http://www.standeatherage.com Thu, 9 Sep 2010 01:44:10 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/148/6/perry-v-schwarzenegger-california-becomes-the-latest-battleground-for-gay-marriage-rights.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/148/6/perry-v-schwarzenegger-california-becomes-the-latest-battleground-for-gay-marriage-rights.html Ripped from the headlines…

On August 4, a federal court in California struck down the gay marriage ban, popularly known as Proposition 8, and handed a victory to thousands of gays and lesbians who demanded they be entitled to “marry” their partners. Civil unions weren’t good enough, for in their eyes they are a “separate-but-equal” classification that made them feel like second class citizens. True equality was their desire. From plaintiffs’ standpoint,... Read More]]> Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:57:18 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/146/6/barack-obama-doesn-t-care-about-the-economy-part-i.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/146/6/barack-obama-doesn-t-care-about-the-economy-part-i.html (The twin disasters of the Stimulus Package and the response to the Gulf Oil Spill)

Or maybe he just continuously takes is eye of the ball. Then again, I rather like the Kanye West’s approach to summing up complex issues, as he did in his evaluation of George W. Bush’s response to the Hurricane Katrina natural disaster. In fact, maybe Kanye could write this piece himself about Barack Obama’s apathy towards the economy; however, considering Kanye’s education level an... Read More]]> Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:47:40 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/143/6/charity-comes-from-the-heart-and-not-from-laws.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/143/6/charity-comes-from-the-heart-and-not-from-laws.html Publisher's Note: Our most prolific contributor, Diane Rufino, will have her uncharacteristically short editorial published in the Greenville Daily Reflector in the next few days as a response to another opinion piece published in that same publication by Etsil S. Mason of Farmville, North Carolina. Mrs. Rufino is certainly doing her part to further President Obama's, and all Democrats', desire to countinue our "national discussion on race."

Located directly below Diane's short op-ed is Ms. M... Read More]]> Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:12:00 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/140/6/outrage-muslims-plan-mosque-at-ground-zero.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/140/6/outrage-muslims-plan-mosque-at-ground-zero.html Please bear with me on this one because this is a very sensitive topic for me.

I don't know about you, but when I watch the footage of 9/11, I can remember it all just as clearly as the very day the carnage and destruction actually occurred. We lost our innocence and naiveté, and without a doubt, our way of life has changed. We can no longer look thru rose-colored glasses and see the best in people. We can't assume that all people want the best for their children and strive for a bet... Read More]]> Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:52:34 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/137/6/immigration.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/137/6/immigration.html "It's a Sad Day When our President Twists our Constitution to Protect Illegal Immigrants Rather than Besieged American Citizens"

We have a President who is complicit in the flagrant lawlessness by illegal immigrants. Arizona takes the first step to stop him.

Immigration is a bitterly contested issue in the United States right now. Currently, there are about 10.8 million illegal immigrants living and working in the shadows. It is approximated that at least 1/3 of all Hispanics a... Read More]]> Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:00:20 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/135/6/charges-of-racism-are-hurtful-for-both-sides.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/135/6/charges-of-racism-are-hurtful-for-both-sides.html Publisher's Note: Diane Rufino delves into a subject that has long been one of her major concerns - racism. Many Liberals strongly believe that, "it is high time to have a national discussion on race." Well here it begins from the bowels of Beaufort County Now: Diane Rufino Style.

The Author's Note: The theme originated as a post on my blogsite. The article below actually represents a running thread of several posts and includes comments which criticize my points. The criticisms are clearly... Read More]]> Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:54:40 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/131/6/the-secondary-effects-doctrine-and-religious-respect.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/131/6/the-secondary-effects-doctrine-and-religious-respect.html (how this doctrine can be applied to our current dilemma over Religion - to help get it back into our Schools and into public life, without offending the current “Separation of Church and State” jurisprudence)

In light of the serious consequences that have resulted directly from the removal of religion in our schools and in our society, I wish to propose a possible legal pathway to the re-introduction of religion.
There is a doctrine, called the “Secondary Effects” d... Read More]]> Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:32:10 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/124/6/why-don-t-we-just-retire-the-word-racism.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/124/6/why-don-t-we-just-retire-the-word-racism.html These past few weeks, I've heard all kinds of people, celebrities, groups, and even animals (ie, the New Black Panther Party) label the TEA Party as "racist." The TEA Party is the only truly patriotic group to have emerged in recent memory and it angers me to hear ridiculous claims leveled against them. If "racist" is used synonymously with "intelligent" and "patriotic," and "honorable" and "respectable," then I guess I won't mind. ... Read More]]> Mon, 19 Jul 2010 11:53:13 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/119/6/constitutional-watch-christian-legal-society-v-martinez-the-supreme-court-just-doesn-t-get.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/119/6/constitutional-watch-christian-legal-society-v-martinez-the-supreme-court-just-doesn-t-get.html Christian Legal Society Chapter of the University of California, Hastings College of Law v. Martinez Fall Term (October) 2009, Decided June 28, 2010

On June 28th, the Supreme Court handed down yet another disappointing and discouraging decision regarding religious expression and association in this country. It seems that the Court with the responsibility to preserve the intention and integrity of our Constitution and to see that it is faithfully executed and respected, has turned its back on th... Read More]]> Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:00:42 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/117/6/constitutional-watch-the-mcdonald-case-the-supreme-court-gets-it-right.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/117/6/constitutional-watch-the-mcdonald-case-the-supreme-court-gets-it-right.html On June 28, 2010, the Supreme Court decided one of the most important Second Amendment cases in U.S. history. McDonald v. City of Chicago. It marks a huge victory for conservatives, for Constitutionalists, for the NRA, and for common sense. This case represents a consolidation of cases filed against the Northern District of Illinois against the City of Chicago and Village of Oak Park challenging their gun ban laws which prohibit the possession of most handguns. Petitioners challenged the Chicag... Read More]]> Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:40:22 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/111/6/what-is-going-on-with-the-hospital.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/111/6/what-is-going-on-with-the-hospital.html Publishers Note: Generally, we mostly just publish Delma Blinson's excellent well-considered news and commentary on the on-going condition of the public school system, and how it each of us; however, this treatise on the condition of the Beaufort County Medical Center is so thorough in its questioning of its past and current practices that I would be remiss if I did not provide this fine opinion piece to our readers.

Mr. Blinson's editorial begins with the premise that he recieved an MP3 ... Read More]]> Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:00:26 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/106/6/barack-obama-doesn-t-care-about-the-environment.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/106/6/barack-obama-doesn-t-care-about-the-environment.html I know he cares about staying in office, and when possible, does as his constituents wish, but does he truly have a passion for saving the fragile wetlands and estuaries of the Gulf of Mexico from the onslaught of oil currently spewing from British Petroleum’s destroyed Deepwater Horizon rig? I don’t believe so.

Just as Kanye West announced to the world, “George Bush doesn’t care about black people,” when making an analysis as to the effectiveness of the Bush Admi... Read More]]> Wed, 30 Jun 2010 09:56:29 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/102/6/don-t-squander-your-gifts-or-sell-your-soul.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/102/6/don-t-squander-your-gifts-or-sell-your-soul.html My friend Chris Dresp recently started a blogsite, "Return to Honor," as a forum where she can vent her frustrations through discussion. She initiated a blog called "It Just Does Not Compute" in which asked: "When was it decided that the terms 'Conservative' or 'Republican' automatically equated to greedy, racist bigots?" She went on to describe how it was the Republican party which finally stood for the abolition of slavery (in fact the party emerged specifically to address the issue of slave... Read More]]> Wed, 30 Jun 2010 09:45:59 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/101/6/across-the-great-divide.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/101/6/across-the-great-divide.html Publisher's note: Diane Rufino, our most prolific contributor of Greenville, wrote this article with the collaborative efforts of Ron Pate of Clayroot, also of Pitt County.

As we all know, this is an election year and a lot is at stake. The present administration shows no intention of slowing down or changing its dangerous course. And conservatives show no intention of slowing down their attempts to usher in “real change” in November.

As Mike Hayes and I have been able to underst... Read More]]> Wed, 30 Jun 2010 09:45:03 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/94/6/at-least-eric-holder-appears-to-be-an-honest-man.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/94/6/at-least-eric-holder-appears-to-be-an-honest-man.html He just also appears to not be that smart. Of course, he could just be lazy, which gives him a dang good excuse for not being that smart. Regardless, he does pose an accurate reflection upon the Obama Administration, which is: Maybe they are all just an extremely lazy bunch.

Recently this was all revealed before the House Judiciary Committee, on May 13, 2010, upon a direct query by Representative Ted Poe, R, Texas, Attorney General Eric Holder admitted: “"I have not had a chance to... Read More]]> Mon, 17 May 2010 11:32:18 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/90/6/a-time-to-heal.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/90/6/a-time-to-heal.html On April 22, 2010, The Wall that Heals, which is a scaled down replica of the Vietnam War Monument, on the Mall in Washington, DC, came to the in Veterans Park in Washington, NC. The traveling ½ scale replica, of the novel and impactful Vietnam War Memorial in the United States’ capitol, was presented to this eastern North Carolina region in the Veteran‘s Park, along the duck and goose inhabited shores of Jack’s Creek in the inner city of the county seat of Beaufort Co... Read More]]> Fri, 14 May 2010 11:16:46 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/89/6/no-habla-ingles.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/89/6/no-habla-ingles.html Today on Mothers’ Day at 3:22 p.m., with a house full of mothers from all sides of the family, I was interrupted by a constituent, Neil Keech, from the North Creek precinct - Schrams Beach neighborhood. Now I don’t mind constituents calling me on any given Sunday; actually, if they relate the point rather quickly, as Neil did, I appreciate them ever so much more. However, Mr. Keech took my appreciation to an even higher level. Neil related to me an issue, which he folded into a st... Read More]]> Tue, 11 May 2010 13:00:56 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/88/6/there-once-was-a-dream.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/88/6/there-once-was-a-dream.html Our prolific contributor, Diane Rufino, submitted this brief op-ed on the constitutional neglect of North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper to Beaufort County Now and the Greenville Daily Reflector, which succinctly makes her very cogent point on the most significant constitutional issue of this century.

On April 17th, State Attorney General Roy Cooper announced that North Carolina would not challenge the constitutionality of the Health care reform bill. I'm disappointed that North Carolina... Read More]]> Fri, 7 May 2010 16:55:11 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/74/6/just-a-few-thoughts-before-we-turn-down-that-road.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/74/6/just-a-few-thoughts-before-we-turn-down-that-road.html Presently in the United States of America, it is a road that is inevitable, and incalculably the wrong way. I found the beginnings of that inevitable path when I represented Beaufort County at the NACo (National Association of Counties) Legislative Conference in Washington, DC. That portal to tomorrow’s America is one that steal’s one’s individuality and repays us in the unification of a different day.

Now, we must all agree that a different day will surely embrace us all, ... Read More]]> Sun, 11 Apr 2010 13:31:49 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/66/6/yes-we-can-yes-we-can.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/66/6/yes-we-can-yes-we-can.html This impassioned cry rose up from the U.S. House of Representatives, once the Democrat majority slapped each other on the back and passed the U.S. Senate’s version of ObamaCare that was passed in the Senate before Senator Scott Brown was elected in Massachusetts. This is the same bill that used taxpayer dollars to bribe (let’s be honest) Senator Ben Nelson (see the Cornhusker Kickback) and Senator Mary Landrieu (see the Louisiana Purchase). The Senate, where the Democrats have a d... Read More]]> Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:10:44 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/64/6/dear-friends-part-ii.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/64/6/dear-friends-part-ii.html In regards to ObamaCare, the proverbial smoke has cleared, but the goosebumps appear to be still on the rise. I just received two more communiqués from the Democrats / Socialists Jon Vogel, Executive Director of the DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) and Florida Congresswoman Deborah Wasserman Schultz.What I received from them was vintage Democrat Rhetoric - straight from their playbook. Maybe I am in such a state of being fed-up with the Socialist / Democrats in Congre... Read More]]> Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:41:34 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/60/6/dear-friends.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/60/6/dear-friends.html Don’t you just hate getting letters from politicians or their political hacks that begin Dear Friend, Dear Friends or just Friend …

Well, I’ve been a very conservative Republican county commissioner for nearly 14 years. I have angered so many liberals; many of whom have rarely experienced a rational thought, and certainly if they did, on that very rare off chance occasion, they, more often than not, cannot discuss / debate the issues that put them into their tizzies, withou... Read More]]> Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:49:10 EDT http://www.standeatherage.com/post/39/6/did-not-have-the-common-decency-to-offer-us-a-reach-around.html http://www.standeatherage.com/post/39/6/did-not-have-the-common-decency-to-offer-us-a-reach-around.html These somewhat descriptive words were offered by Gunnery Sergeant / Drill Instructor Hartman, from the classic Vietnam War film, “Full Metal Jacket,” to his new recruits when discussing the demerits of one young private’s character. Gunny Hartman, played by the irascible R. Lee Ermey never equivocated when it came to his true feelings, and I suppose his character’s words fully illustrate my true feelings as to how we, American citizens, are being treated, yet rather unro... Read More]]> Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:10:54 EST