I almost got sick today when i heard about the latest antics of John Kerry and others. They are true politicians. They are willing to sacrifice what is the best interest of the citizens (some would say subjects) on the alter of political correctness. I have nothing personal against anyone with aids, if they are here and are legal citizens they deserve the rights afforded them by the Constitution. They are trying to make it so people with an easily transmitted fatal disease can be allowed to enter this country. I don't think any of them (with diseases) should be allowed here at all, period. I was outraged with them letting the man with TB into this country and they knew it, the world has gone crazy, below is the article


US ban on visitors with HIV could end soon July 16, 2008 - 6:29am

WASHINGTON (AP) - A two-decade ban on people with HIV visiting or immigrating to the United States may end soon through a Senate bill aimed at fighting AIDS and other diseases in Africa and other poor areas of the world.
The U.S. is one of a dozen countries _ including Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Libya and Russia _ that ban travel and immigration for HIV-positive people.
Even China, said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., recently changed that policy, deciding it was "time to move beyond an antiquated, knee-jerk reaction" to people with HIV.
"There's no excuse for a law that stigmatizes a particular disease," Kerry said Tuesday at a speech to the Center for Strategic & International Studies HIV/AIDS Task Force. Even people with avian flu or the Ebola virus have an easier time than those with HIV when it come to applying for visas, he said.
Kerry and Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., are trying to repeal the ban, first implemented in 1987 and confirmed by Congress in 1993. The two have attached their measure to legislation _ which the Senate may pass this week _ that would provide $50 billion over the next five years to fight AIDS and other diseases in Africa and other poor areas.
Foreign citizens, students and tourists can apply for a difficult-to-obtain special waiver for short-term visits, but an HIV-positive person has little chance of obtaining permanent residency.
Under current law, HIV is the only medical condition explicitly listed under immigration law. The Kerry-Smith provision would make HIV equivalent to other communicable diseases where medical and public health experts at the Health and Human Services Department _ not consular officials at U.S. embassies _ determine eligibility for admission.
Those with HIV seeking legal permanent residency would still have to demonstrate they have the resources to live in this country and would not become a "public charge."
The HIV ban was "adopted during a time of widespread fear and ignorance about the HIV virus," said Allison Herwitt, legislative director of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay and lesbian civil rights group.
Among the consequences, experts on HIV and AIDS who are themselves infected have been unable to attend conferences in the U.S. Students and refugees in the country who may be at risk of infection have been reluctant to seek testing or treatment.
"Health care professionals, researchers and other exceptionally talented people have been blocked from the United States," some 160 health and AIDS groups said recently in a letter urging Congress to end the current policy. "Since 1993, the International Conference on AIDS has not been held on U.S. soil due to this policy."
Herwitt said some HIV-positive people seeking visas lie on their applications and then don't bring their medications. "It's not only wrongheaded and discriminatory, but can also cause people to not tell the truth."
Both President George H.W. Bush and President Clinton sought to ease the policy and in 2006 the current President Bush asked the Homeland Security Department to streamline the waiver process. Congress so far has not gone along.
There's still opposition.
Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., may offer an amendment to eliminate the Kerry-Smith provision from the Senate bill. Sessions cited Congressional Budget Office estimates that the new immigrants coming in under the relaxed policy could cost the government more than $80 million over a 10-year period. "Most people just don't want to talk about that."
Sessions said the Health and Human Services Department already has considerable flexibility to grant entry visas.
The measure would offset the costs of new immigrants by raising the price of applying for a visitor's visa by $1 for three years and then $2 for the next five years.
The House version of the Africa AIDs bill does not have the travel and immigration provision, but advocates said it will be included in the final version of the bill that goes to the president.
Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., is sponsoring companion legislation in the House.
The Africa AIDS bill is S. 2731.
___
On the Net:
Congress: http://thomas.loc.gov/
Human Rights Campaign: http://www.hrc.org/

http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=116&sid=1441026



Another thing that caught my eye today was a commentary written by Paul Flanagan

Gun Rights are not equal to Voting Rights

POSTED July 15 2008

Jim Crow is alive and well in D.C. Just how you ask? Well, under Jim Crow laws Blacks had to pass writing tests, vision tests and pay a fee to register to vote. Today the District of Columbia goes much farther than that. You also have to give your firearm to the Police to have it ballistically 'fingerprinted', have a background check performed and wait weeks to months for your so-called 'Right' to have a firearm.
The Maryland State Police have been doing ballistic 'fingerprinting' for several years and have asked the state government that it stop doing so. Why? In the years since its inception the program has solved ZERO crimes. 0, Nada.
The same knuckleheads that INSIST that no identification should be required to vote now require not only a valid I.D. but Jim Crow style testing for a right that is just as important if not more so than voting. Voting might get you what you want, having a firearm might save your life.
I suppose the D.C. City Council and the Police Chief have decided that some rights are more equal than others. And obviously they don't trust their citizens who in fact are mostly Black.

See http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jul/15/dc-on-verge-of-new-gun-law-at-risk-of-challenges/ for more information on this topic.

Of course there is a lot more going on in the world then just this, in the coming days hopefully it will get more exciting.

Economy is going in the toilet, Gold is up over a hundred dollars and ounce since the beginning of the year. As of this post it is down 12.50 today, there was small dip about a week ago. If you want to buy it buy it when it dips. Silver is up about four bucks since the beginning of the year. It was as high as almost 21 bucks in March now it is at about 18.50, it had the same dip about a week ago. Oil on the other hand has taken a dive in the last few weeks it is at 134 and change right now. Which is normal, oil and gold usually go the opposite, when one rises the other drops, but not in the recent past. Stocks are showing a small rise, it is about time.

That Indy bank run is interesting, i did hear some interesting warnings for you rich folks with more then 100,000 in any given account. If you are not in one of the big mega banks, you need to be splitting your accounts down to 100 grand each no more. Even goes for your retirement accounts, the guy on the radio said just ask your banker (some would say "bankster") about how to do it. There are ways to keep it under the 100 grand amount, but if you don't ask they won't tell. Why is it important? Because any given account is only insured by the Government for up to 100 grand. So if the bank closes and you have over 100 grand in the account, you will most likely lose it. So play it safe and have multiple accounts. Here is a pretty good article about the Indy bank run http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=111&sid=1441053

One more thing here is a pretty neat website lets you over view of the gas prices across the Country. GasBuddy.com If your summer vacation plans include a road trip, GasBuddy.com can help ease the pain at the pump. GasBuddy.com displays the price of fuel -- including diesel -- by Zip Code, coast-to-coast. It is laid out like a temperature map, representing the highest pump prices as deep red, and the lowest per gallon cost as deep green. Zooming in on the map allows you to see gas prices almost by street.