Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Shirley Sherrod

2010-11-10T18:39:49Z

ElyseE: Content now makes more sense.

'''Shirley Sherrod''' is a former government official, pressured to resign when a misleadingly edited film clip of her remarks was distributed, along with commentary portraying her as an anti-white [[racist]]. The media incident occured in the context of a liberal smear campaign, which has been relentlessly portraying the [[Tea Party Movement]] as [[racist]] against blacks. O'Reilly and Breitbart used the clip to score points against the anti-Tea Party smear campaign, arguing that not only is there no proof that the Tea Party Movement is racist, but that they had [[smoking gun]] proof of black racism against whites. Both quickly corrected their remarks when a longer clip became available, and it became clear that Sherrod was not promoting or justifying racism but referring to a decades old incident of her own insensitivity for which she had made amends.

*While the excerpt showed Sherrod, an African American, telling the [[NAACP]] in a speech that she had discriminated against a white farmer as a nonprofit aid officer 24 years ago, the full speech made clear she was saying she had overcome that racial instinct and learned an important lesson.<ref name=post721> [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/21/AR2010072106708.html Washington Post]</ref>
*[[Glenn Beck|Beck]] defended Sherrod on Tuesday, saying that "context matters" and he would have objected if someone had shown a video of him at an AA meeting saying he used to pass out from drinking but omitting the part where he says he found Jesus and gave up alcohol.<ref name=post721 />

A black woman, Sherrod was [[United States Department of Agriculture]]'s director of rural development in [[Georgia]] until July 20, 2010 when the Obama [[White House]] directed Secretary of Agriculture, [[Tom Vilsack]], to have her fired. According to Sherrod, the USDA called her while she was driving, told her to pull over to the side of the road and resign using her Blackberry.

In a video clip from a local [[NAACP]] chapter posted on biggovernment.com Sherrod regalled an audience with a story about how she didn't do her best to help a White farmer threatened with losing his land. In her story she said she "didn't give him the full force of what I could do" because "I was struggling with the fact that so many black people had lost their farmland and here I was faced with helping a white person save their land."<ref>http://biggovernment.com/abreitbart/2010/07/19/video-proof-the-naacp-awards-racism2010/</ref>

[[President Obama]] later apologized to Sherrod.<ref>http://amfix.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/23/sherrod-regards-obamas-call-as-apology/</ref>

==Reference==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Obama Administration]]
[[Category: Deceit]]

Pat Robertson

2010-05-14T23:28:33Z

ElyseE: Undo revision 778289 by Bicycledealer (Talk) reverting liberal trolling

'''Pat Robertson''' is a [[conservative]] [[American]] [[evangelist]], [[spiritual]] leader and [[politics|political]] leader, also owner and presenter of the [[TV]] show ''[[The 700 Club]]''. Robertson sought the 1988 [[Republican]] Presidential nomination and even managed to carry [[Washington]] State in the primary caucuses by mobilizing his supporters. He also ran in 1992 and helped in the initial formation of the [[Christian Coalition]]. Robertson attacks anti-Christian bias in America and around the world and sticks up for Christian liberties.

Robertson graduated from Washington and Lee university in 1950, served in the [[Marine]]s during the [[Korean War]], then earned a law degree from [[Yale]] (1955) and a masters degree from the New York Theological Seminary (1959).<ref>http://www.infoplease.com/biography/var/patrobertson.html</ref>

In November, 2007, Robertson endorsed [[liberal]] Republican Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani for President. <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,308997,00.html Fox News - Robertson endorses Giuliani]</ref>

In in 2008, Robertson appeared with [[Al Sharpton]] in a commercial urging people to fight [[global warming]].<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhmpsUMdTH8 The commercial on YouTube]</ref>

== Quotes ==

Robertson has a long history of being a prolific speaker appearing as the main host on the daily TV program The 700 Club. Over those years quite a collection of quotes have been assorted by critics, among them:

* "Just like what [[Nazi Germany]] did to the Jews, so [[liberal]] America is now doing to the evangelical Christians. It's no different. It is the same thing. It is happening all over again. It is the Democratic Congress, the [[liberal-based media]], and the [[homosexual]]s who want to destroy the Christians. Wholesale abuse and [[discrimination]] and the worst bigotry directed toward any group in America today. More terrible than anything suffered by any minority in history." <ref>Pat Robertson, interview with Molly Ivins, 1993.</ref>

* "The [[Feminism|feminist agenda]] is not about equal rights for women. It is about a [[socialist]], anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, [[abortion|kill their children]], practice [[witchcraft]], destroy capitalism, and become [[Homosexuality|lesbian]]s." <ref>Pat Robertson, fund-raising letter, 1992</ref>

* "How can there be peace when drunkards, drug dealers, [[communist]]s, [[atheist]]s, [[Occult|New Age]] worshipers of Satan, [[secular humanist]]s, oppressive dictators, greedy money changers, revolutionary assassins, [[adulterer]]s, and homosexuals are on top?" <ref>Pat Robertson, The New World Order, p.227</ref>

* "You say you're supposed to be nice to the [[Episcopalian]]s and the [[Presbyterian]]s and the [[Methodist]]s and this, that, and the other thing. Nonsense! I don't have to be nice to the spirit of the [[Antichrist]]. I can love the people who hold false opinions, but I don't have to be nice to them." <ref>Pat Robertson, "The 700 Club," January 14, 1991.</ref>

* "Many of those people involved with [[Adolf Hitler]] were [[Satanist]]s, many of them were [[homosexuals]]."<ref>Pat Robertson, The 700 Club television program, January 21, 1993</ref>

* To Zambian President [[Frederick Chiluba]], who in 1991 declared [[Zambia]] "A Christian Nation:" "Your country is a a standard for not only Africa but the rest of the world...Wouldn't you love to have someone like that as president of the United States of America?...The term 'Christian nation' seems to scare a lot of people in this nation of ours, but what Chiluba said is that it gives us a yardstick to measure the performance of the government. Otherwise, we have no yardstick." (As President of Zambia, Chiluba saw to it that public schools and state-run radio and television would conform to standards of Christian principles. Among his concerns was abolishing pornography; he called upon Christian ministers and missionaries to help him in this cause.)

* "I think 'one man, one vote,' just unrestricted democracy, would not be wise. There needs to be some kind of protection for the minority which the white people represent now, a minority, and they need and have a right to demand a protection of their rights."<ref>Pat Robertson, The 700 Club television program, March 18, 1992</ref> (In regard to [[South Africa]])

* "Something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people may not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French –you know, Napoleon III or whatever –and they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, “We will serve you if you get us free from the French.” True story.<ref> Napoleon III was not yet born, and [[Napoleon]] was not yet in power.</ref> And so the Devil said, “Okay, it’s a deal.” … But ever since they have been cursed by one thing after the other … "<ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/13/pat-robertson-haiti-curse_n_422099.html</ref> (In regard to the 2010 Haiti Earthquake)

==References==

<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, Pat}}

[[category:Clergy]]
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]
[[Category:Reagan Era]]
[[Category:Christian Media]]

Herta Muller

2010-01-19T05:04:57Z

ElyseE: Created page with 'Herta Muller (born August 17, 1953 in Niţchidorf, Romania) was the 2009 Nobel Prize winner in Literature. Her works often focus on life under the oppressive regime of the [[comm...'

Herta Muller (born August 17, 1953 in Niţchidorf, Romania) was the 2009 Nobel Prize winner in Literature. Her works often focus on life under the oppressive regime of the [[communist]] [[Nicolae Ceauşescu]].

==Published novels==
*The Land of Green Plums
*The Appointment
*Everything I Own I Carry With Me

Milan Kundera

2010-01-19T04:59:05Z

ElyseE: Created page with 'Milan Kundera is a Czech writer, although he has written or translated many of his works in French. He was born on April 1, 1929, in Brno, Czechoslovakia. ==Published novels== *...'

Milan Kundera is a Czech writer, although he has written or translated many of his works in French. He was born on April 1, 1929, in Brno, Czechoslovakia.

==Published novels==
*The Joke (1967)
*Laughable Loves (1969)
*The Farewell Waltz (1972)
*Life Is Elsewhere (1973)
*The Book of Laughter and Forgetting (1978)
*The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1984)
*Immortality) (1990)
*Slowness (1993)
*Identity (1998)
*Ignorance

Montana

2010-01-19T04:51:20Z

ElyseE: /* Notable people from Montana */

{{USState
|name=Montana
|flag=Montana_State_Flag.gif
|motto="Oro y Plata" (gold and silver)
|nick=The Treasure State
|capital=Helena
|language=English
|governor=Brian Schweitzer
|gparty=Democrat
|senator1=Max Baucus
|s1party=Democrat
|s1phone=(202) 224-2651
|s1email=http://baucus.senate.gov/contact/emailForm.cfm?subj=issue Contact
|senator2=Jon Tester
|s2party=Democrat
|s2phone=(202) 224-2644
|s2email=http://tester.senate.gov/Contact/ Contact
|population=
|date=November 8, 1889 (41st)
}}
'''Montana''' is located in the Northwestern region of the [[United States]] and on November 8th, 1889 became the forty-first state to enter into the union. The capital of Montana is [[Helena]] and its largest city is Billings. The current governor of Montana is Brian Schweitzer, a [[Democrat]].
==Geography==
The eastern 60% of the state is flat prairie and is slowly losing population, It is filled with cattle ranches, wheat farms, and oil and gas wells. The leading city is [[Billings]], a medical and commercial center. The climate is especially harsh in the wintertime.

The western 40% is mountainous and is growing rapidly in population. Its economy is based on tourism and retirement centers, with [[Yellowstone National Park]] and [[Glacier National Park]] as prime attractions. The old [[copper]] mining industry that made [[Butte]] notorious has disappeared, and the logging industry is fading in importance. The very long border with Canada is becoming economically important, as oil from [[Alberta]] is brought by pipeline to refineries in Billings and to points as far south as Houston.

==Energy==
[[File:Mt-oil.jpg|thumb|350px]]Montana is rich in fossil fuel resources and renewable energy potential. Its geologic basins hold more than one-fourth of the Nation’s estimated recoverable coal reserves. Montana’s eastern basins also hold large deposits of oil and gas. Rivers flowing from Montana’s Rocky Mountains offer substantial hydroelectric power resources. Montana contains considerable wind energy potential throughout the State.<ref> See [http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=MT Energy Information Administration, State Report 2009]</ref> Strong environmental interests (based in the western part of the state where there is little energy) have largely blocked the mining of coal and gas and are trying to stop pipelines from Canada. They instead want biofuels and wind power, which have not been profitable.

The state is a leader in CO2 sequestration, and has signed agreements with [[Saskatchewan]] so that CO2 will be piped into the state and stored for thousands of years.

Montana’s population is only 1 million and so total energy demand is low. However, the State economy is energy intensive and per capita energy consumption is relatively high. The industrial sector, which includes the energy-intensive mining industry, dominates State energy consumption.

===Petroleum===
Montana typically accounts for roughly 2% of annual U.S. crude oil production. Production is concentrated in the Williston Basin, which covers eastern Montana and western North Dakota and contains two of the Nation’s 100 largest oil fields. Several pipelines carry Williston production south to Wyoming and east to Midwest markets. Refineries near Billings supply regional markets with petroleum products, using crude oil brought in primarily from Wyoming and Alberta, Canada. During the winter months, Montana requires oxygenated motor gasoline in the Missoula area but allows the use of conventional motor gasoline in the rest of the State.

===Natural Gas===
Montana produces minor quantities of natural gas. Although production is low, demand is lower, and Montana ships nearly one-half of its natural gas output to out-of-State markets. Several natural gas pipeline systems pass through the State, transporting Canadian supplies to Midwest markets. About three-fifths of Montana households use natural gas as their primary energy source for home heating.

===Coal, Electricity, and Renewables===
Montana's coal industry began with discoveries in the 1860s through a growth period 1900-45, a 15-year decline, and an unbroken rise since 1968. Historically, coal mining has shifted from Western to Eastern Montana, from underground to surface mining, from bituminous coal to sub-bituminous and lignite, from locomotive and smelter fuel markets to thermal generation of electric power.<ref> Robert A. Chadwick, "Coal: Montana's Prosaic Treasure." ''Montana: The Magazine of Western History'' 1973 23(4): 18-31 </ref>

Today Montana typically accounts for 4% of total annual U.S. coal production. The majority of output is produced from several large surface mines in the Powder River Basin, which straddles the border between Montana and Wyoming. Just over one-fourth of Montana’s coal production is used for State electricity generation; Montana delivers the remainder to markets in more than 15 States. Minnesota and Michigan are the largest recipients of Montana coal.

Accounting for about two-thirds of State electricity generation, coal-fired power plants dominate the Montana electricity market. Hydroelectric power accounts for most of the remainder. Montana is among the leading hydroelectric power producers in the United States, and seven of the State’s 10 largest generating plants run on hydroelectric power. The State has also initiated programs to expand and enhance hydroelectric power capacity. With several operational wind farm projects in central Montana, just east of the Rockies, the State had 146 megawatts of wind power capacity at the end of 2006. High-voltage transmission lines connect Montana to other western electric power grids, allowing Montana to export large amounts of electricity to neighboring States

===Water battles ===
Although western Montana has plenty of water, it is not always in the right place in the arid eastern half. The result has been extended controversy of state and local controls, the use of tens of thousands of private wells, the rights of Indian tribes, and the needs of oil refineries.<ref> Brian Shovers, "Diversions, Ditches, & District Courts: Montana's Struggle to Allocate Water" ''Montana: the Magazine of Western History'' 2005 55(1): 2-15 </ref> The State Engineer's Office operated 18890-1964 but unable to control water regulation and insure dam safety. It faced varying climatic conditions, economic boom and bust, and political opposition. It never ultimately achieved the same regulatory authority of counterparts in other states. In 1965, the legislature abolished the Montana State Engineer's Office and incorporated it into the Montana Water Conservation.<ref>James E. Sherow, "'The Fellow Who Can Talk the Loudest and Has the Best Shotgun Gets the Water': Water Regulation and the Montana State Engineer's Office, 1889-1964". ''Montana: the Magazine of Western History'' 2004 54(1): 56-69 </ref>

Montana has been fighting Wyoming for a century over control of unappropriated water in the Tongue and Powder Rivers. Both rivers originate in northeastern Wyoming and flow northward and ultimately drain into the Yellowstone River in Montana. The arguments between Wyoming and Montana water users have been contentious and of long duration. Creation of the Yellowstone River Compact Commission in 1943 failed to resolve disputes over allocation of water. In the 1970s the Montana’s Northern Cheyenne Indian tribe claimed a portion of unappropriated Tongue water, further complicating the issues. Agreements that were reached often failed to be ratified by one or the other state legislature. In 2007 the state of Montana sued Wyoming in the US Supreme Court over loss of water. After almost a century of failed compromises and continuing debate, the allocation issue remains unresolved.<ref> Hugh Lovin, A Battleground: Wyoming, Montana, and the Tongue and Powder Rivers. Lovin, Hugh.; Annals of Wyoming 2008 80(2): 2-13 </ref>
===State government===
[[File:Brian Schweitzer.jpg|thumb|200px|Governor Brian Schweitzer, a Democrat, elected in 2004 and reelected in 2008]]
The challenge of the 1960s was to modernize outmoded policies in state government, especially regarding prison reform, the state's budgeting and auditing procedures, public school oversight, improving state land development and investments, and the evolution of a more efficient, streamlined state government.<ref>Eugene C. Tidball, "The Seminal Years of the Montana Legislative Council, 1957-1965" ''Montana: the Magazine of Western History'' 2008 58(1): 35-54, 98-99 </ref>

==History==
===Politics===
In the territorial era, from 1864 until statehood in 1889, Montana Territory's 14 elections of territorial delegates to Congress show that the electorate voted for candidates they believed would have influence in Washington to gain federal support for territorial development. Martin Maginnis (1872-84), the longest tenured territorial delegate in the western territories, exemplified the delegate who could secure support in Washington for his constituents' projects. Maginnis, Joseph K. Toole (1884-88), and William H. Clagett (1871-72) were considered successful delegates because they were able to win congressional approval for additional forts, aid for railroads, and reduction of Indian reservations in Montana.<ref> Richard B. Roeder, "Electing Montana's Territorial Delegates: the Beginnings of a Political System." ''Montana: the Magazine of Western History'' 1988 38(3): 58-68 </ref>

Montana's political life in the 1890s was characterized by stalemate, uncompromising parochial demands, personal animosity, and corruption as local communities fought over the prizes of statehood. The major prize, the state capital, was won by Helena after a campaign featuring class and community antagonism, racist rhetoric, personal attacks, and vote buying. In the interests of local power brokers, the legislature created several units of higher education instead of establishing a consolidated university. The battles over the spoils of statehood created a pattern of cynicism and parochialism that continues to influence the state's political life.<ref>William L. Lang, "Spoils of Statehood: Montana Communities in Conflict, 1888-1894." ''Montana: the Magazine of Western History'' 1987 37(4): 34-45 </ref>

===Law and order===
In early 1864 in southwestern Montana some 2500 law-abiding citizens, responding to the increasing lawlessness plaguing the gold-mining towns in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, formed a vigilante society and hanged 21 villains after drumhead "trials", while warning hundreds of others to leave Montaan immediately (which they did).<ref> Frederick Allen, ''A Decent Orderly Lynching: The Montana Vigilantes'' (2004); Merrill G. Burlingame, "Montana's Righteous Hangmen: a Reconsideration" ''Montana: the Magazine of Western History'' 1978 28(4): 36-49 </ref>

Gangs of cattle thieves and individual rustlers threatened law and order in the late 19th century. Ranchers starting in the 1870s organized Stockmen's associations to fight back. A minority of stockmen organized into vigilante groups to protect their stock, but most stockmen worked with the legislature to create a stock commission that could oversee their interests. After 11 years of lobbying stockmen finally succeeded in getting a protective law. By working within the legislative process, stockmen transformed themselves and their frontier from a place characterized by isolation and violence to one of organization and law.<ref>T. A. Clay, "A Call to Order: Law, Violence, and the Development of Montana's Early Stockmen's Organizations." ''Montana: the Magazine of Western History'' 2008 58(3): 48-63, 95-96</ref>

Influenced by the nationwide [[Progressive Movement]] Montana cities 1890-1930 demanded police efficiency and professionalism; attempted to curb urban gambling, prostitution, and liquor use; and instilled the concept that police should serve the entire community rather than special interest groups.<ref> Robert A. Harvie, and Larry V. Bishop, "Police Reform in Montana, 1890-1918". ''Montana: The Magazine of Western History'' 1983 33(2): 46-59 </ref>

George Bourquin (1863-1958), as the federal judge in Montana handed down more than 250 decisions between 1912 and 1937. Ideologically conservative, Bourquin also preserved civil liberties in his decisions. Bourquin's basic faith in democracy and the Constitution, his progressivism, and his Puritan suspicion of a fundamental 'sinful behavior' helped him chart a principled and reasoned course between extreme positions. Bourquin protected the rights of labor unions and 'radicals' during World War I and the postwar Red Scare despite hostility. He also had great concern for the civil rights of Indians and attempted to protect them from government excess in cases like 'Scheer' v. 'Moody et al.,' in which he criticized the federal government's Indian policy.<ref> Arnon Gutfeld, "Western Justice and the Rule of Law: Bourquin on Loyalty, the 'Red Scare,' and Indians." ''Pacific Historical Review'' 1996 65(1): 85-106</ref>
====1894 Pullman Strike====
The [[Pullman Strike]] of 1894 came in the midst of a deep depression, the [[Panic of 1893]]. It was based in Chicago but affected the entire west, especially the Northern Pacific Railroad routes in Montana. The Great Northern and Union Pacific railroads experienced less disruption. The disruptions lasted several weeks in summer 1894. Violent union activists from the newly formed American Railway Union in Billings, Livingston, Butte, Helena, and Missoula tried to stop the movement of trains operated by workers who belonged to the older established railroad brotherhoods. President [[Grover Cleveland]], a conservative [[Bourbon Democrat]] sent in troops from the 22d US Infantry to patrol Northern Pacific. Union activists threatened and actually attacked the troops in Livingston. Unionized miners from western Montana supported A.R.U. efforts. After the strike collapsed, N.P. and U.P. officials blacklisted many Montana railroad employees. Six A.R.U. leaders were also convicted of violating an antistrike injunction. The Pullman Strike was a central event in the labor turbulence and political activism, which swept Montana during the 1890s, fostered by strong antirailroad populism among some farmers and many miners in the state.<ref> W. Thomas White, "Boycott: the Pullman Strike in Montana." ''Montana: the Magazine of Western History'' 1979 29(4): 2-13 </ref>

====National Guard====
The Montana National Guard was established in 1887. The 1st Montana Volunteer Regiment, as the Montana National Guard was known during the Spanish-American War and Philippine Insurrection. Arriving in the Philippines shortly after the Spanish surrendered in August 1898, the regiment participated in guarding Spanish prisoners of war in Cavite, securing Manila from Filipinos angry with the transfer of their country from Spain to the United States, assaulting Caloocan, and taking the provisional capital of Malolos. The performance of this and other National Guard troops in America's first overseas operation convinced the military of its value to national defense.<ref> Richard K. Hines, "'First to Respond to Their Country's Call': the First Montana Infantry and the Spanish-American War and Philippine Insurrection, 1898-1899." ''Montana: the Magazine of Western History'' 2002 52(3): 44-57 </ref>

The Montana National Guard, officially designated the 163d Regiment of the 41st Infantry Division, fought in New Guinea from December 1942 to July 1944. They also participated in the Philippines campaign. Many of the guardsmen joined the Guard in the 1930s to earn money during the Great Depression, and most never imagined being involved in the horrors of jungle combat. Disease took nearly as great a toll on the men as the Japanese did.<ref> Carle F. O'Neil, "Pacific Memories: Montana National Guardsmen Recall the Fighting on New Guinea in World War II." ''Montana: the Magazine of Western History'' 2002 52(2): 48-57 </ref>

In the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001, over 80% of the Montana Guardsmen and women have been deployed overseas at one time or another.

===1889-1929===
====Silver mining====
Silver mining began in Montana and boomed in the 1880's because of a combination of factors: geographic concentration of silver in shallow vein systems, maintenance of a subsidized silver market by the federal government, infusion of outside capital, evolution of mining and smelting technology, and railroad construction. Between 1883 and 1891, silver production in Montana ranked first or second nationwide, with the mines at Butte, Alta, and Granite as primary producers. The boom collapsed in 1893 because of depletion of the state's resources and the collapse of silver prices. Silver mining did continue, but at a reduced level. The Montana silver mining era exemplifies the common tendency for booms to develop, become overblown, and in finally collapse into extended slumps and depressions.<ref> Robert A. Chadwick, "Montana's Silver Mining Era: Great Boom and Great Bust." ''Montana: The Magazine of Western History'' 1982 32(2): 16-31 </ref>
====Cattle ranching====
Henry Sieben (1847-1937) came to Montana's gold fields in 1864, was a farm laborer, prospector, and freighter, then turned to livestock raising along the Smith River in 1870. In partnership with his brothers Leonard and Jacob, Henry Sieben raised cattle and became one of the territory's pioneer sheep ranchers in 1875. The partnership was dissolved in 1879 and Henry moved his stock to the Lewistown area. He established a reputation as an excellent businessman and as someone who took care of his stock and employees. After ranching in the Culbertson area, Henry Sieben purchased ranches near Cascade and along Little Prickly Pear Creek, forming the Sieben Livestock Company. By 1907, these two ranches had become the heart of his cattle and sheep raising business which he directed from his home in Helena. Sieben became well known for his business approach to ranching and for his public and private philanthropies. His family continues to operate the Sieben Ranch Company today.<ref> Dick Pace, "Henry Sieben: Pioneer Montana Stockman." ''Montana: the Magazine of Western History'' 1979 29(1): 2-15 </ref>
====Flu, 1918-1919====
The worldwide flu pandemic of 1918-19 killed more than 20 million people worldwide, and 675,000 Americans. Montana was one of the four hardest-hit states in the nation, as 5,000 residents, or 1% of the population, died as a result of the infection. In response to the epidemic the State Board of Health urged closing public gathering places. Such regulation spawned public resentment, but the Board of Health stood firm. Butte was the hardest hit city of Montana and one of the hardest hit in the nation. The University of Montana in Missoula closed to protect the students. In remote areas of the state isolation and limited medical personnel left many families to face illness with help from neighbors.<ref> Pierce C. Mullen, and Michael L. Nelson, "Montanans and 'The Most Peculiar Disease': the Influenza Epidemic and Public Health, 1918-1919". ''Montana: the Magazine of Western History'' 1987 37(2): 50-61; Volney Steele, "The Flu Epidemic of 1918 on the Montana Frontier." ''Journal of the West'' 2003 42(4): 81-90 </ref>

====Farming====
Beginning in 1905 the Great Northern Railway in cooperation with the US Department of Agriculture, the Montana Experiment Station, and the Dryland Farming Congress promoted dryland farming in Montana in order to increase its freight traffic. During 1910-13 the Great Northern launched its own program of demonstration farms, which stimulated settlement (during 1909-10 acreage in homesteads quadrupled in Montana) through their impressive production rates for winter wheat, barley, and other grains.<ref> Claire Strom, "The Great Northern Railway and Dryland Farming in Montana". ''Railroad History'' 1997 (176): 80-102 </ref>

Wheat-raising started slowly in Montana, replacing oats as the major grain crop only in the 20th century, after development of new plant strains, techniques, and machinery. Wheat was stimulated by boom prices in World War I, but slumped in value and yield during the drought and depression of the next 20 years. The recent trend is toward increased acreage in wheat. Wheat became the major crop in eastern Montana, and the process of thrashing to remove the grain evolved over the century as machines became more specialized, faster, and more expensive. In a Montana homestead in the 1910s the work was done by humans and horses, who dealt with the separator, tumbling rod, feeder, carrier, and other parts of the equipment. By the 1930s wheat farms became increasingly dependent on larger and more sophisticated machinery and less dependent on human and animal labor. Thrashing also became an increasingly specialized activity, and farmers turned to itinerant thrashing crews to harvest their crops. <ref>Ralph E. Ward, "Wheat in Montana: Determined Adaptation." ''Montana: The Magazine of Western History'' 1975 25(4): 16-37; T. Eugene Barrows, "Thrashing in Montana at the Turn of the Century." ''Montana: the Magazine of Western History'' 1988 38(4): 62-66</ref>

====Small business====
Between the Civil War and World War II, small businessmen - ranchers, farmers, local merchants, mine owners, and bankers - represented the backbone of Montana's economy. Success rested upon their ability to diversify their interests into new economic activities and new products. Typical were the Isaac G. Baker Co. and the T. C. Power and Brother Co., which emphasized high-volume sales, product guarantees, and expanded merchandise lines to create statewide department stores. The Strain Brothers specialized in mail-order business and the F. A. Buttrey Co. introduced unique sales gimmicks. Likewise, John P. Barnes, Leander S. Woodbury, and A. C. Edwards demonstrated their entrepreneurial skills in mining, manufacturing and banking, respectively.<ref>Henry C. Klassen, "Diversification in Montana's Small Business." ''Pacific Northwest Quarterly'' 1993 84(3): 98-107 </ref>

Charles A. Broadwater (1840-92), a Montana pioneer, exemplified many of the characteristics embodied in the iconic "self-made man". With no profession or special skills Broadwater migrated to the Deer Lodge Valley in 1862. He traded horses, homes, and cattle. As the gold boom spread, he entered the freighting business and soon became immersed in the commercial and political life of the territory. He married into a leading Helena family and, through connections with such eastern capitalists as James J. Hill, built a business empire. He did not seek elective office, but he was a power in the territorial Democratic Party.<ref> William E. Lang, "Charles A. Broadwater and the Main Chance in Montana." '' Montana: the Magazine of Western History'' 1989 39(3): 30-36 </ref>

Thomas H. Carter (1854-1911) began his public career as Montana's last territorial delegate in 1888. He served as US senator, chairman of the Republican National Committee, chairman of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission, and chairman of the American sector of the International Joint Commission. He was the embodiment of the self-made man. Carter was a strong party man and firmly believed that the political process should foster economic development. He encouraged the rapid development of Western resources, and was an advocate of government irrigation. He was bypassed by the progressive Republicans at the turn of the century, who called him an old fogey.<ref> Richard B. Roeder, "Thomas H. Carter, Spokesman for Western Development." ''Montana: the Magazine of Western History'' 1989 39(2): 23-29</ref>

The Conrad banking business flourished in north-central and northwestern Montana during 1880-1914. Local banks at Fort Benton, Great Falls, and Kalispell, owned and managed by the William and Charles Conrad families, helped to finance Montana's economic development through an intricate pattern of familial, friendship, and business ties. Correspondent linkages to large metropolitan banks sustained the relatively small country banks by assuring them access to capital. The Conrad banks were aggressive in penetrating new lending markets and making inroads into the local farming, ranching, merchant, and manufacturing sectors. The banks grew in reputation and stature as the region developed, but remained single-unit, family-based enterprises.<ref>Henry C. Klassen, The Early Growth of the Conrad Banking Enterprise in Montana, 1880-1914. Great Plains Quarterly 1997 17(1): 49-62</ref>
====Towns====
Boosters, led by editors and businessmen, promoted their towns by encouraging entrepreneurship and cooperation, especially through the Chamber of Commerce and clubs such as Rotary. Typical was the Helena Board of Trade, formed in 1877. It promoted Helena, transforming it from a crude mining camp to a stable, urban community--indeed, a political and economic center, with prosperity and culture. Several disastrous fires, the national financial depression of 1873, and a regional mining lull during the 1870s served as a season of trial for Helena. Such problems spurred local businessmen to take action. Among the leading proponents of unified effort was ''Helena Daily Herald'' editor Robert E. Fisk. Once formed, the Board of Trade led development of the city, including fire prevention, incorporation, and the promotion of overland and railroad transportation.<ref> Joan Bishop, "A Season of Trial: Helena's Entrepeneurs Nurture a City." ''Montana: The Magazine of Western History'' 1978 28(3): 62-71</ref>

Long before the malls began in the 1970s, successful businessmen built their shops and stores along the main street. in 1890-1920 many featured attractive preformed, sheet iron storefronts. Manufactured by the Mesker Brothers of St. Louis, these neoclassical, stylized facades added sophistication to brick or woodframe buildings throughout the West. Marketed by catalog, the Meskers' products sold well because of lower costs and superior service.
====Christian education====
To civilize the western frontier and prevent theological 'liberalism,' the Presbyterian Church sent missionaries to establish congregations and found a system of Christian schools. Reverend Sheldon Jackson superintended Presbyterian efforts in Montana. Reverend Lyman B. Crittenden and his daughter Mary began the Bozeman Female Seminary in 1873, but experienced difficulties. As a result, Crittenden moved the school, renaming it the Gallatin Valley Female Seminary. In 1878 the school closed altogether. The Presbyterian Board of Aid for Colleges and Academies opened the Bozeman Academy in 1887, but closed it in 1892 when a state supported college opened in Bozeman. In another attempt to found a permanent college, the Presbytery of Montana purchased the five year old Montana Collegiate Institute in Deer Lodge during 1882. Renamed the College of Montana, the school struggled to remain solvent until 1900. It reopened in 1904 but closed finally in 1918. Reverend Duncan M. McMillan served as president for most of the period. While low enrollments and lack of financial support plagued Presbyterian educational efforts, their work did help build a 'good' Montana on traditional Christian principals.<ref> Norman J. Bender, "The Very Atmosphere Is Charged with Unbelief: Presbyterians and Higher Education in Montana, 1869-1900." ''Montana: the Magazine of Western History'' 1978 28(2): 16-25 </ref>

===Steamboats and Railroads===
====Steamboats====
The late 19th century was the high point for steamboating on the upper Missouri River in Montana. Major growth came during and after the Civil War, as gold and silver were shipped out. Captain Grant Marsh opened the steamboat era on the Yellowstone River in June 1875. The military demands of the Sioux War increased traffic in 1876-77. As the Sioux were driven from the area, white settlers established towns, and Bozeman residents unsuccessfully promoted a port to rival Fort Benton. Business picked up from 1877 to 1883 as furs, buffalo hides, wool, and bullion led the way in exports. Numerous entrepreneurs and small firms were involved in the business. Traffic declined in the late 1880s as the Northern Pacific built west, and ironically, the last busy season for the steamers was 1881-82, when they carried supplies for the railroad contractors. Completion of the railroad to Billings ended commercial traffic on the Yellowstone in 1882, although there were futile efforts to maintain river traffic until 1909. While steamboats could easily compete with overland wagon freight, railroads presented a different situation. The coming of big business in the form of railroads sounded the economic death knell for steamboaters, even though one company converted to gasoline engines and lasted until the 1930s.<ref> William E. Lass, "Missouri River Steamboating." ''North Dakota History'' 1989 56(3): 3-15; William E. Lass, "Steamboats on the Yellowstone." ''Montana: the Magazine of Western History'' 1985 35(4): 26-41 </ref>

====Railroads====
The Northern Pacific Railroad built a few new towns along its Yellowstone main line in Montana, as the revenue from town lots was small. The layout of the towns it did build reflected railroad influence. Billings and Livingston had a symmetrical plan centered on the railroad. In the 'T' plan at Terry, Sidney, and Townsend, the main street met the railroad at right angles. During 1900-20 the railroad built 'homestead towns,' elevator-centered communities surrounded by grain-raising homesteads. The impact of the railroad on main street plans persists.<ref> John C. Hudson, "Main Streets of the Yellowstone Valley." ''Montana: the Magazine of Western History'' 1985 35(4): 56-67 </ref>

In the 1880s, Paris Gibson envisioned a town at the Great Falls of the Missouri River that would utilize power and coal available at the site to grow into an urban economic center rivaling Minneapolis. Great Northern Railroad President James J. Hill was a major investor in the project from its incorporation in 1887 until he tired of the endeavor and sold his stock in 1908. Great Falls, Montana, did become a leading city in the state, but did not realize the dreams Gibson and Hill had for it. <ref> W. Thomas White, "Paris Gibson, James J. Hill and the 'New Minneapolis': the Great Falls Water Power and Townsite Company, 1882-1908." ''Montana: the Magazine of Western History'' 1983 33(3): 60-69 </ref>

===Women===
Women played a crucial role in holding together Montana farms and ranches during the first half of the 20th century. Through oral interviews many of these women are now providing a clearer picture of farm life, demonstrating that women's economic role in farm life was central, not peripheral. As managers, financiers, and laborers they contributed essential daily support to farm operations.<ref> Laurie K Mercier, "Women's Role in Montana Agriculture: 'You Had to Make Every Minute Count'". ''Montana: the Magazine of Western History'' 1988 38(4): 50-61 </ref>

The status of women in the 19th-century trans-Mississippi West has drawn the attention of numerous interpreters, whose analyses fall into three types: 1) the [[Frontier Thesis]] inspired by [[Frederick Jackson Turner]], which argues that the West was, among other things, a liberating experience for women and men; 2) the reactionists, who view the West as a place of drudgery for women, who reacted unfavorably to the isolation and the work in the West; and 3) those writers who claim the West had no effect on women's lives, that it was a static, neutral frontier. The history of Montana shows that the Turner thesis best explains the improvement in women's status in Montana and the achievement of suffrage in 1914.<ref> Judith K. Cole, "A Wide Field for Usefulness: Women's Civil Status and the Evolution of Women's Suffrage on the Montana Frontier, 1864-1914". ''American Journal of Legal History'' 1990 34(3): 262-294 </ref>

Margery Jacoby was a typical Great Plains teacher at the turn of the 20th century. She began teaching in Montana at 15 with a first-class certificate gained by examination. She lacked formal training but attended summer school to improve her skills. She taught because her family needed the money, and she wanted independence and an opportunity to advance her own learning. The need for teachers in the West and the belief that women were natural teachers for the young also contributed to her entry. Like other Plains schoolmarms, Jacoby was a Westerner by birth and changed teaching jobs frequently. Unlike most, she was elected county superintendent of schools, served two terms, married and quit the profession. However, she never lost interest in the classroom and her daughters later became teachers.<ref> Kathleen Underwood, "Schoolmarms on the Upper Missouri." ''Great Plains Quarterly'' 1991 11(4): 225-233 </ref>

Women's clubs flourished 1890-1930, expressing the interests, needs, and beliefs of Montana women at the turn of the century. While accepting the domestic role established by the cult of true womanhood, their reformist activities reveal a persistent demand for self-expression outside the home. Homesteading was a significant experience for altering women's perceptions of their roles. They joined the men in the fields, expressed their aesthetic interests in gardens, and organized social activities. Though these clubs allowed women to fulfill their traditional roles they also encouraged women to pursue social, intellectual, and community interests.<ref> Stephenie Ambrose Tubbs, "Montana Women's Clubs at the Turn of the Century." ''Montana: The Magazine of Western History'' 1986 36(1): 26-35 </ref>

Efforts to write woman suffrage into Montana's 1889 constitution failed. Montana women, especially 'society women,' did not strongly support the suffragists. Help from national leaders and from [[Jeannette Rankin]], who in 1916 became the nation's first congresswoman, led to success in 1914 when voters ratified a suffrage amendment passed by the legislature the previous year.<ref> T.A. Larson, "Montana Women and the Battle of the Ballot." ''Montana: The Magazine of Western History'' 1973 23(1): 24-41 </ref>

===Towns===
In Eastern Montana, the rural towns have evolved from a large number of widely dispersed villages in 1900, through a period of expansion over the first thirty years of 20th century, to a pattern of relatively concentrated population and businesses in an urban-based economy by 2000. Mechanization, especially the rapid replacement of horses by tractors after 1945, meant one family could operate a much larger farm, so some farmers bought out their neighbors, who then moved to town along with the surplus children.

Most rural communities declined steadily in population after 1920. A few, such as Miles City, Havre, and Lewistown, grew in population, expanded their economic base, and experienced an increase in their market areas for a limited range of goods and services. These communities also became centers of employment for their own and surrounding (farm and nonfarm) population. The rural economy diversified far beyond its exclusively agricultural base, with service employment in education and medicine important, as well as small-scale factories. Interstates and paved highways, along with cell phones and internet coverage encouraged a concentration in fewer, larger centers, which drew customers and clients from a wide radius. The discovery of oil and gas along the Dakota border gave a new lease to towns such as Glendive and Sidney in region previously known for extremely brutal winter weather.

In mountainous Western Montana, as the mining camps and lumber regions faded in importance, tourism grew rapidly and many areas attracted wealthy families looking for a second home where fishing, hunting, hiking and the wildlife could be enjoyed, together with good restaurants close by. Kalispell was especially attractive, as were the college towns of Missoula and Bozeman. Red Lodge, an old coal mining town, remade its self image and attracted tourists..

===Copper===
The Anaconda Copper Company, founded in 1880 and based in Butte, dominated the world copper market and poured wealth into the state for a century; it closed in the 1980s.

The 1888-1900 bitter feud between Montana copper kings Marcus Daly and William Andrews Clark played a considerable role in the economic and political life of territorial and early statehood years. It affected the mergers of large corporations, the location of the state capital, and the elections of congressional delegations. Daly's Irish Catholic (Green) heritage and Clark's Scotch-Irish Presbyterian (Orange) backgrounds were important factors in the feud.<ref>David Emmons, "The Orange and the Green in Montana: a Reconsideration of the Clark-Daly Feud." ''Arizona & the West'' 1986 28(3): 225-245</ref>

The Anaconda company fortunes began to reverse when the Chilean government expropriated all of the Anaconda's highly profitable operations in Chile between 1969 and 1971. New management took over and executed tough belt-tightening measures that did little to stop the disintegration of the company. Help appeared to arrive in 1976 in the form of a merger with the Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO), but when the Anaconda's bottom line failed to respond to ARCO's inept management, ARCO shut down the company's operations in Montana. In 1985 the company's Montana assets were sold to a local businessman. What remains today are Superfund cleanup operations rin by the [[EPA]].<ref>Eugene C. Tidball, "What Ever Happened to the Anaconda Company?" ''Montana: the Magazine of Western History' 1997 47(2): 60-68 </ref>

===Journalism===
The founding of the School of Journalism at the University of Montana showed the state was following national trends in the professionalization of journalism. However, the Anaconda Copper Mining Company began to dominate economic and political life in the state and, as a political strategy, purchased most of the state's daily newspapers. From the 1920s until 1959, journalists working at the newspapers could write nothing that undercut the company's business enterprises. Journalists were thus not allowed to develop and exercise their professional skills through their news judgment regarding certain business topics - lawyers and accountants made news judgments. This changed in 1959 with the purchase of the Anaconda newspapers by Lee Enterprises, a Midwestern newspaper group. Following its own traditions, Lee allowed the journalists to exercise their own editorial judgments. Don Anderson, a Montana native and Lee executive, led the way in this transformation of the state's journalists to professional status. Newspapers soon found themselves engaged in clashes with Anaconda over important issues and even taking more active roles in civic reform efforts. Lee has managed the newspapers over the years since with praise for their editorial independence but criticism of their financial frugality.

In 2005 Lee overextended itself by borrowing $1.5 billion to buy other papers, especially the biggest St. Louis newspaper. With the [[Recession of 2008]] came drastic cutbacks in advertising revenue, and Lee is struggling to pay off its loans and is cutting staff.<ref> John T. McNay, "Breaking the Copper Collar: Press Freedom, Professionalization and the History of Montana Journalism." ''American Journalism'' 2008 25(1): 99-123</ref>

===Notable people from Montana===
*[[Burton K. Wheeler]], Democratic Senator; fought FDR on Court packing; isolationist
*[[Mike Mansfield]], leader of Democrats in Senate, 1961-77
*[[Max Baucus]], Democratic Senator is currently the powerful chairman of the Senate Finance Committee
*Evel Knievel, a famous motorcycle daredevil, was from Butte.
*[[Charley Pride]], perhaps the most successful black country musician of all time, grew up in Helena and Great Falls.
*[[Jeannette Rankin]], a Republican from Missoula, was the very first Congresswoman in the United States
*The Freemen, a religious cult famous for an 81 day stand off with federal agents near Jordan.
*[[Myrna Loy]], an actress from the golden age of cinema. She was born in Radersville.

==Further reading==
* Bevis, William W. ''Ten Tough Trips: Montana Writers and the West.'' (1990). 250 pp.
* Emmons, David M. ''The Butte Irish: Class and Ethnicity in an American Mining Town, 1875-1925.'' (1989). 443 pp.
* Farr, William E. and Toole, K. Ross. ''Montana: Images of the Past.'' (1978). 279 pp. photographs
* Hamilton, James McLellan, ''History of Montana: From Wilderness to Statehood'' (1970), older textbook; 627pp [http://www.questia.com/read/3114032?title=From%20Wilderness%20to%20Statehood%3a%20A%20History%20of%20Montana%2c%201805-1900 online edition]
* Hargreaves, Mary W. M. ''Dry Farming in the Northern Great Plains: Years of Readjustment, 1920-1990.'' (1993). 386 pp.
* Howard, Joseph Kinsey. ''Montana: High, Wide and Handsome'' (1943), a classic narrative that challenges romanticized views of the West and calls for increased emulation of Indians who supposedly lived in harmony with the environment of the northern Great Plains. [http://www.questia.com/read/111577407?title=Montana%3a%20High%2c%20Wide%2c%20and%20Handsome online edition]
* Howard, Stanley W. ''Green Fields of Montana: A Brief History oof Irrigation.'' (1992). 153 pp.
* Karlin, Jules A. ''Joseph M. Dixon of Montana: Part 1, Senator and Bull Moose Manager, 1867-1917.'' (1974). 257 pp.
** ''Joseph M. Dixon of Montana. Part 2, Governor versus the Anaconda, 1917-1934.'' (1974). 269 pp.
* Malone, Michael P., Richard B. Roeder, and William L. Lang. ''Montana: A History of Two Centuries'' (3rd ed. 1991), standard scholarly history
* Malone, Michael P. ''The Battle for Butte: Mining and Politics on the Northern Frontier, 1864-1906.'' (1985). 281 pp.
* Newby, Rick and Hunger, Suzanne, eds. ''Writing Montana: Literature under the Big Sky.'' (Helena: Montana Center for the Book, 1996). 348 pp.
* Petrik, Paula. ''No Step Backward: Women and Family on the Rocky Mountain Mining Frontier, Helena, Montana, 1865-1900.'' (1987). 206 pp.
* Robertson, Donald B. ''Encyclopedia of Western Railroad History. Vol. 2: The Mountain States: Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming.'' (Dallas: Taylor, 1991). 418 pp.
* Rydell, Robert; Safford, Jeffrey; and Mullen, Pierce. ''In the People's Interest: A Centennial History of Montana State University.'' (1992). 324 pp.
* Searl, Molly. ''Montana Disasters: Fires, Floods, and Other Catastrophes.'' (2001). 204 pp.
* Small, Lawrence F., ed. ''Religion in Montana: Pathways to the Present.'' (1992). 380 pp.
* Smith, Duane A. ''Rocky Mountain West: Colorado, Wyoming, and ontana, 1859-1915.'' (1992). 290 pp.
* Spence, Clark C. ''Montana: A Bicentennial History.'' (1978). 211 pp. good popular history
* Spence, Clark C. ''Territorial Politics and Government in Montana, 1864-89.'' (1976). 327 pp.
* Spritzer, Donald E. ''Senator James E. Murray and the Limits of Post-War Liberalism.'' (1985). 304 pp. biography of liberal Democrat, 1940s-1970s
* Toole, K. Ross. ''Twentieth-Century Montana: A State of Extremes.'' (1972). 307 pp. by a leading historian
* VanWest, Carroll. ''Capitalism on the Frontier: Billings and the Yellowstone Valley in the Nineteenth Century.'' (1993). 281 pp. [http://www.questia.com/read/98714901?title=Capitalism%20on%20the%20Frontier%3a%20Billings%20and%20the%20Yellowstone%20Valley%20in%20the%20Nineteenth%20Century online edition]
* VanWest, Carroll. ''A Traveler's Companion to Montana istory.'' (1986). 256 pp. local history and lore
* WPA. ''Montana: A State Guide Book'' (1939), very rich guide book; 444pp [http://www.questia.com/read/74024913?title=Montana%3a%20A%20State%20Guide%20Book online edition]
===Primary sources===
* Kittredge, William and Smith, Annick, eds. ''The Last Best Place: A Montana Anthology.'' (1988). 1161 pp.
====references====
note that aricles from ''Montana: the Magazine of Western History'' are online at [[JSTOR]]
<references/>

{{USstates}}
[[Category:States of the United States]]
[[Category:Western United States]]

Talk:Liberal trap

2010-01-19T04:46:46Z

ElyseE:

Well if it's dimwitted, any conservative can handle it. :) This is not a term in common usage. [[User:RJJensen|RJJensen]] 11:51, 17 January 2010 (EST)

:Some lead (by coining or popularizing terms) some (like professors) follow. --<big>[[User:TK|'''ṬK''']]</big>/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 12:41, 17 January 2010 (EST)

It's ''often'' dimwitted, but not always so. And even the smartest person in the world can be deceived by a [[liberal trap]] if he's in a hurry or thinking about something else.

In response to the concern about whether it's in common usage, a quick search on Google turns up over 5600 links to the term. So it's out there.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 13:59, 17 January 2010 (EST)
::I recommend dropping "dimwitted." --as in the Palin example, saying she fell into a dimwitted trap has CP making her look stupid. [[User:RJJensen|RJJensen]] 14:25, 17 January 2010 (EST)

:::I'm open-minded about this. But sometimes smart people are tripped up by dimwitted questions (liberal traps), simply because smart people are not used to being ambushed by such idiotic tactics. Presumably you've sat on doctoral review panels and found an intelligent candidate tripped up by a simple-minded, softball question that was unexpected.

:::The finest baseball hitters in the game have struck out on the change-up, and applying that observation to this context seems to add information and value.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 14:32, 17 January 2010 (EST)

::::In the Palin case, she was asked what newspapers and magazines she read. She was asked three times and did not name any. [[User:RJJensen|RJJensen]] 14:49, 17 January 2010 (EST)

:::::I would call that a dimwitted question, having no apparent significance. There are lots of very smart and productive people who do not read newspapers or magazines. Perhaps you knew some among college professors, and there are certainly more now that the internet is a superior source of information.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 15:25, 17 January 2010 (EST)
:::::: I suggest that keeping this anecdote in CP makes Palin look stupid. She [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/30/eveningnews/main4490618.shtml answered that] she reads lots of them.[[User:RJJensen|RJJensen]] 15:55, 17 January 2010 (EST)

::::::: But the question is clearly a liberal trap. If Palin says she reads newspapers, then the follow-up question is obviously going to be "which ones"??? Then she is expected by liberals to pay homage to the New York Times or Washington Post, which would hurt her among conservatives, and she would be ridiculed by liberals if she simply listed local papers. The whole line of questioning is "dimwitted", because it has no real value except to spark baseless criticism.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 16:25, 17 January 2010 (EST)
I would like to point out that the question was ridiculous in this century. Only the liberal elite believes newspapers and other dinosaur print media is important. It is important to them because that is how they have exercised control over the masses for 100 years. Another part of the trap is manipulating others, as Andy said, into reaffirming the liberals own high opinion of what they feel is important, ney - necessary to read. Thank God the Internet has freed us from the liberal tyranny of telling us what we need to read about, otherwise the entire Tea Party Movement wouldn't have gotten off the ground. Now that it has the liberals are running scared, and their shrill screaming about the "ignorant masses" (which they have always been afraid of) has reached a fever pitch! --<big>[[User:TK|'''ṬK''']]</big>/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 07:27, 18 January 2010 (EST)

::::::::I don't understand. The question was asked because newspapers are a quick and effective way to inform oneself, not to confuse her in any way. I am often confused by political issues, but I ask questions with an open mind. Is there a better way for Mrs. Palin to inform herself? I would like Mr. Schafly to respond since he is a lawyer and must keep himself informed in some way. Perhaps his methods mirror Mrs. Palin's [[User:ElyseE|ElyseE]] 22:57, 18 January 2010 (EST)

:::::::::The internet is a far more efficient way to become informed than reading a newspaper. Talking with informed advisers may be better still. There's no doubt that asking a politician which newspapers she reads is laying a trap. If she says "none regularly," then the newspapers will savage her; if she identifies some but not others then she alienates the others.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 23:33, 18 January 2010 (EST)

(unindent) Her non-answer was savaged more than any answer she could have given though. I agree the internet is a great place to get information, but most of the most trustworthy and legitimate information still come from newspapers just in digital format. I am a college student so I do not have the funds to have a paper delivered to me so I read the local paper online. Often times I go to the library though and read different publications there to ensure that I have an open mind and a full range of information. Mr. Schafly you appear to be very well informed about contemporary issues, and I do not mean to trap you or savage you in any way, if you would please tell me where you get you information from. I wish only to further inform myself. [[User:ElyseE|ElyseE]] 23:46, 18 January 2010 (EST)

Talk:Liberal trap

2010-01-19T03:57:01Z

ElyseE:

Essay:Conservatives of the Decade

2009-12-30T01:20:09Z

ElyseE: Undo revision 739333 by JacobB (Talk) Personal animosity should have no place in an objective list.

It's time; in fact, we have only two days left to identify '''the top ten [[conservatives]] of the decade'''. The criterion would presumably be the best and longest lasting influence. For example, [[Ronald Reagan]] would be a leading candidate for "conservative of the decade" of the 1980s.

The [[best of the public]] is welcome in this list of nominations:

== Nominations ==

===Top Ten Candidates===

*[[Ann Coulter]]
*[[Ben Stein]]
*[[Bill O'Reilly]]
*[[Charlton Heston]]
*[[Dick Cheney]]
*[[Glenn Beck]]
*[[James Dobson]]
*[[Jerry Falwell]]
*[[Jim DeMint]]
*[[John Bolton]]
*[[Joseph Farah]]
*[[Michele Bachman]]
*[[Michelle Malkin]]
*[[Proposition 8]] supporters
*[[Ron Paul]]
*[[Rudy Giuliani]]
*[[Rush Limbaugh]]
*[[Samuel Alito]]
*[[Sarah Palin]]
*[[Sean Hannity]]
*[[Tea Party Movement]]

===Honorable Mention Candidates===

*[[Alan Keyes]]
*[[Andrew Schlafly]] and the students that founded Conservapedia
*[[Antonin Scalia]]
*[[Art Robinson]]
*[[Bart Stupak]]
*[[Benedict XVI]]
*[[Benjamin Netanyahu]]
*[[Charles H. Bronson]]
*[[Christopher Monckton]]
*[[Chuck Norris]]
*[[Clarence Thomas]]
*[[Club for Growth]]
*[[Condoleezza Rice]]
*[[D. James Kennedy]]
*[[David Cameron]]
*[[David Petraeus]]
*[[Doug Hoffman]]
*[[George W. Bush]]
*[[Hannah Giles]] and [[James O'Keefe]]
*[[Homeschoolers]] who captured all the finalist positions in the National Bible Bee
*[[Joe Lieberman]]
*[[Joe the Plumber]]
*[[Joe Wilson]]
*[[John Howard]]
*[[John Paul II]]
*[[John Roberts]]
*[[John Thune]]
*[[Jon Voight]]
*[[Karl Rove]]
*[[Marco Rubio]]
*[[Mark Levin]]
*[[Drudge Report|Matt Drudge]]
*[[Michael Savage]]
*[[Mike Huckabee]]
*The [[Minutemen Project]]
*[[Mitt Romney]]
*[[Oral Roberts]]
*[[Pat Robertson]]
*[[Paul Ryan]]
*[[Sun Myung Moon]]
*[[Tom Coburn]]
*[[Tony Snow]]
*[[Zell Miller]]

(add more, or suggest ranking; maybe we should name a "Conservative of the Year" also)

(no more than 10 in final honorable mentions category, those in top 10 can be moved to Honorable Mentions, vice-versa.)

== Conservative Quotes of the Decade ==

*"You lie!" (Joe Wilson about Barack Obama)
*"You know babies have finger nails!" (reference to an unborn child in the movie ''Juno'')
*"from my cold, dead hands" (Charlton Heston in 2000 dramatically referring to the only way liberals could take his rifle from him)
*"The [[best of the public]] is better than a group of experts." -[[Conservapedia]]
*"I can hear you! I can hear you, the rest of the world hears you, and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!" - President Bush to the rescue/recovery workers at Ground Zero
*"Justice will be served / And the battle will rage / This big dog will fight / When you rattle his cage / And you'll be sorry that you messed with / The U.S. of A. / 'Cause we'll put a boot in your a** / It's the American way" -[[Toby Keith]] singing "Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American)" (edited for Conservapedia)
*"I'm just a singer of simple songs / I'm not a real political man / I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you / The difference in Iraq and Iran / But I know Jesus and I talk to God / And I remember this from when I was young / Faith, hope and love are some good things he gave us / And the greatest is love" - [[Alan Jackson]] singing "Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)"
*"Winter getting colder / Summer getting warmer / Tidal wave come across the Mexican boarder / Why buy a gallon when it's cheaper by the barrel / Just don't get busted singing Christmas caroles" -[[Toby Keith]] singing "American Ride"
*"We will never forget" -[[George W. Bush]] after the 9/11 terrorist attacks

== Stories of the Decade ==
*[[September 11]], 2001 Terrorist Attacks
*The taking, for the benefit of a corporation and higher tax revenue, of the long-held homes of Susanne Kelo and others in New London, Connecticut, decided against the homeowners by a 5-4 U.S. Supreme Court. Forcibly ousted and their homes destroyed, the residents moved elsewhere at great disruption to their lives. Then, four years later, Pfizer [[Kelo v. New London|abandoned the project]] for its own reasons, leaving a useless eyesore in the wreckage.
*The Ramos-Compean incident that began in February 2006 with actions by agents Ignacios Ramos and Jose Compean and did not end until their sentences were commuted by President [[George W. Bush]] in January 2009.
*The unsuccessful attempt by [[liberals]] to change the outcome of the 2000 presidential election by reinterpreting ballots and examining "chads".
*9/12 March on Washington

== Looking forward ==

What will be the most influential trends for the next decade? Here are some possibilities:

*collapse of the newspapers in favor of web-based information
*shifts in education away from bricks-and-mortar institutions
*reduction in influence of "experts"
*repeal of health care bill of 2009
*rising taxes to pay off escalating national debt
*[[parent trigger legislation]]
*2010/2012 Republican recovery in Congress
*decline in [[evolution syndrome]] in academia
*conservative social networking
*global non-warming weather continues to provide proof that current climate models undergirding mass-[[global warming]] hysteria are in truth maniacally mistaken if not willfully wrong

(add more)
{{Conservatism}}
[[Category:Essays]]

Wish

2009-12-30T01:19:09Z

ElyseE:

A '''wish''' is the strong desire to receive something, or for something to happen. [[Prayer]]s, grants, and [[hope]] can be synonymous with wishes. Wishes are often described in [[fairy tale]]s and movies. On a personal level, mankind has many wishes for good, for fortune, for health, or to conceive a child.

A common place to wish is a [[wishing well]], where the wisher customarily throws coins into the well as they wish.
[[Category:Dictionary]]

Essay:Conservatives of the Decade

2009-12-30T01:14:54Z

ElyseE: /* Top Ten Candidates */

Essay:Conservatives of the Decade

2009-12-30T01:14:23Z

ElyseE: /* Top Ten Candidates */

It's time; in fact, we have only two days left to identify '''the top ten [[conservatives]] of the decade'''. The criterion would presumably be the best and longest lasting influence. For example, [[Ronald Reagan]] would be a leading candidate for "conservative of the decade" of the 1980s.

The [[best of the public]] is welcome in this list of nominations:

== Nominations ==

===Top Ten Candidates===

*[[Ann Coulter]]
*[[Ben Stein]]
*[[Bill O'Reilly]]
*[[Charlton Heston]]
*[[Dick Cheney]]
*[[Glenn Beck]]
*[[James Dobson]]
*[[Jerry Falwell]]
*[[Jim DeMint]]
*[[John Bolton]]
*[[Michele Bachman]]
*[[Michelle Malkin]]
*[[Proposition 8]] supporters
*[[Ron Paul]]
*[[Rudy Giuliani]]
*[[Rush Limbaugh]]
*[[Samuel Alito]]
*[[Sarah Palin]]
*[[Sean Hannity]]
*[[Tea Party Movement]]
*[[Joseph Farah]]

===Honorable Mention Candidates===

*[[Alan Keyes]]
*[[Andrew Schlafly]] and the students that founded Conservapedia
*[[Antonin Scalia]]
*[[Art Robinson]]
*[[Bart Stupak]]
*[[Benedict XVI]]
*[[Benjamin Netanyahu]]
*[[Charles H. Bronson]]
*[[Christopher Monckton]]
*[[Chuck Norris]]
*[[Clarence Thomas]]
*[[Club for Growth]]
*[[Condoleezza Rice]]
*[[D. James Kennedy]]
*[[David Cameron]]
*[[David Petraeus]]
*[[Doug Hoffman]]
*[[George W. Bush]]
*[[Hannah Giles]] and [[James O'Keefe]]
*[[Homeschoolers]] who captured all the finalist positions in the National Bible Bee
*[[Joe Lieberman]]
*[[Joe the Plumber]]
*[[Joe Wilson]]
*[[John Howard]]
*[[John Paul II]]
*[[John Roberts]]
*[[John Thune]]
*[[Jon Voight]]
*[[Karl Rove]]
*[[Marco Rubio]]
*[[Mark Levin]]
*[[Drudge Report|Matt Drudge]]
*[[Michael Savage]]
*[[Mike Huckabee]]
*The [[Minutemen Project]]
*[[Mitt Romney]]
*[[Oral Roberts]]
*[[Pat Robertson]]
*[[Paul Ryan]]
*[[Sun Myung Moon]]
*[[Tom Coburn]]
*[[Tony Snow]]
*[[Zell Miller]]

(add more, or suggest ranking; maybe we should name a "Conservative of the Year" also)

(no more than 10 in final honorable mentions category, those in top 10 can be moved to Honorable Mentions, vice-versa.)

== Conservative Quotes of the Decade ==

*"You lie!" (Joe Wilson about Barack Obama)
*"You know babies have finger nails!" (reference to an unborn child in the movie ''Juno'')
*"from my cold, dead hands" (Charlton Heston in 2000 dramatically referring to the only way liberals could take his rifle from him)
*"The [[best of the public]] is better than a group of experts." -[[Conservapedia]]
*"I can hear you! I can hear you, the rest of the world hears you, and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!" - President Bush to the rescue/recovery workers at Ground Zero
*"Justice will be served / And the battle will rage / This big dog will fight / When you rattle his cage / And you'll be sorry that you messed with / The U.S. of A. / 'Cause we'll put a boot in your a** / It's the American way" -[[Toby Keith]] singing "Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American)" (edited for Conservapedia)
*"I'm just a singer of simple songs / I'm not a real political man / I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you / The difference in Iraq and Iran / But I know Jesus and I talk to God / And I remember this from when I was young / Faith, hope and love are some good things he gave us / And the greatest is love" - [[Alan Jackson]] singing "Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)"
*"Winter getting colder / Summer getting warmer / Tidal wave come across the Mexican boarder / Why buy a gallon when it's cheaper by the barrel / Just don't get busted singing Christmas caroles" -[[Toby Keith]] singing "American Ride"
*"We will never forget" -[[George W. Bush]] after the 9/11 terrorist attacks

== Stories of the Decade ==
*[[September 11]], 2001 Terrorist Attacks
*The taking, for the benefit of a corporation and higher tax revenue, of the long-held homes of Susanne Kelo and others in New London, Connecticut, decided against the homeowners by a 5-4 U.S. Supreme Court. Forcibly ousted and their homes destroyed, the residents moved elsewhere at great disruption to their lives. Then, four years later, Pfizer [[Kelo v. New London|abandoned the project]] for its own reasons, leaving a useless eyesore in the wreckage.
*The Ramos-Compean incident that began in February 2006 with actions by agents Ignacios Ramos and Jose Compean and did not end until their sentences were commuted by President [[George W. Bush]] in January 2009.
*The unsuccessful attempt by [[liberals]] to change the outcome of the 2000 presidential election by reinterpreting ballots and examining "chads".
*9/12 March on Washington

== Looking forward ==

What will be the most influential trends for the next decade? Here are some possibilities:

*collapse of the newspapers in favor of web-based information
*shifts in education away from bricks-and-mortar institutions
*reduction in influence of "experts"
*repeal of health care bill of 2009
*rising taxes to pay off escalating national debt
*[[parent trigger legislation]]
*2010/2012 Republican recovery in Congress
*decline in [[evolution syndrome]] in academia
*conservative social networking
*global non-warming weather continues to provide proof that current climate models undergirding mass-[[global warming]] hysteria are in truth maniacally mistaken if not willfully wrong

(add more)
{{Conservatism}}
[[Category:Essays]]

Coptic Church

2009-03-07T17:39:16Z

ElyseE: Removing liberal bias

The '''Coptic Church of Egypt''' is one of the oldest denominations of [[Christianity]], originating in [[Alexandria]], [[Egypt]] in the 1st century. <ref>http://www.gotquestions.org/Coptic-Christianity.html</ref>

The Coptic Church of Egypt is a non-Chalcedonian Church and is similar to the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] in ethos, lifestyle, and worship.

Although most of Egypt presently follows Islam, a 10 million member remnant<ref>http://www.copts.com/english1/index.php/who-are-the-copts/church-history/</ref> of the Coptic Church persists to this day in Egypt. Due to radical Islam, persecution of the Coptic Church has increased in recent years and the percentage of Coptics adherents as a percentage of the population is shrinking.

On March 30, 2008 London Security forces ordered a "body search" for the Coptic Pope before boarding a flight to Egypt.<ref>http://geoconger.wordpress.com/2008/04/24/pope-strip-search-row-cen-42508-p-6/</ref> The intervention of an Egyptian diplomat prevented a full strip and body cavity search.

The Coptic Pope says other Churches were wrong to exonerate the Jews for the Crucifixion of Christ and states his belief that the [[New Testament]] shows that Jews were responsible for The Crucifixion."<ref>http://geoconger.wordpress.com/2007/05/20/row-over-coptic-leaders-anti-semitic-call-cen-51807-p-6/</ref>

==References==
<references/>

==Links==
[http://www.goarch.org Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]

[[category:christian Denominations]]

Java (programming language)

2009-02-04T03:38:02Z

ElyseE: No real information about JAVA

[[Image:322px-Java Logo svg.png|right|thumb|100px|Java logo.]]
'''Java''' is an [[object-oriented]] [[programming language]] developed by [[Sun Microsystems]] in the 1990's. Its syntax is similar to that of C++, but with some improvements. One of the major features which make Java programs easier to write than C++ programs is its support for automatic [[memory management]].

The Java [[compiler]] provided by Sun Microsystems compiles Java code to bytecode, which requires the Java virtual machine to execute. This model was adopted by Microsoft for [[C#]] and other [[.NET]] languages. [[IBM]] and others supply regular Java compilers for those who don't want to use the [[virtual machine]].

Java applications are popular in creating [[applets]] for websites, due to their cross-platform nature. It still has not gained widespread popularity in stand-alone Windows applications, but is used primarily on web servers.

==External Links==
[http://www.java.com/ Official Java Website]
[[Category:Information technology]]