Posted on 02/05/2002 6:02:28 AM PST by Jeff Head
As I type this, the:
DEPICT THE WTC FLAG RAISING AS IT ACTUALLY OCCURRED
petition has surpassed 150,000 signatures. It was three weeks ago today that this petition was started in response to plans by the city of New York and the Fire Department officials there in New York to create a memorial to the fallen fire fighters of 9-11 that included an altered depiction of the flag raising that occurred at ground zero on that fateful day. The alteration attempted to change the ethnicity and physical appearance of those that did the flag raising to a "culturally diverse", "politically correct" version of events. It was a blatant attempt to project what some thought "should" have happened and what the event "should" have represented over what actually took place.
This attempt has struck a raw nerve in many tens of thousands and now hundreds of thousands of citizens across this nation and the world (,hundreds have signed from Canada, England, Australia, Germany and many other places). I am sure of it were more widely known, it would do the same in tens of millions.
Revisionism of this nature occurred in totalitarian nations such as Stalin's Russia, or Hitler's Germany or Mao's China .... not in America. The liberty we enjoy in America is based on virtue and the truth. In order to make the responsible free will decisions that we make in this nation every day, we must have access to the truth and then act as moral agents on it.
Those politicians and planners and ideologs who proposed such an alteration are completely out of touch with the liberty and principles that make us all Americans. There attempts subvert the very foundational principles our Republic rests upon. Those three men who raised that flag did not do so as "whites" or "males" or any other descriptive term other than this one ... AMERICANS. The flag they raised represents us all, of all creeds, of all parties, of all ethnicities and races, of all genders. They raised it as a message to all, a message about our liberty and determination to maintain it in the face of the most appalling horror and dastardly attacks.
We have made progreee in this effort. The city announced over ten days ago that they would not raise the altered statue. They have indicated that they now have other plans. There is no official word on what those other plans are as of yet.
According to the second point of the petition, the petition will continue until plans are announced that portray a memorial with no political agenda and that is historically accurate.
I am moving forward with plans to deliver the first 100,000 signatures to New York in the next week or so. I have formatted 40,000 names for print and will complete the formatting on the next 60,000 in the next day or two and then have them printed, bound and shipped to firefighters there in NYC who will present them to the mayors office. I will follow this up with the second 100,000 as they are completed, and so forth ... as long as I can and as long as needed.
I want to thank everyone involved. Those who have signed, those who have spread the word, those who have unrelentingly kept the threads and the reoprts up here on FR and elsewhere on the internet, those who have prayed, and all of those who have donated any time or sent funds to help get these signatures to the City of New York.
If you want some heart warming, hope inspiring experiences .... spend a few moments browsing the comments on the petition.
I will close with my favortie comments to date, from signature 11497:
"WHAT A PATHETIC NATION WE HAVE BECOME when we have to alter history, and the TRUTH, to accomodate bleeding heart liberal, blood sucking interest groups. I am of hispanic origin, my parents were born in Puerto Rico, but i was born here, in the land God himself chose to be America. So what if the firemen who raised our glorious flag were white, they were AMERICANS, showing cowards we cant be pushed around. If you poor unloved, misunderstood crybabies want to be represented in the monument, take a close look and see that you are, in the flag itself. The glorious flag that will wave long after we're all eaten by worms. Political correctness has become morally and politically incorrect. Wake up and smell the coffee before we destroy ourselves. signed, an AMERICAN."Would that we all had such conviction and willingness to state and share it.
FRegards
Nine-banded Armadillo
Dasypus novemcinctus
Description
Body Length: 15-17 in. Tail: 14-16 in. Weight: 8-17 lbs.
The Nine-banded Armadillo is a cat-sized, armored, insect-eating mammal. Similar in form to an anteater, the bony, scaled shell of the armadillo protects it from attacks by predators. Unfortunately, armadillos often fall victim to automobiles and are frequently found dead on roadsides.
A prolific digger, armadillos dig many burrows, as well as dig for food. Distribution is often determined by soil conditions, since the animal will not survive in areas where the soil is too hard to dig. Many other wildlife species use and benefit from these abandoned burrows.
Although occasionally considered a nuisance by home owners, the armadillo's habit of digging up lawns is driven by it's appetite for grubs, which can also harm lawns.
Life History
Eats insects and other invertebrates. Skilled at digging for grubs. Occasionally eats berries and bird eggs.
Although breeding occurs in July, the embryo remains in a dormant state until November. Four young are born in a burrow in March. All four young, always of the same sex, are identical quadruplets and developed from the same egg. They even share a single placenta while in the womb. Armadillos are the only mammals in which multiple young form from a single egg with any regularity.
Habitat and Distribution
The armadillo is the state mammal of Texas. Originally native to South America, the armadillo now ranges as far north as Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Louisiana. Found in all but the western Trans-Pecos portion of Texas in a variety of habitats; brush, woods, scrub and grasslands.
Okay, if you need to get in touch with any other firemen, let me know...I have both family and friends with the FDNY.
Worldwide, bats are the most important enemies of night-flying insects. The 20 million Mexican free-tail bats that summer in Bracken Cave in Texas have been estimated to eat some 250 tons of insects nightly. In the Southwest and in Mexico, there is a growing appreciation for this small mammal which, like too many species, has been declining in numbers.
Mexican free-tail bats sometimes fly up to two miles high to feed. The bats migrate each spring from central Mexico to various roosting sites in the southwestern U.S., from which they emerge en masse on summer nights to feed on insects.
Other names: Black bass, Guadalupe spotted bass
Description
The Guadalupe bass, like other "black bass" including largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass, is not a true bass at all but a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae. Micropterus is Greek, meaning "small fin" and is a rather unfortunate misnomer arising from an injured type specimen that made it appear that the posterior rays of the soft dorsal fin formed a small separate fin. Treculi refers to Trecul, the French compatriot of Vaillant and Bocourt. Trecul actually caught the specimen. The Guadalupe bass is generally green in color and may be distinguished from similar species found in Texas in that it doesnt have vertical bars like smallmouth bass, its jaw doesnt extend beyond the eyes as in largemouth bass, and coloration extends much lower on the body than in spotted bass.
Angling Importance
Guadalupe bass do not grow to large size because they are adapted to small streams. However, a propensity for fast flowing water, and their ability to utilize fast water to their advantage when hooked, make them a desirable sport fish species. Their preference for small streams enhances their allure to anglers because of the natural setting where small streams are usually found. Specimens in excess of 3.5 pounds have been landed.
Biology
Both males and females become sexually mature when they are one year old. Guadalupe bass spawning begins as early as March and continues through May and June. A secondary spawn is possible in late summer or early fall. Like all other black bass, Guadalupe bass build gravel nests for spawning, preferably in shallow water. As with spotted bass and smallmouth bass, males tend to build nests in areas with higher flow rates than largemouth bass. When a male has successfully attracted a female to the nest she may lay 400 to over 9,000 eggs. The female is then chased away and the male stands guard over the incubating eggs. After hatching, fry feed on invertebrates and switch to piscivory as they grow older. Very young fish and older adults tend to include more invertebrates in their diet than do largemouth bass. Juveniles and younger adults tend to include more fish in their diets than do largemouth bass.
Distribution
The Guadalupe bass is found only in Texas and has been named the official state fish. It is endemic to the northern and eastern Edwards Plateau including headwaters of the San Antonio River, the Guadalupe River above Gonzales, the Colorado River north of Austin, and portions of the Brazos River drainage. Relatively small populations can also be found outside of the Edwards Plateau, primarily in the lower Colorado River. Introduced populations exist in the Nueces River system. Typically, Guadalupe bass are found in flowing water, whereas largemouth bass are found in quiet water.
Good to know so many good people care about what is honest.
Big Bend Ranch State Park
P O Box 2319
Presidio TX 79845
915/229-3416
Big Bend Ranch State Park, over 280,280.58 acres of Chihuahuan Desert wilderness, extends along the Rio Grande from southeast of Presidio to near Lajitas in both Brewster and Presidio Counties. It was purchased from private owners in 1988. Embracing some of the most remote and rugged terrain in the Southwest, it encompasses two mountain ranges containing ancient extinct volcanoes, precipitous canyons, and waterfalls. Big Bend Ranch State Park is home for a tremendous diversity of animal and plant species, including 14 species of bats, several species of hummingbirds, and at least 11 other rare plants and animals, including Hinckley oaks and mountain lions. The park also maintains a small Texas longhorn herd, a remnant of the property's ranching heritage (not a part of the official Texas longhorn herd based at Fort Griffin).
Sorry to have missed the 150,000 mark. I just got home, gave my huband a peck and immediately rushed to the computer to see if the petition had reached 150,000. How exciting!!!
Will close for now, have to run some errands but will be on later. God Bless all Freepers and all who love and respect this Country
A View of Palo Duro Canyon
History:
Man has inhabited Palo Duro Canyon for approximately 12,000 years. The Clovis and Folsom people first resided in the canyon and hunted large herds of mammoth and giant bison. Later on, other cultures such as the Apaches, Comanches, and Kiowas utilized the canyons abundant resources.
Early Spanish Explorers are believed to have discovered the area and dubbed the canyon "Palo Duro" which is Spanish for "hard wood" in reference to the abundant mesquite and juniper trees. However, an American did not officially discover the canyon until 1852 when Captain Marcy ventured into the area while searching for the headwaters of the Red River.
In 1874, Palo Duro Canyon was a battle site during the Red River Wars. Col. Mackenzie, under orders from the US Government, apprehended the Native Americans residing in the canyon by first capturing 1,400 horses and then later destroying the majority of the herd. Unable to escape, the Native Americans surrendered and were transported to reservations in Oklahoma. Then, from 1876 until 1890, most of the canyon belonged to the J.A. Ranch and was operated by Col. Charles Goodnight.
Tyrannosaurus Rex****************************Dinosaur Tracks
#154601 - "I lost both of my sons in WTC."
May God be with him and the families of his sons!
These signatures represent all of America .... they come from large cities and small towns ..... from the length and breadth of our country.
America is awakening!!!
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