Americans Less Likely to Text While Driving after Viewing Controversial U.K. Public Service Announcement

https://www.hcdsurveys.com/panel/index.cfm

Majority of Americans (85%) say the PSA should be aired in the U.S.I tend to agree, especially lately, tho I was always firmly against this dangerous idiocy.My daughter and now-ex-husband are on our county's Rescue Squad. A couple of months ago they responded to a call. It was a young man, a boy really, about 20-23, who'd left the road and hit a tree, and died on impact. They knew then that he'd died on impact, because his eyes were open wide, mouth open in a scream - so he saw what was happening but it happened so fast he couldn't stop it. Time to see, not to act. And, still clutched in his hand so tightly they had to pry his fingers loose, was a cell phone, and a partially completed text message.HCD Research Inc., through its MediaCurves.com® website, is the leader in public perception of topical issues and draws from its MediaCurves™ panel to report on Americans’ perceptions of popular and controversial media events, visual broadcasts, and advertisements.Utilizing proprietary and patent-pending curve technology, survey participants view and evaluate a video or broadcast of current events by “dial testing” (moving their mouse back and forth on a scale) to indicate, for example, believability or agreement with the video. The responses are compiled and curves are created so that you can see when people agree/disagree or believe/disbelieve what is being said in the video.Studies conducted using the MediaCurves™ survey method cover topical areas including healthcare, business, politics, and other national and international news, both for single studies as well as longitudinal studies. In many cases, data indices have been developed for various topical areas and subject matter.The above was copied directly from Media Curve's site, but I can tell you that I really enjoy being a member. The surveys are fun or interesting to take - not boring like many survey sites, and you won't find a page full of tiny circles to spend half a day clicking away at. There are also fun subjects as well as serious ones, such as entertainment, and culture.
Posted by Jasmine Wolfhawk at 11:38 AM 0 comments Links to this post

http://searchingfortruth-anonpartisansite.blogspot.com/2009/08/groups-americans-refuse-to-vote-for.html

WOMEN I beg you to check out this article and poll

GROUPS AMERICANS REFUSE TO VOTE FOR

Got my 1st issue of Psychology Today - the Oct 09 issue - and boy do I like it. Shudda got this thang long ago.
I've been mentally preparing blogs from several of the articles I've read, but just found one I cannot wait to do.
Still stinging a year later over the Hillary/Obama thing and all the articles and stories, and opinions that didn't agree with mine and with which I couldn't argue back, etc - and lots of misconceptions on what the actual facts are. Not saying all my opinions are facts. But I am saying this: as much discrimination as there is or isn't in the world, the discrimination against women is still open and blatant, all over the world, oh oh oh I am not prepared to start my own opinion piece on this right now, at 5:40 a.m. So I'm gonna give you a fact, then the results of a poll I just found in Psychology Today:
While most of us (I hope) can agree every adult citizen of any nation deserves a say in the goings on in their country, it hasn't always been so (still isn't in many places now). BUT, who had it worse here? Who was most undervalued here in the USA? WOMEN. Which is the reason it stung me so bad to have my black sisters choose to vote race over sex when they were asked and they responded that they had planned to vote for Hillary til Obama ran, and either they really didn't know what one or both stood for, or agreed enough with both etc etc. But many said that they chose to go with Obama simply because he's black and they wanna see one of their own, one discriminated against, win. Here's the thing. Men mistreat women, no matter the race. Look at the abuses heaped upon women (not all men of course so don't start, cuz the numbers of women who suffer at hands of men are gigantic, and tho every man may not mistreat women, every woman will likely, at some point, be mistreated by men, sometimes violently = rape, domestic abuse, murder by a man they loved...) I think I messed that sentence structure up but I don't care so know I know, but my mind is working MUCH faster than my fingers.
AND as for histories of discriminations, WOMEN HEAR THIS: 5 years after slavery ended, black males won the right to vote (even as slaves, males always had a vote that counted 3/5 - unfair but better than women, who had none, no matter their color). It took another 50 years - FIFTY YEARS - before women whon the right to vote. Read up on womens' sufferage - lots of women were beaten, raped, and murdered by men for demanding the right. So today we follow the same pattern, evidently. Now we've finally elected the first president that isn't white, will it take another 50 years before a woman is elected? I wouldn't doubt it. Look at these numbers now:
Psychology today had an article about this nation's refusal to elect atheists, and various other religions, and it went ahead and did a poll asking who Americans refuse to vote for.
53% refuse to vote for atheists
43% refuse to vote for gays (their terminology not mine so write them if you don't approve - I know several homosexuals and each of them are offended by different words, but they all know me and know I don't discriminate so I don't get yelled at for anything as such)
42% won't vote for anyone over age 72
24% won't vote for Mormons
12% refuse to vote for Hispanics
11% won't vote for women
7% wont vote for Jews
5% won't vote for blacks
4% won't vote for Catholics
So maybe this will help some of us who have been under false ideas about who discriminates against what groups most and who is most discriminated against, etc etc, can see some better hint of the truth here. Hopefully it'll make some members of the above groups feel better to know nowhere near as much of the world is against them as they thought. If it angers anyone that the numbers are lower than they believed, they need to examine the reasons for that. No there shouldn't be any discrimination, but there IS, and always will be - if not against race, or sex, or religion, then against weight, ppl who wear glasses, who dress to wildly or consevatively, - humans are a very judgemental and hateful group, and almost always the reason for such is that looking down on others makes humans feel bigger, and anyone who says they don't judge harshly nor discriminate against any group at all - you're lying to others, or to yourself, or you are one of a handful of ppl from all places and all times who sit firmly in the company of ppl such as Mother Teresa, and....and....um.....hm.

Viewpoints.com : Get Consumer Ratings and Opinions and/or Share Your Own Experiences and Opinions on Products and Companies

http://www.viewpoints.com/

Viewpoints is a social site, where you can fill out a profile, meet people, etc, as well as a site for product and company reviews and ratings by everyday people like you and me - those with experiences they can share with the rest of us who may be thinking of buying a certain product or trying a certain brand. If you share your own opinions, they often have rewards - for example the latest was a $25 restaurant card for 5 reviews. Not a bad deal. You can sign up for occasional surveys (not many: your email won't be full of spam, and they don't sell or rent your info to anyone). I've been a member since April 09 and I enjoy the site quite a bit.

AMERICANS AGAINST FOOD TAXES

During these difficult economic times, we cannot afford another tax increase, especially one that won’t work.

The proposed national tax on soda and juice drinks will not teach children good nutrition habits or have a meaningful impact on public health, but will have a negative impact on American families struggling in this economy.

This is a regressive tax that would unnecessarily burden hard-working Americans. And it would do irreparable harm to an industry whose economic reach extends to every community in America, directly providing 220,000 good-paying jobs with health benefits and a direct economic impact of $136.4 Billion.

For these reasons, I reject the proposed tax on soda and juice drinks.

Let your lawmaker know that you say NO to the tax on soda and juice drinks:

www.nofoodtaxes.com/sign-the-petition-tax/

Please, go to the above link and sign this petition. We're having too much trouble as it is without the addition of yet another tax. Especially, I think, since our elected representatives are not looking out for our interests until they think it will matter at the polls during election seasons. Instead, they are looking out only for their own interests, and when they can get kickbacks, big donations, etc, from big corporations and special interests groups - lobbyists who represent anything except the American people and the little guy's interests. We wouldn't need this tax for extra money for the deficit if they'd really cut out government waste in other places, too.

Despite all that extra, they wanna pass this food tax, and will if we don't let our representatives know we are watching, we are listening, we are thinking, and we won't tolerate more taxes that affect the middle and lower classes while those who can afford it run America. Well there I go again, but I'm not gonna start another rant. We just need to stop this and all other unfair taxes. Its our country, our representatives supposedly working for us (and we pay their salaries and all those extras they claim as part of the job, such as renting planes to fly the family to the Bahamas on a 2 week vacation in which they'll spend an hour or two talking to someone about official government business and send the tab to the American taxpayers). Geez I just can't help it. Go to the site for details, and sign the petition if you agree, and let everyone you know in on this so they can add their voices as well.

Save the Internet

SAVE THE INTERNET, STOP BIG MEDIA FROM TAKING OVER, CHARGING US PER USE, LIMITING USAGE, AND STOP THEIR LIES.

I tried to add a widget from Save the Media, but it wouldn't work, perhaps due to my own mistakes, but regardless of the reason, the message is too important to skip just because I can't get the widget to work.

http://www.freepress.net is the link for the homepage of the website if you want to read all their info about what's going on and what's being done to try and stop it.

http://www.freepress.net/astroturf is the link for the site to go to if you wanna see what they have to say specifically about the phony groups hired by the big companies - such as Time Warner - to spread lies and try to stop those that are stopping them from metering our internet use, making our bill MUCH higher AND limiting our access to the net. This link also has the interactive free widget that I couldn't make work here, if you wanna give it a go.

I receive their newsletter and here I'm gonna copy and paste the latest one, telling us about the astroturf groups - their name for fake grassroots groups.

Net Neutrality is under attack from "astroturf" groups -- phony grassroots organizations funded by powerful phone and cable companies to spread lies and misinformation.

These hired guns are painting Net Neutrality and the Internet Freedom Preservation Act (HR 3458) as an attempt to "socialize the Internet." They call people like you and me "extremists" for supporting a free-flowing Web.

Their rhetoric is frozen in the Cold War era. All Net Neutrality really does is protect market innovation, consumer choice and free speech online.

Now we're fighting back. Today, Free Press launched Astroturf: Exposing the Fake Grassroots -- an interactive online tool that reveals the money behind front groups like Americans for Prosperity, the Heartland Institute and Dick Armey’s FreedomWorks:

Check out 'Astroturf: Exposing the Fake Grassroots'

Mighty phone and cable companies have controlled Internet policy in Washington for years. They set up astroturf groups and launch deceptive "consumer" Web sites to fool politicians and the media into thinking that everyday people support their harmful policy positions.

It's time to set the record straight. Free Press has pulled together the SavetheInternet.com Coalition, which now represents more than 800 groups, from the Christian Coalition to MoveOn.org and the SEIU to the American Library Association. More than 1.5 million activists -- from all walks of life and across the political spectrum -- have signed our petition in support of Net Neutrality.

Help us pull back the curtain on astroturf and tell people the truth about Net Neutrality.

Expose the Shills and Front Groups

We need everyone -- including the media and members of Congress -- to learn about these phony front groups. You can forward the widget to your friends, and we've made it easy to post it on your own Web site or blog.

Thanks for your help!

Timothy Karr
Campaign Director
Free Press
www.freepress.net
www.savetheinternet.com

Want to support our work? Free Press takes no money from industry, industry groups, political parties or the government. Our independence is vital to representing the public interest. We need your support to fight against astroturf.

You (jasminewolfhawk@gmail.com) are receiving this e-mail as an opt-in subscriber to Free Press' E-activist Network. You canunsubscribe or manage your account at any time.

	OUR SITES:
	Free Press is a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media. Learn more at www.freepress.net

Of course they need donations to keep doing their work, and will ask every tie, but are grateful if you just spread the word = its obvious many ppl can't afford to give now and since the whole point is to spread the word... Besides, this is for us in the first place since its our access that'll be limited and our bills to go way up.

The Newsbreaker, Larry Garrison

Larry Garrison mugs for a photo with Larry King.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Books/story?id=2406142&page=1

{the following are exerpts of articles, cut and pasted from the 2 websites I've used, and provided links to}


Larry Garrison knows the news. Over the past 25 years, he has worked with a slew of networks and shows bringing to light some of the most significant stories of our time.
In his latest book, "The Newsbreaker," Garrison divulges untold details about some of the biggest stories of the past few decades, including the Oklahoma bombing, the Jon Benet Ramsey murder and the Mary Kay Letourneau scandal.
Garrison reveals what happens behind the headlines -- how the news changes from the scene of a story to when it hits a television screen -- and offers readers a rare look inside one of today's hottest industries.
My clients are of a different nature. I don't practice in a court of law; I operate in the court of public opinion. But the people I represent need me in the same way a victim needs a lawyer. My clients have often been thrust into territory so far
from what they're accustomed to that the process could chew them up and spit them out without someone like me to watch out for their best interests. In much the same way lawyers help their clients through the legal system, I help my clients navigate the media machine, specifically the news media. And even though I don't always chase them, I am always on the lookout for them.
It has been said there are two sides to every story, then there is the truth. I am on the lookout for the people who can give you the truth of a story that has captured public attention. Although I have dealt with stories regarding some of what goes on behind the scenes at the White House and with many celebrities, most of what I cover is mainstream. It is not often that I am involved in matters pertaining to national foreign policy, and I offer less attention to people who claim to have been abducted by aliens. My work lies somewhere between the tabloid headlines and the stories covered in Time magazine, but everything is fair game. And yes, I must admit I love those major sweep stories that I put on the covers of magazines and bring to the attention of the world.


http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?sku=1595552871&title=The-NewsBreaker&author=Larry-Garrison


For twenty-five years, Larry Garrison has been a news broker, operating within the secret side of the news, finding and releasing some of the most sensational stories of the last couple decades. Now, in this riveting account of the news behind the news, Garrison lets readers in on how such headlining stories are found, manipulated, and released to the public, blowing the whistle on the news media, and divulging what really happens when all of the major news agencies compete to report the same top stories. Garrison goes inside some of his biggest cases, providing never-before-released info on the Terri Schiavo case, Michael Jackson, TWA Flight 800, 9/11, the Oklahoma bombing, Andrew Cunanan and the murder of Versace, Jon Benet Ramsey, the Robert Blake murder case, Mary Kay Letourneau, and many, many more. Gutsy and gritty, Larry has uncovered and been exposed to facts of some of the biggest headlines of our times. And now, in The NewsBreaker, he finally tells the story behind the headlines, how news is made and reported, and why the networks wouldn't, or couldn't, give the full story on some of the most important news events of our time.

Political Action Groups and Journalists

Here are a few political action groups I came across and noted for one reason or another. I may not support the group or its causes, or perhaps only some of its views and causes, and in some cases I almost entirely support them. My point is to introduce them, because more than wanting to persuade people to think as I do, I'd rather persuade them to simply think. Search. Watch your government and what they do and hold them accountable. You may find one or more of these groups inspire you to join, talk, act, or just learn for yourself. Perhaps you'll decide to look up a few of your own, or to research a cause I didn't include here, which you wish to get involved in or learn more about. That is what I hope for anyhow.

www.publicintegrity.com THE CENTER FOR PUBLIC INTEGRITY

is a nonprofit organization dedicated to producing original, responsible

INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM on issues of public concern. NON-PARTISIAN, non-advocacy. Committed to transparent and comprehensive reporting in the US and around the world.

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists

Some of the current stories and investigations listed on the homepage include:

"ACCOUNTABILITY: Revisiting the Cheating of America", on a settlement that gives the IRS access to identities of very rich Americans holding secret accounts at the Swiss bank UBS [in order to prevent paying taxes on the money, as the rest of us pay taxes. They use the things the tax money pays for more than the average American - the CAN because they are rich and nothing holds them back, nothing prevents them vacationing or doing whatever they wish, etc. And they do anything and everything to assure that the middle class and those people struggling to get by week to week are the ones paying the taxes to buy all those things they enjoy as much as they want to. Makes me sick. I'm delighted about this and completely on the IRS's side, for once. Odd thing, that.

ALSO: "Defense: Courage Needed to Reform Defense Procurement"

"Tally of Interests {as in big businesses and such with special interests lobbying Congress} on Climate Bill Tops 1,000 {as in over 1000 special interest groups sending lobbyists to be sure the bill benefits them, and not us, and not the world nor the planet}

"Builders Fight Proposed Home Sprinkler Requirement" {as in all homes would be required to install a sprinkler system}

GET THIS ONE IF YOU REALLY WANNA GET MAD: HUD {which is the taxpayer -funded Department of Housing and Urban Development, which pays rent for or builds houses and gives them to poor ppl who qualify - a very small percentage all things considered, but still a lotta money involved here = there are a lot of poor ppl} "HUD SUBSIDIZED AN ESTIMATED 2,094 TO 3,046 HOUSEHOLDS THAT INCLUDED LIFETIME REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS"

There's also a story on UNDETECTED FEDERAL LENDING VIOLATIONS, due to limited data available

'PUSHING PRESCRIPTIONS"

"THE BUYING OF THE PRESIDENT 2008"

" WINDFALLS OF WAR" in 2 parts, tells how the Iraq war financially benefitted a chosen few, and GREATLY.

and much much more. I highly recommend this site, and truly believe it is what it says it is: not involved in any political party - not conservative, not liberal, not democratic or republican and so on - it truly investigates and reports the truth regardless of political party, prestige, position, etc.

The Progressive PulseIdea of the Day: Retire Old, Dirty Power Plants

• Science Progress: Lab Bench Ethics
• Campus Progress: Looking Beyond Our Borders
• Enough: Clinton Meets with Congolese
  

FROM OUR CAP ACTION PARTNERS:

• Climate Progress: Antarctica's Pine Island Glacier
• Think Progress: American Flags Unwelcome at Astroturf Rally
• Wonk Room: Kyl Promotes Health Reform Myths
• Yglesias: Kennedy Eyeing Succession
• www.americanprogress.org

The Center For American Progress This site addresses many issues, and I'm unsure of any main focus, if there is one. Some of the stories in their archives include such diverse subjects/titles as these:

"NUCLEAR MELTDOWN: REBUILDING A COHERENT POLICY TOWARDS IRAN"

"PERSEPOLIS" "FUTURE CHOICES: ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES AND THE LAW" "WHENIT COES TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA, THE GOVERNMENT IS TRUMPING POLITICS OVER SCIENCE" "SENATE CONSERVATIVES VOTE TO KEEP U.S. HOOKED ON OIL" "40 REASONS TO REENGAGE "{ON AFGHANISTAN} "EDUCATION: SMALLER CLASS SIZE" "CHEMICAL ANTI-TERRORISM STANDARDS" "THROWING HOMEOWNERS A LIFELINE" "DIRECT LENDING FOR TROUBLED BORROWERS" "VIRUOUS CIRCLE: STRENGTHENING BROAD- BASED GLOBAL PROGRESS" and,, of course, many more, and subjects as diverse as those above. Looking at the site this looks more like a Liberal newsletter {MAYBE not all here are liberal, but it certainly seems to lean Democratic, and to the left of that mostly) than a political action group. I haven't spent much time looking at this one in particular, but you see the gist of it here, if you wanna visit them.

The APOLLO ALLIANCE:

advocates for America's clean energy future. Here are some things I copied and pasted from the home page of their site at www.apolloalliance.org

Press Releases

Most Popular

• How You Can Find a Green-Collar Job
• What Does The Fox News Channel Have Against Green Jobs?
• Congress Approves Clean Energy Provisions of Stimulus; Consistent With Apollo Economic Recovery Act

Businesses Across America Endorse Senate Bill to Boost Domestic Clean Energy Manufacturing

Sen. Sherrod Brown’s IMPACT Act Would Keep Millions of Jobs in America, Advance Domestic Energy Security

August 6, 2009 | Read the story »

Green Justice Breakthrough In Massachusetts

Boston Apollo Alliance Wins Victory for Social Justice and the Environment; State’s Utilities to Add Equity to Efficiency Plans

July 29, 2009 | Read the story »

On 40th Anniversary of Apollo Moon Landing, Apollo Alliance Renews Call for Nationwide Push Toward Clean Energy

July 18, 2009 | Read the story »

HOUSE COMMITTEES LISTING, incl websites

Use these to check up on your elected representatives, to see if and when they are doing their job by actually representing the people who elected them, or not, and to see what they are doing with your tax dollars. And when you don't like what they are doing, the laws they're passing then contact your reps and tell them. Tell them often. The only thing that will make them do right is to let them know that you are watching, you will hold them accountible. The most important thing to them is getting elected, and if they think they won't because too many people are unhappy with their performance, they will change or else don't elect them. They've gotten away with too much for too long but if we start watching them and holding them accountable, they will straighten up or we'll elect someone who will. Anyhow I didn't mean to start a rant, just to give you this info, and I'm on the phone while doing this so I probably repeated myself and sound goofy. So here's the info:

NOTE: There would be lots of repetition if I list the entire name of all these, so remember, each one is a committee, and the name will go someting like "The Committee on Foreign Affairs" or "the Ways an d Means Committee",in case you wanna Google orBing or need it for whatever reason. OK, the info NOW:

Committee on:

Agriculture www.agriculture.house.gov

Appropriations Committee www.appropriations.house.gov

Committee on Armed Services [don't have the website, but I'm seeing a pattern here so I'd try www.armed services.house.gov first, or just Google it, or

Budget www.budget.house.gov

WAIT. Changed my mind. I knw its a sloppy post but I've deleted it n started over twice already n I'm impatient today, moreso than usual even. So I'm gonna leave this up and take a different route for the rest.

YOu see above you examples of how to go directly to the committees, and can use them if you want. I'm gonna back up n talk about the website for the HOuse.

All of the links for all of the committees can be found on the home page of the House of Representatives website, at

www.house.gov

Besides the committees, you will also find links to the leaders of each committee, other House organizations, and ALL of the elected representatives (including yours - and if unsure who is your Rep, you can find out here)

Resources

• Speaker of the House
• Chief Administrative Officer
• Clerk of the House [I just went ahead and copied the links to make my life easier, ha ha]
• Educational Resources
• Government Resources
• House Directory
• House Rules
• Kids in the House
• Legislative Archive
• Media Resources
• Capitol Visitor Center
• Visiting D.C.

• House Schedule
• House Operating Status

• Procurement Opportunities
• Employment Information

You'll find what is currently on the House floor, not only for this week, but also see the 2009 calendar. You can find voting information, find a bill, amendment, or debate. And you can access the laws of the United States, and see what they have done to us. I keep wondering, at what point will we have enough laws to follow? Is there not a time place reason, something, for someone to stand up and say, "We have passed laws on EVERYTHING and there are no more to make. What, will they begin to pass laws on what color people are allowed to paint their houses (some colors may offend the majority of the neighbors), or on how much coffee we're allowed to buy per month? What? When cometh the end? I forget at the moment who said it, but its absolutely true, and goes something like: "That government is best which governs the least". {I was gonna do some quotes soon, and I'll try to remember to look this one up and correct it and give it correct attribution.}

Anyway, the site will also tell you how it all works - that is, how laws are made and enacted.

Legislative
Branch Agencies

• Architect of the Capitol
• Congressional Budget Office
• Government Accountability Office
• Government Printing Office
• Library of Congress
• U.S. Senate

More government links »

Visiting
Washington, D.C.

• Tourist Information
• Public Transportation
• Local Weather Forecast [ And that's the rest of the home page. ]

Now I'll give you a list of the various committees of the House of Reps.

I'd imagine that your average American knows some of them, but that there are committees most don't know about, and might be interested in if they did know of them. Check up on those you care about, see what your reps are doing, hold them accountable and let 'em know, WE ARE PAYING ATTENTION, because we have learned as the People that we MUST, and cannot trust our Reps to do what they KNOW we want them to.

Committee on: Agriculture Appropriations Armed Services

the Budget Education and Labor Energy and Commerce

Financial Services Foreign Affairs Homeland Security

House Administration the Judiciary Natural Resources Rules

Oversight and Reform Science and Technology Small Business

Standards of Official Conduct Transportation and Infrastructure

Veteran's Affairs Ways and Means Joint Economic Committee

Joint Committee on Printing {?} Joint Committee on Taxation

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

Government Websites: A few you may find useful

I tested all these sites before including them, so they're all good as of August 2009:

Government Accountability Office (GAO) www.gao.gov

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) www.cia.gov

Elections Assistance Commission (EAC) www.eac.gov

Executive Branch Websites www.loc.gov/rr/news/fedgov.html

Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) www.fbi.gov/homepage.htm

Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC) www.pueblo.gsa.gov

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) www.fema.gov

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) www.fda.gov

Department of Homeland Security www.dhs.gov/index.shtm

Judicial Branch of the U.S. Government www.uscourts.gov

Senate www.senate.gov/index.htm

House of Representatives www.house.gov

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"The4 best security against revolution is in constant correction of abuses and the introduction of needed improvements. It is the neglect of timely repair that makes rebuilding necessary." - Richard WhatelyRichard Whately (1 February 1787 – 8 October 1863) was an English logician and theological writer who also served as Anglican Archbishop of Dublin.

WakeUpWalMart.com and Obama vs Wal Mart, Sam Walton, and me (and Hillary Clinton if I get around to explaining it)

===========================================================================

"Anyone entrusted with power will abuse it if not also animated with the love of truth and virtue, no matter whether he be a prince, or one of the people. -

Jean de la Fontaine

Jean de La Fontaine (July 8, 1621 – April 13, 1695) was the most famous French fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century.

==================================================================================

Found a lovely little site, www.WakeUpWalMart.com , that I'm gonna use to make some of my points. This is an anti-Walmart site, as you may have guessed. Don't get me wrong, I'm not 100% in support of Walmart, nor am I saying they do nothing wrong. I'm saying that comparatively, to other similar companies, they are among the least of all evils, they really do some good things, and most important to most people, they make living affordable for a majority of Americans. As in most cases, the good of the majority is the important thing, is it not?
You can find people against anything. You can even make them sound like they are 100% right if you only show one side of the story. I haven't been completely thru this site yet so I'm not saying they do so, but many people are believable because they shamelessly distort facts or even lie. So I'm gonna take a few of their points and try to see all sides, to find the truth. After that, you may or may not choose to look at that site and believe or not believe whatever they say. Up to you. But I know if they have their way, most Americans, poor and middle class, including Walmart employees, will not be able to make ends meet anymore, without living on beans bread and water (you know what I mean; not literally....well, it probably IS literal in some cases, actually).
The first thing I see is ridiculous. Wal Mart is responsible for Glenn Beck and thus Beck and Walmart are racist, because Beck called Obama a racist (I don't know if he is or not, but there are certainly legitimate evidences that he may be, and stronger ones that Michelle may be. I cannot see into his heart...well let me say it this way, addressing but one of the evidences: Oprah Winfrey realized not long after her show went national that it wouldn't be good publicity if the American people knew she attended Reverend Wright's church in Chicago, so she had the good sense to stop going there. Again, that's just one of the reasons people have thought the Obama's racist, tho it is the most damning one). To begin, Walmart is not the only one running ads on Beck's show. Two, Walmart runs ads on liberal programs and those that completely support Obama, too. Three, this is America and free speech is a basic right, and as long as this man is allowed a public show, its not up to advertisers to pre-approve what he says - its a commercial for God's sake, walmart isn't paying Beck's personal income and giving him bonuses for every racist remark he may or may not make, and I'm still not saying the man IS racist because I never have listened to him. But what the site says he said, that doesn't make him a racist. If everyone who accuses anyone of being racist is also a racist, then we all are. That's ridiculous. I don't need to hear about Beck, I don't care about him. This is about Walmart and this particular ridiculous accusation. The site says others are pulling their ads, and perhaps they are, but its still a ridiculous thing to accuse Walmart of, especially considering that Walmart has received awards from minority communities and organizations for their diversity and for helping the minority communities. But the site didn't include that particular info, did it? Wonder why? Because they care less about the truth than about proving their point, for whatever reasons they are doing it.

For their next point, I'm gonna just copy and paste what they say:

A Substantial Number of Wal-Mart Associates earn far below the poverty line

• In 2001, sales associates, the most common job in Wal-Mart, earned on average $8.23 an hour for annual wages of $13,861. The 2001 poverty line for a family of three was $14,630. ["Is Wal-Mart Too Powerful?", Business Week, 10/6/03, US Dept of Health and Human Services 2001 Poverty Guidelines, 2001]

• A 2003 wage analysis reported that cashiers, the second most common job, earn approximately $7.92 per hour and work 29 hours a week. This brings in annual wages of only $11,948. ["Statistical Analysis of Gender Patterns in Wal-Mart's Workforce", Dr. Richard Drogin 2003]

Wal-Mart Associates don't earn enough to support a family

The average two-person family (one parent and one child) needed $27,948 to meet basic needs in 2005, well above what Wal-Mart reports that its average full-time associate earns. Wal-Mart claimed that its average associate earned $9.68 an hour in 2005. That would make the average associate's annual wages $17,114.


Now, many of you don't need me to say one word. Mind you, this is before minimum wage increased. For those who don't know what I mean, I'm talking about everyone out there who makes this much money or less. I'm talking about those who work harder than Walmart employees, for less money, and fewer or zero benefits, who are thinking these employees are lucky and are pretty much despising them now as spoiled brats or the like, and wishing more than anything else at this moment that they could forcibly switch jobs with these people and let them see what hardship, as well as hard work for minimum wages, is really like.
My sisters each hired on their present jobs when each was 18. Now one is 36, the other 38. Stayed with the company all these years. They work in the deli/bakery of Food Giant, which bought out Big Star a few years ago (here in my town anyhow). The 38 yr old is manager of the deli/bakery, and the 36 yr old is head cook. Til she took over the manager's position, that sister make $1.05 over minimum wage, and the youngest sister made .95 over. After minimum wage rose lately, the youngest had to beg for a raise so she'd be making above minimum wage after over 18 yrs working here, and with the extra responsibilities she has, and they said no, and the local store manager had to beg. She got a 50 cent raise. My other sister has been doing her old job plus trying to do the hiring and firing and paperwork and other management jobs for another 50 cents, as they haven't evaluated her and given her the manager's pay even tho she's been doing the job for 5 months now. You think either of them would complain about Wal Mart pay? They have no benefits at all, not even health insurance, by the way. They don't even get the 10% employee discount like Wal Mart workers do.
Check out the blog entry before this one to learn about my son's job. My daughter is now working that same job, and she is 21, and 5'3" and about 92 pounds. Minimum wage, forced overtime for straight-time pay, no benefits - he isn't even holding out workman's comp, and this is a private business owned by the 3rd richest man in my county of about 30,000 people.
Shall we compare Walmart employees with those from Target, or Goodwill, or McDonalds, Wendys, Burger KIng, Taco Bell, Blockbuster Video, Sonic, etc? HOw about waitress jobs - did you know about the "tip" law? If your employee, such as a waiter or waitress, makes tips, they can be considered sort of self employed and you don't have to pay them minimum wages even? Did you know many waitresses, besides tips, make as little as $2 PER HOUR? NO benefits? By the way, how affordable do you think Obama's affordable insurance is gonna be to these people? Medicaid is in place making direct payments to doctors and hospitals etc already. Expand it. I live in Tennessee, where we have Tenncare, and the government Medicaid money is given to insurance companies instead of medical pros directly. We're dying. Tenncare won't pay for anything and is constantly turning down people who desperately need it. But that's not my point this blog.
YOu know what, nevermind. I could go on an on about this walmart thing, but I sicken of it all. You have the basics now and can figure the rest out for yourself. Don't forget to look up the Walmart scholarship program and other such charitable works if you wanna investigate it yourself further. The one most important point I have made already - we need Walmart's low prices for quality goods, or most of us will have our living conditions drop drastically in quality, if not find ourselves completely unable to buy even the basics, beyond bread and beans and one bar of soap a week. Why they pick on Walmart of all the worse companies and stores I don't know. But its bullshit.