From: owner-roc-digest@lists.xmission.com (roc-digest) To: roc-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: roc-digest V2 #84 Reply-To: roc-digest Sender: owner-roc-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-roc-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk roc-digest Tuesday, March 10 1998 Volume 02 : Number 084 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 8 Mar 1998 09:57:54 -0500 (EST) From: Brad Subject: (fwd) Charton Heston -- The driver of the NRA Trojan Horse (fwd) I don't get Knox's stuff directly, this came to me second-hand. I don't know if it's true or not but I'm guessing it is. No matter how cynical I get, I can't keep up. It occurs to me that Charlton Heston has been a loyal Republican supporter since the Red Sea was parted. A cynic might suspect that his coronation was intended to keep the NRA functioning as a dedicated Republican support organization, not as the dedicated firearms-rights organization we'd like it to be. bd - ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: newsposts@GOA-Texas.org (Chris W. Stark - GOA Texas Representative) Subject: Charton Heston -- The driver of the NRA Trojan Horse Date: Sun, 08 Mar 1998 02:56:14 GMT Greetings GOA-Texas subscribers, This is quite interresting. The original accusations of Heston's anti-gun past are not even addressed! The NRA's official response entirely avoid the issue! What is it they have to hide? This is arrogance SUPREME! Here is the accusations: - ----------------------------------------------------------------- NEAL KNOX REPORT The Heston File By NEAL KNOX WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 2) -- The Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library in Austin today confirmed that NRA First Vice President Charlton Heston actively worked with the Johnson Administration in passing the 1968 Gun Control Act. Heston, who is in line to be elected NRA President in June if elected to the Board in the election now underway, has served as a public spokesman for NRA for several years. Heston's role in expanding the 1968 Safe Streets Act to prohibit the interstate sale or transfer of rifles and shotguns came to light about two weeks ago when the text of two LBJ Library documents began circulating on the Internet. The documents were so historically accurate that they refreshed memories of the fury of our battle against the Gun Control Act, but I didn't recall the huge Hollywood effort having included Heston. I worried that an enemy might have added Heston's name in an effort to torpedo his NRA fundraising. But 13 pages documenting Heston's gun control efforts are in the LBJ Library, White House Central Files "SP" and "LE," Boxes 5 and 80. On June 12, 1968, White House Deputy Special Counsel Larry Levinson sent a memo to a speech writer: "At the President's suggestion, Jack Valenti has agreed to hold a luncheon in Los Angeles ... June 17, at which a number of famous movie actors -- particularly those who play cowboys -- will speak out in favor of the President's gun control legislation. "For this luncheon, we need two pithy, one-page statements which will be read by two of the 'cowboys' (probably Charlton Heston ...), supporting the President's Gun Control Bill." That same day Levinson sent a telegram to Heston at his Beverly Hills home with a proposed statement that the Safe Streets Act "is only a half-way measure. It covers only handguns - - -- but fails to include shotguns and rifles. ... As you know, a mail order rifle was used to assassinate President John F. Kennedy, and a rifle was used to kill Dr. Martin Luther King." On June 18, 1968 Levinson sent a memo to President Johnson: "Through Jack Valenti's good work, five movie actors will appear tonight on the Joey Bishop show ... to strongly support your gun control proposal. The actors involved are Gregory Peck, Charlton Heston, Hugh O'Brian [sic], James Stewart and Kirk Douglas. "They will read a very tough statement which we prepared here applauding your action in calling for strict gun curbs." Two days later, on June 20, Special Assistant to the President Joe Califano sent President Johnson a copy of a statement "which Hugh O'Brien read on the Joey Bishop Show last Tuesday. This was a statement subscribed to by Kirk Douglas, James Stewart, Gregory Peck and Charleton [sic] Heston and has been widely circulated throughout the country. "The statement was prepared by Levinson and Middleton and was 'slipped' to Hugh O'Brien through Jack Valenti." The statement reminded Joey Bishop's audience that "Two weeks ago, Robert F. Kennedy became one of thousands of Americans struck down by an assassin's bullet." It added: "The Congress has recently given us some protection against pistols in the wrong hands. But that's not enough ... not nearly enough. The carnage will not stop until there is effective control over sale of rifles and shotguns. "President John F. Kennedy was murdered by a rifle. "Martin Luther King was murdered by a rifle. "Medgar Evers was murdered by a rifle." On June 18 Hollywood public relations consultant Dick McKay wrote Califano that "Charlton, Gregory [Peck] and Hugh personally planted this statement with the bureau chiefs at AP and UPI. They were greeted warmly and ... (t)he AP also photographed the trio." Heston's gun control efforts are also found on Page 10 of the October 1968 American Rifleman. The head of a Hollywood anti-gun group had praised Heston as one of "little more than a handful" of "diehards" which included Warren Beatty, Candice [sic] Bergen, Marlon Brando, O'Brien and Jill St. John. These events put fresh light on Heston's May 6, 1997 statements about some guns being "inappropriate for private ownership." We now have a better understanding of what he means when he talks about bringing NRA into "the mainstream." And now I know why I've never seen a picture of him with anything other than a flintlock rifle or a double-barrel shotgun. Voters now have a clear choice in the election -- Heston's slate or the Second Amendment patriots he imperiously tells you to "Vote Against." - --------------------------------------------------------------- Exact text from Page 10, October 1968 The American Rifleman Stars Fall From Anti-gun Bandwagon In the heat of summer and apparently in hot pursuit of publicity, scores of movie and television personalities hopped on the gun control bandwagon -- briefly. When the furor died down, they quit. Actor-Producer Tom Laughlin, chairman of a Hollywood anti-gun movement billed as "Ten Thousand Americans for Reasonable Gun Control", admitted defeat and dejection in a news report in "Film and Television Daily." Laughlin was quoted as terming the quitting actors "summer soldiers" and lamenting: "We'd put them all on network shows. We built the campaign, and then everyone just became uninterested. When the failure set in in Washington, when it was clear that there was a need for a sustained, organized effort, everyone became disinterested. "They were all hepped up for 2 weeks. The commitment couldn't last any longer than that. It's frightening to me." Laughlin cited as diehards who stuck with his anti-gun movement a "little more than a handful" including Producers Richard Zanuck and Robert Blumoffe, Producer-Director Robert Wise, and film stars Warren Beatty, Candice Bergen, Marlon Brando, CHARLTON HESTON, Hugh O'Brien, Jill St. John. (emphasis added) - ---------------------- ******Here is the official NRA response****** - --- START OF FORWARDED MESSAGE - ---------------------------------------------- From: alerts@Mainstream.net (NRA Alerts) Date: 3/6/98, 8:39:48 PM Subject: INFO: Charton Heston -- On the Record as NRA's First Vice President March 6, 1998 Charton Heston -- On the Record as NRA's First Vice President NOTE: A handful of dissidents have attempted to smear and impugn the integrity of NRA First Vice President Charlton Heston regarding the Second Amendment and Bill of Rights. As both friend and foe know, Mr. Heston has spent decades defending the Second Amendment civil rights of all law-abiding Americans. NRA members, gunowners, and even anti-gun groups and the national news media have long known of his very public political views and his very tireless work to promote our rights and political candidates who support those rights. In the interest of alleviating any confusion caused by a few minor dissidents, you are encouraged to review just a few of the public statements made by Mr. Heston in major television appearances, viewed by literally millions of Americans. Note that each of these directly quoted comments were made during the past year of Mr. Heston's term of service as your First Vice President. [etc.] - - ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Mar 1998 16:16:24 -0800 (PST) From: Boyd Subject: Fezell/NRA spat? Just got an email purporting to be a copy of the most recent hearings transcript in this whole affair. NRA's counsel in my humble opinion came off poorly indeed. It would be nice to hear some comment from NRA leadership on this. Something beyond '...a small group of dissidents' seems warranted in a case where judges are talking about contempt (regarding the statement in the election magazine) and where NRA counsel pleads ignorance in what came close to an argument with the Judge. IMHO anyway. Boyd (all my opinion) - - ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 08 Mar 1998 21:29:34 -0800 From: Kenneth Mitchell Subject: California Gubernatorial Candidates An Open Letter to Tanya Metsaka and the National Rifle Association: Last week, our far-left-wing newspaper the Sacramento Bee, ran a rather comprehensive article concerning the political stands of the four major-party candidates for Governor of California. For those of you who aren't here on the Left Coast, the players are: Democrat: Al Checci - Multi-millionaire president of Northwest Airlines Gray Davis - Lt. Governor of California Jane Harmon - Congressional Representative Republican: Dan Lundgren - Attorney General of California You might expect the three Democrats to be strongly in favor of gun control, and you'd be right. The surprising point might be that Dan Lundgren, the only Republican candidate, is equally rabidly anti-gun. A prime supporter of California's now-declared-unconstitutional ban on so-called "assault weapons", and continual foe of "shall-issue" CCW reform, Lundgren can't possibly earn any NRA grade better than an "F-". All four candidates strongly support Sen. Dianne Feinstein's numerous anti-gun measures, and all four support Sen. Barbara Boxer's proposed ban on "junk guns". All four are against CCW reform. But there is hope. There is ONE candidate in the California governor's race who has stated firmly that while he personally has never owned a firearm, he supports absolutely the rights of those who chose to do so. That candidate is Steve Kubby, the Libertarian candidate for Governor. The NRA has never before endorsed a Libertarian, preferring to endorse a marginal Republican in preference to an outstanding Libertarian, reasoning (if you can call it that) that the GOP candidate is electable and that maybe he won't screw us too badly if we support him. The Libertarian, on the other hand, can't possibly be elected, and if we abandon the GOP, they'll screw us over even worse than they normally do. In this case, however, the GOP candidate is definitely anti-gun to begin with. Nothing the NRA can do will change his mind. Steve Kubby, on the other hand, supports the Bill of Rights, and our rights as gun owners. Here's his statement about gun control, from his web site at http://www.alpworld.com/kubby98/: - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- THE PROBLEM WITH GUN CONTROL Freedom isn't being able to do what you like, it's allowing someone else to do or say something you hate and supporting their right to do so. I don't own a gun, never have and never will, but I must defend gun owners if there is any logic or consistency to my position of opposing all forms of prohibition. The right to bear arms is clearly stated in the Second Amendment. We cannot deny those rights just because some lunatic goes on a rampage. Most gun owners are law-abiding citizens that deserve to be left alone by their government. As Governor, I will oppose all forms of gun control, because I know that crime is lower and citizens are safer in communities where guns have not been banned. (The final sentence is hyperlinked to http://www.nra.org/research/NRA-FFACT.html.) - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- So, there it is. The NRA will lose ALL credibility if it endorses anybody other than Kubby, and is missing a great bet if they take the "easy" way out and endorse no one. The GOP will continue to screw us over with broken promises, new gun laws, and more restrictions if we keep on endorsing marginal Republicans, and will never care a fig for our concerns unless they know that the NRA can and will endorse a third party candidate who is better. Tanya, the Remocrats and Depublicans will never restore our gun rights; only the Libertarians will do that. Californians: Vote for Steve Kubby for Governor! Ken Mitchell NRA Life Member CSC5718F - ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ken Mitchell Citrus Heights, CA kmitchel@gvn.net 916-955-9152 (vm) 916-729-0966 (fax) - --------------http://www.gvn.net/~creative/------------------------ "In the end, more than they wanted freedom, they wanted security. They wanted a comfortable life, and they lost it all - security, comfort and freedom. When the Athenians finally wanted not to give to society, but for society to give to them, when the freedom they wished for most was freedom from responsibility, then Athens ceased to be free." Gibbons: "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" - --------------------------------------------------------------------- Proud member of the "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy" since 1992! - - ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Mar 1998 09:01:42 -0800 From: chuckrn@aone.com (Charles R. Norgaard) Subject: California Gubernatorial Candidates >To: rok@xmission.com, >From: chuckrn@aone.com (Charles R. Norgaard) >Subject: California Gubernatorial Candidates > >>Return-Path: >>X-Sender: kmitchel@gvn.net >>Date: Sun, 08 Mar 1998 21:29:34 -0800 >>To: roc@xmission.com, tm@nra.org >>From: Kenneth Mitchell >>Subject: California Gubernatorial Candidates >>Sender: owner-roc@lists.xmission.com >>Precedence: bulk >>Reply-To: roc@lists.xmission.com >> >>An Open Letter to Tanya Metsaka and the National Rifle Association: >> >>Last week, our far-left-wing newspaper the Sacramento Bee, ran a rather >>comprehensive article concerning the political stands of the four >>major-party candidates for Governor of California. For those of you who >>aren't here on the Left Coast, the players are: >> >>Democrat: >> Al Checci - Multi-millionaire president of Northwest Airlines >> Gray Davis - Lt. Governor of California >> Jane Harmon - Congressional Representative >> >>Republican: >> Dan Lundgren - Attorney General of California >> >> >>You might expect the three Democrats to be strongly in favor of gun >>control, and you'd be right. The surprising point might be that Dan >>Lundgren, the only Republican candidate, is equally rabidly anti-gun. A >>prime supporter of California's now-declared-unconstitutional ban on >>so-called "assault weapons", and continual foe of "shall-issue" CCW reform, >> Lundgren can't possibly earn any NRA grade better than an "F-". >> >>All four candidates strongly support Sen. Dianne Feinstein's numerous >>anti-gun measures, and all four support Sen. Barbara Boxer's proposed ban >>on "junk guns". All four are against CCW reform. >> >>But there is hope. There is ONE candidate in the California governor's >>race who has stated firmly that while he personally has never owned a >>firearm, he supports absolutely the rights of those who chose to do so. >> >>That candidate is Steve Kubby, the Libertarian candidate for Governor. >> >>The NRA has never before endorsed a Libertarian, preferring to endorse a >>marginal Republican in preference to an outstanding Libertarian, reasoning >>(if you can call it that) that the GOP candidate is electable and that >>maybe he won't screw us too badly if we support him. The Libertarian, on >>the other hand, can't possibly be elected, and if we abandon the GOP, >>they'll screw us over even worse than they normally do. >> >>In this case, however, the GOP candidate is definitely anti-gun to begin >>with. Nothing the NRA can do will change his mind. >> >>Steve Kubby, on the other hand, supports the Bill of Rights, and our rights >>as gun owners. Here's his statement about gun control, from his web site >>at http://www.alpworld.com/kubby98/: >>---------------------------------------------------------------------- >>THE PROBLEM WITH GUN CONTROL >> >>Freedom isn't being able to do what you like, it's allowing someone else to >>do or say something you hate and supporting their right to do so. >> >>I don't own a gun, never have and never will, but I must defend gun owners >>if there is any logic or consistency to my position of opposing all forms >>of prohibition. The right to bear arms is clearly stated in the Second >>Amendment. We cannot deny those rights just because some lunatic goes on a >>rampage. Most gun owners are law-abiding citizens that deserve to be left >>alone by their government. >> """The key here is where he says";;"opposing all forms of prohibition". IF THERE WERE A WAY TO UNITE ALL THE PRO FIREARM PEOPLE ALONG WITH THE PRO MARIWANA"heh, heh,"PEOPLE,, WELL THIS MIGHT NOT REALLY BE IMPOSSIBLE. WEATHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT, DRASTIC MEASURES ARE NEEDED... We are faced with the reality of a DRASTIC situation, this is desperation time people... Its time to pull out all,, and I do mean all THE STOPS... THE PROGRAM OF THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL COMMUNIST PARTY OF 1928 is directly, and indirectly responsible for any ,and everything that has been detrimental to America,,, period. That includes all this New Age Goals Two Thousand educational crap that the tests results show where our kids are scoring LOW, LOW, LOW. To the so called war on drugs, that was lost before Bush declared the war, what was it ?? 1986??? Well where I come from WAR is all about killing people, and breaking things.... come to think of it were doing a pretty good job of that too...hmmm. If there are any one interested HELOWWWW,, OUT THERE... I almost feel like Paul Revere except im sitting here in comfort, and Paul Revere was riding like hell bent for leather to warn the patriots "THE ENEMY IS HERE, THEY ARE AMONG US" thats what Im saying, he said something about the British were coming,,well were in more danger now than we were in 1776....We are being attacked on all fronts, and if we dont take some drastic measures, and pull out all the stops, or as Skip might say "hit the afterburners",,,then were going to flame out...and crawsh. The place to start might be NORMAL of California , Thats the National Organization to Reform Mariwanna Laws.. Alliances hmmmmmm....strength in numbers. For information on "GLOBALISM THE PROGRAM" with Retired General Benton K.Partin ,call 913-478-1112. And the truth shall set you free. >>As Governor, I will oppose all forms of gun control, because I know that >>crime is lower and citizens are safer in communities where guns have not >>been banned. (The final sentence is hyperlinked to >>http://www.nra.org/research/NRA-FFACT.html.) >> >>---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >>So, there it is. The NRA will lose ALL credibility if it endorses anybody >>other than Kubby, and is missing a great bet if they take the "easy" way >>out and endorse no one. The GOP will continue to screw us over with broken >>promises, new gun laws, and more restrictions if we keep on endorsing >>marginal Republicans, and will never care a fig for our concerns unless >>they know that the NRA can and will endorse a third party candidate who is >>better. >> >>Tanya, the Remocrats and Depublicans will never restore our gun rights; >>only the Libertarians will do that. Californians: Vote for Steve Kubby >>for Governor! >> >>Ken Mitchell >>NRA Life Member CSC5718F >>------------------------------------------------------------------- >>Ken Mitchell Citrus Heights, CA kmitchel@gvn.net >>916-955-9152 (vm) 916-729-0966 (fax) >>--------------http://www.gvn.net/~creative/------------------------ >>"In the end, more than they wanted freedom, they wanted security. >>They wanted a comfortable life, and they lost it all - security, >>comfort and freedom. When the Athenians finally wanted not to give >>to society, but for society to give to them, when the freedom they >>wished for most was freedom from responsibility, then Athens ceased >>to be free." Gibbons: "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" >>--------------------------------------------------------------------- >> Proud member of the "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy" since 1992! >> >>- >> > - - ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 09 Mar 98 09:16:48 PST From: Jack@minerva.com Subject: Re: California Gubernatorial Candidates roc@lists.xmission.com wrote : The surprising point might be that Dan >>>Lundgren, the only Republican candidate, is equally rabidly anti-gun. A >>>prime supporter of California's now-declared-unconstitutional ban on >>>so-called "assault weapons", and continual foe of "shall-issue" CCW reform, >>> Lundgren can't possibly earn any NRA grade better than an "F-". >>> And as a lifetime Republican I will add that Dan Lundgren is working overtime to irritate those who do not have guns. In particular while it is known that several hundred non-citizens voted in Orange County. Maybe not enough to undo the election.....but the fact that the state is not prosecuting each and every person who voted when they were not citizens is another major black mark against Republicans in General and Dan Lundgren in particular Jack Jack Perrine | ATHENA Programming, Inc | 626-798-6574 | ---------------- | 1175 No. Altadena Drive | fax 398-8620 | jack@minerva.com | Pasadena, CA 91107 US | - - ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Mar 98 21:48:49 PST From: roc@xpresso.seaslug.org (Bill Vance) Subject: This is too, ahem, dam funny... (fwd) Forwarded without any, "dam", comment.....:-) On Mar 09, Ron Marsh wrote: [-------------------- text of forwarded message follows --------------------] Howdy, Folks, At the risk of offending the few, I simply must share this with the many. If you aren't ROFLOL by the time you finish this, I'll double your money back. I gotta tell you that I laughed so hard the tears were running down my leg!! ;) Enjoy! After all, these are *your* tax dollars at work! Ron - -----Original Message----- STATE OF MICHIGAN Reply to: GRAND RAPIDS DISTRICT OFFICE STATE OFFICE BUILDING 6TH FLOOR 350 OTTAWA NW GRAND RAPIDS MI 49503-2341 JOHN ENGLER, Governor DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY HOLLISTER BUILDING, PO BOX 30473, LANSING MI 48909-7973 INTERNET: < Subject: An Open Letter to My American Neighbors >Date: Sun, 08 Mar 1998 19:59:43 -0500 >From: E Pluribus Unum >X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.01 [en] (Win95; U) >To: E Pluribus Unum Email Distribution Network >Subject: An Open Letter to My American Neighbors > >Message forwarded from: bbright@eagleweb.net (Bright, James Barry) > >Take Back Kentucky >Information Alert >March 6, 1998 > >I must dare any and all to read the following article. It is soul >chilling. > > An Open Letter to My American Neighbors >by Susan > >** Editor's Note: This piece was found in Volume One, Issue Two of CGX >(August 1994). > >Like you, I woke up today, got dressed and settled down to a steaming >brew and the morning newspaper before heading out to work. Unlike you, I >read that dozens of my fellow citizens were arrested for carrying copies >of the Buffalo News. The newspaper contained information about a trial >here that the powers-that-be did not want us to read. It is that simple. > >It is now 11:15 p.m. Minutes ago, I turned on the Buffalo television >station, hoping to see on my TV what could not reach us through the >newspapers. I am now looking at a blank screen. We received about 10 >seconds of the trial controversy, and suddenly my screen went blank. A >message appeared on the screen explaining that because of the >contravention of a ban, the station was prohibiting broadcast of the >news. Along with the sign was a high-pitched whistle that sounded like >the air-raid sirens the British used during World War II. > >As I sit here alone, I realize that my blood is running cold at the >sound of that whistle. > >This could never happen here. > >Not in Canada. > >You must wonder about a country that would deny its own citizens the >freedom to read. As a Canadian, I have done a lot of hard thinking >about it. > >I guess the powers have their reasons for the ban. Censorship always >has its reasons, but, believe me, when you are on the receiving end of >government censorship, no reason amounts to a hill of beans - and that >is why I am writing to you. > >It is my hope that you will read this Canadian story and "wake up and >smell the coffee" - while you still have [something] to read along >with it. > >I have always loved the United States of America, and I know that you >are now making critical decisions about the role of government in your >lives. > >Many years ago, we in Canada were at a crossroads in our >decision-making that is similar to the one you are at now. I wish our >decisions back then had been very different. Then maybe I wouldn't be >sitting here looking at a blank screen. > >Some two decades ago, Canadians were concerned with how government >could best help its citizens. We looked around at countries with a >comprehensive social welfare system and envied them their cushions of >comfort for everything from universal medical care to national day >care. > >We were a country that held individual freedom in high esteem. Surely, >we thought, it was possible to take the best aspects of socialism and >weave them into the fabric of a free society. After all, this was >democratic Canada and not the Soviet Union. > >Over the next 20 years, we developed an extensive social support >network at both the federal and provincial levels of government. The >government spent money on every conceivable program. We spent and >spent. Still, no one was ever really satisfied. > >When you adopt an extensive government agenda, you soon discover that >all the entrenched programs and layers of bureaucracy become >impossible to budge. Much of the population works for the government; >about one of every four Canadians now draws a government paycheck. > >People learn to depend on government, and all governments, even those >whose leaders warn against this dependency, learn to love the power >that flows from it. > >As for the threat to individual liberty, newspaper censorship is, >frankly, the tip of the iceberg. Government intervenes in our lives >constantly, and individual liberties are abrogated in new and ever >more imaginative ways each day. > >Canadians who dare to get a haircut or a car tune-up across the border >are being photographed and prosecuted upon their return to Canada. Why? >Because they have secured these services without having to incur the 7 >percent goods and services tax slapped onto our ever-burgeoning >provincial taxes. Even insurance plans are now taxed. > >A black market has sprung up, mainly in liquor and cigarettes, which >carry the heaviest taxes. Don't think that the taxes will end there, >though. > >You will find that after a time, your state and federal governments - >even those of a different political stripe - will join forces to make >their task of tax collection easier. > >Our entire education system, up to university level, is governed by a >centralized bureaucracy called the Ministry of Education, which >dictates what can and cannot be taught in the schools and how it is to >be taught Universities are mainly government-funded. > >I realize that the issue of government-run programs is particularly >important to you now because of the state of your health-care system. >I sympathize with you completely. I cannot imagine a world where one >could be left bankrupt because of illness. > >I suggest that you look upon it as you do your police protection: a >guard in place for the physical and mental well- being of your >citizens. The real danger in socialized medicine is the attitude of >entitlement it engenders. > >The stories you have heard about us are largely true. It is not >uncommon to pick up a newspaper and read about "The frightening wait >for cancer therapy" here in Ontario, and the situation is no better in >the other provinces. There is a shortage of the most advanced >diagnostic technology. Thousands of the health cards that ensure >access to medical care have been issued erroneously. > >We do wait two hours for an appointment booked weeks in advance. >Despite our world-class doctors, many patients can't get treatment in >time because of overcrowding. When you are faced with a life- and-death >medical situation, you don't mind paying whatever it costs. Under the >government-dominated medical system, however, you can't even buy your >way in - unless, of course, you go to the United States. > >I am employed in administration at a prominent Ontario university that >has historically enjoyed a high degree of autonomy. Last summer, my >president wrote a letter to the staff explaining that the government had >expressed an intention to take a more active role in the management of >university affairs. He described this as an enormous threat to our >autonomy as a free-thinking institution, and in the end the government >retreated - for now. > >As I sit here tonight, it is simply beyond my comprehension that such >a well-intentioned and beloved country as my own could go so far >astray so quickly. And it is all the more remarkable that it has taken >place without grand conspiracies or intricate plots. > >Indeed, most Canadians are as offended by the images of totalitarian >government as you are. We shared your joy at the fall of the Berlin >Wall and the crumbling of the Soviet bloc; we value freedom. And yet >we have fallen into a trap where we are not free. > >As with that other well-known road, we traveled this one with the best >of intentions. > >To those who would dismiss me as an alarmist, I issue this invitation: > >Read our newspapers, watch our news broadcasts (what is left of them) >and see for yourselves. Prove me wrong. I wish you could. > >When you make critical decisions about the role of government in your >life, please think about me, about this letter and about Canada. > >Really think about what it could mean when you hear about a government >initiative that sounds too good to be true. Thank God for a free press, >even when you find yourself criticizing the media for >broadcasting stories that you would rather not hear about. The recent >publication ban is not the first one. There are others, and their >number is growing. > >Listen and learn, America. Cup your ear to the wind and hear the >blood-chilling wail of the siren whistle as it drifts down across your >border. > >If just one of you reads this letter and pauses, even for a moment, to >think about what unchecked government can do, then it has been worth the >writing. > >I have faith in you, America. Your road is tough and not perfect. >Nothing is. Your road will keep leading you to freedom - the freedom >to read and think and be exactly who and what you are - if you only >let it. Treasure that freedom, love it and resolve never, ever to let >it go. > > >****** >This was harvested off the Conservative Generation X website: >http://www.cgx.com/ >-- >****************************************************************** > E Pluribus Unum The Central Ohio Patriot Group > P.O. Box 791 Eventline/Voicemail: (614) 823-8499 > Grove City, OH 43123 > >Meetings: Monday Evenings, 7:30pm, Ryan's Steakhouse > 3635 W. Dublin-Granville Rd. (just East of Sawmill Rd.) > >http://www.infinet.com/~eplurib eplurib@infinet.com >****************************************************************** > > - - ------------------------------ End of roc-digest V2 #84 ************************