I didn't write this but it nicely sums up my position in most areas, not all.
The Hollywood group is at it again. Holding anti-war rallies, screaming
about the Bush Administration, running ads in major newspapers,
defaming the President and his Cabinet every chance they get, to anyone and
everyone who will listen. They publicly defile them and call them names
like "stupid," "morons," and "idiots." Jessica Lange went so far as to
tell a crowd in Spain that she hates President Bush and is embarrassed
to be an American.
So, just how ignorant are these people who are running the country?
Let's look at the biographies of these "stupid," "ignorant," "moronic"
leaders, and then at the celebrities who are castigating them:
President George W. Bush:
Received a Bachelors Degree from Yale University and an MBA from
Harvard Business School. He served as an F-102 pilot for the Texas Air
National Guard. He began his career in the oil and gas business in Midland
in 1975 and worked in the energy industry until 1986. He was elected
Governor on November 8, 1994, with 53..5 percent of the vote. In a historic
re-election victory, he became the first Texas Governor to be elected to
consecutive four-year terms on November 3, 1998 winning 68.6 percent of
the vote. In 1998 Governor Bush won 49 percent of the Hispanic vote, 27
percent of the African-American vote, 27 percent of Democrats and 65
percent of women. He won more Texas counties, 240 of 254, than any modern
Republican other than Richard Nixon in 1972 and is the first Republican
gubernatorial candidate to win the heavily Hispanic and Democratic
border counties of El Paso, Cameron and Hidalgo. (Someone began circulating
a false story about his I.Q. being lower than any other President. If
you believed it, you might want to go to URBANLEGENDS.COM and see the
truth.)
Vice President Dick Cheney:
Earned a B.A. in 1965 and a M.A. in 1966, both in political science..
Two years later, he won an American Political Science Associa! tion
congressional fellowship. One of Vice President Cheney's primary duties is
to share with individuals, members of Congress and foreign leaders,
President Bush's vision to strengthen our economy, secure our homeland and
win the War on Terrorism. In his official role as President of the
Senate, Vice President Cheney regularly goes to Capital Hill to meet with
Senators and members of the House of Representatives to work on the
Administration's legislative goals. In his travels as Vice President, he has
seen first hand the great demands the war on terrorism is placing on
the men and women of our military, and he is proud of the tremendous job
they are doing for the United States of America.
Secretary of State Colin Powell:
Educated in the New York City public schools, graduating from the City
College of New York (CCNY), where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in
geology. He also participated in ROTC at CCNY and received a commission as
an Army second lieutenant upon graduation in June 1958. His further
academic achievements include a Master of Business Administration Degree
from George Washington University. Secretary Powell is the recipient of
numerous U.S. and foreign military awards and decorations. Secretary
Powell's civilian awards include two Presidential Medals of Freedom, the
President's Citizens Medal, the Congressional Gold Medal, the Secretary
of State Distinguished Service Medal, and the Secretary of Energy
Distinguished Service Medal. Several schools and other institutions have
been named in his honor and he holds honorary degrees from universities
and colleges across the country. (Note: He retired as Four Star General
in the United States Army)
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld:
Attended Princeton University on Scholarship (AB, 1954) and served in
the U.S. Navy (1954-57) as a Naval aviator; Congressional Assistant to
Rep. Robert Griffin (R-MI), 1957-59; U.S. Representati! ve, Illinois,
1962-69; Assistant to the President, Director of the Office of Economic
Opportunity, Director of the Cost of Living Council, 1969-74; U.S.
Ambassador to NATO, 1973-74; head of Presidential Transition Team, 1974;
Assistant to the President, Director of White House Office of Operations,
White House Chief of Staff, 1974-77; Secretary of Defense, 1975-77.
Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge:
Raised in a working class family in veterans' public housing in Erie.
He earned a scholarship to Harvard, graduating with honors in 1967.
After his first year at The Dickinson School of Law, he was drafted into
the U.S. Army, where he served as an infantry staff sergeant in Vietnam,
earning the Bronze Star for Valor. After returning to Pennsylvania, he
earned his Law Degree and was in private practice before becoming
Assistant District Attorney in Erie County.. He was elected to Congress in
1982. He was the first enlisted Vietnam combat veteran elected to the
U.S. House, and was overwhelmingly re-elected six times.
National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice:
Earned her Bachelor's Degree in Political Science, Cum Laude and Phi
Beta Kappa, from the University of Denver in 1974; her Master's from the
University of Notre Dame in 1975; and her Ph.D. from the Graduate
School of International Studies at the University of Denver in 1981. (Note:
Rice enrolled at the University of Denver at the age of 15, graduating
at 19 with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science (Cum Laude). She
earned a Master's Degree at the University of Notre Dame and a Doctorate
from the University of Denver's Graduate School of International
Studies. Both of her advanced degrees are also in Political Science.) She is
a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has been
awarded Honorary Doctorates from Morehouse College in 1991, the University
of Alabama in 1994, and the University of Notre Dame in 1995. A! t
Stanford, she has been a member of the Center for International Security and
Arms Control, a Senior Fellow of the Institute for International
Studies, and a Fellow (by courtesy) of the Hoover Institution. Her books
include Germany Unified and Europe Transformed (1995) with Philip Zelikow,
The Gorbachev Era (1986) with Alexander Dallin, and Uncertain
Allegiance: The Soviet Union and the Czechoslovak Army (1984). She also has
written numerous articles on Soviet and East European foreign and defense
policy, and has addressed audiences in settings ranging from the U.S.
Ambassador's Residence in Moscow to the Commonwealth Club to the 1992 and
2000 Republican National Conventions. From 1989 through March 1991, the
period of German reunification and the final days of the Soviet Union,
she served in the Bush Administration as Director, and then Senior
Director, of Soviet and East European Affairs in the National Security
Council, and a Special Assistant to the President for National Security
Affairs. In 1986, while an international affairs fellow of the Council on
Foreign Relations, she served as Special Assistant to the Director of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 1997, she served on the Federal Advisory
Committee on Gender - Integrated Training in the Military. She was a
member of the boards of directors for the Chevron Corporation, the Charles
Schwab Corporation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the
University of Notre Dame, the International Advisory Council of J.P. Morgan
and the San Francisco Symphony Board of Governors. She was a Founding
Board member of the Center for a New Generation, an educational support
fund for schools in East Palo Alto and East Menlo Park, California and
was Vice President of the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula. In
addition, her past board service has encompassed such organizations as
Transamerica Corporation, Hewlett Packard, the Carnegie Corporation,
Carne! gie Endowment for International Peace, The Rand Corporation, the
National Council for Soviet and East European Studies, the Mid-Peninsula
Urban Coalition and KQED, public broadcasting for San Francisco. Born
November 14, 1954 in Birmingham, Alabama, she resides in Washington, D.C.
So who are these celebrities? What is their education? What is their
experience in affairs of State or in National Security? While I will
defend to the death their right to express their opinions, I think that if
they are going to call into question the intelligence of our leaders,
we should also have all the facts on their educations and background:
Barbra Streisand : Completed high school
Career: Singing and acting
Cher: Dropped out of school in 9th grade.
Career: Singing and acting
Martin Sheen: Flunked exam to enter University of Dayton.
Career: Acting
Jessica Lange: Dropped out college mid-freshman year.
Career: Acting
Alec Baldwin: Dropped out of George Washington U. after scandal.
Career: Acting
Julia Roberts: Completed high school.
Career: Acting
Sean Penn: Completed High school.
Career: Acting
Susan Sarandon: Degree in Drama from Catholic University of America in
Washington, D.C.
Career: Acting
Ed Asner; Completed High school.
Career: Acting
George Clooney: Dropped out of University of Kentucky.
Career: Acting
Michael Moore: Dropped out first year University of Michigan.
Career:Movie Director
Sarah Jessica Parker: Completed High School.
Career: Acting
Jennifer Anniston: Completed High School.
Career: Acting
Mike Farrell: Completed High school.
Career: Acting
Janeane Garofelo: Dropped out of College.
Career: Stand up comedienne
Larry Hagman: Attended Bard College for one year.
Career: Acting
While comparing the education and experience of these two groups, we
should also remember that President Bush and his cabinet are briefed
daily, even hourly, on the War on Terror and threats to our security. They
are privy to information gathered around the world concerning the
Middle East, the threats to America, the intentions of terrorists and
terrorist-supporting governments. They are in constant communication with
the CIA, the FBI, Interpol, NATO, The United Nations, our own military, and
that of our allies around the world. We cannot simply believe that we
have full knowledge of the threats because we watch CNN!!
We cannot believe that we are in any way as informed as our leaders.
These celebrities have no intelligence-gathering agents, no
fact-finding groups, no insight into the minds of those who would destroy
our country. They only have a deep seated hatred for all things Republican. By
nature, and no one knows quite why, the Hollywood elitists detest
Conservative views and anything that supports or uplifts the United States
of America.
The silence was deafening from the Left when Bill Clinton bombed a
pharmaceutical factory outside of Khartoum, or when he attacked the Bosnian
Serbs in 1995 and 1999. He bombed Serbia itself to get Slobodan
Milosevic out of Kosovo, and not a single peace rally was held. When our
Rangers were ambushed in Somalia and 18 young American lives were lost, not
a peep was heard from Hollywood. Yet now, after our nation has been
attacked on its own soil, after 3,000 Americans were killed, by
freedom-hating terrorists, while going about their routine lives, they want
to hold rallies against the war. Why the change? Because an honest,
God-fearing Republican sits in the White House.
Another irony is that in 1987, when Ronald Reagan was in office, the
Hollywood group aligned themselves with disarmament groups like SANE,
FREEZE and PEACE ACTION, urging our own government to disarm and freeze
the manufacturing of any further nuclear weapons, in order to promote!
world peace. It is curious that now, even after we have heard all the
evidence that Saddam Hussein has chemical, biological and is very close to
obtaining nuclear weapons, their is no cry from this group for HIM to
disarm. They believe we should leave him alone in his quest for these
weapons of mass destruction, even though it is certain that these deadly
weapons will eventually be used against us in our own cities.
So why the hype out of Hollywood? Could these celebrities believe that
since they draw such astronomical salaries, they are entitled to also
determine the course of our Nation? That they can make viable decisions
concerning war and peace? Did Michael Moore have the backing of the
Nation when he recently thanked France, on our behalf, for being a "good
enough friend to tell us we were wrong?" I know for certain he was not
speaking for me. Does Sean Penn fancy himself a Diplomat, in going to
Iraq when we are just weeks away from war? Does he believe that his High
School Diploma gives him the knowledge (and the right) to go to a
country that is controlled by a maniacal dictator, and speak on behalf of
the American people? Or is it the fact that he pulls in more money per
year than the average American worker will see in a lifetime? Does his
bank account give him clout?
The ultimate irony is that many of these celebrities have made a
shambles of their own lives, with drug abuse, alcoholism, numerous marriages
and divorces, scrapes with the law, publicized temper tantrums, etc.
How dare they pretend to know what is best for an entire nation! What is
even more bizarre is how many people in this country will listen and
accept their views, simply because they liked them in a certain movie, or
have fond memories of an old television sitcom!
It is time for us, as citizens of the United States, to educate
ourselves about the world around us. If future generations are going to
enjoy!
The freedoms that our forefathers bequeathed us, if they are ever to
know peace in their own country and their world, to live without fear of
terrorism striking in their own cities, we must assure that this nation
remains strong. We must make certain that those who would destroy us
are made aware of the severe consequences that will befall them.
Yes, it is a wonderful dream to sit down with dictators and terrorists
and join hands, singing Cumbaya and talking of world peace.. But it is
not real. We did not stop Adolf Hitler from taking over the entire
continent of Europe by simply talking to him. We sent our best and
brightest, with the strength and determination that this Country is known
for, and defeated the Nazi regime. President John F. Kennedy did not stop the
Soviet ships from unloading their nuclear missiles in Cuba in 1962 with
mere words. He stopped them with action, and threat of immediate war if
the ships did not turn around. We did not end the Cold War with
conferences. It ended with the strong belief of President Ronald Reagan...
The Hollywood group is at it again. Holding anti-war rallies, screaming
about the Bush Administration, running ads in major newspapers,
defaming the President and his Cabinet every chance they get, to anyone and
everyone who will listen. They publicly defile them and call them names
like "stupid," "morons," and "idiots." Jessica Lange went so far as to
tell a crowd in Spain that she hates President Bush and is embarrassed
to be an American.
So, just how ignorant are these people who are running the country?
Let's look at the biographies of these "stupid," "ignorant," "moronic"
leaders, and then at the celebrities who are castigating them:
President George W. Bush:
Received a Bachelors Degree from Yale University and an MBA from
Harvard Business School. He served as an F-102 pilot for the Texas Air
National Guard. He began his career in the oil and gas business in Midland
in 1975 and worked in the energy industry until 1986. He was elected
Governor on November 8, 1994, with 53..5 percent of the vote. In a historic
re-election victory, he became the first Texas Governor to be elected to
consecutive four-year terms on November 3, 1998 winning 68.6 percent of
the vote. In 1998 Governor Bush won 49 percent of the Hispanic vote, 27
percent of the African-American vote, 27 percent of Democrats and 65
percent of women. He won more Texas counties, 240 of 254, than any modern
Republican other than Richard Nixon in 1972 and is the first Republican
gubernatorial candidate to win the heavily Hispanic and Democratic
border counties of El Paso, Cameron and Hidalgo. (Someone began circulating
a false story about his I.Q. being lower than any other President. If
you believed it, you might want to go to URBANLEGENDS.COM and see the
truth.)
Vice President Dick Cheney:
Earned a B.A. in 1965 and a M.A. in 1966, both in political science..
Two years later, he won an American Political Science Associa! tion
congressional fellowship. One of Vice President Cheney's primary duties is
to share with individuals, members of Congress and foreign leaders,
President Bush's vision to strengthen our economy, secure our homeland and
win the War on Terrorism. In his official role as President of the
Senate, Vice President Cheney regularly goes to Capital Hill to meet with
Senators and members of the House of Representatives to work on the
Administration's legislative goals. In his travels as Vice President, he has
seen first hand the great demands the war on terrorism is placing on
the men and women of our military, and he is proud of the tremendous job
they are doing for the United States of America.
Secretary of State Colin Powell:
Educated in the New York City public schools, graduating from the City
College of New York (CCNY), where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in
geology. He also participated in ROTC at CCNY and received a commission as
an Army second lieutenant upon graduation in June 1958. His further
academic achievements include a Master of Business Administration Degree
from George Washington University. Secretary Powell is the recipient of
numerous U.S. and foreign military awards and decorations. Secretary
Powell's civilian awards include two Presidential Medals of Freedom, the
President's Citizens Medal, the Congressional Gold Medal, the Secretary
of State Distinguished Service Medal, and the Secretary of Energy
Distinguished Service Medal. Several schools and other institutions have
been named in his honor and he holds honorary degrees from universities
and colleges across the country. (Note: He retired as Four Star General
in the United States Army)
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld:
Attended Princeton University on Scholarship (AB, 1954) and served in
the U.S. Navy (1954-57) as a Naval aviator; Congressional Assistant to
Rep. Robert Griffin (R-MI), 1957-59; U.S. Representati! ve, Illinois,
1962-69; Assistant to the President, Director of the Office of Economic
Opportunity, Director of the Cost of Living Council, 1969-74; U.S.
Ambassador to NATO, 1973-74; head of Presidential Transition Team, 1974;
Assistant to the President, Director of White House Office of Operations,
White House Chief of Staff, 1974-77; Secretary of Defense, 1975-77.
Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge:
Raised in a working class family in veterans' public housing in Erie.
He earned a scholarship to Harvard, graduating with honors in 1967.
After his first year at The Dickinson School of Law, he was drafted into
the U.S. Army, where he served as an infantry staff sergeant in Vietnam,
earning the Bronze Star for Valor. After returning to Pennsylvania, he
earned his Law Degree and was in private practice before becoming
Assistant District Attorney in Erie County.. He was elected to Congress in
1982. He was the first enlisted Vietnam combat veteran elected to the
U.S. House, and was overwhelmingly re-elected six times.
National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice:
Earned her Bachelor's Degree in Political Science, Cum Laude and Phi
Beta Kappa, from the University of Denver in 1974; her Master's from the
University of Notre Dame in 1975; and her Ph.D. from the Graduate
School of International Studies at the University of Denver in 1981. (Note:
Rice enrolled at the University of Denver at the age of 15, graduating
at 19 with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science (Cum Laude). She
earned a Master's Degree at the University of Notre Dame and a Doctorate
from the University of Denver's Graduate School of International
Studies. Both of her advanced degrees are also in Political Science.) She is
a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has been
awarded Honorary Doctorates from Morehouse College in 1991, the University
of Alabama in 1994, and the University of Notre Dame in 1995. A! t
Stanford, she has been a member of the Center for International Security and
Arms Control, a Senior Fellow of the Institute for International
Studies, and a Fellow (by courtesy) of the Hoover Institution. Her books
include Germany Unified and Europe Transformed (1995) with Philip Zelikow,
The Gorbachev Era (1986) with Alexander Dallin, and Uncertain
Allegiance: The Soviet Union and the Czechoslovak Army (1984). She also has
written numerous articles on Soviet and East European foreign and defense
policy, and has addressed audiences in settings ranging from the U.S.
Ambassador's Residence in Moscow to the Commonwealth Club to the 1992 and
2000 Republican National Conventions. From 1989 through March 1991, the
period of German reunification and the final days of the Soviet Union,
she served in the Bush Administration as Director, and then Senior
Director, of Soviet and East European Affairs in the National Security
Council, and a Special Assistant to the President for National Security
Affairs. In 1986, while an international affairs fellow of the Council on
Foreign Relations, she served as Special Assistant to the Director of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 1997, she served on the Federal Advisory
Committee on Gender - Integrated Training in the Military. She was a
member of the boards of directors for the Chevron Corporation, the Charles
Schwab Corporation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the
University of Notre Dame, the International Advisory Council of J.P. Morgan
and the San Francisco Symphony Board of Governors. She was a Founding
Board member of the Center for a New Generation, an educational support
fund for schools in East Palo Alto and East Menlo Park, California and
was Vice President of the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula. In
addition, her past board service has encompassed such organizations as
Transamerica Corporation, Hewlett Packard, the Carnegie Corporation,
Carne! gie Endowment for International Peace, The Rand Corporation, the
National Council for Soviet and East European Studies, the Mid-Peninsula
Urban Coalition and KQED, public broadcasting for San Francisco. Born
November 14, 1954 in Birmingham, Alabama, she resides in Washington, D.C.
So who are these celebrities? What is their education? What is their
experience in affairs of State or in National Security? While I will
defend to the death their right to express their opinions, I think that if
they are going to call into question the intelligence of our leaders,
we should also have all the facts on their educations and background:
Barbra Streisand : Completed high school
Career: Singing and acting
Cher: Dropped out of school in 9th grade.
Career: Singing and acting
Martin Sheen: Flunked exam to enter University of Dayton.
Career: Acting
Jessica Lange: Dropped out college mid-freshman year.
Career: Acting
Alec Baldwin: Dropped out of George Washington U. after scandal.
Career: Acting
Julia Roberts: Completed high school.
Career: Acting
Sean Penn: Completed High school.
Career: Acting
Susan Sarandon: Degree in Drama from Catholic University of America in
Washington, D.C.
Career: Acting
Ed Asner; Completed High school.
Career: Acting
George Clooney: Dropped out of University of Kentucky.
Career: Acting
Michael Moore: Dropped out first year University of Michigan.
Career:Movie Director
Sarah Jessica Parker: Completed High School.
Career: Acting
Jennifer Anniston: Completed High School.
Career: Acting
Mike Farrell: Completed High school.
Career: Acting
Janeane Garofelo: Dropped out of College.
Career: Stand up comedienne
Larry Hagman: Attended Bard College for one year.
Career: Acting
While comparing the education and experience of these two groups, we
should also remember that President Bush and his cabinet are briefed
daily, even hourly, on the War on Terror and threats to our security. They
are privy to information gathered around the world concerning the
Middle East, the threats to America, the intentions of terrorists and
terrorist-supporting governments. They are in constant communication with
the CIA, the FBI, Interpol, NATO, The United Nations, our own military, and
that of our allies around the world. We cannot simply believe that we
have full knowledge of the threats because we watch CNN!!
We cannot believe that we are in any way as informed as our leaders.
These celebrities have no intelligence-gathering agents, no
fact-finding groups, no insight into the minds of those who would destroy
our country. They only have a deep seated hatred for all things Republican. By
nature, and no one knows quite why, the Hollywood elitists detest
Conservative views and anything that supports or uplifts the United States
of America.
The silence was deafening from the Left when Bill Clinton bombed a
pharmaceutical factory outside of Khartoum, or when he attacked the Bosnian
Serbs in 1995 and 1999. He bombed Serbia itself to get Slobodan
Milosevic out of Kosovo, and not a single peace rally was held. When our
Rangers were ambushed in Somalia and 18 young American lives were lost, not
a peep was heard from Hollywood. Yet now, after our nation has been
attacked on its own soil, after 3,000 Americans were killed, by
freedom-hating terrorists, while going about their routine lives, they want
to hold rallies against the war. Why the change? Because an honest,
God-fearing Republican sits in the White House.
Another irony is that in 1987, when Ronald Reagan was in office, the
Hollywood group aligned themselves with disarmament groups like SANE,
FREEZE and PEACE ACTION, urging our own government to disarm and freeze
the manufacturing of any further nuclear weapons, in order to promote!
world peace. It is curious that now, even after we have heard all the
evidence that Saddam Hussein has chemical, biological and is very close to
obtaining nuclear weapons, their is no cry from this group for HIM to
disarm. They believe we should leave him alone in his quest for these
weapons of mass destruction, even though it is certain that these deadly
weapons will eventually be used against us in our own cities.
So why the hype out of Hollywood? Could these celebrities believe that
since they draw such astronomical salaries, they are entitled to also
determine the course of our Nation? That they can make viable decisions
concerning war and peace? Did Michael Moore have the backing of the
Nation when he recently thanked France, on our behalf, for being a "good
enough friend to tell us we were wrong?" I know for certain he was not
speaking for me. Does Sean Penn fancy himself a Diplomat, in going to
Iraq when we are just weeks away from war? Does he believe that his High
School Diploma gives him the knowledge (and the right) to go to a
country that is controlled by a maniacal dictator, and speak on behalf of
the American people? Or is it the fact that he pulls in more money per
year than the average American worker will see in a lifetime? Does his
bank account give him clout?
The ultimate irony is that many of these celebrities have made a
shambles of their own lives, with drug abuse, alcoholism, numerous marriages
and divorces, scrapes with the law, publicized temper tantrums, etc.
How dare they pretend to know what is best for an entire nation! What is
even more bizarre is how many people in this country will listen and
accept their views, simply because they liked them in a certain movie, or
have fond memories of an old television sitcom!
It is time for us, as citizens of the United States, to educate
ourselves about the world around us. If future generations are going to
enjoy!
The freedoms that our forefathers bequeathed us, if they are ever to
know peace in their own country and their world, to live without fear of
terrorism striking in their own cities, we must assure that this nation
remains strong. We must make certain that those who would destroy us
are made aware of the severe consequences that will befall them.
Yes, it is a wonderful dream to sit down with dictators and terrorists
and join hands, singing Cumbaya and talking of world peace.. But it is
not real. We did not stop Adolf Hitler from taking over the entire
continent of Europe by simply talking to him. We sent our best and
brightest, with the strength and determination that this Country is known
for, and defeated the Nazi regime. President John F. Kennedy did not stop the
Soviet ships from unloading their nuclear missiles in Cuba in 1962 with
mere words. He stopped them with action, and threat of immediate war if
the ships did not turn around. We did not end the Cold War with
conferences. It ended with the strong belief of President Ronald Reagan...