CHALK IT ALL UP

Has your child ever written in chalk on the sidewalk? Certainly if you are a kid in America you did it when you were a child in marking up areas to play innocent games with your friends.

If so, little Joey or Janie even you are a criminal.So says the city of Orlando, Florida which recently arrested and jailed a person for writing in chalk on the sidewalk in front of City Hall.

Sometimes I read or hear things that seem to be jokes, absurd stories, that actually turn out to be true facts. The totally bizarre nature of initially recognizing that it can't be real is quickly replaced by anything is possible in the current world as it exists.

When you were a child, think back to the memories of playing in the streets, on your sidewalk. Remember chalk? In Brooklyn where I grew up and in many other cities as kids we used to chalk up the sidewalks to play a game called Hopscotch (Potsy),  or we would mark up bases for stick ball, slap ball (triangle), and just drawing messages, hearts of supposed romances between a boy and girl (SWAK-Sealed With A Kiss), all as an expression of our freedom to do so.

After a day or so, the chalk would fade away, or if it rained, snowed, a water truck cleaning the street,  a neighbors hose, would quickly make the chalk "art" disappeared. We simply chalked it up again, the next time we went outside.

Let's fast forward to 2011/2012 where technology and progress was supposed to enrich our lives, minds, the way we live, think. Instead it often appears that many of the modern thinking in our Country has gone the way of idiots , morons, and those who spend their time focusing on limiting the slightest freedoms we have, because "they" say so. There is no logic or rational thinking behind the "they say so's" who wield their power indiscriminately with an iron fist.

It's similar to the politicians who close a child's sidewalk lemonade stand that has been set up in front of their own house (since it's too dangerous in today's sicko world to not be in the view of your parents as there are so many pedophiles loose who would kidnap, kill them otherwise), because there is no permit obtained from the local officials for having a lemonade stand.

You get the idea, arrogant, do nothing, public servants who instead of working to solve the really important critical issues facing  the survival of every American city, town, citizen, somehow find the time to waste their limited resources on showing how stupid they are.

This is the story of an American citizen, Timothy Michael Osmar that took place in Orlando, Florida (not a surprise to me that it is in Florida, the State of Insanity), which also happens to be the home of Disney World a fantasy land, but the city of Orlando manages to also compete with them for attention. In fairness to Orlando, eerily, others have now been arrested in different American cities for the same exact crime of chalk but Orlando seems to be the most serious about their ability to intimidate the people who use the weapon of chalk.

              THE BIG BUST ARREST

To be clear I am not talking about the issue of graffiti with paint that permanently defaces, vandalizes our  buildings. This is just about old fashioned, easily erasable, chalk.The kind your kids use or their teachers use in writing on school blackboards.

                          

      ARREST KIDS FOR DRAWING?

Next it will be illegal to have children draw with chalk in front of a Government building. The possibilities are endless when it comes to the crooked politicians, demagogues who do as they wish.

Just talking about regular chalk.

Mr. Osmar, a resident of South Carolina, which despite going public in "Newtwering" to the world it's own ignorance in last nights GOP primary, is at last look still one of the States that is part of our democracy called America, so is Florida, including Orlando. Osmar is associated with the Occupy Orlando movement  and was arrested on December 15th, 2011 for writing on the ground with sidewalk chalk, and has been in jail ever since.

 

According to an arrest affidavit provided by the Orlando Police Department to CBS Tampa, Timothy Michael Osmar was found by authorities on Dec. 15 writing on the sidewalks with chalk in front of city hall. By the way, he was also charged in his arrest for being a "transient", a polite way to say he is homeless.

Yes, Being homeless is a crime in America, despite my story about the wonderfully inspiring story I wrote about 17 year old Samantha Garvey who is homeless and is one of 300 students in all of America to be selected as a final contestant in the Intel Scholarship for her project.

Forget murderers, armed robbers, rapists, child molesters and thieves. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and police Chief Paul Rooney are using their resources and taxpayers money to go after a 25-year-old who was brandishing a writing utensil. All done to keep you safe and sound while your neighborhood is being trashed, invaded by drug addicts, perverts, burglars, and criminals. 

Your children and yourself are in danger of being killed by any number of animal low life sub humans on our streets, in cars, waiting to destroy the lives of those you love. 

Chalk is the issue huh, who among us believes that is what our police should be focusing on during these times that animals are preying on us, in a jungle of not a shred of a conscience on the part of real criminals who ignore all laws and have no regard for the value of a human life.

Yes, you read that correctly, the city of Orlando, Florida arrested a U.S. citizen for the dangerous "crime" of writing with chalk on the sidewalk.

The "crime" that Timothy Osmar committed was writing the words in chalk of slogans such as "Justice Equals Liberty, this is not graffiti, It's democracy." No one had ever been arrested in Orlando for chalk writing and obviously, he had to be stopped to protect the safety of the public.

Brave hero Officers Phil Scaglione and Sgt. Ernest Payne  together as a backup team, cautiously approached the "dangerous" chalk criminal Osmar, at which point Payne explained that it is “unlawful for any person to write, print, mark, paint, stamp or paste any sign, notice of writing advertisement upon the surface of any sidewalk or paved street in the city.”

The  arrest affidavit says that this was explained to Osma multiple times, but that he disregarded the warning and continued to write on the ground. So they arrested him, threw him in jail, and left him there to rot for this heinous offense with NO BAIL allowed.The judge who denied his bail is Martha Adams and her husband Steve is an Orlando policeman.

Anyone see a conflict here? Welcome to the America injustice Laws/ Courts, where there are 2 sets of rules, one for us, and the other for the politically connected.

 But at least Orlando city's sidewalks are free of pastel slogans about freedom. Dyer's office was unapologetic, saying city codes clearly outlaw chalk writing.

If you're looking for a tool to deal with chalk on city sidewalks, think less about a jail cell and more about a garden hose.

Attorney Dick Wilson, who took Osmar's case for free, had entered a "not guilty" plea on his client's behalf. Wilson said the arrest is a clear violation of Osmar's First Amendment rights. "I am thrilled the crime rate in Orlando is so low the city of Orlando has time to imprison people for drawing on the sidewalk in chalk."I didn't even know it was a violation, he said. "I mean, I can certainly understand if they are talking about graffiti or destroying public property. But that's not what we're talking about. We're talking about a guy using chalk to make his voice heard in a public area.

The 25-year-old Occupy Orlando demonstrator then spent 18 days in the Orange County Jail after police arrested him for using pink chalk to write these protest slogans on the sidewalk outside City Hall.

He was finally released from jail on January 11, 2012. City officials dropped the charges as City Attorney Mayanne Downs said that was because they felt Osmar had spent enough time in jail. 

Anyone who "defaces" the sidewalk or other property, even with chalk, still could be arrested, she said."They're certainly at risk of being arrested, but we have to apply our ordinances in as consistent a way as possible.Mayor Buddy Dyer, whose City Hall balcony overlooks the chalked sidewalk, echoed in a statement. Bull Shit!

Here's a line from a chamber of commerce newsletter back in 2009, when the basketball team Magic were in the Eastern Conference finals: "Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer suggested that area business show their support by 'chalking up' their sidewalks and entryways."

Now that's one of the things gone so badly wrong in America. A petty government official decides for we the people, what is free speech, in this case an "important right of freedom for a game of sport where a ball gets put into a hoop by guys that are 7 feet tall vs. a human being peacefully expressing their rights as Americans, spare me the indignation about how sacred our sidewalks are. 

Courageous soldiers have given away their lives, died for hundreds of years in defending our freedom and basketball is more important than free speech? A mockery of their sacrifice, truly unamerican, tragic, and not very patriotic on the part of our American flag pin lapel politicians of slime.

Sure, the law technically bans "advertising." (It was created decades ago to prohibit businesses from painting promotions on public property.) But the city has decided to define "advertising" as any writing designed to "portray and communicate a message."Under that definition, if you or your kids have ever scrawled anything from "10-cent lemonade" to "I love mom!" on a public sidewalk, you guys are criminal advertisers who should be locked up.

But, Horray for Timothy!!! A true American patriot who will not back down and be afraid. Within hours of being released from jail on January 11th, he was back at City Hall, writing messages on the sidewalk about freedom and free speech. Then he went to the Orange County Courthouse and did the same thing.

"I am ready and willing, after a bit of a breather, to do it all again," Osmar said shortly after his release. "I would really look forward to challenging this in court, to striking the ordinance down, so people can express themselves with chalk on the sidewalk.

Osmar said he only stopped this time because he ran out of chalk. There were no police around, and he wasn't arrested.The city hoped this story would end by dropping the charges against 25-year-old Timothy Osmar, not so easy when you piss an American off by stomping on their personal freedom.

Instead, Orlando officials decided to double down on foolishness and injustice. First, the city continues to defend the arrest of this protester even though the city produced no evidence that it has ever arrested hopscotchers, Magic fans or anyone else for the same chalk related "crime."

Just as troubling was part of the city's explanation for the release: that 18 days in jail without bond was an appropriate punishment.

Except it wasn't. Osmar's attorney, Dick Wilson, described it as laughable to think that a judge would sentence someone to 2 1/2 weeks in jail for violating a misdemeanor municipal ordinance.

People get convicted of felonies and don't spend a single day in prison. If you were a DUI or DWI driver who had just murdered someone, likely they would have let you out on bail,

More important: Osmar wasn't convicted of anything.

So it's disgusting for the Mayor moron dictator of Orlando or anyone else to declare Osmar as having served his penance, when he wasn't ever declared guilty.

Forget how you feel about Dyer or Occupy Orlando. Imagine what you would think if you read that rulers in Cuba were imprisoning citizens for writing on the sidewalk?

If City Hall which called the cops on Osmar in the first place didn't like what he was writing, this was a problem for a garden hose, not the Orange County Jail.

You may not care for Osmar or Occupy Orlando. But you darn well better care about government selectively or creatively enforcing its laws when "they" want to take your freedom away from you. We are witnessing in America a pervasive, unprecedented, deliberate, policy day after day of violating our rights guaranteed by the constitution. Whether it is our rights of Freedom of Speech, use of the Internet, Privacy, including writing on the sidewalk with chalk.

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression from government interference. Freedom of expression consists of the rights to freedom of speech, press, assembly and to petition the government for a redress of grievances, and the implied rights of association and belief.

The U.S. Constitution Fourth Amendment: Protects the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

"They" are simply selectively targeting, arbitrarily eroding, whimsically ignoring our protected rights and eavesdrop on our privacy, arrest, make up "their" own interpretations of freedom of speech based on their own personal feelings. No different than the abuse of its people by a dictatorship in Russia, China, Libya, Syria or Saudi Arabia.

Your feelings on this blog post may not be completely sympathetic to Osmar, since he seemed to be plenty willing to be arrested, but you must be convinced the arrest was foolish nonetheless, and a violation of our rights as citizens in a supposed democracy that righteously, hypocritically, sanctimoniously spouts aloud against evil countries  all over the world who infringe on the rights of their people, but remains silent as our rights to freedom are diluted.

These are extremely scary times in America as in the name of "public security, anti-terrorist strategies, we feel an extreme erosion,  abuse that is getting worse, of those who claim to represent us in Government and in the legal circus, selectively and prejudicial in taking our freedom away from us. 

We just saw this in attempt by Congress and its Corporate stooges to SOPA/PIPA  away our Internet freedom that I wrote about in my previous blog post.  By the way SOPA/PIPA is not as dead as it seems, it has been tabled "for further Study", and will be right back in our face during mid February.

Corporations are to be considered people according to the geniuses on the Supreme Court, thereby allowing Corporate America, to influence political elections with their hordes of dirty money. I guess they won't be able to use chalk in doing their corrupt acts of buying our politicians 

Remember, writing with chalk on the sidewalk is now illegal in many American cities, with more offenses to be added to the list of "crimes".

Perhaps in the future you will be arrested for talking in "unpatriotic" defined terms as defined by some nitwit like "Newtwit"  is going to get you labeled as the enemy.

Many of you voted these idiots into Office, time for change fast, get them all out fast. Part of the answer is below.

You are losing your rights and apparently the people who died in wars defending our rights and freedoms, died for nothing. You might be able to live with that, I will fight for my rights any day, any where.

How long before merely writing a blog such as mine, , peacefully protesting, or anyone voicing their opinion in public that some bureaucrat disagrees with, can have the cops arrest us, throw us in jail, or fine us for treason? 

Yes,  you need to fear for the future of our children, the Country, ourselves, these are dangerous times for all the legitimate reasons we know of in a sick world, but now add to that, the crime of expressing ones personal thoughts about freedom as an American.

SOPA/PIPA ARE DIRTY WORDS ▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀

▀▀▀▀▀▀ is very important that ▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀by▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀. 

If SOPA/PIPA are passed into law the above is what will happen to our rights to free speech, no censorship, that are all protected under the First Ammendment and our rights to protection from warrantless searches, surveillance under the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution.
   

Please sign the petitions at the links below to Tell Congress: Protect the internet as we know it. Stop the PIPA and SOPA proposed legislation NOW. For more information about PIPA and SOPA read below under the petition site links. Don't allow our freedom of using the Internet to be taken away from us by censorship and big business. 

▀▀▀ will be the way you see Internet ▀▀▀▀▀▀if this law passes▀▀▀▀▀▀
Act Now!

http://blacklist.eff.org/

 

https://donate.mozilla.org/page/s/sopa-pipa-petition

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/internet_censorship/?rc=tw2

http://www.nosopa.org/ 

 

http://sopastrike.com/strike

Not in the U.S.-Petition the U.S State Department At Link Below:

http://americancensorship.org/modal/state-dept-petition/index.html

The Internet blacklist legislation—known as PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate and Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House—invites Internet security risks, threatens online speech, and hampers innovation on the Web. Urge your members of Congress to reject this Internet blacklist campaign in both its forms!

To make the most impact, we're asking YOU to do two things. Today, use our handy tool to send an email to your representatives, letting them know you oppose these bills and they should too. 

Then, on January 23, when the Senate is back in session (and scheduled to vote on PIPA on January 24), call your Senator and tell him or her that it's time to stand with the Internet and against the Internet blacklists!

Big media and its allies in Congress are billing the Internet blacklist legislation as a new way to battle online infringement. But innovation and free speech advocates know that this initiative will do little to stop infringement online. What it will do is compromise Internet security, inhibit online expression, and slow growth in the technology sector.

As drafted, the legislation would grant the government and private parties unprecedented power to interfere with the Internet's underlying infrastructure. The government would be able to force ISPs and search engines to block users' attempts to reach certain websites' URLs. In response, third parties will woo average users to alternative servers that offer access to the entire Internet (not just the newly censored U.S. version), which will create new computer security vulnerabilities as the Internet grows increasingly balkanized.

It gets worse: the blacklist bills' provisions would give corporations and other private parties new powers to censor foreign websites with court orders that would cut off payment processors and advertisers. Broad immunity provisions (combined with a threat of litigation) would encourage service providers to overblock innocent users or even block websites voluntarily. This gives content companies every incentive to create unofficial blacklists of websites, which service providers would be under pressure to block without regard to the First Amendment.

Service providers would be forced to monitor and police their users' activities as well, threatening the DMCA safe harbors that have been vital to online innovation over the last decade. SOPA gives the government new powers to go after sites that provide information about tools that might be used to bypass the blacklists — even though these are often the same tools used by democratic activists around the world to bypass Internet censorship mechanisms implemented by authoritarian governments like Iran and China.

Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA) have led the charge in explaining how the blacklist bills threaten the very infrastructure of the open Internet, joined by a growing, bipartisan, group of Congress members. The White House also recently stated it will not support a bill that threatens free speech, innovation, and Internet security. But every Senator and Representative should be opposing the PROTECT IP Act and SOPA and we need to hold the White House to its word. Contact your members of Congress today to speak out!

 

SAMANTHA

Samantha Garvey, 17 years old of Brentwood, Long Island (Suffolk County), New York has a great story of perseverance and courage to tell the world. She got lucky and someone was listening, a very rare fairy tale come true.

Garvey is one of 300 teenagers nationwide named this week as semifinalists in the prestigious Intel science competition; finalists will be announced at the end of January. If Samantha wins the Intel competition, she will win a $100,000 college scholarship.

           SAMANTHA GARVEY VIDEO

She spent more than two years researching the effects of the Asian short crab on the mussel population in a salt marsh on Long Island, east of New York City.

 
"What Sam found was that, like anyone, after being attacked you develop a tough skin of shell," said her science research teacher, Rebecca Grella. "These mussels were able to increase their thickness and protect themselves against their predator." 

Grella noted the link between Garvey's challenges and those of the mollusks she studied."I do believe that is an amazing metaphor," Grella said, "and I do see Sam as a strong mussel."

The Brentwood High School senior, who has applied to Yale and Brown Universities, is homeless, she was evicted along with her family from their home on New Year's Eve. Her mother, Olga, a nurse's assistant, was out of work for eight months following a car accident in February, and her father, Leo, Olga, Samantha a brother and sister had been living in a home, but were evicted when the parents fell behind on payments after Leo could not keep up with paying all the regular bills, plus the mothers medical costs on his salary as a cab driver.

Garvey and her father said that they had been homeless on and off for years; more recently, the family of five had rented a home for six or seven years prior to that, Leo Garvey said. Before, the family had also lived in homeless shelters from time to time; Leo Garvey described himself as a recovering alcoholic.

Samantha said that she had worried for several months before the eviction, knowing that her mother was ailing and money was tight.

Her  story has gotten coverage nationwide. It's the type of "human interest" story that the media magically plucks out of the misery in America to focus on for a few days before they and the public with the tiniest attention span of a young toddler, quickly forget. Out of sight, out of mind.

There is almost never a realistic attempt to explore, examine, propose positive changes for the numerous kinds of critical, painful, life changing issues that affect millions of "hidden", suffering Americans on a daily basis, who are simply trying to survive each day, one at a time.

Suffolk County officials as soon as the story was picked up by the media, suddenly announced that they had found a three-bedroom home for Samantha Garvey and her family while an anonymous donor stepped up to save the Garvey's dog from being euthanized at a pound.Now,with donations coming in and the county finding them rent-subsidized housing, she'll again be able to do her homework in a home. In addition to the county housing, officials said the Marriott Corp. is donating "several thousand dollars" of furniture for the family to use. She said, "It is absolutely amazing and incredible."

"This is just the most amazing thing you could ask for, she told NBC New York, "My dad has always said, 'Pick your head up and keep on going the diminutive Garvey said at a news conference Friday, surrounded by her parents, brother, sister and a cadre of politicians and school officials.

"I ordered a senior picture and I said, "I don't know where to send it. I don't know what's going to happen. What if we move, what if we get evicted, which we did," she said. "You're out in limbo. You're like, "What's going to happen to my mail, what's going to happen to my college applications. Where are they all going to go? It's scary."

"We're all in tears here," she said after Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone announced that the Department of Social Services had located a nearby three-bedroom house where the family could live.The house is undergoing renovations and should be ready for the Garveys in about 10 days, Bellone said.

Samantha has been invited to watch President Obama's State of the Union address on Jan. 24  as a guest of Long Island Congressman Steve Israel.

Israel says he was moved by the aspiring marine biologist's story. He's offered Garvey a prestigious gallery ticket. Her parents would watch from Israel's office. Her father tells Newsday they'd love to go.

The Garveys will pay 30 percent of their monthly income to rent the county owned property, officials said. Gregory Blass, the county commissioner of Social Services, said the family was already known to officials because they were staying in a shelter, making them eligible to move into the house.

He insisted the Garveys received no preferential treatment because of Samantha's celebrity.

Indeed NOT!

Where were all those " cadre of Politicians" at before she made the news? A good photo op from the same ones her family sought out for help, ignoring them, before,and after becoming homeless, but the minute she makes the spotlight they are right there like it was all their doing. The unlimited depths of how low the sleazy politicians will go to get themselves to look kind, compassionate, human, never ceases to amaze even a realist like myself. It makes me want to puke.

 

What sticks in my gut is the sudden "discovery", real action, embracing awareness by these full of shit politicians that homelessness exists, that poverty is rampant, and being on Welfare, homeless, doesn't necessarily mean that a person is a bum, lazy, worthless, dumb, or as Newt Gingrich said "these poor kids on welfare should find jobs as janitors".

Naturally, out of the phony sleazy political/corporate world, those swarming snakes of politicians, corporate white Knights have miraculously, suddenly emerged. they discovered Samantha and see an agenda for themselves, their career image, a public relations sound byte, nothing more, nothing less would be expected from these parasites.

It's the hypocrisy of those in power that really pisses me off. Their willingness to use this young lady and her family for their own personal political publicity, with not an ounce of honesty in what they are saying,doing, and next week they will ignore all the other Americans in similar situations of needing help, as if they don't exist.

These are the very same politicians in Samantha's case who have destroyed the programs that help people in need, by wielding without a conscience their budget cuts, indifference, arrogance, apathy, removing the fragile semblance of a safety net that used to exist before all of this, all in the name of deficit reductions.

At the very same time that they dismantled social service and many other programs for their residents, the exact same process is taking place all across America where politicians manage to protect the mismanagement that they do so well with their bloated, overpaid workers, waste in spending, patronage, contracts, deals with their corporate, business, cronies, and campaign financial supporters who give them money to own them.

There are hundreds of thousands of similar heart breaking human stories out there that never get blown up like this, never get the media attention, and the public awareness, hence they never get the just as well deserved donations and help. 

If the voters elect more tea-party types, GOP cut everything types except protect the rich, who all want to cut government progr­ams at  any­ cost, we're gonna see even more homelessne­ss. 

Other than Vt. Senator Bernie Sanders who comes to mind right now, there are too many politicians who propose legislatio­n and/or vote along ideologica­l lines, on both sides of the aisle. It's the same at State and local level. 

The voters have to get informed and elect people who care about people and not follow some self serving, say anything bull shit ideologue spouting anti-gover­nment/anti­-tax rhetoric. Oliver Wendell Holmes said it best: "Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society". 

The "waste" is never cut. One man's "waste" is another's "need". Yes, homelessne­ss is a shame in this country and the fault of citizens who allow this to happen by following like dumb sheep, the politicians with their lying "snake oil" budget deficit "fixes", done on the backs of all working Americans, especially the most vulnerable, those in need, the Samantha Garvey's of all ages, types, and lives that are as deserving as her family is of compassion,help.

You can't be both free and ignorant. For all the Obama hate­rs out there, and for all his huge failures, his heart is somewhere in the remote vicinity of being in the right place, compared to the greedy slash and burn at any cost, do nothing but destroy "ideas" coming from the opposition which has no clue, nor do they care about we the people. Of course if you have a lot of money, then they will love you.

America is not broke.There is tremendous wealth in this country and we clearly have a distributi­on problem. There is no reason for anyone to be homeless or for any child's life to be blighted by poverty. It's pure and simple injustice, greed and the failure of our political system to address either. We have spent well over several trillion dollars, and still counting on the last 2 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

There somehow is always unlimited funds found to fund ill conceived wars, and provide foreign aid to Countries that hate us. No-one talks of "we can't afford it" when those acts of  supporting mindless dictatorships are pursued.

Now suddenly, we discover that the United States has homeless people who have human faces, aspirations, and potential. The political know nothings, liars of hate, repeat the words of baloney, "but we can't afford to pay for the domestic programs to support those in need and the rest of us, not even Social Security and Medicare Entitlement programs, cut them all"  We're pathetic as a nation! 

Her father wrote on Newsday.com, "I want to thank all of you for your wonderful comments on this story. Many of times I have been ready to throw in the towel and give up and wallow in self pity but then I look at this girl who I used to hold in one hand when she was born at 2lbs 14ozs, who is one giant of a woman today and she gives me the reason to keep on going along with brother and sister. I live for them. Signed one very very very proud dad." And if you want to contact the Garvey family, you can reach them at leog1951@optonline.net

The true facts are always amazingly shocking when it comes to the homeless in America, all the other Samantha Garvey's and their families, just like hers, real people:

.There are over 6,000 homeless people living in shelters or placed in motels on Long Island, NY. These numbers do not include those who are homeless and living on the streets or in the woods.

.As of January 1, 2012 on any given night there are about 1.5 million people in homeless shelters or in need of them.*

* 56% are living in shelters and transitional housing, while 44% are unsheltered.

* 59% are single adults and 41% are persons living in families.

* 98,452 are homeless families

* 23% are chronically homeless according to HUD’s definition.

*Over the course of a year, between 2.5 and 3.5 million people will live either on the streets or in an emergency shelter.

.1.5 MILLION = the number of children in America who go to sleep without a home each year

.1 in 50 = an American child’s chances of experiencing homelessness in their lifetime

. In January 2011, the number of unemployed Americans is still 29.6 million. All of them potential homeless victims at any moment.

Who is going to help them?

gods QUARTERBACK

Over the course of the past year, I have written several blog posts about peoples views on how god spends his/her time. One is about those Republican GOP candidate's who state that god has sent them direct messages to run for political office, apparently indicating that god only communicates with the GOP and not the Democratic Party. 

Another is about people who believe that they have been ordained certain very specific rights by god.

My latest discovery is that there are a great many people who truly, really believe in the divine intervention of god when it comes to the outcome of sporting events.

This issue is fascinating. Like the others, they all share a common belief that god has a lot of time on his/her hands to cater to the whimsical "needs" of certain people. No one has ever been able to prove the actual existence of god yet here he/she is busy at work determining who will win and lose games of sports.

SPECIAL THANKS TO MY FRIEND LISA B. FOR THE VIDEO BELOW:

 
A Company by the name  of Poll Position conducted a telephone survey this past week and asked people about Tim Tebow, the Denver Broncos quarterback who thanks god on the field. These people were aware of his dramatic 80-yard touchdown pass in overtime last week that won the Broncos’ wild-card playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in football.

Quoting from a press release, “Seventy percent of respondents said they knew of  Tim Tebow’s success and among those aware of the Tebow phenomenon, 43 percent said they believed divine intervention was at least partly responsible for his success, while 42 percent said no it wasn't, and 14 percent expressed no opinion.

The 43 percent number is surprising in that so many people think God intervenes in sports and admit believing that to somebody, even an anonymous pollster. 

What's really interesting is the breakdown: belief in divine intervention on Tebow's behalf was weak among white people only 38.3 percent thought God had much to do with his success.


But among blacks, 59.5 percent thought they saw the hand of God, and among Hispanics - 81.3 percent saw the hand of God.


Republicans were also far more likely than Democrats or Independents to believe in Tebow's connection with God -54.2.


– Republicans: 54% yes, 32% no, and 14% no opinion.
– Democrats: 38% yes, 48% no, 14% no opinion.
– Independents: 35% yes, 49% no, 16% no opinion.


Oh, and men are less likely (40.6 to 46.8) than women (46.4 to 37.3) to think that God has a Tebow poster on his wall.

The scary thing here is that these people (the 43%) can vote, drive cars, and have children. So I guess God just gives the shaft to the Christian players on the team the Broncos are playing? Yeah…makes perfect sense to me.


If you do believe in God and you've ever wondered how he would reveal himself again should he want too, football is the highest rated live programming on American television, it would make sense for the Almighty to advertise there
when it comes to product placement.

There has also been a lot of  serious talk this week about Tebow throwing for 316 yards against the Steelers, and the link to John 3:16, and that Tebow's story seems almost Biblical in nature. Of course, none of this has anything remotely to do with football .

After Albert Pujols, the baseball player was erroneously linked to the Mitchell Report on the use of steroids in Major league baseball, he said, “I fear God too much” to take steroids. “If I do some stupid things to help me out, to hit .400 or .300-something or hit 30 home runs, He’s going to take that away from me.”

These are highly respected athletes, seemingly smart, articulate and professionals, all, saying things that sound sort of very weird to me. This poll suggests otherwise.

Are those guys and the 43 percent who responded to the poll crazy to think God flicks his divine finger and a ball goes sailing out of Busch Stadium? Or are 57 percent of us blind to the obvious truth?

Personally, in due respect to those of you who believe in a god,C'mon , get real,  do you really think your Lord and Savior cares who won a football game. Why is Tebow thanking Him? Because he threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to win a football game?  

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/13/3369683/celebrate-tebow-but-slow-down.html#storylink=cpy

Tebow's success on the field has more to do with the fact that he is a 6-foot-2, 236-pound man with superior athletic skills than it does his ability to recite Psalms 23.

Clearly, if there is a god, he has a full 3 plates and more of life breaking important things in this world to be trying to fix. 

Maybe sometimes the greatest way to glorify God is to just shut up, put your big boy/girl pants on and take care of the real suffering and unfairness in our sick, totally dysfunctional, uncaring world world.

Take your pick below and get real, become compassionate, do something to raise awareness, make a difference in addressing the true things that a god would want you to get involved in to help others. Forget this football, sports bull shit intervention and face the the truth about what our priorities need to be. 

We need more of those people who care about the real life crisis of fellow human beings, regardless of their religious beliefs, because it would seem god would care a lot more about that than who wins a football game.

In 2010 7.6 million children under 5 died, mainly in 3rd world and developing countries,.

. In the U.S.A. on any given night, approximately 750,000 men, women, and children are homeless in the US.*

* 56% are living in shelters and transitional housing, while 44% are unsheltered.

* 59% are single adults and 41% are persons living in families.

* 98,452 are homeless families

* 23% are chronically homeless according to HUD’s definition.

*Over the course of a year, between 2.5 and 3.5 million people will live either on the streets or in an emergency shelter.

1.5 MILLION = the number of children in America who go to sleep without a home each year

1 in 50 = an American child’s chances of experiencing homelessness in their lifetime

In January 2011, the number of unemployed Americans is still 29.6 million

IN NEW YORK CITY :

• At the end of October. 2011 there were 41,204 homeless adults and children sleeping in New York City municipal shelters, an all-time record. This is the first time ever that the number of homeless people sleeping each night in the New York City shelter system has exceeded 40,000 people. 

There is 1 person killed every 6 minutes by a drunk driver or a driver under the influence of other drugs , 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of people dying every year of cancer, leukemia, and other  horrible diseases.

If god has the will to stop evil but not the ability he/she is not omnipotent.

If he/she has the will but not the ability he/she is apathetic.

if he/she has both the will and ability then why is there evil?

if he/she has neither the ability or will then why call him/her god?

To those that believe in god, get off your ass and help with the work that has to be done if this world is to survive. Sitting only on your couch watching sports, going to Church, Synagogue, Mosque, Temple, being an Atheist, Agnostic, praying or not, it's not anywhere enough compared to getting involved in helping those in need, whatever way you can. Throwing a touch down pass or praying is not going to impress god, or change anything in this world for the better.

So where are you all? What's your excuse?

god only knows that, or not!

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/13/3369683/celebrate-tebow-but-slow-down.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/13/3369683/celebrate-tebow-but-slow-down.html#storylink=cpy