Today is a grim anniversary, marking 44 years since President John F. Kennedy was gunned down while in a motorcade to a speaking engagement in Dallas, TX. The event is singularly memorable in American history, the kind of gruesome reminder that terrible things can happen anywhere, to anyone.
Some people get the notion that this is old news, that the day when assassinating a President should be worried about is long gone. The actual record since that horrible day in 1963, however, is not promising:
April 14, 1972 – Arthur Bremer traveled to Ottawa (where he believed security would be looser) to attempt to assassinate President Richard Nixon. The security proved tighter than he expected, and he abandoned that attempt,. Choosing instead to try to kill Governor and Presidential candidate George Wallace.
February 22, 1974 – Samuel Byck hijacked a DC-9 at Baltimore/Washington International Airport, with the intention of crashing the plane into the White House to kill President Nixon. He shot three people, killing two of them, but committed suicide when police stormed the plane.
September 5, 1975 – Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, a follower of serial murderer Charles Manson, attempted to shoot President Gerald Ford.
September 22, 1975 – Sarah Jane Moore, also a member of Manson’s “family”, shot at President Ford. Oliver Sipple, a bystander, grabbed her arm, which caused her to miss.
March 30, 1981 – John Hinkley, Jr. shot President Ronald Reagan in front of the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C.
October 29, 1994: Francisco Duran shot at the White House from the outside fence with a semi-automatic rifle. He fired at least 29 shots.
May 10, 2005 – Vladimir Arutyunian threw an RGD-5 hand grenade at the podium in Tbilisi, Georgia, where President George W. Bush is giving a speech. A malfunction kept the grenade from detonating.
It must also be noted that attempts, successful or not, were also made on Presidents Jackson, Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Harry Truman.
There are also unconfirmed reports that attempts have been made on the life of every President since Kennedy, but that the Secret Service does not release information which might compromise its procedures or which might promote interest in an assassination attempt. One example is the reported attempt by a group of Middle Eastern men to “interview” President George W. Bush at the Colony Beach & Tennis Resort early on the morning of September 11th. They were turned away, but later were witnessed close to the motorocade.
Controversy continues to surround the JFK assassination, but it’s by no means old history.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Will You Answer What Congress Won’t? The Top 20 Questions pt 20
Back in late 2004 and early 2005, I sent emails, faxes, and letters to every member of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. In it, I asked them for their answer to a set of twenty questions which the readers of Polipundit wanted asked. The text of the letter was posted here.
52 Readers in 38 states joined the effort, asking their district Representatives and Senators to answer the questions. Response from our elected Representatives and Senators was poor, predictably so. Most Congressmen and Senators simply ignored the letters, emails and faxes. In the end, only seventeen answered with any degree of substance, and not one answered more than two questions.
I was looking at the set of questions this week, and you know, they still look like good questions to me, so I am going to ask you for your opinion on them. This will take a while, since I am putting up one question for each post, but please give this your serious consideration. And folks, this is not about politics or smacking down the other side; this is an opportunity to explore the issues of substance for our country. Sad that Congress was not up to it, but maybe we can get the conversation going. Thanks in advance.
20. What should the United States’ relationship be with the United Nations?
52 Readers in 38 states joined the effort, asking their district Representatives and Senators to answer the questions. Response from our elected Representatives and Senators was poor, predictably so. Most Congressmen and Senators simply ignored the letters, emails and faxes. In the end, only seventeen answered with any degree of substance, and not one answered more than two questions.
I was looking at the set of questions this week, and you know, they still look like good questions to me, so I am going to ask you for your opinion on them. This will take a while, since I am putting up one question for each post, but please give this your serious consideration. And folks, this is not about politics or smacking down the other side; this is an opportunity to explore the issues of substance for our country. Sad that Congress was not up to it, but maybe we can get the conversation going. Thanks in advance.
20. What should the United States’ relationship be with the United Nations?
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Will You Answer What Congress Won’t? The Top 20 Questions pt 19
Back in late 2004 and early 2005, I sent emails, faxes, and letters to every member of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. In it, I asked them for their answer to a set of twenty questions which the readers of Polipundit wanted asked. The text of the letter was posted here.
52 Readers in 38 states joined the effort, asking their district Representatives and Senators to answer the questions. Response from our elected Representatives and Senators was poor, predictably so. Most Congressmen and Senators simply ignored the letters, emails and faxes. In the end, only seventeen answered with any degree of substance, and not one answered more than two questions.
I was looking at the set of questions this week, and you know, they still look like good questions to me, so I am going to ask you for your opinion on them. This will take a while, since I am putting up one question for each post, but please give this your serious consideration. And folks, this is not about politics or smacking down the other side; this is an opportunity to explore the issues of substance for our country. Sad that Congress was not up to it, but maybe we can get the conversation going. Thanks in advance.
19. What should our short and long term strategies be in Iraq?
52 Readers in 38 states joined the effort, asking their district Representatives and Senators to answer the questions. Response from our elected Representatives and Senators was poor, predictably so. Most Congressmen and Senators simply ignored the letters, emails and faxes. In the end, only seventeen answered with any degree of substance, and not one answered more than two questions.
I was looking at the set of questions this week, and you know, they still look like good questions to me, so I am going to ask you for your opinion on them. This will take a while, since I am putting up one question for each post, but please give this your serious consideration. And folks, this is not about politics or smacking down the other side; this is an opportunity to explore the issues of substance for our country. Sad that Congress was not up to it, but maybe we can get the conversation going. Thanks in advance.
19. What should our short and long term strategies be in Iraq?
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Will You Answer What Congress Won’t? The Top 20 Questions pt 18
Back in late 2004 and early 2005, I sent emails, faxes, and letters to every member of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. In it, I asked them for their answer to a set of twenty questions which the readers of Polipundit wanted asked. The text of the letter was posted here.
52 Readers in 38 states joined the effort, asking their district Representatives and Senators to answer the questions. Response from our elected Representatives and Senators was poor, predictably so. Most Congressmen and Senators simply ignored the letters, emails and faxes. In the end, only seventeen answered with any degree of substance, and not one answered more than two questions.
I was looking at the set of questions this week, and you know, they still look like good questions to me, so I am going to ask you for your opinion on them. This will take a while, since I am putting up one question for each post, but please give this your serious consideration. And folks, this is not about politics or smacking down the other side; this is an opportunity to explore the issues of substance for our country. Sad that Congress was not up to it, but maybe we can get the conversation going. Thanks in advance.
18. Should judicial nominees be guaranteed a “yes or no” vote in Committee? Why or why not?
52 Readers in 38 states joined the effort, asking their district Representatives and Senators to answer the questions. Response from our elected Representatives and Senators was poor, predictably so. Most Congressmen and Senators simply ignored the letters, emails and faxes. In the end, only seventeen answered with any degree of substance, and not one answered more than two questions.
I was looking at the set of questions this week, and you know, they still look like good questions to me, so I am going to ask you for your opinion on them. This will take a while, since I am putting up one question for each post, but please give this your serious consideration. And folks, this is not about politics or smacking down the other side; this is an opportunity to explore the issues of substance for our country. Sad that Congress was not up to it, but maybe we can get the conversation going. Thanks in advance.
18. Should judicial nominees be guaranteed a “yes or no” vote in Committee? Why or why not?
Monday, November 19, 2007
Will You Answer What Congress Won’t? The Top 20 Questions pt 17
Back in late 2004 and early 2005, I sent emails, faxes, and letters to every member of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. In it, I asked them for their answer to a set of twenty questions which the readers of Polipundit wanted asked. The text of the letter was posted here.
52 Readers in 38 states joined the effort, asking their district Representatives and Senators to answer the questions. Response from our elected Representatives and Senators was poor, predictably so. Most Congressmen and Senators simply ignored the letters, emails and faxes. In the end, only seventeen answered with any degree of substance, and not one answered more than two questions.
I was looking at the set of questions this week, and you know, they still look like good questions to me, so I am going to ask you for your opinion on them. This will take a while, since I am putting up one question for each post, but please give this your serious consideration. And folks, this is not about politics or smacking down the other side; this is an opportunity to explore the issues of substance for our country. Sad that Congress was not up to it, but maybe we can get the conversation going. Thanks in advance.
17. What actions do you support for education reform?
52 Readers in 38 states joined the effort, asking their district Representatives and Senators to answer the questions. Response from our elected Representatives and Senators was poor, predictably so. Most Congressmen and Senators simply ignored the letters, emails and faxes. In the end, only seventeen answered with any degree of substance, and not one answered more than two questions.
I was looking at the set of questions this week, and you know, they still look like good questions to me, so I am going to ask you for your opinion on them. This will take a while, since I am putting up one question for each post, but please give this your serious consideration. And folks, this is not about politics or smacking down the other side; this is an opportunity to explore the issues of substance for our country. Sad that Congress was not up to it, but maybe we can get the conversation going. Thanks in advance.
17. What actions do you support for education reform?
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Sunday Night, Thoughts on a Fired Coach
I just finished and submitted a 37-page Marketing plan for one of my classes. I’d tell you all about it, except for a few things:
1. The plan was for a real business in the area, so a lot of the information is privileged;
2. Marketing is one of those bad habits people get into, and except for a rare few who use morals in their work, it’s not something I would want to encourage;
3. Proof-reading the paper bored me no end, and I wrote the dang thing, so I would be cruel indeed to inflict it on an innocent public.
It’s not enough I had to write it and send it in electronically; I also have to print up a hard copy on quality bond paper, and have it bound and mailed in to the professor. So, I am sitting here waiting for the printer to put out the product, which at “best quality” is taking longer than it did for Hillary Clinton to figure out that advocating drivers licenses for illegals was not a good way to win the Donk nomination, mush less the White House. So, I am plunking away at my keyboard while the printer does constructive work. Well, I also have to iron my clothes, but if there’s anything more boring than what I am doing now, it has to be ironing.
If you are still reading this, you must be as bored as I am. But, at least it’s free, except for the wasted time.
But to the topic. Earlier today, Baylor University’s Athletic Director officially announced the firing of Head Football Coach Guy Morriss. Morriss was 18-40 in five seasons at Baylor, which team lost all 8 of its Big XII conference contests, and frankly stunk up the place all season. That by itself could be a shame, except for a couple points which annoyed me and made me question Morriss’ integrity. The first part was the discovery early this summer, that Morriss had put his house up for sale. Well folks, you usually only do that if you figure you are going to have to move, and when a coach does something like that in advance of a season, it’s darn hard for me to believe he’s going to give his best effort into his job. Certainly, I watched his post-game statements with that fact in mind, and I did not like at all, what I heard and read. Also, this is a coach who promised, from before the season started, that the 2007 Baylor Bears were going to a bowl. When they reached 3-1, it might even have looked like a possibility, but a closer look at the season revealed that such a claim was hopelessly optimistic at best, and from what I could tell, completely dishonest in light of actual conditions. As the conference season got underway and progressed, Coach Morriss started becoming evasive about why his promise was not coming true, and worst of all, he started blaming the players for the losses, even when glaring errors in coaching became obvious. I could go on about the football side of things, especially my hope that Mike Singletary, College and NFL Hall of Fame Linebacker and legend to Bear fans, will be the next head coach of the Bears – pretty much no one else would have a realistic chance of recruiting real talent for Baylor right now, much less shaping the team into a winning program anytime soon. But as I read the news about Morriss’ firing, I did not feel any pleasure, not even a real sense that he deserved his dismissal. Part of that comes from having to acknowledge that I am a fan, not a professional coach, and the Big XII is a hard place to win – three of the top 5 teams in the AP rankings right now are from the Big XII, after all. I may have seen errors on Morriss’ part, but I cannot really say whether or not he was the right man for the job. I know in other places that sometimes someone enjoys success because of hard work someone else did before him. Also, I have to wonder what it is like, to work where every mistake you make is known to, and ridiculed by, countless thousands of people who can’t say they would have done better in that place.
So, Guy Morriss, while my farewell to you is not reluctant, it is sincere in my goodwill, and my thanks for your work.
1. The plan was for a real business in the area, so a lot of the information is privileged;
2. Marketing is one of those bad habits people get into, and except for a rare few who use morals in their work, it’s not something I would want to encourage;
3. Proof-reading the paper bored me no end, and I wrote the dang thing, so I would be cruel indeed to inflict it on an innocent public.
It’s not enough I had to write it and send it in electronically; I also have to print up a hard copy on quality bond paper, and have it bound and mailed in to the professor. So, I am sitting here waiting for the printer to put out the product, which at “best quality” is taking longer than it did for Hillary Clinton to figure out that advocating drivers licenses for illegals was not a good way to win the Donk nomination, mush less the White House. So, I am plunking away at my keyboard while the printer does constructive work. Well, I also have to iron my clothes, but if there’s anything more boring than what I am doing now, it has to be ironing.
If you are still reading this, you must be as bored as I am. But, at least it’s free, except for the wasted time.
But to the topic. Earlier today, Baylor University’s Athletic Director officially announced the firing of Head Football Coach Guy Morriss. Morriss was 18-40 in five seasons at Baylor, which team lost all 8 of its Big XII conference contests, and frankly stunk up the place all season. That by itself could be a shame, except for a couple points which annoyed me and made me question Morriss’ integrity. The first part was the discovery early this summer, that Morriss had put his house up for sale. Well folks, you usually only do that if you figure you are going to have to move, and when a coach does something like that in advance of a season, it’s darn hard for me to believe he’s going to give his best effort into his job. Certainly, I watched his post-game statements with that fact in mind, and I did not like at all, what I heard and read. Also, this is a coach who promised, from before the season started, that the 2007 Baylor Bears were going to a bowl. When they reached 3-1, it might even have looked like a possibility, but a closer look at the season revealed that such a claim was hopelessly optimistic at best, and from what I could tell, completely dishonest in light of actual conditions. As the conference season got underway and progressed, Coach Morriss started becoming evasive about why his promise was not coming true, and worst of all, he started blaming the players for the losses, even when glaring errors in coaching became obvious. I could go on about the football side of things, especially my hope that Mike Singletary, College and NFL Hall of Fame Linebacker and legend to Bear fans, will be the next head coach of the Bears – pretty much no one else would have a realistic chance of recruiting real talent for Baylor right now, much less shaping the team into a winning program anytime soon. But as I read the news about Morriss’ firing, I did not feel any pleasure, not even a real sense that he deserved his dismissal. Part of that comes from having to acknowledge that I am a fan, not a professional coach, and the Big XII is a hard place to win – three of the top 5 teams in the AP rankings right now are from the Big XII, after all. I may have seen errors on Morriss’ part, but I cannot really say whether or not he was the right man for the job. I know in other places that sometimes someone enjoys success because of hard work someone else did before him. Also, I have to wonder what it is like, to work where every mistake you make is known to, and ridiculed by, countless thousands of people who can’t say they would have done better in that place.
So, Guy Morriss, while my farewell to you is not reluctant, it is sincere in my goodwill, and my thanks for your work.
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