The Black Republican

Superman eschews longtime patriot act

So, it seems that Superman no longer represents the "American Way"? Or, at least, the latest Superman movie's producers are willing to represent him to the world that way, if it means more dollars in their pockets.

"So, you play the movie in a foreign country, and you say, 'What does he stand for? -- truth, justice and the American way.' I think a lot of people's opinions of what the American way means outside of this country are different from what the line actually means (in Superman lore) because they are not the same anymore," Harris says. "And (using that line) would taint the meaning of what he is saying."

Well screw what the people outside America think of the "American Way" then. For a few of us inside America, it means just what it always meant, and that is the only definition that counts. The folks who created this movie version are quite happy to put money in their pockets, in the American way, but they are either too greedy or somehow ashamed to let the world think they are proud to be American? I'm not much of a movie goer, so not getting my dollars won't hurt much, but this just became one more movie which I will not be viewing.

The meaning of "the American Way" has not changed, and we should all be damn proud to shout that fact from the rooftops. If those outside this country don't get it, one, we need to educate them, and two, we don't need them coming here until they do understand.

"The world has changed. The world is a different place," Pennsylvania native Harris says. "The truth is he's an alien. He was sent from another planet. He has landed on the planet Earth, and he is here for everybody. He's an international superhero."

Damn right, he, and the "American Way" are here for the benefit of everybody; but nobody benefits if Superman adapts his virtues to some non-descript global norm. The best system man has yet devised is the American way, and it is about time that the rest of the world understood that. We would all benefit if the international crowd adopted truth, justice and the American way. Both, Superman and America represent strength used for good. That could have been the theme of the movie, and it would have resonated in the hearts of people everywhere. The movie could have continued the celebration of goodness over evil which has been a staple of the Superman story, instead, these movie-makers chose to go the path of the weak, and their message is that it is better to be liked for what you are not than to be loved for what you are.

I strongly suggest this piece by J. Peter Mulhern as "Recommended Reading".

From Hillary's cattle futures deal, to Paul Begala's windfall Global Crossing payoff, to the current non-reported news that Howard Dean is conncected to a stock market scammer, the Democrats continue to cheat, be-Kos they can without fear of the media drawing attention to their crimes. Though, they may have to do a favor later in return for the offer assistance which they can not refuse today.

The only thing funnier than posting a vulgar title is posting proof of human nature.

Crap. Just damn.

I'd just finished posting the article below, and refreshed the page, when I saw Chris Muir's homage to a man who probably wouldn't have blinked twice - no, not even once - over my little rant. And despite all his threats to the contrary, Rob apparently didn't leave this world by his own hand.

There's a lesson there, boys and girls. A powerful and meaningful lesson, reflected in the lives and times of two very different people.

The abbreviated version of the Irish Blessing goes double for you, buddy. And in your case, I'm not just saying it because I oughta. I really hope it's true. But I'm sure you'd prefer if I'd leave you to Clemens than to God. Most appropriate is probably: "Death, the refuge, the solace, the best and kindliest and most prized friend and benefactor of the erring, the forsaken, the old and weary and broken of heart." But that one is so sad, and Irishmen prefer other sentiments with their wake toast.

So for you, I prefer this one:

It has been reported that I was seriously ill--it was another man; dying--it was another man; dead--the other man again...As far as I can see, nothing remains to be reported, except that I have become a foreigner. When you hear it, don't you believe it. And don't take the trouble to deny it. Merely just raise the American flag on our house... and let it talk.

Rest in peace.

It's been a tragic day at UC Santa Cruz.

Denice Dee Denton, chancellor of the University of California-Santa Cruz, apparently jumped to her death Saturday morning from the 44th floor of a San Francisco building...

...where she shared an apartment with her [lesbian lover].

Denton was well-known for her efforts to advance women in science, engineering and higher education, and had won numerous awards for her achievements.

Having battled gender bias herself, she spent her career trying to pave the way for other women and was not afraid to make waves when necessary.

She was cheered by women around the world last year when she confronted Harvard President Larry Summers at a private symposium when he questioned women's aptitude in science and math.

But the accolades were overshadowed by controversy throughout her tenure at UC Santa Cruz. UC's hiring of [her lesbian lover, Gretchen Kalonji] came under attack almost immediately, and questions were raised about Denton's compensation and renovations to the chancellor's home on campus. She also had some run-ins with students and labor unions.

UC officials struggled Saturday to understand what was behind her death.

Or, through it all, it could have been because she was really, really ugly.

But despite all these possibilities, I think it most likely "what was behind her death" was either: A) the fall, or B) the sudden impact.

But I only bring it up because our MSM friends at the Mercury News mentioned that you were wondering about it. We wouldn't want to speak ill of the dead here. So I'll part with this sentiment:

"May you be in Heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead."

I strongly suggest this piece by Michael Barone as "Recommended Reading".

ABC News: GOP Candidate's Call for Labor Camp Rebuked

Of course that headline could have been written without the word "camp", but ABC knows how to fuel a controversy, even if it requires the use of less than completely accurate imagery.

Sen, McCain, and Rep. Kolbe, both proponents of rewarding the foreign invaders with amnesty and a path toward citizenship, object to a Republican candidate's (Don Goldwater) suggestion that those who are caught here illegally repay this country for their offense by serving time as laborers constructing an obstacle to prevent further incursion, and to clean up the litter the invaders are leaving behind as they sneak in.

"a Mexican news service, quoted him as saying he wanted to hold undocumented immigrants in camps to use them "as labor in the construction of a wall and to clean the areas of the Arizona desert that they're polluting."

A service Goldwater equates with the current use at local and state levels of using prisoners to clean highway medians of the litter we Americans create on the roadways.

Now, I have seen such labor performed, and never has it caused me to compare the practice, as Sen. McCain alludes, to:

...loaded symbolism, injustice and un-Americanism...and a stunning lack of respect for the basic values of a generous and decent society

It has always seemed, to me, to be a way to retrieve from the criminals some of the time and expense they have caused us with their crimes. If we have them, whom we have payed to convict and now pay to house, do this work we won't have to pay someone else to get it done.

So, I have to wonder why, other than his pronounced intent to let the invading scofflaws off scot free, why would the Senator choose to characterize Mr. Goldwater's suggestion in this way? And, I wonder, what does "loaded symbolism" mean? To what does the Senator, who also served in Vietnam, allude? I refuse to guess, and will not let my imagination be co-opted to invent an explanation which will fit McCain's vaguery. And, unless he wants to make a direct comparison which actually fits the situation, I discount his entire characterization.

With regard to Mr. Goldwater's suggestion. He was not the first to propose the idea, I heard it elsewhere first. And, though I do see the justice in causing the invaders to help us secure the borders they violated in coming here, I have to wonder about the quality of the product they would leave behind. Not to demean their abilities to create a quality product, but I am skeptical because they would have only a limited interest in creating a wall that would withstand their future attempts to invade. I certainly would feel uncomfortable with the notion that the invaders would have such familiarity with the weak points in the wall that will surely occur, every system has its specific points of vulnerablility, why create experts who could later lead other invaders to the vulnerable spots. I wouldn't, knowingly, hire a burglar to install my home security system either.

But, forcing the caught invaders to clean up the litter left by them and their ilk, no problem with that idea. If they are trashing the frontier to the extent that has been reported, they should clean it up. We don't need Al Gore or Robert Kennedy Jr. to know that litter is bad, we had all those sixties ads and a crying indian to teach us that lesson long ago.

Generally though, I have held the concept of invader labor within a joke I received in an e-mail. The idea there was, paraphrasing, we could solve several problems at once by digging a ditch the length of our southern border, then use the excavated material to construct better levees in Louisianna, next we pump the water out of New Orleans to fill the ditch thus creating a moat, and finally we ship all of the Florida alligators to the border and resettle them in the moat. And, voila, three problems solved. In my mind the labor to dig the ditch would come from the captured invaders, the e-mail must have arrived about the same time as I first heard someone propose invader labor in constructing a wall, and the two concepts have melded as one.

To the best of my knowledge Mr. Goldwater did not write that joke. And Sen. McCain could not have written it, he has no sense of humor now that his every move is outcome (at the polls) based. His objections are not well thought out, his allusions are not worthy of our time to decipher, and his ideas are based on his future, not ours. Wouldn't it be beautifically ironic if it turns out the the voters of Arizona actually embrace Mr. Goldwater for, if not this proposal, his earnest attempts to help America first. Goldwater's purpose seems to be the support of the best interests of the American people, a claim we can not make for the invaders,or the invader's support system. We have seen the voters of San Diego reject one candidate who promised to serve as a member of the invader's support system, in favor of one who wants to protect our borders; will the voters of Arizona show similar resolve?

If it ever happens that the captured invaders are put to work, they will have to be housed within a controlled setting during non-working hours, a prison, or jail, is what we generally call such a facility. But we can expect ABC, the Mexican government, and the rest of the invader's support system to use other words to identify the facility. But then, their attitude will be understandable, they are not working in our best interests.

"The reason there are two senators for each state is so that one can be the designated driver." - Jay Leno

I don't know when Leno made this comment, but I have confirmed that there has been no comment from either Mary Jo Kopechne or the security barricade at First and C Streets Southeast in Washington DC.

Sometimes the Democratic Party is the best reason to vote Republican. Did I say sometimes? Okay, all of the time.

GOP.com | Republican National Committee :: The Real Dem Agenda: Dems Make Their Choice

I strongly suggest this piece by Michael M. Bates as "Recommended Reading".

I strongly suggest this piece by John Burtis as "Recommended Reading".

I strongly suggest this piece by Tom Harris as "Recommended Reading".

In a move reminiscent of the Kentucky kid who said he wanted all Republicans dead, Keith Olbermann has now sent a flurry of hateful emails including one in which he tells the viewer to "kill yourself". He also gets crude and abusive with other viewers who emailed him their disgust over his reporting. Perhaps some of them were out of line too, none of those emails were presented to the public, but Olbermann is certainly out of line. And should have known better than to behave in such childish fashion.

"I apologize to anyone who might take offense at my part of this correspondence. It goes without saying that I should not have replied to these abusive and hateful E-mails, but I wonder how many of us could receive literally hundreds of them questioning our patriotism, religion and ethnic origin, without succumbing to the natural wish to confront such hate?"

Wrong Keith, you error was not from responding, it was the content of your response! Telling people to kill themselves, or to have carnal knowledge with their Mothers, is the problem. Responding with an actual defense or explanation of your position would have been quite alright. Apparently you had no such defense for your work, at which point not reponding is a viable option. And, that you had no defense is not surprising, I have caught some of your act, and it is without a foundation in reality and therefore is defenseless.

You have admitted that you were wrong, or at least you have apologized with the intent of causing the public to believe you understand that you erred, but will you really change your ways? I doubt it, emotional immaturity isn't overcome with one apology. Grow up KO, and until you do, why don't you get a real job.

"Neo-nazi scores big with Alabama Democrats"

Unbelieveable!

Cap'n Ed

The Wall Street Journal today takes aim at one of the last vestiges of institutional racism in America today - Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.

Some Republicans are taking comfort in the belief that the Section 5 provision may be unconstitutional at the end of the day. And it's certainly true that the Supreme Court hinted as much in decisions like Shaw v. Reno (1993), which held that a "reapportionment plan that includes in one district individuals who belong to the same race, but who are otherwise widely separated by geographical and political boundaries, and who have little in common with another but the color of their skins, bears an uncomfortable resemblance to political apartheid."

Ten years later, in Georgia v. Ashcroft, the High Court said, "the Voting Rights Act, as properly interpreted, should encourage the transition to a society where race no longer matters." The reauthorization would do the opposite.

The Journal suggests that reauthorization will happen without even a whisper to the contrary "unless Republican backbones miraculously stiffen", but this doesn't have anything to do with courage. If there was a great debate in America today about the problems with the Voting Rights Act, if there was an honest discussion about the blatant hypocrisy exhibited within the use, if not the actual text, of Section 5, we'd be talking about courage.

But there is no actual discussion going on. This is nothing but political expediency in the absence of any debate at all. And that's the real tragedy.

BIG DIG BILLIONS OVER BUDGET

While Harry Reid champions the myth that there is a culture of corruption among only one political Party he overlooks the single largest example of fraud against the taxpayer, a Democratic sponsored project made with inferior materials. Big Surprise, not.

It is a cliche to say that Democrats spend, but we note anyway, a Democratic Congressman is promising more spending (especially in his District) if he is re-elected and his Party takes over Congress after the mid-term elections. Jim Moran, the truth is in you, I believe you will use the power of your office to screw the American people while you bolster your support back home, if you become a committee chairman.

It occurred to me today, the dust front the first bomb spread out in the shape of the cross, interesting.

In a hilarious article at littlegreenfootballs, Charles Johnson points to an AP article so utterly without merit as a news story it makes the Bush National Guard documents look like extracts from the National Archives.

An Iraqi man who was one of the first people on the scene of the U.S. airstrike targeting Abu Musab al-Zarqawi said he saw American troops beating a man who had a beard like the al-Qaida leader.

The witness, who lives near the house where al-Zarqawi spent his last days, said he saw the man lying on the ground near an irrigation canal. He was badly wounded but still alive, the man told Associated Press Television News.

U.S. troops arriving on the scene wrapped the man’s head in an Arab robe and began beating him, said the local man, who refused to give his name or show his face to the camera. His account could not be independently verified.

Hint: The "lizardoids" at LGF do most of the work for you, if you need some ideas.

I'll admit it. Press accounts of the Haditha incident were so fast and furious, they had even me assuming that something happened, that maybe some Marines... well, to avoid further embarrassment, let's just say I thought something must have happened.

Apparently, there's quite a good chance nothing happened at all. ( littlegreenfootballs) And some bloggers are smelling Rathergate all over again.

All quite speculative at this point, and since even the President seems to have revved up the press to get some kind of return of blood on their investment in ink, maybe this will turn out to be one of those cases of bloggers' best hopes getting a little away from themselves. And if it is...

Well, I for one have been chastened.

If it comes out that those Marines did kill women and children, I will still support them. Terrorists are everywhere. You all know this, folks, I'm not telling you something revolutionary here. Terrorists can be women, they can be children. There’s no law saying terrorists are only Arab males between 17-30. I have no right to tell Marines in a combat zone that they have to answer to me back here in the States about their actions in a combat zone against an enemy that takes any form, uses any tactic, and breaks every rule. And as much as it may pain you to hear this, you don't have a right to demand it either.

There's a line between advocating Total War and reveling in mindless savagery, but it's neither fine nor pale. It's thick and bright. And every American can easily fall on the Total War side without fear of succumbing to the inanities of the media harangue.

You know, I really detest Michael Savage. I'd call him a Neanderthal, but that might unfairly imply that Neanderthals have a bizarre affection for poodles. However he does seem to be on the mark when he says Liberalism is a mental disorder. Even the best intentioned of us who were unfortunate to be reared during the decade of love can suffer from this vexing malady at times. Most Democrats, on the other hand, aren't so lucky. They're already infected, so no mere vaccine can prevent continued physical devastation at the mercy of the disease.

If the Haditha story turns out to be another case of media fraud, the Democrats could be in for a November not unlike the one they experienced two years ago after Rathergate. But I think the sights have been set so high this year, a failure this big could put their party into a coma for decades to come.

Our troops got a major Al Queda leader.

Expect the Dems to point out that Z did not attack us, and that he ain't Bin Laden. Hell, they may even point out that Z wasn't even a Republican. Surely they will claim that innocents died among those killed in the now demolished farm house. And we can expect a leftist environmentalist to purport that we needlesly polluted by using more ammunition than needed carried by more jets than required. And, John McCain may be heard to point out that Zarqawi was an illegal immigrant in Iraq and should have been given amnesty, or a banana, rather than explosive ordinance. Hillary Clinton may say that we were too vicious in calling him a terroroist and thereby suggesting that he enjoyed the deaths of his victims.

Thank God we did not capture Z, what a circus that trial would have been. Not to mention the stress on Ramsey Clark as he attempted to defend another mass murderer.

And which Democratic strategist will be ordered to put forth the theory that Z gave up his location so that his death would distract from the news that the Iraqis have finished naming their cabinet.

Sorry, I woke up on the cynical side of the bed today.

Congratulaions to our brave soldiers for this fantastic news, nothing the opposition can say diminishes this deed. And Zarqawi will never kill again.

Update: And this just in. Reacting to the news of Al-Zarqawi's death Robert Kennedy Jr. says that Bush stole the election, John Kerry says that he served in Vietnam, and Howard Dean states that without question the loss of Z should not be seen as a bellwether of the Dems chances to retake the House or Senate in the November mid-term elections.

Update 8:33am- Fox news is reporting that the price of crude oil has laready dropped a "buck a barrel" on commodities markets. Realy, that is what Steve Doucy said.

Update 8:36am- The USS Cole is setting sail today. The repairs are complete, and it has been scheduled to leave today, ironically it rejoins the Fleet on the day a major enemy exits. Too cool!

You may have heard, Ann Coulter is controversial.

In an interview Monday with Matt Lauer she said, in effect, that the Democrats are not brave enough to have their policy makers present their platform, instead they enlist the loved ones of victims to present their message for them. She repeated the charge last night on MSNBC with Tucker Carlson. The Democratic strategy, as she explained it, is to have these victim's family members present the message, because as victims themselves they are treated nice and can not be assailed for their views. Thus, the Democrats get their message out without having to do that messy thing, say it themselves.

And, since they don't have to say it themselves, they don't have to defend it. Cowardly, but to their minds, effective.

Coulter cites, as examples of victims trotted out for the kid glove treatment, Cindy Sheehan, the 9/11 widows known as the Jersey Girls, and that poor Joe Wilson fellow. All have received a pass for their remarks because of the damage done to their loved ones. Or, in the case of Wilson, the damage he says was done to his wife, we still have no evidence any harm came to her, or that if it did it wasn't his fault; but that is another story.

What Coulter said, spoken about the Jersey Girls, that is being spun to create a firestorm against her:

“These self-obsessed women seem genuinely unaware that 9-11 was an attack on our nation and acted like as if the terrorist attack only happened to them. They believe the entire country was required to marinate in their exquisite personal agony. Apparently, denouncing bush was part of the closure process.”

"These broads are millionaires, lionized on TV and in articles about them, reveling in their status as celebrities and stalked by griefparrazies. I have never seen people enjoying their husband’s death so much.”

My reaction, after seeing both the interview with Lauer and the one on MSNBC with Tucker Carlson, is that she is not being heard. What she is saying is not the meaning being attributed to her. Two normally normal bloggers, Cap't Ed and Ace, among others, have taken shots at her and miss the point. Ed even compares her to Ted Rall and says Rall got "panned" for his work, though the panner concludes about Rall (and Howard Stern), we should, "Let's avoid sensitivity censorship. Let them be.". Some pan.

I think I hit the important points in a comment left at Ace's place:

"You can't criticize Coulter for criticizing the Jersey Girls without proving her contention that they are being held up as beyond reproach.

That they are family of victim's does not make them experts. It makes them victims too. And there is no reason they should enjoy freedom from criticism for their opinions, which they do, and that is Coulter's well defined point.

Crying that AC is being callous is to fall into the sympathy trap. We are all being told to be nice to them, and we obediently suppress our reactions. And they enjoy that lack of scutiny.

Sometimes the word "enjoy" denotes a benefit received, not a pleasure experienced. "

The cowardly Democrats who hide behind them benefit too. And if one were to say that they are enjoying the criticism heaped upon Ann Coulter, one would also conclude that they are hoping to enjoy benefits from the controversy, and that they are experiencing a pleasant enjoyment from the belief that she is suffering. I doubt she is losing any sleep over this, she knows that they know that she is right. And now we all know it too.

Update: Found at geosciblog, a "cut and paste disclaimer" form to be used to proclaim that one is criticizing a former serviceman for his current politics, not his previous service. This is an area of the same concept that Coulter was revealing. I think she mentioned it, but it is not explained in the brief excerpt quoted above.

Addendum: Hillary Lashes Out- No news there either. Sen. Clinton continues the practice of using the "victims" as shields, and piles on the attack on Coulter in a further effort to distract from the Dems cowardly tactics. Oh, and the Jersey Girls are unaware that "enjoy" can also mean benefit, not just "joy", or "happiness".

Add this to the list of Democratic corruption, and ignorance. A college student who blogged his desire to kill all Republicans;

"I HATE REPUBLICANS.

yes. hate. i hate them. all of them. i wish we could have a liberal inquisition and do like the spanish, where we would go up to people and say "Are you a Republican?" and then if they said yes, we would kill them. with swords of course, guns would be illegal."

has been caught attempting to infiltrate Anne Northrup's Senate campaign using a fake name. No word yet on his intentions, they can not have been good.

The student, Robert I. Kahne, claims his "Hate" spiel was a "rash entry", and says:

"as to republicans. i do not want to kill anybody. im sorry if anybody got that confused for seriousness."

But his friend says he may have even "toned down" that post.

"As someone who has known Robert for many years, I am absolutely positive that he was one hundred per cent serious about slashing all Republicans - I bet he actually toned down this post a bit, since his favorite fantasy of burning all Republicans in abandoned concentration camps could seriously conflict with certain FCC clauses when posted under the domain "livejournal.com"."

-Wicked Impulses

Of course, one can expect all of his defenders to claim that his and their words are just jokes, sarcasm, or parody; but they are their words first, and we must await evidence that they actually like Republicans before we ameliorate the impression they have provided to us. And, Kahne's subsequent actions, offering false identity with the intent to infiltrate Northrup's campaign, make his and his defender's burden of proof even higher.

In fact, I feel quite confident in stating that this kid believed what he was saying, and that he truly saw it as the solution to the ills of the world he lives within. And there are plenty more like him who see the elimination of all Republicans as the only way to cure the nation's world's problems. And all of them would benefit from an anti-Republican de-programming. All of us would benefit.

The meme in liberal circles, which demonizes all Republicans, is absurd, and promotes hate. And if Yarmuth has a pair he will respond publicly to this fallacy by making it clear that he does not believe that libelous myth. What a pleasant change it would be for a Democrat to seriously challenge the hate-mongers within their Party by promoting their re-education. As a wealthy man from a wealthy family, Yarmuth could speak to the myth that big business is strictly a Republican province, and that big business and being rich is inherently evil. And as a man who grew up in the vicinity of Lincoln's birthplace Yarmuth could remind them that it was a Republican President who both preserved this nation and ended slavery in the 19th century. As a Louisvillian he could recall the local progress made through the Republican supported Civil Rights Act of 1964. As a magazine magnate he could use his publishing power to speak the truth. As a candidate he could offer his platform, without the now standard Democrat tactic of encouraging voters to discount his opponent simply because they are a Republican.

Perhaps Yarmuth is not capable of separating ideas from the (R), which alphabetically follows "P", which rhymes with "T", which stands for trouble.... But, in truth, simply hating someone because they are registered Republican makes as much sense as associating "R" with "P", then associating "P" with "T", and then associating "T" with trouble, and then concluding (R) equals trouble. Neither chain follows any rules of logic. And someone needs to tell the demented that it is so. As a blogger on a site with Republican in the title, even as a contributor who is not a Republican, I know they will not listen to that message coming from me. As a Democrat candidate, whose campaign is now marred by the misguided zeal of a member of his campaign, Yarmuth is now perfectly positioned to initiate the de-programming of the myth. He has the platform, the resources, the ear of the affected, and he should have the desire to prevent the kind of hate Kahne exhibited. Now we shall learn if Yarmuth, the man, is capable of leading his tribe out of the intellectual desert they now inhabit. He can begin with one simple message, hating Republicans solves nothing.

I strongly suggest this piece by Doug Hanson as "Recommended Reading".

I strongly suggest this piece by David Harsanyi as "Recommended Reading".

When we recently upgraded to the most recent version of MoveableType, it caused some havoc with our dynamic templates. In an effort to resolve the issues, I'm moving the blog temporarily to the default template so I can compare the old with the new. As I play with this throughout the day, things may look funky from time to time, and in the end, there may be some changes in the way the blog looks. I'll let you know when I'm done tinkering.

UPDATE: Well, I haven't fixed what was broken, and I'm still tinkering with some changes, but for now we're going back to the broken template, just so we don't leave anything missing that's supposed to be displayed. More later.

The Harvesters (a poem)

Shelby Steele, Michael Steele, Condi Rice, Thomas Sowell,

On and on goes this impressive roll

Of sons and daughters whose forefathers bore

With quiet dignity the chains they wore.

On the shoulders of giants they stand with pride

And take to the full what this land can provide.

Humble beginnings won’t stop their progress.

Clarence Thomas, Ken Blackwell and others no less

Distinguished. Men and women of this stalwart band

Are the harvesters of the Promised Land.

Mimi Winship 6 3 06

"Happiness depends upon ourselves."
Aristotle

I'm sure by now many of you have heard about the 6 year old girl here in Naples who has been charged with a felony for kicking a teacher's aide. The good news is that the charges have been dropped. But I just gotta ask... how would you like to be Debra Dolan today? That is the aide who, after being kicked, actually informed the school officials that she wanted to press charges. How much ridicule are you facing today, Debra? I mean, isn't an adult pressing charges for being kicked by a six year old girl sort of like this guy calling these guys to get help beating up this guy!

Yes, Ms. Dolan (and I fairly sure it is Ms.), little Takovia Allen was wrong to kick you, and yes she should be punished (it was usually a switch from a Willow tree or an occasional paddle-ball paddle for me, but a belt will work just as well). But as a teacher's aide - and in a special needs class, no less - if you can't handle a difficult kid or getting kicked in the shin without calling the cops, I think you not only need find a new line of work, you need to get a life!