Saturday, February 20, 2010

Joseph Stack One Hit Wonder




Suicide Flyer's sole published political commentary work as a suicide-manifesto citing the 'corrupt vulger Roman Catholic Church' and the 'joke we call the American medical system, including the drug and insurance companies, are murdering tens of thousands of people a year and stealing from the corpses and victims they cripple'
We are all taught as children that without laws there would be no society, only
anarchy. Sadly, starting at early ages we in this country have been brainwashed
to believe that, in return for our dedication and service, our government stands
for justice for all. We are further brainwashed to believe that there is freedom
in this place, and that we should be ready to lay our lives down for the noble
principals represented by its founding fathers. Remember? One of these was “no
taxation without representation”. I have spent the total years of my adulthood
unlearning that crap from only a few years of my childhood. These days anyone
who really stands up for that principal is promptly labeled a “crackpot”,
traitor and worse.
- excerpt Joseph Stack suicide-manifesto
Alas, Joseph Stack is no longer around to continue his writings.

I WISH JOE STACK HAD NOT KILLED HIMSELF

By Chuck BaldwinFebruary 19, 2010NewsWithViews.com

All of us are now aware of the Texas man who yesterday flew his private plane into a 7-story Austin office building. Apparently, he intentionally crashed his plane into the building to target the IRS offices that were housed inside the facility.

As I am writing this column just hours after the event took place, there has not yet been a lot of time for the major news media talking heads to spin the story. By the time this column is released on Friday, however, I'm sure we will all have been inundated with copious references to this man, Joe Stack, as being "off his rocker," or similar assertions. Perhaps our friends at DHS will label Stack a "right-wing domestic terrorist." However, Mr. Stack apparently left behind a "suicide manifesto" explaining his actions.
After carefully reading Stack's manifesto, I am quite convinced that he was not crazy, and he was not a "terrorist." However, he was angry.

A lot of us are angry--and for many of the same reasons that Mr. Stack was angry! While I would certainly take exception to some of the things Stack says in his manifesto, he said things that many of us are feeling.

Stack began his manifesto by saying, "If you're reading this, you're no doubt asking yourself, 'Why did this have to happen?' The simple truth is that it is complicated and has been coming for a long time."

He goes on to say, "Sadly, starting at early ages we in this country have been brainwashed to believe that, in return for our dedication and service, our government stands for justice for all. We are further brainwashed to believe that there is freedom in this place, and that we should be ready to lay our lives down for the noble [principles] represented by its founding fathers. Remember? One of these was 'no taxation without representation' . . . These days anyone who really stands up for that [principle] is promptly labeled a 'crackpot,' traitor and worse."
For the most part, he's right about that, of course. It has been a long time since the average hardworking American has been represented in Washington, D.C. By and large, the politicians in DC represent only Big Money interests. Just try talking with your congressman or senator and see how much personal interest he or she takes in anything you have to say. As for emails, letters, and faxes, unless they number in the tens of thousands, they are mostly used as kindling for the fireplace.

Obviously, Mr. Stack had long felt the frustration of being ignored by these pimps in Washington that we know as congressmen. He wrote, "While very few working people would say they haven't had their fair share of taxes (as can I), in my lifetime I can say with a great degree of certainty that there has never been a politician cast a vote on any matter with the likes of me or my interests in mind. Nor, for that matter, are they the least bit interested in me or anything I have to say."

I suppose that just about every American could say the same thing.

Then, regarding our current tax system, Stack wrote, "Here we have a [tax] system that is, by far, too complicated for the brightest of the master scholars to understand. Yet, it mercilessly 'holds accountable' its victims, claiming that they're responsible for fully complying with laws not even the experts understand. The law 'requires' a signature on the bottom of a tax filing; yet no one can say truthfully that they understand what they are signing; if that's not 'duress' [then] what is. If this is not the measure of a totalitarian regime, nothing is."

He also wrote, "However, this is where I learned that there are two 'interpretations' for every law; one for the very rich, and one for the rest of us."

However, I think a better way of putting his statement would have been, "There are two interpretations for every law; one for the GOVERNMENT, and one for the rest of us." And only the most naïve among us would not understand that statement.

According to Stack's manifesto, he earned an engineering degree with the goal of becoming an "independent engineer." He said this about working his way through college: "I was living on peanut butter and bread (or Ritz crackers when I could afford to splurge) for months at a time."
I know that feeling! My wife and I married between my sophomore and junior years of college, and for months we had a grand total of $15 a week to spend on groceries. And believe me: that did not go very far--not even in 1974. How many politicians on Capitol Hill do you think could even remotely relate to Mr. Stack?

Stack later said, "I decided that I didn't trust big business to take care of me, and that I would take responsibility for my own future and myself."

Wow! What a revolutionary idea: taking responsibility for yourself! Now I know that practically no one on Capitol Hill can relate to Mr. Stack!

After quoting a portion of the tax law relating to Section 1706 (Treatment of Certain Technical Personnel), Stack wrote, "The bottom line is that they may as well have put my name right in the text of section (d). Moreover, they could only have been more blunt if they would have came out and directly declared me a criminal and non-citizen slave."

His manifesto clearly reveals bitterness and resentment toward the IRS, the tax system, the banker and Big Business government bailouts, and the emergence of police-state attitudes and actions in the aftermath of 9/11. He expressed disdain for "the monsters of organized religion." He talked about his move from California to Texas. He referred to a divorce and the way his savings and retirement had been wiped out after a career of working "100-hour workweeks."
Stack also noted, "The recent presidential puppet GW Bush and his cronies in their eight years certainly reinforced for all of us that this criticism rings equally true for all of the government." I can say "Amen" to that.

Stack's conclusion: "I have had all I can stand."

In what was obviously a reference to what he was about to do, he wrote, "Nothing changes unless there is a body count."

Then, later he said, "But I also know that by not adding my body to the count, I insure nothing will change. I choose to not keep looking over my shoulder at 'big brother' while he strips my carcass, I choose not to ignore what is going on all around me, I choose not to pretend that business as usual won't continue; I have just had enough."

Stack wrapped up his manifesto by saying, "Well, Mr. Big Brother IRS man, let's try something different; take my pound of flesh and sleep well."

See Joe Stack's manifesto here.

My heart goes out to Joe Stack! The sentiments expressed above are shared by millions of Americans who are also fed up with Big Brother. We are fed up with our country being turned into a burgeoning police state, under the rubric of "national security." We are fed up with the harassments of the IRS. We know the "war on drugs" is merely the government's way of cutting out the competition (this is exactly what more than one retired federal law enforcement agent--employed in the drug war--told me). We know the "war on terror" is nothing but an excuse to trample our constitutional liberties. We are fed up with the voracious vampires known as the Federal Reserve sucking the lifeblood out of the veins of America's hardworking Middle Class. We are tired of the CFR, CIA, and America's State Department manufacturing perpetual wars that cost trillions of dollars and thousands of American lives for the benefit of the global elite. We are fed up with an arrogant and oppressive federal government that is strangling the life and freedom out of our states. We all share Joe Stack's pain!

I really wish Joe Stack had not killed himself, however. We need each other. By taking his life, he reduced our strength. The global elites delight in our demise. As we grow weaker, they grow stronger.

But the fight is not over; the battle is not lost! Rumblings of freedom's revival can be felt across the length and breadth of this nation. The clanging of liberty's resolve can be heard in hamlets and villages from Montana to South Carolina. There are still millions of us--from virtually every walk of life--who will not surrender our liberties without a fight! And we have not yet begun to fight!

So, to the rest of us Joe Stacks out there: let's not fly our planes into buildings. Let's not end our lives prematurely. Instead, get mad; get organized; get educated; start equipping your heart, mind, and body for the battle ahead. Let's fight; let's study; let's prepare; let's make every would-be tyrant on Capitol Hill and Wall Street know that we are not going to sit back and let them steal our country. Let's send a message, in no uncertain terms, that if they want our pound of flesh, they are going to have to come and get it--and if they do, it's going to cost them a whole lot more than a pound of theirs!

Oh, Joe! I wish you had not killed yourself.

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Friday, February 19, 2010

Ledochowski Holocaust Morality & Complicity

Limited to those with college-university teaching positions,
not independent researchers

Committee on Churches and the Holocaust
2010 Seminar for Seminary Faculty and Professors of Religious Studies
Rescuers and Bystanders during the Holocaust:
The Historical Significance of Morality and Complicity
June 21-25, 2010

The Committee on Church Relations and the Holocaust (CRC) of the United
States Holocaust Memorial Museum announces a seminar for professors of theology,
ethics, and religion at theological schools and other institutions of advanced
education. Applications from interested professors from other disciplines will
be considered.

The seminar is scheduled for June 21-25, 2010.

The seminar will offer an overview of the history of Catholic and
Protestant responses to Nazism and the Holocaust, with a particular focus on the
role of rescuers and bystanders. How historically significant was such behavior?
What factors shaped the behavior of these groups? What moral and ethical
insights can be drawn from this aspect of Holocaust history? Participants will
also have the opportunity to learn more about Museum resources for their
teaching and to consult and interact with Museum staff and visiting scholars.
More information about the Museum’s programs on religion can be found at www.ushmm.org/research/center/church/.

The seminar will be co-taught by Victoria Barnett, Staff Director, CRC, and
Dr. David Gushee, Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics at
Mercer University. Ms. Barnett has helped create academic and public programs,
panels, and symposia on Christianity and the Holocaust with institutions around
the country. Her publications include Bystanders: Conscience and Complicity
during the Holocaust (1999) and For the Soul of the People: Protestant Protest
against Hitler (1992). She is also a prominent Bonhoeffer scholar and one of the
general editors of the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works English Edition, the complete
English translation of Bonhoeffer’s works. Dr. Gushee has written extensively
about the intersection between Christian faith, ethics, and public policy, and
has provided leadership in the American evangelical world on human rights
issues. He is the author of numerous books, including Righteous Gentiles of the
Holocaust and Only Human: Christian Reflections on the Journey toward Wholeness.

Candidates must be faculty members at accredited, degree-awarding
institutions in North America. Applications must include: (1) a curriculum
vitae; (2) a statement of the candidate’s specific interest and purpose for
attending the seminar; and (3) a supporting letter from a departmental chair or
dean addressing the candidate’s qualifications and the institution’s potential
interest in having Holocaust-related courses taught.

Admission will be decided without regard to age, gender, race, creed, or
national origin. A maximum of twenty applicants will be accepted. For non-local
participants, the Center will (1) reimburse the cost of direct travel to and
from the participant’s home institution and Washington, DC, up to but not
exceeding the amount of $500.; and (2) defray the cost of lodging for the
duration of the course. Incidental, meal, and book expenses must be defrayed by
the candidates or their respective institutions.

All participants must attend the entire seminar.

Applications must be postmarked, emailed, or faxed no later than Monday,
March 15, 2010 and sent to: Victoria Barnett, University Programs, Center for
Advanced Holocaust Studies, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 100 Raoul
Wallenberg Place, SW, Washington, DC 20024-2150 (Email: vbarnett@ushmm.org; Fax: 202-479-9726).

For questions, contact Victoria Barnett at 202-488-0469 or vbarnett@ushmm.org.

All applicants will be notified of the results of the selection process by Monday, April 5, 2010.

This seminar is made possible by the Hoffberger Family Fund and by Joseph A. and
Janeal Cannon and Family.

Learn more about the Center for Advanced Holocaust
Studies »

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Jesuitical Obama Administration

From Good Jesuit, Bad Jesuit;
February 3, 2010

Eight alumni of the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities currently serve in appointed positions to U.S. President Barack Obama's administration and fifty four alumni are current members of the 111th U.S. Congress. Members of the Obama administration from AJCU institutions include Central Intelligence Agency Director Leon E. Panetta (Santa Clara University, 1960, BA) and Department of Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates(Georgetown University, 1974, PhD).

From the Department of Education are Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Congressional Affairs Gabriella Gomez (Loyola Marymount University, 1995, BA) Under Secretary Martha Kanter (University of San Francisco, 1989, EdD), Senior Advisor to the Secretary Bob Shireman (University of San Francisco, 1986, MPA) and Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary Julius Lloyd Horwich (Georgetown University 1986, BSFS).

Other departments with Jesuit alumni are the Department of Homeland Security with Secretary Janet A. Napolitano (Santa Clara University, 1979, BA) and the Department of Labor with Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Jane Oates (Boston College, 1975, BA).

111th U.S. Congress

Ten percent of the 111th U.S. Congress are Jesuit college and university alumni/ae. Among the 535 Members of the 111th U.S. Congress, 54 of them are alumni/ae of Jesuit institutions.

There are thirteen Jesuit alumni/ae in the Senate and forty one in the House of Representatives. Among the top leadership, both the Majority and Minority Leaders in the House of Representatives, Congressmen Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and John Boehner (R-OH) respectively, the Senate Assistant Majority Leader, Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL), and the Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Special Assistant to the Speaker, Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), are all Jesuit alumni.

Of these 54 alumni/ae, 35 received graduate or professional degrees from Jesuit universities. There are 16 Jesuit institutions represented by alumni/ae in the U.S. Congress. Georgetown University has the most alumni/ae with a total of eighteen, followed by Boston College with eight, and the College of the Holy Cross and Fordham University with four each.

Of note, Anh "Joseph" Cao, a graduate of Fordham University and Loyola University New Orleans, is the first Vietnamese-American member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

"With the many challenges facing our nation, we are happy that our Jesuit college and university alumni/ae are leading the Congressional response to them," said AJCU President Fr. Charles Currie, S.J. "Our graduates, who have dedicated their lives to the highest levels of public service, have been educated at institutions that place great value on academic excellence, competent leadership and compassionate service. We are proud of our Jesuit alumni/ae who continue to represent us with distinction and inspire us with their commitment to lead and serve."


Link (here) to the full list.


Posted by Joseph Fromm at 1:00 AM
Labels: Jesuicans, Jesuicrats, Jesuit Educated
0 comments:

Jesuitical Obama Administration


From Good Jesuit, Bad Jesuit:

February 3, 2010

(no url provided because of its junk code sabotaging this blog)

Eight alumni of the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities currently
serve in appointed positions to U.S. President Barack Obama's administration and
fifty four alumni are current members of the 111th U.S. Congress. Members of the
Obama administration from AJCU institutions include Central Intelligence Agency
Director Leon E. Panetta (Santa Clara University, 1960, BA) and Department of
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates (Georgetown University, 1974, PhD).

From the Department of Education are Assistant Secretary for Legislation
and Congressional Affairs Gabriella Gomez (Loyola Marymount University, 1995,
BA) Under Secretary Martha Kanter (University of San Francisco, 1989, EdD),
Senior Advisor to the Secretary Bob Shireman (University of San Francisco, 1986,
MPA) and Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs Deputy Assistant
Secretary Julius Lloyd Horwich (Georgetown University 1986, BSFS).

Other departments with Jesuit alumni are the Department of Homeland Security with Secretary Janet A. Napolitano (Santa Clara University, 1979, BA) and the
Department of Labor with Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Jane
Oates (Boston College, 1975, BA).

111th U.S. Congress

Ten percent of the 111th U.S. Congress are Jesuit college and university alumni/ae.
Among the 535 Members of the 111th U.S. Congress, 54 of them are alumni/ae of
Jesuit institutions.

There are thirteen Jesuit alumni/ae in the Senate and forty one in the House of Representatives. Among the top leadership, both the Majority and Minority Leaders in the House of Representatives, Congressmen Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and John Boehner (R-OH) respectively, the Senate Assistant Majority Leader, Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL), and the Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Special Assistant to the Speaker, Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), are all Jesuit alumni.

Of these 54 alumni/ae, 35 received graduate or professional degrees from Jesuit universities. There are 16 Jesuit institutions represented by alumni/ae in the U.S. Congress. Georgetown University has the most alumni/ae with a total of eighteen, followed by Boston College with eight, and the College of the Holy Cross and Fordham University with four each.

Of note, Anh "Joseph" Cao, a graduate of Fordham University and Loyola University New Orleans, is the first Vietnamese-American member of the U.S. House of
Representatives.

"With the many challenges facing our nation, we are happy that our Jesuit college and university alumni/ae are leading the Congressional response to them," said AJCU President Fr. Charles Currie, S.J. "Our graduates, who have dedicated their lives to the highest levels of public service, have been educated at institutions that place great value on academic excellence, competent leadership and compassionate service. We are proud of our Jesuit alumni/ae who continue to represent us with distinction and inspire us with their commitment to lead and serve."


Link (here) to the full list.

Posted by Joseph Fromm at
1:00 AM
Labels: Jesuicans, Jesuicrats, Jesuit Educated



Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Jesuitical Environmentalism

alas Rome prefers mercantilist & depopulationist schemes
over infrastructure

From the Association of Jesuit Colleges:

http://office.ajcunet.edu/connections/display.asp?issue=55&backissue=open

Letter from the Editor

Melissa C. Di LeonardoDirector of CommunicationsAJCU

Anyone who has seen Al Gore's documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, was presented with a rather bleak picture of global warming's effect on the planet. The film was an example of the many "wake up" calls we have been given about how our treatment of the earth and its resources has resulted in what many might describe as environmental crisis. Certainly, these firm reminders have prompted individuals to action, and that is no exception at Jesuit colleges and universities, where "greening" efforts are being taken quite seriously and an array of initiatives are underway to support conservation and sustainability, all the while minimizing and preventing pollution.

Concern and reverence for the material environment that humans and other life forms inhabit has been a recurring theme throughout the centuries, and for many theologians and scientists, it has been a vital issue that needs constant attention. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a Jesuit paleontologist, biologist and philosopher, described in many of his writings that there is a spiritual connection between humans and their earthly surroundings since God created both, and that in honoring the environment, we honor God. This is reflected in the following passage by de Chardin in his book, The Divine Milieu:

At the heart of our universe, each soul exists for God, in our Lord. But all reality, even material reality, around each one of us, exists for our souls. Hence, all sensible reality, around each one us, exists, through our souls, for God in our Lord.
In Planet U: Sustaining the World, Reinventing the University (see Suggested Readings), M’Gonigle and Starke point out that universities have an opportunity to set a new agenda for ecological progress and “to create diverse models of local and global innovation.” Jesuit campus communities have already begun to meet that challenge by creating action agendas to care for their "material reality" and by educating students on how to live eco-friendly lifestyles.

It is important to acknowledge the steps taken by Jesuit schools to contribute to a healthier earth, but in striving for the magis, there is a need to do more and better with the work already begun since healing the planet will take some time.

Fortunately, the contributions made by Jesuit institutions, thus far, have made a difference, and they are committed to building upon these initiatives well into the future. We look forward to keeping tabs on their progress...

With best wishes,
Melissa C. Di Leonardo