VOTE TODAY......VOTE KERRY!!

[BUCKEYE]

BUSH LIED TO US ABOUT IRAQ, INVADED THAT COUNTRY FOR HIS OWN PERSONAL AGENDA. NO TIES TO 9/11 WHATSOEVER AND NO WMDS. HE SHOULD HAVE PAID THE PRICE FOR THAT. UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE FOUR MORE YEARS OF LIES.

[webmaster]

Loved your comments JJ!

It's true that we can sometimes make too much fuss, it's true that we can be more positive, it is true that people do not put themselves in other people's shoes often enough, maybe there wouldn't be any wars if leaders actually did that.

I mourn for the soldiers that were/are dragged into wars to die for just and unjust causes, I mourn for the innocent 3000+ civilians in the US in the towers, while people here at the office looked in astonishment while the towers fell, I cried; I mourn the 10000+ innocent civilians babies, children and adults killed in Afghanistan and Irak, I mourn the 2000+ civilians killed and the million exiled in Chile after September 11, 1973 in the US financed coup and so on. I hope one day we'll all live up the "human" label and think about the rest and not just oneself and our infallible and "just" governments.

I also do believe people can become more positive if they let go of some steam, so I hope this general rambling on the US elections and future will do some good for you all

Kind regards

Mogens

[Charlieb]

Thank you, Mogens. You have showed your true colors, and they are compassion and kindness. I am very lucky to be associated with you as are all the other board members. Chuck

[webmaster]

Hey Chuck your e-mail doesn't work... this is a message I sent to your account:

Hi Chuck,

Thanks for your kind words but I am far from a good person, I have much to work on.

I am sometimes too sensitive a person, this maybe helps a bit a times, but it can also be tough. I actually sobbed at times during the film Fahrenheit 9/11... for example when a lady appears emotionally distraught and in rage over the US bombs killing her family and knowing they had nothing to do with it all... Little by little, specially in our unjust world, you suffer more and more when seeing the news and getting emotionally attached to all the horrors that happen everyday all over the world.

At times I give up on all of us and wish (foolishily) we all disappeared from the face of the Earth and let some other creature take our place and hopefully doing a better job in being the top level species... but then I see my little baby, or share some time with my wife and once again I hold some hope for us all. There is so much good all around the world too, we should just focus and develop that if possible. But JJ's posting was excellent in pointing out that we shall all contribute and not just be backseat drivers or whiners .

When people make us wake up is when one most enjoys the time spent on bulletin boards like the one for Puerto Vallarta, don't you think?

Very kind regards,

Mogens

[dar]

I just don't understand how anyone can vote for Bush. Religion should stay out of politics! I love being a liberal people loving, gay tolerant, occassional pot smoking professional person! We love to wecome Americans here....draft dodgers, undreground railroad etc. etc. Now we are in need of nurses. So come on up, just pack your polor fleece!

[justone]

jj (Nov 05, 2004 12:44 a.m.):
Ya know what? Why don't we take all that negative energy everyone is spending STILL bitching about how rotten everything is and is gonna be for the next 4 years and start with ourselves and our neighborhoods and start being nicer to people.
Don't cut people off in traffic, Make eye contact and smile at a stranger, Say good morning (afternoon, evening). Put a few bucks in the red buckets at store entrances this Christmas instead of a quarter and three pennies. Go to your church or place of worship and pray that our leaders will have the strength and courage to do what needs to be done.
And while you're at it, pray for all of the men and women in the Armed Forces who are risking their lives every day and of the many who have made the ultimate sacrafice so that you have the freedom to sit around your kitchen table or neighborhood bar and rant and rave about the leaders of our country. The next time you read about a hostage being beheaded, or a soldier who died in an ambush, stop for a minute and think about how terrifying their last moments on this earth must of been, and how no one deserves to die like that. What if it was your child/sibling/neighbor? It was a human being for God's sake! Take a moment to morn the loss of a life.
My only child is in the United States Air Force and I think about it every day. We need to pull together and support our troops and support our leaders. If we don't, it will just get worse and worse, And if you think you have the answers to the world's problems today, why didn't we see YOUR name on the ballots? It's easy to be the back seat driver. Not many people have the balls to grab hold of the steering wheel. Bush isn't perfect, and given the chance, Kerry would have proven he isn't perfect either. Not every decision is going to be the right one. We live and, hopefully learn from our mistakes. Let's all do our part. We think it's all up to the politicians and military leaders. Wrong. It's ALL of us. One person, one act of kindness at a time.
jj

JJ
Maybe you shpuld take some of your own advice , be nicer to strangers???? After the abuse you heaped on me in another post I guess its easier to give advice than practise it ???

Peace

[connor]

VOTE FOR CHUCK

[charlieb]

I humbly and graciously accept, and I WILL run on the PV platform. Only if MM will accept appointment as Secretary of Fun, and the Fake Chuck will accept appointment as Secretary of Mixology. More to come. The RealDeal Chuck

[connor]

I will accept the nomination of Secretary of Fun from any and all candidates named Chuck.

[leighg]

Can I please please PLEASE be Secretary of Tequila Testing????

[charlieb]

Leigh: First of all, that job is designated as "Under Secretary" not a full Secretary, and not the full salary. Second, I don't know your qualifications. I guess I'd have to read your resume preceded by a full cover letter. The RealDeal Chuck.

[connor]

Everyone seems to be jumping on the Chuck Wagon.

[jjbcroft]

Chuck, you get MY vote!!

[charlieb]

EXCELLENT! Between my PV Platform and my Cabinet members, we'll be smok'in! No one can stop us! We'll take over PV, Then Mexico and therest of North America and then, yes, THE WORLD!!!! HaHaHaHaHaHaHa!!!!!! The RealDeal Chuck

[Queen of Vallarta]

Why don't you all read this? Bush is not perfect, no one would be under the scrutiny of being the leader of the free world. But he has integrity, morals and a good set of balls.


A PERFECT EXPLANATION OF WHY WE ARE AT WAR.

The other day, my nine year old son wanted to know why we were at war. My husband looked at our son and then looked at me. My husband and I were in the Army during the Gulf War and we would be honored to serve and defend our country again today. I knew that my husband would give him a good explanation.

My husband thought for a few minutes and then told my son to go stand in our front living room window. He said "Son, stand there and tell me what you see?"
"I see trees and cars and our neighbor's houses." he replied.

"OK, now I want you to pretend that our house and our yard is the United States of America and you are President Bush."

Our son giggled and said, "OK."

"Now son, I want you to look out the window and pretend that every house and yard on this block is a different country" my husband said.

"OK Dad, I'm pretending."

"Now I want you to stand there and look out the window and pretend you see Saddam come out of his house with his wife, he has her by the hair and is hitting her. You see her bleeding and crying. He hits her in the face, he throws her on the ground, then he starts to kick her to death. Their children run out and are afraid to stop him, they are screaming and crying, they are watching this but do nothing because they are kids and they are afraid of their father. You see all of this, son.... what do you do?"

"Dad?"

"What do you do son?"

"I'd call! the police, Dad."

"OK.. Pretend that the police are the United Nations. They take your call. They listen to what you know and saw but they refuse to help. What do you do then son?"

"Dad.......... but the police are supposed to help!" My son starts to whine.

"They don't want to son, because they say that it is not their place or your place to get involved and that you should stay out of it," my husband says.

"But Dad...he killed her!!" my son exclaims.

"I know he did...but the police tell you to stay out of it. Now I want you to look out that window and pretend you see our neighbor who you're pretending is Saddam turn around and do the same thing to his children."

"Daddy...he kills them?"

"Yes son, he does. What do you do?"

"Well, if the police don't want to help, I will go and ask my next door neighbor to help me stop him." our son says.

"Son, our next door neighbor sees what is happening and refus! es to get involved as well. He refuses to open the door and help you stop him," my husband says.

"But Dad, I NEED help!!! I can't stop him by myself!!"

"WHAT DO YOU DO SON?" Our son starts to cry.

"OK, no one wants to help you, the man across the street saw you ask for help and saw that no one would help you stop him. He stands taller and puffs out his chest. Guess what he does next son?"

"What Daddy?"

"He walks across the street to the old ladies house and breaks down her door and drags her out, steals all her stuff and sets her house on fire and then...he kills her. He turns around and sees you standing in the window and laughs at you.. WHAT DO YOU DO?"

"Daddy..."



"WHAT DO YOU DO?"

Our son is crying and he looks down and he whispers, "I'd close the blinds, Daddy."

My husband looks at our son with tears in his eyes and asks him..."Why?"

"Because Daddy.....the polic! e are supposed to help people who need them...and they won't help.... You always say that neighbors are supposed to HELP neighbors, but they won't help either...they won't help me stop him...I'm afraid....I can't do it by myself Daddy.....I can't look out my window and just watch him do all these terrible things and...and.....do nothing...so....I'm just going to close the blinds....so I can't see what he's doing........and I'm going to pretend that it is not happening."

I start to cry.

My husband looks at our nine year old son standing in the window, looking pitiful and ashamed at his answers to my husband's questions and he says..."Son"

"Yes, Daddy."

"Open the blinds because that man.... he's at your front door..."WHAT DO YOU DO?"

My son looks at his father, anger and defiance in his eyes. He balls up his tiny fists and looks his father square in the eyes, without hesitation he says: "I DEFEND MY FAMILY DAD!! I'M NOT GONNA LET HIM H! URT MOMMY OR MY SISTER, DAD!!! I'M GONNA FIGHT HIM, DAD, I'M GONNA FIGHT HIM!!!!!"

I see a tear roll down my husband's cheek and he grabs our son to his chest and hugs him tight, and says... "It's too late to fight him, he's too strong and he's already at YOUR front door son.....you should have stopped him BEFORE he killed his wife, and his children and the old lady across the way. You have to do what's right, even if you have to do it alone, before it's too late." my husband whispers.

THAT scenario I just gave you is WHY we are at war with Iraq . When good men stand by and let evil happen son, THAT is the greatest EVIL of all. Our President is doing what is right. We, as a free nation, must understand that this war is a war of humanity.&nb! sp; WE must remove evil men from power so that we can continue to live in a free world where we are not afraid to look out our window so that my nine year old son won't grow up in a world where he feels that if he just "closes" that blinds
the atrocities in the world won't affect him.

"YOU MUST NEVER BE AFRAID TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT!, EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO DO IT ALONE!" BE PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN! BE PROUD OF OUR TROOPS!! SUPPORT THEM!!! SUPPORT AMERICA SO THAT IN THE FUTURE OUR CHILDREN WILL NEVER HAVE TO CLOSE THEIR BLINDS..."

[webmaster]

Nice story... though it includes, what I feel are, a series of errors, which are more than patent today after Abu Ghraib and now various Marines that are to face justice for murder charges.

Some personal comments, first of all, everyone should clearly know that wars (well... soldiers may have a hard time grasping this one) do not solve problems, they create more problems. Specially in cases where the reasons for war are set out beforehand and then modified along the way, read: WMD, so you understand my idea.

People, mostly from the US, like to imagine this war was justified on some humanitarian level now that the WMD and the Irak nuclear program has been dismissed as false. It is sadly just wishful thinking or trying to hide the ugly truth, which was that USA went to war to take the WMDs away from Saddam Hussein, and just to emphasize the point, these WMDs do not exist, as was informed by UN inspectors right BEFORE the war.

I know it's hard to accept that people were fooled by the media giants, their government and lied into accepting a war that has cost the USA billions, killed thousands on both sides and left the world in a more unstable situation than before. Even though it may be hard to accept, if we look at it cooly it's just the harsh reality.

Now back to the story, the analogy, I would say, would be more like an apartment building, where each apartment is a country, where you normally hear about the events after they have taken place. So the things would actually be happening behind closed doors, which, even in the US, is a place police don't readily have access to.

All the humane justifications fall apart when we analyse USA's previous attitudes with respect to human rights in Irak and around the world now and in the past. I like the saying "practice what you preach"... Abu Ghraib, Gitmo and Irak (to name a few present examples) are clear examples that the US does not stand on a moral highground and can't feel free to attack other countries based on such flimsy justifications.

Sure, we may all wish the world was a place where freedom and justice existed for all, but I would never accept that we need to go around creating wars all over the world to obtain this. Specially when there exists the chance that the ones fighting for this will stray and become what they are fighting against. There are laws, there are rules, there are rights and countries need to have the freedom to pursue their own routes, even though they may lead to dictatorships or injustice.

People learn from their mistakes and rise up in the end. I was born in Chile where after a US financed Coup D'Etat on September 11, 1973, Chile lived for 16 years under a severe dictatorship. In 1989 the country was finally able to push him aside and the country is once again a democracy and a fine one too. I believe nobody had any right to come into Chile to overthrow Pinochet, no matter how good their intentions are, just as no one has the right of entering my home and telling me how I must behave, eat or sleep. Autonomy, independence, respect, are words that come to mind, and countries must accept this.

Let me finish this rant by quoting someone everyone in the US knows: “I do not believe our nation can be a moral leader of justice, equality, and democracy if it is trapped in the role of a self-appointed world policeman.” - Martin Luther King.

Kind regards

Mogens

[charlieb]

Gosh, Mogens, you shure know how to put a damper on myquest for World Domination. The RealDeal Chuck

[webmaster]

Ah but you are well on our way, no? Soon I'll be kicked off the board, if all goes as planned... so why worry about me?

The soon-to-be ex-moderator...

Mogens
Webhamster

[charlieb]

NO, no, no, Mogens. What I would like to do is extend an invitation to you to be Secretary of Communications. You would have (almost) absolute authority, have to travel a lot and talk even more. Think about it. I don't think you will ever have a better offer. The RealDeal Chuck

[webmaster]

Hmmm... secretary... too low a position for a guy of my experience... What about Minister of Disinformation? Or General of the BBBS (Big Brother Bureau of Stupidity)? Or maybe you can come up with something more in my line of experience...



Mogens