Open Letter to the Democratic National Committee

Above: Republican in Democrat Donkey clothing, Rahm Emanuel


Dear DNC,

I am furious that there is a possibility that you will restore delegates to Florida and Michigan. I teach 200 high school students a year who already have to be guided to see the bad examples of (jerks) like George Bush and Dick Cheney and who are smug, self-serving and follow no law, no rules nor truly care about anyone outside of their oligarchy. Now I need to try to explain why anyone can do anything they want at anytime in any way and there will be no consequence for it.

I was raised to be a Democrat since childhood. I "campaigned" for Carter in my school's election. My grandfather was a WWII marine and faithful union boilermaker who raised 15 kids. He taught me to be wary of "the man" and most Republicans. But I am beginning to fear the capricious DNC more.

I have tried to ignore what an (unpleasant person) Rahm Emanuel is, ever since the Christine Cegelis fiasco. But I swear that I will abandon the Democratic party for good if you break your own rules.

Not encouraging Hilary to get out of the race already is a far greater offense than Nader ever gave us. And she has run the most Karl-Rovian of races I've seen since Bush in 2000. And now you will show what a bunch of flip=flopping idiots you guys really are, going back on a rule you made yourselves.

Show me the Green Party ticket, please.

Brian A. Sieve
Former Democrat

Online Museum Bearing WItness to the Holocaust and Modern Genocides and Hate Movements

Please link to the following blogs from the Bearing Witness students to see our Online Museum Bearing Witness to the tragedies.



Never Again!


Never Forget!





Ruben http://rubenmercado.blogspot.com/
Augustine http://akacyrax.blogspot.com/
Beatrice http://beatricecarriaga.blogspot.com/
Victoria http://vicky09.blogspot.com/
Zack http://thegreatfamine.blogspot.com/
Jesus Rive http://bwgesus.blogspot.com/
Viwat http://ho-lo-caust.blogspot.com/
Noe http://tagging08.blogspot.com/
Quentin http://quentinwilliams-quentin.blogspot.com/
Sergiy http://skalenyk.blogspot.com/
Andrea http://mexiricanpower90210.blogspot.com/
Jesus Rodrig http://bigchuybw.blogspot.com/
Augustine http://akacyrax.blogspot.com/
Jorge http://jorgemontanez.blogspot.com/
Rudy http://rururuiz.blogspot.com/
Caitlin http://katieqtpie11.blogspot.com/
Jesus Guill http://jesuslazy.blogspot.com/

Bryant http://smooth-abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz.blogspot.com/
Mark http://marksbw4class.blogspot.com/
Regina http://reginabearingwitness.blogspot.com/
Karina http://karinacamargo1989.blogspot.com/2008/05/karina-bw.html
Eryk http://erykbearingwitness.blogspot.com/
Umar http://www.umarahmed187.blogspot.com/
Umar's other (??!!) http://umarahmeddarfur.blogspot.com/
Joan http://joanbearingwitness.blogspot.com/
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Kyle http://police-brutality-bearing-witness.blogspot.com/
Xavier http://xavierthaman.blogspot.com/
Lawrence http://lawrencestevenbw.blogspot.com/
Dennis http://dennisbarrera91.blogspot.com/
Vu http://longhai123.blogspot.com/

Corporations or Cartels?

This is a very thought provoking article by Bill McClelland. Bill is one of the most prominent St. Louis newspaper columnists. He, more than almost anyone else there, seems to have the pulse of the average St. Louisan.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/columnists.nsf/billmcclellan/story/643247EDB3F578C28625744C001AB995?OpenDocument

"Eventually, law-abiding people got tired of the killing and the bribery. Prohibition was ended. In essence, we traded Al Capone for August Busch. So now, when there is a conflict about importation rights, we have an announcement from a vice president of marketing. Is it a perfect world now that booze is legal? No, it isn't. Some people become alcoholics. Some people drink and drive. But the question is not whether legalization has led to a perfect world, the question is whether society is better off with booze legal or with booze illegal. Cartels or corporations?"

Quid Putas? (Latin for Whaddya T'ink?)

America's Greatness

We can "get it right"!

I challenge this generation of students to be creative, generous, collegial and multi-lateral. We can, and hopefully will do better under the next generation.

The Marshall Plan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Plan

On June 5, 1947, speaking to the graduating class at Harvard University, Secretary of State George C. Marshall laid the foundation, in the aftermath of World War II, for a U.S. program of assistance to the countries of Europe. At a time when great cities lay in ruins and national economies were devastated, Marshall called on America to "do whatever it is able to do to assist in the return of normal economic health in the world, without which there can be no political stability and no assured peace."

The U.S. Congress approved Marshall's long-sighted proposal in 1948, and by 1952 the United States had channeled some $13 billion in economic aid and technical assistance to 16 European countries. During the program's four years, participating countries saw their aggregate gross national product rise more than 30 percent and industrial production increase by 40 percent over prewar levels.

But the Marshall Plan, as it came to be known, was not just an American program. It was a joint European-American venture, one in which American resources were complemented with local resources, one in which the participants worked cooperatively toward the common goals of freedom and prosperity.

Many have been generous in their praise of the Marshall Plan, but perhaps none more than Sir Winston Churchill, to whom it represented "the most unsordid act in history."

From USinfo.state.gov
http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/marshallplan/

Just as when I deal with my students, I see so much potential in the USA that I can sound too harsh. I criticize our failures because I do not hear enough of us who seem to care enough to put effort into tough love. So after perusing my own blog, I decided that I needed some positive reinforcement, lest some think I am unpatriotic.

Here is my tribute to when we get it right. And to hope.

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

Popularly known as

Saint Edith Stein

"But even as a child Edith was, at heart, a radical, one who goes to the radix, the roots."

This quote is from the linked article below from Saint Anthony Messenger Press. It speaks to why I admire Saint Edith Stein. I am often considered a rdical, and even admonished for it at times. My family grows tired of me and my passion for causes. I put my students to sleep while droning on and on about my beliefs. But there is something in my experience of life, that mkes me believe that the truth is often too much work for some people. So I try to get to the radix, the root of truth in each situation.

Saint Teresia Benedicta...
Pray for us.

http://www.americancatholic.org/Messenger/Oct1998/Feature2.asp

Thanks to Mr. Sieve's Fourth Block Bearing Witness Class for helping with this post.

This starts a little slowly, but stick with it for a great story and some nice art.



Saint Edith Stein you ARE God's truth

Saint Maxmilian Kolbe OFM

Thank you to Mr. Sieve's Third Block Bearing Witness Class for helping with this post.

As a child of the 70s and 80s in St. Louis I often attended the Saturday Afternoon quickie-Mass at Saint Hedwig Parish. I always found this small modern church uninspiring. My home parish of Saint Anthony of Padua, built in 1908 in the Dutchtown neighborhood of South St. Louis is one of the largest and most beautiful churches that I know.

But Saint Hedwig had a quicker Mass and my Aunts brought me there from a young age. Toting several of my dozens of cousins, we were often late for the popular, crowded Mass. So sitting in the last pew, I was often paying more attention to one of the only statues in this modern church building.

It took me years to be able to read the English version of Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe's name, much less the Polish letterings that were on the statue of the friar on the back wall.

I knew Franciscan Friars from my home parish, Saint Anthony. But I did not understand why this statue was at Saint Hedwig's, a parish with non-religious, diocesan priests. Looking back now, I realize how proud this Polish-American community must have been of their "countryman" who was in the process of being canonized.

Whenever I think of Polish Saints, I do not think automatically of Hedwig or Stanislaus or even Faustina as some do. Maxmilian, middle name Mary, Kolbe OFM is my guy.







http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilian_Kolbe





I am inspired by his sacrifice

Democracy, the nuts and bolts

Interview three adults and record/ report their views.
(Teacher, older sibling [older than 23], Minister, Parent, Guardian, Grandparent, Uncle, Butcher, Neighbor)
Be prepared to present a summary to the class along with your own views.


Democracy is… (what?)



Is an educated populace necessary in Democracy?



Is media necessary in a Democracy?




Does media have a privileged role in Democracy?




Should a recall or impeachment happen if a leader does not follow through on campaign promises?




Who comes first in democracy? The good of the group or of the individual?




“Where one burns books, one will, in the end, burn people.” True? Or Not?




Why are places of Worship so often targets of hate?






Have you ever faced a “Choice-less Choice?” Explain.


How about you, Gentle Reader? Quid Putas? (What do you think? [Latin])