Five PSU Student Organizations (Pitt State CRs, Green Gorillas, Campus Christians, PSU Newman Club, Student Association of Broadcasters) worked together today, putting politics aside, and the effect was phenomenal. As students walked through the Oval from 10 a.m. until around 1:15, we handed out miniature American flags, telling them to “Never Forget” September 11th and the lessons we learned that day. We also captured nearly ten students’ memories of the day to create a video diary, something that will soon appear on YouTube.

The Newman Club prayed a full rosary over the campus, and Campus Christians had a small prayer circle thanking God for his blessings and protection at the conclusion of the event.

KOAM also covered this event in their featured story for the evening of September 11, 2009 during both the 6:00 and 10:00 news hours.

Many people were touched today by these actions, and I was greatly humbled by everyone’s service.

Thank you all.

Caleb.

I was young; I was naive, and I was a kid.

I was in my sixth grade math class.

When one of my teachers ran in, on the verge of hysterics, I thought it was just another bad day; that something had happened far away. I knew that nothing could ever happen here, though. This is America, I thought. What could happen? Who would try?

And then they rushed us downstairs to the television. We watched replays of the first plane hitting the first tower, and it was then I began to realize something might actually be happening. But as the minutes passed, I slipped back into my naivety. I chose to believe what they were saying on the news, that perhaps this was just an accident.

Then we watched the second plane slam into the second tower and it hit me: this was real. And that belief was further solidified by the near-collapse of my art teacher. She broke down, cupped her hands around her nose, and began to cry, saying, “Oh, my” over and over again.

I was scared that day. At that point, we thought “they” might bomb somewhere in the Midwest. No one had any idea what was going on, and the people we’d always trusted were at a loss for words. The only thing we had was each other and our faith in God.

In the days that followed we held out that the survivors in the rubble would be rescued, but with each hour that passed, even that hope grew dim.

The official count grew and grew, and in the end, nearly 3,000 people died that day.

But the story didn’t stop there. Thousands of emergency workers, airline staffers, air traffic controllers, and 911 dispatchers handled calls and rescues and held and listened to these victims as they spoke their last. In many cases there are recorded calls of people dying as the towers collapsed. Those people are burdened with the fact that they are the last human beings those people ever spoke with on this earth. They listened to them as they screamed in agony and fear and then continued to listen until there simply was no more.

Even after all of this, some people choose to disgrace the memory of these normal, everyday Americans that had their lives ripped out form under them and destroyed by the work of Islamofascists bent on destroying America by denying the events occurred or choosing to ignore them, to “move on.”

But in utter defiance, we flew our flag. And she still flies today.

As I handed out flags today on the Pittsburg State Campus in memoriam of the lives lost eight years ago today, I was encouraged with the hundreds who gladly accepted them and utterly repulsed by those who gave me a look that said Why would I want a flag?

America, may you never, ever refuse a flag on September 11. May you always remember and honor the memory of our fellow citizens who were brutally mass-murdered on that fateful day eight years ago today.

May you never forget the sacrifices made that day.

Now, most of you who are used to my political blathering are probably wondering where in the heck I’m going with this. Hold on, I’m getting there.

While I love my University and truly believe in it, there are a few areas where it needs to play catch up. Platform choice is one of them. For something that is so important to the future, it’s amazing how far behind they’ve fallen. Just as its important for anyone to be exposed to different ways of doing things, its doubly important for the people who will design the applications of the future to have access to as many major platforms as possible. While we having Dell PCs running some form of Windows XP out the wazoo, OS X is nowhere to be found.

That’s why I’m asking for your help.

Do you have an older, Intel-based Mac sitting in a corner gathering dust or barely used? Would you be willing to make (what I think/hope is a) tax-deductible donation to a growing Best in the Midwest University? We’ve also been ranked in Princeton Review’s Best 290 Business Schools. Your donation would be used to add OS X-based instruction to currently offered computer science classes, giving students a broader worldview than Windows and a sampling of Linux (CentOS).

How are you doing this? How can I be sure my donation will be properly handled?

Right now I’m simply looking for interest. One of my professors made a comment last week in class that the University would offer OS X-based instruction if the hardware was available, specifically, if someone was willing to make a donation. I decided to do my best to take him up on it. If there is sufficient interest, I’ll present my proposal to the University, and we’ll get the ball rolling. This day in age, there’s no excuse for not supporting a platform with an 8+% market share and a 20+% installed base.

I still have questions…

I’d love to chat with you. You can email me here.

Overall, it was a great day. I listened to speeches from Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS02) and Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS), along with Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS03 and U.S. Senate Candidate). Kris Kobach, candidate for KS Secretary of State, also spoke. Donning my Pitt State CRs Events Coordinator hat, I was able to meet great state legislators like Asst. Maj. Leader Peggy Mast and, the previous evening in Iola, KS, Rep. Bill Otto. I invited both of them to speak at a College Republicans meeting the next time they’re in Pittsburg. We’ve got a great schedule of speakers lining up already for this fall, so hopefully they RSVP soon.

Later that day, I attended the Lynn Jenkins reception. Lynn is one of the few politicians I truly believe in- I pray she keeps that trust.

Once again, Blackberry pictures, so I apologize for the quality.

Rep. Lynn Jenkins in the Kansas House Chambers

Sen. Sam Brownback

Josh Tucker, CR member, and me in the KS House Chambers

Rep. Jenkins, of course, is the soaring rock star of the second district, having beaten a moderate Democrat in 2008 and wielding her CPA certification as a powerful weapon in Congress against bills such as the ARRA of 2008 and deficit spending. Moran is hoping to win “retiring” Sen. Sam Brownback’s Senate seat in 2010.

The over 350 proud patriots in attendance cheered as they listened to speakers like Kris Kobach, candidate for Kansas Secretary of State, Bud Siebel, local businessman, and AFP-stand in Virginia Crossland-Macha rail on Obama’s proposed takeover of healthcare, his successful enslavement of the auto industry, and the reasons Kansas must become a sovereign state.

It was a truly inspiring evening, and proved to me that Kansans are truly ready for action. After the last speaker, over 85% of the crowd stood up and got in line to sign both the sovereignty petition and Americans for Prosperity’s petition to stop Obama’s healthcare express.

Following are some Blackberry and iPhone photos taken at the event.

Michelle Hucke and Caleb Hays working the sovereignty booth.

Active and engaged citizens

Secretary of State candidate Kris Kobach speaking at rally

Did you attend, host, or work at a recent recess rally or tea party? Post your experience in the comments!

Later that night and into the next morning, when I’d had a chance to read the transcript of her presser, I began to understand her reasoning. The fact is, no matter what she tried to do for Alaska, she would be unfairly brutalized by the press. Her effectiveness in Alaska ended after her McCain handlers forced her to continue the retched Couric interviews way back in the fall of 2008.  She needed a chance to take a step back and regain control of her own public image, to give the American people, and the only way to do that was to cut her losses and leave elected office to travel the lower 48 (edit 1) to fill her rightful role as an independent leader of the conservative movement.

In recent days, Gov. Palin has been dropping hints of working toward a “higher political calling” and talked about how she feels she can do a better job helping the people of Alaska and the nation, along with conservative candidates, outside of the governor’s office.

So don’t lose heart, America! Sarah is just being Sarah and taking risks and wild leaps of faith no one else would dare do. She’s not leaving politics, she’s just following a different path. Will she run for Senate, write her book, or jump on the speaking circuit? Who knows? What I do know is anyone who counts her out is simply afraid of who she is and what she can become.

P.S. Don’t forget about SarahPAC! I’m guessing once Palin’s thrown off the restraints of public office, we’ll see her political action committee spring into even more abundant life.

After arriving in Rogers, AR around 2:00 p.m. local time on Friday the third, we hurriedly dropped off our luggage at the very nice a-Loft hotel, scarfed down a burger from Steak ‘n Shake, and hopped on a Panther Navajo five-seater plane, basically a tiny puddle jumper, and headed for Batesville, AR. We dropped off two of our volunteers there, and then Teresa Crossland-Oelke and I headed for Heber Springs, AR, a tiny town of around 7,000 residents. Batesville’s event attracted 200 concerned citizens, a respectable number for their very first event, while Heber Springs impressed us even more. This tiny village in the middle of nowhere, Arkansas, had a Tea Party that involved over 500 people. All in all, that night we collected over 400 signatures from those two events.

The next morning, I ate breakfast with three very interesting people, Rebecca Wales from Smart Girl Politics, Tom Ziglar, son of Zig Ziglar, and Dr. Larry Hunter, of the Social Security Institute. Ms. Wales and Mr. Ziglar spoke at the Fayetteville, AR Tea Party, while Virginia, Dr. Hunter, and I set up our Patients First booth at the Ozark Tea Party in Mountain Home, AR. After Dr. Hunter spoke on healthcare, he and I hopped back into a Crossland Construction truck, and I drove him back to Bentonville, AR so he could catch his flight back to D.C. and hopefully spend the evening of the Fourth with his family.

The Mountain Home Tea Party was incredible. Over 1,500 people showed up, and they just kept coming. Over the course of the entire weekend, we collected nearly two THOUSAND signatures, something that would normally take two months. Three-fourths of those signatures came from Mountain Home. I’m sure you can see why:

The entire football stadium was packed. There was basically no room left, whatsoever. Everywhere I turned, people were clamoring to sign the petition. It was incredibly encouraging, and heartening. Maybe we really do have a chance to stop this beast.

If you haven’t signed the petition yet, please do. All it takes is being a registered voter.

After returning home to Southeast Kansas, I went with my family to the Chetopa, KS Independence Day extravaganza. I really don’t know what else to call it- they have an intensely huge gathering in their city park for several hours in the afternoon and culminate the evening in one of the area’s best fireworks shows. Seriously, guys, kudos.

So maybe I didn’t get to shoot off crazy rockets and scream madly as I ran away from a (very short) lighted fuse, but today, I did something better: I was democracy in action: I worked for the betterment of what is still this greatest nation on earth, the United States of America.

I know some people have had a difficult time celebrating Independence Day this year; they feel our nation is teetering on the brink of collapse and that we’ve lost our way. I have to be honest; I’ve struggled with those feelings, too, but I just keep reminding myself that I’m celebrating the eternal American values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Please grow up.

Across the world, in the troubled area known as the Middle East, in the Islamic Republic, there is a nation fighting for its God-given freedom, and you don’t seem to care. You seem more content to bask in the glowing media attention and reminisce about your intense popularity in Europe. For days you were silent on the the developing Iranian Revolution, then you issued a weak, limp-wristed, written statement claiming you didn’t want to “interfere” with internal Iranian affairs, even though the presidential election that started this recent chain of events was very visibly unfair and most definitely rigged. Oh, but I forgot, you know all about working with groups that support voter fraud, don’t you? For what it’s worth, Iran just admitted fifty cities had more votes cast than voters registered! What were you waiting for?

Then, days later, responding to pressure from lawmakers and the American public, you finally released something with just enough meat to appease your liberal supporters:

“What you’re seeing in Iran are hundreds of thousands of people who believe their voices were not heard and who are peacefully protesting and–and seeking justice. And the world is watching. And we stand behind those who are seeking justice in a peaceful way. And, you know, already we’ve seen violence out there. I think I’ve said this throughout the week. I want to repeat it that we stand with those who would look to peaceful resolution of conflict, and we believe that the voices of people have to be heard, that that’s a universal value that the American people stand for and this administration stands for.” (link)

Okay, well that’s all well and good, sir, but where’s the call to action? You spent the majority of your interview once again apologizing for America, the West, and our way of life, carefully side-stepping anything that might possibly resemble hard-and-fast support for a new, democratic government in Iran (these are from the same WSJ article):

“Well, first of all, let’s understand that this notion that somehow these hundreds of thousands of people who are pouring into the streets in Iran are somehow responding to the West or the United States. that’s an old distraction that I think has been trotted out periodically. And that’s just not gonna fly.”

And,

“And I’m very concerned based on some of the tenor and tone of the statements that have been made that the government of Iran recognize that the world is watching. And how they approach and deal with people who are, through peaceful means, trying to be heard will, I think, send a pretty clear signal to the international community about what Iran is–and is not.”

I understand the need for a thoughtful approach, but I don’t think anyone is calling for war. All we, as the American people, want is a strongly-worded statement.

Now, perhaps you feel I’m being unfair, Mr. President. After all, you say, I didn’t vote for you, nor do I support the vast majority of your policies. In fact, I do my best to stop them, so why would I give you a fair shake on this subject? With all due respect, sir, I do my best to always treat you and your policies fairly, but at this time of crisis, that is beside the point. The point is, Mr. President, you are the leader of the free world. You set the course for all other democratic republics to follow, whether you like it or not, and your inability to release a quick, concise, and very direct message straight to the Iranian people is troubling. All it would take is two or three sentences. Here, I’ve even written them up for you:

—————–

(SUGGESTED)

REMARKS BY PRESIDENT OBAMA

“We stand with the Iranian people in their fight for democracy. Every people deserves to be free. The United States will do everything in its power diplomatically to assist the people of Iran.”

—————–

See, that’s not so bad. If British PM Gordon Brown can do it, surely you can, too.

Mr. President, the world is counting on you to support those demonstrating in the hope of a Free Iran. People like Neda are dying for the cause of freedom. Isn’t a strongly worded press conference the least you could do?

Sincerely,

Caleb Hays.

P.S. In case you hadn’t heard, Mr. President, Iran already hates us and was blaming us for this revolt even before your first statement. In other words, they’ll hate us whether or not you stand in support of the people of Iran, so what’s stopping you? Even Congress has approved a joint resolution supporting the protestors.

If you were alive at the time, I will wager a bet that you can remember exactly what you were doing, wearing, and thinking at the moment you heard the United States had been attacked on September the 11, 2001. It was a horrifying and terrible moment. Rogue airliners, hijacked by Muslim extremists, had come hurtling into three of our proudest buildings and a fourth, apparently on its way to the White House, crashed into a Pennsylvania field after a group of brave Americans regained control of the jet. In the days and months that followed, one question was on every American’s mind: How do we prevent this from happening again? It was at that moment in our nation’s history we found ourselves confronted with the very human dilemma between our well being and our independence. We had a choice to make; which was more important? Then-President Bush made decisions to protect the American people and our homeland. Some would argue his safety measures destroyed our freedoms and liberties. I disagree, but the lines in the sand had been drawn: how far is too far? When does the battle for a well-defended nation become the usurpation of the liberties of the plebiscite? In the United States, we believe in a system of personal freedoms and liberties; while we must protect our homeland, it cannot be at the expense of the rights of the American citizen.

In the 2002 film directed by Steven Spielberg, Minority Report, a new system based on the thoughts and visions of so-called “PreCognitives” is implemented as a way to reduce crime, especially murder, in Washington, D.C. From the onset, the everyday population viewed this method of arresting would-be criminals before the crime was committed with mostly admiration and thankfulness. However, as PreCrime detained more and more individuals, it faced an unhappy contingent: the innocent civilians it had erroneously locked up. In a similar manner, the Patriot Act and related laws passed in the years that followed the attack on New York are intended “to protect and defend” our nation from the ever-growing threat of terrorist violence. Many times, they work. From its passage in October of 2001 (“Search Results”) until the debate for its renewal in 2005, the Patriot Act helped convict more than 200 terrorists (“Patriot Act Works, Bush Claims”). Former President Bush remarked in a speech that year, “For the state of our national security, Congress must not rebuild a wall between law enforcement and intelligence” (“Patriot Act Works, Bush Claims”). The Patriot Act was a swift and hard response to the brutal slayings of nearly 3,000 Americans, and it has done much to keep the United States safe. As noted by Kishkunas in his 2003 opinion piece, the Patriot Act, while granting the government a few new law enforcement powers, most combined previously available tools and applied them to terrorists instead of groups such as the Mafia or drug lords. Now, the persons responsible for murdering thousands could be prosecuted in a way that fit their dastardly crime.

However, it is always a dangerous decision to cede more power to any government, especially the federal government, and a strange alliance of far left groups and civil libertarians formed shortly after the bill’s signing by the President (“Patriot Act Works, Bush Claims”). They published and continue to publish stories of alleged abuses of power by both local and federal authorities. In April of 2009, another such case came to light, with a widowed mother being awoken in the dead of night by more than a dozen FBI agents bursting through her door, brandishing guns. After grabbing her tenth grade, sixteen-year-old homeschooled son from his bedroom, they served her a search warrant and led him away in handcuffs (“USA using Patriot Act against its own citizens”). Also shown in the newscast by Raleigh, NC CBS affiliate WRAL is the mother telling of how the federal agents also took numerous electronics from his bedroom, including his personal computer, Xbox game console, the router device that connected the household to the Internet. Says the distraught mother, “I was terrified. There were guns, and I don’t allow guns around my children. I don’t believe in guns.” She says her son has done nothing wrong and is being held on charges of domestic terrorism under the USA Patriot Act. Authorities claim her son made numerous bomb threat calls, a charge Ms. Lundeby vehemently denies. After the arrest, sheclaims she has been provided extremely limited access to her son and has little to no solid information about the evidence surrounding the charges being brought against her son.

As usual, there are two sides to this chilling story. Two weeks after the WRAL broadcast, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana, near where the teenage boy, Ashton Lundeby, is being held contacted the media and claimed the sixteen-year-old is not being held under the USA Patriot Act (Lamb). “This charge is unrelated to the Patriot Act,” claimed U.S. Attorney David Capp (Lamb). Of course, the mother disputes this claim (Lamb), and the case continues. But what if the mother is correct, and the federal government is holding him under the Patriot Act, a law that gives them the ability to strip away certain Constitutional provisions from alleged enemy combatants (“USA using Patriot Act against its own citizens”)? Those that subscribe to this theory believe we may be headed for a 1984-style protectionist regime, in which everyday citizens are treated as the enemy. In response to this story, “Southpaw” from the Balitmore Sun talk forums said, “Maybe it’s not “1984″ but it sure feels like it is heading there.” Truthfully, that is a disturbing prospect. The Federal Government maintains that no American citizen has been unjustly prosecuted by this far-reaching law (“Patriot Act Works, Claims Bush”), but that has done little to quell the voices on the far reaches of the political spectrum.

Most people agree we need to work to protect and preserve American lives and our way of life. Is the Patriot Act the end-all answer? In 2005, in a bi-partisan move, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and former Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that the Act needs to be tempered with more protections for the average American citizen (“Patriot Act Works, Claims Bush”). Providing more civil protections to citizens of the United States, not foreign nationals, is an idea, if followed through correctly, on which most Americans could agree. It only makes sense to continually improve our laws, even those that are already working, and since our government is made up of and works for the American citizen, it is their duty. How should we improve? First, provide more information to the accused person and his or her representatives. Do not hide the entire process under an apparent veil of secrecy. The Constitution provides that the burden of proof lies with the prosecution, not the defendant. They should not have to prove their own innocence. Secondly, admit the USA Patriot Act and related terror laws work and have on numerous occasions fulfilled their promise of preventing further terror attacks in the United States, including a major “second wave” attack that would have decimated the city of Los Angeles (Jeffery). Thirdly, educate the public to the extent it is safely possible regarding the Act’s abilities against American citizens, but not its tools to combat foreigners. While no patriotic American wants the government to show all of its cards to the enemy, if the Patriot Act is to persist, we deserve to know the extent of its powers and how they can be used against us in an arrest or a court of law, just like any other statute.

Every society must deal with the issue of enemies from within and without. It is the responsibility of the citizenry in a republic to demand protection from their government against these forces. However, it is also their job to defend their rights and civil liberties against a power-hungry and ever-growing government. They are the ultimate check and balance. Indeed, it is in them in which the power of government is vested from an active and engaged population cannot be usurped. While the current administration has done away with phrases such as “War on Terror” for “less offensive” substitutes such as “Man-caused Disasters,” (Kessler) the threat of a terrorism on our home soil is as real as ever, and we must not let down our guard. The battle waged between ultimate protectionism and anarchy will continue, but the balance lies somewhere in between. The sweet spot is at the point where citizens lead their own lives, taking risks and working for themselves and the borders are secure, the military strong, and the government following the will of the people.

Enjoy the amazing voice of Julie Andrews coupled with some clever Belgians at Antwerpen’s Central Station in a sort of flash mob publicizing a new reality TV show.