Teri Schiavo

Over the weekend the Congress in Washington got involved in something they had no business getting involved in. Congress passed a law and the President signed. The law is intended to keep Teri Schiavo alive. Even though her expressed wish, which was entered into evidence at trial, to not be kept alive with atrificial means. Congress has over stepped its authority in passing this law. The Framers of the Constitution created the separation of powers to keep Congress from doing what it did. The Judiciary is the only place where individual matters can be settled. Congress sets broad policy not individual policy. The Florida courts decided on 3 occasions that the feeding tube could be removed, yet on 2 occasions, the Florida State legislature and then the US Congress passed laws in the atteempt to stop Teri's wish from being fulfillled. This is blatant meddling. Fortunately the Florida Supreme Court declared the Florida law unconstitutional. Hopefully the Federal courts will declare the Federal law unconstitutional also.
The President and Congress both have said that Teri deserves to live yet they are ignoring her expressed wish. She told people on two occasions that she would not want a feeding tube. It is time to let this woman die with dignity.
There was a time when Republican thought the government should stay out of individual citizen's business. Yet here they are interfering with the wishes of this woman. President Bush rails against activist judges, yet when a judge consistently rules that the wish of the husband and Teri should be honored, he signs legislation put forth by an activist congress to prevent this.
The President says judges need to ere on the side of life, yet how many deathrow inmates did he put to death in Texas? Perhaps the President needs to ere on the side of life. How many US soldiers have died in Iraq? Did the President ere on the side of life when he didn't plan for post-war Iraq? It would seem the President only eres on the side of life when it is politically convenient for him to do so. Let's do away with abortion and stop the wishes of a person who said she would prefer to die, but let's keep the death penalty. Let's keep sending our young men and women to Iraq without proper equipment and training. The President is trying to have it both ways. He gives lipservice to life only when it is politically safe for him to do so. It is really too bad that 51% of the people who voted couldn't have ered on the side of common sense and voted for John Kerry.

Statement by Representative James A. Leach

Peace Corps: A Model for Hope
Statement by Representative James A. Leach
Before the House of Representatives
March 10, 2005

Mr. Speaker:

I would like to take a moment to recognize that last week was National
Peace Corps Week and to applaud the thousands of Americans who have
represented the U.S. since 1961 in the Peace Corps in 138 countries.
Emblematic of the idealism of America are the 15 volunteers from my
district in Southeast Iowa who are currently serving on four continents, in
desert villages, mountain towns and city centers from Ukraine to Panama and
Morocco.

A Peace Corps volunteer is charged with three missions: the first is to
help the people of host countries in meeting their need for trained
professionals; the second is to help promote understanding of America
around the world; and the third is to help expand American understanding of
other peoples and countries.

Thus, the job of the Peace Corps volunteer is not over when their
assignment is completed.  Volunteers maintain a duty to share their grasp
of the people, the language and the culture of the countries in which they
served.

Not long ago, in a speech at Yale University, the first Peace Corps
Director, Sargent Shriver, declared that he wanted to add a fourth goal: to
"bind all human beings together in a common cause to assure peace and
survival for all."

No mission is more altruistic; nor more consequential.  Geopolitical
realists might consider such majesty of purpose to be naïve.  Actually,
there is no rational alternative in a world where history has known few
generations unaffected by the strife of war; where the creation of weapons
of mass destruction has increased the vulnerability of the human race.  As
Einstein noted, splitting the atom has changed everything except our way of
thinking.  It is the capacity to think that, at its best, characterizes
mankind, but, at its least impressive, has yet to be harnessed in such a
way as to give confidence that modern man can live with modern technology.

In this context of concern for the common fate of all mankind, the Peace
Corps stands out as the singular institution in American society that
provides a model for hope and a cause for optimism.

The Soweto Gospel Choir

On Saturday, my wife and I went to a performance of the Soweto Gospel Choir. It was wonderful experience. The concert was a mix native South African and traditional gospel songs. The group also threw in some South African hip hop. The performers were dressed in mostly traditional costumes. Bright colors and patterns. Not only was it a superb listening experience, but visually it was stunning. The performers sang and danced happily across the stage. It was a delight to see and hear. The performers sang in 6 of the 11 national languages of South Africa. We may not have been able to understand what they were singing but you could feel the power of the performers beliefs. It was awe inspiring to see the way the performers’ faces lit up as they sang and praised God. You tell they truly believed what they were signing about.

As I watched the performance I couldn’t help think how different a church service in South Africa must be compared to one in the United States. I can’t imagine any Lutheran or Catholic service to be as active and as colorful as what we witnessed on Saturday. I can’t imagine any American church allowing any such carrying on. It was truly inspirational to see the performers. They had a childlike quality to them. You could see they truly felt the presence of God. It has been a long time since I have been inspired when I have been in church. Perhaps if more American churches had services like the one on Saturday, more young people would be willing to come to church. I believe, that when people go to church, they want to be inspired. If churches were to incorporate more things like dancing and more gospel music, more people would attend.

I have been to several African church services when I was in the Peace Corps. I went an Easter service near Torodi, Niger, I went a service in Bamako, Mali, and a service in Ho, Ghana. At each service, the energy that filled the church was overwhelming. It was obvious that the people were filled with the spirit. I wish I felt that kind of energy in the churches here in the United States. It sure would make church feel less stuffy and I might enjoy going more.

A Modern Parable

An interesting thing happened in church on Sunday. The pastor was reading the Gospel for the day. It was John 9:1 – 41. This Gospel is the story of how Jesus made a blind man see. After his sight was restored the man went to the temple to talk to the Pharisees. The Pharisees asked the man several times how his sight was restored. Each time, the man said Jesus had restored his sight. The Pharisees asked the man’s parents if he was their son and how he got his sight back. Eventually the Pharisees threw the man out of the temple because the Pharisees wouldn’t accept that the man was sin free.
The story reminded of the events that lead up to the current war in Iraq. Iraq plays the part of the Blind Man. Jesus is played by the United Nations. George Bush plays the Pharisees. The Rest of the World plays the Blind Man’s Parents.

Pharises: Where are your weapons of mass destruction?

Blind Man: I don’t have any weapons of mass destruction. I got rid of them long ago.

Pharisee: I know you have weapons of mass destruction. You have not been truthful with us.

Blind Man: Really. I don’t have any. Ask Jesus.

Jesus: I have been with the man for 10 years. I have found no weapons of mass destruction.

Pharisee: I don’t believe you. My intelligence people tell me you have weapons of mass destruction.

Blind Man: You can ask my Parents. I don’t have weapons of mass destruction.

Pharisee: Parents, how can the Blind Man not have weapons of mass destruction? I know he is lying and hiding the weapons. Will you help me find the hidden weapons?

Parents: No, we will not help. We do not believe that he has any. Jesus has told us the blind man does not have weapons. Jesus has searched and he hasn’t found any weapons.

Pharisee: I do not believe you or the Blind Man. If the Blind Man does not let me search his house, and if the Blind Man does not show me where he is hiding the weapons of mass destruction, I will throw him out of the temple and take over his land.

Blind Man: Please, I beg you, do not throw me out. I don’t have any weapons.

Pharisee: I know you are lying. My spies know you have hidden your weapons of mass destruction. You will not get another warning. Let me in and show me your weapons or we will force our way in.

Parents: You cannot do that. It is against the law.

Pharisee: I can do whatever I want. I know the Blind Man has broken the law and I have proof he is hiding weapons of mass destruction. I don’t care what Jesus says or what his parents say. I will find his weapons of mass destruction.

Parents: Show us the proof.

Pharisee: After I have broken into his house and found the weapons, I will show them to you.

Parents: We will not help you. What you are doing is illegal.

Blind Man: Please don’t do this. I have no weapons of mass destruction. Jesus has been here and he has seen my house. He knows I have no weapons. You must believe him.

Pharisee: I do not believe him. I do not trust him. You are lying. You are hiding your weapons. I will not warn you again. Your time has run out.

And so, the Pharisee and his zealots broke into the Blind Man’s house. They searched and searched and searched for the weapons of mass destruction. After about 2 years of searching for the weapons, the Pharisee had to admit that he was no longer looking for weapons of mass destruction because they couldn’t find any. The Pharisee said the real reason for breaking into the Blind Man’s house was to throw him out because he was a bad man and that his parents are better off without him.

Isn’t it a little ironic that the President, who professes to follow the teachings of Jesus and to be a Christian, chooses instead to act like the Pharisees?

Deaf History Month

Each year from March 13 to April 15 deaf people across the United States celebrate Deaf History Month. Deaf History Month is a time for deaf people to celebrate and remember the major events, the major accomplishments, and the influential people in the Deaf community of the United States.
Deaf History Month begins on March 13th. March 13th is the anniversary of when Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. named its first deaf president. Gallaudet University was established in 1864, but it wasn’t until 1988, 124 years later that Gallaudet University had its first deaf president. Gallaudet University is the only university in the world for deaf and hard of hearing people.
Deaf History Month concludes on April 15th. On April 15, 1817 the first school for the deaf, the American School for the Deaf, was opened in Hartford, CT. The American School for the Deaf is still open today.
These were two pivotal events in the history of deafness in the United States. Before the American School for the Deaf was opened, deaf children were either educated at home or not at all. Now they had a place to go for education. Since that time many schools for the deaf opened across the United States. Before 1988, only people who could hear were named president of Gallaudet. Deaf students and employees of the University deemed this unfair and began a weeklong protest that led to the naming of the first deaf president at Gallaudet. The students felt it was unfair for a hearing person to be making decisions about the education of deaf people. They felt that deaf people should be making the decisions that affect deaf people.
Over the years, there have been many people who have had a major impact on deaf people in the United States. One of those people was Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. He has been called the Father of Deaf Education. Thomas H. Gallaudet was born in 1787. In 1814 he met his neighbor girl, Alice Cogswell. Alice was deaf. Thomas took an interest in the little girl and began to work with her and teach her. Alice’s father persuaded Gallaudet to travel to Europe and learn about teaching deaf children. Gallaudet first went to England but none of the deaf school there were willing to share their teaching methods with him. He then traveled to Paris where he visited the Paris School for the Deaf. Here he learned about using sign language to teach deaf children. He also met a teacher named Laurent LeClerc. He convinced LeClerc to return the United States with him. On April 15, 1817 Gallaudet and LeClerc opened the first school for the deaf, the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, CT. This was the first school for the deaf in the United States. One of the first students to attend was Alice Cogswell. Over the years since it opened, the American School of the Deaf has educated thousands of deaf students.
This just one of many events and one of many people that Deaf people in the United States will remember and celebrate in the upcoming month.

National Peace Corps Week

43 years ago, President Kennedy stood on the steps of the U.S. Capitol and said, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” A month and a half later, on March 1, President Kennedy signed the bill establishing the Peace Corps. Since that day, 170,000 Americans have heeded President Kennedy’s call and have worked in 137 different countries. Today, more than 7,500 volunteers live and work in more than 70 nations around the globe. Peace Corps volunteers work in such diverse fields as education, health, HIV/AIDS education and awareness, information technology, business development, the environment, and agriculture.
President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps to promote world peace and friendship. Three simple goals comprise the Peace Corps mission:
1. Helping the people of interested countries meet their need for trained men and women.
2. Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
3. Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of all Americans.
From March 1 through March 7, 2004, thousands of former Peace Corps volunteers, representing more than 100 countries of service, will share their overseas experience in communities around the United States. Through these presentations during Peace Corps week, former volunteers help raise awareness of the Peace Corps. These volunteers also highlight the opportunity to serve as a volunteer and the many benefits of Peace Corps service.
During Peace Corps week, if you know a Peace Corps volunteer, thank him or her for going overseas and representing the very best the United States has to offer. Peace Corps volunteers are on the frontlines for promoting peace. These are selfless and determined people who are trying to make a difference in the lives of others. They live in far away lands and village with exotic names. They live in places with out basic services like running water and electricity. They live in places where children go hungry; where children do not go to school; where disease and malnutrition are facts of life. They work in schools without textbooks and in clinics without medicines.
These volunteers are promoting a side of the United States rarely seen or heard about in foreign countries. Most of what host country nationals know about the United States comes from Hollywood movies or from news stories. These volunteers are working to promote the United States as good and peaceful, not the materialistic society it has been portrayed as in the movies. They are working to promote the image of the United States as peaceful, not the go it alone cowboy, the United States has been portrayed as in the foreign press.
Our servicemen and women are heroes for going to far off places to defend our freedoms. Peace Corps volunteers are heroes for going to far off places and promoting peace and friendship. We should remember and thank all our heroes for their sacrifices to freedom and peace.
If you have the opportunity to speak with a volunteer, take advantage of it. They all have interesting stories to tell. They all have had the adventure of a lifetime.
For more information about Peace Corps, visit the Peace Corps website at www.peacecorps.gov.

The Department of Homeland Insecurity

Once again the Department of Homeland Security has shown how inept it is at grasping what they perceive as the problem of immigration. In a real twisted sense of doing something that might appear that they are doing something, a techo- autocrat has latched onto a report written by the Justice Department that says 85% of immigrants who are to appear in court of immigration preceedings don't show up for their court date. The techocrat says that this 85% are skipping out so they don't get deported. The technocrat fails to mention that the report says 85% don't show either because of INS bungling and mismanagement or because the immigrannt skips out. The report says their is no way to tell what percent actually skips out. Anyway the technocrat has decided that immigrants that are waiting to appear in court should wear electronic monitors on their ankles. Now you would thinkl that those who have to wear the devices are hardened criminals or terrorists, but no, these are people who are not at risk to flee or who are a threat to National Security. They are people like the man from Minneapolis who is the assitant manager at a restuarant and has been for 5 years. He owns a house. He is person who is trying to live the American Dream but the dunces at Homeland Insecurity think he is a threat so needs to be treated like a criminal. Another example, a woman from Liberia. She witnessed her whole family being killed in Liberia and came the US to escape. She has to wear a device because she has been deemed a flight risk. Where is going to go? Back to Liberia? How about the immigrant woman who fled from her abusive American husband. She has to wear a device. I guess Homeland Insecurity thought she should have stayed with her abusive husband. Homeland Security is a clueless organization. They have no idea who the real threats are.