Only way for "Occupy ..." to succeeed is to un-employ a lot of politicians

Occupy Wall Street, or any other convenient location where newspaper and television coverage might be, has become the latest American fad.

Right now, it is cool to be among the protestors. It is fashionable to make a little sign claiming to be among the “99%” of Americans oppressed by big business.

Let me first say that, I too, believe that Wall Street, or big business is partially responsible for much of the financial woes we face.

The other piece of this two-piece puzzle of what is wrong with America is our own government. Big business and our government have created a monster so large that I don’t believe even they can bring it under control … not that they want to.

First of all, I believe that a majority of the protestors, while they may believe in the cause, are only marching in protest in hopes of making the six o’clock news.

Americans are such hypocrites. They claim to want to tame big business but do their shopping at big-box stores that are among the leaders in corporate greed. They probably purchased the paper and markers to make their protest signs at the very same retail establishments that have made it their goal to put local family-owned companies out of business.

For many years, the word “monopoly,” was whispered any time a business became large enough to control even a regional market. Yet, with great skill and deliberation, a number of large businesses, from oil companies and grocery stores to lumber yards and even tax services have managed to organize into companies with enough clout, meaning money, to purchase political votes. That is what it is all about.

Protesters are saying, “Let us change big business.” We will never change big business until we succeed in getting rid of the corrupt political game. Our legislators don’t base their votes on what you, or I, want to happen in Washington. They vote based on what lobbyists for big business say. 

What is the most scary part of the whole scenario is that some politicians are becoming so brazen as to come right out and say, “We are doing it my way, I don’t care about your opinion.” We are dealing with just such an individual with our current governor who rammed Senate Bill 5 down our throats. Just how much money is it costing Ohioans to repeal Kasich’s idiocy?

My message to Americans is to stop looking for your personal 30 seconds of fame of having your face and cute little sign on the evening news. Exercise your right to vote and get the blood-sucking politicians who think that everything should be handed to Americans on a silver platter, a platter that they own and control, out of office.

Remember this as you watch the politicians make their speeches on how they will fix things and make life all rosy for you, if it looks too good to be true … it is.

10th anniversary of Afghan war means it is time to come home ... before it is too late

As we begin this last quarter of 2011, our country marks another somber milestone, the 10^th anniversary of our war in Afghanistan.

For our troops it will be business as usual, for our military personnel are operating as they have for the past two-and-a-half centuries. They fight whomever they are told to fight, and they do so in a manner which does credit to themselves and to our country.

As we mark this anniversary, it is time to step back and take a look at what we have gained. No doubt, our world is safer now than ten years ago, at least from some aspects.

I am bothered by the stories I see, and read, about the Afghan people. My take is that they really do not want us there in the first place. 

This seems to be not much different than the war the Russians fought on that same ground. I see shades of Viet Nam. The French fought, and lost, their war in Viet Nam some years before we arrived on the scene.

We are in danger of allowing history to repeat itself. The war in Afghanistan runs the same risk as Viet Nam. The minute that American troops cease to be in the front lines, taking an active part in the fighting, the Afghan army will fold and war lords will again seize control of the ground that our troops fought, and died, to win. We will, once again, have spent more than a decade fighting and dying for … nothing.

Yes, we are fighting for human rights, too. No one wants to see the brutality that goes on in many other areas of the world. The question becomes, “Is it really any of our business?”

America has, since the post-Civil War era, considered itself the watchdog of the world. The problem seems to be though, that we think that our ways are always the best. This trait was not formed in America, it was brought across the seas from our European forefathers, but once on American soil, we sure perfected it.

Look at our ancestor’s attitude toward the American Indian tribes. Rather than even attempt to live with them, we just decided force them to live by our rules, in the tiny corners of the country that we were “kind” enough to grant to them. What gave us the right then? There were more of us and we were better armed. But, were we better people for it? 

Along the way, we also fought for some legitimate and noble causes, primarily in the two World Wars.

By and large, though, the majority of our wars have had serious political undercurrents. Afghanistan is no different. One has only to look at President Obama’s timeline for troop withdrawal. Do you think it coincidence that the bulk of American troops are scheduled to come home two months before the 2012 presidential elections? It is not just Obama. Politicians have been using our military as pawns for years.

Our political leaders’ single biggest mistake in wars is in not fighting to win. Sure, there are political implications with bringing in additional troops or taking a certain piece of ground. But we owe it to our troops to fight to win, rather than feeding them piece-meal into a grinder.

During the Korean War, General Douglas MacArthur said, “There is no substitute for victory.” This American hero and Medal of Honor holder was relieved of duty shortly thereafter. The American political machine did not listen then and they still are not listening.

It is time for America to get out of the Middle East. It is time for Americans to live and let live. We must stop trying to force our way of life on others. I wonder if it ever occurred to our leaders that “they” would leave us alone if we would only leave “them” alone.

"The Onion" should be criminally charged for latest tastelessness

Mike Ullery

Chief Photographer

mullery@dailycall.com

Earlier this week, a Web-based satire “news” source, The Onion, released a story stating that U.S. Congressmen were holding school children hostage, at gunpoint, inside the Capitol.

The Tweets caused quite a stir around the country.

News stories, legitimate news stories, on Friday, were discussing The Onion’s latest escapade. One news source defended The Onion’s right to post such crap, claiming their “humor” is protected by the First Amendment.

I sincerely hope that federal investigators find cause to charge Onion officials with felony counts of inducing panic. The Onion, and their followers, can claim an attempt at humor all they want but the fact is that, not only, is such a “joke” not humorous, it is downright cruel.

I am all for protecting the First Amendment. I am also for prosecuting, to the full extent of the law, anyone who causes grief or panic among Americans by their blatant disregard for their fellow citizens.

I saw a post on Facebook following The Onion’s assault on the American public, to the effect that “It’s The Onion,” In other words, one should automatically know the information was false. I do not agree.

As our country slips more and more to “citizen journalism,” the line between real, professionally-gathered news and the unconfirmed and many times just flat out untrue reports is growing increasingly difficult to decipher.

Throw in the tragic events of incidents such as Columbine, and you have to realize that even attempting humor related to potential harm to Americans, especially in the halls of Congress, is far beyond distasteful. It is, in fact, criminal.

It is sad that Americans have descended to the depths of what is considered humor and satire. Even on the “higher-class” end, you have late night talk show hosts such as David Letterman, using the misfortune of others as the basis for the rants that he calls humor. At the other end of the spectrum, we have Websites like The Onion. Nothing they say is humorous. They are an insult to the intelligence of the American people.

On television, programs like Family Guy are just downright vulgar. I believe that the reason they do the shows in cartoon format is lull viewers into thinking the “characters” are funny. Have our values sunk to such levels where we actually mistake this crap for entertainment?

That fact that these shows are cartoons just invites our children to watch. Too many parents, who are more worried about themselves than family values, just sit there and allow their children to watch the programs.

Some of you, especially the younger crowd, will undoubtedly say that I am just old-fashioned. Yes, I am. What is wrong with that? I was raised with the values set by my parents. They would have been just as disgusted with what is going on in America today as I am.

This is not about a generation expressing themselves and we old fogies just don’t understand. This is about basic values that we all should have, and live by.

Dog attack incident reveals mis-placed values

By Mike Ullery
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com

Last Sunday evening, a Piqua woman suffered horrific injuries at the jaws and claws of two dogs.

Ms.Sandra Getzendiner was minding her own business, peddling her bicycle over a bridge, when out of nowhere, the two Pit Bull Terriers attacked her and were in the process of tearing her to pieces. If not for the brave actions of several passers-by, it is doubtful that Gentzendiner could have survived the attack.


As is usual for me after covering an event, I came away with some observations.

It never ceases to amaze me when a situation such as this occurs, the number of people who seem to be far more concerned with the animal than the human being.

Don't get me wrong. I love dogs. I love most all animals. Unlike some folks, however; I believe that I can put things into perspective.

I was at the scene of the incident. (The Piqua Daily Call was the only news organization there, by the way.)

After the investigation and activity related to the attack wrapped up on Sunday evening, I proceeded to do our "newspaper thing" of checking facts and details, along with gathering more information as it became available. Part of thiswork flow was to post what we knew on our Facebook page, along with a photograph.


We were quickly besieged with responses. One of the first was from a reader who demanded that I apologize for running a photograph of a dead dog surrounded by officers who had just shot it. Before I had time to form a response, a number of readers offered a differing opinion. The comments were interesting. I am pleased that many were sound and reasonable. A few of them just left me scratching my head.

I quickly saw two thing happening. First, I noted the few people who were flat-out more interested in "the poor animals," than in the fact that those two dogs had nearly killed someone.

I literally had more comments concerning a photograph of a dead dog than we received the last time we published an image of a deceased human. That fact alone turns my stomach more than any photograph ever could.

The second thing that I noted was, in these days of "I-Witness Reporters," an appalling lack of accuracy to "I-Witness" reports and just flat-out unsubstantiated incorrect information. It did not take long for me to wonder if I was covering a totally different dog attack.

Posts ran a gamut of whether, or not, the second dog had been apprehended or killed to people stating that they "had heard" that the dog attack victim had died of her injuries. I even heard someone claim that police found torn-off human limbs in the woods. Where do people come up with this stuff?


What is most sad is that many news organizations are using the "I-Reporter" route in an ever-increasing fashion. Why? They do it so that they can save money. They do it to make the general public feel "connected" to the station.

All that is happening is that, in exchange for an individual getting his thirty seconds of fame, the public is getting everything from incomplete facts to flat out lies.

The bottom line? Their company management cares less about covering news and doing so ethically and accurately than they do about their own bottom line.

The good news in all of this is that Getzendiner is reported to be doing well following surgery and is on the mend. She is proving to be a very popular lady and the outpouring of support and prayers for her is heartwarming.

I hope that we can all learn something from this near-tragic incident. Most importantly, a human life is far more important that any animal.

Remembering tragic events ... now, and forever

By Mike Ullery

Chief Photographer

mullery@dailycall.com

It is difficult to believe that 10 years have passed since that tragic day in September of 2001.

Much has changed since four aircraft, taken over by terrorists, altered the way we live.

I am still saddened and angered by the alterations and adaptations we have been forced to make in the days and years following September 11, 2001.

In spite of the fact that many terrorists, including 9/11/01 mastermind Osama Bin Laden have been killed, we are still puppets being played by terrorists and terrorism.

Surveillance cameras can be found, (or not found), everywhere. Our every move is monitored. Some good has come from this as the cameras also serve to assist in identifying and locating criminals. The bottom line is that we have surrendered our freedom to not have lives monitored by “big brother.”

Anyone wishing to travel, especially by air, is subjected to time consuming and, in many cases, humiliating searches in order to board an aircraft.

The TSA released a statement this week stating that Americans are safer now that we were in 2001. My question is, “At what cost?”

In my mind’s-eye, I envision terrorists sending carefully worded messages to each other, hinting at possible terror plots in the United States, fully aware that these messages are being intercepted and read by our counter-terror experts. They write these messages, while seated in their Lazy Boy recliner, never intending to actually perpetrate the terror act. They can just have fun watching us go nuts trying to stop them … and at the same time, further eroding our formerly unalienable rights.

We will not have won anything until the day we can climb on a commercial aircraft in this country without undergoing X-rays and a full-body search.

I do not care if it takes profiling to get the job done. I have no sympathy for Muslims living in this country. When their freedom of religion interferes with our freedom and endangers our very lives, get rid of them. From where I stand, they have done nothing to assist in our efforts to eradicate Muslim terrorists from our country. Sitting idly by is the same as offering a helping hand.

As we prepare to commemorate the anniversary of this solemn day, I know that all of us will take a few moments to remember exactly where we were, and what we were doing, when we began receiving news that those gutless hijackers-turned-executioners were killing thousands of innocent Americans.

We need to honor and remember the victims. We must also honor the sacrifices made by police, fire and rescue personnel on that day, and in succeeding days.

Many communities, including our own, are holding events to remember 9/11/01. The Piqua community will be holding A Day of Honor at Fountain Park on Sunday. It is important that we never forget and that we continue to honor everyone whose lives were touched by those acts of terror.

I can’t help but notice the comparison in this 10th anniversary of 9/11/01 to recent anniversaries of Dec. 7, 1941. Just because we have lost most members of the generations who were alive to witness the tragic “Day of Infamy,” does not lessen the day’s impact on our world. Yet, many of our children do not even know what happened on that December day in 1941.

Both dates mark terrible tragedies. Let us never forget either, lest we be doomed to let history repeat itself, again.

Looking for a candidate? Don't trust national media for truth.

By Mike Ullery

Chief Photographer

mullery@dailycall.com

Some of you may have noticed already. Political “season” has begun.

Republicans, Democrats, Tea Party and others are digging their soap boxes out of the wood shed and getting ready to hit the campaign trail for Presidential Race 2012.

The list of candidates throwing their hat into the ring becomes longer each day. Many candidates have already begun campaigning.

I like to think of this initial phase of the campaign as the one in which candidates find out which election promises that will never be kept are the ones that get the most cheers in a given city.

I am also growing to believe that a majority of failed campaign promises are not necessarily the fault of any given candidate. Rather, once the newly-elected politician is sworn into office, he, or she, finds that the gargantuan bureaucratic monster that has been created over the past 235 years prevents most meaningful legislation from ever seeing the light of day.

I also believe that wealthy corporations and individuals who are powerful lobbyists for their personal agendas have been allowed to be the wrench in the machinery for far too long. Too many politicians are under the influence, in varying degrees, of these lobbyists. A majority of legislation that passes through our federal, and to a lesser extent state, legislatures, is in my opinion, formulated and filtered to make sure that powerful lobbies make money, or at least don’t lose money. What is best for citizens doesn’t even enter the equation.

So how do we go about choosing our candidates?

Some of us do listen to speeches and read quotes directly from the candidates. Many of us form our opinion based on what we read in the news. I believe that is a very dangerous way to make a personal choice for a candidate for office.

It is no secret that large news organizations are some of the most biased organizations in the world. When it comes to politics, America’s national media can make the National Enquirer look like a reputable news source.

All of them, yes all, love to do whatever they can to make a candidate, or office holder, look bad. I think back to the brew ha ha that was made when then-President Gerald Ford slipped coming down the steps of Air Force One. The national media laughed at him and implied Ford was clumsy. In fact, Ford was a very accomplished athlete, playing football for the University of Michigan. Ford was even offered a contract by the Green Bay Packers.

When our political candidates are not making physical missteps, the media searches for gaffes made in speeches. I know that I want the person who receives my vote for president to be able to think and perform well under pressure but anyone can make a mistake.

There have been studies done that show how our presidents age substantially during their term in office. I believe that it is as much due to a thoughtless and ruthless media as it is to the “normal” pressure of running our country.

I don’t claim to know the history of how or why our major news organizations became so one-sided for whatever political party they support but I am convinced that money was, and probably still is, involved.

I am in no way saying that the press should not report on the activities of our candidates and elected officials.

What I do know is that shopping for the candidate that deserves our vote in November 2012 is too important to be entrusted to our biased national media.

It is both sad and scary that our national media, in whom so much faith is entrusted to inform us of facts, is more worried about making sure that the proper political spin is put on a story so as to ensure that their personal favorite candidate or party is shown in light they wish to shine, than about truth and honesty.

Ohio Governor the reincarnation of Darth Vader?

As we head into the final months of 2011, I am beginning to our Buckeye State in a different light.

I believe that we live in part of a galaxy far, far away.

I’ve come to that conclusion that our governor is an incarnation of the evil Darth Vader.

First of all, my apologies to Vader. In spite of all of your evilness, I must give you credit. At least you were honest about your evil intentions. I am sorry to mention your name in the same vein as the evil John Kasich, who is proving to be as much a liar as he is evil.

Kasich built his version of the death star and named it Senate Bill 5. Just as Vader preyed on innocent societies, our governor is looking to kill off professional teachers, firefighters and police officers. His plan is to drive them out of Ohio by making it impossible for them to negotiate fair contracts with the Emperor.

Our governor’s latest magic act, to pretend that he is a fair and reasonable ruler who wishes to sit down and discuss SB5, now that it is firmly a ballot issue in November, is nothing more than a flat out lie to Ohioans.

Kasich has seen the light. Only, the light is the glow of our own Rebel Alliance as we close ranks to foil his latest treachery.

It is time to let our governor and his minions, (I will not use the metaphor “storm troopers” as I do not wish to imply that our Ohio Highway Patrol troopers, for whom I have a very high regard, are anything less than a first class organization,) know that Ohioans will not put up with his Darth Vader tactics.

He, and a few others, are attempting to make our firefighters, police officers and teachers look like the bad guys in this saga. They just want a fair shake.

I doubt you will find anyone in the above-mentioned groups who will disagree that changes need to be made in the way that we spend money. They just don’t want to be the innocent folks on some distant planet that Vader disintegrates with his laser blaster just to make a point.

 

Changes need to be made. Cuts need to be made. I fear that unless the first change is the removal of our own Darth Vader and his evil empire, it could spell the death of Ohio as we know it.

We must stop Darth Kasich from carrying out his personal vendetta against hard-working professional who have dedicated their lives to teaching and serving others.