Good News Liberty Restored Sup Court

Source: http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/casesummary/index.html

Ricci v. DeStefano (U.S.S.C.) - In a Title VII action claiming that a city discriminated against white firefighter candidates for a promotion by discarding their test results based on a statistical racial disparity, summary judgment for Defendants is reversed where the city's action in discarding the tests violated Title VII, because a threshold showing of a significant statistical disparity is far from a strong basis in evidence that the city would have been liable under Title VII had it certified the test results.

RICCI et al. v. DeSTEFANO et al.
certiorari to the united states court of appeals for the second circuit
No. 07-1428. Argued April 22, 2009--Decided June 29, 2009*
New Haven, Conn. (City), uses objective examinations to identify those firefighters best qualified for promotion. When the results of such an exam to fill vacant lieutenant and captain positions showed that white candidates had outperformed minority candidates, a rancorous public debate ensued. Confronted with arguments both for and against certifying the test results--and threats of a lawsuit either way--the City threw out the results based on the statistical racial disparity. Petitioners, white and Hispanic firefighters who passed the exams but were denied a chance at promotions by the City's refusal to certify the test results, sued the City and respondent officials, alleging that discarding the test results discriminated against them based on their race in violation of, inter alia, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The defendants responded that had they certified the test results, they could have faced Title VII liability for adopting a practice having a disparate impact on minority firefighters. The District Court granted summary judgment for the defendants, and the Second Circuit affirmed.

Held: The City's action in discarding the tests violated Title VII. Pp. 16-34.

(a) Title VII prohibits intentional acts of employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin, 42 U. S. C. §2000e-2(a)(1) (disparate treatment), as well as policies or practices that are not intended to discriminate but in fact have a disproportionately adverse effect on minorities, §2000e-2(k)(1)(A)(i) (disparate impact). Once a plaintiff has established a prima facie case of disparate impact, the employer may defend by demonstrating that its
policy or practice is "job related for the position in question and consistent with business necessity." Ibid. If the employer meets that burden, the plaintiff may still succeed by showing that the employer refuses to adopt an available alternative practice that has less disparate impact and serves the employer's legitimate needs. §§2000e-2(k)(1)(A)(ii) and (C). Pp. 17-19.

c) The City's race-based rejection of the test results cannot satisfy the strong-basis-in-evidence standard. Pp. 26-34.

(ii) The City's assertions that the exams at issue were not job related and consistent with business necessity are blatantly contradicted by the record, which demonstrates the detailed steps taken to develop and administer the tests and the painstaking analyses of the questions asked to assure their relevance to the captain and lieutenant positions. The testimony also shows that complaints that certain examination questions were contradictory or did not specifically apply to firefighting practices in the City were fully addressed, and that the City turned a blind eye to evidence supporting the exams' validity. Pp. 28-29.

530 F. 3d 87, reversed and remanded.

Kennedy, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Roberts, C.J., and Scalia, Thomas, and Alito, JJ., joined. Scalia, J., filed a concurring opinion. Alito, J., filed a concurring opinion, in which Scalia and Thomas, JJ., joined. Ginsburg, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which Stevens, Souter, and Breyer, JJ., joined.

How Do We Answer More than 500,000 Homeless G.I.'s

Q: Did we Fail Promises to Our G.I.'s

A: President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed into law one of the most significant pieces of legislation ever produced by the United States government: the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the GI Bill of Rights.

A: Roosevelt’s dream for every G.I. was to open any door of opportunity they chose to follow. The education facet offered everything from major payments to pay for any school in America. Does your heart want to own your own car repair station training covered every aspect of both technical and business skills to prepare. Do you want to be a doctor, every aspect from lower colleges to post graduate work was covered. It was up to us to dream and then have the discipline to follow through by doing the required hard work. After you get out of school within 10 years of leaving the service Roosevelt’s bill of rights included amazingly low rates to purchase homes with in most cases zero down.

G.I.'s Worked Hard to Get thru School & Buy Homes

Q: why did our G.I.'s trust these promises from a pretty liberal president Roosevelt?

A: our entire nation after 1944 that if they dared to purchase properties and began to prosper they would be protected by our amazing Bill of Rights that spoke about those protections.
“ We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=F.2a6348af-1434-42f0-bbc0-af8ae726c390&hl=en 6/27/2009 10:45 AM.

A: the 4th Amendment guaranteed we are secure in any lawful enterprise we choose to purchase was safe from our government’s intrusion. Most of this generation of G.I.’s were forced to memorize the Bill of Rights before they could bet out of the 5th grade.

A: Seventh Amendment refers to a safe body of what the author called Common Law: This safe body of common law was meant to protect all of our Bill of Rights including the 4th amendment right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects. Historically [until the counter culture revolution] this body of common law did a pretty good job of informing courts at all levels as well as state and local governments about our rights each citizen is to enjoy.

A: Black's Law Dictionary (5th ed. 1979) states that "in the strict legal sense, property is an aggregate of rights which are guaranteed and protected by the government" and that the term property "includes not only ownership and possession but also the right of use and enjoyment for lawful purposes." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Property_law 6/27/2009 11:19 AM.

A: American Property Law: “Property is the right or lawful power, which a person has to a thing.” He then divides the right into three degrees: possession, the lowest; possession and use; and, possession, use, and disposition – the highest. Further, he states: “Man is intended for action. Useful and skilful industry is the soul of an active life. But industry should have her just reward. That reward is property, for of useful and active industry, property is the natural result.” From this simple reasoning he is able to present the conclusion that exclusive, as opposed to communal property, is to be preferred. Wilson does, however, give a survey of communal property arrangements in history, not only in colonial Virginia but also ancient Sparta.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Property_law 6/27/2009 11:19 AM.

Q: what went wrong with our promises to G.I.'s New Wealth and Property?

A: Asset Forfeitures: There are two types of forfeiture cases, criminal and civil. Almost all forfeiture cases practiced today are civil. In civil forfeiture cases, the US Government sues the item of property, not the person; the owner is effectively a third party claimant. Once the government establishes probable cause that the property is subject to forfeiture, the owner must prove on a "preponderance of the evidence" that it is not. The owner need not be judged guilty of any crime. In contrast, criminal forfeiture is usually carried out in a sentence following a conviction and is a punitive act against the offender. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asset_forfeiture 6/27/2009 11:34 AM.

A: Eminent Domain: The power of governments to take private real or personal property has always existed in the United States, being a part of the common law inherited from England. This power reposes in the legislative branch of the government and may not be exercised unless the legislature has authorized its use by statutes that specify who may use it and for what purposes. The legislature may so delegate the power to private entities like public utilities or railroads, and even to individuals for the purpose of acquiring access to their landlocked land. Its use was limited by the Takings Clause in the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1791, which reads, "...nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation". The Fifth Amendment did not create the national government's right to use the eminent domain power, it simply limited it to public use.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imminent_Domain 6/27/2009 11:47 AM.

On June 23, 2006 - on the one-year anniversary of the Kelo decision (see above), President George W. Bush issued an executive order stating in Section I that the federal government must limit its use of taking private property for "public use" with "just compensation", which is also stated in the constitution, for the "purpose of benefiting the general public." He limits this use by stating that it may not be used "for the purpose of advancing the economic interest of private parties to be given ownership or use of the property taken".[7] However, eminent domain is more often exercised by local and state governments, albeit often with funds obtained from the federal government.

A: IRS seizures: The Internal Revenue Code provides for a federal tax lien in favor of the government against any person who fails to pay federal taxes. 26 U.S.C. § 6321. This lien attaches to "all property and rights to property, whether real or personal, belonging to such person." http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=8th&navby=case&no=962433p 6/27/2009 11:44 AM.

A: Property Tax Seizures: In 1796 seven of the fifteen states levied uniform capitation taxes. In the United States, property tax on real estate is usually levied by local government, at the municipal or county level. Those who live in city limits face double property taxation, once by the city and once again by the county. Property taxes are imposed by counties, municipalities, and school districts, where the millage rate is usually determined by county commissioners, city council members, and school board members, respectively. The taxes fund budgets for schools, police, fire stations, hospitals, garbage disposal, sewers, road and sidewalk maintenance, parks, libraries, and miscellaneous expenditures. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Property_tax 6/27/2009 11:58 AM.

Greed in Explosive Market Selling Seized Homes: Search nearly 650,000 Foreclosure and Government Tax Foreclosure properties. More than 1 million total properties including For Sale by Owner, VA Foreclosures, HUD Homes, and Home Auctions! http://www.realtytrac.com/foreclosure/government/tax-foreclosure.html 6/27/2009 12:10 PM.

Before Counter Culture Revolution:

Property Being Used Lawfully Was Protected

G.I.'s were free to speak, own firearms, go to any church of our choice who did not pay taxes, supported our church with deductions from our taxes. We were free to own and protect our properties or real estate and the government helped protect us with local police forces who worked for the people.

A: Common Law: is law created and refined by judges: a decision in a currently pending legal case depends on decisions in previous cases and affects the law to be applied in future cases. When there is no authoritative statement of the law, judges have the authority and duty to make law by creating precedent. The body of precedent is called "common law" and it binds future decisions.

A: In future cases of common law, when parties disagree on what the law is, an idealized common law court looks to past precedential decisions of relevant courts. If a similar dispute has been resolved in the past, the court is bound to follow the reasoning used in the prior decision (this principle is known as stare decisis). If, however, the court finds that the current dispute is fundamentally distinct from all previous cases, it will decide as a "matter of first impression." Thereafter, the new decision becomes precedent, and will bind future courts under the principle of stare decisis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_law

A: problem of future amendments that actually tragically erode our basic right to own and use our own properties lawfully. Some legal scholars say in the current legal condition we are all renters.

14th Amendment Under United States law the principal limitations on whether and the extent to which the State may interfere with property rights are set by the Constitution. The "Takings" clause requires that the government (whether state or federal----for the 14th Amendment's due process clause imposes the 5th Amendment's takings clause on state governments) may take private property only for a public purpose, after exercising due process of law, and upon making "just compensation." If an interest is not deemed a "property" right, or the conduct is merely an intentional tort, these limitations do not apply and the doctrine of sovereign immunity precludes relief.

Q: who are these homeless G.I.’s?
http://www.nchv.org/background.cfm 6/27/2009 10:20 AM

A: The U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) says the nation's homeless veterans are mostly males (4 % are females). The vast majority are single, most come from poor, disadvantaged communities, 45% suffer from mental illness, and half have substance abuse problems. America’s homeless veterans have served in World War II, Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam War, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), Operation Iraqi Freedom, or the military’s anti-drug cultivation efforts in South America. Forty-seven percent of homeless veterans served during the Vietnam Era. More than 67% served our country for at least three years and 33% were stationed in a war zone.

Veteran Specific Highlights:
23% of homeless population are veterans
33% of male homeless population are veterans
47% Vietnam Era
17% post Vietnam
15% pre Vietnam
67% served three or more years
33% stationed in war zone
25% have used VA Homeless Services
85% completed high school/GED compared to 56% of non-veterans
89% received Honorable Discharge
79% reside in central cities
16% reside in suburban areas
5% reside in rural areas
76% experience alcohol, drug, or mental health problems
46% white males compared to 34% non-veterans
46% age 45 or older compared to 20% non-veterans

Each year, 2.3 million to 3.5 million people experience homelessness in America. By taking 23% of that range for veterans, that would indicate there are between 529,000 and 840,000 veterans who are homeless at some time during the year.

http://www.nchv.org/background.cfm 6/27/2009 10:20 AM

Latest June 18th Shifting Messiah's Rating Polls

Source: http://blatheringsblog.com/

a fresh batch of obama polls

June 18, 2009

new polling data. nyt/cbs. wsj/nbc. just because.

What Does it Mean to be Conservative?

Source: http://blatheringsblog.com/

June 15, 2009

have you seen the latest gallup poll? good news for conservatives! of those polled, 40% identify themselves as conservative, 35% as moderate, and 21% liberal. can this latest polling data be used to promote the ‘conservative brand’ rather then all the incredibly lame calls from some in the gop to ‘moderate’?

so here was the question: how would you describe your political views - [very conservative, conservative, moderate, liberal, very liberal]. surprisingly, even divided by gender ‘liberal’ comes in last!

so wake up conservatives!

know what you believe, why you believe it, and be able to discuss it in a winsome fashion instead hitting your more moderate brethen in the face with a cold fish! we must be able to rationally articulate to them why trusting conservatives with the country is better then trusting liberals.

and please, don’t run FROM conservatism but run TO it. (just like in the movie ‘the patriot’ when mel gibson - battered, bleeding, down - picked up the tatered American flag and ran toward the british to rout them forever.) heh!

and the gop leadership? if they can’t figure out how to use this latest information for an advantage over the obamanation and their greedy power grab, they are truly pathetic.

Best Conservative Movies

Decent Movies With Good Fiction

Stoked Google doc:

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=F.841abd49-06dc-48b6-bf3a-54f9fb9a944f&hl=en

1. Exodus (1960): IMBD Film based on the vast historical novel by Leon Uris. Directed by Otto Preminger. With Paul Newman, Eva Marie Saint, Ralph Richardson. The theme is the founding of the state of Israel. The action begins on a ship filled with Jewish immigrants bound for Israel who are being off loaded on Cyprus. Following World War II, the life of the Jewish nation is uncertain. The United Nations is contemplating taking a vote on creating a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Until then, many Jews are exiled from much of Europe - especially Germany - and as they have no where to go, they are sent to detention camps among other places Cypress. The easiest way to influence the United Nations vote is by sheer numbers of hungry needy Jews outside of Israel. Ari [Paul Newman] commandeers a ship with 600 Jews, and after some obstacles, manages to make it to Palestine. Ari grew up in a mixed Arab/Jewish community in Palestine. His best childhood friend, Taha, is Arab and is now leader of the Arab section of the community. The film documents well the way the dispossed German Jew haters began to finance and support extremist Arab factions that were historically peaceful before their arrival. As soon as the United Nations voted for new Jewish state these ex-nazis began to use Arabs to kill Jews in their own land. Within this fray is widowed American nurse, Kitty Fremont. Kitty is initially naive about the conflict and hostile toward Ari's means of achieving his goals. However, she ultimately falls in love with him and with his dream despite their religious and cultural differences.

2. Bullitt (1968): IMBD Frank Bullitt [Steve McQueen] is selected by Chalmers, a politician with ambition, to guard a Mafia informant. Bullitt's friend is shot and the witness is left at death's door by two hit men who seem to know exactly where the the witness was hiding. Bullitt begins a search for both the killer and the leak, but he must keep the witness alive long enough to make sure the killers return. Chalmers has no interest in the injured policeman or the killers, only in the hearings that will catapult him into the public eye and wants to shut down Bullitt's investigation. Johnny Ross works for Chicago mobster Peter Ross, his brother. In April 1968 Johnny Ross escapes two attempts on his life and flees to San Francisco, where he is placed in protective custody by politician Walter Chalmers, who hopes to use Ross to further his own national aspirations. To protect Ross, Chalmers asks the SFPD to assign Detective Lieutenant Frank Bullitt and his partners, Sergeants Don Delgetti and Carl Stanton, to guard him at a flophouse near an overhead freeway. It looks like a simple assignment, but at 1 AM the next day it all goes awry in a blast of a shotgun, leaving Stanton and Ross fighting for life at San Francisco General. One of my favorite scenes is when Bullett finally sees the mob connection with Chalmers he refuses the invitation to join the cover up by saying "you work your side of the street and I will work mine."

Bullitt gets what information he can, but breathing down his neck is the angered Chalmers who vows to ruin Bullitt gets a break when the gunman appears at the hospital to finish off Ross, and Bullitt gets a good look at him; now Bullitt must smoke out the gunman and his backup man before Chalmers carries out his threat, leading to a high-speed pursuit, a fiery crash at a gas station, and a fingerprint check that leads to a stunning discovery about Ross, and about a couple staying at a swanky hotel in San Mateo.Wickipedia: Bullitt is probably best-remembered for its car chase scene through the streets of San Francisco, regarded as one of the most influential car chase sequences in movie history.^[1] The scene had Bullitt in a dark "Highland Green" 1968 Ford Mustang 390 CID Fastback, chasing two hit-men in a "Tuxedo Black" 1968 Dodge Charger R/T 440 Magnum. In 2007, Bullitt was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

3. Defiance 2008: IMBD Directed by Edward Zwick. With Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell. After the Nazi invasion of Poland in September 1939, the Bielski brothers escape the slaughter and hide in the woods. Soon they are joined by many others, all running from the savagery being inflicted on the Jews. The eldest of the Bielski brother, Tuvia and Zus, disagree over what to do with the growing forest population. Tuvye believes that they must welcome anyone who wants to join them while Zus thinks they should be fighting the Germans. After a major falling out, Zus joins the local Russian partisans - with whom the Bielskis had already completed an informal truce - and Tuvia continues stays with their forest community. This film safely protects the way the Jews as a people survived only by the grace of God. In a confusing era we see the age old tension between those who got hungry and thought of returning to the cities where Hitler was systematically killing as many as he could. Also this film evidences the way some in those years chose to follow the Marxists. They promised the Jews their documents indicate a principle of protecting all equally regardless of religion. Yet we see those same Marxists two faceedly hate Jews behind their back and joining the wave of their day in killing Jews when no one was looking.

4. Pure Country (1992): Dusty Chandler (Strait) IMBD is a super star in the country music world, but his shows have the style of a '70s rock concert. One day he takes a walk - out of his overdone concerts to find his real country roots. He's helped and hindered by friends and staff, but pushes on in his search for a real music style as well as a real romance.

5. 300 (2007): During the Bush years, Hollywood neglected the heroism of American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan — but it did release this action film about martial honor, unflinching courage, and the oft-ignored truth that freedom isn’t free. Beneath a layer of egregious non-history — including goblin-like creatures that belong in a fantasy epic — is a stylized story about the ancient battle of Thermopylae and the Spartan defense of the West’s fledgling institutions. It contrasts a small band of Spartans, motivated by their convictions and a commitment to the law, with a Persian horde that is driven forward by whips. In the words recorded by the real-life Herodotus: “Law is their master, which they fear more than your men[, Xerxes,] fear you.”

6. The Lord of the Rings (2001, 2002, 2003): Author J. R. R. Tolkien was deeply conservative, so it’s no surprise that the trilogy of movies based on his masterwork is as well. Largely filmed before 9/11, they seemed perfectly pitched for the post-9/11 world. The debates over what to do about Sauron and Saruman echoed our own disputes over the Iraq War. (Think of Wormtongue as Keith Olbermann.) When Frodo sighs, “I wish none of this had happened,” Gandalf’s response speaks to us, too: “So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

7. Braveheart (1995): Forget the travesty this soaring action film makes of the historical record. Braveheart raised its hero, medieval Scottish warrior William Wallace, to the level of myth and won five Oscars, including best director for Mel Gibson, who played Wallace as he led a spirited revolt against English tyranny. Braveheart taught that freedom is not just worth dying for, but also worth killing for, in defense of hearth and homeland. Six years later, amid the ruins of the Twin Towers, Gibson’s message resonated with a generation of American youth who signed up to fight terrorists, instead of inviting them to join a “constructive dialogue.” Liberals have never forgiven Gibson since.

8. Red Dawn (1984): From the safe, familiar environment of a classroom, we watch countless parachutes drop from the sky and into the heart of America. Oh, no: invading Commies! Laugh if you want — many do — but Red Dawn has survived countless more acclaimed films because Father Time has always been our most reliable film critic. The essence of timelessness is more than beauty. It’s also truth, and the truth that America is a place and an idea worth fighting and dying for will not be denied, not under a pile of left-wing critiques or even Red Dawn’s own melodramatic flaws. Released at the midpoint of Reagan’s presidential showdown with the Soviet Union, this story of what was at stake in the Cold War endures.

9. Master and Commander (2003): This naval-adventure film starring Russell Crowe is based on the books of Patrick O’Brian, and here’s what A. O. Scott of the New York Times said in his review: “The Napoleonic wars that followed the French Revolution gave birth, among other things, to British conservatism, and Master and Commander, making no concessions to modern, egalitarian sensibilities, is among the most thoroughly and proudly conservative movies ever made. It imagines the [H.M.S.] Surprise as a coherent society in which stability is underwritten by custom and every man knows his duty and his place. I would not have been surprised to see Edmund Burke’s name in the credits.”

10. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (2005): The White Witch runs a godless, oppressive, paranoid regime that hates Santa Claus. She’s a cross between Burgermeister Meisterburger and Kim Jong Il. The good guys, meanwhile, recognize that some throats will need cutting: no appeasement, no land-for-peace swaps, no offering the witch a snowmobile if she’ll only put away the wand. Underlying the narrative is the story of Christ’s rescuing man from sin — which is antithetical to the leftist dream of perfected man’s becoming an instrument for earthly utopia. The results of such utopian visions, of course, are frequently like the Witch’s reign: always winter, and never Christmas.

11. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008): IMDB "Prince Caspian" finds the Pevensie siblings pulled back into the land of Narnia, where a thousand years have passed since they left. The children are once again enlisted to join the colorful creatures of Narnia in combating an evil villain who prevents the rightful Prince from ruling the land. The four Pevensie children return to Narnia, only to discover that hundreds of years have passed since they ruled there, and the evil King Miraz has taken charge. With the help of a heroic mouse called Reepicheep, and the exiled heir to the throne, Prince Caspian, they set out to overthrow the King, once again with Aslan's help. A year after their first adventure in Narnia, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are pulled back in by Susan's magic horn. They find that hundreds of years have passed, and Narnia is now ruled by the bloodthirsty General Miraz, uncle to the true heir, Prince Caspian, now in exile. Now the children must find Caspian and help him depose Miraz...but how will they get home after it's done? The movie begins where King Miraz's wife gets a baby and Telmarine soldiers are out to kill Prince Caspian. Caspian blows his horn and Peter, Edmund, Susan, and Lucy are summoned to Narnia. They team up with Caspian to take down the Telmarines. They search for Aslan, the only one who can help them. The action and adventure awaits you in the Chronicles of Narnia Prive Caspian.

12. We Were Soldiers (2002): Most movies about the Vietnam War reflect the derangements of the antiwar Left. This film, based on the memoir by Lt. Col. Hal Moore (played by Mel Gibson), offers a lifelike alternative. It focuses on a fight between an outnumbered U.S. Army battalion and three North Vietnamese regiments in the battle of Ia Drang in 1965. Significantly, it treats soldiers not as wretched losers or pathological killers, but as regular citizens. They are men willing to sacrifice everything to do their duty — to their country, to their unit, and to their fellow soldiers. As the movie makes clear, they also had families. Indeed, their last thoughts were usually about their loved ones back home.

13. Heartbreak Ridge (1986): Clint Eastwood’s foul-mouthed Marine sergeant Tom Highway makes quick work of kicking Communist Cubans out of Grenada. And, boy, does “Gunny” hate Commies. Not only does he kill quite a few, he also refuses a bribe of a Cuban cigar, saying: “Get that contraband stogie out of my face before I shove it so far up you’re a** you’ll have to set fire to your nose to light it.” A welcome glorification of Reagan’s decision to liberate Grenada in 1983, the film also notes how after a tie in Korea and a loss in Vietnam, America can finally celebrate a military victory. Eastwood, the old war horse, walks off into retirement pleased that he’s not “0–1–1 anymore.” Semper Fi. Oo-rah!

14. United 93 (2006): Minutes after terrorists struck on 9/11, Americans launched their first counterattack in the War on Terror. Director Paul Greengrass pays tribute to the passengers of United 93 by refusing to turn their story into a wimpy Hollywood melodrama. Instead, United 93 unfolds as a real-time docudrama. Just as significantly, Greengrass provides a clear depiction of our enemies. United 93 opens as four Muslim terrorists pray in a hotel room. Several hours later, the hijackers’ frenzied shrieks to Allah mingle with the prayerful supplications of United 93’s passengers as they crash through the cockpit door and strike a blow against those who would terrorize our country.

15. Gran Torino (2008): Clint Eastwood directs and stars in the ultimate family movie unsuitable for the family. He plays Walt Kowalski, a caricature of an old-school, dying-breed, Polish-American racist male, replete with post-traumatic stress disorder from having served in the Korean War. Kowalski comes to realize that his exotic Hmong neighbors embody traditional social values more than his own disaster of a Caucasian nuclear family. Dirty Harry blows away political correctness, takes on the bad guys, and turns a boy into a man in the process. He even encourages the cultural assimilation of immigrants. It feels so good, you knew the Academy would ignore it.

16. Missionary Man (2007): IMBD A mysterious biker [Dolph Lundgren] arrives in a small town in an Indian reservation for the funeral of his friend J.J. and discovers through his family that he was murdered by the men of the powerful John Reno. The corrupt businessman plans to build a casino in association with criminals from the North in the town and J.J. opposed to his intentions offering a better option to the locals. The lone vigilante decides to stay in town with his bible and drinking straight tequila and like an avenging angel, bring justice to people.

17. North Shore (1987): IMBD On a small stretch of coastline as powerful as a man's will, Rick Kane came to surf the big waves. He found a woman who would show him how to survive, and a challenge unlike any other.

18. Tender Mercies (1983): IMBD Alchoholic former country singer Mac Sledge [Robert Duvall] makes friends with a young widow and her son. The friendship enables him to find inspiration to resume his career.

19. Chariots of Fire (1981): IMBD The story, told in flashback, of two young British sprinters competing for fame in the 1924 Olympics. Eric, a devout Scottish missionary runs because he knows it must please God. Harold, the son of a newly rich Jew runs to prove his place in Cambridge society. In a warmup 100 meter race, Eric defeats Harold, who hires a pro trainer to prepare him. Eric, whose qualifying heat is scheduled for a Sunday, refuses to run despite pressure from the Olympic committee. A compromise is reached when a nobleman allows Eric to compete in his 400 meter slot. Eric and Harold win their respective races and go on to achieve fame as missionary and businessman/athletic advocate, respectively.

20. The Patriot (2000): IMBD The movie takes place in South Carolina in 1776. Benjamin Martin, a French-Indian war hero who is haunted by his past, is a patriot who wants no part in a war with Britian. Meanwhile, his two eldest sons, Gabriel and Thomas, can't wait to go out and kill some Redcoats. When South Carolina decides to go to war with Britain, Gabriel immediatly signs up to fight...without his father's permission. But soon, Colonel Tavington, British solder infamous for his brutal tactiks, captures Gabriel and sentences him to be hanged. As Gabriel is taken away, Thomas tries to free him, only to be killed by Tavington, in front of Benjamin. Now, seeking revenge for his son's death, Benjamin leaves behind his 5 other children to bring independence to the 13 colonies.

21. Not Without My Daughter (1991): IMDB "Moody" is an Iranian doctor living in America with his American wife Betty and their child Mahtob. Wanting to see his homeland again, he convinces his wife to take a short holiday there with him and Mahtob. Betty is reluctant, as Iran is not a pleasant place, especially if you are American and female. Upon arrival in Iran, it appears that her worst fears are realized: Moody declares that they will be living there from now on. Betty is determined to escape from Iran, but taking her daughter with her presents a larger problem.

22. The Devil at 4 O'clock (1961)IMDB Three convicts enroute to Tahiti are put to work at a children's leper hospital when their plane makes an unexpected stop on another island. There, Father Perreau is to get off and replace Father Doonan, who's been relieved of his duties by the cardinal. Once on the island, things get out of control when the volcano decides to erupt, and the Governor orders an evacuation. The convicts, priests and leper children are all on top of the island and have no sure way to get down and off to safety. All must work together if any are to survive.

23. Cross & the Switchblade (1970) IMDB The Cross and the Switchblade is a book written in 1963 by pastor David Wilkerson with John and Elizabeth Sherrill. It tells the true story of Wilkerson's first five years in New York City, where he ministered to disillusioned youth, encouraging them to turn away from the drugs and gang violence they were involved with. The book became a best seller, with more than 15 million copies distributed in over 30 languages. I find it hilarious how other people are commenting that the film is unrealistic. Try reading the book, guys! This film is based on a true story, and although minor parts have been changed, the story about David and Nicky is true. Also, another IMDB user wrote in their comment that David refuses to take a severely stabbed Nicky to hospital unless he accept Christ. Maybe this person hasn't seen the film, or their hate of Christianity was deluding them, but this does not happen in the film. This film's a picture of what a messed up life on drugs is truly like, and the solution is Christ. Take it or leave it, but bagging a film just because it's Christian is just immature.

24. Prayer for the Dying (1987): IMDB Mickey Rourke plays Martin Fallon an x-IRA hitman. Martin Fallon is an IRA bomber who tries to blow up a troop truck but instead kills a bus load of school children. He loses heart and quits the movement and goes to London trying to leave the U.K. and start a new life. The IRA wants him back (he knows too much) and the local crime boss, Meehan, will only help him if he performs one last hit, on a rival crime boss. When Fallon does perform the hit, he is seen by a catholic priest. He refuses to kill an innocent again and must find a way to escape the police without killing the priest who can identify him.

25. Rules of Engagement (2000): IMDB Tommy Lee Jones, Samuel L. Jackson, Colonel Terry Childers is a 30 year career Marine. When he is ordered to go the American Embassy in Yemen, when it's learned that things there are starting to unravel. After evacuating the Ambassador and his family, Childers orders his men to fire at the crowd cause he believes that they are armed. Jones, now a Marine lawyer, must defend Jackson in a court martial case after he's accused of instructing his troops to fire on supposedly unarmed protesters outside the U.S. embassy in Yemen. Back in the U.S., certain officials fear that there'll be a backlash against other embassies and Americans, if Childers claim is proven to be true. So they have decided to make Childers a scapegoat. Childers asks Colonel Hayes Hodges, a man whom he knew and saved in Vietnam to defend him. And while there is no evidence or witness that can back Childers' claim, Hodges feels that he owes it to Childers to do what he can. Wiki on these real rules as found in the Ref: U.S. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rules_of_engagement

The DOD Dictionary and the NATO Only Terms master data bases are managed by the Joint Doctrine Division, J-7, Joint Staff. All approved joint definitions are contained in Joint Publication 1-02, "DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms." As amended through 17 October 2008. Ref: http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/doddict/natoterm_index.html

Get Stoked Notes: every time we capture documents, or source messages from Jihad energized Islam we see horrible behavior from them. This war is being lost by us in our media. These forces have one face in private and the opposite face when a camera is pointed at them. They train groups to hide behind women and children and attack from the inside of mosques.

Ref: http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=F.edaae264-8e4e-4b20-88e1-f3878f11c995&hl=en

26. Criminal Law (1988): IMBD A rising young attorney successfully defends a man accused of murder, only to have the same type of murder then happen again. Right away the previously defended man hires the attorney again, and although the attorney is quite certain that he is the killer, he agrees to again defend him... much to the consternation of his friends. However, he explains that by being his attorney he will be better able to catch the man in a mistake... and on this the rest of the film develops, with the killer playing a cat and mouse game with the attorney until, at last, they both must recognize that they are not all that different.

Get Stoked Notes on Current National Lawlessness: A killer is back on the streets. The only one who can stop him is the lawyer who set him free. "Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster." - Nietzsche. Jesus is the origin of this thought when He taught the "Law of the Harvest" as a theme in both His Sermon on the Mount and His Olivet Discourse. Historically the United States was mostly free of this constant flow of consequences in our national life. We understood if we departed from ethics and justice in our national we would fail. Our founding fathers had a very recent test course in their headlines daily from France who was one of the first Christian heritage nations to elect Darwin over Christ. Unfortunatly, in the 1960's we made quality decisions to be energized by French liberty rather than American. For some it was a slow fall until 1973 when Roe v Way began to kill millions and millions of babies to cover our sins.

27. The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006): IMDB Ireland, 1920. Damien and Teddy are brothers. But while the latter is already the leader of a guerrilla squad fighting for the independence of his motherland, Damien, a medical graduate of University College, would rather further his training at the London hospital where he has found a place. However, shortly before his departure, he happens to witness atrocities committed by the ferocious Black and Tans and finally decides to join the resistance group led by Teddy. The two brothers fight side by side until a truce is signed. But peace is short-lived and when one faction of the freedom-fighters accepts a treaty with the British that is regarded as unfair by the other faction, a civil war ensues, pitting Irishmen against Irishmen, brothers against brothers, Teddy against Damien.... Wicki: The Wind That Shakes the Barley is a 2006 Ken Loach film set during the Irish War of Independence (1919–1921) and the Irish Civil War (1922–1923). Written by long-time Loach collaborator Paul Laverty, this drama tells the story of two County Cork brothers, played by Cillian Murphy and Pádraic Delaney, who join the Irish Republican Army to fight for Irish independence from Great Britain.

Get Stoked Notes: the United States inherits everything we believe about liberty from our British roots. Unfortunately, our British forefathers had a high view of their own liberty but they had a pretty low view of the way it should be applied to thier neighbors. The British Isles never offered full liberty to all those islands creating some confusing consequences. As we began to apply those ideas of liberty we unfortunately had some early problems similar to the Brits we broke away from. The northern states claimed to be fully free but if you moved there many were buying their freedom from their bosses if they could afford it. The southern states claimed a better form of liberty but only allowed it to exist for wealthy property and slave owners. Neither dared to consider women being free after seeing the way sisters in France rose to power by killing half of their neighbors in their new found liberty. Martin Luther King was a call for all to extend full liberty to all not based on race or economics but by the content of the human heart. Today many rasing into power are now refusing full librtty for all regardless of sex, race or economics.

http://nrd.nationalreview.com/article/?q=YWQ4MDlhMWRkZDQ5YmViMDM