Sound Off!: June 2004

Wednesday, June 30, 2004

Off the Message Board: A Policeman on the Police State

Rutherford Freedom Forum member Liberty-Dog writes:

Sorry friend, with the passage of the 17th Amendment back in 1913 the nation ceased being a free Republic.

Those who think they rule DO RULE OVER US! Have you looked at your local police lately? I don't know where you live but I'm willing to bet your cops are sporting Marine style "Jar Head" haircuts. Their attitudes are not to serve the public, but to boss the public around!

I was a cop for twenty six years, retired as a captain. I see things that others miss. The police have now become the army of the governing elite. Politicians, bureaucrats and judges can ride roughshod over people without fear of public retaliation - they have their army to protect them!

Liberty-Dog

Tuesday, June 29, 2004

John Whitehead on civil liberties passing away without a murmur...

I agree with John Whitehead in his column One Step Closer to a Police State that we should be far more alarmed about the loss of liberty in America but you have to dig a little deeper as to the cause of the apparent apathy: with the media gagging nearly every dissonant opinion already it's no wonder that the rest of the people are being lulled into a false sense of security. And their representatives in Congress, nearly every one, laughingly betrays them. The slow roots of evil have taken such a hold in the schools, the colleges, the courts and federal government so as to strangle this nation to death with scarcely a cry being able to be choked out.

If it wasn't for the internet it would be too late already.

Anthony Rose

Friday, June 25, 2004

Taking Issue on Bush/Kerry Comparison

Responding to Neal Shaffer's election analysis for OldSpeak Magazine, Election 2004: Who are the presidential candidates and where do they stand?, Lynn Wagenet writes:

Please do a little more research before stating how close Bush and Kerry are on the issues. With regard to abortion, it is very misleading for you to imply that they differ little simply by mentioning that Kerry has said he would consider appointing anti-abortion judges. If you check further, you will find that he clarified his statement by saying, "I will not appoint somebody with a 5-4 court who's about to undo Roe v. Wade. I've said that before." (AP article, "Kerry Open in Anti-Abortion Judges.") This is weak support for pro-life judges indeed! All he appears to be doing is softening his past stance on filibustering any pro-life judge, and saying he would consider appointing them if it wouldn't affect the pro-abortion slant of the High Court.

In all other areas, he is clearly pro-abortion, with a pretty much 100 percent voting record on pro-abortion issues and 0 percent pro-life. He is even more strongly so than Ted Kennedy! On one hand, he attempts to appear middle-of-the-road to please the pro-life group; while on the other hand, he speaks at NARAL functions and strongly supports Planned Parenthood.

Sincerely,

Lynn Wagenet

Monday, June 21, 2004

Readers Respond to Whitehead's Column About Ritalin Nation

Sound Off! recieved quite a bit of e-mail in response to John W. Whitehead's column Ritalin Nation: Are We Killing Our Children?, some of which we have featured below. An excellent response also appeared on our Rutherford Freedom Forum message board from someone at NaturalFamilyCo.com. Jenny Hatch writes:

"I have been following the psyche community scam and pharmacuetical company profits for many years since my own experience of being forced to take their dope in 1989.

I have one bit of caution however for parents who are planning to take kids off of this powerful drug....do it SLOWLY!! Your child is a junkie just like any drug addict on the street corner and this weaning process should be done very slowly. When I came off Prozac in 1990, it was the most difficult thing I have ever done, and it was only by the grace of God that I was able to get off that nasty bit of toxic chemical. Prozac is chemically similar to LSD, and is considered MORE difficult to come off than drugs like heroin and cocaine. In fact certain de tox centers will not deal with prozac patients because of the extreme behavior, including violence, suicidal, and homicidal behavior that is exhibited as they come off these psychoactive agents."

Read the rest of Jenny Hatch's post.

Wednesday, June 16, 2004

Man Arrested for Distributing Pro-Life Literature

Dear Rutherford Institute,

I am responding to the newsletter concerning the man that was arrested for distributing pro-life literature.

I think it is absurd that any one should be arrested for peacefully passing out anything. This is an obvious violation of our Constitutional rights.

In the newsletter, it was stated that, "In addition, Institute
attorneys charge the City of McKeesport and its police department with failing to adequately train their employees about the clearly established constitutional rights of citizens to distribute literature peacefully." I find it hard to believe that the officer did not know that he was breaking the law by arresting the man. I think he falsely accused him just so he could arrest him.

I think this is just another sign of how much we as Christians really need to stand up for what we believe. For, if we don't, we will continue to be literally pushed around by the liberals. I believe this should be done peaceably, but we need to do it, for if we don't, who will. I also believe that we as Christians need to pray for our nation.

Doug Beck
Lima, Oh

See Rutherford Press Release : Rutherford Defends Man Arrested For Peacefully Distributing Pro-Life Literature

Tuesday, June 15, 2004

Ritalin Nation: Are We Killing Our Children?

Read Mr. Whitehead's column: Ritalin Nation: Are We Killing Our Children?

***

Mr. Whitehead,

Excellent commentary on Ritalin. Here is an alternative approach to ADHD www.aware.resultsproject.net

Rob Bjerk

***

Dear Sir:

You are not doing anyone a service with this misleading article.
As a father of a hyperactive son and later step father to a hyperactive son, I can tell you that you are totally wrong.

My son, born in 1970, was diagnosed as having ADHD, we followed the advice of our doctor and did NOT give him medication, and the results were tragic. He did terribly in school, refused to take tests or study, his school basically allowed him to graduate each year despite his difficulties. His behavior was a problem, he got into fights often, he was a problem in class and I had numerous confrontations with his teachers. We tried tough love, we tried rewards, punishments, cutting out artificial coloring, and every other kooky idea people like you suggest other than what he needed. He finally got so frustrated in 12th grade he quit school. His first year away from school he had 18 W-2's, he could not hold a job, he got into fights at work, could not take direction or learn procedures. He finally graduated night school after two tries and that was a gift. He went into the Army and eventually was given a medical discharge. It was in the Army that he was diagnosed with ADHD and given Ritalin. It calmed him down immensely and allowed him to think clearly. Now he is a senior in college and doing well, he has been switched to Adderall and it seems to be working well, it is because of people like you interested only in selling books and making money, that my son suffered for years and almost ruined his life because he did not get the chance to succeed that this drug could have given him.
In order to explain the rest of the story, I also helped raise my 2nd wife's son from age 8 who was also diagnosed with ADHD by a well respected and competent staff of child psychologists in New Jersey. In this case the child was totally out of control, doing irrational and dangerous things, he could not attend school as he was totally disruptive and incapable of existing within a peer group. He was given Ritalin and his whole demeanor changed. He was relaxed, he did well in school, his grades improved dramatically, and his relations to his peers improved and his relationship to his parents and his sister were markedly different. This would not have happened had his mother followed your advice.

Simplistic advice such as yours does no one a service. There are many cases where Ritalin does wonders for children who cannot function without it; to paint all parents who give their children Ritalin as self serving drug dealers who only want to sedate normally active children is fraudulent and inaccurate. Perhaps if you had one of these children and saw the pain they endure not being able to function like the other children, not being able to concentrate enough to learn simple procedures, not being able to sit still, not being able to think straight and then taking out their frustrations on their siblings, other children and their parents, then you might understand. You, however, can sit in your ivory tower and condemn and criticize parents who at their wits end give their children these drugs. You take no responsibility for the consequences if a parent innocently takes your advice and their child suffers for it. How many lives have you ruined by convincing parents not to medicate a child that desperately needed it? Do you keep records of your failures? No of course not, that would be counterproductive, that wouldn't sell books, that wouldn't fatten your wallet at the expense of children who need this medication.

Are there abuses of this drug, of course there are, just like there are abuses of every drug. Do some parents medicate their children unnecessarily, yes they do. Can you generalize and say that Ritalin is totally unnecessary and should not ever be used, no that is wrong. To say that Ritalin and its companion drugs are bad for children in general and counter productive is dangerous and irresponsible.

I am sure there are many parents out there who share my experiences and who can vouch for the fact that Ritalin has saved their child from an adulthood of frustration. Of course, these parents never seem to make it into your books or articles, they are inconvenient, an aberration and difficult to explain so you ignore them. They don't fit into your neat no "drugs for any reason" mindset. However, these people exist, and to pretend they don't and that Ritalin doesn't do any good for thousand's of children is deceptive and misleading. You are doing more harm than good with your generalizations.

Yehu Ben Zohar

Death in a Cigarette: Tobacco Smoking Should Be Outlawed

Dear Mr. Whitehead,

I would like to respond to your article recommending that tobacco smoking should be outlawed. If you believe the government should outlaw products that bring about death, then why stop with tobacco? The CDC believes obesity will over take tobacco as the number one killer in the U.S. by 2005. Should we outlaw the 170,000 fast food restaurants and 3 million soft drink vending machines in the U.S.? Alcohol ranks as the number 3 killer of Americans. That means no beer for your summer outings or wine during your evening dinners. Number 6 is motor vehicles. You better plan on leaving a few extra hours to make it to the movies

You've warned us that the government's fight against terrorism via the patriot act, is an illegal invasion into our private lives. Now you're telling us the government should be able to outlaw those products which could kill us if we choose to partake of them.

I think you've partaken of a product that for now, is still illegal.

John Henry

Death in a Cigarette: Tobacco Smoking Should Be Outlawed

Supreme Court Dismisses Pledge Case

Newdow didn’t have standing, and this ruling was expected. Standing matters. Besides, Scalia had already withdrawn, so this was not a good time to address the matter. The best “we” could hope for was a 4-4 tie, which would have left the Ninth’s ruling intact.

Todd Rich