Racial Double Standards

Via SHNV

Back in 2009, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said we were "a nation of cowards" on matters of race. Permit me to be brave and run a few assertions by you just to see whether we're on the same page. There should be two standards for civilized conduct: one for whites, which is higher, and another for blacks, which is lower. In other words, in the name of justice and fair play, blacks should not be held accountable to the same standards that whites are and should not be criticized for conduct that we'd deem disgusting and racist if said or done by whites.

You say, "Williams, what in the world are you talking about?" Mitt Romney hasn't revealed all of his fall campaign strategy yet, but what if he launched a "White Americans for Romney" movement in an effort to get out the white vote? If the Romney campaign did that, there'd be a media-led outcry across the land, with charges ranging from racial insensitivity to outright racism. When President Barack Obama announced his 2012 launch of "African Americans for Obama", the silence was deafening. Should the same standards be applied to Obama as would be applied to Romney? The answer turns out to be no, because Obama is not held to the same standards as Romney.

Liberals won't actually come out and say that criticism of Obama is in and of itself racist, but they come pretty close. Former President Jimmy Carter said that criticism of Obama shows that there is an "inherent feeling" in America that a black man should not be president. Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC's "Hardball," said that critics of Obama are crackers. Morgan Freeman said that the campaign to see that Obama serves one term is a "racist thing." Former Obama czar Van Jones said that Romney's campaign sign "Obama Isn't Working" implies Obama is a "lazy, incompetent affirmative action baby."

More @ LRC

More Killed in Chicago this Year than Afghanistan

As many as 200 Chicago police officers were assigned to provide extra security for the wedding of White House adviser Valerie Jarrett’s daughter, despite the fact that this year Windy City residents have been slain in greater numbers than U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.

The Daily reports:

While 144 Americans have died in Afghanistan in 2012, a whopping 228 Chicago residents have been killed, and the murder rate is up a staggering 35 percent from last year. That’s a rash of homicides quadruple the rate of New York City’s, and police and crime experts fear it may only get worse.

More @ The Washington Free Beacon

'The Two Men Barely Looked at Each Other'

CBS reports that when Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin met with the press after their long private discussion, "The two men barely looked at each other. You could just feel, sort of, the tension between them. And the body language really represented how far apart the two leaders remain on the issue of Syria."

"It is clear that President Obama did not get an agreement from Russian president Putin [on Syria]," CBS reports.

"And interestingly," CBS adds, "Apparently President Obama got a bit of a lecture from Putin about some other failed transitions that are going on around the world."

More with video @ The Weekly Standard

Ron Paul wins Iowa! Does that matter?

Ron Paul won Iowa! At the Iowa GOP convention over the weekend, supporters of the Texas libertarian walked away with 23 of the state’s 28 national convention delegates. Under state Republican rules, those delegates are unbound, meaning they can vote for Congressman Paul in August in Tampa, Fla., if they please. It’s another example of how Paul’s strategy of getting his people organized at the grass-roots level has (somewhat) paid off in the end.

But does this Hawkeye State victory come too late to really much matter in the larger scheme of GOP politics?

We’d say yes, no, and no. But before we explain that, let’s stop for a moment to consider Iowa’s multiple 2012 Republican caucus results.

More @ CS Monitor

Presence of a Mysterious Force

There existed three Klans in American history: the first of the late 1860s which had no flag to wave; the second of the Great War-era which was a Stars & Stripes waving, anti-immigration and anti-Catholic (a sensitivity perhaps best represented by the earlier Free Soil Party of the North) group which included a Supreme Court Justice; and the 1960s variation which quickly became more heavily-populated with government informants than actual members.

Bernhard Thuersam, Director
Cape Fear Historical Institute

Presence of a Mysterious Force:

“The Ku Klux disturbance touched me but lightly. The newspapers were full of it, but my mind felt only the reverberations. Our neighborhood was disturbed only once by the night riders. It didn’t appear that the moral sense of the community was at all outraged by this violence. The only feeling seemed to be one of awe in the presence of a mysterious force: no one knew who they were or where they came from or where they went; they were only visitants from another world; nobody could guess where the lightening would strike next.

It is a mistake to suppose the Ku-Klux Klan was the Confederate army under a new uniform; it was not. There was no thrust against the Union. There were plenty of old Confederate soldiers in the ranks of the Ku Klux, but as a matter of fact they didn’t at that time care a rap about the Union one way or another.

Their intent was to bring order out of chaos….If any of my readers remember Griffith’s photoplay, The Birth of a Nation, and remember the look on the face of the Little Colonel when he unhooded, they will see what I saw on men’s faces in those days. I couldn’t have put it into words, but I felt it: it meant courage, resolution to endure, solidarity of thought and feeling. This combination was hard to stop; it couldn’t be reached by Federal courts or Federal bayonets.

(Son of Carolina, Augustus White Long, Duke University Press, 1939, pp. 35-36)

Presence of a Mysterious Force

'Fast and Furious' whistleblower says he's 'disappointed' one year later

THE CONQUERED BANNER & A REPLY TO THE CONQUERED BANNER

I recited these poems many a time as a boy, heartfelt and loved.

THE CONQUERED BANNER
by Abram Joseph Ryan (1838-1886)

Furl that Banner, for 'tis weary; Round its staff 'tis drooping dreary; Furl it, fold it, it is best; For there's not a man to wave it, And there's not a sword to save it, And there's no one left to lave it In the blood that heroes gave it; And its foes now scorn and brave it; Furl it, hide it--let it rest!

Take that banner down! 'tis tattered; Broken is its shaft and shattered; And the valiant hosts are scattered Over whom it floated high. Oh! 'tis hard for us to fold it; Hard to think there's none to hold it; Hard that those who once unrolled it Now must furl it with a sigh.

Furl that banner! furl it sadly! Once ten thousands hailed it gladly. And ten thousands wildly, madly, Swore it should forever wave; Swore that foeman's sword should never Hearts like theirs entwined dissever, Till that flag should float forever O'er their freedom or their grave!

Furl it! for the hands that grasped it, And the hearts that fondly clasped it, Cold and dead are lying low; And that Banner--it is trailing! While around it sounds the wailing Of its people in their woe. For, though conquered, they adore it! Love the cold, dead hands that bore it! Weep for those who fell before it! Pardon those who trailed and tore it!

But, oh! wildly they deplored it! Now who furl and fold it so. Furl that Banner! True, 'tis gory, Yet 'tis wreathed around with glory, And 'twill live in song and story, Though its folds are in the dust; For its fame on brightest pages, Penned by poets and by sages, Shall go sounding down the ages-- Furl its folds though now we must. Furl that banner, softly, slowly! Treat it gently--it is holy-- For it droops above the dead. Touch it not--unfold it never, Let it droop there, furled forever, For its people's hopes are dead!

A REPLY TO THE CONQUERED BANNER
by Sir Henry Houghton, Bart. (1809-1885)

Gallant nation, foiled by numbers! Say not that your hopes are fled; Keep that glorious flag which slumbers, One day to avenge your dead.

Keep it, widowed, sonless mothers! Keep it, sisters, mourning brothers! Furl it now, but keep it still--

Think not that its work is done. Keep it till your children take it, Once again to hall and make it, All their sires have bled and fought for; All their noble hearts have sought for-- Bled and fought for all alone! All alone! ay, shame the story!

Millions here deplore the stain; Shame, alas! for England's glory, Freedom called, and called in vain!

Furl that banner, sadly, slowly, Treat it gently, for 'tis holy; Till that day--yes, furl it sadly; Then once more unfurl it gladly-- Conquered banner! keep it still!

“Doctor I don’t want any pay, but I must have constant occupation or I will [lose] my mind.”

North Carolina War Between the States Sesquicentennial
www.ncwbts150.com
"The Official Website of the North Carolina WBTS Sesquicentennial Commission"

North Carolina Patriots of ’61 -- Incidents of Hospital Life

“My husband was wounded on the 6th of May, 1864, at the battle of the Wilderness, and was captured on the 20th. After he was captured he wrote me a letter, giving it to a man at Port Royal, Va., to mail, which he did not do until the latter part of July. Just imagine my terrible anxiety, not hearing from him in all that time.

In October I started home, leaving my little daughter with my sister, who expected to follow me the next month. I took my little ones and my niece, who was a young lady, with me. My sister was taken ill and I did not see my little girl until the following July. My husband, being still a prisoner, was carried with the [600 Confederate] officers to Morris Island, and was under the fire there for forty-two days, and from there he was taken to Fort Pulaski.

How I lived through that winter I cannot tell. After Christmas I applied to Dr. Essington for a situation as assistant matron to the lower hospital. They were bringing the wounded from Fort Fisher, Wilmington, and other points. We already had one hospital and were establishing another. I shall never forget the doctor’s look of amazement when I applied for the situation. My reply was: “Doctor I don’t want any pay, but I must have constant occupation or I will [lose] my mind.”

I went every morning at nine o’clock and staid until one, and I always went late in the afternoon to see that the wants of the patients were attended to during the night. I always dressed all the wounds every morning, and I soon found that my grief and sorrow were forgotten in administering to the wants of the sick. Such patience and fortitude I have never seen. Not one murmur did I ever hear escape their lips. My prayer book was my constant companion. I carried it in my pocket, and many a poor soldier have I soothed and comforted with holy prayers.

One day as I entered the hospital I noticed a new face. I made my way to him, as I was struck by his gray hair, and said: “You are too old to be here.” He smiled and his answer was quite a rebuke. “One never gets too old to fight for one’s home and fireside. I had no sons, so I came myself.” He proved to be a Mr. Johnson from Georgia. I made him my especial care, but to no avail. He died on the 8th of March [1865].

Now I will speak of another soldier who died the same day. His name was Sanford, and he was just in the prime of life. It was really pathetic the way he spoke of his wife and home. The surgeon promised him a furlough, and when I went and told him we had written for his wife to come and take him home I shall never forget his expression as he exclaimed: “am I to see my wife and home.” Alas! the poor fellow did not live to see his wife again.

On the 10th of March [General William] Hardee’s men commenced to pass through Fayetteville. It was a day of humiliation and prayer. When I left the hospital I told them they would have to do without me the next day as I wanted to do what I could towards feeding some of our hungry soldiers, as we had nothing but bread and meat to give them.

My uncle, Dr. Kyle, went with me, and we stood in the store door on Hay street. We soon attracted the attention of a soldier and told him what we wished to do. My uncle, myself and two servants were kept busy the whole day. Three of my neighbors and myself prepared the bread and meat. It was enough to make anybody’s heart ache to see the ragged men.

One came forward. He looked like a boy of eighteen or nineteen. He had a little iron pot and I said: “Child, you look so [tired], why do you carry that iron pot?” and he answered: “I keep it to cook with.” I offered him a twenty-dollar Confederate note for it, with which he bought twenty loaves of bread and divided it among his comrades. When night came on I closed the door with a heavy heart. They were still coming.” Read more at: http://www.ncwbts150.com/AtWarBattlegroundsHomefront.php

(Incidents of Hospital Life, Mrs. Anne K. Kyle, War Days in Fayetteville, Reminiscences of 1861 to 1865, JEB Stuart Chapter, UDC, May 1910, pp. 39-42)

North Carolina Patriots of ’61 -- Incidents of Hospital Life

Rheinmetall Defense outfits Volkswagen Amarok for world conquest

Via Survival

What good is a truck if it can't be used to invade your neighbors? Not much good. Not much good at all, say the armament experts at Rheinmetall Defense.

At the recent Eurosatory defense expo in Paris – consider it the Geneva Motor Show of military hardware – Rheinmetall unveiled its conversion options for the Volkswagen Amarok, transforming the four-door short-bed civilian pickup truck into a Light Multi-Purpose Vehicle for military applications.

The options list includes a reinforced suspension, advanced communications systems and an automated, motorized turret for a machine gun or grenade launcher. (The actual firearms are another, matter, of course.) Military and paramilitary buyers can order theirs with a variety of engines ranging up to 177 horsepower, with either six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmissions.

More @ Auto Blog

'Web Page Censored' Code Proposed

Via Survival

A high-profile Google developer has proposed that the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) that it endorse a new HTTP Status Code to warn readers the page they're looking for has been censored by authorities, according to TheVerge.

Tim Bray, who co-invented XML and works as Android Developer Advocate at Google, is submitting a proposal that pages censored by someone other than the owner of the site or of the user's local network display the error code "451 Unavailable for Legal Reasons."

The number in the code is a reference to Ray Bradbury's "Farenheit 451," which describes a dystopian future in which book burnings and the censorship of unacceptable material is routine. Google already highlights search terms that may return censored results, in some countries.

More @ PCWorld