JACE CALLED

Our Jace called me this morning. He told me lots of things. He told me to try not to cry. He told me he is in a wondrous place with lots of fire trucks and bears and cookies. He told me the Angels are making sure he is safe and warm.

Jace told me to tell his Mommy; "I love you Mommy"

Jace told me to tell his Daddy; "I love you Daddy"

Jace told me to tell his brother Andrew and his sisters, Madison and Georgia and Hayden that he loves them. He told me to tell his grandmas and grandpas and Aunts and Uncles and cousins and everyone else that he loves them too.

But he told me more. Jace told me that even though he wouldn't be with me; if I walk along a river, I'll feel him. He told me if I see a rainbow, I'll feel him. He told me if I see a bird flying across the sky, I'll feel him. Jace told me lots of things.

Jace told me most of all that he will wait for me so we can walk together in his wondrous place and hold my hand so I won't get lost and I can meet all his new friends.

Jace called and said he loves us all.....

Tribute To Jace Owen

Tribute To Jace Owen: "1. Angel Standing By - Jewel
2. Who You'd Be Today - Kenny Chesney
3. Godspeed (Sweet Dreams) - Dixie Chicks"

STILL GONE TODAY

As I awoke in the early hours of this day the first thought I had was that our precious Jace Owen is STILL GONE TODAY (as he will be for all days to come).

Jace's loving parents, his other relatives and friends and I will struggle to ever find a reason or meaning for the passing of this beautiful little boy after ONLY 5 months and 11 days of gracing us all with his presence.

I know now with a certainy that nothing can ever be taken for granted again. When a small child like Jace isn't allowed to breathe his way into his 163rd day I realize that absolutely anything can happen and this was just wrong!

I loved that little boy.....Jace Owen Thomas (born "early" December 11th, 2005 and passed away "far too early" on the morning of May 23nd, 2006) Jace's essence will live on in his parents and brother and sisters and all the other relatives and friends and for sure with me (his grandfather).

Our Jace is "still gone today".

The Light of My Life

Our Jace





At 10:03 a.m. on Tuesday, May 23rd, 2006 I received a call from my son and the Light of my life went out and will shine no more on so many that loved him dearly. My beautiful baby grandson passed from this place in his sleep on the morning of May 23rd. Jace Owen Thomas brought immense joy to my life and that of his loving parents and many other relatives and friends for 162 days and a few hours before the horror that is S.I.D.S. grabbed him without warning and in an instant Jace was gone. The worst 40 minutes of my life happened as I frantically drove the miles to my son's house screaming that somehow there must be a mistake or at least that I be taken instead of the baby but all I got was the tragic reality and endless sorrow.

Jace touched many hearts that he never even got a chance to know. When I last saw Jace he smiled broadly at me and I will believe that he knew me at least a little. Our memory of Jace will endure beyond all things as we struggle (as so many other families have) to understand how or why a precious and innocent child would be claimed. There must be a special place and a strong guardian for one so young and helpless. There has to be, right?

I hope anyone who may have begun following this blog site will understand and forgive me if I don't do too many posts in the coming days or weeks. You see, EVERYTHING has changed. Reality has been altered. Events or situations I deemed important are no longer so (and may never be again)

Controversy surrounds the 14th Amendment

CONTROVERSY SURROUNDS 14th AMENDMENT; DATELINE 1866-1868!!

The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states in Section 1; "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the law". There are four additional sections in the 14th Amendment that will not be discussed in this post.

As leaders in the Congress of 2006 begin to discuss and debate a possible change to the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution I thought it might be interesting to look back to its inception and the extreme controversy that surrounded its passage and the assertion of some that unconstitutional means were employed by the Congress of 1866 to "force" passage of what could very well be our most important Amendment because it defined "citizenship" in this country.

The 14th Amendment was proposed and ultimately ratified basically as support for the 13th Amendment (ratified in 1865) which abolished the practice of slavery in the United States. A main goal of the 14th Amendment was to define citizenship and provide Constitutional protection to "freedmen" residing primarily in the defeated southern States. As context the 13th Amendment was ratified by 7 southern States and certifed that those States were, at the time, full member States of the union.

Now for the controversy. In 1866 there were 37 States in the Union. After the 14th Amendment was submitted to the States by the Secretary of State on June 16th, 1866 a total of 15 States (or 40%) rejected the proposed Amendment. These rejections occurred between June 16th, 1866 and March 24th, 1868. The argument being that final ratification should have been deemed unconstitutional because there was not a three fourths vote in favor of the Amendment. In order to combat the rejection, Congress took extraordinary measures to turn the loss into a victory for the advocates of the 14th Amendment. Through a series of maneuvers known as the Reconstruction Acts, Congress made it possible to remove with "military force", the legally constitued State legislatures of 10 southern States. Some of these States went to court to gain relief but again through a series of legal maneuvers a decision on the constitutionality of the Reconstruction Acts was avoided. As a result essentially puppet legislatures were put in place in these States. Seven of these States carried out "military orders" and ratified the 14th Amendment (as a note; 6 of the 7 had previously ratified the 13th Amendment with the legislatures later removed to insure passage of the 14th).

An argument can be (and has been) made that the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution was never legally ratified and came into existence only because of numerous constitutional violations against several States.

It is important to remember as the current debate progresses that the original motivation for the 14th Amendment was as much about protecting the rights of former slaves as it was about defining who would be considered an American citizen. Regardless of the opposition passage of the Amendment as a protective reinforcement to the 13th Amendment was not only necessary but correct.

In the context of the question about children born in the United States from a parent who is in the country illegally, the premise that anyone born on American soil automatically becomes an American citizen can be questioned and probably should be questioned. The 14th Amendment was never designed to allow citizenship through an illegal act. There are already a few "exceptions" to the citizenship rule. They include; children born to foreign diplomats; children born to enemy forces in hostile occupation of the United States; and Native Americans born on tribal lands. The idea that children born from the illegal entrance to the United States should also be excluded from American citizenship may also have merit to reduce the controversy surrounding what actions should be taken when (or if) the parent(s) illegal status is discovered and what happens to the innocent child if the parents face deportation according the the law.

The 14th Amendment is too important for it's meaning to be diluted by the purposeful actions of illigal immigrants and the resulting exploitation of the children. A program of actual control of our borders and reduction of the numbers of illegal immigrants inside the United States would certainly relieve much of the pressure on this discussion but the 14th Amendment should also not be subjected to manipulation or abuse.

Time to Think

AN ISSUE OF FAITH

The release of the movie adaptation of the DaVinci Code has created quite a stir among many religious leaders and followers. The book has stirred controversy since its release in 2003. The book and the movie are works of fiction. The author nor the makers of the film have ever said they were anything other than fiction. Why are the "faithful" afraid and nervous about this subject? It seems like anytime a thought or speculation surfaces that may be contrary to what the "committee" decided was suitable for the Bible (in the early 4th century) lots of people get nervous.

It's all an issue of faith

Decisions about which gospels and teachings to include (or exclude) in what ulimately became the Bible (the book with the most sales in history) were made by learned men about 1700 years ago and they have been worshiped, defended, fought over and believed in ever since. Media hype in this "modern" age shouldn't cause a faltering in the faith of true believers.

Here's a little quiz;

Which of the following are true or false?

a) A bush on the side of a road in the desert suddenly burst into flames as a sign from GOD
b) Two of every species of animal on earth voluntarily climbed into a giant Ark to ensure their survival.
c) A woman named Mary Magdalene had a child fathered by a man named Jesus.
d) The waters of a Sea parted on command from a man named Moses.
e) About 5,000 people were fed a meal from a basket containing two loaves of bread and one fish.
f) All of the above
g) none of the above

Your answers to the quiz are not as important as the "faith" you carry with you. You either have it or you don't and a movie called the DaVinci Code shouldn't make any difference either way.

Think about it......

English IS our National Language

It's "Time to Think"
When one considers the question of whether or not English should be the National language, a better question might be; Why hasn't English been the official language all along?

The culture of the United States (with respect to language) has always been centered and based on the English language. Learning the English language as part of assimilating and becoming an American citizen has always a primary goal of immigrants from around the world.

Every school in every State across this nation teaches the English language as the foundation for learning. Let me repeat that. Every school in every State across this nation teaches the Enlgish language as the foundation for learning. Of course English IS our national language!

I heard an argument today that making english our national language may create problems with respect to issuing safety warnings to the public or hindering the ability of "various" immigrant groups to understand some rules, regulations or instructions. This position doesn't make much practical sense when you think about it. I would guess that there are probably immigrants in America from at least 40 nations and speaking no less than 20 to 30 DIFFERENT languages. In order to satisfy the "safety" argument, accommodations would have to be made for all of them. I accept that the predominant language of the immigrant populace now in America is Spanish (with a wide variety of dialects) but it would surely be prejudicial to single out that language for special treatment while disregarding all others. This issue alone makes a strong argument for officially making english the national language and should make it an urgent priority of immigrants to learn the english language as quickly as possible after legal arrival in America.

Once again, it appears obvious that the reluctance on the part of our "leaders" to make english the national language (as it should be) is more about votes (or the fear of not getting them) than doing the right thing. Making English the national and official language of the United States of America would be a strong symbol of national pride at a time in our history when national pride is badly needed.

What do you think?

Felony Amnesty for millions

It's Time to Think about this one.

If identity theft and or using a false or stolen Social Security card or number is a felony under Federal Law and if possibly millions of otherwise undocumented people are in fact, working in America AND using a false or stolen Social Security number, should ALL of these people be given amnesty for committing this felonious act?

This has nothing to do with the category of crime it is or may become to illegally enter the United States in the first place.

Are American citizens now being prosecuted for identity theft or creating or using false identification? If they are, why wouldn't (or shouldn't) the possily millions of illegal immigrants currently committing this crime also be prosecuted? And if the felony being committed by a huge number of illegal immigrants is NOT going to be prosecuted then NO American citizen should be prosecuted either and identity theft laws should be abolished.

An amendment currently working its way through the United States would not only allow the possibly millions of illegal immigrants that have committed this felony amnesty for the violation, but it would also make it possible for those same people to recover Social Security funds they have illegally contributed into the social security fund. WHAT!!!

An equally important question is; "Why is the IRS and or the Social Security Administration refusing to a) forward information to either the Justice Department or the Department of Homeland Security that could eliminate this criminal activity? or b) enforce current law regarding employers that hire illegal or undocumented workers?

Time to Think about some of these issues BEFORE any of us worry about the creation of any "new" immigration reform or "new" laws.

All Phone Companies NOW deny providing NSA phone call records!!

What are we to think now? Was the USA Today report simply false? Was this all just a big mistake or a planted story to stir up the media and the masses? Or are the phone compnaies under ORDERS from the NSA to deny the program "on grounds of National Security"?

It's Time to Think again.

The American people should expect the truth. We CAN handle it!

Bell South Says Company has NOT provided NSA with call records!!

Is the USA Today report false?

What's the real story?

VERIZON WIRELESS IS NOT PROVIDING CALL RECORDS TO THE NSA!!

In reply to a recent email I sent to Verizon Wireless (my cell phone service), a Verizon representative has confirmed that Verizon Wireless DOES NOT provide the NSA with its customers' call records.

The representative stated;""There have been recent articles suggesting that the Federal Government has been collecting the phone records of potentially millions of Americans as past of the war on terror. The stories specifically reference customer records of landline companies, including AT&T & Verizon".

He went on to state;"Verizon Wireless does not provide its customers call records, or any information from those records, to the NSA. Any suggestion in news reports that it does is utterly false".

Since I am a Verizon Wireless customer I have now been told that my cell phone records are NOT being given to the NSA. The Verizon representative did not specifically say that Verizon is NOT providing call records for its LANDLINE customers to the NSA and IF they are, this would remain (or should) an issue of concern to many Americans.

NSA BUILDING HUGE DATA BASE OF AMERICAN'S PHONE CALLS
It is "Time to Think" my friends
The revelation of the secret program raises many questions and should be cause for Americans to consider just how intrusive our government should be in order to "protect" the citizens of the United States. What's the big deal? Why should it matter if the NSA or the FBI or the CIA or the IRS compiles a record of each and every contact that American citizens have within (or outside) the borders of America? Is there really a violation of our privacy rights? Should we expect to be able to communicate with anyone we want to without it becoming the governments business? Is every American (by the very actions of this secret program) a "suspected terrorist"? If the NSA or FBI or CIA "requested" all of your banking or credit card transactions in order to possibly aid the "war on terror" and the governments efforts to locate our enemies, would that be acceptable as well? When the NSA or FBI or CIA asks your internet service provider for detailed records of your emails or web sites you've accessed as part of the governments efforts to "protect Americans", will you have any problem with that? Have these things already been requested and are they already being monitored without your knowledge or permission?

Did the telecommunications companies; AT&T, Verizon and Bellsouth violate provisions of the Telecommunications Act or their own customer privacy policies by "voluntarily" providing the NSA with phone records of millions of customers, just because they were "requested" by the NSA? Was Qwest wrong or somehow unpatriotic for opting not to provide the phone records of their customers to the NSA without a legal warrant or court oder to do so? Has the NSA (or other government agency) applied "pressure" of any kind on the three telecommunication giants to voluntarily comply with their requests?

What is the practical purpose of creating a database of billions of phone records and as President Bush stated on May11th, "we're not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans. Our efforts are focused on links to al-Qaida and their known affiliates". The President went on to say; "the government does not listen to domestic phone calls without court approval". What does that mean? Does it mean that domestic only phone calls are not currently being listened to or does it mean that court approval has already been given (and the public just hasn't been told yet) and domestic calls are being listened to at this time? How could the NSA "discover" any terrorist activity or plans if it doesn't listen to the actual calls? Does the NSA possess a list of all suspected al-Qaida (or other terrorist groups) members phone numbers and are attempting to "match" them with phone records from billions of phone calls made by tens of millions of phones used by American citizens or anyone else who is a customer of AT&T, Verizon or Bellsouth?

The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution states; "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the person or things to be seized".

Has there been any violation of the Fourth Amendment by either the NSA or AT&T, Verizon or Bellsouth?



TIME TO THINK

I would like to know what you think about this issue and look forward to your comments.

One question in the "Time to Think" blog is; "Will the United States government take the steps necessary to secure our borders and ports?"

If America is actually under threat from radical forces around the world as American citizens have been told by government official for the past several years, the answer to the above question should be a resounding YES. The cost of providing real security or considerations of the disruptions to certain goods or services or the political fear of upsetting particular voting blocs absolutely must not continue to prevent the much more important need to protect this country and it's citizens. We are now almost five full years since the "attack" of September 11th, 2001 which was the catalyst for all of the "war" plans and actions and "state of fear" that has been imposed on the American people and yet our borders have still not been secured. Our ports have still not been secured. Worse yet is the fact that there is still no major effort being made to accomplish these basic security goals, which means that even if Federal and State and local government leaders were to suddenly make the commitment, America would still be several years away from actual physical security. All other national issues must be below this on the national proirity list.

Individuals or groups around the world who do in fact wish to harm America and its citizens have counted on the massive bureaucracy that exists in America to effectively prevent us from protecting ourselves. They know that political and economic considerations among our leaders and our citizens will prevent or at least slow any real protective actions. A better question might be; "If there are groups or individuals that are committed to causing destruction in America, how many are already here because your government hasn't done what is necessary to protect America and its citizens?"

Any elected official (Federal or State) that doesn't put political party agenda's aside and any economic or social agenda aside and solve this border security crisis NOW, is simply not living up to the oath of office they took to protect America and its citizens. This is not a matter for further debate. It is past time for ACTION!

It's time to tihnk! What are your thoughts?

This is the first posting to my new blog site. My intention for this site is to stimulate the premise that it is indeed "Time to Think". I will be commenting on current events and other subjects that I hope will be of interest to those visiting this site. Please feel free to offer comments or to discuss subjects that are important to you as well. Perhaps together we can develop a voice that will create positive ideas and solutions for our future.