Anti-Muslim Filmmaker's True Identity Revealed

Ham on Wry reported yesterday that an Israeli American real estate broker bore the responsibility for the film Innocence of Muslims, which has been blamed for sparking anti-American violence in Egypt, Libya, and other nearby nations.  The man who used the pseudonym Sam Bacile, 55 year-old Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, a Coptic Christian, came from Egypt and currently lives near Los Angeles.

The actors associated with making the film deny knowledge of the film's real purpose. Nakoula used the title Desert Warriors when he cast it. Shot against a green screen, the actors had no idea of what the final product would be.  After completion, inflammatory language was dubbed in.

This blogger finds the whole situation appalling and recommends that everyone who was knowingly involved should be prosecuted for wreaking havoc around the world and contributing to the deaths and injuries of many innocent people.  Readers, please check other sources for more details.  My new computer has an overly sensitive keyboard and wiped out the first draft of this post. Many articles lay blame with various groups in the United States that should raise the ire of reasonable, fair-minded people.

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Mitt Romney's Politicization of Violence in Egypt and Libya US Embassies Shameful

Mitt Romney has done it again! His ignorance has come full circle in his handling of foreign affairs.  He criticized the London Olympics, earning the moniker Mitt the Twit, and then angered the Palestinians while visiting Israel.

Yesterday, he outdid himself by disparaging the US Embassy and the Obama administration for their handling of a video criticizing the Muslim faith.  Never mind that both had already issued statements condemning the video.


The irony that this travesty occurred on September 11 is not lost on this blogger.  Ham on Wry goes on record stating that politicizing such a tragic event is shameful at best, despicable at least.  This blog expresses the same outrage that even the most conservative media have leveled at Romney.  His outrage should aim at the Israeli-American real estate developer who made the video and released it yesterday with no regard for the effect it would have on Americans living in some of today's most violence-prone areas.  That decision reminds Ham and Wry of Terry Jones, who threatened to burn the Koran in 2010.  That level of ignorance causes innocent people to lose their lives.

Four people, including the American Ambassador Chris Stevens, died in Libya in a separate attack that some believe was planned to kill American diplomats that would have occurred without the video to inflame them.  No matter what the cause of these heinous acts, no one should use it to make a political statement.

Perhaps Mitt Romney would fare better if he changed his advisers because this kind of egregious error sends a divisive message to the rest of the world.  It's one thing to criticize his opponent, it's quite another to try to convert violence into political capital.  He might have been CEO of Bain Capital, but the federal government  is an entirely different kind of organization.  Think before you speak, Mitt.  You'll do us all a big favor, and by the way, this blunder will haunt you.

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9/11 Remembered 11 Years Later

The picture at left came from the blaze.com and depicts the smoke-filled are that enveloped Lower Manhattan after the attack on the World Trade Center.

Ironically, the Statue of Liberty maintain her watchful stance over the Hudson as that part of the city burns.

Read on for this blogger's remembrance of that day.

 

 

Ham on Wry offers personal memories in today's post about the events that occurred 11 years ago in Lower Manhattan, when the World Trade Center Towers disappeared from the landscape forever.

I had moved from New York a little less than a year prior to September 11, 2001and was still working for the same large organization I had been with in New York.

That morning, I entered the elevator with a few other commuters, when a woman holding a cell phone to her ear rushed in just before the doors closed. Her bewildered countenance spoke volumes. In disbelief, she cried out, "Oh, my God!'

We had just reached the ground when she grabbed my arm as we exited.  "A plane just hit the World Trade Center.!

I couldn't make sense of her words, nor could any of the other people within hearing distance.  She told us she had no additional information, so I rushed to the office to turn on the TV in the meeting room.  No one there had heard anything about it yet, but we speculated that a plane must have  experienced some mechanical failure and hit the building as it veered off course.

By the time we assembled in the meeting room, we watched in horror as the second plane hit. This was no accident.  Transfixed, we stared at the TV as reports blared about a plane hitting the Pentagon and another crashing near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.  We learned later of the passengers' bravery in forcing the plane to crash rather than destroy its planned target.

What about my colleagues and friends in New York?  I rushed to my office and called headquarters , but all contact to that area was clogged with other callers.  Cell phones didn't help either.

Before long, the Managing Partner told us to go home.  Once there, I didn't move from the TV for hours, hoping that some of my colleagues who were working at one of the buildings would make it out safely.  Hope waned as the day wore on.

Early in the evening, the phone rang. One of my colleagues finally got through on her cell.  The entire team was safe.  Fortunately for them, the leader had been in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, and, when he heard the announcement that everyone should return to their offices, he shouted, "Hell no!  Keep going!"  He was a hero that day.

National Geographic

So many heroes emerged during the aftermath of the crashes, and the firemen in the picture above will never be forgotten. 

I visited some friends two weeks after 9/11 because one of them was celebrating a birthday.  The entire area was still covered in ash, and no public transportation was available in the immediate area around the tragedy.  Every night, trucks circled the area and washed the streets with water, but more ash appeared the next day. 

Although people have moved on with their lives, none will ever forget that day.  Thank you, politicians, for suspending ads today.  This day is not for airing grievances.  It is a day to remember that we are one nation, despite differing beliefs.  May we hold on to that truth every day and not just on days sets aside to honor victims of national tragedies.

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Many Citizens Don't Take Their Voting Responsibilities Seriously

The United States Constitution

Article 1, Section. 8 of The United States Constitution (transcript from www.archives.gov)

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;--And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

Ham on Wry finds it deeply disturbing that many voters in this country have never taken the time to at least skim through the document our founders created to lay the foundation for our federal government.  I chose Article 1, Section 8 because it clearly establishes some of the powers assigned to Congress that people often believe the President has.  Readers might find this power quite interesting: To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years.  Please note that the founders limited appropriations of money to raise and support armies to two years.  What happened to that?

Article 2, Section. 2.

The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.

Note that the founders did not give the President the power to declare war, yet that has happened many times, the first of which occurred under President Ronald Reagan.  The framers had deep concerns about giving that kind of power to one person because they had come from countries where a ruler could conscript anyone for service with no warning and force them to fight battles that had no just cause.  What has happened to that?

This country is awash with political ads claiming that one candidate or another will work miracles.  Ham on Wry suggests that perhaps it's time to adhere to those parts of the constitution that remain unchanged by amendments.  Pass this on, Readers.  Americans must awaken from their deep sleep and apathy in the voting process.   Politicians must focus on the majority of citizens, who fall somewhere in the middle of a continuum, rather that pandering to a vocal minority.  We must behave more like a community than a battleground and return to civility in political discourse.  Perhaps everyone running for an office should read All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.

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Black Kitten Survives a Wild Ride

Plattsburgh Press Republican

Pumpkin, a six-week-old black kitten, decided it was time to see the world and rode in a jeep for 100 miles, as her new owner drove to a wedding in Elizabethtown and back.  Stacy Pulsifer of Plattsburgh, New York heard faint meows when she stopped for coffee at a McDonald's drive-thru and investigated to no avail.  The kitten had wedged itself between the outside bumper and the car with no means of escape.



Pulsifer continued her journey when she couldn't find the source of the meows, but heard the plaintiff criess for help again when she reached her apartment. She called two friends to help her, and they eventually found Pumpkin in the outside bumper.  Rescue efforts proved difficult, finally forcing the women to remove some parts in order to free the kitten.  Her right front paw was damaged beyond repair, and she will eventually have at least part of that leg amputated when she's older.

Stacy's other cat Lucibella isn't thrilled with the new arrival, but Stacy  it'sbelieves it's only a matter of time until she warms to the plucky feline. Pumpkin doesn't seem to realize she has only three legs to use because she stalks, pounces, and plays just like any other kitten. She's lucky that she chose to ride with a cat lover. Now that she's safe in a new home, her hitchhiking days have ended.

Ham on Wry chose to end the week with a post that had nothing to do with politics.  Regular readers can use a break as much as I.

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Clinton's DNC Speech Delivers the WOW Factor

Carolyn Kaster AP

Bill Clinton delivered a rousing speech late August 25, during the Democratic National Convention, often sparking thunderous applause and standing ovations.  As a native of Arkansas, he injected his good ole country boy persona to make the point that reducing the deficit and balancing the budget is a simple matter of "arithmetic." He purported that tax cuts will add to the problem and not solve it.  Hallelujah!



It doesn't take a genius to understand that wisdom; however, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan believe otherwise, despite historical data that proves them wrong.  Romney proudly announced that he has paid a 13% tax rates for several of the tax years prior to 2010?  Are we supposed to celebrate that fact?  His plan to have a 20% tax cut for all means that to reduce the deficit, he must cut from programs.  One might conclude that the defense budget would offer a logical choice.  Au contraire!  Republicans want more money in that budget than the DoD has requested.  Perhaps if members of Congress were required to serve in the military, their perspective might change.

Clinton's prepared speech was slotted for 28 minutes; however, it lasted for 48 minutes when he frequently digressed from the text.  He referred to the current Republican political view as a "bloodbath" and lamented the absence of reaching across the aisle in Congress. Clinton spoke of the cooperation that existed previously among members of both parties and called for a return to a shared vision and a team mentality that will allow American to remain competitive and a world leader in the 21st Century.

Specifically, he stated, "We Democrats think the country works better with a strong middle class, real opportunities for poor people to work their way into it and a relentless focus on the future, with business and government working together to promote growth and broadly shared prosperity. We think 'we’re all in this together' is a better philosophy than 'you’re on your own'.”

"Who’s right? Well since 1961, the Republicans have held the White House 28 years, the Democrats 24. In those 52 years, our economy produced 66 million private sector jobs. What’s the jobs score? Republicans 24 million, Democrats 42 million!"

"It turns out that advancing equal opportunity and economic empowerment is both morally right and good economics, because discrimination, poverty and ignorance restrict growth, while investments in education, infrastructure and scientific and technological research increase it, creating more good jobs and new wealth for all of us."

J Scott Applewhite AP

While a few political commentators disagreed, the vast majority gave Clinton high marks for his speech. It accomplished its purpose and injected a higher level of energy into President Obama's re-election campaign. Adding that speech to Michelle Obama's speech the previous night, the DNC has established its mission in a positive light that focuses on what Obama has accomplished and what he can do in the next four years.

The November election will be the final arbiter.

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Mitt Romney's Promise-Details Please

David Goldman AP

In his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention last Thursday, August 30, Mitt Romney stated, "My promise is to help you and your family." Ham on Wry searched the various transcripts of that speech and found no evidence of specific actions he will take to do that.  Therefore, this blogger is left to wonder exactly how he is going to accomplish that and will offer a few suggestions.




First, if Mr. Romney is referring to middle class and lower class families, those who have suffered the most economically since the 2008 economic meltdown, how will he help them recover? Although many Republicans have forgotten, that occurred under their watch, as did the bailout of financial services firms, some of which used taxpayer dollars to pay bonuses to their executives.  Somehow I missed the part of the United States Constitution that deals with rights for businesses.  Helping those firms did not put one dollar in the pocket of most Americans.

Second, will he follow through on his promise to have a 20% across-the-board cut in taxes?  Frankly, I don't think the wealthiest 10% of Americans need that cut in order to thrive.  They have done exceptionally well in the past four years.  Perhaps he should consider closing loopholes that allow them to park money offshore that will shield them from paying taxes on it. Oh, that's right?  It would affect him adversely wouldn't it?  Guess we won't be seeing that change if he is elected.

Third, he could support overturning the Citizens United Supreme Court decision which allows for obscene amounts of money to be used in political ads from organizations whose sponsors hide under innocuous sounding names.  Perhaps then, the American public would return to reading various sources of information about candidates so they could make informed choices when they vote, instead of relying on misinformation touted in media ads.  It would save us all time and money if he would do that.

Fourth, he could promise that all children who are already born will receive their constitutional protections for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If he really exalts human life, you will place greater emphasis on that endeavor than abortion for reasons that should be obvious to any sentient human.

I could wax on with other suggestions, but I don't think that he truly understands the plight of middle class and poor people because he haven't experienced having to choose between buying food or paying the mortgage.  You talk about understanding how to start a business and worry about payroll.  Didn't Bain offer the funding for Bain Capital?  I don't believe his personal money was used, as it is with entrepreneurs who start small businesses. In fact, many small businesses receive loans from the government and use government support services. 

I leave him with a challenge. Mr. Romney, show me the plan!

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