You gotta love a southern gal who refuses to bite her tongue.  Angie Harmon found herself defending her displeasure once again with the way the country’s being run by President Obama.  The fact anyone would have to defend his or her stand on the state of this country flies in the face of what this same country is built on.  She’s been accused of being racist because she voiced her displeasure with some of the decisions made by the Obama administration.  Harmon’s always been outspoken in all things political, and even when I find myself biting my tongue to keep from stirring the hornet’s nest, I quietly sit back and think, “You go, girl”.  When asked for a comment by Fox News, she clearly had a bellyful and unleased what she’s obviously  been holding back, “Here’s my problem with this, I’m just going to come out and say it.  If I have anything to say against Obama, it’s not because I’m a racist, it’s because I don’t like what he’s doing as President and anybody should be able to feel that way, but what I find now is that if you say anything against him, you’re called a racist.  But it has nothing to do with it, I don’t care what color he is.  I’m just not

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crazy about what he’s doing and I heard all about this, and he’s gonna do that and change and change…so okay….I’m still dressing for a recession over here buddy and we’ve got unemployment at an all time high and that was his number one thing and that’s the thing I really don’t appreciate.  If I’m going to disagree with my President, that doesn’t make me racist.  If I was to disagree with W, that doesn’t make me racist.  It has nothing to do with it, it’s is ridiculous.”

Anyone who’s ever seen her in an interview knows she probably didn’t stop to catch her breath - in true Harmon form, if it’s on her mind, it’s on her tongue. 

With such across the board statements we heard after the election that the new President’s arrival in the Oval Office would eradicate racism simply hasn’t panned out (And why would anyone think it would?).  Maybe it’s because racism goes far deeper than one man who happens to hold the highest office in the country.  Is racism alive and kicking?  Unfortunately, it is.  But to disagree - keep in mind, there’s a big difference in ‘disagree’ and ‘disrespect’ - with any decisions or policies any president makes should simply indicate the fact we live in a country that makes it absolutely acceptable.  It’s not indicative of racism.  Period. 

There are many who would disagree with President Obama regardless of what he was doing in office - but it has nothing to do with race and has everything to do with loyalty, albeit displaced at times, to the political party.  Just as President Bush had those who vehemently disagreed with all of his policies, there were some who admittedly did so simply because he is Republican.  How many times have we said, “Aw, c’mon…you know if the Republicans had control, that never would’ve come to pass” or “A Democrat would never have allowed that.” 

I’m wondering why Harmon’s vocal approval and insistence that Sarah Palin would have made an excellent vice president doesn’t have folks pointing and yelling, “Feminist!  Feminist!”

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President-elect Barack Obama

Today marks the swearing in of the 44^th American president.  Expectations are high and many are hopeful for what Barack Obama and his team will contribute to the betterment of this country.  Even his ten year old daughter, Malia, has said, “It’d better be good”.

Now’s a good time to take a walk down memory lane.  Each new inauguration has been history-making, but for different reasons.  Here are a few “firsts” some of our past presidents claim:

George Washington’s wife, Martha, didn’t attend the inaugural ball in 1789 due to prior commitments.  George Washington also holds the record for the shortest inaugural address, coming in at only 135 words.  By comparison, in 1841, William H. Harrison gave the longest address.  His total word count was ten thousand words.

In 1853, Frank Pierce showed how well his memory was by not referring once to his notes as he delivered his address.

Four years later, in 1857, the first photograph was taken of James Buchanan as he was sworn in.

The first time a mother attended and watched her son be sworn in was in 1881 as James Garfield gave his address.

In 1901, Theodore Roosevelt became the first and only president to have not been sworn in on a Bible.

The first Mrs. to ride in the procession to the White House was William Taft’s wife in 1909.  This was also the first time an automobile was used in a parade.

Calvin Coolidge’s father administered the oath of office in 1925.  This was also the first to be broadcast by radio.

In 1937, Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first to incorporate the 20^th Amendment by being sworn in on January 20^th.  In 1945, he accepted his third term and made history four years later by serving the only fourth term in history.  The 22^nd Amendment was ratified in 1951 that limits a president to two terms.

1949 brought us a televised event when Harry S. Truman made his acceptance speech.

John F. Kennedy was the first Catholic president to take office.  His inauguration was in 1961 and he was sworn in with a Catholic version of the Bible.

In 1969, Richard Nixon was the first, and so far the only, president to use two Bibles as he was sworn in.  Both were family heirlooms.  In 1974, Gerald Ford became the first president to take office unelected via the 25^th Amendment that states the vice president becomes president if the current president resigns.

Ronald Regan enjoyed nine inaugural balls in 1981.  In 1985, the inaugural ball fell on Super Bowl Sunday.

In 1997, as Bill Clinton took office, it was the first time it was broadcast on the internet.

Twenty four hours from now, this inauguration will be a part of history and we’ll anticipate the deliverance of promises made to the American public.  How president-elect Obama goes down in history is yet to be seen, but if his daughter has anything to do with it, “it’d better be good”.

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With the historical events during President Bush’s term in office nearing an end, we prepare for President-elect Barack Obama to take office. One of the most anxious decisions he’ll have to make is whether to end the war and bring the soldiers home. Many believe this will be his first priority. Others think it’ll make the top ten list of priorities, but that the logistics will require time and that it’s at least a year away before any noticeable changes can be made.

Still, families are anticipating the return of their loved ones and hope it’s sooner than later. Although many don’t understand the dynamics involved of going to war in the first place - some insist it was “useless”, there have been victories that changed the world, including the capture, conviction and execution of Saddam Hussein, the near-destruction of Al-Qaeda with an estimate of less than two

Soldiers in Iraq

thousand terrorists of what was, right after 9/11, of nearly 12,000, the death of Abu Khalaf who was the Al-Qaeda leader, the destruction of countless “hotbeds” of terrorist activities and many other sometimes-unnoticed victories that have made the world as a whole a far safer place, one can’t argue with the results over the past several years. Even when there were times Americans felt, and rightfully so, that it was this country that might be standing alone in the ‘war on terror’, the results affect every country, regardless of a collective participation.

The soldiers, as they return home, find themselves dealing with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), having to re-familiarize themselves with their own families, getting to know their children who’ve been born since they were last home and face financial difficulties that are worsened by an economy that’s in desperate need of an overhaul. No one in the military gets rich by serving his country and many find it difficult to find civilian jobs upon their return.

The National Center for PTSD reports the transition is overwhelming at times. Depression, guilt, anger and exhaustion are all common, marriages are strained and often the family dynamics undergo many changes before becoming “settled” again. Many who return from Iraq or other war areas say they witnessed events that they carry with them every day, but for their own reasons, choose to not “burden” loved ones. This is an ideal breeding ground for PTSD. Divorce rates, needless to say, are higher than civilians.

And financially? Even those who receive federal checks for disability, including PTSD, often aren’t enough to cover their medical needs, much less mortgages, groceries, automobiles, T-ball registration, gymnastics, lunch money, oil changes in the cars and other daily expenses we all grumble about, but do anyway because they have to be paid. You have to remember, some soldiers left lucrative positions to serve this country but have returned with not only no job awaiting them, but with the same debts that were manageable with their salaries prior to leaving, but are enough to make many suicidal now (which, by the way, is very high). Many left with gas at around $2.00 per gallon and have returned with the prices doubled. Even a gallon of milk has become more expensive over the past few years.

So, as President-elect Obama takes office, he clearly has his work cut out for him. Hopefully he’s been paying attention and recognizes the need and can put forward whatever it takes for ensuring the soldiers are safe on their own soil. The American Dream? It’s still alive and kicking, just slightly redefined.

We’ve arrived at the last day of this eventful and historical year.  In hindsight, we realize we’ve witnessed much history and have seen things we never dreamed possible.  The country’s largest companies have found themselves struggling just to keep their doors open, political leaders in new scandals from everything from marital affairs to placing price tags on political vacancies and the unbelievable audacity of one businessman’s belief he could get away with the theft of fifty billion dollars.  Below you’ll find a few more newsworthy events from the last half of 2008. The first half can be found here and here.

July 15 - A woman calls 911 to report her granddaughter has been missing for thirty one days. Caylee Anthony, who was two years old when she disappeared, has since been found murdered less than one half mile from her home.  Her own mother, Casey Anthony, was indicted on October 14 for the murder.  Her trial is set to begin in early 2009.

July 23 - Hurricane Dolly makes landfall as a Category 2 hurricane on the U.S.-Mexico border.

August 29 - Republican presidential candidate John McCain announces his running mate.  AK Governor Sarah Palin comes in with a bang and shakes up the entire election.  She’s well-received and

Anne Pressly

quickly gains a solid following from those not only from her home state, but from the country as a whole.

September 13 -  This is the day most analysts agree was day the chains come unhinged as Lehman Brothers announced it was near bankruptcy, AIG announced it was in hot water because of its underwriting practices and the mortgage crisis finally comes into full light and Americans realized just how bad things were on the economic front.

October 2008 - OJ Simpson is finally found guilty of one of his crimes.  A jury determined he was guilty of several felonies committed during a Las Vegas hotel room break-in.  He’s accused of stealing, at gunpoint, sports memorabilia and other momentos.  He’s facing thirty-three years in prison as a result of this guilty verdict.

October 20 - Anne Pressly, an admired Arkansas news anchor, was found murdered in her home.  A suspect has since been arrested and is awaiting trial.

October 24 - Jennifer Hudson’s family, including her mother and brother, are found murdered in their Chicago home.  A few days later, her nephew is found murdered in an abandoned vehicle.  An ex-husband of her sister is now charged with these murders. 

October 2008 - New legal provisions are passed that require insurance companies to provide the same coverage for mental health as they do physical health.  For twelve years, advocates have worked to ensure this law is passed.

November 4 - National history is made as Barack Obama becomes the first black president ever elected and will be the first U.S. president to enter office during wartime. 

Jennifer Hudson

November 2008 - The pregnant man (who is biologically a woman) announces a second pregnancy.  Thomas Beatie, a transgender who has undergone testosterone therapy but still has the reproductive organs of a woman, gave birth for the first time in March of this year.

December 9 - IL Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested for attempting to sell the vacancy left by President-elect Barack Obama in the Illinois Senate.  He’s also been accused of a number of other illegal and unethical activities.  Attempts are now being made to have him impeached from office.

As we head into a new year, we do so in a recession but also with hopes of effective solutions to these problems and with sincere attempts to leave the “one step forward and two steps back” way of doing things behind.

As bad as the latest political scandal is, the governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich has singlehandedly confirmed the very thing we have spent our lives hoping would never come to pass: the sale of politics.  For a vacancy to become a commodity with a price tag undermines every principle the framers had hoped would safeguard our Constitution.  Despite all of the other scandals politicians

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seem to bury themselves in, this is by far one of the most disgusting we’ve seen in this lifetime.  This one is a kick in the teeth to every foundation this country is built on.  In one fell swoop, he’s managed to drop jaws across political party lines, the citizens who voted him into office and the general public as a whole. 

He was arrested and released on Tuesday after federal prosecutors accused him of a one man “political corruption crime spree”.   Some of these crimes he’s accused of includes threatening one of the country’s largest newspapers, Chicago Tribune, if it refused to fire writers who criticized him, as well as his redefinition of “pay to play” for politics.  He has been accused of giving jobs, political appointments and contracts for hefty price tags. This evidence has been gained via wiretaps on his home and office phones and it’s been said some of these conversations would fit nicely into any of the Godfather movies with “tough guy” talk and profanity.  He refers to political peers as “Candidate 1″, “Candidate 2″ and so.  Unfortunately, these candidates he refers to as considerations to fill the seat left vacant by Barack Obama have had to release statements that no one in public office should have ever have to make.  They’ve reiterated their respect for the political offices they hold and have stated not only did they have no idea of what the governor was doing, but they were as disappointed as the rest of the country.  None of those considered for this vacant post are suspected of participating in this political auction.  Now, though, instead of an immediate replacement being named, it appears as though a special election might be the only solution that’s fair and will renew the faith of the state’s voters. 

He’s also accused of complaining about his inability to make good money as governor and said he felt ’stuck’.  If you’re interested, he makes over $175,000 a year as governor.  He’s also overheard negotiating a position for his wife and stated he was looking for a gravy position where she could make at least “150 grand” a year.  He was lining the remainder of this golden brick road to cover him after he left office as governor.  When the pompous governor answered the door at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, his reply to the two FBI agents who’d announced they were there to arrest him was, “Is this a joke?”  That left it wide open - I don’t know if I’d have had enough self-discipline to keep from going into how the joke would ultimately be on him in ways he could never imagine.  I suppose that’s why I never considered that as a line of work.  It’s difficult, if not impossible, to bite my tongue. 

In the past two days, he’s vehemently asserted his refusal to step down as governor.  That’s been met with the state’s attorney releasing a statement that he didn’t have to, they were taking immediate steps to remove him from office.  So you see, if it was a joke, it’s clearly on Governor Blagojevich.

To say 2008 was a year of change is an understatement. As we’re nearing the end of the year and are anticipating the holiday season with Christmas only a few weeks away, I thought it might be interesting to take a walk down memory lane with some of the legal, political and other issues making headlines this year. With many anticipating a short work week and most of us are planning trips to visit family, this week is the ideal time. You might be interested in knowing how these events unfolded throughout the year. Here is January through March.

January 2008

· In Honolulu, a man who was babysitting a neighbor’s son tossed the baby from an overpass. He has a history of psychiatric problems and has been in and out of hospitals. He was also involved in a racing accident where the driver of the car he was racing crashed his car and died from the accident. He wasn’t charged in that case, but is charged with second degree murder for killing the boy he dropped from the overpass.

· Heath Ledger died from an overdose of prescription and over the counter drugs on January 20^th.

· The Supreme Court begins hearing arguments over whether lethal injection should be considered “cruel and unusual punishment”.

· Efforts to avoid a recession include the Fed’s interest rate cut to 3.5%, the market closed at 11,971 this day (1/22) and many believed most of the worries were exaggerated. Talk about hindsight!

February 2008

· Five people are killed inside a Lane Bryant store in Chicago’s Tinley Park. The killer has never been caught, despite a $100,000 reward that’s being offered. Lane Bryant also established The Lane Bryant Tinley Park Memorial Fund to honor the five murdered women.

· The New York Giants win the Super Bowl by defeating the New England Patriots. The final score was 17-14.

· A major tornado outbreak killed 56 people throughout Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Kentucky on February 5^th.

· A week after the Lane Bryant murders in Chicago, another gunman enters Kirkwood, MO City Hall and kills five people before being killed by police.

· On February 11, Gregg Bergersen, who was employed with the US Defense Dept. as an analyst, was arrested and charged with spying and leaking US military secrets to China. He is said to have sold this information to a New Orleans furniture salesman from Taiwan. From there, the salesman forwarded the information to China. Gregg Bergersen was sentenced to more than five years in prison.

March 2008

Heath Ledger

·Brett Favre, who was the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, announces his retirement.

·Super Tuesday II - March 4^th: John McCain wins Vermont, Texas, Rhode Island and Ohio Republican primaries, ensuring his nomination for the Republican Party. Mike Huckabee withdraws his candidacy, while IL Senator Barack Obama takes the Democratic nomination.

·Marion Jones, an Olympic gold medalist, begins her six month sentence in Texas for perjury. She denied using steroids and later admitted lying about her past use.

Former NY Governor Eliot Spitzer

· New York Governor, Eliot Spitzer,resigns on March 17^th after a prostitution scandal.

· Bear Stearns, one of the nation’s largest mortgage lending companies, receives a large emergency loan from JP Morgan-Chase. It wasn’t enough and Bear sold its shares for $2.00 each to JP Morgan.