Monthly Archives: October 2012

1980 Presidential Debate Reagan v. Carter video and transcript, fifth issue: Arms Control

October 8, 2012 – 8:21 am

1980 Presidential Candidate Debate: Governor Ronald Reagan and President Jimmy Carter – 10/28/80

Above is the video of the complete debate. Below is the fifth part of the transcript that deals with the issue of arms control among other things. This segment begins at  45  minute mark.

October 28, 1980 Debate Transcript

October 28, 1980

The Carter-Reagan Presidential Debate

MR. SMITH: Thank you gentlemen. That is the first half of the debate. Now, the rules for the second half are quite simple. They’re only complicated when I explain them. In the second half, the panelists with me will have no follow-up questions. Instead, after the panelists have asked a question, and the candidates have answered, each of the candidates will have two opportunities to follow up,. to question, to rebut, or just to comment on his opponent’s statement. Governor Reagan will respond, in this section, to the first question from Marvin Stone.

MR. STONE: Governor Reagan – arms control: The President said it was the single most important issue. Both of you have expressed the desire to end the nuclear arms race with Russia, but by methods that are vastly different. You suggest that we scrap the SALT II treaty already negotiated, and intensify the build-up of American power to induce the Soviets to sign a new treaty – one more favorable to us. President Carter, on the other hand, says he will again try to convince a reluctant Congress to ratify the present treaty on the grounds it’s the best we can hope to get. Now, both of you cannot be right. Will you tell us why you think you are?

MR. REAGAN: Yes. I think I’m right because I believe that we must have a consistent foreign policy, a strong America, and a strong economy. And then, as we build up our national security, to restore our margin of safety, we at the same time try to restrain the Soviet build-up, which has been going forward at a rapid pace, and for quite some time. The SALT II treaty was the result of negotiations that Mr. Carter’s team entered into after he had asked the Soviet Union for a discussion of actual reduction of nuclear strategic weapons. And his emissary, I think, came home in 12 hours having heard a very definite nyet. But taking that one no from the Soviet Union, we then went back into negotiations on their terms, because Mr. Carter had canceled the B-I bomber, delayed the MX, delayed the Trident submarine, delayed the cruise missile, shut down the Missile Man – the three – the Minuteman missile production line, and whatever other things that might have been done. The Soviet Union sat at the table knowing that we had gone forward with unilateral concessions without any reciprocation from them whatsoever. Now, I have not blocked the SALT II treaty, as Mr. Carter and Mr. Mondale suggest I have. It has been blocked by a Senate in which there is a Democratic majority. Indeed, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted 10 to 0, with seven abstentions, against the SALT II treaty, and declared that it was not in the national security interests of the United States. Besides which, it is illegal, because the law of the land, passed by Congress, says that we cannot accept a treaty in which we are not equal. And we are not equal in this treaty for one reason alone – our B-2 bombers are considered to be strategic weapons; their Backfire bombers are not.

MR. SMITH: Governor, I have to interrupt you at that point. The time is up for that. But the same question now to President Carter.

MR. STONE: Yes. President Carter, both of you have expressed the desire to end the nuclear arms race with Russia, but through vastly different methods. The Governor suggests we scrap the SALT II treaty which you negotiated in Vienna or signed in Vienna, intensify the build-up of American power to induce the Soviets to sign a new treaty, one more favorable to us. You, on the other hand, say you will again try to convince a reluctant Congress to ratify the present treaty on the grounds it is the best we can hope to get from the Russians. You cannot both be right. Will you tell us why you think you are?

MR. CARTER: Yes, I’d be glad to. Inflation. unemployment, the cities are all very important issues, but they pale into insignificance in the life and duties of a President when compared with the control of nuclear weapons. Every President who has served in the Oval Office since Harry Truman has been dedicated to the proposition of controlling nuclear weapons. To negotiate with the Soviet Union a balanced, controlled, observable, and then reducing levels of atomic weaponry, there is a disturbing pattern in the attitude of Governor Reagan. He has never supported any of those arms control agreements – the limited test ban, SALT I, nor the Antiballistic Missile Treaty, nor the Vladivostok Treaty negotiated with the Soviet Union by President Ford – and now he wants to throw into the wastebasket a treaty to control nuclear weapons on a balanced and equal basis between ourselves and the Soviet Union, negotiated over a seven-year period, by myself and my two Republican predecessors. The Senate has not voted yet on the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty. There have been preliminary skirmishing in the committees of the Senate, but the Treaty has never come to the floor of the Senate for either a debate or a vote. It’s understandable that a Senator in the preliminary debates can make an irresponsible statement, or, maybe, an ill-advised statement. You’ve got 99 other senators to correct that mistake, if it is a mistake. But when a man who hopes to be President says, take this treaty, discard it, do not vote, do not debate, do not explore the issues, do not finally capitalize on this long negotiation – that is a very dangerous and disturbing thing.

MR. SMITH: Governor Reagan, you have an opportunity to rebut that. REAGAV: Yes, I’d like to respond very much. First of all, the Soviet Union if I have been critical of some of the previous agreements, it’s because we’ve been out-negotiated for quite a long time. And they have managed, in spite of all of our attempts at arms limitation, to go forward with the biggest military build-up in the history of man. Now, to suggest that because two Republican presidents tried to pass the SALT treaty – that puts them on its side – I would like to say that President Ford, who was within 90% of a treaty that we could be in agreement with when he left office, is emphatically against this SALT treaty. I would like to point out also that senators like Henry Jackson and Hollings of South Carolina – they are taking the lead in the fight against this particular treaty. I am not talking of scrapping. I am talking of taking the treaty back, and going back into negotiations. And I would say to the Soviet Union, we will sit and negotiate with you as long as it takes, to have not only legitimate arms limitation, but to have a reduction of these nuclear weapons to the point that neither one of us represents a threat to the other. That is hardly throwing away a treaty and being opposed to arms limitation.

MR. SMITH: President Carter?

MR. CARTER: Yes. Governor Reagan is making some very misleading and disturbing statements. He not only advocates the scrapping of this treaty – and I don’t know that these men that he quotes are against the treaty in its final form – but he also advocates the possibility, he said it’s been a missing element, of playing a trump card against the Soviet Union of a nuclear arms race, and is insisting upon nuclear superiority by our own nation, as a predication for negotiation in the future with the Soviet Union. If President Brezhnev said, we will scrap this treaty, negotiated under three American Presidents over a seven-year period of time, we insist upon nuclear superiority as a basis for future negotiations, and we believe that the launching of a nuclear arms race is a good basis for future negotiations, it’s obvious that I, as President, and all Americans, would reject such a proposition. This would mean the resumption of a very dangerous nuclear arms race. It would be very disturbing to American people. It would change the basic tone and commitment that our nation has experienced ever since the Second World War, with al Presidents, Democratic and Republican. And it would also be very disturbing to our allies, all of whom support this nuclear arms treaty. In addition to that, the adversarial relationship between ourselves and the Soviet Union would undoubtedly deteriorate very rapidly. This attitude is extremely dangerous and belligerent in its tone, although it’s said with a quiet voice.

MR. SMITH: Governor Reagan?

MR. REAGAN: I know the President’s supposed to be replying to me, but sometimes, I have a hard time in connecting what he’s saying, with what I have said or what my positions are. I sometimes think he’s like the witch doctor that gets mad when a good doctor comes along with a cure that’ll work. My point I have made already, Mr. President, with regard to negotiating: it does not call for nuclear superiority on the part of the United States. It calls for a mutual reduction of these weapons, as I say, that neither of us can represent a threat to the other. And to suggest that the SALT II treaty that your negotiators negotiated was just a continuation, and based on all of the preceding efforts by two previous Presidents, is just not true. It was a new negotiation because, as I say, President Ford was within about 10% of having a solution that could be acceptable. And I think our allies would be very happy to go along with a fair and verifiable SALT agreement.

MR. SMITH: President Carter, you have the last word on this question.

MR. CARTER: I think, to close out this discussion, it would be better to put into perspective what we’re talking about. I had a discussion with my daughter, Amy, the other day, before I came here, to ask her what the most important issue was. She said she thought nuclear weaponry – and the control of nuclear arms. This is a formidable force. Some of these weapons have 10 megatons of explosion. If you put 50 tons of TNT in each one of railroad cars, you would have a carload of TNT – a trainload of TNT stretching across this nation. That’s one major war explosion in a warhead. We have thousands, equivalent of megaton, or million tons, of TNT warheads. The control of these weapons is the single major responsibility of a President, and to cast out this commitment of all Presidents, because of some slight technicalities that can be corrected, is a very dangerous approach.

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Ronald Reagan | Comments (0)

Open letter to President Obama (Part 152)

October 8, 2012 – 8:19 am

Matt Welch Discusses the Buffett Rule and His Favorite Beatles Songs on Varney & Co.

President Obama c/o The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

I know that you receive 20,000 letters a day and that you actually read 10 of them every day. I really do respect you for trying to get a pulse on what is going on out here.

Here you go again with the class warfare. I have read that Warren Buffett’s secretary actually makes a bigger salary that he does!!!!

NPR, Obama, and the Misleading ‘Buffett Rule’

Posted by David Boaz

NPR says that President Obama will propose that millionaires pay income taxes “at the same rates as average working Americans.” On the 9:00 a.m. hourly news.)

That would be good news for most millionaires:

To be sure, NPR’s longer stories on Obama and the “Buffett rule” are more precise, as in Tuesday’s story that said the proposed law “would require anyone making a million dollars a year or more to pay at least 30 percent in taxes.” Even there, though, the sentence went on to say “- about twice what some millionaires pay now.” And as the charts above show, that’s quite misleading. The Congressional Budget Office reported in 2010,

The overall federal tax system is progressive—that is, average tax rates generally rise with income. Households in the bottom quintile (fifth) of the income distribution paid 4 percent of their income in federal taxes, while the middle quintile paid 14 percent, and the highest quintile paid 25 percent. Average rates continued to rise within the top quintile, with the top 1 percent facing an average rate of close to 30 percent.

____________
 

Thank you so much for your time. I know how valuable it is. I also appreciate the fine family that you have and your commitment as a father and a husband.

Sincerely,

Everette Hatcher III, 13900 Cottontail Lane, Alexander, AR 72002, ph 501-920-5733, lowcostsqueegees@yahoo.com

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in President Obama, Taxes | Comments (0)

Music Monday: Chris Martin and Religion Part 6

October 8, 2012 – 8:18 am

Coldplay – Yellow (Live) @ American Airlines Center

Published on Jun 23, 2012 by

Coldplay Performing Yellow @ American Airlines Center Dallas June 22, 2012

Coldplay brought confetti, lights and thousands of fans to the American Airlines Center; see photos from their colorful show
 

 

 3/11
 

Chris Martin was brought up as an evangelical Christian but he left the faith once he left his childhood home. However, there are been some actions in his life in the last few years that demonstrate that he still is grappling with his childhood Chistian beliefs. This is the sixth part of a series I am starting on this subject.

On June 23, 2012 my son Wilson and I got to attend a Coldplay Concert in Dallas. It was great.

On the Howard Stern Show Chris Martin was questioned about his religious beliefs on November 9, 2011:

CM: I was raised very religious.

HS: I know that. What religion?

CM: I am not really sure. People kept asking me that.

HS: You were studying religion but you don’t know what it was.

CM: It was Christian, but there are so many branches of that now. I don’t know which branch we were on.

HS: Are you a religious man?

CM: Not any more religious. I believe I am a spiritual guy I guess.

HS: Do you believe there is a heaven and a hell.

CM:There definately is not a hell. That is what made me stop being religious.

HS: Would you take your children to church or do you want them to get religious training?

CM: No. I think it is important to show that there is all these kinds of religions and this person believes that and you can believe whatever you want.

HS: What do you do if you want your children to get religious training and you want them to embrace all religions and get the concept of God? Where would take your kids to learn that?

CM:That is a good question. I have been doing it in the nihilist approach and I haven’t been taking them anywhere.

HS: So they are not going to be raised in any religious way.

CM: Not in any strict religious way, no…. Religion is not the same as having faith is it. Faith is different right. I am not saying I don’t believe in anything. I not saying that it has to be this and if you believe something else then the other person is going to hell and all that crap.

HS: I am with you on that.

Robin: How do you expose your children to [religion] what do you do? You don’t know what to do.

CM: You just say, “I don’t know. None of us knows yet.”

___________

Notice Chris Martin’s advice to his kids about spiritual answers in life. “None of us knows yet.” Martin is definately still on a journey searching for a meaning and  a purpose to life.

Coldplay – 42 Live

Coldplay perform on the french television channel W9.

I wrote this article a couple of years ago:

The Spiritual Search for the Afterlife
Russ Breimeier rightly noted that it seems that Coldplay is “on the verge of identifying a great Truth” and their latest CD is very provocative. Many songs mention God and other Biblical themes such as dealing with death, and the afterlife and meaning in life and the shortness of life. The song “42” states,
Those who are dead are not dead
They’re just living my head
And since I fell for that spell
I am living there as well
Oh…Time is so short and I’m sure
There must be something more
This is the same journey that Solomon went on 3000 years ago in the Book of Ecclesiastes. The Christian Scholar Ravi Zacharias noted, “The key to understanding the Book of Ecclesiastes is the term UNDER THE SUN — What that literally means is you lock God out of a closed system and you are left with only this world of Time plus Chance plus matter.” Most people are not in the position of Solomon was in because he had a great deal of resources and could see if getting true lasting satisfaction was possible without God in the picture and Solomon went about this experiment.  He found out these hard cold facts.
Three things that do not bring lasting Satisfaction
Satisfaction does not come through (#1) learning more, or (#2)  putting more effort in your work or  (#3)seeking pleasure.
Read Solomon’s words for yourself.
Ecclesiastes 1:16- 2:11
16-17 I said to myself, “I know more and I’m wiser than anyone before me in Jerusalem. I’ve stockpiled wisdom and knowledge.” What I’ve finally concluded is that so-called wisdom and knowledge are mindless and witless—nothing but spitting into the wind.18 Much learning earns you much trouble.
The more you know, the more you hurt.
Chapter 2
1-3 I said to myself, “Let’s go for it—experiment with pleasure, have a good time!” But there was nothing to it, nothing but smoke.What do I think of the fun-filled life? Insane! Inane!
My verdict on the pursuit of happiness? Who needs it?
With the help of a bottle of wine
and all the wisdom I could muster,
I tried my level best
to penetrate the absurdity of life.
I wanted to get a handle on anything useful we mortals might do
during the years we spend on this earth.
 4-8 Oh, I did great things: built houses,
planted vineyards,
designed gardens and parks
and planted a variety of fruit trees in them,
made pools of water
to irrigate the groves of trees.
I bought slaves, male and female,
who had children, giving me even more slaves;
then I acquired large herds and flocks,
larger than any before me in Jerusalem.
I piled up silver and gold,
loot from kings and kingdoms.
I gathered a chorus of singers to entertain me with song,
and—most exquisite of all pleasures—
voluptuous maidens for my bed.
 9-10 Oh, how I prospered! I left all my predecessors in Jerusalem far behind, left them behind in the dust. What’s more, I kept a clear head through it all. Everything I wanted I took—I never said no to myself. I gave in to every impulse, held back nothing. I sucked the marrow of pleasure out of every task—my reward to myself for a hard day’s work!
 
 11 Then I took a good look at everything I’d done, looked at all the sweat and hard work. But when I looked, I saw nothing but smoke. Smoke and spitting into the wind. There was nothing to any of it. Nothing.
No band has worked harder than Coldplay (creating 4 of the greatest cds in pop history) and Chris Martin is a very educated man who has achieved the storybook life in many areas. Why has his writing turning more towards spiritual matters now? Could he be traveling down the same road that Solomon was going 3000 years ago?
By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Comments (0)

FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE – Barack Obama VS Mitt Romney (Part 3)

October 8, 2012 – 8:16 am

FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE – Barack Obama VS Mitt Romney (Part 3)

Published on Oct 3, 2012 by

Barack Obama & Mitt Romney Full Presidential Debate

__________

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By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in President Obama, spending out of control | Comments (0)

Willie Roaf at Little Rock Touchdown Club Part 6

October 8, 2012 – 8:15 am

On Oct 1, 2012 I got to hear Willie Roaf speak at the Little Rock Touchdown Club and he did a great job. One thing he said about Charles McRae and Antone Davis of Tennessee was hard to hear. I think he said that they were his friends and he thought they were very talented and could have done even better in the league.

I did find this article on the internet that mentions Willie and the other two players.

3. This naturally brings me to who the Bucs should take with either the third or fourth pick in the 2007 draft. As you know from last week, I’m not too keen on the odds of success with a wide receiver. There is an argument however, that an offensive lineman, in particular a tackle, is a pretty good option if you look at past draft history.  Here are the offensive linemen that have been drafted in the top ten picks from 1991 through 2004:

a. 1991 Charles McRae, 7th  (Ouch!)
b. 1991 Antone Davis, 8th
c. 1992 Bob Whitfield, 8th
d. 1992 Ray Roberts, 10th
e. 1993 Willie Roaf, 8th
f. 1993 Lincoln Kennedy, 9th
g. 1995 Tony Boselli, 2nd
h. 1996 Jonathan Ogden, 4th
i. 1996 Willie Anderson, 10th
j. 1997 Orlando Pace, 1st
k. 1997 Walter Jones, 6th
l. 1998 Kyle Turley, 7th
m. 2000 Chris Samuels, 3rd
n. 2001 Leonard Davis, 2nd
o. 2002 Mike Williams, 4th
p. 2002 Bryant McKinnie, 7th
q. 2002 Levi Jones, 10th
r. 2003 Jordan Gross, 8th
s. 2004 Robert Gallery, 2nd

Whatever your definition of boon or bust, I think you’ll agree that if the Bucs got a tackle of the quality that  Roaf, Kennedy, Boselli, Ogden, Anderson, Pace, Walter Jones, Samuels, McKinnie or Levi Jones represent with the third or fourth pick, any fan should be happy. Heck, there’s at least five hall-of-famers on that list. And, that list totals 10 tackles out of 19 taken in the top 10 picks, or over 50 percent. Even guys I didn’t put on the “good pick” list like Bob Whitfield and Jordan Gross are still playing in the NFL and have had productive careers.
So, if you hear a name like Joe Thomas called in late April by Roger Goodell when the Bucs are on the clock, it might turn out pretty well. However, I must admit I still have enough Buccaneer offensive line decision nightmares from the past that I will still be nervous!  I’ll discuss defensive linemen next week.

Here is some info from Wikipedia on those two players.

Antone Davis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

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Antone Davis
No. 77, 78, 76
Offensive tackle / Guard
Personal information
Date of birth: (1967-02-28) February 28, 1967 (age 45)
Place of birth: Fort Valley, Georgia
Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Weight: 330 lb (150 kg)
Career information
College: Tennessee
NFL Draft: 1991 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8
Debuted in 1991 for the Philadelphia Eagles
Last played in 1997 for the Atlanta Falcons
Career history
*Offseason member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 1997
Games played 97
Games started 87
Fumbles recovered 1
Stats at NFL.com
Stats at pro-football-reference.com
Stats at DatabaseFootball.com

Antone Eugene Davis (born February 28, 1967) is a former American football offensive tackle and guard. He played one year of football at Peach County High School in Fort Valley, Georgia, and was recruited out of high school by the Tennessee Military Institute, for whom he played one year of college football. He earned a full scholarship to the University of Tennessee the following year and started at left guard during his sophomore year in 1988. He was moved to right offensive tackle before his junior year as a Tennessee Volunteer and earned unanimous All-America honors as a senior in 1990. He finished as a finalist for the 1990 Outland Trophy as well, and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League as the eighth overall selection in the 1991 NFL Draft.

Davis played for five seasons with the Eagles, who traded two first-round draft picks to pick Davis. In his rookie season in 1991, he started in fifteen games, missing one start in week seven due to his benching. He started in fifteen games again in 1992, missing one game due to a knee sprain. Davis started in every game for the Eagles in 1993 at right tackle, but was moved inside to left guard in 1994 following the team’s pick of tackle Bernard Williams in the 1994 NFL Draft. Davis struggled at his new position and was benched again for the final two games of the season. He began the 1995 season as a backup, but injuries forced him to start in the final thirteen games of the season. Considered a draft bust in Philadelphia, Davis signed with the Atlanta Falcons in 1996 and spent two seasons with the team. After his retirement from football, he worked in the food industry as a restaurant owner and manager. He finished as the runner-up on the twelfth season of The Biggest Loser.

Contents

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[edit] Early years

Davis grew up as the youngest of eight children in Fort Valley, Georgia and attended Peach County High School in Fort Valley. His father, Milton Trice, was raised in North Philadelphia, and moved when he was seventeen years old to Georgia. Davis worked many jobs in high school, including work in the high school cafeteria. He had attendance issues that caused him to be held back in ninth grade. He weighed about 300 pounds (140 kg) at the age of fourteen. Unable to play football as a sophomore because of his grades, Davis refocused and brought his grades up. He played football as a junior, but could not play as a senior due to his class graduating the year prior.[1]

[edit] College career

Davis played college football for one season in 1986 at the Tennessee Military Institute, a preparatory school near Sweetwater, Tennessee, that recruited him out of high school after graduation. He received a full scholarship to the University of Tennessee the next year.[1] Following the 1987 season and the graduation of Tennessee‘s two starting offensive guards, Harry Galbreath and John Bruhin, Davis was expected to start for the Volunteers at left guard in 1988 as a sophomore.[2] An ankle injury suffered during the season-opener against Georgia on September 3[3] caused him to miss the next four games, before he was able to return against Alabama on October 15.[4] Before the start of the 1989 season, Davis was moved to right offensive tackle.[5] In the 1990 season, he helped running back Tony Thompson lead the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in rushing with 1,261 yards.[6] He was named as a finalist for the Outland Trophy in November 1990 as a senior,[7] but lost out to defensive tackle Russell Maryland from Miami.[8] Davis earned unanimous All-America honors, receiving first-team honors from the Associated Press, United Press International, Walter Camp Foundation, American Football Coaches Association, Football Writers Association of America, Scripps–Howard Newspapers, Football News, and The Sporting News.[9] He also earned All-SEC honors.[10] Following the 1990 season, Davis won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy in January 1991, as the best blocker in the SEC.[11] He played in the Hula Bowl on January 18, 1991, for the East squad.[12]

Davis earned the University of Tennessee’s Chancellor Citation for his community service efforts during his college career, including his contributions with the “Just Say No” campaign, the American Cancer Society, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, and the Knoxville Community Parks Association. He graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in urban studies in December 1990.[1]

[edit] Professional career

[edit] Philadelphia Eagles

[edit] 1991 season

At the NFL Scouting Combine in February 1991, Davis arrived weighing 338 pounds (153 kg) (25 pounds (11 kg) overweight).[13] He ran a 5.2-second 40 yard dash, but received criticism for weight issues and his up-and-down personality.[14] He had 26 repetitions in the bench press.[1] Before the draft, analyst Mel Kiper, Jr. said, “Davis has slipped a bit. He’s still a Top 10 pick, but his recent workouts haven’t been good.”[14] John Butler, the Buffalo Bills‘ director of player personnel said Davis was “a blueprint tackle, with size and everything else.”[1]

Davis was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles as the eighth overall selection in the 1991 NFL Draft, one pick after former Tennessee teammate Charles McRae was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was the first time in NFL history that two former college teammates who played the same position were drafted back-to-back.[15] Davis was the first draft pick by new Eagles head coach Rich Kotite. The Eagles traded up from the 19th pick with the Green Bay Packers to select Davis, giving Green Bay the 19th selection (which was used on cornerback Vinnie Clark[16]) and a first-round pick in the 1992 NFL Draft.[17] The pick in 1992 ended up being the 17th selection, and the Packers traded it to the Atlanta Falcons for quarterback Brett Favre on February 10, 1992. The Falcons then traded the pick to the Dallas Cowboys (who used it to select cornerback Kevin Smith) and received the 19th selection (used to select running back Tony Smith) and a fourth round pick (used to select cornerback Frankie Smith).[18]

After holding out for 21 days,[19] Davis was signed initially to a contract designed as a temporary compromise in order to get him into training camp on August 5, 1991. It was speculated that the reason behind Davis’ holdout and the temporary compromise was that Davis and his agent wanted to see what McRae, who also held out with the Buccaneers, signed for first.[20] Davis was not allowed to practice with the team until he was under contract, thus the compromise contract enabled him to practice while still work to get a long-term deal done. The compromise was a one-year contract with an option for a second year, and Davis received $600,000 in signing the first contract. He was able to play against the Cincinnati Bengals in the Eagles’ third preseason game on August 10. Davis was projected to be the Eagles’ starting right offensive tackle for the 1991 season.[21] Davis suffered a sprained ankle while running laps around JFK Stadium and tripping over a goal post support on August 19.[22] Due to the injury, he was taken out of the preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts on August 23 at halftime by Kotite.[23] The Eagles and Davis finalized a five-year contract worth $4.6 million on September 6 following the first week of the season. Davis changed his jersey number from 77 to 78 after signing the contract.[24] He had his best game of the season in week four against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 22, as Kotite called more run plays to the right side towards the end of the game.[25] Davis had a key block on a Jim McMahon quarterback sneak touchdown and McMahon gave Davis the ball immediately after to spike in celebration. The Eagles were given a five-yard penalty for the spike, however.[26] In a week five game against the Washington Redskins on September 30, Davis gave up two sacks against defensive end Charles Mann, who received Pro Bowl honors after the season.[27] Davis gave up a total of ten sacks in the first five games of the season.[28]

Against the Buccaneers in week six on October 6, Davis was benched in the third quarter after he was called for three holding penalties and was replaced by Bruce Collie. Collie suffered a knee injury in his second play, and Davis re-entered the game.[29][30] The day after the game, Kotite said about Davis: “He certainly played poorly yesterday without question. If you’ve got eyes you could see that.”[31] Ron Heller moved from left tackle to replace Davis at right tackle the next week against the New Orleans Saints. Daryle Smith, after being waived in training camp, was re-signed to play left tackle.[32] Due to a groin injury suffered by Smith, Davis regained his starting job at right tackle with Heller moving back to left tackle against the San Francisco 49ers in week nine.[33] Davis gave up two sacks against Charles Haley in the game and was called for holding once, but Kotite said Davis improved from his previous start.[34][35] Davis started in every game at right tackle after his benching in 1991.[36] Kotite praised Davis after the Giants game on November 4, saying that he “played very well.”[37]

[edit] 1992 season

Davis improved as a blocker in his second season with the Eagles.[38][39] At the start of training camp in 1992, Davis vowed to refuse all requests for interviews by the media in an attempt to focus on getting better. In the season-opener against the New Orleans Saints, Davis helped the Eagles lead the NFC in rushing for the week with 186 yards.[40] Against the Washington Redskins in week seven on October 18, 1992, he suffered a knee sprain after quarterback Randall Cunningham ran into him.[41] He was listed as doubtful before the following game against the Phoenix Cardinals,[42] and did not play in the game.[43] He was listed as doubtful again before the game against the Dallas Cowboys in week nine. Otho Davis, the team’s head athletic trainer, said Davis was not working hard enough to rehabilitate his knee.[44] Antone Davis was upgraded to questionable two days before the game,[45] and started against the Cowboys on November 1.[46] In the wild card playoff game against the Saints on January 3, 1993, Davis gave up a sack against Rickey Jackson, which caused a Cunningham fumble.[47] Davis started in all 15 games he played during the regular season, and started in both of the team’s playoff games.[36] Pro Football Weekly rated Davis as the 26th-best offensive tackle in the league for the season.[48]

[edit] 1993 season

Davis played through a shoulder injury early in the 1993 season.[49] Defensive end Reggie White, who signed with the Green Bay Packers following the 1992 season after spending eight seasons with the Eagles and earned seven Pro Bowl selections, said that he believed he destroyed Davis’ confidence as a rookie and second-year player, as Davis had to go up against White in practice every week. White said “there are some guys who get very discouraged because they can’t block you. I think that was the situation at times with Antone.” Davis, however, disputed White’s statements as the Eagles played against the Packers in the second week of the season.[50] Dave Goldberg, a writer for the Associated Press, named Davis to his “all-unsung” team after his performance against White.[51] Davis started in every game for the Eagles at right tackle in 1993.[36]

[edit] 1994 season

With the Eagles pick of offensive tackle Bernard Williams in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft, Davis moved inside to play left offensive guard in the 1994 season.[52][53] Davis was ejected from a week thirteen game against the Atlanta Falcons on November 27, along with Lester Holmes, for fighting on the field with defensive tackle Pierce Holt of the Falcons.[54] Davis was benched in favor of rookie Joe Panos before a week sixteen game against the New York Giants after committing seven penalties in his previous fourteen starts.[55] Davis played in the final two games of the season.[36] Head coach Rich Kotite was fired after the season.[56]

[edit] 1995 season

Under new coach Ray Rhodes, Davis was moved back to right tackle in 1995. Rhodes said that after looking at the 1994 season’s game footage, he determined Davis’ “best position for [the Eagles] is at tackle.”[56] The Eagles signed former Packer Joe Sims on April 14, 1995, to compete with Davis for the starting right tackle job.[57] The team reportedly tried to trade Davis in order to move up in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft, but no team would take their offer.[58] Due to left tackle Bernard Williams’ six game suspension from the NFL, Sims moved over to the left, with Davis staying at right tackle before the preseason.[59] However, due to his performance in training camp, Davis was benched before a preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on August 24, in favor of Lester Holmes.[60] Holmes suffered a knee injury during the second week of the season and was replaced by Davis.[61] Davis replaced him in week three against the San Diego Chargers[62] and started in the remaining thirteen games of the season and two playoff games thereafter.[36] In a week fourteen game against the Seattle Seahawks, Moe Elewonibi played in place of Davis for two series in a move, as Rhodes explained, aimed at giving reserve players experience in case of injury.[63] Davis gave up three sacks against Alonzo Spellman of the Chicago Bears in the final regular season game. He gave up seven total sacks in his fourteen regular season starts.[64] Davis suffered a mild concussion in a wild card playoff game against the Detroit Lions after he was kicked in the head.[65] He gave up two sacks against Tony Tolbert in a divisional round playoff loss to the Cowboys.[64] His rookie contract expired following the season[66] and he made $1 million for the season.[64] He was considered a draft bust after being taken in the first round in 1991.[67][68][69]

[edit] Later career

Davis was not re-signed by the Eagles following the 1995 season and became an unrestricted free agent.[70] He worked out for the Atlanta Falcons on April 25, 1996.[71] After disagreeing on the terms of the contract,[70] Davis signed with the Falcons on May 13 and agreed to a two-year contract worth $1.9 million. The contract contained a $200,000 signing bonus and a $300,000 workout bonus to go along with a $1.4 million base salary, and up to $300,000 in incentives based on playing time.[64] He began the 1996 season as a backup[72] behind David Richards at right tackle. Davis started in place of the injured Richards for a week five game against the San Francisco 49ers on September 29.[73] Richards came back from his injury in week six, but he and Davis split playing time in weeks seven and eight against the Houston Oilers and Dallas Cowboys, respectively.[74] Richards was waived on October 23 by the Falcons, who decided to go with Davis at right tackle for the remainder of the year.[75] Davis suffered a right ankle sprain in a week sixteen game against the St. Louis Rams on December 15.[76]

The Falcons proposed a restructured contract to Davis, reportedly worth $3 million for three years in March 1997.[77] After starting the first three games at right tackle in 1997, Davis was benched in favor of backup Matt Willig on September 18.[78] Davis did not play in the remaining thirteen games of the season,[36] and was waived by the team on February 11, 1998.[79]

The Green Bay Packers signed Davis on January 22, 1999, reuniting him with new Packers coach Ray Rhodes.[80] His tenure with the Packers was short-lived, however, as Green Bay released him in June.[81]

Davis finished his seven-year NFL career with 87 starts in 97 games and recovered a fumble in 1997.[36]

[edit] After football

Davis owned a restaurant called “Gridiron Grill” in Clermont, Florida, for a short time after his career ended.[82] He worked as a manager of a Chili’s restaurant prior to going on The Biggest Loser in 2011,[83] but was fired after his boss requested that he go back to work immediately after returning home for an interim period.[84] As of 2011[update], he is married with four children and resides in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.[82]

Davis was a contestant on the twelfth season of The Biggest Loser, which premiered on September 20, 2011, and ended on December 13, 2011. He struggled with his weight after his football career ended,[85] and he weighed 476 pounds (216 kg) before he decided to go on The Biggest Loser. Additionally, he saw several former college and professional teammates die due to their weights, including Reggie White and Harry Galbreath, and decided to seek change.[86] He began the show weighing 447 pounds (203 kg),[82] and he weighed 245 pounds (111 kg) in the season finale, for a total loss of 202 pounds (92 kg), or 45.19%, and finished as the runner-up behind John Rhode.[87]

University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley announced on August 27, 2012, that Davis has been hired to head the school’s Vol for Life (VFL) program.[88]

Charles McRae

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Charles McRae
Date of birth: (1968-09-16) September 16, 1968 (age 44)
Place of birth: Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Oscoda Township, Michigan
Career information
Position(s): Offensive Tackle
College: Tennessee
NFL Draft: 1991 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7
Organizations
 As player:
1991-1995
1996		 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Oakland Raiders
Playing stats at DatabaseFootball.com

Charles McRae (born September 16, 1968 was a former offensive tackle drafted in the first round of the 1991 NFL Draft out of the University of Tennessee by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and was the first offensive player selected. In 71 games with the Bucs, McRae started 38 at right tackle and left guard before finishing his career with Oakland.

Contents

 [hide] 

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Charles was born at Wurtsmith, AFB in Michigan on September 16, 1968 and moved to Clinton, TN at the age of seven where he was a two-year starter in football and basketball at Clinton Senior High.

Charles played football at the University of Tennessee, first as a defensive lineman under legendary coach Ken Donahue and the last two and a half years as offensive tackle under offensive coordinator and line coach, Phil Fulmer earning All-SEC and Academic All-SEC honors. Charles studied physics, computer science and history, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in history in May 1991.

[edit] Career

After completing his professional football career, Charles started a web development and IT consulting business with long-time friend and academic advisor Richard Westbrook. Volunteer Network Services was eventually sold and Charles took a position with AllVertical, Inc. a “dot com” based out of Exeter, NH in 1999.

Charles returned to the University of Tennessee in 2000 and earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in December 2002. Charles was chosen to be the first Administrator for Vista Radiology, PC in March 2003, a position he held until October 2011 in addition to Chief Manager of Integrated Practice Services, LLC. November 2011 Charles joined Columbus Radiology Corporation as Chief Executive Officer in Columbus, Ohio.

[edit] Personal

In addition to working and playing with his four children, McRae is a licensed pilot, PADI scuba certified, boater, and outdoorsman.

Charles McRae and Lori Beth Baxter married on June 27, 2008 and they are enjoying life and work together with the four children in Rockford, TN. Lori and Charles enjoy restoring their 1960’s home, boating, tennis, and reading together.[citation needed]

[edit] Accolades

On September 4, 2003, Charles McRae was named one of the “Legends of the Game” with teammate Tony Thompson and was recognized before the UT – Marshall football game at Neyland Stadium.

In 2008, McRae was inducted into the Anderson County, TN Hall of Fame.

On October 28, 2011, Charles McRae was inducted into the Clinton High School “Wall of Fame.”

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Comments (0)

Family friend killed by drunk driver!

October 8, 2012 – 8:10 am

The Battle of The Bottle part 1 Adrian Rogers

Uploaded by on Jun 23, 2011

The famous preacher Adrian Rogers gives a phenomenal message about alcohol. One of my favorite sermons of all time.

When I was growing up I admit there were times that I did not listen to my pastor’s sermon at church as attentively as I should have. However, there were times that he gave real life examples from the pulpit that caught my attention. One of those examples was the statistic that over 50% of deaths on the highway included a driver where alcohol was involved.

My pastor’s name was Adrian Rogers of Bellevue Baptist of Cordova, Tennessee and sadly one of Bellevue’s members, Billy Penn, was killed on Wednesday night September 26th by a drunk driver after leaving Wednesday night services.

My three sisters and I went to high school at Evangelical Christian School (ECS) in Cordova with Penn’s three children and my father had known Billy for forty years. Actually my father had left the same church parking lot on September 26th that Billy was in and Penn was killed just a mile away from the church.

At our family Sunday lunch on September 30, 2012, my father used the opportunity to discuss the dangers of alcohol with his grandchildren and that is exactly what I wanted to share today.

My father asked what is to come of 21-year-old Jordan Stonebrook who was the other driver? According to WMC-TV in Memphis Stonebrook slammed head on into Penn’s Buick Park Avenue around 9 p.m., Wednesday, September 26. Investigators say Stonebrook, who was driving a Chevy Tahoe was going the wrong way on Cordova Road.

Witnesses said Stonebrook apparently started driving the wrong way. For about half of a mile, other cars were dodging him going into the other lane and some even driving up on the curb.

Police said Stonebrook appeared intoxicated. Investigators said Stonebrook later said he started drinking a few hours earlier, downing seven shots of rum. Stonebrook was not seriously hurt in the crash.

WREG-TV reported that the Collierville man accused of drinking and driving just turned 21 -years-old last month.

Now, he’s charged with vehicular homicide.

“He’s got a life ahead of him and he’s got that burden on him for the rest of his days,” said Cordova resident Lisa Douba.  “He’ll never be able to forget that.”

Stonebrook faces up to 30 years in prison for this crime.

Right now, he is being held on a $100,000 bond.

Here are some of the details I remember from my pastor’s sermons on alcohol. Billy Sunday told a story that Adrian Rogers repeated for us:

I feel like an old fellow in Tennessee who made his living by catching rattlesnakes. He caught one with fourteen rattles and put it in a box with a glass top. One day when he was sawing wood his little five-year old boy,Jim, took the lid off and the rattler wriggled out and struck him in the cheek. He ran to his father and said, “The rattler has bit me.” The father ran and chopped the rattler to pieces, and with his jackknife he cut a chunk from the boy’s cheek and then sucked and sucked at the wound to draw out the poison. He looked at little Jim, watched the pupils of his eyes dilate and watched him swell to three times his normal size, watched his lips become parched and cracked, and eyes roll, and little Jim gasped and died.

The father took him in his arms, carried him over by the side of the rattler, got on his knees and said, “God, I would not give little Jim for all the rattlers that ever crawled over the Blue Ridge mountains.”

That is the question that must be answered by everyone no matter what their religious beliefs. Is the pleasure of drinking alcohol worth the life of one of your children?

Here is a scripture that describes what will happen to a person under the influence of alcohol:

Proverbs 23:29-32
(29) Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
(30) They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
(31) Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
(32) At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

Jordan Stonebrook told the policemen on the scene that he was fed up and decided to get drunk. The results were much the same as the scripture indicated.

There have been several high-profile deaths recently where alcohol was involved. Ryan Dunn was a reality tv star and his untimely death on June 20, 2011 was also caused by drunk driving. Dunn actually tweeted a picture of himself drinking just moments before he left the bar and crashed his car killing everyone in his car.

The Huffington Post reported on October 26, 2011, “Amy Winehouse drank herself to death. That was the ruling of a coroner’s inquest into the death of the Grammy-winning soul singer, who died with empty vodka bottles in her room and lethal amounts of alcohol in her blood – more than five times the British drunk driving limit.”

I didn’t know it was possible to drink yourself to death in one day, but I discovered that also AC/DC’s lead singer Bon Scott also drank himself to death back on February 19, 1980.

Those are several cases of famous people dying because of alcohol use, but it touches almost every family at some point. If sharing this with the readers of the Saline Courier would help even one person to avoid this same fate then it has been well worth writing this article.

_____

Everette Hatcher is a regular contributor to The Saline Courier. He is the fourth generation in his family to work in the broom manufacturing business. Everette and his wife Jill have four children and live in Alexander.

Ryan Dunn and his friends moments before they died.

Flickr user Eric Lewis posted the image below with a caption that says the photo shows what’s left of Dunn’s car.

Ryan Dunn (on left) seen moments before his wreck. This shot was removed from his tumblr site.

The Battle of The Bottle part 2 Adrian Rogers

Uploaded by on Jun 23, 2011

The famous preacher Adrian Rogers gives a phenomenal message about alcohol. One of my favorite sermons of all time.

Amy Winehouse
Singer Amy Winehouse

The Battle of The Bottle part 4 Adrian Rogers

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Adrian Rogers, Current Events | Comments (0)

Open letter to President Obama (Part 151B)

October 8, 2012 – 8:03 am

Milton Friedman The Power of the Market 2-5

President Obama c/o The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

I know that you receive 20,000 letters a day and that you actually read 10 of them every day. I really do respect you for trying to get a pulse on what is going on out here.

You have always said that as President you want to protect our personal freedoms. How can we have personal freedom without economic freedom? That is why I don’t understand why socialists who value individual freedoms want to take away our economic freedoms.  I wanted to share this info below with you from Milton Friedman who has influenced me greatly over the last 30 plus years. Here is part two.

Friedman: Of course she didn’t stay here a long time, she stayed here while she learned the language, while she developed some feeling for the country, and gradually she was able to make a better life for herself.Similarly, the people who are here now, they are like my mother. Most of the immigrants from the distant countries __ they came here because they liked it here better and had more opportunities. A place like this gives them a chance to get started. They are not going to stay here very long or forever. On the contrary, they and their children will make a better life for themselves as they take advantage of the opportunities that a free market provides to them.The irony is that this place violates many of the standards that we now regard as every worker’s right. It is poorly ventilated, it is overcrowded, the workers accept less than union rate __ it breaks every rule in the book. But if it were closed down, who would benefit? Certainly not the people here. Their life may seem pretty tough compared to our own, but that is only because our parents or grandparents went through that stage for us. We have been able to start at a higher point.Frank Visalli’s father was 12 years old when he arrived all alone in the United States. He had come from Sicily. That was 53 years ago. Frank is a successful dentist with a wife and family. They live in Lexington, Massachusetts. There is no doubt in Frank’s mind what freedom combined with opportunity meant to his father and then to him, or what his Italian grandparents would think if they could see how he lives now.Frank Visalli: They would not believe what they would see __ that a person could immigrate from a small island and make such success out of their life because to them they were mostly related to the fields, working in the field as a peasant. My father came over, he made something for himself and then he tried to build a family structure. Whatever he did was for his family. It was for a better life for his family. And I can always remember him telling me that the number one thing in life is that you should get an education to become a professional person.Friedman: The Visalli family, like all of us who live in the United States today, owe much to the climate of freedom we inherited from the founders of our country. The climate that gave full scope to the poor from other lands who came here and were able to make better lives for themselves and their children.But in the past 50 years, we’ve been squandering that inheritance by allowing government to control more and more of our lives, instead of relying on ourselves. We need to rediscover the old truths that the immigrants knew in their bones; what economic freedom is and the role it plays in preserving personal freedom.

That’s why I came here to the South China Sea. It’s a place where there is an almost laboratory experiment in what happens when government is limited to its proper function and leaves people free to pursue their own objectives. If you want to see how the free market really works this is the place to come. Hong Kong, a place with hardly any natural resources. About the only one you can name is a great harbor, yet the absence of natural resources hasn’t prevented rapid economic development. Ships from all nations come here to trade because there are no duties, no tariffs on imports or exports. The power of the free market has enabled the industrious people of Hong Kong to transform what was once barren rock into one of the most thriving and successful places in Asia. Aside from its harbor, the only other important resource of Hong Kong is people __ over 4_ million of them.

Like America a century ago, Hong Kong in the past few decades has been a haven for people who sought the freedom to make the most of their own abilities. Many of them are refugees from countries that don’t allow the economic and political freedom that is taken for granted in Hong Kong.

Despite rapid population growth, despite the lack of natural resources, the standard of living is one of the highest in all of Asia. People work hard, but Hong Kong’s success is not based on the exploitation of workers. Wages in Hong Kong have gone up fourfold since the War, and that’s after allowing for inflation. The workers are free. Free to work what hours they choose, free to move to other jobs if they wish. The market gives them that choice. It also determines what they make. You can be sure that somebody somewhere is willing to pay for these cheap, plastic toys. Otherwise they simply wouldn’t be made.

Competition from places like South Korea and Taiwan has made cheap products less profitable, so Hong Kong businessmen have been adapting. They have been developing more sophisticated products and new technology that can match anything in the West or East and their employees have been developing new skills.

Hong Kong never stops. There’s always some business to be done, some opportunity to be seized. Its long been a tourist center and a shoppers paradise and it’s now one of the business centers of the East. It’s the ordinary people of Hong Kong who benefit from all this effort and enterprise.

This thriving, bustling, dynamic city, has been made possible by the free market __ indeed the freest market in the world. The free market enables people to go into any industry that they want; to trade with whomever they want; to buy in the cheapest market around the world; to sell in the dearest around the world. But most important of all, if they fail, they bear the cost. If they succeed, they get the benefit and it’s that atmosphere of incentive that has induced them to work, to adjust, to save, to produce a miracle. This miracle hasn’t been achieved by government action __ by someone sitting in one of those tall buildings and telling people what to do. It’s been achieved by allowing the market to work. Walk down any street in Hong Kong and you will see the impersonal forces of the market in operation.

Mr. Chung makes metal containers. Nobody has ordered him to. He does it because he has found that he can do better for himself that way than by making anything else. But if demand for metal containers went down, or somebody found a way of making them cheaper, Mr. Chung would soon get that message.

A few doors away, Mr. Yu’s firm has been making traditional Cantonese wedding gowns for 42 years. But the demand for these elaborate garments is falling. The firm has already gotten that message and is now looking for another product. The market tells producers not only what to produce, but how best to produce it through another set of prices __ the cost of materials, the wages of labor, and so on. For example, if these workers could earn more doing something else, Mr. Ho would soon find a way to mechanize his picture frame production.

Inside this Chinese medicine shop, a market transaction is going on. The customer’s confidence that this painful looking ordeal will help him doesn’t rest on any official certification of the bone doctor’s qualifications __ it comes from experience __ his own or his friends. In his turn, the doctor treats him not because he has been ordered to, but because he gets paid. The transaction is voluntary so both parties must expect to benefit or it will not take place.

Believe it or not, this backyard is an entrance to a factory. The workers here are some of the best paid in Hong Kong. It’s hot, sticky, and extremely noisy. The workers are highly skilled so they can command high wages. They could induce their employer to improve working conditions by offering to work for less, but they would rather accept the conditions, take the high wages, and spend them as they wish. That’s their choice. The best known statement of the principles of a free market, the kind of free market that operates in Hong Kong, was written on the other side of the world.

_____________

Thank you so much for your time. I know how valuable it is. I also appreciate the fine family that you have and your committment as a father and a husband.

Sincerely,

Everette Hatcher III, 13900 Cottontail Lane, Alexander, AR 72002, ph 501-920-5733, lowcostsqueegees@yahoo.com

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Milton Friedman, President Obama | Comments (0)

President now tells us the truth about Libya

October 8, 2012 – 7:03 am

The White House Disinformation Campaign on Libya

Published on Oct 7, 2012 by

New evidence shows there were security threats in Libya in the months prior to the deadly September 11 attack that killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans. Despite these threats, the State Department left its personnel there to fend for themselves.

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I am glad that President Obama and Hillary Clinton are now telling us the truth about what happened in Libya.

Helle Dale

October 8, 2012 at 12:01 am

The latest incriminating information on the U.S. consulate attack in Benghazi, Libya indicates that the State Department turned down a request for additional security from concerned U.S. embassy staff.

New evidence shows there were security threats in Libya in the months prior to the deadly September 11 attack that killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans. Despite these threats, the State Department left its personnel there to fend for themselves.

And when the terrorist attack did take place, the Obama Administration peddled the ridiculous story that an offensive, amateurish, anti-Islam YouTube video was to blame in order to avoid characterizing the murders of four Americans as terrorism.

On October 2, a letter was sent to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton from House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R–CA) and Jason Chaffetz (R–UT), Chairman of the National Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations Subcommittee. The letter detailed 13 known security threats against U.S. facilities in Libya in the six months prior to September 11.

On October 10, the committee will hold a hearing on events in Libya and seek answers from the State Department. Also on October 10, The Heritage Foundation will host a public panel discussion on the events in Libya titled, “Intelligence and Security Failure: Attacks in Benghazi and Across the Middle East Reveal Ongoing Threat of Terrorism.”

To help our readers follow the path to tragedy on September 11 and its aftermath, below is a chronology of key events:

April 6: IED thrown over the fence of the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi.

April 11: Gun battle erupts between armed groups two-and-a-half miles from the U.S. Consulate, including rocket-propelled grenades.

April 27: Two South African contractors are kidnapped by armed men, released unharmed.

May 1: Deputy Commander of U.S. Embassy Tripoli’s Local Guard Force is carjacked, beaten, and detained by armed youth.

May 1: British Embassy in Tripoli is attacked by a violent mob and set on fire. Other NATO embassies attacked as well.

May 3: The State Department declines a request from personnel concerned about security at the U.S. Embassy in Libya for a DC-3 plane to take them around the country.

May 22: Two rocket-propelled grenades are fired at the Benghazi office of the International Committee of the Red Cross, less than 1 mile from the U.S. Consulate.

June 6: A large IED destroys part of the security perimeter of the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi. Creates hole “big enough for 40 men to go through.”

June 10: A car carrying the British ambassador is attacked in Tripoli. Two bodyguards injured.

Late June: The building of the International Red Cross attacked again and closed down, leaving the U.S. flag as the only international one still flying in Benghazi, an obvious target.

August 6: Armed assailants carjack a vehicle with diplomatic plates operated by U.S. personnel.

September 8: A local security officer in Benghazi warns American officials about deteriorating security.

September 11: Protesters attack the U.S. Cairo embassy. U.S. Embassy releases statement and tweets sympathizing with Muslim protesters/attackers.

September 11: U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya is attacked, Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans are killed.

September 12: Secretary Clinton and President Obama issue statements condemning both the video and the attacks.

September 12: U.S. intelligence agencies have enough evidence to conclude a terrorist attack was involved.

September 13: Press Secretary Jay Carney condemns video and violence at a news conference.

September 14: Carney denies Administration had “actionable intelligence indicating that an attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi was planned or imminent.”

September 14: The bodies of slain Americans return to Andrews Air Force Base. President Obama again blames the YouTube video.

September 16: U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice appears on Sunday talk shows and says the attacks were provoked by the video, exclusively.

September 16: Libyan President Mohamed Magarief says, “no doubt that this [attack] was preplanned, predetermined.”

September 17: State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland refuses to call attacks an act of terror.

September 19: CNN reports having found Ambassador Stevens’s diary, which indicates concern about security threats in Benghazi.

September 19: Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Matthew Olsen tells Congress the attack in Libya was “terrorism.”

September 20: Carney tries to back up Olsen, says it was “self-evident that what happened in Benghazi was a terrorist attack.”

September 20: Obama refuses to call attack terrorism, citing insufficient information.

September 21: Secretary of State Clinton, at meeting with Pakistani Foreign Minister, says, “What happened in Benghazi was a terrorist attack.”

September 25: On ABC’s “The View,” Obama says, “we don’t have all of the information yet so we are still gathering.”

September 25: To the U.N. assembly, Obama blames “A crude and disgusting video sparked outrage throughout the Muslim world.”

September 26: Libya’s Magarief on the “Today” show says, “It was a preplanned act of terrorism directed against American citizens.”

September 26: Published reports show U.S. Intel agencies and the Obama Administration knew within 24 hours that al-Qaeda affiliated terrorist were involved.

September 27: Innocence of Muslims filmmaker Mark Basseley Youseff (aka Nakoula Basseley Nakoula) is arrested and denied bail on the charges of “probation violation.”

September 28: Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper, Jr., issues a statement backing the Obama Administration’s changing story about the Libyan attack. Says facts are evolving.

October 2: Carney declines to comment on reported requests from diplomats in Libya for additional security, citing the State Department’s internal investigation.

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Hillary Clinton, President Obama | Comments (0)

“Schaeffer Sundays” can be seen on the www.thedailyhatch.org

October 8, 2012 – 4:17 am

What Ever Happened to the Human Race?

Francis Schaeffer  

  I learned so much from Francis Schaeffer and as a result I have posted a lot of posts with his film clips and articles. Below are a few.

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By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Francis Schaeffer, Prolife | Comments (0)

Francis Schaeffer affected pro-life movement (Part 6) “Schaeffer Sunday”

October 7, 2012 – 12:04 am

A Christian Manifesto by Francis Schaeffer (Part 1)

Below is a summary of “A Christian Manifesto” which is a very important book written by Francis Schaeffer just a couple of years before his death in 1984.

A Christian Manifesto
by Dr. Francis A. Schaeffer

This address was delivered by the late Dr. Schaeffer in 1982 at the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It is based on one of his books, which bears the same title.

Christians, in the last 80 years or so, have only been seeing things as bits and pieces which have gradually begun to trouble them and others, instead of understanding that they are the natural outcome of a change from a Christian World View to a Humanistic one; things such as overpermissiveness, pornography, the problem of the public schools, the breakdown of the family, abortion, infanticide (the killing of newborn babies), increased emphasis upon the euthanasia of the old and many, many other things.

All of these things and many more are only the results. We may be troubled with the individual thing, but in reality we are missing the whole thing if we do not see each of these things and many more as only symptoms of the deeper problem. And that is the change in our society, a change in our country, a change in the Western world from a Judeo-Christian consensus to a Humanistic one. That is, instead of the final reality that exists being the infinite creator God; instead of that which is the basis of all reality being such a creator God, now largely, all else is seen as only material or energy which has existed forever in some form, shaped into its present complex form only by pure chance.

I want to say to you, those of you who are Christians or even if you are not a Christian and you are troubled about the direction that our society is going in, that we must not concentrate merely on the bits and pieces. But we must understand that all of these dilemmas come on the basis of moving from the Judeo-Christian world view — that the final reality is an infinite creator God — over into this other reality which is that the final reality is only energy or material in some mixture or form which has existed forever and which has taken its present shape by pure chance.

The word Humanism should be carefully defined. We should not just use it as a flag, or what younger people might call a “buzz” word. We must understand what we are talking about when we use the word Humanism. Humanism means that the man is the measure of all things. Man is the measure of all things. If this other final reality of material or energy shaped by pure chance is the final reality, it gives no meaning to life. It gives no value system. It gives no basis for law, and therefore, in this case, man must be the measure of all things. So, Humanism properly defined, in contrast, let us say, to the humanities or humanitarianism, (which is something entirely different and which Christians should be in favor of) being the measure of all things, comes naturally, mathematically, inevitably, certainly. If indeed the final reality is silent about these values, then man must generate them from himself.

So, Humanism is the absolute certain result, if we choose this other final reality and say that is what it is. You must realize that when we speak of man being the measure of all things under the Humanist label, the first thing is that man has only knowledge from himself. That he, being finite, limited, very faulty in his observation of many things, yet nevertheless, has no possible source of knowledge except what man, beginning from himself, can find out from his own observation. Specifically, in this view, there is no place for any knowledge from God.

But it is not only that man must start from himself in the area of knowledge and learning, but any value system must come arbitrarily from man himself by arbitrary choice. More frightening still, in our country, at our own moment of history, is the fact that any basis of law then becomes arbitrary — merely certain people making decisions as to what is for the good of society at the given moment.

Now this is the real reason for the breakdown in morals in our country. It’s the real reason for the breakdown in values in our country, and it is the reason that our Supreme Court now functions so thoroughly upon the fact of arbitrary law. They have no basis for law that is fixed, therefore, like the young person who decides to live hedonistically upon their own chosen arbitrary values, society is now doing the same thing legally. Certain few people come together and decide what they arbitrarily believe is for the good of society at the given moment, and that becomes law.

The world view that the final reality is only material or energy shaped by pure chance, inevitably, (that’s the next word I would bring to you ) mathematically — with mathematical certainty — brings forth all these other results which are in our country and in our society which have led to the breakdown in the country — in society — and which are its present sorrows. So, if you hold this other world view, you must realize that it is inevitable that we will come to the very sorrows of relativity and all these other things that are so represented in our country at this moment of history.

It should be noticed that this new dominant world view is a view which is exactly opposite from that of the founding fathers of this country. Now, not all the founding fathers were individually, personally, Christians. That certainly is true.

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Francis Schaeffer, Prolife | Comments (0)