MDA (Missile Defense Agency) is reporting a successful test yesterday. Below is the youtube video, here is a PDF release, and you can see more pictures here. I think it needs a heavy rock song for the sound track...

A ground-based interceptor missile, designed to protect the United States against a limited long-range ballistic missile attack, successfully intercepted a threat-representative target missile.

This headline caught my attention this morning and its really no surprise -- I could have told you this, and I didn't need to do some survey to figure it out.

A new Gallup poll reveals that, as the organization puts it, Americans now "express less trust in the federal government than at any point in the past decade, and trust in many federal government institutions is now lower than it was during the Watergate era, generally recognized as the low point in American history for trust in government."

Among the findings: Barely half trust the government to handle international problems, the lowest number ever. And less than half express faith in the government handling domestic issues, the lowest findings since 1976.

Faith in the executive branch has fallen to 43% -- only 3% higher than it was just before President Nixon's resignation in 1974. At the same time, trust in Congress, at 50%, is its lowest ever.

Of course, the Democrat's AND Republican's incompetence could have a lot to do with this...

But, just go on ABC.com and watch "Traveler" or rent "Shooter" or any of the COUNTLESS movie after movie coming out of Hollywood. They all depicts the government as corrupt, unethical, criminal, and despotic. ABC's TV show "Traveler" did so bad, they had to cancel it rather quickly. It features two college kids who get set up for a terrorist bombing by the Director of Homeland Security, and then with the help of the Patriot Act, have their lives torn apart. Isn't that predictable.

In Shooter, a patriotic marine sharpshooter unknowingly plays a supporting role in the massacre of women and children in a Arab country, and then is left to fend for himself when the secret ops goes wrong. A few years later, he is recruited by a high level government official (an aid to a gun-loving, hunting senator from Montana) and is set up for an attempted assassination of the President, which turns out was a sanctioned assassination of a bishop in connection to the previously mentioned murder of women and children. Yes, its that twisted, but the point of the whole movie is that there is no such thing as rule of law -- only power, and money and whoever has them both is truly in control.

Movie after movie are made to overtly distort people's perception of our government and plant the Liberal's view of the government...well, the government while Bush is president, that is. Because, you know...(sarcasm alert) Liberals would never do the evil, terrible, horrible things Bush has done...

So, if you wonder why so many Americans don't trust our government, you might want to look West. My wife and I are so fed up with the trash being called "entertainment" these days, we actually went out and canceled our Blockbuster subscription.

Are there any actual talented script writers left in LA? Is the concept of moral clarify, good-vs-evil, and good old fashioned dramas a lost artifact of the past in Hollywood?

***

Notes: Have you seen a movie that surprised you with its moral clarity and with a story of good winning over evil? Leave your reviews in the comments. I would love to hear about them.

Good news on the assimilation front, even if just small baby steps forward.

Can you name one of the country’s longest rivers? A Native American tribe? What makes Benjamin Franklin famous?

These are some of the questions on the "new naturalization exam that officials hope will deepen [immigrants] understanding of civics and history and discourage rote memorization of facts and figures." Awesome! About time!


Better late than never, I guess.


Where did "citizenship is a responsability" go?


Like I said, baby steps forward...

Fox news is covering the recent ICE raids on McDonalds (and other companies I think), and the accusations by Hispanic community leaders (who decides who a "community leader" is anyway?) that these raids are somehow "racist.'

I can sympathize with the plight of an immigrant who is in this country seeking a better life and seeking to provide for his/her family. Having lived in 3 different Central American countries as a missionary, so I can also sympathize with the plight of Latin Americans who are not able to provide for their families. I certainly can sympathize with the hardship created by corrupt governments in Latin America. BUT...and this is a MAJOR BUT...every action has consequences. Entering our country illegally has legal consequences, including deportation. This is standard. It may not have been enforced in the past, but not so anymore. Why is this suddenly a surprise? Everyone knows it was bound to happen eventually, and every illegal immigrant knows that this is always a possibility.

Now it is, and thank goodness some of our government officials are starting to do something about it. If you are here illegally, consider the price. This is not a race issue -- it is a simple "rule of law" issue.

Is there racism out there -- sure! I've seen it and experienced it myself. But considering the reasonable public outcry by a vast majority of citizens -- those who our government serves -- it is only logical that our government agencies (ICE) would start doing their job (they should have been doing for along time...). I wouldn't call that racism. I would call it the restoration of the rule of law.

My advice: If you are an illegal immigrant in the US, start planning a way to go back home. Get some savings, and work up a business plan to start a small business back home. I realize life in the US is so much better than in Latin America, but until citizens -- until Hondurans, Costa Ricans, Nicaraguans, Guatemalans, Mexicans, and others do something -- start protesting and pressuring THEIR governments to open up their markets, and provide business-friendly economies -- nothing is going to change. But here in the US, we still have to have a country of laws. This is, after all, what makes our economy so strong, so effective and so productive.

Ultimately, if the United States allow illegal immigrants to freely falsify identity papers, social security IDs and tax documents, this would weaken the integrity and trust we place in our systems--the very economy they are benefiting from.

I'm sorry...I really am, but that's how it has to be. I don't hate immigrants--my father is one. I don't fear Hispanics -- I am one and I am friends with many Hispanics or Latinos. This has nothing to do with it.

So, don't call it xenophobia and don't call it racism. No one is buying that around here...

This morning, I got an email about the Verizon text message NARAL story. (HT: Online Media Daily)

Verizon Wireless [had] rejected a request from Naral Pro-Choice America to use Verizon's mobile network for an opt-in text-message program.

I heard about this one in the news yesterday, but when I click through to the New York Times article, it turns out Verizon has reversed itself.

...the company reversed course this morning, saying it had made a mistake.

Honestly, even though I am passionatly pro-life, I don't think that cell phone companies should be encouraged to take positions on controversial issues--its a double edged sword.


Should Verizon have stood by their decision to block the NARAL campaign, they could just have easily blocked a campaign by any other pro-life organization, and effectivly rendered this valuable communicationt tool useless.

Interesting article out of the Media Post's TV Watch email.

Longtime political consultants will say attack ads, and similar commercials, work - but voters increasingly can see what's coming, and, more important, can do something about it.

In a world where 19% of U.S. TV households have DVRs - and at least 25% or more should have by September 2008 -- many of those voters will be increasingly fast-forwarding through the lamest TV content. Political commercials will be at the top of the list.

And for the rest of the U.S. voting population that doesn't have DVRs? Snoozeville, that's what. Current 30-second political spots are, says Arianna Huffington, co-founder and editor in chief of HuffingtonPost.com, "unbelievably boring... like in the 1950s."

I wonder what would happen if we had another candidate that understood the medium, or at the very least, hired the right people to leverage media correctly?

Via RedState:

Turn on your TV to C-SPAN.

House Democrats have done their best to avoid having to vote on a motion condemning MoveOn.org.

Their accountability free days are over. Right now the GOP is introducing a Motion to Recommit House Joint Resolution 52, the continuing resolution.

The Democrats are either going to have vote it up or vote it down. And it has to be a roll call vote.

Read Gallagher's piece for more perspective on the whole Jena story.

Two wrongs never make a right. All of us, white, black, Hispanic, whatever, should be mortified that a “white tree” ever existed in 2007 America (thankfully, the tree has since been cut down). And any white kid who thinks that hanging a noose from a tree in order to send a signal to black kids needs some serious enlightenment.

Becuase some people forget common courtesy when interacting with others online, I will post this up again as a reminder. We encourage healthy debate of all issues within the boundaries of respect and courtesty.

Note: We get thousands of comments each day. When a comment is removed, or an account is blacklisted, we are simply not able to notify each user. If you keep your emotions under control, and follow common courtesy when interacting with others, I assure you that you will have no problems.

***

Our moderation policy is rather simple.

1) No personal attacks, no name calling. Just stick to the issues.

2) No use of foul or sexual language, no attempts to circumvent our language filters (eg. F**k would be a violation of our moderation rules). No inappropriate references to bodily functions.

3) No overt commercial advertising of products, services or websites.

4) No advocating of illegal activities, violence or racism.

5) No abusively repetitive, off-topic, or overtly disruptive posts. Join the conversation, don't disrupt the conversation.

6) No full reprinting of articles or content in its entirety by other authors or content under copyright without prior written approval from the original author or copyright holder.

These are enforced according according to the discretion of the moderator, and no notice will be served. We welcome all points of views--liberal included.  I realize that in the heat of a debate on issues of great importance, it is easy to lose one's temper, but we are managing a large community with thousands of comments each day.

Help us out -- Be courteous and self-controlled.

We know you support certain candidates of your choice, so feel free to promote them and their views. But excessive, repetitive and abusive posts promoting an issue or candidate may be removed at the moderator's discretion. Take efforts to be respectful when making arguments against other's point of views or candidates of choice.
We are really working hard to maintain a respectful and decorous tone in the comments area so individuals of all perspectives and opinions can engage in constructive conversation.

Feel free to post your questions for me below. (Be nice...)

Update: I have added point #6. It is pretty common sense, so I had not even thought it be necesary, but for those that want it written down, there it is. The idea is basic--respect other writer's creative content. This is a common courtesy, as well as a legal issue. If you have permission to reprint an article or post by another author, just make sure to note it somewhere in the post (and perhaps link back to the original site).


Note: This was posted when I was employed at Townhall.com. I am no longer an employee of Townhall.com. For questions about Townhall.com community, contact Townhall at info@townhall.com.

In case you haven't heard about it, GodBlogCon is coming up! This is a great event for Faith-bloggers to sharpen their skills, get up to date on the latests trends, network and make new blogger friends.

CitizenLink has an interview with Dr. John Mark Reynolds about it.

GodblogCon, a conference for Christian bloggers to be held in Las Vegas, on Nov. 8-9, aims to assist Christians in taking advantage of new media, understanding its impact on society and engaging the culture for Christ.  

Dr. John Mark Reynolds, an associate professor at Biola University and an organizer of GodblogCon, spoke with CitizenLink about what people who attend can expect to learn.

Read the article here. You can learn more about GodBlogCon here.

Sounds like a great event -- wish I could be there. If a Townhall blogger goes, drop me an email and let me know--and make sure to blog it. I'll make sure to feature it on the YourBlogs page.

MediaDaily News is reporting that 18% of Internet users visit a radio station web site each month.

ALMOST ONE-FIFTH OF AMERICANS ON the Internet visit the Web site of a radio station at least once a month, according to market research from the Media Audit released on Thursday. With 70% of the total American population on the Internet--about 212 million people--that equals roughly 38.6 million unique visitors a month. That's good news for radio broadcasters looking to open up new revenue streams online.

The 18% cohort is dominated by frequent radio listeners and Internet junkies, with people most likely to visit a station's Web site when they're at work. According to the Media Audit figures, the top 10 cities where Internet users visit radio Web sites are, in order: Minneapolis, Seattle, Atlanta, San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, and Milwaukee. [links are mine]

Check out these great Salem Talk News radio stations around the country with websites that are now part of the Townhall.com network. All the great Townhall.com content you have come to expect, with awesome local video, weather, traffic, radio shows, and more.

If you are pretty new to Townhall.com blogging, or found this post because you are looking into starting a blog, this is the right place to start.

If you haven't done so already, you'll want to start by setting up your own blog--it's as easy as clicking on the "Create Your Own Blog" banner to the right, and following the three easy steps. By the way, once you have already set up your blog, clicking on that same banner on the left when you are logged-in will take you to the blog post editing page. Its a easy and quick way to get to your blog publishing tool when you find an interesting post from any of our other great Townhall.com bloggers to write about.

Once you have set it up, to get started with your first blog post, you will want to login to Townhall.com (if you are not already logged in) at http://townhall.com/secure/. Make sure your browser allows cookies. If you have found yourself having any sort of login difficulties, you might find this post helpful -- Townhall.com Account sign-in or login help.

Once you are logged in (you'll know you're logged in when you see a local radio call letters in the top right box on Townhall.com, or top left on the home page), you can browse to the "Create/Maintain your Own Blog" page where you can create new posts, edit old posts and manage your blog.

Below are links to articles you might find helpful in blogging at Townhall.com, including tips on posting YouTube videos, writing headlines, and much more. You'll want to check them out.

What is an RSS feed and does my Townhall.com blog have one?
Attracting More Readers to Your Townhall.com Blog
How to attract more readers to your blog -- Part II
Getting all set up in Technorati
Most Common Blogging Mistakes
Writing Creative and Catchy Headlines
Finding what to write about on your blog -- three more tips
What makes a great blog post
Posting Videos and pictures on your Townhall.com Blog
How to Get on the What's Hot List
Getting on the Top Ten Bloggers List

If there is a topic or issue I haven't covered here, write me an email and let me know, or start a discussion in the comment area below. I'm sure other Townhall bloggers won't mind offering their own advice.

Blogging is a powerful medium with the potential to increase your voice and influence in your community, as well as among other conservatives who frequent Townhall.com!

Happy blogging!

~ Josue Sierra
Online Community Manager
Townhall.com

Just so you can't say this is a Republican "much to do about nothing" here is what major publications across the country are saying about the MoveOn / NY Times-subsidized attack ad.

The Politico: “‘‘Betray Us' ad unites GOP, distracts Dems.’ To judge from the wall-to-wall coverage of MoveOn.org's full-page ad in The New York Times on Monday, the liberal group strolled to the 18th hole up by two strokes, pulled out its driver and shanked one deep into the woods. The solidifying Beltway consensus is that the ad, which refers to Army Gen. David Petraeus as ‘General Betray Us,’ was a blunder of the highest order, uniting Republicans and distracting Democrats at a time when the party could instead be pressing for an end to the war. …While congressional Democrats might not be comfortable defending the ‘Betray Us’ part of the ad, with the exception of a few, they’re not denouncing it, either. … After saying she would have preferred that the ad not run, Pelosi qualified that ‘it’s not for me to say how people express themselves. But it’s a demonstration of the frustration people have about the war.’” (The Politico, 9/13/07)

 

Tacoma News Tribune: “‘‘Betray us’ betrays entire U.S. officer corps.’ This week, Gen. David Petraeus met Gen. Benedict Arnold in the pages of The New York Times. The introduction was made by MoveOn.org, which – in a full-page ad – rechristened the top American commander in Iraq as ‘General Betray Us.’ …[T]he people at MoveOn were essentially accusing Petraeus of treason for disagreeing with their views on the war. Funny – we thought impugning the patriotism of political opponents was something Democrats usually accused Republicans of doing. … This isn’t just about Petraeus. Such groundless assumptions of dishonest testimony on his part are insulting to the entire officer corps. .. This week, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were both asked if they would condemn the ‘General Betray Us’ line. Neither did. The people at MoveOn aren’t backing down either. They issued a statement: ‘We stand by our ad.’ That, and the refusal of the leading Democratic presidential candidates to disavow it, is nothing short of disgraceful.” (Tacoma News Tribune, 9/13/07)

 

 

The Arizona Republic: “‘Bring back decency.’ The MoveOn.org people accused Petraeus of being ‘constantly at war with the facts’ regarding the effects of the ‘surge’ in Iraq. Effectively and by snide wordplay, they decried the soldier as a traitorous liar. The well-established capacity of the directors of MoveOn.org for venomous fringe politics should shock no one. Their politics begin and end with the narrow principle of Bush hatred. Anything in service of that ‘principle’ - up to and including decrying as a traitor a 35-year service veteran who has taken on the greatest military challenge since the Vietnam War - is fair game for such radical actors. Stylistically, Joe McCarthy would be proud. Few Democrats have called MoveOn.org on its calumny. … Worse, Democratic leaders and MoveOn.org directors appear to have coordinated the plan to besmirch the general personally, according to reports in the New York Times Magazine and elsewhere. MoveOn.org would do the nasty heavy lifting and Democratic leaders merely would allude to Petraeus' ‘lies.’” (The Arizona Republic, 9/13/07)

 

 

Des Moines Register: “‘Accusation shows need for more respect’ The right of free speech is also the right to say dumb things. MoveOn.org did that on Monday with an ad in the New York Times. "General Petraeus or General Betray Us?" was its headline. It was just what Democrats and the anti-war left didn't need. A sideshow. A distraction. An ad counterproductive to what they are trying to do. … The ad accused Petraeus, before he even spoke, of ‘cooking the books for the White House.’
It backfired. … It's time for more respectful approaches. Petraeus' performance fit that bill. Those who listened to it heard a thoughtful military officer argue and explain what he was doing. You may not like it. You may favor a different approach. But he wasn't ‘betraying’ his country.” (David Yepsen, Des Moines Register, 9/13/07)

 

 

New Hampshire Union Leader: “ON MONDAY, Moveon.org, the left-wing political advocacy group, ran a full-page ad in The New York Times that called Gen. David Petraeus a liar, labeled him ‘General Betray Us’ and asserted that he was ‘cooking the books for the White House.’ The ad went well beyond the bounds of respectable political discourse. For that reason, it was roundly criticized by both Republicans and Democrats. Except, we haven't heard a peep of criticism from New Hampshire's two anti-war Democratic members of Congress, Reps. Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter, both of whom have benefitted from Moveon.org's assistance. … Hodes and Shea-Porter have taken Moveon.org's money and help. They need to tell New Hampshire voters whether they agree with this group's characterization of America's top commander in Iraq. If not, why have they not publicly denounced such shameful character assassination? If they do disagree but have maintained their silence while accepting Moveon.org's money and the benefits of its independent advocacy, that reflects as much on their character as it does on Moveon.org's.” (New Hampshire Union Leader, 9/13/07)

 

New York Post: “‘Democrats Should Condemn MoveOn.’ … It is vile on the part of MoveOn to charge the general with betrayal of our country, even before he testified.

The Republican candidates for president have denounced MoveOn for its unfair attack on Gen. Petraeus. Most of the Democratic presidential candidates declined to do so when asked. … In my opinion, the Democratic candidates declined to denounce MoveOn because they fear themselves becoming the victims of a similar onslaught from the radical left. This is a cowardly position, which I hope they will rethink. … Under the law, of course, Move.On has the right to libel and slander the general - a public personality - with impunity, and be protected from lawsuits. Nevertheless, decent people have an obligation to come to the general's defense and denounce Move.On by no longer supporting it and withholding any future financial contributions to it.” (Former NYC Mayor Ed Koch, New York Post op-ed, 9/13/07)

Fox news is reporting that both Hillary and Obama both passed on the opportunity to repudiate MoveOn’s shameful, false and misleading attack on Gen. Petraeus, and instead focused on attacking--who else--President Bush.

Quite a few Liberals have told me the government should not be making "policy" on what happens in the privacy of a bedroom. Why is it, then, that Liberals insist on making this a political and a policy issue? To make matters worst, it is not enough for them to secure some sort of "right" -- they insist on forcing it on those who would consider it a violation of their faith.

How is that for heavy-handed government intrusion? Almost makes it sound like if it was a Republican idea, doesn't it?

Last week, the U.S. House Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee held a hearing on the dangerous Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). The full House could vote on the bill this month.

ENDA would prohibit employers from making employment decisions — such as hiring, promotions and firing — based on an individual's "actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity."

CitizenLink has the story.

The president of the Family Research Council, Tony Perkins, talked about this on his Sept 8 radio broadcast. He said the vote,

Perkins was joined by House Minority Whip Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. You can listen to the broadcast right here.

For those who have not yet discovered it, radio and media company Salem Communications has a number of great radio stations all over the country on which you probably listen to our great radio hosts. Some of these, listed below, have recently re-launched their websites through Townhall.com.

Each website features a local list of bloggers, and a state-wide blogatorium for that state. This provides you each with an opportunity to use your local knowledge to gain audience, and of course, promote the great conservative cause.

So, make sure to keep an eye on all those important local political and news events that may deem worthy of a blog post, and get an edge on the MSM on the local coverage.

Find the one in your state...and check back over the next few months -- more soon to come!

WIND in Chicago: http://560wind.townhall.com/

Townhall Radio DC in D.C.: http://townhallradiodc.townhall.com/

KSKY in Dallas: http://ksky.townhall.com/

KRLA in Los Angeles: http://krla.townhall.com/

WLSS in Sarasota Florida: http://wlss.townhall.com/

KNUS in Denver:  http://710knus.townhall.com/

KOL in Seattle: http://kol.townhall.com/

WGKA in Atlanta: http://920wgka.townhall.com/