Where Will You Buy Toys This Christmas?

Posted on October 5, 2007 by der5er

Sarge sits on the shelfThe USA Today reports that more than half a million additional Chinese made toys have been recalled for lead content.  As I said before, these recalls are scary stuff.  It still troubles me that all these recalls, be they toys, food, pet food, or Cub Scout badges, are products made in China.  I don’t know if this is going to be a “Buy American” Christmas, but I think it will probably be a “Don’t buy Chinese” Christmas. 

And where, exactly, can you buy an American made toy?  In another article, the USA Today reports that 80% of all toys are made in China.  I know many families purchase their Christmas presents online.  However, most online retailers do not show the country of origin for toys.  So, how do you find toys that aren’t made in China? 

Let me know, where are you going to buy toys this Christmas?

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Why the Terrorist Database is Useless

Posted on October 4, 2007 by der5er

Illegal Border Crossing“Terror database gets plenty of hits.”  The Washington Times, America’s Newspaper

The FBI Terrorist Screening Center has a database.  This database is used to identify potential terrorist who are trying to enter the United States.  According to the Washington Times, this database has 700,000 entries and stopped 40,000 terrorists from entering the country.  That’s great.  I’m very happy that they were stopped.  However, this database is useless.

I heard about this database on the news this morning and my first thought was, “That’s pretty cool.”  But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the database is only used at official ports of entry.  Official ports of entry are airports, sea ports, and any highways entering the US.  It’s not used along our very porous border where millions of illegal aliens entered the country.

As long as we have open borders to the north and south, this database is just a list.  Anyone who is on the list, or is actually stopped from entering the country, needs only to go to Canada or Mexico and find another way across the border.  With 2,000 to 3,000 people crossing the border illegally every day, who is checking their names against the list?  I’ll answer that one for you: Nobody.

If 2,000 to 3,000 people can cross the border each day, how hard do you think it is for someone in the Terrorist Screening Center’s database to get in?  We, as Americans, need to think about this issue long and hard for the next election.  This is no longer just an immigration issue.  Immigration control and National Security now go hand-in-hand.  As long as we continue not enforcing the laws we have on the books relating to immigration, our country is at risk of another terror attack.

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A Year Ago on der5er:Oct 2006 in Review

Posted on October 2, 2007 by der5er

Leanna, Sarah, and Cooperder5er » 2006 » October

This blog is almost 2 years old.  Actually, I think der5er is older than that, but the original date got lost in one of the moves I did way-back-when.  So, I’m using November 21, 2005 (the date I moved from blogger to shirleyannesheart.com) as the birthday for der5er.  That’s the day I first started calling it ‘der5er’ so it seems as good as any day. 

Anyway, I thought now would be a good time to drag up old topics and make them new again!  Here some highlights of October 2006:

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little trip down memory lane with me.  I know I did!

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CAIR Criticizes McCain for Stating Facts

Posted on October 1, 2007 by der5er

Groups criticize McCain for calling U.S. ‘Christian nation’ – CNN.com

OK, have you read the above article?  You haven’t?  Well, then I’ll summarize for you.  The Council on American-Islamic Relations misinterpreted comments made by John McCain and then criticized him for what they thought he said.

Here’s what Sen. McCain said:

I just have to say in all candor that since this nation was founded primarily on Christian principles, personally, I prefer someone who has a grounding in my faith.

I would probably have to say yes, that the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation.

What I do mean to say is the United States of America was founded on the values of Judeo-Christian values, which were translated by our founding fathers which is basically the rights of human dignity and human rights.

I believe that anyone can be president of the United States of any faith.

Those are quotes.  I don’t really agree with the second quote, and if the National Jewish Democratic Council wants to take exception with that, well, OK.  Maybe the Founding Fathers were all Christian, but I don’t think that the Constitution necessarily makes this a Christian nation.

As for the Christian President comment; who out there isn’t going to vote for the candidate that is most like them?  You want to vote for a candidate who has beliefs like yours. Be those beliefs Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Republican, Democrat, or Libertarian, you’re going to vote for the guy who is most like you.  I don’t see how anyone can fault Sen. McCain for saying it out loud.

The spokesman for CAIR complains that the comments “failed to recognize that Christianity is not the only faith with beliefs that support the concept of human rights.”  Umm…he didn’t say it was the only faith to support human rights.  He said that the nation was founded on Judeo Christian values–which it was!  100% of the Delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 were (including all 39 signers of the Constitution), in one form or another, Christian.  ”Sorry, Islam and other faiths have their basis in human dignity.”  Umm, sorry, Sen. McCain made no reference to the basis of Christianity or any other faith.  So, this argument does not even belong in the discussion.

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