The Tea Party isn't racist and Elvis never did no drugs....

Letters to the Jonesboro Sun: Public Transportation is Communist

The citizens of Jonesboro should be up in arms about what the Jonesboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) wants to implement. I attended a public meeting on Nov. 15 and was in total shock when I was told in answer to a question that these planners envisioned that in the near future our children, grandchildren and even older adults will be walking, riding bikes and buses rather than driving cars.

Across the nation cities are jumping on the "Sustainable Development" bandwagon, and Jonesboro has jumped into the fray. The United Nations cooked up this scheme, and it all is designed to sound nice and wonderful and make people "feel good" about their stewardship of the Earth. However, it is not a grassroots effort from local people. It is top-down central planning to control our lives.

I saw an ad in the newspaper for an MPO meeting and noticed there would be information on bike trails. At that point I became suspicious. I have read enough about this subject to know that the plan starts out innocently enough with bike trails, but the ultimate goal is a "carless" society. Eventually, the plan is to move everyone into densely populated urban areas commonly seen in Europe or Communist countries. One of the code words for this movement is "Sustainable Development."

Jonesboro's transportation study director, Amin Ulkarim, and Steve Ewart, director of the JETS bus system, conducted the meeting. They both were forthcoming about Jonesboro's MPO plan being connected to Smart Growth and Agenda 21. Smart Growth advocates the movement from cars to mass transit, bikes and walking. Agenda 21 is the U.N. plan that oversees all the global, national and local plans on global warming.

This plan will take away a tremendous amount of individual freedom. It is most definitely not about protecting the environment but rather about a political agenda straight from the U.N.

The Jonesboro MPO is gathering public comments. It would be well worth your time to research this for yourself and let the Jonesboro MPO know your feelings.

Joyce Jaynes

Jonesboro

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My analysis of Ms. Jaynes' letter:

A recent letter stated the Jonesboro MPO is a hometown agent in a grand and spooky conspiracy. To paraphrase the conspiracy: The United Nations is out to take away your freedoms by encouraging and planning alternative means of transportation like bike trails and mass transit.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. The letter spoke of the writer's suspicions of the MPO's loyalties and motivations. I was immediately suspicious of the originality of the "warning" posited by the writer. The notion of "sustainable development" is "code language" for "Communism and Europe" is all thrust and no vector with scary sounding language that creates a bogeyman in need of slaying. Damn those Communist bike trails and subways! This drivel is nothing more than "code talk" of the Clown Prince of Fox News, Glenn Beck, and is more deserving of a tin foil hat than any serious regard. The writer also failed to state completely Beck's hare-brained idea of sustainable development being part of Fabian Socialism's goal of depopulating the world because then it would just be crazy talk.
Fabian socialism was created in Britain and I can only assume this is why the writer muddled both Europe and Communism in the same sentence. It was denounced by ACTUAL communists like Leon Trotsky. Glenn Beck is historically disingenuous and cannot be mired in facts when he needs to warn every one of "potential dangers" which is unabashed fear-mongering and demagoguery. He thrives by providing false or misleading knowledge to those lacking the academic rigor to see right through his nonsensical and conspiratorial charade. In Hell, a round of applause can be heard coming from Joseph Goebbels.
I can't wait until Beck and the corporations take over the world so I can have a longer growing season, due to climate change, on my subsistence farm to stave off starvation. There won't be any urban commuters riding on the evil Marxist JETS system in Jonesboro. Plus, the Communists and the Liberals won't be out to get me anymore. In closing, only REAL® Americans drive inefficient SUV's and mass transit is for effeminate liberal-fascist-socialist-Nazi-Communists who eat children.

REAL American® Beatitudes and Anathemas

• Blessed is my avarice: For I can build obscene monuments to my religious faith to buy a better seat in the kingdom.
• Cursed are the poor: for they are ignorant and lazy, demand affordable healthcare and unemployment benefits, and sometimes unionize which marginally raises my taxes or hurts my business’ bottom line.
• Blessed is my ignorance of the rest of the world: for it makes me arrogant.
• Cursed are the knowledgeable: for they are elitists that want to raise my millage trying to improve education

• Blessed are public schools: for they are training grounds of future professional athletes.
• Cursed are college professors: for they might actually teach my children to think critically.
• Blessed is my arrogance: for I can boast of the land I exploit without consequence.
• Cursed are the meek: for they are weak and effeminate.
• Blessed am I who mourns: for I shall get my pound of flesh through litigation.
• Cursed are they who mourn: for they are opining for my sympathy.
• Blessed am I: for I have my fill and ignore those that hunger and thirst in front of me.
• Cursed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they just want “special” rights.
• Blessed are the cruel: for they shall keep us safe with torture and vengeance exacted on our enemies.
• Cursed are the merciful: for they are probably un-American pacifists, socialists, communists, or terrorist sympathizers.
• Blessed are the Machiavellians: for they shall obtain power by false piety and demagoguery.
• Cursed are the clean of heart: for they are usually not elected.
• Blessed are the war-mongers: for, by the sword, they can bring liberty and justice to world.
• Cursed are the peacemakers: for they want submit to foreign domination and sacrifice our freedoms to our enemies or cooperative international organizations. 
• Blessed are they that suffer persecution: for they are in the majority which is ALWAYS persecuted by the minority.
• Cursed are those that suffer persecution: for they have yet to assimilate and speak English

Letters to the Jonesboro Sun: Don’t Ask Don’t Tell

Mr. May and the homosexual "attack" on the Armed Forces:

"I am a retired soldier, and to allow open homosexuals to serve in the military is damaging to military readiness and will hurt the morale and cohesion of the unit."

I'm a veteran and I know too. Only REAL Americans® join the military and subscribe to lofty military ideals like honor, courage, commitment, semper fidelis, upholding the Constitution or serving their country, etc. This is why there has never been ANY homosexual in the ENTIRE history of U.S. military service. Hypothetically, if there are any gays in the military, they serve their country by hiding in fear of being administratively separated because their personal life is EVERYONE'S business. If DADT is repealed then the whole military will be over-run with gays who can never be discriminated against anymore! Homophobes discriminating against human beings or constant deployments aren't the real reason for a drop in espirit d 'corps or readiness—the gays are with taking too long to coordinate shoes with their camouflage. What is the world coming to!? This is an outrage!

"This doesn't hold true for Democrats who look at homosexuals as voters. This opportunity has pushed homosexual activists to begin applying pressure…" They work hard to be recognized as normal."

ALL homosexuals are abnormal liberal Democrats who eat babies--even the gay Log Cabin Republican voting bloc. They're trying to convert EVERYONE to their gayness by their outrage of not having equal protection under the law. They're so sneaky!

"They might even be Nazi-communist-socialist-liberal-fascists too!" –Glenn Beck

"I don't go along with their choice of lifestyle."

The gay banditos are out to tickle you with a pink feather boa which will magically make you "pick" the "choice" of intimidation, threats, bullying, and lack of career advancements.

"I merely want to tell them we're praying they'll see the light— before it's too late."

Just like Fred Phelps says "God hates fags!" because Jesus is a Republican and it's not hypocritical to cry "concerned" crocodile tears either. Remember when you point a finger; there are three more pointing back.

Letters to the Editor::Illegal Immigration: Part Deux

All non-Americans

I agree with Mr. Turman on the subject of Mexicans and all non-Americans. I have family in Northwest Arkansas; seems as if every time I visit there, the number is rising drastically with them.

The fact that they are hired by these true Americans to work for less pay is even still depressing; as our families need these jobs as much or more than they do. We all know they're worthier simply because they're one of us. Thanks to the greedy employers, ours are not able to make ends meet and are losing their homes. It's causing added stress on marriages as husbands are trying relentlessly to find other or any suitable work. My family members are victims here.

Legal or illegal, I still believe they need to go back home so we can pick ourselves up.

The people that run this country will never be affected by all this. Luckily, they're wealthy enough to live and maintain the lifestyles they've created for themselves. I will add that by being sly and dishonest is how most of them got to where they are.

I can't speak for everyone, but I, for one, am tired of seeing their taco stands, burrito stands, restaurants and convenience stores on every other street, corner or block. I am tired of seeing them operating businesses here after what they did to the Americans in New York. Their audacity to even show up here is enough to make any American want to literally bite nails.

Let up, Americans! Be leery that if they do somehow figure out how to take over this country that it just may cost you your bread and butter. Maybe not because you will have enough money set aside for you and yours. Sleep on this for a while.

Sherry Craig

Jonesboro

How I interpreted Mrs. Craig's letter:

"I can't speak for everyone, but every time I visit there the number is rising drastically with them. I am tired of seeing their taco and burrito stands, restaurants and convenience stores on every other street, corner or block. I am tired of seeing them operating businesses here after what they did to the Americans in New York. "

All problems in America are because there's a brown tsunami flooding this country by The Mexicans. They're engaging in a "reconquista" to turn Middle America into a hot bed of militant, radical Catholicism that will be called Aztlan with its capitol in northwest Arkansas known as Nuevo Mazatlan. It was radical Mexican Catholics that perpetrated 9/11 who were funded exclusively by road side burrito or taco stands and Tex-Mex restaurants--all fronts to terrorism. Also, they're corrupting our youth with their upbeat and dance-able salsa and mariachi music. BEWARE!

"We're better than they are and be leery that if they do somehow figure out how to take over this country that it just may cost you your bread and butter even if they're legal. They should all go home because of the added stress on marriages as husbands are trying relentlessly to find work.

Mexicans steal--especially jobs from husbands trying to find work because wives do not have jobs! This country is only for WASPs.

"The fact that they are hired by these greedy true American employers to work for less pay causing folks to not be able to make ends meet and are losing their homes."

We REAL Americans® can't be paying a few more cents on our produce by having actual immigration and drug prohibition reform causing immigrants to be paid a legal wage and treated fairly. We certainly should not be vigorously prosecuting human traffickers or businesses that exploit Hispanics. I mean Mexicans caused the financial collapse causing people to lose their homes--not unscrupulous financial companies on Wall Street. Right?

"Maybe not because you will have enough money set aside for you and yours."

Buy gold from Glenn Beck!

Letters to the Jonesboro Sun: Illegal Immigration

Assimilate, already

"In 1907 Teddy Roosevelt's ideas on immigrants is that you should insist that if an immigrant comes here in good faith, becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he should be treated with exact equality as everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, birthplace or origin.

But this is predicated on the person becoming in every way an American and nothing but an American. There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American but something else also isn't an American at all. We have room but for one flag, the American flag. We have room but for one language here — that is the English language. We have room but for one sole loyalty, and that loyalty is to the American people.

Well our government appears to have forgotten this. They refuse to make English our national language.

Nancy Pelosi even stated it is un-American to stop illegals from crossing the border.

If you slip into Mexico you go to jail. In the United States you receive housing, welfare and food stamps.

I have friends in Arizona who say crime among illegals is out of control. They fly the Mexican flag in their yards. If they love that flag so much why don't they go home?

If people who knowingly help illegals were thrown into jail, that would send them all back home, if they had no jobs and were cut off all aid.

Every president since Ronald Reagan is gutless, and Obama is the worst of the lot.

The stores and government offices make it easy for those people by posting everything in Spanish. They should not do this.

I have read that the Mexicans have bragged they will take over our country. The truth is they already have.

Not one word have I heard about what people running in the elections will do about the illegals. We need to vote out the incumbents and get people who represent the American people."

Burt Turman

Jonesboro

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My analysis of recent letter to the Sun:

1. You'll wind up in prison in Mexico if you attempt to immigrate there illegally. It's a well known fact that thousands of red-blooded Americans are jumping the border into Mexico to find gainful employment in an attempt to avoid starvation and to seek a safer living environment in drug cartel controlled border towns. Also, Nancy Pelosi said it was un-Mexican to stop Americans from entering Mexico.
   
2. If you don't have an American flag in your yard or use another country's flag as a symbol of heritage you should go back from whence you came. This country is only for REAL Americans® whose ancestors didn't hail from all over the world. I'm not sure about those Native Americans who might've immigrated illegally to North America during the last ice age over the Bering Strait land bridge though. Also, make sure you tell all those good old boys to either go back from where they came from or take that Confederate navy jack down and peel that sticker off their truck.
   
3. We should only speak English in this country because a majority speaks it! Majority is ALWAYS right. The rest of the world is multilingual and Americans shouldn't have to learn any language besides English. Also, Mandarin Chinese does not have the greatest number of native speakers either-- Luxembourgish does. All signs should have Luxembourgish on them!
   
4. Mexicans have already taken over this country with their current exploitation, I mean employment, by enterprising and cost cutting businesses that hire surreptitiously and pay them an illegal, below minimum wage taking competitive jobs like digging rice levies, picking produce, or landscaping jobs from pasty and flabby suburbanite Caucasians. Don't forget about how those Chicanos are placing you and your family in danger with their hard work ethic and tasty and delicious Tex-Mex cuisine establishments.
   
5. Also, every President since Reagan is gutless and Obama is the worst because if you disagree with me politically--well you deserve to be called sophomoric epithets just like an articulate middle school student in a cafeteria.
   

Socialist Indoctrination or Not?

Recently, President Barack Obama has been vilified for giving a speech to American school children. Their claims against the president are that he is attempting to indoctrinate their children into his socialist worldview. This has probably been the most asinine thing I have heard or read as of late. Regardless, of whether you agree with this political leader or not is a non-point to being just plain silly and saying this constitutes socialist indoctrination. We all indoctrinate children to a certain degree. If his indoctrination involves telling students to do EXACTLY what a great majority of our parents ever told us; work hard, stay in school, and the world can be your oyster, then I support this. I've included a video of his speech and a copy of the so-called "socialist" lesson plans that were distributed amongst students.

Here's a video of one of the crackpots.

Menu of Classroom Activities

President Obama's Address to Students Across America

(PreK‐6)

Produced by Teaching Ambassador Fellows, U.S. Department of Education

September 8, 2009

Before the Speech

1. Teachers can build background knowledge about the President of the United States and his speech by reading books about presidents and Barack Obama. Teachers could motivate students by asking the following questions:
   

   Who is the President of the United States?
   

   What do you think it takes to be president?
   

   To whom do you think the president is going to be speaking?
   

   Why do you think he wants to speak to you?
   

   What do you think he will say to you?
   

   Teachers can ask students to imagine that they are delivering a speech to all of the students in the United States.
   

   If you were the president, what would you tell students?
   

   What can students do to help in our schools?
   

   Teachers can chart ideas about what students would say.
   

   Why is it important that we listen to the president and other elected officials, like the mayor, senators, members of congress, or the governor? Why is what they say important?
   

   
   

   During the Speech
   

2. As the president speaks, teachers can ask students to write down key ideas or phrases that are important or personally meaningful. Students could use a note‐taking graphic organizer such as a "cluster web;" or, students could record their thoughts on sticky notes. Younger children could draw pictures and write as appropriate. As students listen to the speech, they could think about the following:
   

   What is the president trying to tell me?
   

   What is the president asking me to do?
   

   What new ideas and actions is the president challenging me to think about?
   

   Students could record important parts of the speech where the president is asking them to do something. Students might think about the following:
   

   What specific job is he asking me to do?
   

   Is he asking anything of anyone else?
   

   Teachers? Principals? Parents? The American people?
   

   Students could record questions they have while he is speaking and then discuss them after the speech. Younger children may need to dictate their questions.
   

   Menu of Classroom Activities (PreK‐6) President Obama's Address to Students Across America 2
   

   After the Speech
   

3. Teachers could ask students to share the ideas they recorded, exchange sticky notes, or place notes on a butcher‐paper poster in the classroom to discuss main ideas from the speech, such as citizenship, personal responsibility, and civic duty.
   
4. Students could discuss their responses to the following questions:
   

   What do you think the president wants us to do?
   

   Does the speech make you want to do anything?
   

   Are we able to do what President Obama is asking of us?
   

   What would you like to tell the president?
   

   
   

   Extension of the Speech
   

   Teachers could extend learning by having students:
   

5. Create posters of their goals. Posters could be formatted in quadrants, puzzle pieces, or trails marked with the following labels: personal, academic, community, and country. Each area could be labeled with three steps for achieving goals in that area. It might make sense to focus first on personal and academic goals so that community and country goals can be more readily created.
   
6. Write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their short‐term and long‐term education goals. Teachers would collect and redistribute these letters at an appropriate later date to enable students to monitor their progress.
   
7. Write goals on colored index cards or precut designs to post around the classroom.
   
8. Interview one another and share goals with the class to create a supportive community.
   
9. Participate in school‐wide incentive programs or contests for those students who achieve their goals.
   
10. Write about their goals in a variety of genres, such as poems, songs, and personal essays.
    
11. Create artistic projects based on the themes of their goals.
    
12. Graph individual progress toward goals.
    

    
    

    
    

    Menu of Classroom Activities
    

    President Obama's Address to Students Across America
    

    (Grades 7‐12)
    

    Produced by Teaching Ambassador Fellows, U.S. Department of Education
    

    September 8, 2009
    

    Before the Speech
    

13. Conduct a "quick write" or "think/pair/share" activity with students. (In the latter activity, students spend a few minutes thinking and writing about the question. Next, each student is paired with another student to discuss. Finally, the students share their ideas with the class as a whole). Teachers may choose to ask the following questions:
    

• What ideas do we associate with the words "responsibility," "persistence," and "goals?"
  
• How would we define each term?
  
• Teachers then may choose to create a web diagram of student ideas for each of the words.
  
• Have students participate in a "quick write" or brainstorming activity. Teachers may ask students:
  
• What are your strengths?
  
• What do you think makes you successful as a student and as a person?
  
• Teachers may engage students in short readings. Teachers may post in large print around the classroom notable quotes excerpted from President Obama's speeches on education. Teachers might ask students to think alone, compare ideas with a partner, or share their thoughts with the class. Teachers could ask students to think about the following:
  
• What are our interpretations of these excerpts?
  
• Based on these excerpts, what can we infer that the president believes is important in order to be educationally successful?
  
• Create a "concept web." Teachers may ask students to think of the following:
  
• Why does President Obama want to speak with us today? How will he inspire us?
  
• How will he challenge us?
  
• What might he say?
  
• Do you remember any other historic moments when the president spoke to the nation?
  
• What was the impact?
  
• After brainstorming answers to these questions, students could create a "cause‐and‐effect" graphic organizer.
  

Menu of Classroom Activities (Grades 7‐12) President Obama's Address to Students Across America

During the Speech

1. Teachers might conduct a "listening with purpose" exercise based on the following ideas: personal responsibility, goals, and persistence. Teachers might ask pairs of students to create a word bank at the top of a notes page that has been divided into two columns. On the right‐hand side, students could take notes (trying to capture direct quotations or main ideas) while President Obama talks about personal responsibility, goals, or persistence. At the end of the speech, students could write the corresponding terms from the word bank in the left‐hand column, to increase retention and deepen their understanding of an important aspect of the speech.
   
2. Teachers might conduct a "listening with purpose" exercise based on the themes of inspiration and challenges. Using a similar double‐column notes page as the one described above, teachers could focus students on quotations that either propose a specific challenge to them or that inspire them in some meaningful way. Students could do this activity individually, in pairs, or in groups.
   

   
   

   Transition/Quick Review
   

3. Teachers could ask students to look over their notes and collaborate in pairs or small groups. Teachers might circulate and ask students questions, such as:
   

• What more could we add to our notes?
  
• What are the most important words in the speech?
  
• What title would you give the speech?
  
• What is the thesis of the speech?
  

After the Speech

Guided Discussion:

• What resonated with you from President Obama's speech? What lines or phrases do you remember?
  
• Whom is President Obama addressing? How do you know? Describe his audience.
  
• We heard President Obama mention the importance of personal responsibility. In your life, who exemplifies this kind of responsibility? How? Give examples.
  
  • How are the individuals in this classroom similar? How is each student different?
  • Suppose President Obama were to give another speech about being educationally successful. To whom would he speak? Why? What would the president say?
    
  • What are the three most important words in the speech? Rank them.
    
  • Is President Obama inspiring you to do anything? Is he challenging you to do anything?
    
  • What do you believe are the challenges of your generation?
    
  • How can you be a part of addressing these challenges?
    

  
  

  Video Project:
  

1. Teachers could encourage students to participate in the U.S. Department of Education's "I Am What I Learn" video contest. On September 8, the Department of Education will invite students age 13 and older to submit a video no longer than two minutes in length, explaining why education is important and how education will help them achieve their dreams. Teachers are welcome to incorporate the same or a similar video project into a classroom assignment. More details will be released via www.ed.gov.
   

   Menu of Classroom Activities (Grades 7‐12) President Obama's Address to Students Across America
   

   Transition/Quick Review
   

2. Teachers could introduce goal‐setting activities in the following way to make the most of extension activities:
   

   
   

   "When you set a goal, you envision a target that you are going to reach over time. Goals are best when they are "Challenging," "Attainable," and "Needed" (CAN). For example, a good goal might be: 'I want to boost my average grade by one letter grade this year so I can show colleges that I am prepared.' But, every good goal also needs steps that guide the way. These steps keep you on track toward achieving your goal. For example, my first step might be improving in all of my subjects by one letter grade. My second step might be completing 100‐percent of my homework in all of my classes during the first week of school. My third step might be taking an extra hour to study for all of my tests during each marking period. My fourth step might be attending a tutoring session or getting an adult to help me whenever I do not understand something. My last step might be the most important: asking an adult in my life to check on me often to make sure that I am completing each of my steps. Your steps should add up to your goal. If they don't, that's okay; we fix them until they do!
   

   Let's hear another example of an academic goal for the year and decide what steps would help to achieve that goal…
   

   Now I want you to write your personal academic goal for this year and the steps that you will take to achieve it. We can revise our steps each marking period to make sure we are on track."
   

   Extension of the Speech
   

   Teachers could extend learning by having students:
   

3. Create decorated goals and steps on material that is the size of an index card. The index cards could be formatted as an inviting graphic organizer with a space for the goal at the top and several steps in the remaining space. Cards could be hung in the classroom to create a culture of goal setting, persistence, and success, and for the purpose of periodic review. (See the "Example Handout" section.)
   
4. Create posters of their goals. Posters could be formatted in quadrants, puzzle pieces, or trails marked as steps. These also could be hung around the room, to be reviewed periodically and to create a classroom culture of goal setting and for the purpose of periodic review.
   
5. Interview and share their goals with one another and the class, establishing community support for their goals.
   
6. Create incentives or contests for achieving their personal goals.
   
7. Write about goals and the steps to achieve them in a variety of genres such as poems, songs, or personal essays.
   
8. Create artistic representations of goals and the steps to achieve them.
   

   Menu of Classroom Activities (Grades 7‐12) President Obama's Address to Students Across America
   

   Example Handout
   

   
   

   Ok, so where is the indoctrination? I can't seemingly find it anywhere. Most of these two point bulletins seem to comprise of guides for the teachers and open ended questions for student to cultivate critical thinking. Yes, CRITICAL THINKING, a trait that seems to be evaporating in this country. We need more of this in schools. I think a philosophy, logic and reasoning, anthropology, and a history of science course should all be mandatory for every student to help instill a healthy level of skepticism and critical thinking in the future generations of Americans. I also think that all students starting from first grade on should be required to learn a foreign language and develop it to a level of fluency by high school. Languages that would be beneficial for America to be more competitive on the world stage are Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, and possibly French and Farsi.