Triggering Alarm

Posted by Jason Ibrahim

Today's Altoona Mirror reports on a jilted boyfriend, Joseph B. Olecki, who went on a rampage with his employer's AK-47, firing shots into residences in Altoona and Scranton. Inexplicably, the Mirror also had a companion piece on the popularity of AK-47's and AK-15's, right next to the Olecki story, front page, top fold. Here's what confuses me about this:

1. The first impression of the front page is the large-type headline "Desperate, Lovesick Man" with a large photo of a man holding a semi-automatic gun directly underneath it. Only by reading the caption do you find out that the gun-toting individual is not Olecki, but John Patton, the manager of East Coast Gun Sales, a local gun retailer. Olecki's mug shot, meanwhile, is a small photo, about a square inch, off to the left. To me, this implies that guns, and not Olecki, are the most significant angle in this situation.
2. The Olecki article also brings out the fact that Olecki's employer, Wayne Farabaugh, kept his guns at work to prevent them from harming his children--only to have his weapons stolen by Olecki for his own murderous purposes. The message--again, only a faint implication--is that gun ownership is irresponsible because someone will ultimately get hurt.

I have to hand it to the Mirror: this form of subtle commentary is much more subdued than some of the hit pieces against gun ownership that one sees in the big-city newspapers, but I don't think the Mirror is off the hook. If they want to editorialize about the dangers of the Second Amendment, they have a section for that--and it's not the front page.

That's my opinion; what's yours?

Disclaimer: The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of ILoveAltoona.com, its owners or advertisers.

The New Segregation

By Jeff Neff

Yes, we've finally raised the bar for equality in race relations in America and elected our first black president, but history is going in reverse for many Americans as we know it; having our liberties swept from under our feet, and our founding principles trampled as we live the new segregation called, "separation of church and state." The First Amendment reads:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

In reading the First Amendment, observe how the freedom of speech is a right given to protect people from the government; and the press with its liberties meant as a watchdog on the government; and the people having the right to protest and disagree with the government. Now, look at the most debated and misunderstood right at the top of the list in this Amendment, and discern what makes it different from the others; at least by today's "standards."

The Altoona Mirror had an interesting article stating that Mayor Wayne Hippo would not run for reelection, citing that one of his accomplishments was moving the Ten Commandments to a place with less visibility; in other words, he compromised against the Constitution's intent. Not to downplay the positive impact he may have had on the city, but this is just an example of how close to home this article will be.

All of these rights, to include the freedom of religion, are meant to protect the people from the government; not the government from the people, but when this fundamental principle is ignored, the ideas themselves become whatever people want them to be, and in this case, the separation of church and state.

This idea is from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to Baptists who initially wrote him a letter of support after his election with the words, "...thus building a wall of separation between Church and State."

Just as politics are today, they were vicious then, too. Jefferson's opponents labeled him as an atheist since he would not take steps to impose a religious establishment as president, but this did not mean that Jefferson believed that religion had no place in American Government.

As a federalist, Jefferson understood that the power to construct religious practices and customs was delegated to the states, not the federal government. His critics scorned him for making such a reversal in policy, since he established days for prayer and fasting as governor of his state.

The wall of which Jefferson spoke of is actually between the federal government and the states and their respective customs. In this context, the State, being a sovereign country; as opposed to a state, or territory within a sovereign country, is the federal government. The separation is the obvious reference to federalism and the powers separately granted to the states; meaning that Jefferson understood that in creating an establishment would be usurping the rights delegated to the states.

The federal government has increased its size and influence in the areas which should be the absolute rights of the states, and has begun a foreseeable path towards socialism.

Many fail to understand that compliance with the federal government is never in the states' interest, as the Framers have set them up to be rivals; but many at the state and local government levels have forgotten that the states created the federal government, and are constitutionally entitled to publicly fund and promote religion no matter what the federal government does.

Today, we face yet another form of segregation which is different from our past history; where Christians are passively prohibited the free exercise of their religion through government institution and expansion of the reach of government

This submissive form of coercion has led to a silent majority of Christians who feel that their rights have been trampled on by those who claim to represent them, local or state. The states have submitted to the will of the federal government by adopting a distorted idea of Jefferson's letter, and throughout the year, Christians are reminded of that as school districts, boroughs, townships, and state governments prohibit the mention of Jesus Christ and references to Christianity routinely.

Creating barriers between government and religion was not the intent of the Founding Fathers in the least. Just as the people and the press are the watchdogs against the government, so should be religion. We are and should be proud of breaking racial barriers in the Land's highest public office, which demonstrates America's ability to overcome its weaknesses. Sadly, we are in need of institutional reform in all levels of government, to avoid a catastrophic breach of trust between the people and its government in relations to religious freedom.

Separating Christianity from the rest of public life is only the beginning of this segregation period, and unlike our past mistake, this one knows no color.

We're Not Worthy...

Posted by Jason Ibrahim

Like an imam calling the faithful to prayer, the Penn State Altoona website announced that Darwin Day will be held tomorrow afternoon. Organizers of the event have naturally selected the Chapel as the meeting place for tomorrow's festivities.

Whether you're a Penn State student or not, why not go to campus tomorrow and take part in a meaningful celebration of the randomness of life? Renew old friendships with other biochemical anomalies, resting assured that, 10,000 years from now, it won't matter one way or the other.

Disclaimer: The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of ILoveAltoona.com, its owners or advertisers.

Just Window Shopping?

Posted by Jason and Elizabeth Ibrahim

We took my daughter to Target last night. Now Elise is only two years old, so she doesn't understand how money works. She thinks that you can walk into a store, take what you want, and walk out. She'll walk over to the Hello Kitty products, and snatch up everything she lays her eyes on. Sometimes we indulge her innocence, letting her walk around with numerous things that we'll never end up buying. She just doesn't know any better.

While we were at Target, we also saw numerous college students. Now these kids are only teenagers, or in their early twenties, so they don't understand how to manage their money. They think they can walk into a store, take whatever they want, and go back to their dorms. They'll walk over to the iPod aisle, and snatch up everything that says either "Apple" or "Blu-Ray". We chalk it up to innocence; there may come a day in the future when they'll have to pay for all this stuff, but "buy now, pay later" is as close as our culture comes to a religious commitment. They just don't know any better.

For the past several weeks, we've been reading about the plight of some of the biggest banks in the nation. Now these are people whose business is loaning money, so as far as they know, there's no problem in life that can't be solved by a loan application. They think they can set up shop in the poor end of town, set up high-interest mortgages with credit risks, and expect to get repaid. We chalk it up to profound stupidity; if our society's mantra is "buy now, pay later", then the bill has come due for companies like Citimortgage. They ought to know better, but they don't.

For the last couple decades, our Great Society, as represented by our elected officials, has been agreeing to significant financial commitments. Now these are people who spend (or loan) other people's money for a living, so there are few problems in life that can't be fixed by a cost-of-living adjustment. They think they can campaign on a platform of tax-and-spend, enacting programs designed to return some of the money we sent to them originally; worse yet, they have the audacity to call it "stimulus." Then they think they can buy up every pet project that strikes their fancy (or ACORN's). We chalk it up to a slothful electorate; if we have a governance crisis, the only possible solution is more government. They definitely know better, but what incentive is there to improve when we just don't care?

So the next time you get the credit card bill for the Wii Fit that sits in the closet in near-mint condition, and you're lamenting the 18-to-35 percent interest; or frustrated that the financial decision maker in your household is in diapers; or wanting to go to Circuit City, Ruby Tuesday or Krispy Kreme; or lamenting the state of your 401k, ask yourself: was it really window shopping?

Disclaimer: The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of ILoveAltoona.com, its owners, or advertisers.

Tearing up All the Wire

Posted by Jason Ibrahim

With the Golden Globes just behind us and the Oscars quickly approaching, there's no better time than now to shun modernity and find an old movie to watch on a snowy night. In fact, some of the best movies ever made are either at Penn State Altoona, or can be ordered in (both for free). (Full disclosure: most of my favorite movies were made a full generation before I was born.)

One of my all-time favorites, starring Angela Lansbury and Frank Sinatra, is 1962's Manchurian Candidate. It tells the story of a man, Raymond Shaw, who was kidnapped by the Soviets while fighting in the Korean War and brainwashed and reprogrammed into becoming a trained assassin. His handlers used a playing card, a red queen, as a trigger to do their bidding.

One of the pivotal scenes in the movie occurs when Major Ben Marco, who served with Shaw, is finally onto the Soviets' scheme. He puts a whole deck of red queens in front of Raymond's face and deprograms him by saying, "Their beautifully conditioned links are over; They're smashed as of now because we say so.... We're busting up the joint, we're tearing up all the wire."

In addition to being great cinema, I think there's a life lesson here. Any of us who has ever spoken a word in anger to someone we love, and then later regretted it, knows what it's like to be under the power of an enemy force. Even if we thought we were acting out of self-interest, upon later reflection we realize it doesn't really make us feel any better (never mind that it doesn't actually improve our situation).

When God came into my life and told me that all my old links were broken, it caught me by surprise at first. How can someone making his own decisions be under the control of another? As He began slowly tearing up all the old wire in my life, He showed it to me--where it was frayed and had caused short circuits in the past, and where it was weak, and failed to deliver the power it promised.

None of us will ever be free of these links, but we can choose who does the linking. Jesus says, "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other" (Matthew 6:24). Allowing oneself to be reprogrammed by God through His son Jesus' death is definitely a change of character, but in another way, it's also becoming more yourself than you've ever been.

For the Apostle Paul, this reprogramming process means complete transformation. He wrote, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17) This is the best reason for hope.

Disclaimer: The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of ILoveAltoona.com, its owners, or advertisers.

Step Up

By Jeff Neff

I'd like to make this a bit more personal (maybe even fly solo), speaking as a new team member with ILoveAltoona.com, or ILA. Last week, there was a meeting of the minds, so to speak; and we talked about what we each thought about ILA's vision and potential.

One thing is for certain, and that is that there is potential for growth and positive influence in the Altoona area here on this website. How so?

A few ideas were tossed up, but one that stuck with me was the possibility of inspiring things to happen in the community through a direct or indirect affluence of opportunities and resources through ILA.

ILA, of course, is a business, but remember that businesses cannot operate without people - so I would like to ask you, the reader, what could ILA do that would inspire you do be more involved in Altoona and surrounding areas in an entrepreneurial or civic sense? The vision that this site was built upon needs input from you.

You don't need any business skills or background, just a vision. The first step to building on your idea is by getting the motivation to do something about it. Suppose you had an idea (and I know you have or will at some point). What's next?

If you are an aspiring entrepreneur, what can ILA do to help you take the next step in seizing that moment right here in Altoona? An entrepreneur isn't limited to a "businesslike" status. You could be interested in starting a new book club, Bible study, an annual event, a new sports team in your neighborhood, or support group. What about a gardening club?

Would it be encouraging to you if you could solicit your new club or community event on ILA, knowing of its 1000's of visitors each month? Some people say that there is nothing to do in Altoona. Wrong.

Being in business doesn't always have to be about making a profit. I believe that if ILA were in business for anything less than a vision for Altoona; then inspiring separate civic and community entities into existence action wouldn't have even been brought up at all.

So get involved, share your thoughts, and make a difference. Tell us what we can do to help you because ILA is a business that is here to help people, and people never go out of business.

Bailout Bonanza

Posted by Jason Ibrahim

By now, you're surely aware of the bailout craze sweeping the nation. Financial services companies, banks, automobile manufacturers, rental car companies, and governors have all taken their place at the federal trough. In a masterful display of hubris, even pornographers have come forward to plead for the necessity of the services they provide.

Well, ever at the forefront of national issues, Pennsylvania has made its own share of zealous appeals to Washington. Not only has our politically active governor been promoting a federal bailout of states; Boscov's has also stated its need for a piece of the pie. Now, some will surely say that Boscov's is not asking for a bailout; what they need is a loan, in part from Blair County, that will be secured by the federal government. I say that a bailout by any other name still has a big price tag, and for the following reasons:

An infusion of government cash into Boscov's would only be rewarding failure, and delaying the inevitable. People will say that Mr. Boscov's recent buyback of his namesake is the only reason he requires a loan in these difficult times. I say if he can make a success of it once, he can do it again. If he can't, then he will keep coming back to the government for cash, and Boscov's will turn from a profitable business into a social service agency. Eighty years ago this would have been a "new deal"; but not today.

Government money would be unnecessary if Mr. Boscov's business was as sound as he'd like us to think. If he can't get the money from bankers, people who like lending money more than the rest of us like breathing, we shouldn't be under any presumptions of getting paid back. In that case, we should call it what it is: a gift.

Finally, advocates of the Boscov's loan like to remind us that it will be secured by Washington, not Hollidaysburg. I would remind them that I am an American citizen as much as I am a Blair county resident, so in the event of non-payment, I will be footing the bill either way.

Let me ask you this: if I decide that these financial times are too difficult for me at my current pay grade, but I'm too much a credit risk to get a loan from the bank, what am I to do? Conservatives would say I need to tighten my belt and do everything I can to make ends meet. That's my responsibility, and Boscov's should be held to no less a standard.

Disclaimer: The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of ILoveAltoona.com, its owners, or advertisers.

Proactive City Officials and Growth

By Jeff Neff

The more I learn about city government, the more I believe that things can change for the better for the Altoona rather quickly. For this to happen, city officials should be proactive and smart about seeking opportunities with outside businesses. Here is how I think Altoona City Council can bring in business.

Just recently, N.E.W. Customer Service Cos. Inc. was in the news again for their plans to bring hundreds of jobs to our area to train people how to work at home. Although they are a Virginia-based company, we can benefit from their achievement.

Altoona has the population and capacity for a skyward expansion. But what will cause this expansion? I believe that city council members should research existing business friendly ordinances (especially ones that may have been beneficial to Sheetz, during its rise) and exploit them

Political movements, organization missions, and even shopping sales have something in common: Awareness. Without awareness, people wouldn't know about them.

How did N.E.W. Customer Service Cos. find Altoona? What helped them make the decision to expand into Altoona? These questions need to be answered in collaboration with ABCD Corp. When these questions have been answered, the ordinances determined to be helpful for expanding businesses can then be used as an additional incentive to attract outside corporations.

Getting their attention is another obstacle. A city is like a business. You want it to grow, while keeping its operating costs low at the same time, which is why reaching out to outside resources is important. Presentations and direct talks with business owners as well as press releases and TV commercials in their communities could be greatly beneficial to attracting growing businesses; and increase their awareness of Altoona. With exception to TV commercials, the other options are either cheap or free.

The goal of bringing businesses in isn't abstract or impossible. It's not even an uphill battle. We just need to answer the above questions and see city council implement a genuine effort, along with appropriate departments, to set pending growth in motion. Raise awareness around the country of Altoona's existence, and Altoona can raise its skyline. The only question remaining is: who will take the initiative?

What Child is This?

Posted by Jason Ibrahim

In today's society, the value of a child is not very highly regarded. In fact, a teenage girl looking to exterminate an unborn infant in Western PA can end up paying anywhere from $360 to $950 (not to mention a drive to one of Planned Parenthood's area locations).

Now consider another pregnant teenager. She lives well below the poverty line. Her engagement is on the rocks. Accusations are hurled at her as to her unborn child's father. Where are her health services? Where is her welfare check? Is she scared? Of course--but look at her answer to life's most fearsome challenges:

"My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me-- holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty." (Luke 1:46b-54)

Notice the audacity of her hope: does she appeal to the Roman government? No. Does she appeal to her own powers of thrift, ingenuity and enterprise? No, she has one reason for her appeal, and He has already told her that the child is special in His eyes. That--and only that--drives her ability to care for and raise this child.

Even in the first century though, children could prove to be inconvenient. King Herod, the petty ruler-by-proxy for Israel, was so filled with rage at Jesus' having been born that St. Matthew records, "he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 'A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.'" (2:16b-18)

What crime had these little children committed, that they were worthy of death? How callous can a man be that his selfish purposes were served by killing an innocent human being? What kind of royalty perpetrates genocide against their people?

And more importantly, how far have we come in over 2000 years?

Disclaimer: The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of ILoveAltoona.com, its owners, or advertisers.

Our 2008 Investments

By Jason Ibrahim

For the last couple months, conventional wisdom has indicated that now is the best time to invest in the stock market. Fortunately, you and I have jumped in with both feet, buying up stock in American industry like it's going out of style. Buoyed by the rays of optimism from our fund managers, we have determined that, recession or not, we're going to get our money's worth, and then some. So what's the problem?

For starters, we should have read the prospectus more carefully. There are lots of good investments out there, but you can avoid the ones labeled Fannie Mae, Citigroup, Ford, General Motors and Chrysler without losing any sleep. (While the last three have not yet occurred, I think it's fair to assume they will.) As Pennsylvanians (and, doubly, Blair County residents), we can soon add Boscov's to our investment portfolio. What do all these companies have in common? We purchased stake in them only after (or at the precipice of) their spectacular failures. We loaned money only to the companies who showed they are incapable of handling it.

This might not be so bad; buying up stock at fire sale prices--then making a killing from it--could be very lucrative, but to have this risk foisted on us by officials who claim to protect our best interests is ludicrous. If I had intimate knowledge of Citigroup's inner workings and wanted to take a chance on them, that's great--but I don't see why my next-door neighbor needs to jump on the bandwagon as well.

To see the alternative, let's take the auto industry as a case study. As Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd said the other day, "We cannot lose the automobile industry in America. That cannot happen." While his thinking is right, it's also incomplete. For one thing, if the Big Three curled up and died tomorrow morning, the US would still have an auto industry. For over a decade now, foreign automakers like Honda, Toyota and Nissan have been moving their production and design operations into the US, in places like Tennessee, Alabama and Ohio. Also, if the Big Three simultaneously filed for Chapter 11 tomorrow, I would be surprised if Honda, et al, didn't rush in, buy their operations and equipment, and employ significant amounts of their workforce, which negates the unemployment impetus for the bailout frenzy. Finally, the Big Three's sales numbers have for some time sent a clear message: they're dead (here, here and here). It's not heroic of Congress to try to prop up the corpse and buy it a $14 billion lunch.

As always, that's just my opinion. How about yours?

Altoona's Chance of a Lifetime

By Jeff Neff

With an economy in a deep recession, this is the opportune time for new businesses and entrepreneurs to step up in the Altoona area. Real estate prices are low and more people are looking for jobs, which means lots of opportunities for the little guy. Some of the most familiar household names in business took a giant leap during the Great Depression. New industries like the automobile, radio, and print media expanded largely by keeping their eyes open to all of the opportunities around.

Remember that in capitalism, there are always opportunities available for anyone. When big companies struggle, smaller companies can grow. When the national economy is down, local economies can grow. Big cities are expensive to live in, and the national employment rate typically reflects the unemployment of larger cities rather than less populated areas like Altoona. If you hear of an economic crisis, but the only thing in your life that has changed is that gas prices went down; then it means that opportunities are everywhere to be found for you.

Altoona is a town full of entrepreneurs. A while ago two residents, Josh Klausman and Aaron Tippett, created Altoona's first concierge service called Your Personal Services. This was great news for Altoona . Although I have not heard much in the news about their progress, companies like this are what Altoona needs. If I were a city government employee or policymaker, I would seek out ways to encourage entrepreneurs to establish new businesses. More Keystone Opportunity Zones, tax breaks for advertising in Altoona, or donating seized city property to start-up businesses. There are hundreds of ways for Altoona to make the best of the national "crisis."

Some resources for new businesses:

http://www.sba.gov

http://www.dos.state.pa.us/dos/site/default.asp

For this short period though, let's put our minds together to see how Altoona can use its resources to make it easier for entrepreneurs to take advantage of this situation by working with community members, Blair County officials and other communities. Does anyone out there have any ideas?

Elders and Debtors

Posted by Jason Ibrahim

In a story aired Friday by WTAJ, Cambria County's economic planners boldly reasserted their intent to stay in the nursing home business with Laurel Crest. This is in sharp contrast with Blair County's Tomassetti, et al, who are still deciding how best to nurse the ailing Valley View Home back to fiscal health.

WTAJ's Sean Dreher notes that Cambria's Commissioners "said they are still committed to serving the county's elderly", but I wonder if there's any possibility that selling off the home would be the best act of service. It's true that the President Commissioner P.J. Stevens assures us the residents "would have difficulty receiving care in a private facility", but there are a couple reasons I'm skeptical:

1. Remember that Stevens is not just wearing his "county commissioner" hat at this time, but also fighting for the county's cashflow. As Dreher reminds us, "Every additional resident means more revenue for the county."
2. The commissioners have shown an inability to run this business thus far. Much about this story suggests the commissioners have an unhealthy streak of idealism in them. Namely, the need to "apply for a $6 million loan just to stay in the black" that has apparently not tempered Commissioner Gjurich's unrestrained enthusiasm for the current management; and the hoped-for 28% increase in population that (presumably) will act as a shot in the arm for the anemic healthcare provider.
3. As with all government forays into industry, while private businesses are subject to the laws of sink or swim, it's virtually impossible to punish mismanagement in a publicly-held property like Laurel Crest. It's true that the commissioners are elected officials, but seriously, this is Jack Murtha country: will enough people remember this issue when Election Day comes around?

Now you know my opinion. What do you think?

Disclaimer: The views presented here do not necessarily represent ILoveAltoona.com, its owners or advertisers.

City-Wide Construction

By Jeff Neff

Recently, I attended an Altoona City Council meeting where big plans were discussed for Altoona's transportation system during a presentation by Karl King of the Allegheny Ridge Corp. In case you haven't heard of the 2010 Campaign for Active Transportation (CAT), I would like to share with you what I learned about this project coming to Altoona.

The 2010 CAT is a national initiative that is federally funded under two programs called the SAFETEA-LU and Transportation Enhancements. The purpose of the initiative is to create better walking and biking routes in Altoona, as an alternative to driving everywhere. This will mean that Altoona's infrastructure may look very different five years from now.

Some council members mentioned how unsafe, and sometimes illegal, it is to try to cross the busy Plank Road. This project will create pedestrian crossings, sidewalks, and thruways for commuters who choose not to drive throughout the city.

By the tone of the conversation and affirmation of some council members at that meeting, it sounded as though the 2010 CAT project will go through.

Now for some pros and cons. The downside to this project could be both short-term and long-term. For the short, the entire city would seem to be under construction for a while with temporary problems which may cause costly satellite projects to be started within the city. But my main concern would be the funding issue. If this expensive program isn't fully funded by the feds (read the fine print), then Altoona residents could face a mountain of bills.

What about pork? I would disagree with someone who claims this to be an unnecessary program because upgrades to infrastructure can save an enormous amount of money and congestion. Even if Altoona declines the offer, the project will be directed to another city. Let's just hope that federal funding pulls through.

When it is all said and done, Altoona will increase in population (and tax base), which could give opportunity for decreased taxes and a better transportation system. But, if city officials even hint that a tax increase may be needed due to this initiative: watch out.

It would be nice to see this project happen as long as Altoona's financial needs are met with compliance by the above programs.

Depending on the time line of events, this may be a good ballot question for the next local election. I only have a limited knowledge on this, so I suggest that you please look into the 2010 Campaign for Active Transportation for yourself or ask a Council Member about it.

- Jeff

Expulsion and Revulsion

Posted by Jason Ibrahim

A little over two weeks ago, the movie Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed was released on DVD to furious criticism. The film--which has inspired the uniform ire of self-styled freethinkers and nonconformists everywhere--makes the bold assertion that the scientific community needs to apply its principles of free inquiry and unbiased review to the evolution/intelligent design debate. For this act of heterodoxy, groups of no less esteem than the National Center for Science Education have turned their weapons on their fellow scientists, waging a friendly fire war that is, at best, counterproductive.

Possibly one of the most controversial claims the movie makes is in linking twentieth century eugenics theory--which applies breeding and stock principles to human reproduction--to Planned Parenthood, the worldwide healthcare services provider. Cinematically, Expelled's directors choose to make these claims via the narrator (Ben Stein's) voice over footage of Planned Parenthood's founder, Margaret Sanger. I think this was a good idea for a couple different reasons, but there is still some truly embarrassing history to be found in Planned Parenthood's--and Sanger's--past.

Although widely condemned as a racist, the term far from does justice to her complex views on the subject. It is true that she wrote that "the aboriginal Australian, the lowest known species of the human family, just a step higher than the chimpanzee in brain development, has so little sexual control that police authority alone prevents him from obtaining sexual satisfaction on the streets." It is also true that she was on friendly terms with chapters of the KKK and Nazi party, but these are merely parentheses in her greater eugenics philosophy.

In an ode to the Social Darwinism so prevalent at the time, Sanger wrote,

It is a vicious cycle; ignorance breeds poverty and poverty breeds ignorance. There is only one cure for both, and that is to stop breeding these things. Stop bringing to birth children whose inheritance cannot be one of health or intelligence. Stop bringing into the world children whose parents cannot provide for them. Herein lies the key of civilization.

Regarding racial policy, here's one of the most common Sanger quotes regarding African-Americans: "We do not want word to get out that we want to exterminate the Negro population." According to Planned Parenthood, this quote was merely taken out of context, and a larger quote they provide indicates that she was trying to dispel the myth that they are trying to "exterminate the Negro population." Unfortunately, this passage is not independently verifiable, and is in fact refuted by a couple different sources. Sympathetic histories of the birth control movement render the extended quote as follows:

We should hire three or four colored ministers, preferably with social-service backgrounds, and with engaging personalities. The most successful educational approach to the Negro is through a religious appeal. We don't want the word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population, and the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members.

Perhaps you're saying, "All of that took place almost a hundred years ago! That's water under the bridge. Planned Parenthood is now about the business of empowering women, especially minorities." Sadly, Planned Parenthood hasn't strayed too far from their founder. In a series of widely publicized incidents, Planned Parenthood representatives from across the country gladly agreed to accept money from donors with racist intentions. The abortion provider has also done what they could to illegally loosen up the age restrictions put in place by their elected officials.

Regrettably, Planned Parenthood has not done anything to eradicate the eugenics philosophy of its founder. They have subdued it, hidden it and even justified it--anything but repudiate it. It seems ironic that the Democrats (and even many Republicans) work so hard to earn their endorsement when they would spurn endorsements from other odious groups like the KKK and Nazi Party. The real question, I think, is not why this information was omitted from Expelled, but why we as Americans are willing to give Planned Parenthood a pass, while other groups get the disdain they so richly deserve.

Disclaimer: The views represented here do not necessarily represent those of ILoveAltoona.com, its owners or its advertisers.

The Mendacity of Hope

By Jason Ibrahim

mendacity: (noun) 1. the quality of being mendacious; untruthfulness; tendency to lie. 2. an instance of lying; falsehood.

In U.S. history, we will look back upon 2008 as the year we saw the first African American run for president on a major party's ticket. This is no small feat, since this would have been implausible 50 years ago. In Barack Obama's second autobiography, The Audacity of Hope, he begins making a case for himself as president. The book is very well written, makes careful arguments, and poses thoughtful questions. Read merely as a work of political theory, it is very commendable.

Unfortunately, Obama's opponents have ample reason to work for his defeat. For all of his high-sounding rhetoric, the man has a complete lack of executive experience. He has never been in a position that required him to balance a large organization's budget, or receive competing opinions and then choose one, taking the full responsibility of that decision on himself. People will often point to Sarah Palin's so-called "inexperience", but the invaluable work that she did as mayor and governor are substantially better preparation than Obama's terms as state or U.S. Senator.

In The Audacity of Hope, Obama spends scant time on the abortion issue. For those who have studied this man's career, this is ironic to say the least. He has a long record of voting on abortion measures and speaking about the issue before groups like Planned Parenthood and NARAL. His sympathetic self-portrait glosses over a 100% approval rating from these abortion special interest groups, and a record of never--never--seeing any reason to ever restrict a woman's so-called "constitutional right" to an abortion. In fact, he opposed the Infant Born-Alive Act on three separate occasions; this measure decrees that a child who survives an unsuccessful abortion attempt should receive life-saving treatment from the medical staff which had just been trying to kill him or her. His voting record is in direct contrast to the reasonable, nuanced impression the book presents.

In fact, while the entire book paints the picture of a man who keenly senses both sides of the problems facing this nation, the reality is very different. Congressional Monthly's study of Senator Obama's voting record shows him voting along party lines 96 percent of the time--in contrast to Senator McCain's 86 percent party-line vote over a 22 year period. Mr. Obama is a thoroughgoing liberal in moderate's clothing.

A couple different people have made the point recently that we know more about Joe the Plumber's personal life than we do about Obama's--in spite of the fact that Obama has been running for the presidency for going on 2 years, and Joe rose to stardom in the last couple months. From his political coming-out party at the home of strident terrorists William Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn, to his hush-hush keynote speech about Rashid Khalidi, Senator Obama has become surprisingly tight-lipped about his circle of friends. This secrecy hasn't always been the norm--his 1995 work, Dreams from My Father, recounts his radical, communist associations in college and beyond.

Many in the Republican party seem to have found their champion in John McCain. In contrast, conservatives regard him, at best, as a stop-gap measure to prevent Obama's media-orchestrated ascendancy to the throne...er, Oval Office. The Democrats have been loudly sounding the drum about McCain being much like George W. Bush, and I think they have a point, but that's no reason to sign on to any change for change's sake. The devil you know is still better than the devil you don't. Also, McCain will almost definitely grow the size of government; his performance in the bailout bill fiasco shows that. Granted, he wants to grow Washington at a linear rate, but contrasted with Obama exponential aspirations, McCain almost looks Spartan.

We also have reasons to vote for McCain and not just against Obama. His selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate not only electrified the party's conservative base, it also showed how much venom the feminist wing of the Democratic party could expend on one of its own. The McCain-Palin team's combined wealth of experience and ability will bring a confident, steady hand to the White House.

John McCain is no stranger to courage--his four years as a prisoner of war, and the valuable lessons he learned, have definitely earned him his stripes. His time spent at the mercy of an oppressive regime has surely clarified the wages of victory versus defeat in the War on Terror, a clarity that his opponent seems to have in short supply.

When the Republican primary narrowed to John McCain, I had my doubts. I questioned the validity of voting for a moderate with a good abortion record, but meager conservative principles. I thought the Republican party could use some time in the political desert to underscore the difference between McCain's attempt and a true reincarnation of the Reagan Revolution. While all of that may be true, we have too much at stake to vent those frustrations right now. We are faced with a man who has basically invalidated the oath he would take if elected by the people, and anything within reason and ethics must be done to prevent his election.

We are also faced with the most pro-abortion major candidate for president in U.S. history. Any politician--I don't care how good his health plan is--who not only consents to, but celebrates, the systematic homicide of 4000 human beings each day, sacrificed at the altar of convenience, is not fit to be president. This applies especially to socialists-turned-rhetoricians masquerading as statesmen.

So please, I urge you, go out there Tuesday and vote for John McCain. If you live in Pennsylvania especially, urge your friends to do the same.

Disclaimer: The views represented here do not necessarily represent those of ILoveAltoona.com, its owners or its advertisers.

Altoona's Untapped Resources

Not very long ago, the Altoona Mirror had a story about Altoona making a promotion video. The video itself is great and long overdue idea, but I'm afraid it may be targeting the wrong people. I would like to point out some things concerning Altoona's marketing efforts and offer some suggestions for all of you to consider.

Depending on how much time you have spent outside of Altoona in Pennsylvania, you may notice that Altoona is known mostly for the Horseshoe Curve, the Curve Ballpark, and the hospital amongst the business community leaders. What about everyone else?

These commercial attributes are good, but there are other unexploited areas that haven't even been touched. Areas like unconventional recreation, automobiles, and road races.

Most people overlook parks that are already in Altoona like Lakemont Park, Valley View Park, or even the many public ballparks and playgrounds. Places like these draw families and friends when they can get together, especially when budgets are tight.

On multiple occasions when I lived in the Harrisburg area, I knew some people (in different social groups) who asked me where I was from. I told them, "Altoona." They went on to say that they buy their cars in Altoona, and will continue to do so because of our unbeatable prices and customer service. This is more than two hours away, but they still make the drive to buy their cars here because of our reputation.

In addition to that, they mentioned the car shows we have throughout the year. Should I mention poker runs for bikers? People take both of these very seriously, and many drive great distances to get to these events.

Another event that happens frequently in Altoona is a 5k, 10k, or 15k road race. These are often overlooked as well, but they attract the most active and hard-working people in the community. Some of the best times of my life were spent sweating early in the morning with another buddy in a town other than my own. Again, people go great distances to do a race they have never done before, and often come back if they liked the run.

Now that I've pointed out some untapped resources, I would like to explain how I believe these could be used to promote Altoona.

Targeted marketing includes knowing your audience and directing your message straight to them. If we are only trying to attract baseball fans, train enthusiasts, and health care professionals and patients, then we can continue to advertise that.

But if we are trying to attract productive, growth-oriented people to Altoona, who value the non-commercial assets that strengthen communities, we need to narrow the scope of city advertising to an extremely targeted audience. When they come to Altoona and have a good time, they will tell their friends and family who will, in turn, make the trip too.

Our reputation is already solid in many areas like baseball and trains, which don’t seem to attract the numbers we’re looking for, so it’s time to reach to other areas to build our reputations even farther. It will take variety of opinions and perspectives to reach agreements on which target markets Altoona should exploit, which is why I offered mine above.

Altoona has the assets, but nobody outside of our city knows about them. It’s about time they hear what we have, and they will bring their business with them.

- Jeff

A Rose by Any Other Name

Posted by Jason Ibrahim

In The Audacity of Hope, Barack Obama writes of an experience he has dialoguing with some pro-life protestors at one of his rallies. As he tells the story, he meets them at the front entrance, and says:

"'You folks want to come inside?' I asked.

"'No, thank you,' the man said. He handed me a pamphlet. 'Mr. Obama, I want you to know that I agree with a lot of what you have to say.'

"'I appreciate that.'

"'And I know you're a Christian, with a family of your own.'

"'That's true.'

"'So how can you support murdering babies?'

"I told him I understood his position but had to disagree with it. I explained my belief that few women made the decision to terminate a pregnancy casually; that any pregnant woman felt the full force of the moral issues involved and wrestled with her conscience when making that heart-rending decision; that I feared a ban on abortion would force women to seek unsafe abortions, as they had once done in this country and as they continued to do in countries that prosecute abortion doctors and the women who seek their services. I suggested that perhaps we could agree on ways to reduce the number of women who felt the need to have abortions in the first place."

Now, just from a communication perspective, let me just say: Obama never tried to address the man's implicit question, which is, "Don't you believe abortionists murder babies?" He just pushed forward and assumed he was talking apples to apples with this man. He chose to talk past the protester. (If not, and he agreed that abortion is murder, then he was directly rationalizing infanticide.) As a result, let me give you a small taste of how his response sounded to this man (and indeed, sounds to me):

"I told him I understood his position but had to disagree with it. I explained my belief that few people made the decision to rob a bank casually; that any bank robber felt the full force of the moral issues involved and wrestled with her conscience when making that heart-rending decision; that I feared a ban on bank robbing would force people to rob banks unsafely, as they had once done in this country and as they continued to do in countries that prosecute bank robbers and their accomplices. I suggested that perhaps we could agree on ways to reduce the number of people who felt the need to rob banks in the first place."

But that's just me. What do you think?

A Horse is a Horse...of Course

Posted by Jason Ibrahim

Here's some breaking news from the Humane Society. Apparently, A horse from the Fair Dinkum Farm in Evansville, WY was on its way to Illinois recently, enroute to be slaughtered with nine of its fellow kind. In the middle of the trip, Snickers gave birth to a new foal, Willie, while on the truck.

The Humane Society opines:

"The surprise birth of this Miracle foal underscores one of the most gruesome aspects of the horse slaughter industry -- the fact that mares heavily pregnant and due to give birth are are shipped thousands of miles in crowded trucks to be butchered-their unborn killed and cast aside, never living to take a single breath or see the light of day." [Emphasis mine]

Soon after, the Illinois Senate passed a resolution banning horse slaughter in the state. While I have mixed feelings about the merit of this resolution, I think that something needs to be done to protect unborn foals on their way to slaughter. In fact, I call on the Junior Senator from Illinois to take the next logical step, and work to extend the ban to slaughtering unborn horses, not just in Illinois but across the whole country. (After all, the equine abortionists did have to cross state lines to perpetrate this ugly deed, since there were probably no facilities to terminate a horse pregnancy at the Fair Dinkum Farm.)

But then again, that's just me. What are your thoughts?

Epilogue: This is a previously unpublished piece that I wrote several months ago, before Sarah Palin's vice-presidential nomination. In light of her candidacy, and the inspiring story of Sarah, Todd and Trig Palin, this is yet another issue that distinguishes the candidates.

Disclaimer: The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of ILoveAltoona.com or its advertisers.

Student Homes Ordinance Violates Property Rights

By Jeff Neff

(Note: This issue is a current issue before Council. One of the team members of ILoveAltoona.com, Matt Garber, is a Councilman. The following opinions are not necessarily representative of Matt's.)

Let's talk about property rights. This entire issue of mandating who can live where in the city of Altoona has me wondering if city politicians really believe that this is the way to protect property owners' rights. Freedom and liberty are rooted in property ownership and this ordinance will destroy hopes of having the freedom that owners should have. This is not a debate. This is a Constitutional Right under the U.S. Constitution and the Constitution of the State of Pennsylvania. Please look into these.

Before I begin telling the political side of this argument, I'll give you a common sense argument. Why would a person live next to a college campus and expect not to have parties nearby? Seriously, think about the sense in punishing the entire city for a few complainers who would rather inconvenience everybody else instead of make a tough decision to move someplace else- or not to have moved there in the first place.

Isn't it funny that this ordinance is intended to prevent growth? Altoona is known, or at least claims to be known, as a college town. Why on earth would city officials pass an ordinance to prevent student housing growth; especially in a time when the housing market is so volatile?

Does the city really need to get involved with something that does not concern them? Certainly some officials believe that it is their job to meddle in these affairs or else this ordinance would not have passed in the first place, but the truth of the matter is that it is not the City of Altoona's job to control Penn State's students. Penn State should be able to handle their students without help from the government. Instead of letting campus officials pass the buck to the Altoona City Council members, why don't city officials put the people in mind first?

Concerning the U.S. and PA Constitutions, you must understand that private property ownership and the pursuit of happiness are inseparable. The Constitution does not include a clause for "college towns" with neighbors who insist on telling others what they can do with their property through pushy big government ordinances. There are already existing laws for noises violations, disturbances, and other annoyances. Anything further is just big government getting in the way.

If a landlord's vision for The American Dream includes owning rental property (anywhere he chooses), then he is pursuing his dream. If a homeowner decides that he disapproved of how another person is using their property and uses coercion to make them stop, it is infringing the rights of the other person. Unless that homeowner is misusing the property at the entire city's expense (for instance, a drug dealer safe-haven), there is no justification for using government coercion to bully a homeowner around.

If the plan is to make the nearby houses worth more by restricting landowner rights; then the market is no longer running itself, and there is nothing better for an economy than a free market.

I see no examples of how properties proximal to the Altoona campus are negatively effecting society-at-large, because we are talking about properties which affect an extremely limited amount of people who should have a basic knowledge of what it means to live right near to a college campus.

The choices are clear: Compromise constitutional principles and reason or discontinue the ambition to grow Altoona as a college town and forfeit Altoona's free market. While we're at it, why don't we propose an ordinance to limit the amount of Sheetz stores in Altoona since they attract kids, cars, and are just too loud for neighbors when they say, "Welcome to Sheetz, pump 3." It only makes sense when big-government politicians let a little power get to their heads.

Po-tay-to, Po-tah-to

Posted by Jason Ibrahim

Last week, Vice Presidential candidate and Delaware Senator Joe Biden used his command of the past to interpret the present, providing Katie Couric with wit and wisdom for our troubled financial markets from the Great Depression of the 1930's. Biden said, "When the stock market crashed, Franklin Roosevelt got on television and didn't just talk about the princes of greed. He said, 'Look, here's what happened.'"

There are a couple aspects of Professor Biden's lecture that should make us want to cut class, namely:

1. Roosevelt wasn't elected president until 1932. It would be well over three years between the crash of 1929 and his inauguration in 1933.
2. His famous "Fireside Chats" were conducted over the radio, as television had by that time just been invented, and was decades away from either 1929 or 1933.

There's nothing unusual about politicians misspeaking, even in public. Everyone remembers President Clinton's infamous "that depends on what the meaning of 'is' is"; President Bush has even made misspeaking a central part of his "strategery", causing his opponents to "misunderestimate" him. The granddaddy of them all though, for those of us born since Nixon's resignation, was uttered by J. Danforth Quayle in Trenton, New Jersey. While officiating a spelling bee, the vice president corrected a contestant's spelling of "potato", to which he affixed an extraneous, trailing "e". The media and fellow politicians ate this up, of course, subsequently lambasting Quayle for his gaffe. Many of his detractors claimed, with tenuous logic, that a man who could not spell the word potato was unfit to be making high-level executive decisions for the country. Leaving aside the valid etymological debate, I can see at least one significant difference between the Quayle and Biden blunders.

What makes Biden's anti-historical revisionism the height of irony is this: Biden is being sold to us as the experience on the ticket. In the 1992 election Dan Quayle was by far the more untested of the candidates. His running mate, George H.W. Bush, was already president, had had previous executive experience as the vice president for eight years, and as the head of the CIA before that, not to mention prior legislative experience as a Congressman. No one in his right mind thinks that Obama, a man whose previous credentials include only 11 years in deliberative, legislative bodies-and 0 in an executive position higher than a lemonade stand-is fit to be Chief Executive without a little help from an old hand. Obama's campaign staff understands this, and, in large part, it drives their selection of Biden, the six-term Senator from Delaware. If these kinds of missteps are the experience Obama and Biden wish to bring to the executive branch, well...can I see my other options?

Thankfully, our founding fathers put in place a robust and well-planned government that could withstand four or even eight years of Obama (although our founding documents would seem rife with misspellings to our modern eyes.) I hope that, if elected, Messrs. Obama and Biden would rise to the challenges put before them-but I also hope it won't come to that.

Now that you know my opinion, what's yours? Drop me a line and let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of ILoveAltoona.com or its advertisers.