“I don’t care”. Those words were spoken to me by an agent of the Colorado Dept of Revenue recently as I tried to explain why I didn’t have any money left after paying for food, rent and utilities. I only owe them $300 now in back taxes and have faithfully been paying down my debt for more than a year. This month, my utilities were higher because of cold weather, groceries keep going up but my fixed income hasn’t. I have my daughter and two grand kids living under my roof since she lost her job and kids love to eat. What was the result of my telephone conversation? an attachment on my bank account, essentially wiping it clean, that in addition to the bank charging me $100 for doing so. So between now and the second Wednesday of December, I have less than $20.

As I still have my internet connecton, I began searching the state’s web sites, trying to figure out exactly how they can legally take every dollar without so much as a thank you or kiss my a**. It turns out that states base their laws on the federal government, especially the Infernal revenue Service. Did you know that the state, and IRS, don’t have to prove to anyone, like a judge, that you owe the money, they can simply serve a paper on the bank, usually electronically, and freeze your assets and they don’t even have to tell you. That’s right, the first inkling you have is when a check bounces or you check your balance and its sitting at zero. Don’t count on ever seeing that money again, it is GONE and you’re left with the financial disasters it causes. The states are bad enough but can’t hold  candle to the IRS.

Several years ago the IRS was dragged over the coals when they were tied to several suicides because of their tactics. They had hounded so many people for small amounts that the people saw no way out except suicide and they took it. It was only found out later that the IRS had made a mistake. Oops!!. Now here’s a fact you may not have known, you can’t sue the federal government without their permission. You have to go before the federal tax court and essentially prove your case before you can continue. If the tax court rules against you, you have nowhere else to go but home and forget about it. The IRS has their own set of rules, classified for obvious reasons, that details the methods approved for collection agents. They can arrest without warrants, seize assets without showing just cause, seize assets of relatives and then sell them off for pennies on the dollar and then bill you for the cost of selling them. Talk about adding insult to injury.

With the economy in the toilet, unemployment staying above 10%, foreclosures at unheard of numbers, families sleeping on the streets and children going to sleep hungry, our government thinks nothing of taking what few dollars remain. We didn’t have a say in whether we wanted a trillion dollar federal deficit, we don’t have a say in how and where our tax dollars are spent but yet we are expected to pay for it. Do we really need to send $30 billion to foreign countries when that money could be better spent right here? Again, we aren’t asked.

It is a small wonder that there’s a mini-revolution brewing against the very people who should be held accountable. It will only grow until the voice of the people can’t be ignored. I’m seriously thinking of lending my voice to the growing uproar.

Yes a man who was light years ahead of his time penned this opening to one of the MOST influential documents ever written in history.

Sadly, today this means nothing to the elected officials governing our once great country. No it didn’t start sliding downhill when the Novelty Obama-nation uttered the statement, “We live in the greatest country in the world; help me change it, but that non hacker sure as fuck hasn’t HELPED things out a whole lot has he?

Motherfuckers (and father fuckers for you ladies who feel left out when I say it) Are lining up to defend this shitbird with statements like “No one can expect him to deliver on all of his campaign promises”. Then WHY the FUCK was he elected by a majority vote? If it doen’t matter what they say, why aren’t we picking a President’s name out of a fucking Fez? (Yeah a turban would just be a freaking hand towel with a bunch of clumps of paper inside it wouldn’t it?)

I’m getting off track here. HEALTH CARE for ALL should be FOR all not just one for us and one for them. I’f I’m having their shit crammed down my throat then at least tell me that they are getting the same lack of condiments that I am. REGULATIONS and REFORM are what the current System needs and not a Socialist, Eastern Block replacement for it.

While we’re at it, lets think about this. Nancy Pelosi and the fucking DNC is all over this shit about Leveling out the WEALTH of the nation. Lets call this what it REALLY is. They want You and I to be in the poorest 85% of the nation so THEY can be in the RICHEST 15% (if they will allow that many people to be as “privileged” as they are for being good enough to get you fucking moronic, mouth breathing masses to vote them into office.

“From Each According to His Abilities and To Each According to His Needs” is the mantra that these fuckaholics are chanting and the Public is chewing that up like it is a NEW concept. Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov brought forth REFORM via these means in a little place that used to be called Russia with these EXACT words.

The FIRST thing that these radicals who wish to infringe upon OUR Inalienable Rights do is to take away the guns of the people that they wish to enslave.

Amendment 2 - Right to Bear Arms. Ratified 12/15/1791. Note
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

This was written by men who had to shed blood to have the right to protect themselves from all enemies Foreign AND Domestic.

Hitler immediately took away every gun from the Jews and I hope you fucking idiots do remember what happened to them during his rise to power. NOW the Democrats have sought to take guns out of the hands of the people for many years and they always come back to the same thing. They SAY it is for OUR own good so that “Criminals” cannot get their hands on guns to harm us. WAKE THE FUCK UP. They are the criminals that wish to enslave YOU and make you work so that you get just enough to get by and they get MORE than they can possibly expect their grandchildren to be able to spend. if GUNS are so BAD, why are these people all Guarded by agents who have them?

AGAIN… WAKE THE FUCK UP PEOPLE! Our society is being dumbed down by the lack of a true Education System. Our Wages and Income are being attacked, we are being led like lambs to the slaughter and the apathy and brainwashing that our leaders MUST be right just because they hold that position is sickening.

We are soon going to need a Revolution to get the Government out of our wallets, schools, and privacy of our own bedrooms because the MASSES can no longer think for themselves or ask the simple questions and react to the answers that are given to them rather than just going with the flow.

I can no longer sit idly by and watch the destruction of the greatest nation in the world. Who has the guts to speak out with me?

It’s been a while since I’ve been here to spread my insights of great ponderence, but this made me take pause and write.  So, a potentially racist situation goes down that results in a man’s arrest and Barack Obama immediately comes to the defense of his friend…Yale Professor of African Studies, Henry Louis Gates in the midst of the frey.

It has been an unnecessary crap storm if you will, that Obama has backed himself into regarding this incident having not been availed of the proper facts.  I’ve heard it said that there were mostly egos involved that got out of hand.  It is more a case of ONE ego, that of Professor Gates.  As the police reports have stated, Gates became belligerent the moment the white officer (there was also a black and Hispanic officer on the scene, as well) began asking routine questions that one would ask on a B&E (breaking and entering) call (i.e. Is there anyone else in the house? May we look around?, etc.).  These are all standard procedure for a call of this nature.  However, the YALE professor felt it beneath him to be questioned in any manner regarding suspicion of any kind. The “educated” and I believe correct response would have been…”Thank you for coming to my home when called in regard to something this serious. Certainly, you may check around. I’m happy to do whatever I can to help rectify any misunderstanding by the neighbor as well as the police department. In fact, I probably should thank the neighbor for his conscientiousness, as well.”

Instead, he was most likely irritable when the officers arrived, having been absent minded enough to lock himself out of his home. That disgruntled attitude (coupled with a predisposition toward racism as an African Studies Prof.) then manifest itself in the form of indignant arrogance toward an innocent officer who was simply trying to do his job.  In order for this to be even remotely considered racial profiling, Gates would have to have been randomly stopped.  This was a B&E call, plain and simple.  When the officer asked for Gates’ ID, he went ballistic prior to complying with the officer’s request. Then the officer was satisfied and began to leave with the other officers and Gates continued to berate and malign the officer all the way to the front door with racial epithets. The officer warned him to let it go and asked him to stand down.  Gates refused and the officer took out his cuffs and warned him a last time.  Gates, was relentless and as a result was arrested.  The only reason that the charges were dropped, in my opinion, is because not only was race introduced (by Gates) but also, because he is a high profile individual. It’s bad press for the department any way you look at it and the higher ups don’t need Obama’s camp looking down at their fair city.  They had no choice, even though it would have been a simple misdemeanor.

Adding insult to injury, Obama proceeded to call the officer “stupid” without having read even so much as a newsclipping on the incident.  The educated and proper response here, in my opinion, should have been…”I have not read the police report on the incident so, I won’t speculate and will reserve my comments until such time.”  His arrogance wouldn’t let him do that.  Instead, he chose to get out ahead of the situation and make it about defense of a friend over defense of the facts.

In closing, what this said to me is that both Gates and his buddy Barack arrogantly overstated their cases.  It continues to be revealed that Obama has some pretty outspoken friends (Rev. Wright, communist party devotees, etc.).  Being outspoken is not a bad thing in and of itself, mind you.  However, the destructive words of an outspoken person who is not intent on speaking words that teach, heal or inform for the progression and edification of the whole over self…is quite dangerous.  This further indicates to me that birds of a feather flock together. These “friends” of Obama’s that continue to pop up can only cause one to think…Who is the real man beneath the spit and polished President?  Is there an outspoken radical buried someplace deep down in there who thinks that every irresponsible, harsh and divisive situation can be excused and brushed off by simply sitting down and sharing a beer together?  Great idea, until the beer starts talking…then what?  Seriously, though, Obama and other educated black men such as himself have a huge responsibility to speak intelligently to such issues as racism…not perpetuate its destructiveness themsevles by viewing every given incident from a racially-motivate point of view absent of the facts.      

That’s my take.

Benman out!

MOUNTAIN DUDE’S MOSTLY OVER THE TOP REASONS WHY PEOPLE LIVING IN DRY STATES SHOULD CONSERVE WATER:

10.  Couples that shower together stay together.

9.   You won’t have to spend as many hours beating drums during Indian rain dances.

8.   People living in wet states won’t welcome new arrivals with open arms if there are too    many refugees moving in from the dry states.

7.  Your cat is happier getting fewer baths.

6.  A glass of wine is more romantic than a glass of water.

5.  If you get yelled at for not flushing the toilet, you now have a legitimate excuse.

4.  Watering your lawn after 6:00 p.m. and before 9:00 a.m., will attract fewer bohemians who enjoy running naked through sprinklers during the hot, sunlight hours.

3.  Steamed vegetables are healthier than boiled. Raw vegetables are healthier than steamed.

2.  Giving your sexy girlfriend a candlelight sponge bath in her apartment so she can conserve bath water is a pleasure.

1. Your dog prefers drinking from a water bottle instead of his bowl of water which evaporates.

You can see more photos by Mountain Dude at :  www.dporterdvd.com

I live in Michigan, which I used to say proudly, and I am watching our elected officials tear this state apart. I will state up front that I have no respect for our governor, Jennifer Granholm, yet we as voters share the responsibility for re-electing her again. If you haven’t heard, she plans to make Michigan the next Hollywood. Which may be a good thing for all the unemployed people (over 12% now) who are thinking of changing their career path to include “movie extra.” But I digress. This is not the subject of this posting, but they are related.

Over the past several weeks, our newscasts have repeatedly covered stories about government layoffs; specifically teacher layoffs. This is not a new strategy for local governments looking to tighten the fiscal belt. In fact it’s a stragtegy that I think most people have accepted as “business as usual.” It bothers me that our children suffer the cost of our elected officials’ lack of fiscal responsibility. Can you think of a worst way to do business? That makes about as much sense as beating your child because you wrecked the car on the way to work. One has nothing to do with the other. If private enterprises were as fiscally irresponsible they would be in the same state of finacial ruin as…I don’t know…Gm and Chrysler maybe? We need to get government out of the education business.

It seems to me that the programs that suffer the greatest losses when the money gets tight are those that hit us the hardest. The cuts in this state usually start with the police force and teachers. Two of the most underpaid, thankless, yet undeniably crucial positions on the government payroll. If you want to understand why our education systems are failing, just look at the way government values its teachers. Why would any sane, educated person want to become a teacher, or police officer for that matter? The fact is, the good teachers are in it for the “love of the game.” Hats off to those that have chosen the profession for reasons nobler than a government paycheck. Our education system would be in worse shape if it wasn’t for dedicated teachers.

Our government would like you to believe there is no alternative to public education; that private schools and home schooling are too expensive for the average Joe. It’s kind of ironic that the same government has no problem strapping over one trillion dollars of taxes to our back. The same government that tells us our school systems can’t afford new books, gives GM and Chrysler $15 billion combined to keep them afloat not knowing if they can sustain themselves. During the election campaign all we heard about was better education for our kids and affordable tuition. How many scholarships could have been paid for by the $16 billion tax dollars that Citigroup, Bank of America, and JP Morgan-Chase sent overseas for new loans and investments. By comparison, figuring an average teacher’s salary at $32,000, one billion dollars will pay the salary of 31,250 teachers for a year. Our government has given away 31 years worth of teacher’s salaries to businesses that might fail. I guess our leadership must have gone to government schools if they can find logic in that. Here in Michigan, the Detroit School District has been struggling for years. Partially due to the fact that the tax base is leaving Detroit, but mostly due to the corruption within the system. Schools are sorely in need of repair, several will be shuttered, and again the students will be punished for the sins of the few. They will pay with over-crowded classrooms and over-worked teachers. What a great way to insure the education of this, and future, generations.

People will argue that the government owes their children a “free education.” There is nothing free about it. Besides taxes, Michigan’s lottery system has generated over 3.5 billion dollars for the School Aid Fund in the last 5 years alone. Don’t forget the Bingo nights, candy sales, and booster clubs to name a few more. All payed by the taxpayer. And who do we have to complain to when we don’t get our money’s worth? The government. What a great business model. The same authority that mandates the taxes to go to their schools, creates the guidelines to measure the success of the schools. I’m going to try that. From this day forward, compared to myself, I am a genius. I like it! What this does in reality, however, is create a no-win situation for students. Let’s face it. Unless students are motivated, goal-oriented self-starters, they will receive nothing more than the bare minimum to pass. If students can’t handle that, the school system doesn’t have the time or resources to help; unless, of course, you conveniently fall into one of the “special needs” categories that the government can tax us for.

I believe the government wants schools to fail. If they truly didn’t they would not be in their current state of dishevelment. To put it bluntly, the less educated our students become, the easier it will be to grow nosensical ideas and create a more dependent society. The government has created its own captive audience. Better schools, home schooling, and inteligence are the are the bane of dependency. If we become smarter, pesky little critters like constitutionality, free speech, and individualism will end up cluttering the tracks of the Collective Express. You can call me a conspiracy theorist if you desire, but I think of myself more as a common sense theorist.

The bottom line is this. I truly believe that education is key. Good education, not so-called free (or affordable) education. Education that inspires, rather than enslaves them. Education founded on integrity rather than agendas.  Our kids deserve more.

When you throw money at the problem, that money is taken (in the form of taxes) from those who would otherwise spend it in the Free Market and thus bolster the economy themselves rather than tightening the purse strings to the point where they are afraid to do anything but stuff it in a mattress for fear of the banks collapsing.

Japan had a very similar Housing bubble in 1990 except that their housing market dropped 80% of its value when it burst. They threw money at it, Bailed out the Corporations that contributed to the failures of the banking system (and made a partially National bank), only to ensure that they would have a sub par economy for 18 years.

Why do the people in our NEWLY elected Government keep touting that we should “Learn the lessons taught us by history.” and then try to repeat what HISTORICALLY has not worked for anyone else or our country by throwing YOUR money and mine at the problem to try to go back to an economy that was unsustainable to begin with and deteriorated into the mess we have now?

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results” ~ Albert Einstein

Sorry for my diatribe here but I feel you are all intelligent enough to start asking the questions about whether the Government interference costs more than allowing the problem to run its course, find bottom, and regenerate to a healthy state again naturally.

BTW, I am a graduate of Butler Area Senior High School and followed a General Studies curriculum so this isn’t rocket science.

I’ll get off my soap box now but I WILL be back and maybe we can talk about the EVIL Corporations and how the Free market has destroyed the United States.!!

On May 1, millions of people all over Europe enjoyed a festive day of traditional merrymaking in celebration of May Day. In the United States, most people missed out on all the fun thanks to our puritanical pilgrims. While May Day had been celebrated in Great Britain for over a thousand years, the American pilgrims discouraged celebrating the event because some traditions focused on ancient fertility rights and paganism. Although the pilgrims created Thanksgiving, when it came to robust celebration of May Day, the pilgrims were a bunch of party poopers. Again and again prudish puritanical influences in this country have put a damper on fun activities and squashed the joy out of life in ways we have never fully recovered from.

With the constant stream of bad economic news, swine flu, political bickering, and lots of other depressing stuff, Americans need to cheer up and just celebrate being alive. Screw the puritans. Stop listening to political bullshit about the economy. It might be too late to celebrate May Day this year but it’s not too late to shake off the blues and dance. It’s time to eat, drink and be merry.

(If you liked the maypole photograph, you can see more photographs by Mountain Dude at www.dporterdvd.com)

A religious figure who basically rules the one of the largest groups in the world. Christians treat him as if they heard the words escape the lips of Jesus Christ himself. But who is he really? A man who found a way to receive millions of dollars of government grants. Wait…, isn’t that wrong. It’s seems if our government actually adhered to its separation of church and state mandates, this could not be possible. But this is where we are. We have hundreds of thousands of taxpayers paying for something they don’t believe in. Basically a giant cult. We already know that government officials have altered this “Holy document” (the bible), and even before this, ideals were stolen to persuade a potential following for this new religion. It’s basically an abnormally large drug ring. We can consider our federal government as a giant grow house, the priest and others offiliated directly with the church as the pusher men, and the helpless brainwashed public, as the feening addicts who don’t know they are slowly killing themselves. We as a body of citizens can see our government as being a morally bankrupt pile of money grubbing, soulless swine, drooling at the prospect of a few extra dollars. What we cannot see is where this money is coming from. The pockets of every US citizen. A person like myself absolutely loathes an idea like this. The belief of some mystical creature in the sky who will decide our fate, while allowing some people magical powers to do things like part massive bodies of water. Right. What we need to do is pull our money out of somebody elses fantasy world, and let the people who choose to live this way, support their addiction themselves. Now don’t get me wrong. The idea of a life of nurturing, selflessness, and charity, I am not opposed to. But the thought, that people are willing to step over someone else just to get into heaven, is a little ridiculous. Or the religious fanatics who will literally isolate, ostracize, and go so far as to teach their children, to separate others who think differently completely. Perfect. Lets make it so the people with new, useful ideas, can have no impact on the world. The money involved, though its a serious issue that needs to be paid attention to, is not the only issue. What this country has bred, is an assortment of people, all ages and races, to fear a higher power. To fear the “chosen one”, always the one with the authority. Now think of this. If we were given free will, we wouldn’t need to fear God, or Bush, or the Pope. We would need to fear the direct repercussions of our actions, which may not have a single thing to do with being smighted by God. What implementing this religious concept also does,  is allow people to be ignorant. Believing that so long as they are one way, someone will take care of the rest. Some people need it. The ones with nothing left in the world. As for the rest, I believe that understanding the nature of what it means to exist in such a planet, will provide insight as to what is truly reliable, and what is merely a scam. The Christmas tree for example, a pagan ritual. A tree would be placed over the remains of a tribes deceased, in hopes that the nutrients from the body (not buried in a casket) would be absorbed into the the tree, allowing it to flourish. People so busy fearing death, and essentially a dream world that they created, they forget things. They forget that as we sit and use all our resources to pursue an overindulgent, self fulfilling life, means that our future relatives will be left with nothing but hardship. But no, the fuzzy feeling they get when the mock their “pagan death tree”, by wrapping it in garland and putting a star on it, is far more important than conserving our natural resources. Reality, is a very unpleasant world at times. Not understanding this means that at any given point of a persons life, they can only achieve so much knowledge, thus so much power. You want to be ahead of the pack, pick up a god damn book, and start filling your mind with something other than nonsense.

AS SENT VIA EMAIL TO FORBES.com regarding an Article they penned about Chciago being the 3^RD Most Miserable City in the USA

TO THE STAFF AT FORBES:

Let me start out by saying: In these troubled times, I don’t know how smart it is to TELL IT LIKE IT IS. It’s like the old phrase my Mom would tell me about NOT hurting anyone by ‘putting SALT into their Wounds.’  Their ‘already open’ wounds. Now, I nearly feel like I’m using your Quotation Book there, reciting.

However, I like the fact that YOU ARE TOTALLY HONEST and that’s where you should be applauded, not hammered. What I’m commenting on is your latest Disposition (or as some Chicagoans are saying:  DISS-ing of The Windy City) about Chicago ranking as #3 on the MOST MISERABLE List.

Back on September 15, 2008 of last year, you said Chi-Town was amongst the most stressful; now it’s amongst the top ones as the most miserable. Actually, I’d rank it as #1.  My dear boss when I worked at the AMA: American Medical Assn., always told me to ‘MAKE NICE’ - when I typed her reports back in the early 80s, which I did and was proud of those. She was THE BOSS, after all, what else could I do…

However, with this eNote, I just wanted to tell you that I do not firmly agree with some of the Chicagoans who have been complaining about your Evaluation ‘on Chicago.’  I totally agree.

AN EXAMPLE IS: I have no idea how Kids date.  $100 bucks won’t get a guy & a gal into the movies, dinner.  They’d have to walk to the theatre as parking downtown is a week’s pay.  I commented on this very topic not too long ago (as a matter of fact). A friend of mine (a nice young man of about 23) is a banker. I said: “Eric, I have no idea how boys date these days. $100 bucks won’t get a couple far and it doesn’t guarantee that the ‘guy’ will automatically get laid! After all, you’re spending THAT kind of money…’ Although that sounds crude, he laughed so hard and turned so many shades of pink, I knew I had hit his funny bone. I don’t think he thought anything like that would come out of my mouth – the Mouth of a 56 year old woman. I then wrapped up our Conversation by telling him that when I first moved to Chicago in June of 1974:

The CTA (our train/bus system) cost 45 cents a ride. It’s now $2.25

&

my Studio Apartment was $155 and I lived ON Lake Michigan. That was considered prestigious because of the LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.

CAPTURING THE PULSE OF THE HEART-LAND: Early this AM on NBC/Channel 5 local news (comparable to yours with Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira, Al Roker & Ann Curry), the 2 Anchors, Zoraida & Rob’s question of the morning was the FORBES’ Latest Summation on Chicago. Oh, people were mad – seething from the sounds of their comment(aries). They email their Thoughts in and then the better ones are read on-air. The first thing I thought was: “Whoops, FORBES’ Subscription rate is going to fall.”

From the Outside or taken from a Birds-eye View, the Cityscape, Skyscrapers, etc. looks nice, but if you can’t afford a night on the town (no matter what your age and MUST decide (if you want medication (even for high blood pressure – which many Seniors need – even if they don’t have real Ailments or Medical Problems where their Meds is much more costly), Chicago is a very uncomfortable place to be. As a 35 year resident, it has changed since the turbulent 60s… And it’s all based on GREED.

Other COMPLAINTS I have are:

1) Now, bus tour guides are ‘milking’ The Obamangle ® (what I named as the OBAMA ANGLE) although he’s not done anything FOR THE PEOPLE yet…

2) We have an Ex-Governor who would rather fly into NYC and do your fast-tracked, celebrity Talk Show Circuit in order to secure himself a SPOT in prime time after he serves a few years in soft-cell or Club-Fed. That’s my thought on that.

3) Our Flagstaff Newspaper, The Chicago Tribune has filed for bankruptcy. The horrible part about Publishing is that Writers have no where to turn to get their Big Break. If Papers are folding, who is going to GIVE them the exposure or article(s) they need to get those sales? I often discuss this with a friend of mine, Lowell Thompson who painted a lovely Portrait of Barack…and we just don’t seem to arrive upon an answer.

4) CONTINUING: The Chicago Tribune has problems selling The Cubs. One of our bigger malls on Michigan Avenue – the Magnificent Mile is totally empty.

5) The folks (Chicagoans) I know do not want the 2016 Olympics here. We don’t want our property taxes to go up ANY more. It’s bad enough we have the highest sales tax in the nation.

6) Even pets are ending up in Pounds or at the Humane Society because their owners cannot afford them. They are moving; their homes are in foreclosures and they have to ‘cut down.’ Even the Animal Kingdom is suffering here in Chicago. Nothing CHIC about Chicago these days.

What I ask is: WWMD? What Would Malcolm Do?

Oh, I could go on some more with homes, foreclosures, a failing school system where ½ the High School Kids don’t graduate, but your Reporters have already tackled that.

What bothers me moreso is the Double Standard of course.

What bothers me moreso than that is the Mixed Signals we are getting.

About 2.5 weeks ago, a 14 year old Black Kid impersonated a cop and rode in the squad car with one of the officers for several hours. He evidently had always wanted to be a cop and just TOOK THE INITIATIVE. He sauntered into a uniform shop, bought the appropriate uniform and went to his local police station.

The Mayor (Richard M. Daley) thinks this is horrific! The kid is being reamed over the coals. I think the Kid is an absolute hero and a fine example. I’ll tell you why. The Stats for Black Kids (mainly boys) is that they will be in gangs; moving drugs and breaking in. Many will end up behind bars. Here’s a kid that wanted to SERVE HIS COMMUNITY. He could have been out on the street, assaulting an old woman for her purse; breaking into an apartment or raping a woman. If he was found in a line-up for murdering a Pop Princess’ (ie: Jennifer Hudson’s) Mother, Sister and her Nephew, then the Chief of Police and Mayor could rant and rave as much as they want. He was working on his Profession. Cut the Kid some slack and let him develop his Skill. He could definitely impress his friends by going into a Life of Law Enforcement, instead of Breaking the Law. When I created Cartoonists Against Crime ©1991, I did a lot of research on Crime Prevention besides taking in all that Artwork and the term used was:

BLACK ON BLACK CRIME,

which I found to be un-understandable, but that’s another disturbing story.

I hope the Story you at FORBES released about Chicago gets our Officials to think about how to KEEP its Creative Citizens. I definitely think a BRAIN DRAIN where People leave (and estimates say about 75,000 people have already LEFT Chicago) for ‘easier living’ will make sad mark on Chicago History in the years to come.

BTW: I’m still reading FORBES! I happen to like HONESTY…which reminds me of Abe Lincoln – our 16^TH Pres(ident) is 200 tomorrow! In 1809, they surely didn’t have the COMPLAINTS we have today.

FROM:

ADRIENNE SIOUX KOOPERSMITH

Koopersmith’s Global Communications

“People read what Adrienne writes about…”

Chicago, IL USA

Posted: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 – 12:14 PM CST

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know.

Where the tree tops glisten, and children listen, to hear bitchin’ about my toes.

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, with every frosty nose I wipe.

May your days be merry and bright, and may I not contract frostbite.

Just so all you people in San Diego and Atlanta know, those of us in northern states are officially freezing or cold clammy butts off!  Enjoy your warm and balmy climates.  At least we have the (cold, cold) comfort of knowing we’re safe from hurricanes and earthquakes!