Utopia or Dystopian Nightmare?

November 2, 2009 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Budget, Constitution, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Education, Founders, Freedom, Government, Corruption, History, Islam, Islamofascism, Liberals, Nancy Salvato, Rights, Society/Culture, Taxes | No Comments

-By Nancy Morgan

Sometimes I worry that our country will become more like the former Soviet Union. Americans will wait in lines for hours in order to receive bread for the week. I wonder what it would be like to run out of toilet paper and not be able to run to the store to stock up on what I grew up believing were necessities. Mostly, I am angered that I am living paycheck to paycheck…tethered to a house not worth the mortgage I own, unable to advance my earning potential because there is no free money for a middle aged white person who gives one third of her income back to the government to be spent on programs with which I don’t agree and from which I receive no benefit. However, I must pick my battles when addressing an issue with which I’m concerned because I know the majority of folks in the blue state in which I reside and work dismiss my speculation as the ranting of a lunatic or someone who can’t get with the program; embrace “change”.

Today, I read how our government has set aside a multi-million dollar technology fund for Islamic countries. Our education system would thrive if that kind of money could be used to provide free online courses to adults wanting to earn a terminal degree or specialize in a shortage area. Instead, tuition goes up, taxes go to fund free money for those who qualify for the Pell grants which will supplement the cost of a college education, and more and more graduates (and many who won’t graduate) will leave their post-secondary experience with an accumulated debt that will make it even more impossible to chase the elusive American dream. Many will not find jobs that require their advanced education.

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M-O-N-E-Y & Influence

September 22, 2009 | Filed Under Budget, Capitalism, Economy/Finances, Nancy Salvato, Society/Culture | No Comments

-By Nancy Salvato

If you want that girl
Listen, son
Don’t you sit around and cry
Because, love
In this world
Ain’t nothing you can’t buy

– Lyle Lovett, Money

Money may not really buy love or make the world go round, but it certainly does help society to function efficiently. Money, which is assigned a value, is the item of exchange we use if we want to purchase something. The work we do to earn money is also assigned a value and the amount something costs reflects the value in producing or developing it. Most people would agree that the reward of money is the incentive they need to invest their time and labor into many of the tasks that demand their attention. While there may be additional reasons for applying ourselves to projects, a surplus of money allows us more freedom to devote our energy to additional pursuits.
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Political Science 101: Power Breeds Corruption

September 18, 2009 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, Communism, Congress, Conservatives, Constitution, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, Founders, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Nancy Salvato, President, Socialism, Society/Culture, Taxes | No Comments

-By Nancy Salvato

Chicago is known as “The Windy City” not because it is windy (although anyone who tries to use an umbrella during a heavy rain in the Loop knows how difficult that can prove) but because of the blowhard politicians it has produced throughout the centuries. Chicago’s scandalous history of political corruption began in the l9th century around the time of the Chicago Fire continuing through today, most notably, Governor Blagojevich’s attempt to “sell” President Obama’s Senate seat. Political malfeasance doesn’t begin and end in Illinois, though. Other states have equal or worse reputations.

The Wall Street Journal, in an article titled, A Swamp of Corruption, noted that “Louisiana ranks third in the nation in the number of elected officials per capita convicted of crimes (Mississippi takes top prize).” Paging through the list of politicians on the take is like reading a who’s who in the society pages. Most recently, former Democratic Louisiana congressman, Rep. William Jefferson, was convicted by a federal jury, “of taking bribes on 11 of 16 counts in a case in which agents found $90,000 in his freezer.” Corruption is not unique to what is referred to the modern era in our history.
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Two Americas or One Nation with Liberty & Justice for All

September 2, 2009 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, Congress, Constitution, Democrats/Leftists, Founders, Government, Corruption, History, House of Representatives, Liberals, Nancy Salvato, President, Senate, Society/Culture | 1 Comment

-By Nancy Salvato

Fundamental law is the key to maintaining the rights and freedoms of every citizen in the United States of America. It is questionable how many people actually understand what is considered fundamental law, or why it is referred to as such. The US Constitution and the Bill of Rights -which was promised as part of the ratification of the US Constitution in order to ensure its passage-, are both considered to be the fundamental law of the United States. These documents, along with the Declaration of Independence are commonly referred to as our founding documents – the Charters of Freedom.

Fundamental law is so important to this society that the justices working in our federal judicial system are sworn to uphold it. Every case that comes before the Supreme Court brings into question fundamental law. If a law or decision contradicts fundamental law, it is to be overturned. The only way to change the fundamental law of our nation is through the amendment process and in the history of our country, this has only occurred 27 times, including the first 10 amendments to the US Constitution -which are encompassed in the Bill of Rights.

Every President and every US Representative and Senator take an oath of elected office, swearing to uphold the US Constitution.
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Two Americas or One Nation with Liberty & Justice for All

August 10, 2009 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, Congress, Constitution, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Elections, Founders, Freedom, Government, Corruption, History, Journalism, Liberals, Media Bias, Nancy Salvato, President, Republicans, Security/Safety, Socialism, Society/Culture, Taxes | No Comments

-By Nancy Salvato

Fundamental law is the key to maintaining the rights and freedoms of every citizen in the United States of America. It is questionable how many people actually understand what is considered fundamental law, or why it is referred to as such. The US Constitution and the Bill of Rights -which was promised as part of the ratification of the US Constitution in order to ensure its passage-, are both considered to be the fundamental law of the United States. These documents, along with the Declaration of Independence are commonly referred to as our founding documents – the Charters of Freedom.

Fundamental law is so important to this society that the justices working in our federal judicial system are sworn to uphold it. Every case that comes before the Supreme Court brings into question fundamental law. If a law or decision contradicts fundamental law, it is to be overturned. The only way to change the fundamental law of our nation is through the amendment process and in the history of our country, this has only occurred 27 times, including the first 10 amendments to the US Constitution -which are encompassed in the Bill of Rights.

Every President and every US Representative and Senator take an oath of elected office, swearing to uphold the US Constitution.
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Setting New Standards with Online Education

July 10, 2009 | Filed Under Children, Democrats/Leftists, Education, Family, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Nancy Salvato, Society/Culture | No Comments

-By Nancy Salvato

“The full-time residential model of higher education is getting too expensive for a larger share of the American population.” (The College of 2020: Students) Is it any wonder “more and more students are looking for lower-cost alternatives to attending college?”

What does the future hold for higher education?

  • White students will likely be outnumbered by minority students on college campuses.
  • People will need to rely on more and more formalized education to advance their careers or change to new ones.
  • It is estimated that ten years from now, the average cost for a 4 year public college in-state resident will be $31,949.28 per year. (Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority)
  • Almost one third of the 121 institutions that responded to a survey believed that by 2020, students will take over half their courses entirely online. (The College of 2020: Students)

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Necessity is the Mother of Invention

June 14, 2009 | Filed Under Book Reviews, Economy/Finances, Education, Media Bias, Nancy Salvato, Society/Culture, Technology | No Comments

-By Nancy Salvato

General Motors recently filed for bankruptcy. Mark Steyn writes in National Review, “GM has about 95,000 workers but provides health benefits to a million people: It’s not a business enterprise, but a vast welfare plan with a tiny loss-making commercial sector. As GM goes, so goes America?” Fortunately, maybe this is not the case. Arnold Schwarzenegger, faced with a $24 million budget deficit, has “terminated” textbooks and is embracing digital books

Having purchased a Kindle earlier this year, I can say from experience that it is an amazing device. The books I've downloaded cost much less than if I was to have bought them hard copy. Many cost nothing, thanks to sites such as Project Gutenberg. I’m just finishing “John Marshall and the Constitution; a Chronicle of the Supreme Court by Corwin”, an excellent read. The nicest feature on the device is that it allows me to bookmark or highlight while I’m reading. I can send my research to my email and use it when I write my commentaries. I have been wondering when a version of the Kindle will be adapted in the schools.
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Circumnavigating the Rule of Law

May 30, 2009 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, Communism, Congress, Conservatives, Constitution, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Foreign Policy, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Nancy Salvato, President, Security/Safety, Socialism, Society/Culture, Taxes, The Law | No Comments

-By Nancy Salvato

The last I heard, the United States was not a signatory to the Law of the Sea Convention. Yet back in 1996, under President Clinton, we became signatories to an agreement with the Commonwealth of the Bahamas “concerning a cooperative Shiprider and Overflight Drug Interdiction Program for Joint Operations,” known as the 1996 Shiprider Agreement.

“Based on the principles of international law, respect for the sovereign equality of States and in full respect of the principle of the right of freedom of navigation consistent with the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention,” this agreement was superseded by a more comprehensive agreement in 2004 (US State Department).
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In Just 100 Days

May 2, 2009 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, China, Communism, Congress, Constitution, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Europe, Foreign Policy, Freedom, Government, Corruption, Islam, Islamofascism, Liberals, Military, Nancy Salvato, President, Security/Safety, Socialism, Society/Culture, Taxes, War on Terror | No Comments

-By Nancy Salvato

January 20, 2009, Barack Hussein Obama became the 44th president of the United States. Our most recently elected president has been presiding in what is commonly referred to as the “honeymoon period”, the beginning of a new president’s term in which the chief executive enjoys generally positive relations with the press and Congress. During this first hundred days, or “honeymoon” a new president uses good will to his advantage, trying to push through an executive agenda while generally being forgiven for what could be considered novice mistakes. April 30th marks the end of President Obama’s first 100 days in office. What has been accomplished in since his inauguration?

North Korea

A 2008 report published by the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College states that, “North Korea has also established itself as the Third World’s greatest supplier of missiles, missile components, and related technologies.” North Korea is one of the principal providers of missiles to Iran, Pakistan, Syria, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen.

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Defining Article 2, Section 1 in Context

April 13, 2009 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Congress, Constitution, Democrats/Leftists, Founders, Government, Corruption, History, Liberals, Media Bias, Nancy Salvato, President, Society/Culture | No Comments

-By Nancy Salvato

According to Article II, Section 1 of the United States Constitution, no person except a “natural born citizen” (citizen at birth) shall be eligible to the office of President.

The question that needs to be answered definitively is what exactly is a “natural born citizen”? To understand this phrase, we need to look at the context in which it was written.

It is clear that the Framers included that phrase in the requirements for Commander in Chief because they wanted to ensure loyalty to the US Constitution and not give undue influence to any one country, group, or person.
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A Constitutionally Illiterate Congress

March 26, 2009 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, Congress, Constitution, Education, Founders, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Media Bias, Nancy Salvato, Socialism, Society/Culture, Taxes | No Comments

-By Nancy Salvato

The definition of a citizen is one who is ruled and can rule in turn. We must have the capacity for both under the law. All citizens must be able to take the following oath of office:

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter.”

Sadly, in today’s day and age, those elected to our legislature do not have to understand the law to represent their electors. Consequently, this Congress has proven to be the most constitutionally illiterate group of people ever elected to office.
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Natural Born Citizens

March 23, 2009 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Congress, Constitution, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Media Bias, Nancy Salvato, President, Society/Culture | No Comments

-By Nancy Salvato

This is a commentary in response to James Taranto’s recent column in which he takes yet another opportunity to use his bully pulpit to jab at the vast numbers of people who take painstakingly seriously the idea that no person except a natural born citizen shall be eligible to hold the office of President.

I used to enjoy reading James Taranto. I used to appreciate his sarcasm and wit. Not so much anymore.

Taranto writes,

You might have heard of Hawaii, a southern North Pacific archipelago that almost half a century ago became America’s 50th state. It’s known for pineapples, palm trees and tropical weather, and while it’s said to be a lovely place to visit, hardly anyone goes there because it’s so expensive and far away–over 10 hours by plane from New York, and getting there by car literally takes forever.
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An Alternative to Impending Doom

March 6, 2009 | Filed Under Congress, Conservatives, Constitution, Democrats/Leftists, GOP, Government, Corruption, History, Media Bias, Nancy Salvato, News, President, Society/Culture, Taxes | No Comments

-By Nancy Salvato

In the time that has passed since President Obama was elected to and now holds the presidency of the United States, there has been something of an ominous and disturbing feel accompanying the media’s portrayal of his administration. It brings to mind news coverage of third world countries taken over by a military coup or overrun by a junta or dictatorship whose next move is to nationalize their industries or indiscriminately ravage the countryside. There is a one-step removed air about the reporting that belies the gravity of what is being discussed and makes each event surreal. There is a resigned quality to the words and to what is happening to our way of life. Have we forgotten that we live under a Constitution that provides “We the People” the power to “peacefully overthrow” those who are elected to hold office? We even have the power to “non-peacefully overthrow” those elected to power, but we’ve never had to use this recourse.

“God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion. The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty…And what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to the facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.”
– Thomas Jefferson
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Effective Tools in Education

February 21, 2009 | Filed Under Children, Democrats/Leftists, Education, Family, Liberals, Nancy Salvato, News, Publius Contributor, Security/Safety, Society/Culture, State Government | No Comments

-By Nancy Salvato

Nancy Salvato

“I don’t know, I’m waiting for you to tell me how I feel.” (Reese stops thinking and becomes the world’s happiest tool) Reese Joins the Army “Malcolm in the Middle”

On posted a response to my commentary, Three Good Reasons to Become a Teacher: June, July and August.

“I became a teacher because I wanted to know I would be secure in retirement. I also happened to like working with kids.”

I found his comment more than slightly disturbing because one would hope that a person would enter the teaching profession based on a desire to teach, not for the pension. As a matter of face, novice teachers who participated in a study about why educators leave the profession expressed reasons for entering the field of teaching, such as; to help young people, share their love of learning, improve society, loved their subject, liked young people and felt responsibility to the next generation. Isn’t it amazingly fortuitous for Mr. Galt that he just happened to like working with kids.
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Houston, We Have a Problem

February 14, 2009 | Filed Under Children, Democrats/Leftists, Liberals, Media Bias, Morals/Sex, Nancy Salvato, News, Publius Contributor, Society/Culture, State Government | No Comments

-By Nancy Salvato

“64 percent of all students engage in one of three of the most serious cheating behaviors — copying from another student’s work, using cheat notes or helping someone else cheat.”

I wonder how many people find the above statistic the least bit surprising. More importantly, I’m curious as to how it has come to this? Why do students cheat in such large numbers?

I would guess that a substantial portion of these cheaters use “pre-conventional” thinking skills. According to Kohlberg’s Moral Stages of Development, cheaters see morality as something external to themselves, as something that people say they must do -so when they break the rules, it is with the intention of not getting caught. What is right to them is what meets their own interests. They haven’t internalized the values of the family or community. When they follow the law, it is only because they don’t want to get into trouble. Their behaviors as members of our society depend on external controls.
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Letting the Evidence Speak for Itself

February 1, 2009 | Filed Under Education, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Nancy Salvato, News, Publius Contributor, Society/Culture | No Comments

-By Nancy Salvato

In a letter recently submitted to Education Week CITATION Ste09 \l 1033 (Stephen Krashen, 2009) Stephen Krashen, Professor Emeritus, Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California, draws attention to the Reading First final impact study which showed that children following an intensive decoding-based curriculum do well on tests of decoding but not on measures of reading comprehension when compared with regular students. He reminds readers that the National Reading Panel, the foundation for Reading First, came up with similar results.

From these two studies, Dr. Krashen draws the following conclusion. A high level of proficiency in decoding is not necessary in order to learn to read. Yet, he has employed fallacious reasoning to confirm his obvious bias against Reading First.

What these studies actually confirm is precisely what the authors of Reading First already understood; Phonics is not an end in itself. Phonics is a critical step in supporting reading development. With this in mind, The National Reading Panel recommended explicit and systematic phonics instruction. By this, it is meant that teachers should be provided precise directions for modeling and for leading students through the process of using letter-sound relationships to read words; letter sound relationships should be taught in a clearly defined sequence; and students should be provided extensive practice in reading stories with many different words to decode. Phonics is most effective when introduced in Kindergarten and first grade.

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The Right to Defend Sovereignty

January 21, 2009 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, Constitution, Democrats/Leftists, Education, Europe, Government, Corruption, History, Nancy Salvato, Patriotism, President, Publius Contributor, Security/Safety, Society/Culture, The Law | No Comments

-By Nancy Salvato

It is written in the Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” Each and every one of us has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. A seemingly simple idea, it’s the definition of when a life begins or should end, when the liberty of one being is to be considered encroaching on the liberty of another, and on the meaning of personal happiness on which we disagree.

I imagine one would be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn’t want a peaceful existence which would allow us to go about our lives unencumbered by external threats. Again, it’s the method our country uses to achieve a relatively peaceful existence and at what cost –on which we currently disagree. While all of these topics are worthy of discussion and study, the question of our nation’s sovereignty begs examination at this moment in time because our present way of life is the direct result of our nation’s sovereign status in the world and so for many of us, it is worth preserving.
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Undermining Our Sovereignty from Without & Within

January 14, 2009 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Constitution, Crime, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, Foreign Policy, Founders, GOP, Government, Corruption, Media Bias, Nancy Salvato, News, Patriotism, President, Publius Contributor, Security/Safety, Society/Culture, The Law, UN, War on Terror | No Comments

-By Nancy Salvato

The first amendment to the United States Constitution expressly prohibits the United States Congress from making laws that infringe on the freedom of the press. While it should be expected that those elected to the legislature have at least a basic understanding of the Bill of Rights, this is not necessarily the case.

“Those who have held elective office earn an average score of 44% on the civic literacy test, which is five percentage points lower than the average score of 49% for those who have never been elected.” Neither score bodes well for the state of our nation.

If we are to continue to be a sovereign country, we must understand the rule of law and why each and every word of the founding documents are so important to the defense of our nation and to the continuation of our freedoms.
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True Patriots Put Country First

November 14, 2008 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, Congress, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, GOP, Government, Corruption, History, Media Bias, Nancy Salvato, News, Patriotism, President, Publius Contributor, Society/Culture | No Comments

-By Nancy Salvato

Sometimes, I find it hard to stomach reading the headlines in my preferred publication of choice, the New Media Journal. I just finished an article reporting that Osama Bin Laden is planning on attacking the U.S. again –real soon. It’s hard to believe 7 years have passed since our hijacked planes were flown into the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. It almost seems surreal. However, we must remember that the terrorists who would do us harm do not adhere to commonly accepted timetables, do not fight a conventional war, do not distinguish between military or civilians, and are not affiliated with any one country. And any westerner or infidel is considered fair game for their next atrocity.

While some citizens have become complacent, others have been vigilant in monitoring the war on terrorism. Most news reported about the war on terror is picked up by the New Media Journal as a courtesy for the readers who don’t want to see another 9/11 befall our civilization in their lifetime or after. For those who have opted not to take a permanent news holiday by burying their heads in the sand (As Andrew Weil recommends) and instead continue to expose their intestines to ulcers and IBS in order to stay informed and to inform others, it will not come as a surprise if there is an electro magnetic pulse explosion in our immediate hemisphere. Terrorists are capable of pulling off such a feat. Needless to say, they won’t have any remorse over such actions. It is all in a days work.
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The Oath of a Citizen

November 9, 2008 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Democrats/Leftists, Education, Elections, Government, Corruption, Media Bias, Nancy Salvato, News, President, Publius Contributor, Race, Security/Safety, Society/Culture | No Comments

-By Nancy Salvato

The United States of America has in one fell swoop rejected the status quo and elected the first black president. Now that the minorities in this country have seen one of their own elected to the highest office in the land, hopefully we can finally put the race issue to bed and discontinue the Balkanizing of America. Although we have our differences, these differences should not be what identify us. There should not be a hyphen in front of or behind the word American. Profiling should be left to those who investigate crime.

Although I chose to support McCain-Palin, I feel none of the angst that my Democratic brethren expressed at President Bush’s election. I am willing to accept America’s choice in the next leader of this free country. To be perfectly honest, I am relieved that the sky did not fall, Chicago did not succumb to rioting, and there is a relative sense of calm in the air.
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"Governments are instituted among men,deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776




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