedback. Yes I love drama. And I have seen many times how it works to get the message out. I will definetly add that to the list of how we can get the good word to the people.
By the way. I had the privilege of viewing your churches Easter presentation and enjoyed it greatly. I'm sharing the video with others. Just think. All those people who worked so hard with every facet of the program probably don't realize the seeds they planted can keep growing on forever because of it being taped! What a great tool!
God Bless America!
Excel
Gary. I disagree. Everyone I have shown this to have gone to these posts below. I had to re-do the picture of bottom post. But it is suppose to be a picture of a plane going into a building I'd assume. Please see post in order to get better picture. From what I understand the FBI has this information.
Top of Form 1
By: Jafari <http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/memalias.cgi?member=Jafari> $$$ </community/definitions.html> Reply To: None </community/definitions.html> Monday, 10 Sep 2001 at 10:10 AM EDT Post # of 60292 Bottom of Form 1
Die, die, die ,die, die....
(Voluntary Disclosure: Position- No Position; ST Rating- Strong Sell; LT Rating- Strong Sell)
Top of Form 1
By: Jafari <http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/memalias.cgi?member=Jafari> $$$ </community/definitions.html> Reply To: None </community/definitions.html> Monday, 10 Sep 2001 at 10:14 AM EDT Post # of 60292 Bottom of Form 1
Die die die die...
l
------l-------
l
l
l
God Bless America!
Excel
Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. It was a cowboy's life, a life for someone who wanted no boss. What I didn't realize was that it was also a ministry.
Because I drove the night shift, my cab became a moving confessional. Passengers climbed in, sat behind me in total anonymity, and told me about their lives. I encountered people whose lives amazed me, ennobled me, made me laugh and weep. But none touched me more than a woman I picked up late one August night.
I was responding to a call from a small brick fourplex in a quiet part of town. I assumed I was being sent to pick up some partiers, or someone who had just had a fight with a lover, or a worker heading to an early shift at some factory for the industrial part of town. When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, then drive away. But I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself. So I walked to the door and knocked.
"Just a minute", answered a frail, elderly voice.
I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened a small woman in her 80s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie. By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.
"Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said.
I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness.
"It's nothing", I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated".
"Oh, you're such a good boy", she said.
When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?"
"It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly.
"Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice". I looked in the rearview mirror. Her eyes were glistening. "I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I don't have very long."
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. "What route would you like me to take?" I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighbourhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said,"I'm tired. Let's go now."
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.
Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.
"How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse.
"Nothing," I said.
"You have to make a living," she answered.
"There are other passengers," I responded.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.
"You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said. "Thank you."
I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life. I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away? On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life. We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware--beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, ...BUT THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.
God Bless America!
Excel
Gary. Hit those links again. I think your computer messed up and gave you wrong page. Totally different from what I get.
God Bless America!
Excel
Keep your eyes on Jesus! And Walk On Water!
God Bless America!
Excel
Check this out.............
http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=$COMPX&read=58499
http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=$COMPX&read=58500
Look at the picture; it looks like a plane hitting one of the towers.
God Bless America!
Excel
Saturday Sept. 22, 2001; 10:32 a.m. EDT
Schundler: Clinton Military Cutbacks Left Twin Towers Defenseless
Before devastating military cutbacks were implemented under the Clinton administration, New York City had air defenses that could have prevented the second of two attacks on the World Trade Center last week, New Jersey Republican gubenatorial candidate Bret Schundler charged Saturday.
"Up until a few years ago we had an F-16 fighter wing here in New Jersey that would be capable of intercepting one of those planes that crashed into the World Trade Center," he told WABC Radio's John Gambling.
"They decreased the number of wings that were available to do that. So the result was that the closest fighter wing that had the capability to intercept one of those planes was in Massachusetts."
Two F-16's had scrambled out of Otis Air Force Base on Cape Cod after World Trade Center Tower 1 was hit, but they didn't arrive in New York airspace until 15 minutes after United Airlines Flight 175 slammed into WTC Tower 2.
"They couldn't get here in time," Schundler said. "And that's why the second plane flew into the World Trade Center."
The unexpected collapse of Tower 2, the first to do down, was likely responsible for the majority of deaths at the scene -- catching hundreds of police and fireman, as well as thousands of office workers who had been told to stay put and wait for evacuation orders, completely unawares.
Schundler pinned the blame for eliminating the air defenses that could have saved Tower 2 squarely on the Clinton administration.
"The federal government in the last eight years cut down the resources," he told WABC. "That's just a statement of fact."
Schundler was responding to a report in Saturday's New York Times, which he said distorted his earlier comments to make it appear as if he was blaming his own state for the military cutbacks
God Bless America!
Excel
Joe. Many sells are from Mutual Fund managers I bet. So you can't blame all of them. Then you have people who are sheep and follow people out the door. Then you have others who short. You didn't think people would take advantage of this by shorting everything? Then you got margin calls and it tumbles further. You have a terrible combination of earnings reports and layoffs.
Joe we were going down anyway. Did the tradegy speed it up? You bet. Did some take advantage of it? You bet. I would think though after your posts on Q and A board you might have toned down your posts. Maybe you just like attention? Towell heads? Hmmmmmm.
God Bless America!
Excel
Ezcomngo2. Great! Must have missed it. But I'm still wondering if there isn't something they can give? Maybe not.
Let me explain my concern a little bit more. Remember those pictures of the people dancing in the streets? Remember those kids? I greive that they are our next generation of terrorist if we don't change the perception of the US? Thoughts?
God Bless America!
Excel
Sara you said..........
If I had to guess, I would suspect that they don't want to risk exposing intelligence sources by disclosing the evidence.
I think your guess is probably right. But I'm thinking why not just come out and say that? Wouldn't that be better then expecting everyone to trust us?
My concern is the hate others have for this country. I believe it goes beyond our way of life with freedoms. I think we are viewed as being the bully in past situations in history which breeds hate. So I'm thinking why not try to do everything we can to keep the hate factor down as much as possible so less kids grow up hating America? I believe you and I are on the same page. Just wish we had more information.
God Bless America!
Excel
Can some one tell me what I'm missing? Why can't the US turn over evidence to taliban that bin is involved? They don't need to give them everything but just enough to prove it. That way I believe countries would become involved even more.
God Bless America!
Excel
With Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff
For the story behind the story...
Thursday, Sept. 20, 2001 6:29 p.m. EDT
TV Stations Dump Bill Maher
Exclusive: At least three TV stations have dumped ultra-snide "Politically Incorrect" host Bill Maher because of his controversial remarks.
Starting tonight, the ABC stations in Des Moines and Sioux City, Iowa, and Lincoln, Neb., have dropped "Politically Incorrect" from their schedules until further notice, Ray Cole, president and CEO of Citadel Communications, which owns the three stations, told NewsMax.com this afternoon.
"We wanted to give the show an ample opportunity to explain, and in my view apologize," Cole told NewsMax. But he was disappointed in ABC's inaction and Maher's spinning and feeble attempts at apology, which initially included a statement that he's "never been good at grieving" on TV.
Sears, which along with Federal Express yanked ads from "Politically Incorrect," told Reuters news agency: "Bill and his guests have every right to voice their freedom of speech, and we applaud that. However, we have the right to air our broadcast advertising where we feel it's appropriate to reach out to our customers."
In a statement issued through a P.R. flack Wednesday, Maher said his views "should have been expressed differently."
"In no way was I intending to say, nor have I ever thought, that the men and women who defend our nation in uniform are anything but courageous and valiant, and I offer my apologies to anyone who took it wrong," the statement said.
"Too little, too late," said Cole, who was surprised that NewsMax was already reporting his decision, which had been made just this afternoon.
One of the viewers who flooded Cole's stations with complaints about Maher was NewsMax reader Neal J. Fisher, a Drake University student who told us "at least 50 people on campus" were involved in the dump-Maher movement. "There's been a much larger response from the community," he found out after contacting the station.
Cole said he didn't know of any other ABC stations pre-empting Maher yet. But there's hope. Take a stand by contacting your local ABC station and urging it to cancel "Politically Incorrect." Also, to e-mail ABC: abc.audience.relations@abc.com or netaudr@abc.com.
And we salute Ray Cole and his company and Neal J. Fisher and his fellow activists for taking their stand.
God Bless America!
Excel
For those that missed it.............
Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People
Mr. Speaker, Mr. President pro tempore, Members of Congress, and fellow Americans:
In the normal course of events, Presidents come to this chamber to report on the state of the Union. Tonight, no such report is needed. It has already been delivered by the American people.
We have seen it in the courage of passengers, who rushed terrorists to save others on the ground -- passengers like an exceptional man named Todd Beamer. Please help me to welcome his wife, Lisa Beamer, here tonight.
We have seen the state of our Union in the endurance of rescuers, working past exhaustion. We have seen the unfurling of flags, the lighting of candles, the giving of blood, the saying of prayers -- in English, Hebrew, and Arabic. We have seen the decency of a loving and giving people, who have made the grief of strangers their own.
My fellow citizens, for the last nine days, the entire world has seen for itself the state of our Union -- and it is strong.
Tonight we are a country awakened to danger and called to defend freedom. Our grief has turned to anger, and anger to resolution. Whether we bring our enemies to justice, or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done.
I thank the Congress for its leadership at such an important time. All of America was touched on the evening of the tragedy to see Republicans and Democrats, joined together on the steps of this Capitol, singing "God Bless America." And you did more than sing, you acted, by delivering forty billion dollars to rebuild our communities and meet the needs of our military.
Speaker Hastert and Minority Leader Gephardt -- Majority Leader Daschle and Senator Lott -- I thank you for your friendship and your leadership and your service to our country.
And on behalf of the American people, I thank the world for its outpouring of support. America will never forget the sounds of our National Anthem playing at Buckingham Palace, and on the streets of Paris, and at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate. We will not forget South Korean children gathering to pray outside our embassy in Seoul, or the prayers of sympathy offered at a mosque in Cairo. We will not forget moments of silence and days of mourning in Australia and Africa and Latin America.
Nor will we forget the citizens of eighty other nations who died with our own. Dozens of Pakistanis. More than 130 Israelis. More than 250 citizens of India. Men and women from El Salvador, Iran, Mexico, and Japan. And hundreds of British citizens. America has no truer friend than Great Britain. Once again, we are joined together in a great cause. The British Prime Minister has crossed an ocean to show his unity of purpose with America, and tonight we welcome Tony Blair.
On September the eleventh, enemies of freedom committed an act of war against our country. Americans have known wars -- but for the past 136 years, they have been wars on foreign soil, except for one Sunday in 1941. Americans have known the casualties of war -- but not at the center of a great city on a peaceful morning. Americans have known surprise attacks -- but never before on thousands of civilians. All of this was brought upon us in a single day -- and night fell on a different world, a world where freedom itself is under attack.
Americans have many questions tonight. Americans are asking: Who attacked our country?
The evidence we have gathered all points to a collection of loosely affiliated terrorist organizations known as al-Qaida. They are the same murderers indicted for bombing American embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, and responsible for the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole.
Al-Qaida is to terror what the mafia is to crime. But its goal is not making money; its goal is remaking the world -- and imposing its radical beliefs on people everywhere.
The terrorists practice a fringe form of Islamic extremism that has been rejected by Muslim scholars and the vast majority of Muslim clerics -- a fringe movement that perverts the peaceful teachings of Islam. The terrorists? directive commands them to kill Christians and Jews, to kill all Americans, and make no distinctions among military and civilians, including women and children.
This group and its leader -- a person named Usama bin Ladin -- are linked to many other organizations in different countries, including the Egyptian Islamic Jihad and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.
There are thousands of these terrorists in more than sixty countries. They are recruited from their own nations and neighborhoods, and brought to camps in places like Afghanistan where they are trained in the tactics of terror. They are sent back to their homes or sent to hide in countries around the world to plot evil and destruction.
The leadership of al-Qaida has great influence in Afghanistan, and supports the Taliban regime in controlling most of that country. In Afghanistan, we see al-Qaida's vision for the world.
Afghanistan's people have been brutalized -- many are starving and many have fled. Women are not allowed to attend school. You can be jailed for owning a television. Religion can be practiced only as their leaders dictate. A man can be jailed in Afghanistan if his beard is not long enough.
The United States respects the people of Afghanistan -- after all, we are currently its largest source of humanitarian aid -- but we condemn the Taliban regime. It is not only repressing its own people, it is threatening people everywhere by sponsoring and sheltering and supplying terrorists. By aiding and abetting murder, the Taliban regime is committing murder. And tonight, the United States of America makes the following demands on the Taliban:
Deliver to United States authorities all the leaders of al-Qaida who hide in your land.
Release all foreign nationals -- including American citizens -- you have unjustly imprisoned, and protect foreign journalists, diplomats, and aid workers in your country.
Close immediately and permanently every terrorist training camp in Afghanistan and hand over every terrorist, and every person in their support structure, to appropriate authorities.
Give the United States full access to terrorist training camps, so we can make sure they are no longer operating.
These demands are not open to negotiation or discussion. The Taliban must act and act immediately. They will hand over the terrorists, or they will share in their fate.
I also want to speak tonight directly to Muslims throughout the world: We respect your faith. It is practiced freely by many millions of Americans, and by millions more in countries that America counts as friends. Its teachings are good and peaceful, and those who commit evil in the name of Allah blaspheme the name of Allah. The terrorists are traitors to their own faith, trying, in effect, to hijack Islam itself. The enemy of America is not our many Muslim friends; it is not our many Arab friends. Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists, and every government that supports them.
Our war on terror begins with al-Qaida, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped, and defeated.
Americans are asking: Why do they hate us?
They hate what we see right here in this chamber -- a democratically elected government. Their leaders are self-appointed. They hate our freedoms -- our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other.
They want to overthrow existing governments in many Muslim countries, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. They want to drive Israel out of the Middle East. They want to drive Christians and Jews out of vast regions of Asia and Africa.
These terrorists kill not merely to end lives, but to disrupt and end a way of life. With every atrocity, they hope that America grows fearful, retreating from the world and forsaking our friends. They stand against us, because we stand in their way.
We are not deceived by their pretenses to piety. We have seen their kind before. They are the heirs of all the murderous ideologies of the twentieth century. By sacrificing human life to serve their radical visions -- by abandoning every value except the will to power -- they follow in the path of fascism, and Nazism, and totalitarianism. And they will follow that path all the way, to where it ends: in history's unmarked grave of discarded lies.
Americans are asking: How will we fight and win this war?
We will direct every resource at our command -- every means of diplomacy, every tool of intelligence, every instrument of law enforcement, every financial influence, and every necessary weapon of war -- to the disruption and defeat of the global terror network.
This war will not be like the war against Iraq a decade ago, with its decisive liberation of territory and its swift conclusion. It will not look like the air war above Kosovo two years ago, where no ground troops were used and not a single American was lost in combat.
Our response involves far more than instant retaliation and isolated strikes. Americans should not expect one battle, but a lengthy campaign, unlike any other we have seen. It may include dramatic strikes, visible on television, and covert operations, secret even in success. We will starve terrorists of funding, turn them one against another, drive them from place to place, until there is no refuge or rest. And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism. Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime.
Our Nation has been put on notice: We are not immune from attack. We will take defensive measures against terrorism to protect Americans.
Today, dozens of federal departments and agencies, as well as state and local governments, have responsibilities affecting homeland security. These efforts must be coordinated at the highest level. So tonight I announce the creation of a Cabinet-level position reporting directly to me -- the Office of Homeland Security.
These measures are essential. But the only way to defeat terrorism as a threat to our way of life is to stop it, eliminate it, and destroy it where it grows.
Many will be involved in this effort, from FBI agents to intelligence operatives to the reservists we have called to active duty. All deserve our thanks, and all have our prayers. And tonight, a few miles from the damaged Pentagon, I have a message for our military: Be ready. I have called the armed forces to alert, and there is a reason. The hour is coming when America will act, and you will make us proud.
This is not, however, just America's fight. And what is at stake is not just America's freedom. This is the world's fight. This is civilization's fight. This is the fight of all who believe in progress and pluralism, tolerance and freedom.
We ask every nation to join us. We will ask, and we will need, the help of police forces, intelligence services, and banking systems around the world. The United States is grateful that many nations and many international organizations have already responded -- with sympathy and with support. Nations from Latin America, to Asia, to Africa, to Europe, to the Islamic world. Perhaps the NATO Charter reflects best the attitude of the world: an attack on one is an attack on all.
The civilized world is rallying to America's side. They understand that if this terror goes unpunished, their own cities, their own citizens may be next. Terror, unanswered, can not only bring down buildings, it can threaten the stability of legitimate governments. And we will not allow it.
Americans are asking: What is expected of us?
I ask you to live your lives and hug your children. I know many citizens have fears tonight, and I ask you to be calm and resolute, even in the face of a continuing threat.
I ask you to uphold the values of America, and remember why so many have come here. We are in a fight for our principles, and our first responsibility is to live by them. No one should be singled out for unfair treatment or unkind words because of their ethnic background or religious faith.
I ask you to continue to support the victims of this tragedy with your contributions. Those who want to give can go to a central source of information, libertyunites.org, to find the names of groups providing direct help in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
The thousands of FBI agents who are now at work in this investigation may need your cooperation, and I ask you to give it.
I ask for your patience, with the delays and inconveniences that may accompany tighter security -- and for your patience in what will be a long struggle.
I ask your continued participation and confidence in the American economy. Terrorists attacked a symbol of American prosperity. They did not touch its source. America is successful because of the hard work, and creativity, and enterprise of our people. These were the true strengths of our economy before September eleventh, and they are our strengths today.
Finally, please continue praying for the victims of terror and their families, for those in uniform, and for our great country. Prayer has comforted us in sorrow, and will help strengthen us for the journey ahead.
Tonight I thank my fellow Americans for what you have already done and for what you will do. And ladies and gentlemen of the Congress, I thank you, their representatives, for what you have already done, and for what we will do together.
Tonight, we face new and sudden national challenges. We will come together to improve air safety, to dramatically expand the number of air marshals on domestic flights, and take new measures to prevent hijacking. We will come together to promote stability and keep our airlines flying with direct assistance during this emergency.
We will come together to give law enforcement the additional tools it needs to track down terror here at home. We will come together to strengthen our intelligence capabilities to know the plans of terrorists before they act, and find them before they strike.
We will come together to take active steps that strengthen America's economy, and put our people back to work.
Tonight we welcome here two leaders who embody the extraordinary spirit of all New Yorkers: Governor George Pataki, and Mayor Rudy Giuliani. As a symbol of America's resolve, my Administration will work with the Congress, and these two leaders, to show the world that we will rebuild New York City.
After all that has just passed ? all the lives taken, and all the possibilities and hopes that died with them ? it is natural to wonder if America's future is one of fear. Some speak of an age of terror. I know there are struggles ahead, and dangers to face. But this country will define our times, not be defined by them. As long as the United States of America is determined and strong, this will not be an age of terror; this will be an age of liberty, here and across the world.
Great harm has been done to us. We have suffered great loss. And in our grief and anger we have found our mission and our moment. Freedom and fear are at war. The advance of human freedom -- the great achievement of our time, and the great hope of every time -- now depends on us. Our Nation -- this generation -- will lift a dark threat of violence from our people and our future. We will rally the world to this cause, by our efforts and by our courage. We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.
It is my hope that in the months and years ahead, life will return almost to normal. We'll go back to our lives and routines, and that is good. Even grief recedes with time and grace. But our resolve must not pass. Each of us will remember what happened that day, and to whom it happened. We will remember the moment the news came -- where we were and what we were doing. Some will remember an image of fire, or a story of rescue. Some will carry memories of a face and a voice gone forever.
And I will carry this. It is the police shield of a man named George Howard, who died at the World Trade Center trying to save others. It was given to me by his mom, Arlene, as a proud memorial to her son. This is my reminder of lives that ended, and a task that does not end.
I will not forget this wound to our country, or those who inflicted it. I will not yield ? I will not rest ? I will not relent in waging this struggle for the freedom and security of the American people.
The course of this conflict is not known, yet its outcome is certain. Freedom and fear, justice and cruelty, have always been at war, and we know that God is not neutral between them.
Fellow citizens, we will meet violence with patient justice -- assured of the rightness of our cause, and confident of the victories to come. In all that lies before us, may God grant us wisdom, and may He watch over the United States of America.
Thank you.
Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010920-8.html
God Bless America!
Excel
Chas. What is really sad is the sorry excuses for a human being who were out stealing peoples flags yesterday. Heard about it on CNN. Unbelievable!
God Bless America!
Excel
FROM MY PERSPECTIVE
by Ben Taylor
Images are powerful. Jets piercing the New York skyline. The broken rings of the mighty Pentagon. A president fighting back tears. Family members with pictures of their loved ones taped to their chests, wandering from hospital to hospital in a desperate search.
Anyone who has glimpsed these images over the past few days cannot help but feel a stirring of pride for country. We hang flags from our homes, wear red, white and blue ribbons on our lapels and light candles to show solidarity. We call it "patriotism," and these are its images.
Yet, beneath these displays, how deep does that devotion run? To be sure, many Americans have already died while trying to save others. Meanwhile, our military personnel are preparing to risk their lives in battle.
But what about the rest of us? So far, many have done such admirable things as give blood -- a great first step. Now the question is, what does patriotism look like if, as President Bush has said, we end up in a protracted battle?
Many of us -- myself included -- were not around the last time the lives of average Americans were truly upended. During World War II, not only were things like gasoline rationed, but families and careers were put on hold or permanently altered. We can't yet say things will get that serious, but we should ask ourselves: If necessary, are we still willing to give up basic necessities, or even our careers, to win a war?
Yes, patriotism is devotion to one's country, but a country is only as good as its citizens. If we have any hope of making a difference in this looming struggle, we must make sure the images of patriotism are backed up with substance.
(Ben Taylor is the editor of the Citizens Issues Alert faxletter and the CitizenLink e-mail newsletter)
God Bless America!
Excel
Muelhead. I wish I had wrote it. But I'm not that good a writer. Who ever it was sure knows how to put it all in the right perspective that is for sure. Yes, you are correct. We have been given the wake up call bigtime!
God Bless America!
Excel
On Monday there were people fighting against praying in schools
On Tuesday you would have been hard pressed to find a school where
someone was not praying
On Monday there were people were trying to separate each other by race,
sex, color and creed
On Tuesday they were all holding hands
On Monday we thought that we were secure
On Tuesday we learned better
On Monday we were talking about heroes as being athletes
On Tuesday we relearned what hero meant
On Monday people went to work at the world trade centers as usual
On Tuesday they died
On Monday people were fighting the 10 commandments on government
property
On Tuesday the same people all said 'God help us all' while thinking
'Thou shall not kill'
On Monday people argued with their kids about picking up their room
On Tuesday the same people could not get home fast enough to hug their
kids
On Monday people picked up McDonalds for dinner
On Tuesday they stayed home
On Monday people were upset that their dry cleaning was not ready on
time
On Tuesday they were lining up to give blood for the dying
On Monday politicians argued about budget surpluses
On Tuesday grief stricken they sang 'God Bless America'
On Monday we worried about the traffic and getting to work late
On Tuesday we worried about a plane crashing into your house or place of
business
On Monday we were irritated that our rebate checks had not arrived
On Tuesday we saw people celebrating people dying in the USA
On Monday some children had solid families
On Tuesday they were orphans
On Monday the president was going to Florida to read to children
On Tuesday he returned to Washington to protect our children
On Monday we emailed jokes
On Tuesday we did not
It is sadly ironic how it takes horrific events to place things into
perspective, but it has. The lessons learned this week, the things we
have taken for granted, the things that have been forgotten or
overlooked, hopefully will never be forgotten again.
On Monday - pray and be thankful
On Tuesday - pray and be thankful
On Wednesday - pray and be thankful
On Thursday - pray and be thankful
On Friday - pray and be thankful
On Saturday - pray and be thankful
On Sunday - pray and be thankful
God Bless America!
Excel
On Monday there were people fighting against praying in schools
On Tuesday you would have been hard pressed to find a school where
someone was not praying
On Monday there were people were trying to separate each other by race,
sex, color and creed
On Tuesday they were all holding hands
On Monday we thought that we were secure
On Tuesday we learned better
On Monday we were talking about heroes as being athletes
On Tuesday we relearned what hero meant
On Monday people went to work at the world trade centers as usual
On Tuesday they died
On Monday people were fighting the 10 commandments on government
property
On Tuesday the same people all said 'God help us all' while thinking
'Thou shall not kill'
On Monday people argued with their kids about picking up their room
On Tuesday the same people could not get home fast enough to hug their
kids
On Monday people picked up McDonalds for dinner
On Tuesday they stayed home
On Monday people were upset that their dry cleaning was not ready on
time
On Tuesday they were lining up to give blood for the dying
On Monday politicians argued about budget surpluses
On Tuesday grief stricken they sang 'God Bless America'
On Monday we worried about the traffic and getting to work late
On Tuesday we worried about a plane crashing into your house or place of
business
On Monday we were irritated that our rebate checks had not arrived
On Tuesday we saw people celebrating people dying in the USA
On Monday some children had solid families
On Tuesday they were orphans
On Monday the president was going to Florida to read to children
On Tuesday he returned to Washington to protect our children
On Monday we emailed jokes
On Tuesday we did not
It is sadly ironic how it takes horrific events to place things into
perspective, but it has. The lessons learned this week, the things we
have taken for granted, the things that have been forgotten or
overlooked, hopefully will never be forgotten again.
On Monday - pray and be thankful
On Tuesday - pray and be thankful
On Wednesday - pray and be thankful
On Thursday - pray and be thankful
On Friday - pray and be thankful
On Saturday - pray and be thankful
On Sunday - pray and be thankful
God Bless America!
Excel
I believe every American needs to read this and understand all of it.
From a former History Professor at the US Air Force Academy:
Recently, I was asked to look at the recent events through the lens of military history. I have joined the cast of thousands who have written an "open letter to Americans." Please share it if you feel so moved. Tony
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear friends and fellow Americans 14 September, 2001
Like everyone else in this great country, I am reeling from last week's attack on our sovereignty. But unlike some, I am not reeling
from surprise.
As a career soldier and a student and teacher of military history, I have a different perspective and I think you should hear it. This war
will be won or lost by the American citizens, not diplomats, politicians or soldiers.
Let me briefly explain.
In spite of what the media, and even our own government is telling us, this act was not committed by a group of mentally deranged
fanatics. To dismiss them as such would be among the gravest of mistakes. This attack was
committed by a ferocious, intelligent and dedicated adversary. Don't take this the wrong way. I don't admire these men and I deplore
their tactics, but I respect their capabilities. The many parallels that have been made with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor are
apropos. Not only because it was a brilliant sneak attack against a complacent America, but also because we may well be pulling our new adversaries out of caves 30 years after we think this war is over, just like my father's generation had to
do with the formidable Japanese in the years following WW II.
These men hate the United States with all of their being, and we must not underestimate the power of their moral commitment.
Napoleon, perhaps the world's greatest combination of soldier and statesman, stated "the moral is to the physical as three is to one." Patton thought the Frenchman underestimated its importance and said moral conviction was five
times more important in battle than physical strength. Our enemies are willing - better said anxious -- to give their lives for their cause.
How committed are we America? And for how long?
In addition to demonstrating great moral conviction, the recent attack demonstrated a mastery of some of the basic fundamentals of
warfare taught to most military officers worldwide, namely simplicity, security and
surprise. When I first heard rumors that some of these men may have been trained at our own Air War College, it made perfect sense to me. This was not a random act of violence, and we can expect the same sort of military competence to be displayed in the battle to come. This war will escalate, with a good portion of it happening right here in the good ol' U.S. of A.
These men will not go easily into the night. They do not fear us. We must not fear them.
In spite of our overwhelming conventional strength as the world's only "superpower" (a truly silly term), we are the underdog in this
fight. As you listen to the carefully scripted rhetoric designed to prepare us for the march for war, please realize that America is not
equipped or seriously trained for the battle ahead. To be certain, our soldiers are much better than the enemy, and we have some
excellent "counter-terrorist" organizations, but they are mostly trained for hostage rescues, airfield seizures, or the occasional "body
snatch," (which may come in handy). We will be fighting a war of anhilation, because if their early efforts are any indication, our enemy is ready and willing to die to the last man.
Eradicating the enemy will be costly and time consuming. They have already deployed their forces in as many as 20 countries, and
are likely living the lives of everyday citizens. Simply put, our soldiers will be tasked with a search and destroy mission on multiple
foreign landscapes, and the public must be patient and supportive until the strategy and tactics can be worked out.
For the most part, our military is still in the process of redefining itself and presided over by men and women who grew up with - and
were promoted because they excelled in - Cold War doctrine, strategy and tactics. This will not be linear warfare, there will be no clear
"centers of gravity" to strike with high technology weapons. Our vast technological edge will certainly be helpful, but it will not be
decisive. Perhaps the perfect metaphor for the coming battle was introduced by the terrorists
themselves aboard the hijacked aircraft -- this will be a knife fight, and it will be won or lost by the ingenuity and will of citizens and
soldiers, not by software or smart bombs. We must also be patient with our military leaders.
Unlike Americans who are eager to put this messy time behind us, our adversaries have time on their side, and they will use it. They plan to
fight a battle of attrition, hoping to drag the battle out until the American public loses its will to fight. This might be difficult to believe
in this euphoric time of flag waving and patriotism, but it is generally acknowledged that America lacks the stomach for a long fight.
We need only look as far back as Vietnam, when North Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen Giap (also a military history teacher)
defeated the United States of America without ever winning a major tactical battle. American soldiers who marched
to war cheered on by flag waving Americans in 1965 were reviled and spat upon less than three years later when they returned.
Although we hope that Usama Bin Laden is no Giap, he is certain to understand and employ the concept. We can expect not only
large doses of
pain like the recent attacks, but! also less audacious "sand in the gears" tactics, ranging from livestock infestations to attacks at water
supplies and power distribution facilities. These attacks are designed to hit us in our "comfort zone" forcing the average American to
"pay more and play less" and eventually eroding our resolve. But it can only work if we let it.
It is clear to me that the will of the American citizenry - you and I - is the center of gravity the enemy has targeted. It will be the fulcrum
upon which victory or defeat will turn. He believes us to be soft, impatient, and self-centered. He may be right, but if so, we must
change. The Prussian general Carl von Clausewitz, (the most often quoted and least read military theorist in history), says that there
is a "remarkable trinity of war" that is composed of the (1) will of the people, (2) the political
leadership of the government, and (3) the chance and probability that plays out on the field of battle, in that order. Every American
citizen was in the crosshairs of last Tuesday's attack, not just those that were unfortunate enough to be in the World Trade Center or
Pentagon. The will of the American people will decide this war. If we are to win, it will be because we have what it takes to persevere
through a few more hits, learn from our mistakes, improvise, and adapt. If we can do that, we will eventually prevail.
Everyone I've talked to In the past few days has shared a common frustration, saying in one form or another "I just wish I could do
something!" You are already doing it. Just keep faith in America, and continue to support your President and military, and the
outcome is certain.
If we fail to do so, the outcome is equally certain.
God Bless America
Dr. Tony Kern, Lt Col, USAF (Ret)
Former Director of Military History, USAF Academy
God Bless America!
Excel
I believe every American needs to read this and understand all of it.
From a former History Professor at the US Air Force Academy:
Recently, I was asked to look at the recent events through the lens of military history. I have joined the cast of thousands who have written an "open letter to Americans." Please share it if you feel so moved. Tony
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear friends and fellow Americans 14 September, 2001
Like everyone else in this great country, I am reeling from last week's attack on our sovereignty. But unlike some, I am not reeling
from surprise.
As a career soldier and a student and teacher of military history, I have a different perspective and I think you should hear it. This war
will be won or lost by the American citizens, not diplomats, politicians or soldiers.
Let me briefly explain.
In spite of what the media, and even our own government is telling us, this act was not committed by a group of mentally deranged
fanatics. To dismiss them as such would be among the gravest of mistakes. This attack was
committed by a ferocious, intelligent and dedicated adversary. Don't take this the wrong way. I don't admire these men and I deplore
their tactics, but I respect their capabilities. The many parallels that have been made with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor are
apropos. Not only because it was a brilliant sneak attack against a complacent America, but also because we may well be pulling our new adversaries out of caves 30 years after we think this war is over, just like my father's generation had to
do with the formidable Japanese in the years following WW II.
These men hate the United States with all of their being, and we must not underestimate the power of their moral commitment.
Napoleon, perhaps the world's greatest combination of soldier and statesman, stated "the moral is to the physical as three is to one." Patton thought the Frenchman underestimated its importance and said moral conviction was five
times more important in battle than physical strength. Our enemies are willing - better said anxious -- to give their lives for their cause.
How committed are we America? And for how long?
In addition to demonstrating great moral conviction, the recent attack demonstrated a mastery of some of the basic fundamentals of
warfare taught to most military officers worldwide, namely simplicity, security and
surprise. When I first heard rumors that some of these men may have been trained at our own Air War College, it made perfect sense to me. This was not a random act of violence, and we can expect the same sort of military competence to be displayed in the battle to come. This war will escalate, with a good portion of it happening right here in the good ol' U.S. of A.
These men will not go easily into the night. They do not fear us. We must not fear them.
In spite of our overwhelming conventional strength as the world's only "superpower" (a truly silly term), we are the underdog in this
fight. As you listen to the carefully scripted rhetoric designed to prepare us for the march for war, please realize that America is not
equipped or seriously trained for the battle ahead. To be certain, our soldiers are much better than the enemy, and we have some
excellent "counter-terrorist" organizations, but they are mostly trained for hostage rescues, airfield seizures, or the occasional "body
snatch," (which may come in handy). We will be fighting a war of anhilation, because if their early efforts are any indication, our enemy is ready and willing to die to the last man.
Eradicating the enemy will be costly and time consuming. They have already deployed their forces in as many as 20 countries, and
are likely living the lives of everyday citizens. Simply put, our soldiers will be tasked with a search and destroy mission on multiple
foreign landscapes, and the public must be patient and supportive until the strategy and tactics can be worked out.
For the most part, our military is still in the process of redefining itself and presided over by men and women who grew up with - and
were promoted because they excelled in - Cold War doctrine, strategy and tactics. This will not be linear warfare, there will be no clear
"centers of gravity" to strike with high technology weapons. Our vast technological edge will certainly be helpful, but it will not be
decisive. Perhaps the perfect metaphor for the coming battle was introduced by the terrorists
themselves aboard the hijacked aircraft -- this will be a knife fight, and it will be won or lost by the ingenuity and will of citizens and
soldiers, not by software or smart bombs. We must also be patient with our military leaders.
Unlike Americans who are eager to put this messy time behind us, our adversaries have time on their side, and they will use it. They plan to
fight a battle of attrition, hoping to drag the battle out until the American public loses its will to fight. This might be difficult to believe
in this euphoric time of flag waving and patriotism, but it is generally acknowledged that America lacks the stomach for a long fight.
We need only look as far back as Vietnam, when North Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen Giap (also a military history teacher)
defeated the United States of America without ever winning a major tactical battle. American soldiers who marched
to war cheered on by flag waving Americans in 1965 were reviled and spat upon less than three years later when they returned.
Although we hope that Usama Bin Laden is no Giap, he is certain to understand and employ the concept. We can expect not only
large doses of
pain like the recent attacks, but! also less audacious "sand in the gears" tactics, ranging from livestock infestations to attacks at water
supplies and power distribution facilities. These attacks are designed to hit us in our "comfort zone" forcing the average American to
"pay more and play less" and eventually eroding our resolve. But it can only work if we let it.
It is clear to me that the will of the American citizenry - you and I - is the center of gravity the enemy has targeted. It will be the fulcrum
upon which victory or defeat will turn. He believes us to be soft, impatient, and self-centered. He may be right, but if so, we must
change. The Prussian general Carl von Clausewitz, (the most often quoted and least read military theorist in history), says that there
is a "remarkable trinity of war" that is composed of the (1) will of the people, (2) the political
leadership of the government, and (3) the chance and probability that plays out on the field of battle, in that order. Every American
citizen was in the crosshairs of last Tuesday's attack, not just those that were unfortunate enough to be in the World Trade Center or
Pentagon. The will of the American people will decide this war. If we are to win, it will be because we have what it takes to persevere
through a few more hits, learn from our mistakes, improvise, and adapt. If we can do that, we will eventually prevail.
Everyone I've talked to In the past few days has shared a common frustration, saying in one form or another "I just wish I could do
something!" You are already doing it. Just keep faith in America, and continue to support your President and military, and the
outcome is certain.
If we fail to do so, the outcome is equally certain.
God Bless America
Dr. Tony Kern, Lt Col, USAF (Ret)
Former Director of Military History, USAF Academy
God Bless America!
Excel
My Wife just came up with another great idea in my opinion. To have a workout room open to the public with a small charge each time they come so they aren't obligated. Or no charge at all.
Have Christian music or videos playing on huge screen so while they work out they are introduced to God. And we could have posters on the walls explaining other events open to them like Wednesday night church!
This is exactly the type of way to get people to our place and involved through relationships with us and the others helping further Gods kingdom! I'm excited!
God Bless America!
Excel
THE FAITHFUL PREACHER
Several years ago a preacher moved to Houston, Texas. Some weeks after he
arrived, he had occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown
area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally
given him a quarter too much change.
As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, 'you better give the
quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it'. Then he thought, 'Oh, forget
it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount?
Besides, the bus company already gets too much fare; they will never miss
it. Accept it as a gift from God and keep quiet.'
When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, then he handed the
quarter to the driver and said, "Here, you gave me too much change."
The driver with a smile, replied, "Aren't you the new preacher in town? I
have been thinking lately about going to worship somewhere. I just wanted
to see what you would do if I gave you too much change."
When my friend stepped off the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light
pole, and held on, and said, "O God, I almost sold your Son for a
quarter."
Author Unknown
God Bless America!
Excel
Okay Joe! Hang on. I'll do a recount!
God Bless America!
Excel
From a REAL American!
Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2001 7:40 p.m. EDT
Dan Rather: Born Again!
http://www.newsmax.com
While the major media - notably Peter Jennings at ABC World News Tonight - have earned appropriate criticism for their incessant sniping at President Bush, Dan Rather is earning praise.
Brent Bozell's Media Research Center began its news alert today by saying, "Dan Rather has done plenty over his career to earn the suspicions of conservatives, but Monday night, on CBS's Late Show with David Letterman, Rather displayed emotion and patriotic fervor which all Americans should respect."
You can tell Dan Rather you're a NewsMax reader and thank him for standing up for America and for President Bush. Click Here to e-mail Dan Rather.
The alert continued: "Rather twice broke down into tears, and had to stop speaking, in what certainly appeared to be genuine outpourings of emotion as he recalled the heroic work of the firefighters and later recited lines from 'America the Beautiful.'
"Rather wondered: 'Who can sing now, with the same meaning we had before, one stanza of that that goes 'so beautiful for patriot's dream, that sees beyond the years, thine alabaster cities gleam, undimmed by human tears.' We can never sing that song again, that way. ...'
"Rather's appearance on the somber Late Show, the first produced since the terrorist attacks, came after Letterman opened the program with a very emotional chain of thoughts.
"Rather generated applause for praising President Bush as 'Giuliani-esque' for looking 'the camera straight in the eye, unblinking' and saying: 'Osama: Dead or alive.'
"A couple of minutes later Rather promised: 'But I couldn't feel stronger, David, that this is a time for us - and I'm not preaching about it - George Bush is the President. He makes the decisions, and, you know, it's just one American, wherever he wants me to line up, just tell me where. And he'll make the call.'
"As for why the U.S. has not yet struck back, Rather wisely counseled: 'There’s a saying in the Far East. Revenge is best served cold. Which is to say, wait your time, take your time. It's also, Rudyard Kipling wrote, that the law of the jungle is, you never lose your temper. Well, we're past that. We've lost our temper. And I'm sorry I've shown [emotion] so clearly here tonight, but there's a rage within in all of us that has to be sort of tempered while we take care of business.'"
God Bless America!
Excel
If I was Bill I'd be leaving the country. I hope every news service around picks this up....................
Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2001
ABC's Vile Bill Maher Calls U.S. Military Cowardly
The evil-tongued Bill Maher is finally getting his comeuppance.
Maher, all too often the chief dunce of political correctness on ABC's hypocritically named "Politically Incorrect," has finally ticked off his advertisers, this time by insulting our men and women in uniform.
"We have been the cowards, lobbing cruise missiles from 2,000 miles away," he said during a rant against the U.S. military. "That's cowardly."
He expressed his admiration for the terrorists who slammed hijacked airliners into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, killing thousands of Americans.
"Staying in the airplane when it hits the building, say what you want about it, it's not cowardly," the schlock show host said.
Federal Express and Sears have yanked their ads from the late-night show.
"Sears took this action after reviewing a transcript of the September 17 conversation among Maher and his guests in which the U.S. military was described as cowardly," the retailer said in a statement today.
After receiving a flood of complaints from around the country, Federal Express did likewise.
It's about time. For some reason advertisers didn't seem to mind when Maher "joked" about Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris being murdered or compared retarded children to dogs.
Maher made his comments after Dinesh D'Souza, a panelist on Monday's program, disputed President Bush's reference to the terrorists as cowards.
"These are warriors," D'Souza claimed, "and we have to realize that the principles of our way of life are in conflict with people in the world."
Radio host and station general manager Dan Patrick told the Houston Chronicle: "I was just appalled. When you call our men in the [armed forces] cowards and our military policy cowardly, and when you call these hijackers 'warriors,' that should not be tolerated."
"The First Amendment gives us the freedom of speech, but it does not guarantee anyone a TV show or a TV camera or a radio show, for that matter," Patrick said. "If Bill Maher believes that Americans are cowards and hijackers are warriors, let him go out on the street corner and shout that. But Disney does not have to give him a TV show and Channel 13 does not have to air that show."
ABC issued a statement saying that Maher's show "celebrates freedom of speech and encourages the animated exchange of ideas and opinions. Understandably, this forum can oftentimes arouse intense emotions, especially during such a sensitive time."
"While we remain sensitive to the current climate following last week's tragedy, and continue to do our part to help viewers cope with unfolding events, we have an obligation to offer a forum for the expression of our nation's diverse opinions."
So why not express your diverse opinions to ABC? E-mail: netaudr@abc.com.
ABC Inc.
500 S. Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521
God Bless America!
Excel
Dear Osama Bin Laden, Yasser Arafat, and Sadam Hussein, et. al.,
We are pleased to announce that we unequivocally accept your challenge
to an old-fashioned game of whoop-ass. Now that we understand the rule
that there are no rules, we look forward to playing by them for the
first time.
Since this game is a winner-take-all, we unfortunately are unable to
invite you to join us at the victory celebration. But rest
assured that we will toast you -- LITERALLY.
While we will admit that you are off to an impressive lead, it is
however now our turn at the plate.
By the way, we will be playing on your court now.
Batter up.
Sincerely,
The 270,000,000 citizens of the United States of America
God Bless America!
Excel
Hi All. Below is a link to another message board on I-hub. On that board is my families vision of how we feel God wants us to serve him.
If you don't have any current faith at the time and think this is of no interest to you please help me anyway. You are the exact person I need feedback from. Plus everyone else.
Thank you for your time!
http://www.investorshub.com/boards/board.asp?board_id=793
God Bless America!
Excel
XX. Being a little picky I'd say. I would bet most people think of the term investor as one investing for a more lengthly time then a day or month. Did you see anything in my post where I downgraded people who daytrade? Or did you just read into it that way?
God Bless America!
Excel
Hi All. Below is a link to another message board on I-hub. On that board is my families vision of how we feel God wants us to serve him.
If you don't have any current faith at the time and think this is of no interest to you please help me anyway. You are the exact person I need feedback from. Plus everyone else.
You might be thinking what does this have to do with NV?
It has everything to do with NV. Because I feel God will provide the funds to pull this off through my holdings in NVC stock.
I know at the present time the shareprice doesn't look to good. But I have faith this will change. Thanks for your time!
http://www.investorshub.com/boards/board.asp?board_id=793
God Bless America!
Excel
xxrayseyes. You said you resented that remark. That doesn't tell me much. Maybe if you told me more I could understand your problem with it.
God Bless America!
Excel
Bob. We have had three go-cart tracks spring up in the last two years with-in 25 miles of my house. One of them has a heated track. Expensive but oh so much fun. Sounds like you have some great memories. And it sounds like your kids are going to give you many more!
God Bless America!
Excel
Hey Buddy! Help me out here when you get time. Need your opinion.
God Bless America!
Excel
NW. Nice to see a true investor. Sometimes it feels like we are becoming a thing of the past. Wish you well!
God Bless America!
Excel
Northwestener. Curious why a brokerage? Do you feel they are going to rebound greatly once we get through this? Because if it is a short term trade I'm thinking they may be hurting for trade activity for a while. Or is this a long term trade for you?
God Bless America!
Excel
Considering how are military could use video conferencing. How business people would use it over flying. Just think of the less expense encountered. Plane tickets. Hotels. Fancy restuarants. Less time to do business. The time is now to hit the market about what we have and how it can help our current national situation. NV could change the rough draft below to fit this announcement!
For years we have heard about the day we would have interactive video as part of daily communications. More than 40 years ago George Orwell wrote about a futuristic society that uses video walls in every home and in public places, to permit real time video communications. His Book, “1984”, assumed technology would advance more rapidly than it has. Fortunately, in 2001, New Visual is finally developing the technology that George Orwell envisioned to be in place by 1984. With the introduction of the New Visual technology into the telecommunications infrastructure, they can facilitate the development of products that will permit interactive video communications. The really good news, it can be done using existing copper telephone wire.
This is in part made possible due to the advancements in equipment to improve the performance of the Internet and in part due to the bandwidth available in the fiber optic long haul and municipal area network sectors. This solution takes advantage of the municipal area fiber optic network and transports that fiber optic rate to the end user, using existing copper wires.
With the recent proof of concept demonstration that Lucent Network Care Professionals verified as an unprecedented accomplishment, New Visual is now tasked with identifying partners and developing products to bring George Orwell’s technological vision to a reality.
Today’s consumers, whether business or residential, are psychologically prepared for making video a part of daily communications. The fact that television can be added to the same telephone wire is just a bonus…a bonus that allows the telephone companies to add television programming to the services offered to their telephone customers.
This is a huge opportunity. New Visual has a head start with a proven concept and patent pending protection. As they forge alliances and identify products to meet specific needs, it is done without fanfare and hyperbole. They pursue the engineering to implement their technology into the existing system, recognizing their reward comes from results, not futuristic images of society. They are in the process of doing, and look forward to announcing accomplishments. Affecting the look and feel of global communications is a rare opportunity. As with most rare things, the passing of time adds value. So it will be with New Visual’s contributions.
God Bless America!
Excel
This company should be banned to do business in the US!
NCCI pulls workers' flags
By Phil Galewitz, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Saturday, September 15, 2001
On a day of national mourning and prayer, a Boca Raton company had its managers confiscate some American flags from employees' cubicles, saying other workers might find them offensive.
NCCI Holdings Inc., a company that compiles workers compensation insurance data, told its 850 Boca Raton employees that displays of nationalism had no place in the office.
"Divisive statements or actions, political or religious discussions and anything else that could be divisive or mean different things to different people are not appropriate in our work environment," Chief Executive Officer Bill Schrempf said Friday in a memo to employees.
Several employees complained about the flag prohibition. One employee said she was suspended and told to go home Friday morning when she refused to remove a small flag from her desk. The company refused to confirm whether it had asked any employees to leave.
"It just boggles my mind that here in America or anywhere in America, one would be restricted from displaying it," one employee wrote in an e-mail to Schrempf that also was sent to The Palm Beach Post. "Too many people these days, including yourself, it seems, seem to forget what the flag symbolizes and that many men and women served to defend that flag. I think you should show a little more respect."
NCCI spokesman Michael Bullard said the company has a long-standing policy of prohibiting employees from bringing political or religious symbols into the workplace.
Fewer than 10 flags were removed from cubicles, Bullard said. "It seems to me only a small number of people are upset about this," he said.
Palm Beach Gardens human resources consultant Rita Craig said companies need to understand that "right now, more than ever, people want to celebrate the fact that they're American."
"Let's face it, this is the United States. Our flag signifies our freedom," Craig said. "It's not saying that other countries are bad."
Other large Palm Beach County employers, including Delray Beach-based Office Depot and the Palm Beach County School District, allowed their workers to display the flag at their desks.
At FPL Group Inc. in Juno Beach, some employees were given small flags, said Pat Davis, a company spokeswoman.
At Office Depot, the company sent an e-mail to employees Thursday encouraging them to wear red, white and blue clothing on Friday, said company spokesman Lauren Garvey.
NCCI observed a moment of silence at noon Friday, gathering its workers in the headquarters' atrium. The company also has offered to help businesses affected by the terrorist attacks. The attacks at the World Trade Center and Pentagon will generate thousands of workers compensation claims.
NCCI said it was not directly affected by Tuesday's terrorist attack, though some employees lost family and friends, Bullard said.
Gov. Jeb Bush this week urged all Floridians with flags to fly them. Radio stations and various groups have urged Americans to display the flag this week as a sign of national strength and unity.
NCCI is the only Florida company named in the 2001 Best Workplace for Financial Professionals by CFO magazine in its September issue. It was singled out for its "quality of work life."
NCCI's "company practices enable each employee to create for themselves the proper balance of work and family life," CFO said.
NCCI provides on-site amenities, including child care, gym and a Starbucks cafe. It also has an employee-community volunteer program and flexible work scheduling.
Staff writers Dan Weil, Amy Martinez and Jeff Ostrowski contributed to this story.
Send email to the writer: phil_galewitz@pbpost.com
God Bless America!
Excel
I received this email tonight.........
Just got home yesterday!! (Thursday night) I have spent 30 hours on the Greyhound bus from Salt Lake City. I was in the air coming from Billings, MT (September 11th) visiting my mom when the attacks happened. I landed in Salt Lake an hour or so after the attacks, and was basically there until Wednesday. Mass confusion, but did not feel helpless or impatient due to what others are feeling at this moment in DC and NYC. Had time to think about others and pray for everyone I knew and did not know.
We have taken for granted that the ones we love will be here tomorrow, we have taken for granted our country and what we represent,
we have taken for granted our police officers, fireman, and our military and what they are doing to protect us, we have forgotten what the word patriot means. We have forgotten the words to our National Anthem, we have forgotten the words to our Pledge of Allegiance. We have fought in courts about the right to burn OUR flag, that represents all people who live here and all people who escape their countries for freedom.
On my bus trip back to Texas, I traveled thru Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico and saw the beauty of our country and the beauty of the people on the bus (all classes I might add). Normally you may not see the suit and ties on a Greyhound bus talking to a lower class of people, I saw us all come together and help whomever was in need. I was amazed at how we all came together and how we all worked together. I won't say that I did not meet a few idiots, I did... but not all have it in them to comprehend what most normal people can during this time.
Since this horrific tragedy, I do believe we now feel the need for changes in our system, in our schools, and for mankind. We need to stop taking for granted what we have here, we do not have to live in Kosovo, Sarajevo, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Israel, Africa, India, Pakistan, Russia, China, Japan... we are a great nation not to be divided as these countries have been. We are not fighting for land, we are not fighting for freedom, we are not in Holy wars. We have been at war with ourselves over senseless crap. We have been ignorant about history, about God, about government and what it is doing for us and what it not doing for us. How many people understand our Bill of Rights, our Constitution, our checks and balance, the difference between republic and democracy, how many people understand this system and what it represents?
I have had a lot of time to think about so much and listen to so much... yes what happened in NYC and DC was tragic, perhaps now we will pay attention, perhaps now we will not take for granted what we have in this wonderful country. Perhaps now we won't cry if our burgers are not in our hands as we pull up to the drive thru window, we won't cry if the lights stay red for too long, we won't cry if our television program has been canceled, we won't tie up our courts for frivolous things.
The time to cry is now... and pray that we never have to see this kind of evil again. The time is now for so many changes and not to expect someone else to make them happen. The time is now to understand your government and pay attention to the grass roots, to pay attention and know what and whom you choose to vote for, no matter what party you are with, pay attention and learn to read between the lines of our media and the talking heads. There is truth out there, you just have to pay attention.
Perhaps one wonders why this tradgedy has hit our soil? Perhaps we need to learn more about our history and we don't have to go to far back to understand some of it. Let us start learning more about history instead of Hollywood, and perhaps we can see things a lot clearer. Remember the heroes of yesterday and today, they don't always play sports or sing us songs or act in movies. The true heroes are the ones we will never know their names or see their faces. Heroes who have fought for our country and our cities (police/fireman) no matter what color, religion, or class of people they belonged in. Heroes are your parents, your grand parents, your spouses, your friends, and strangers... they give without expecting any recognition. They do not gloat, they do not want attention, they do it out of love for their loved ones and for their country.
I know I have gotten on a soap box and I could stay here all night... I just had to get it off my chest and hope no one holds my words against me. I speak from my heart and from my head. I speak and know this event will forever change our lives. I am in deep sorrow as most of this Great country is, over what we have been stricken with. This is our greatest challenge and now is the time we must unite no matter what our belief or races are. It is time we act like a country and stop acting like a soap opera.
Today I called my sisters, my brother, my husband and my parents, I am now reaching out to my friends and relatives to let you all know you have and will stay in my prayers. I pray for us all, I pray for this great nation, and most of all I pray for our enemies, I repeat... most of all I pray for our enemies in hiding, the cowards that attacked us while we were sleeping.
If you know of anyone I may have left off this email list please pass along those I know, I did not have everyone's email with me at home and have guessed at most of them.
There are some I know that have donated blood, skin grafts, money, food, and clothing. Just wanted to remind you if ever anyone is need of your help it is at this moment. Please contact the appropriate charities and give what you can.
Please let me know what changes you have felt as well if you feel. I would like to hear them.
God bless us all!
Excel - Greg - Fish On!