Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Orbit

2009-03-04T13:42:27Z

PhilScheur:

An '''orbit''' is an object's rotation around another. Orbits are caused by the [[gravity]] of a large mass attracting a smaller mass. The smaller mass is prevented from falling into the large mass by a large [[velocity]] perpendicular to the object it is orbiting around. The concept of orbiting in the solar system has changed drastically over time. [[Scientists]] assumed that the orbits of [[planet]]s observable in [[Kepler]]'s times were circular. Kepler was the first to propose that the planets' orbits were elliptical, thus improving the accuracy and prediction-value of the heliocentric view of the solar system. [[Comet]]s, on the other hand, have highly [[eccentric]] orbits with only one [[focal point]] inside the [[Sun]].

The orbit of the [[Moon]] is nearly a perfect circle, but due to its high relative mass the focus of its orbit (its barycenter) is actually closer to the Earth's surface than it is to the exact center of the Earth.
[[category:physics]]

Pequot War

2009-02-23T18:56:02Z

PhilScheur: clarifications and additional info

The '''Pequot War''' was a war between New England settlers and the Pequot Indians in 1637 over control of southern New England. The English, allied with other Indian tribes, won a complete victory, and the war taught them how to fight Indians.

The first major war in New England was the Pequot War of 1637. The war was fought over territory and trading rights, and involved the English colonies and several Indian tribes. [[Plymouth Colony]] had deeds that claimed they had purchased land from the [[Pequot]] Indians. Other Indians in the area, especially the Narragansett and Mohegan Indians, were the historic enemies of the Pequot, and joined the English colonists in war against the Pequots. Cave (2004) points to a misunderstanding. In 1634 Pequots murdered Captain John Stone, which led to Puritan distrust of the Pequots and became part of the justification for the Puritan "punitive" war. The Pequots were avenging the Dutch execution of the Pequot sachem Tatobem, and they incorrectly thought Stone was Dutch. There is also a strong possibility that the confession to the murder by the Pequots was not really such, but a misinterpretation by the Massachusetts authorities.

The "casus bellum" (cause of the war) was the Pequot murder of John Oldham in 1636. Both sides made preparations for a serious conflict, with the Narragansett and Mohegan quickly making alliances with the English colonists. In April, 1637, a raid on a Pequot village led to a retaliatory raid by Pequot on the town of Wethersfield, Connecticut, killing nine colonists. The government of the recently settled river towns--Windsor, Hartford, and Wethersfield--on May 1, 1637, declared war on the Pequot. Ninety men were levied, supplied, and placed under command of Capt. John Mason. Accompanied by eighty Mohegan under Chief Uncas, they went to Saybrook where they were joined by Capt. Underhill and twenty men from Massachusetts Bay colony. Mason conferred with the Narraganset, Miantonomo, and received further aid. A two-day march overland brought the party to the Pequot fort near present-day Mystic, Connecticut. The fort was surprised and burned (May 26). Only seven Indians escaped.

[[Image:Mason-Pequot.jpg|thumb|425px|Captain Mason's diagram of his 1637 attack on the Pequot village at Mystic. The colonists are in the outer ring, then comes a wooden stockade, with the Indians at the center. The diagram shows where the colonists entered the stockade.]]

Mason and his men attacked a second Pequot stronghold two miles away the same night. About 300 Pequot warriors and their families from other towns decided to flee west. Meanwhile, the Mason party, reinforced by forty Massachusetts Bay men, returned to Saybrook, while Capt. Israel Stoughton and 120 additional Massachusetts men arrived at New London harbor. After a conference, the two forces decided to pursue the fleeing Pequot, who were caught in Sasqua swamp, near present-day Southport, Conn. The women and children were allowed out of the swamp before the attack was made. The battle on July 13, 1637, resulted in the escape of about 60 Pequot and the capture of 180, who were allotted as slaves to the Mohegan, Narraganset, and Niantic and absorbed into their tribes. The colonists sold the male captives as slaves to the West Indies while they assigned the women as slaves to fellow settlers. Many of those who escaped were hunted down, while chief Sassacus was killed by the Mohawks and his scalp sent to Hartford. The Pequot effectively ceased to exist as a separate tribe.

A remnant of Pequots did, however, survive, and in the late 20th century they acquired federal recognition and built one of the largest casinos in the world, in southern Connecticut.

Hirsch (1988) examines the interaction of Puritan and Indian military cultures in 17th-century New England, focusing on the Pequot War. Both the English and Indians acted within their own military traditions in their relations, and with ethnocentric naivete expected the other to share such values. Thus they were both surprised when the other acted according to an alien code. This misunderstanding of motivations and actions led to the Pequot War, the first Indian-white war in New England, and inspired the slaughter that ended it. The total warfare of [[King Philip's War]], alien to both previous traditions, demonstrated the new synthesis of military practices that had come from this clash of cultures.

The colonists learned they needed Indian allies to fight Indians, that the Indians were tied to their food supplies, and that ambushes had to be avoided.

Karr (1998) traces 17th-century Indian-white relations in Massachusetts, arguing that the violence of the Pequot War of 1637, especially the burning of the Pequot village at Mystic and the slaughter of survivors by Puritan troops, may best be explained by the two groups' alien cultures and inability "to agree on the limits of permissible conduct." Because the English Puritans ignored and denied the Pequots' legitimacy and sovereignty, and were confident of their ultimate victory, they fought the Indians not as they would a European state that shared a code of combat reserved for Christian and external foes but as an illegitimate internal enemy that did not deserve quarter or the protections of a legitimate enemy. Since the warring parties failed "to establish reciprocity" in their fighting during the Pequot War, future Puritan-Indian conflicts, such as King Philip's War, would also be extremely savage and ferocious. Wood (1998) argues that although the merciless treatment of the Pequots might appear to contradict European principles of just warfare, the Puritans justified their actions with references to past Pequot aggression and the religious wars described in the Bible. Puritan theology construed native religion as devil worship or witchcraft. For the Puritans, annihilation of the Pequots was necessary to save God's chosen people from Satan's agents.

Katz (1991) reassesses historians who describe the war as an exercise in genocide in reaction to rather limited threats to English settlements from the Pequots. Such a view, founded on presentist notions of outrage and moral sanctimony, obfuscates the fact that native tribes fought on the side of the English, both sides were mutually responsible for the onset of hostilities, and the colonists were rightfully concerned with threats to their survival. Historians holding to the thesis of genocide overinterpret and occasionally misinterpret their sources to advance their argument.

==Bibliography==
* Cave, Alfred A. ''The Pequot War,'' U of Massachusetts Press, 1996, 222pp [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=10915930 online edition]
* Laurence M. Hauptman, "The Pequot War and Its Legacies," in ''The Pequots in Southern New England: The Fall and Rise of an Indian Nation,'' ed. Laurence M. Hauptman and James D. Wherry (1990)
* Hirsch, Adam J. "The Collision of Military Cultures in Seventeenth-century New England." ''Journal of American History'' 1988 74(4): 1187-1212. Issn: 0021-8723 Fulltext in Jstor and Ebsco
* Karr, Ronald Dale. "'Why Should You Be So Furious': the Violence of the Pequot War." ''Journal of American History'' 1998 85(3): 876-909. Issn: 0021-8723 Fulltext: in Jstor and Ebsco
* Katz, Steven T. "The Pequot War Reconsidered." ''New England Quarterly'' 1991 64(2): 206-224. Issn: 0028-4866 Fulltext: in JSTOR
* Vaughan, Alden T. ''New England Frontier: Puritans and Indians, 1620-1675'' (1965), pp. 93-154
* Vaughan, Alden T. "Pequots and Puritans: The Causes of the War of 1637," ''William and Mary Quarterly,'' 21 (1964): 256-69. [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0043-5597(196404)3%3A21%3A2%3C256%3APAPTCO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-K in JSTOR]
* Wood, Timothy L. "Worlds Apart: Puritan Perceptions of the Native American During the Pequot War." ''Rhode Island History'' 1998 56(3): 62-75. Issn: 0035-4619
====Notes====
<references/>
[[category:Colonial America]]
[[category:Native Americans]]
[[category:Wars]]
[[category:Puritans]]

United States Department of Defense

2009-02-18T20:24:49Z

PhilScheur:

[[Image:DOD seal.jpg|right|]]
The [[United States]] '''Department of Defense''' (DoD) is the government department in charge of managing matters involving military operations and national security. It was formerly known as the War Department. The current [[Secretary of Defense]] is [[Robert Gates]].

The DoD has developed significant technology that has been re-purposed for civilian use, such as the modern [[digital computer]], the [[Internet]], and the [[Global Positioning System]].

[[category:United States Department of Defense]]

Global Positioning System

2009-02-18T20:23:03Z

PhilScheur: add'l info

'''Global Positioning System''' ('''GPS''') is a [[United States]] [[satellite]] system that lets those on the ground, on the water or in the air determine their position with extreme accuracy using GPS receivers. These receivers rely on precisely timing signals sent from GPS satellites, with corrections for atmospheric attenuation and relativistic effects.
The system was developed by the US [[Department of Defense]] and made available to the general public in 1983 under orders of [[Ronald Reagan | President Reagan]]. GPS for civilian use used to include a mechanism called Selective Availability that intentionally limited the accuracy of GPS, a mechanism originally intended to confuse potential enemies who might launch a missile attack, but Selective Availability was disabled in 2000, and appears unlikely to be reinstated in the foreseeable future.

Prosecutors are now using data from GPS units to convict criminals. Authorities can analyse data from the GPS units to establish a defendant's whereabouts or to track suspects. <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,413041,00.html Small GPS Devices Help Prosecutors Win Convictions], Associated Press, ''Fox News'', August 28, 2008</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Telecommunications]]
[[Category:Geography]]

Firefly (TV series)

2009-02-18T13:53:39Z

PhilScheur:

'''''Firefly''''' was an American [[science-fiction]] [[television]] program created by [[Joss Whedon]]. It was introduced as a mid-season replacement on the [[Fox Network|Fox]] channel in 2002. Fox cancelled the program after airing 11 of the 14 produced episodes. The show captured a small but extremely devoted fan following, and high DVD sales led to the production of a follow-up feature film directed by Whedon, ''Serenity'', in 2005.

The show is set 500 years in the future, after humanity has fled [[earth]] and terraformed the planets and moons of a neighboring star system. The story follows the crew of the Firefly-class spaceship ''Serenity'', whose captain and first mate are former members of the Independents, a recently defeated military movement against the system's centralized government, known as the Alliance. The war for Independence in the ''Firefly'' universe has strong parallels to the [[American Civil War]], and indeed despite its space-opera setting, ''Firefly'''s locations and characters are strongly reminiscent of American westerns. The show often had [[humor|funny]] dialogue.

The show is notable for its total lack of [[aliens]] and its use of muted sounds in space, both of which are unusual in space opera.

==Family viewing==
Firefly was rated TV14 in the [[United States]] and as such, parental discretion is advised for young viewers. The series contains many strong themes which may not be appropriate for children:
* Killing is commonplace in the series, but when the main characters kill, it is almost always for self-defense.
* The character Inara Serra is a "companion," a euphemism for [[prostitute]] who manages her own business and is subject to strict governmental & [[guild]] regulation.
* Sexual content is occasionally shown.
* In one episode, another character River Tam rips pages out of Shepherd Book's [[Bible]] in a misguided attempt to "fix it." Shepard stops her and tries to explain why you cannot change the bible. River apologizes and gives him back the pages she tore out.

==Religion in the show==
The show featured some form of Christianity, and sacred rituals related to the companions. The captain of ''Serenity'' is an [[atheist]] who comes into conflict with Shepard on the issue of religion. For example in the first episode Shepard asks to say a prayer before the crew eats. The captain agrees but begins eating in the middle of the prayer. The show occasionally had jokes centered around religion.

==Trivia==

Much like [[Star Trek]] created the "Trekkie" fan-base, Firefly too has devoted followers, called [[Browncoat]]s.

==External Links==
*http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303461/
*http://www.scifi.com/firefly/
*http://www.browncoats.com

[[Category:Television Shows]]

John Lennon

2009-02-13T21:41:24Z

PhilScheur: clarified atheistic message of "Imagine"

'''John Lennon''', born '''John Winston Lennon''' (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), was a member of the [[Beatles]].

Though none of the [[Beatles]] were as successful on their own as they were as a group, John Lennon was considered by many to have the most raw talent. He struggled with drug addiction, however, and several of his songs related to his habit, such as "Cold Turkey."

Lennon was the most outspoken among the [[Beatles]] on political issues, advocating pacifism during the [[Vietnam War]]. At one point the [[United States]] government investigated him.

After a self-imposed five-year break from music to focus on his family and raising his young son Sean, Lennon produced a new album with his wife [[Yoko Ono]] in 1980, entitled ''Double Fantasy''. Less than a month after its release Lennon was shot dead outside his apartment building by a crazed fan named Mark David Chapman.

Lennon's most famous individual work is "[[Imagine]]", a song that beseeches the listener to imagine a world without greed, religion, war, and hatred, but one governed by love, where all people are "living life in peace." At the end of the song Lennon encourages the listener to join him in dreaming of this Godless world.

He remains a hero in [[Britain]], where he was ranked in the top 10 of the 2002 "100 Greatest Britons" poll sponsored by the BBC.

In June of 2007, ''Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur'' was released. The album, whose proceeds go to [[Amnesty International]]'s campaign on behalf of Sudan's war-torn province of Darfur, features artists of yesterday and today, such as U2, REM, Green Day, and Corinne Bailey Raye covering Lennon's work.

== Religious views ==
Lennon's most famous quote in criticism of [[Christianity]] was in 1966:

* Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue with that; I'm right and I will be proved right. '''We're more popular than Jesus now'''; I don't know which will go first — rock and roll or Christianity. Jesus was all right, but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It's them twisting it that ruins it for me.

(Emphasis added)

After Christians worldwide criticized his attitude, misquoting him as saying "We are greater than Jesus," Lennon held a press conference on August 11, 1966, in Chicago at which he elaborated:

* I suppose if I had said television was more popular than Jesus, I would have gotten away with it. I'm sorry I opened my mouth. I'm not anti-God, anti-Christ, or anti-religion. I wasn't knocking it or putting it down. I was just saying it as a fact and it's true more for England than here. I'm not saying that we're better or greater, or comparing us with Jesus Christ as a person or God as a thing or whatever it is. I just said what I said and it was wrong. Or it was taken wrong. And now it's all this.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lennon, John}}

[[Category:Musicians]]
[[Category:Beatles]]

Purity

2009-02-13T21:35:51Z

PhilScheur: removed apparent vandalism

'''Purity''' is the state of being pure, untarnished, or otherwise perfect. It can apply to people, objects, or ideas. A pure person is a virtuous one. Pure [[water]] does not contain any contaminants. [[Pure math]] refers to theoretical mathematics, abstract of any specific practical application.

[[Category:Virtues]]

Homemaking

2009-02-13T21:30:40Z

PhilScheur:

'''Homemaking''' is the [[traditional]] and well-established practice of maintaining and managing the [[home]]. Tradition has ascribed this role to [[women]], who have chosen to undertake their domestic duties, such as [[childrearing]], [[cooking]], [[cleaning]], [[education]], etc. These tasks are demanding and require much skill to do well, thus a homemaker should be accorded [[respect]] for her superb performance. Homemaking is usually a full-time job, though several admirable women, such as [[Sarah Palin]], have managed to juggle homemaking with a successful [[career]].

Homemaking is the natural counterpart of [[breadwinning]] and these are the traditional [[gender role]]s in successful [[marriage]]s. Homemakers are important in raising children in a loving environment because they are there to give the children the stimulating attention they need in their formative years.

[[Category:Professions]][[Category:Domestic Life]]

Firefly (TV series)

2009-02-13T21:29:09Z

PhilScheur:

'''''Firefly''''' was an American [[science-fiction]] [[television]] program created by Joss Whedon. It was introduced as a mid-season replacement on the [[Fox Network|Fox]] channel in 2002. Fox cancelled the program after airing 11 of the 14 produced episodes. The show captured a small but extremely devoted fan following, and high DVD sales led to the production of a follow-up feature film directed by Whedon, ''Serenity'', in 2005.

The show is set 500 years in the future, after humanity has fled [[earth]] and terraformed the planets and moons of a neighboring star system. The story follows the crew of the Firefly-class spaceship Serenity, whose captain and first mate are former members of the Independents, a recently defeated military movement against the system's centralized government, known as the Alliance. The war for Independence in the ''Firefly'' universe has strong parallels to the [[American Civil War]], and indeed despite its space-opera setting ''Firefly'''s locations and characters are strongly reminiscent of American westerns. The show often had [[humor|funny]] dialogue.

The show is notable for its total lack of [[aliens]] and its use of muted sounds in space, both of which are unusual in space opera.

==Family viewing==
Firefly was rated TV14 in the [[United States]] and as such, parental discretion is advised for young viewers. The series contains many strong themes which may not be appropriate for children:
* Killing is commonplace in the series, but when the main characters kill, it is almost always for self-defense.
* The character Inara Serra is a "companion," a euphemism for [[prostitute]] who manages her own business and is subject to strict governmental & [[guild]] regulation.
* Sexual content is occasionally shown.
* In one episode, another character River Tam rips pages out of Shepherd Book's [[Bible]] in a misguided attempt to "fix it." Shepard stops her and tries to explain why you cannot change the bible. River apologizes and gives him back the pages she tore out.

==Religion in the show==
The show featured some form of Christianity, and sacred rituals related to the companions. The captain of Serenity is an [[atheist]] who comes into conflict with Shepard on the issue of religion. For example in the first episode Shepard asks to say a prayer before the crew eats. The captain agrees but begins eating in the middle of the prayer. The show occasionally had jokes centered around religion.

==External Links==
*http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303461/
*http://www.scifi.com/firefly/

[[Category:Television Shows]]

Newfoundland and Labrador

2009-02-13T21:23:34Z

PhilScheur: removed derogatory language and updated

'''Newfoundland''' is an island off the [[Canada|Canadian]] mainland, and is the oldest English dependency in the [[New World]]. The [[Vikings]] temporarily established a settlement in 1013AD at [[l'Anse-aux-Meadows]]. Merchants from [[England]] fished the [[Grand Banks]] as early as 1481. It became a self governing dominion in 1855 and joined confederation in 1949.

The Province of Newfoundland and Labrador includes all of the Island of Newfoundland, as well as an area of mainland, Labrador. In general usage Canadian citizens call the province "Newfoundland" still. The capital is [[St. John's]]. The population in 1991 was 568,474; 2.1% of the national population, by the 2006 census it had declined to 505,469<ref>2006 Canadian Census : [http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/profiles/community/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=PR&Code1=10&Geo2=PR&Code2=01&Data=Count&SearchText=Newfoundland&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=]</ref> or 1.6% in part because of poor economic opportunities in the Territory, though recent expansion of the oil industry has vastly grown the local economy. It has an area of 405,720 km2.
==Further reading==
* [http://www.biographi.ca/EN/ ''The Dictionary of Canadian Biography''] (1966-2006), thousands of scholarly biographies of notables who died by 1930
* [http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCESubjects&Params=A1 ''Canadian Encyclopedia'' (2008)] reliable detailed encyclopedia, on-line free

== References ==
<references/>

== External Links ==
* [http://www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/ Newfoundland Tourism]

[[Category:Islands]][[Category:Canadian Provinces]]
[[Category:British History]]

Valve Corporation

2009-02-13T21:06:36Z

PhilScheur: per talk pg.

The '''Valve Corporation''' is an [[United States of America|American]] video game developer which is based in Bellevue, [[Washington]]. They were founded in 1996, and were made famous in 1998, by their first product [[Half-Life]]. They primarily produce [[violence|violent]] first-person shooter games, such as [[Half-Life 2]], the extremely popular [[Counter-Strike]], and [[Portal]].

They are also responsible for the content-delivery system [[Steam (software)|Steam]].

[[Category:Video Games]]

Welfare

2009-02-13T21:04:23Z

PhilScheur: clarified and fixed several typos

[[Image:Bank of America Victor Gruen.jpg|right|300px]]
'''Welfare''' is a set of government programs paid for by the taxpayers that give money or services to the poor through [[socialism|wealth redistribution]]. It is strongly opposed by conservatives.

==Welfare in the United States==
Welfare expenditures in the [[United States]] have been growing for many years. The welfare system was established by President [[Franklin Roosevelt]], and extended by [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] as part of the [[Great Society]]. Opponents say that, since 50% of Americans pay over 96% of the taxes, <ref>Jackson, 2007</ref><ref>[http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/250.html]</ref> welfare is a [[socialist]] policy. Supporters may cite the supposed effectiveness of Roosevelt's policies to help end the Great Depression.<ref>http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/depression/overview.htm</ref> Welfare also comes in the forms of [[food stamp]]s, free school lunches, and [[Medicaid]].

==Corporate Welfare==
This is a pejorative term used to describe business loans, subsidies, bailouts, and tax breaks, especially for large [[corporation]]s.

== Welfare Reform ==
Highly successful and [[conservative]] legislation was the [[Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996]], which ended the AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) and radically changed the US welfare system. Tighter restrictions were placed on the eligibility and manner of receiving public aid in order to discourage families (mainly single, divorced, or widowed mothers with children)<ref>[http://futureofchildren.org]</ref> from remaining idle (outside of the work force). For instance, recipients are required to find employment within two years of receiving aid, and a single family could receive aid for a total of five years. If a mother gives birth to a child while on public assistance, states are allowed to establish "family caps" in order to deny further benefits the family may have been eligible for before the reform<ref>Washington Post [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/welfare/welfare.htm#new]</ref>. Legal immigrants have also been made ineligible for any Social Security Income (SSI)<ref>Cornell University Law School</ref><ref>[http://topics.law.cornell.edu/wex/welfare]</ref>.

== See also ==
*[[Essay:Greatest Conservative Legislation]]
*[[Capitalism]]
*[[Social democracy]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}
[[Category: Political Terms]]
[[Category:Economics terms]]
[[Category:Government Programs]]

Medicaid

2009-02-13T21:00:41Z

PhilScheur: clarification

'''Medicaid''' is a [[welfare]] program developed mainly by President [[Lyndon B. Johnson]], in coordination with the [[Great Society]]. The Medicaid Program allocates tax dollars to provide medical care for poor [[American]]s.

[[Category:Government Programs]]

Connecticut

2009-02-13T20:55:59Z

PhilScheur:

{{USState
|name=Connecticut
|flag=Connecticut_State_Flag.gif
|motto="Qui Transtulit Sustinet" (He Who Transplanted Still Sustains)
|nick=The Constitution State
|capital=Hartford
|language=English
|governor=Jodi Rell
|gparty=Republican
|senator1=Christopher Dodd
|s1party=Democrat
|s1phone=(202) 224-2823
|s1email=http://dodd.senate.gov/index.php?q=node/3130 Contact
|senator2=Joe Lieberman
|s2party=Independent
|s2phone=(202) 224-4041
|s2email=http://lieberman.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm?regarding=issue Contact
|population=
|date=January 9, 1788 (5th)
}}
Located in the northeastern region of the [[United States]], '''Connecticut''' borders [[New York]], [[Massachusetts]], and [[Rhode Island]]. It was the fifth state to enter into the union. Its capital is [[Hartford]]. It is the richest state in the country,<ref>[http://www.statemaster.com/state/CT-connecticut Statemaster.com]</ref> and its populace is the third smartest.<ref>[http://www.morganquitno.com/edrank06.htm Morgan Quinto]</ref>

Towns rather than counties are the basic unit of local government in Connecticut, unlike most states.

==Notable People from Connecticut==

*Traitor [[Benedict Arnold]] was born in Norwich.

*Showman [[P.T. Barnum]] was born in Bethel.

*President [[George W. Bush]] was born in New Haven.

*Inventor [[Charles Goodyear]] was born in New Haven.

*Liberal activist [[Ralph Nader]] was born in Newsted.

*Lexicographer [[Noah Webster]] was born in Hartford.

==Elected officials==
===Statewide officials===
*Governor [[Jodi Rell|M. Jodi Rell]] (R)
*Lt. Governor [[Michael Fedele]] (R)

===Congressional officials===
*Senator [[Chris Dodd]] (D)
*Senator [[Joe Lieberman]] (I)
*Representative [[John Larson]] (D)
*Representative [[Joseph Courtney]] (D)
*Representative [[Rosa DeLauro]] (D)
*Representative [[Jim Himes]] (D)
*Representative [[Chris Murphy]] (D)

==Civil Unions and Gay Marriage==

Since 2005, Connecticut offered [[civil union]]s with the same rights as [[same sex marriage]]<ref>[http://www.answers.com/topic/domestic-partnership-in-the-united-states Answers.com]</ref> In October of 2008, the Connecticut high court by a 4-3 vote ruled that even if civil unions have all of the same rights as traditional marriage, that the state had no choice but to allow [[gay marriage|marriage to gay couples]]. Connecticut was the third U.S. state to do so.<ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081010/ap_on_re_us/connecticut_same_sex_marriage Connecticut high court rules gay couples can marry]</ref> Between that time and the start of cermonies on November 12th, 2008, California voters rescinded the ruling of activist judges and restored traditional marriage in a [[Proposition 8|referendum]]. The people of Connecticut rejected an amendment to their constitution to remove gay marriage. For the three years that civil unions were in place for gay couples, on average only 700 unions were requested per year.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,450648,00.html</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{USstates}}

Plymouth Colony

2009-02-13T20:54:11Z

PhilScheur:

'''Plymouth Colony''', founded in 1620 in what is now [[Massachusetts]], was an early [[England|English]] colony in the [[New World]]. Many of the so-called Pilgrims to Plymouth were members of a religious group known as the Separatists, who believed the [[Anglican Church]] of England was too [[hierarchy|hierarchical]] and had retained many of the trappings of the Catholic Church. They drew much of their influence from [[John Calvin]], such as the notion of [[predestination]], and the right of the individual to interpret the [[Bible]] for himself. The Mayflower Compact, signed aboard their ship, the Mayflower, guaranteed all citizens of the colony self-government. [[William Bradford]], the leader of the colony, authored ''Of Plimouth Plantation'', a history of the colony. Despite mostly good relations with local [[Native Americans]], half of the colonists died in the first two years. Plymouth Colony later merged with the [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]] to form the colony of [[Massachusetts]].

[[category:Colonial America]]
[[Category:New England]]
[[Category:Puritans]]

Puritans

2009-02-13T20:52:09Z

PhilScheur:

"Puritan" describes several [[Protestant]] denominations, espcially the Congregationalists, who sought to "purify" the [[Anglican Church|Church of England]] of the influence of [[Catholic|Roman Catholicism]] in the 1600s. Puritan ethics were noted for their strictness, especially regarding sexual behavior and the theatre. Puritan literature is highlighted by poet [[John Milton]] and writer [[John Bunyan]]. Several Puritan groups eventually broke from the Church of England.

Persecuted in England, 100,000 Puritans resettled to the American colonies, particularly the [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]] in 1630. They dominated New England and had a profound impact in shaping American history. During the [[English Civil War]], Puritan leader [[Oliver Cromwell]] deposed the monarchy under [[Charles I]]. The monarchy was restored in 1660 and Puritanism, although not persecuted, lost influence in Britain.
==Further reading==
* Bremer, Francis J. ''The Puritan Experiment: New England Society from Bradford to Edwards'' (1995) [http://www.amazon.com/Puritan-Experiment-England-Society-Bradford/dp/0874517281/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230597875&sr=8-4 excerpt and text search]
* Morgan, Edmund S. ''Visible Saints: The History of a Puritan Idea'' (1965) [http://www.amazon.com/Visible-Saints-History-Puritan-Idea/dp/0801490413/ref=pd_bbs_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230597875&sr=8-8 excerpt and text search]
* Vaughan, Alden. ''The Puritan Tradition in America, 1620-1730'' (1997) [http://www.amazon.com/Puritan-Tradition-America-1620-1730-Library/dp/0874518520/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230600896&sr=8-18 excerpt and text search]
* Woolrych, Austin. ''Britain in Revolution: 1625-1660'' (2003) [http://www.amazon.com/Britain-Revolution-1625-1660-Austin-Woolrych/dp/0198200811/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230600766&sr=8-13 excerpt and text search]

===Primary sources===
* Bennett, Arthur G., ed. ''Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions'' (1975) [http://www.amazon.com/Valley-Vision-collection-Puritan-Devotions/dp/0851512283/ref=pd_bbs_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230597875&sr=8-5 excerpt and text search]
* Heimart, Alan, and Andrew Delbanco, eds. ''The Puritans in America: A Narrative Anthology'' (2005) [http://www.amazon.com/Puritans-America-Narrative-Anthology/dp/0674740661/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230600766&sr=8-6 excerpt and text search]
* Miller, Perry. ''The American Puritans: Their Prose and Poetry,'' 346 pgs. [http://www.questia.com/read/1330113?title=The%20American%20Puritans%3a%20Their%20Prose%20and%20Poetry online edition]
* Miller, Perry, and Thomas H. Johnson, eds. ''The Puritans: A Sourcebook of Their Writings'' (2001)

==external links==
* [http://www.questia.com/library/religion/christianity/history/16th-and-17th-centuries/puritans.jsp Online books on Puritans]
* [[http://www.questia.com/library/puritan-literature.jsp Online books on Puritan literature]]
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]
[[Category:English Civil War]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:United States History]]

Puritans

2009-02-13T20:51:45Z

PhilScheur: some minor corrections

"Puritan" describes several [[Protestant]] denominations, espcially the Congregationalists, who sought to "purify" the [[Anglican Church|Church of England]] of the influence of [[Catholic|Roman Catholicism]] in the 1600s. Puritan ethics were noted for their strictness, especially regarding sexual behavior and the theatre. Puritan literature is highlighted by poet [[John Milton]] and writer [[John Bunyan]]. Several Puritan groups eventually broke from the Church of England.

Persecuted in England, 100,000 Puritans resettled to the American colonies, particularly[[Massachusetts Bay Colony]] in 1630. They dominated New England and had a profound impact in shaping American history. During the [[English Civil War]], Puritan leader [[Oliver Cromwell]] deposed the monarchy under [[Charles I]]. The monarchy was restored in 1660 and Puritanism, although not persecuted, lost influence in Britain.
==Further reading==
* Bremer, Francis J. ''The Puritan Experiment: New England Society from Bradford to Edwards'' (1995) [http://www.amazon.com/Puritan-Experiment-England-Society-Bradford/dp/0874517281/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230597875&sr=8-4 excerpt and text search]
* Morgan, Edmund S. ''Visible Saints: The History of a Puritan Idea'' (1965) [http://www.amazon.com/Visible-Saints-History-Puritan-Idea/dp/0801490413/ref=pd_bbs_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230597875&sr=8-8 excerpt and text search]
* Vaughan, Alden. ''The Puritan Tradition in America, 1620-1730'' (1997) [http://www.amazon.com/Puritan-Tradition-America-1620-1730-Library/dp/0874518520/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230600896&sr=8-18 excerpt and text search]
* Woolrych, Austin. ''Britain in Revolution: 1625-1660'' (2003) [http://www.amazon.com/Britain-Revolution-1625-1660-Austin-Woolrych/dp/0198200811/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230600766&sr=8-13 excerpt and text search]

===Primary sources===
* Bennett, Arthur G., ed. ''Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions'' (1975) [http://www.amazon.com/Valley-Vision-collection-Puritan-Devotions/dp/0851512283/ref=pd_bbs_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230597875&sr=8-5 excerpt and text search]
* Heimart, Alan, and Andrew Delbanco, eds. ''The Puritans in America: A Narrative Anthology'' (2005) [http://www.amazon.com/Puritans-America-Narrative-Anthology/dp/0674740661/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230600766&sr=8-6 excerpt and text search]
* Miller, Perry. ''The American Puritans: Their Prose and Poetry,'' 346 pgs. [http://www.questia.com/read/1330113?title=The%20American%20Puritans%3a%20Their%20Prose%20and%20Poetry online edition]
* Miller, Perry, and Thomas H. Johnson, eds. ''The Puritans: A Sourcebook of Their Writings'' (2001)

==external links==
* [http://www.questia.com/library/religion/christianity/history/16th-and-17th-centuries/puritans.jsp Online books on Puritans]
* [[http://www.questia.com/library/puritan-literature.jsp Online books on Puritan literature]]
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]
[[Category:English Civil War]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:United States History]]

Massachusetts Bay Colony

2009-02-13T20:48:03Z

PhilScheur:

'''Massachusetts Bay Colony''' (not to be confused with the nearby [[Plymouth Colony]]) was founded in [[Boston]] in 1630 by English [[Puritans]].The name "Massachusetts" came from the Algonquian Indian word that means "a big hill place." The Puritans wished to set up a religious society away from [[England]]. The Puritans were members of the [[Anglican Church]] who were dissenting against the new [[Catholic]] monarchs and the influence of the Pope in the Church of England. The Puritans were influenced by [[John Calvin]]. The colony was a [[theocracy]]. John Winthrop was the colony's first Governor. The Puritans did not tolerate other religious views. [[Quakers]], [[Baptist|Baptists]], [[Catholics]], and [[Jews]] were hanged in Boston. [[Roger Williams]] and [[Anne Hutchinson]] were forced from the colony due to dissenting political beliefs. Williams founded the colonies of [[Rhode Island]] and [[Connecticut]], and after living for a short time in Rhode Island, Hutchinson settled in what is today [[New York]].

[[category:United States History]]
[[category:Massachusetts]]

A Model of Christian Charity

2009-02-13T20:45:58Z

PhilScheur: clarified

'''A Model of Christian Charity''' was the [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]]'s [[Governor]] [[John Winthrop]]'s 1630 speech describing Winthrop's belief in divine support for the Colony's success.<ref>Boyer, 55</ref> In the speech he stated that Massachusetts would be a city upon a hill - in that the "the eies of all people" would be upon them.<ref>{{cite web|work=About.com|title= City Upon a Hill: Colonial American Lit.|format=HTML|author=Esther Lombardi|language=English|url=http://classiclit.about.com/library/weekly/aa112600a.htm}}</ref> The "city upon the hill" imagery has been echoed through the years, most famously by [[Ronald Reagan]], and is seen by many as the seed of American exceptionalism.
==References==
Boyer, Paul, Clifford, Clark Jr., Nancy Woloch, Neal Salisbury, and Harvard Sitkoff. The Enduring Vision. 5th. New York: Charles Hartford,

== See also ==

*[[Charity]]
*[[Altruism]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Model of Christian Charity, A}}

[[Category:United States History]]

Marriage

2009-02-13T20:31:20Z

PhilScheur: stamping out and eliminating redundancy, and other grammar fixes

[[Image:Bride and groom signing the book.jpg|thumb|350px]]
'''Marriage''' is the divinely ordained union between one man and one woman. (Genesis 2:24) It has been practiced as such by just about every culture across geographical locations and time.<ref> "Because there is a natural complementarity between men and women - sexual, emotional, temperamental, spiritual - marriage allows for a wholeness and a completeness that cannot be won in any other way. ([[Bill Bennett]], ''The Broken Hearth'', Page 197) </ref>
Marriage is a life-long commitment, and typically this involves a public ceremony (a [[wedding]]) where vows are exchanged to each other and before God.

[[Dinesh D'Souza]] wrote:
:Marriage requires a) two people who are b) of legal age and c) not closely related to each other who are d) one male and one female. Note that this definition excludes people who want to marry children, or guys who want to marry their sisters, or Muslims who want to take four wives, or that strange guy who wants to marry his dog.<ref> [http://townhall.com/columnists/DineshDSouza/2008/05/19/gay_rights_vs_democracy Gay Rights vs. Democracy]</ref>

The unity between a man and a woman in marriage is an expression of the relationship that God desires to have with his creation. The first marriage occurred nearly 6,000 years ago in the [[Garden of Eden]], in the area of the world that we now know as the Near East. The first couple was Adam and Eve.

[[Bill Bennett]] wrote:
:Based as it is on the principle of [[complementarity]], marriage is also about a great deal more than love. That "great deal" encompasses, above all, [[procreation]]. The timeless function of marriage is childbearing and child-rearing, and the best arrangement ever developed to that end is the marital union between one man and one woman ... <ref>''The Broken Hearth'', Page 197)</ref>

==Biblical marriage advice==
1 Corinthians 7:1-16:
{{cquote|Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. But this I say by way of concession, not of command. Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that. But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I. But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband (but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not divorce his wife. But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?}}

==Modern marriage licenses==
In the present-day [[United States]], 'getting married' typically involves a marriage license issued by the [[state]] [[government]] or a subdivision thereof (e.g., a county). However, marriage licenses are nowhere mentioned in Scripture; in fact, they are a relatively recent innovation and originally applied only to marriages that were otherwise forbidden.<ref>Information on marriage licenses from Mercy Seat Christian Church [http://www.mercyseat.net/BROCHURES/marriagelicense.htm]</ref>

==Attacks on the institution of marriage==
Any society which lessened the sanctity of marriage has perished. Ancient Rome's decline and fall was due in no small part to a growing tolerance of extramarital sex, particularly [[homosexual acts]].

In the Judeo-Christian tradition, there is no room for [[sexual intercourse]] other than between man and wife. Anything which tolerates or permits [[promiscuity]] weakens society.

Since the middle of the 20th century, [[Liberalism]] has sought to destroy the societal pressures that dissuade people from engaging in extramarital and premarital sex. Removing the stigma from these behaviors, creating no-fault divorce laws, exalting adultery as "stimulating", and especially de-stigmatizing [[homosexuality]] all weaken the institution of marriage.

A recent ''Newsweek'' article complains that [[Biblical figures]] have not provided good historical examples of marriage, on the grounds that [[Abraham]] begot [[Ishmael]] by a maidservant and [[Jacob]] had [[polygamy|two wives]] and sons with both of their [[concubine|servants]]. The article also criticizes [[Jesus]] and [[St. Paul]] for remaining single. <ref>http://www.newsweek.com/id/172653/page/1</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==See also==
*[[Form of Solemnization of Matrimony]], an example of a traditional marriage service
*[[Civil marriage]]

==External Links==
*[http://www.aim.org/wls/category/marriage/ What Liberals Say - Category: Marriage], [[Accuracy In Media]]

[[Category:Culture]]
[[Category:Sociology]]

User:PhilScheur

2009-01-28T17:03:49Z

PhilScheur: per request to put something, anything on user page

something, anything

USS Liberty

2009-01-19T17:31:10Z

PhilScheur: few edits in the interest of neutrality

(This article is still under construction)

The USS ''Liberty'' was a Belmont-class technical research ship<ref>[http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/l6/liberty-iii.htm| The vessel's specification]</ref>, belonging to the [[United States Navy]]. The most notable event concerning it was an attack on it in international waters near the town of [[El Arish]] on June 8 1967, during the [[Six Day War]], by [[Israel|Israeli]] fighter planes and torpedo boats. The incident killed 34 US servicemen and wounded 173, making it the second deadliest attack against a US warship since the end of [[World War II]]. The government of Israel later paid a total of $12 million in compensation to the U.S. government and the families of the victims.<ref>''Raid on the Sun'', by Rodger W. Claire, Random House, 2004</ref>

The attack is still a subject of controversy. Many people, including survivors of the incident, believe that the ''Liberty'' was targeted deliberately, and that her attackers knew she was an American ship. Israel maintains that the attack was accidental, and that the Liberty was mistaken for an enemy vessel.

==References==
<references/>

==Further Reading==
[http://www.nsa.gov/liberty/liber00010.pdf NSA investigation (warning - large (~15Mb) download)]

[[Category:Israel]]
[[Category: United States Navy]]

Talk:Gallery of American Heroes

2009-01-19T17:25:00Z

PhilScheur:

I removed Robert E. Lee. He is ''not'' an American hero--he was a traitor who waged war against his country and his fellow citizens.--[[User:RossC|RossC]] 11:43, 16 December 2008 (EST)

:I do understand your point of view; But, before removing Lee I would like to have the opinion of other editors or an honest debate. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 14:14, 16 December 2008 (EST)
::What's to debate? He fought for the enemy. He's responsible for the deaths of thousands of loyal American soldiers. If you're going to include Lee in the list, you might as well add Benedict Arnold, John Wilkes Booth, Adlrich Ames, Timothy McVeigh, and the 9/11 hijackers to the list.--[[User:RossC|RossC]] 15:03, 16 December 2008 (EST)
::I'd agree that "American" hero doesn't quite fit Lee. While "traitor" is a bit strong, he led an armed rebellion AGAINST the United States... hardly rationale for calling the man a hero. [[User:PhilScheur|PhilScheur]] 16:47, 17 December 2008 (EST)

This is my reasoning:

He is a hero in the old confederate states + this states are part of the US = He is an American hero.

--[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 19:23, 29 December 2008 (EST)

By this logic, General Santa Anna is also an American Hero: He is a hero in the old Mexican region of Texas + this state is part of the US = He is an American hero. Please add Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna to the list of American Heroes, Joaquin. [[User:PhilScheur|PhilScheur]] 11:55, 19 January 2009 (EST)

:: Santa Anna is not a hero neither in Mexico nor in TEXAS, but may be [[René Robert Cavelier de La Salle]] is in [[Louisiana]]. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 12:12, 19 January 2009 (EST)

::: Santa Anna is indeed a hero in Texas, to many Americans of Mexican descent. As Robert E. Lee is a hero in some southern states, to many Americans of Confederate descent. [[User:PhilScheur|PhilScheur]] 12:25, 19 January 2009 (EST)

See above, Joaquin. He led a rebellion AGAINST the United States. Feel free to start a "Gallery of Confederate Heroes" page if you like (though how would that differ from a "Gallery of Soviet Heroes" page?). Lee does not belong on the AMERICAN heroes page. [[User:PhilScheur|PhilScheur]] 09:44, 30 December 2008 (EST)

: I see your point and you have seen mine. Now lets wait for an honest debate. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 09:50, 30 December 2008 (EST)
::By that same logic, if everyone in California thought that, I dunno, Steve Young was a hero, he still wouldn't be a hero to the entire nation, though he would be a Californian hero. Lee is a hero ''to the South.''
:::To his credit, he came pretty close to being the next George Washington... but I agree, even if he'd won, he'd have been a confederate hero, not an American hero.
:::On a different note - removed Barry Bonds from the links section. With the scandals going on, he really isn't a good role model right now.[[User:Mikek|Mikek]] 15:13, 16 December 2008 (EST)
::::There's one thing I don't understand about this page. Shouldn't the McCain picture not be so big? It's probably four times bigger than any other picture on there. [[User:JY23|JY23]] 15:31, 16 December 2008 (EST)
:::::Because he's a big American hero--unlike that traitorous Lee. Let's stick to the issue, please.--[[User:RossC|RossC]] 15:51, 16 December 2008 (EST)
::::::Putting McCain ahead of ''Washington''? His image should be the same as the others, please. --[[User:DinsdaleP|DinsdaleP]] 19:42, 17 December 2008 (EST)

I question actor [[Paul Newman]] and the notorious drug user [[Elvis Presley]]. They are famous; they are not heroes. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] [[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]] 10:34, 17 December 2008 (EST) Fixed. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 16:09, 18 December 2008 (EST)

==Peyton Manning==

First off, I question him as an American hero. Second, I wonder if we could find another picture? That's him in the pro-bowl and it looks like he's playing for the Arizona Cardinals. Maybe find one where he's in a Colts uniform? [[User:JLauttamus|Jeffrey W. Lauttamus]][[User_talk:JLauttamus|Discussion]] 11:33, 17 December 2008 (EST)

:We need a separate category for sports idols. We can idolize someone for a reason other than [[heroism]]. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] [[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]] 11:55, 17 December 2008 (EST)

::That's a great idea, Ed. Good job on the picture, Joaquin. That looks much better! [[User:JLauttamus|Jeffrey W. Lauttamus]][[User_talk:JLauttamus|Discussion]] 12:01, 17 December 2008 (EST)

:::I wrote that page, see [[Gallery of Sports Idols]]. Add as needed. Also, does that mean we can start taking down the sports ones? [[User:JY23|JY23]] 12:58, 17 December 2008 (EST)

==Like To See==
[[User:Jpatt|jpatt]] 12:57, 17 December 2008 (EST)
*schwarzkopf
*<s>reagan</s>
*alexander gram bell
*wright brothers
*john glenn
*Charles Lindbergh
*fdr
*susan b. anthony
*paul revere
*tomb of the unknown soldiers

:Good list, and the last one is particularly appropriate. One suggestion might be to categorize them (sports, military, leadership, science/discovery, etc.) In any case, I'd like to add the following:

:*The passengers of Flight 93 on Sept.11, 2001
:*The Police, Firefighters and EMT's who lost their lives helping others on 9/11/2001.
:*Michael Phelps
:*Lance Armstrong
:*Jimmy Doolittle

:I'm sure more will follow once I think about this a bit. --[[User:DinsdaleP|DinsdaleP]] 19:39, 17 December 2008 (EST)

::"''The Police, Firefighters and EMT's who lost their lives helping others on 9/11/2001.''" - ...only the ones who died? I think I know what you were trying to get at, but the way you put it was a bit unfortunate. --[[User:AlanS|AlanS]] 20:57, 17 December 2008 (EST)
:::Good point. It should say "who risked their lives", which is more inclusive. --[[User:DinsdaleP|DinsdaleP]] 21:56, 17 December 2008 (EST)

::::*Pat Tillman--[[User:Jpatt|jpatt]] 22:18, 17 December 2008 (EST)
:::::You beat me to it, J. Good one! --[[User:DinsdaleP|DinsdaleP]] 08:53, 18 December 2008 (EST)

* [[Amelia Earhart]] Done. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 20:14, 30 December 2008 (EST)

== Elvis and Paul Newman are American Heroes, but adding [[Phyllis Schlafly]] gets you a three month block? ==

I think this article just [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Gallery_of_American_Heroes&diff=589385&oldid=589250 proved] to be a [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=block&user=&page=User%3ABrianF&year=&month=-1 minefield.]

Could a sysop give a definition of "American Hero" before more people get blocked for making one wrong addition here? --[[User:AlanS|AlanS]] 22:02, 17 December 2008 (EST)

: What is a [[hero]]. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 22:13, 17 December 2008 (EST)

::That was my question (<s>and I find it somewhat odd that the sysop who made a judgment call in this issue ''also'' asks it</s> No, scratch that. I only now noticed that it was you who added most of those definitions just today, so I guess this wasn't an actual question.), but since you gave a link...
::*A hero is a [...] figure who is a person of virtue
::*They usually believe in honour and have strong morals.
::*A person noted for special achievement in a particular field
::*A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.
::While Phyllis may not have fulfilled every single one of them (even though I'm not familiar with her detailed biography, so maybe she did indeed fulfill them all), I would say she easily qualifies. But I'm sure you had your reasons for declaring her addition to be "moronic vandalism"... right? --[[User:AlanS|AlanS]] 22:54, 17 December 2008 (EST)

::: Who was supposedly blocked 3 months for that? Often blocks take into consideration the totality of the edits.--[[User:Aschlafly|aschlafly]] 23:03, 17 December 2008 (EST)

::::BrianF. See the links in the opening posts, plus [http://www.conservapedia.com/Special:Contributions/BrianF contribs] list. This was the only edit since December 4, and it was [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Gallery_of_American_Heroes&diff=589441&oldid=589385 reverted] here. --[[User:AlanS|AlanS]] 23:07, 17 December 2008 (EST)
::::::The "user" in question was a sock of a person from (how to put this...) a website which does not have CP's best interests at heart. Furthermore, the now-reverted addition was done at the behest of persons at said website, intended as parody. I'd post a link to the discussion of all this, but that would likely be inappropriate.--[[User:RossC|RossC]] 08:21, 18 December 2008 (EST)
:::::::And this influences Phyllis Schlafly being or not being an American Hero... how? Right now, this sounds a bit like "Somebody somewhere said something that caused Phyllis Schlafly to be added. Because they said she should be added, we should not add her", which would be a classic case of ''Reductio ad Hitlerum''. I wasn't aware that people on other sites you won't even name get to decide who is an American Hero. Truth is still truth if it was added by a parodist, and it shouldn't be reverted "just because". --[[User:AlanS|AlanS]] 16:28, 18 December 2008 (EST)

==Proposed Additions==

*Norman Schwarzkopf - Military Service / Leadership
*<s>[[Ronald Reagan]]</s> - Leadership
*[[Alexander Graham Bell|Alexander Graham Bell]] - Engineering
*[[The Wright Brothers]] - Engineering
*[[John Glenn]] - Exploration
*[[Charles Lindbergh]] - Exploration / Individual Achievement
*[[FDR]] - Leadership
*[[Susan B. Anthony]] - Human Rights
*[[Paul Revere]] - Service to Country
*[[The Unknown Soldiers from America's Military
*The passengers of Flight 93 on [[September 11, 2001 attacks|9/11]] - Service to Country
*The Police, Firefighters and EMT's who risked their lives helping others on [[September 11, 2001 attacks|9/11]]. - Service to Country
*[[Michael Phelps]] - Sports
*[[Lance Armstrong]] - Sports
*[[James Doolittle|Jimmy Doolittle]] - Military Service / Leadership
*[[Pat Tillman]] - Military Service
*[[Glenn Miller]] - Arts
*Jonas Salk - Medicine
*Chuck Yeager - Military Service / Exploration

==Comments on proposed additions==

:: I think it is a good idea. I suggest to make a second page in order to make it easy to handle. You could start it with all those names. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 16:07, 18 December 2008 (EST)

:::Do you mean setting up pages like "Gallery of American Heroes - Exploration"? I'm wondering if we should break it down with colons, like this - "Gallery:American Heroes:Exploration", unless that's too awkward. It also allow for other collections to be organized under a "Gallery:" heading. Thoughts? --[[User:DinsdaleP|DinsdaleP]] 16:18, 18 December 2008 (EST)

:::: I am thinking in a second page: "Gallery of American Heroes, Part II" --[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 17:31, 18 December 2008 (EST)
:::::How about sub-pages for some categories? Like "Gallery of American Heroes/Athletes"? All linked from the main gallery, of course. [[User:Human|Human]] 17:40, 18 December 2008 (EST)

== Suggestions ==

I came up with a few thoughts that I wrote down elsewhere during a little (ahem) vacation from CP.

First, a question. Apparently these heros are organized in roughly chronological order, correct?

Some of the thoughts I had:
*Center the text under the photos for improved appearance.
*Add the birth (and death) year of each hero.
*Break up into sections (or separate pages) for:
**Warrior and politician heroes (perhaps by historical era)
**Sports heroes
**Activist heroes (Tubman, Schlafly, etc.)
**Etc.
*If they are kept in one long list, a line mentioning what they are known for might be nice (example: Ronald Reagan (1911 - 2004) Politician - with line breaks between each blurb)

And a couple of last questions:
*Why is Babe Ruth not in with the rest of the gallery?
*Why is John McCain's picture huge, why is his title ("Senator") missing? (In fact, all titles are missing)
*Where the heck is President [[Ronald Reagan]]?

I don't mind effecting any of these changes, but I don't want to step on any toes by editing first and asking later. [[User:Human|Human]] 17:39, 18 December 2008 (EST)

Immiscible

2009-01-19T17:22:24Z

PhilScheur:

The term '''immiscible''' describes a type of solution which is incapable of being mixed or attaining [[homogeneous mixture|homogeneity]].

A common example of an immiscibility is oil and [[water]], which do not mix well with each other. Their droplets remain separate even if mixing is attempted.
[[Category:Chemistry]]

Greg Maddux

2009-01-19T17:21:44Z

PhilScheur:

'''Gregory Alan Maddux''', nicknamed Mad Dog, is a baseball pitcher.<ref>http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/maddugr01.shtml</ref> He is best known for his pinpoint control and for his outstanding years with the [[Atlanta Braves]] during the 1990's. He most recently pitched for the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]]. He has also pitched previously for the [[Chicago Cubs]] and [[San Diego Padres]]. He is the brother of Texas Rangers pitching coach and former Major League pitcher Mike Maddux.

==References==
<references/>
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maddux, Gregory}}
[[Category: Baseball players]]

Pete Seeger

2009-01-19T17:20:06Z

PhilScheur:

'''Pete Seeger''' is an American [[folk]] singer and activist. Seeger sang with the folk group the Weavers, and is also known for expressing his [[communist]] leanings.

[[Category: Musicians]]
[[Category:Political Activists]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seeger, Pete}}

Roy Cohn

2009-01-19T17:15:30Z

PhilScheur:

'''Roy Cohn''' was the [[U.S. Senate]] General Counsel to the [[Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations]] (PSI) during the chairmanship of Senator [[Joseph McCarthy]] in the first half of the 1950s. He was born in [[New York City]] in 1927 to Albert Cohn, a State judge.

After attending the [[Columbia Law School]], Cohn passed the bar exam at the age of twenty-one. He became an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern district of New York state, and eventually would play a significant role in the prosecution of Ethel and [[Julius Rosenberg]] in 1951. Cohn's cross examination of [[Ethel Rosenberg]]'s brother, [[David Greenglass]], is seen as the central event in that trial, which lead to the Rosenbergs' conviction and execution.

In 1952 Senator McCarthy made Roy Cohn the chief counsel to the Government Committee on Operations of the Senate. Cohn became famous for his aggressive style during the [[Army-McCarthy hearings]]. After McCarthy was censured in 1954, Cohn went into private practice. Over the next thirty years his clients included [[Donald Trump]], [[Tony Salerno]], and the [[Catholic Archdiocese of New York]].

Roy Cohn died on August 2, 1986 of complications from [[AIDS]].

== References ==

*[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_v38/ai_4328760 Obituary]
*[http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi/fullRecord.asp?id=8004 Senator Joseph McCarthy and Roy Cohn]

[[Category:United States Appointed Officials]]
[[Category:Lawyers]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cohn, Roy}}

United Nations Human Rights Council

2009-01-19T17:12:14Z

PhilScheur: added examples

The '''Human Rights Council''' of the [[United Nations]] is supposed to identify and publicize violators of [[human rights]]. Some countries, however, have been able to get elected to the commission and use their membership to conceal their [[human rights violations]], such as [[genocide]] and [[crimes against humanity]]. Examples include China, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan.

The [[United States of America]] and its allies consider the US to be the world's foremost defender of human rights, but America's opponents have used selective citations to make the US look bad and other countries look good.

[[category:United Nations]]

Charles Barkley

2009-01-19T17:08:37Z

PhilScheur: grammar

'''Charles Wade Barkley''', born February 20, 1963, is a retired [[National Basketball Association]] forward. During his 16-year career, he played for the [[Philadelphia 76ers]], [[Phoenix Suns]] and [[Houston Rockets]]. During his career, he was known for his great ability to grab rebounds despite his relatively short stature, earning him the nickname "Round Mound of Rebound". He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. He is currently known for voicing his sometimes humorous opinion on controversial topics such as [[race]], generally from a [[liberal|left of center]] viewpoint, although he has expressed a few [[conservative|right of center]] opinions as well. Barkley is currently a studio analyst for NBA games on TNT.

==College==
===Auburn===
Barkley played three seasons at Auburn, where he established himself as an elite rebounder. As of 2009, he still ranks in the school's top ten in total rebounds. He was named the Player of the Year in the Southeastern Conference in his final year.

==NBA==
===Philadelphia 76ers (1984-1992)===
Barkley was selected with the fifth pick of the 1984 NBA draft by the 76ers. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie team after averaging 14 points and 8.6 rebounds per game in the 84-85 season. In his third year, he became a team leader following the trade of [[Moses Malone|Moses Malone's]] trade to [[Washington Wizards|Washington]]. That year he became the shortest player to win the rebounding title (14.6rpg) and was named to the first of what would be eleven consecutive All-Star teams. In 87-88, Barkley was named a team co-captain and average 28.3 points per game, good enough for fourth in the league. He was named to the All-NBA First Team for his efforts. But even with Barkley's strong season, the 76ers would fall short of the playoffs for the first time since he joined the team. He was named MVP of the 90-91 NBA All-Star game after scoring 17 points and picking up 22 rebounds in the East's 116-114 win over the West. In March of 1991, he received notoriety for attempting to spit at a heckler. He missed the heckler and accidentally hit a child in the crowd. The NBA suspended Barkley for one game and fined him $10,000. Barkley said of the incident, "You do stupid things, and stuff like that happens. I just have to live with a stupid mistake."<ref>"NBA Fines Barkley for Spitting on Fans"; ''Deseret News'', Marcy 29, 1991</ref> Following the 1992 season, Barkley was traded to the Suns in exchange for Jeff Hornacek, Andrew Lang and Tim Perry.

===1992 Olympics===
Barkley was one of the first ten players chosen to be part of the "Dream Team" at the 1992 Olympic games. Barkley remarked, "It's a great opportunity; it's not often you have a chance to make history. No matter how many Teams go in the future, the first one is special. It will always be the answer to a trivia question." He would get into controversy after being involved in a physical altercation with a player from the Angola team. Barkley said, "Somebody hits me, I'm going to hit him back. Even if it does look like he hasn't eaten in a couple weeks"<ref name="quote">http://blacksportsonline.com/index/2008/09/rl50charlesbarkley.html</ref> He would go on to lead the team in scoring at 18 points per game as they easily won the Gold medal.

===Phoenix Suns (1992-1996)===
Barkley's success continued in his first season in Phoenix. He led the team in scoring as they went to the NBA Finals before falling in six games to the [[Chicago Bulls]]. That offseason, he encountered more controversy when he declared that he wasn't a role model during a [[Nike]] commercial. The comments would receive criticism from former [[vice president]] [[Dan Quayle]] and others. Charles had another strong year in 93-94 and the Suns would make the playoffs before falling in the second round to the Rockets in seven games. The Suns wouldn't make it past the second round of the playoffs for the rest of his time with the team. In August of 1996, Barkley was traded to the Rockets for [[Sam Cassell]], [[Robert Horry]], Mark Bryant and Chucky Brown.

===Houston Rockets (1996-2000)===
The Rockets acquired Barkley in hopes of winning another championship. They felt putting Barkley alongside [[Clyde Drexler]] and [[Hakeem Olajuwon]] would allow them to beat the un-retired [[Michael Jordan|Michael Jordan's]] Bulls. His first year there was a struggle as he missed 29 games to injury or suspension. The team would manage to make it to the Western Conference finals before losing to the [[Utah Jazz]]. Prior to his second year in Houston, Barkley got into an altercation with a man at a bar. He ended up throwing the man through the bar's front window. Barkley claimed that the man threw a "glass of ice" at him which lead to the fight.<ref name="bar">"Barkley arrested after bar scuffle"; ''Augusta Chronicle'', October 27, 1997</ref> Barkley said, "I'm going to defend myself ... at all times. I've made that clear in my years in the NBA. If you bother me, I'm going to whup you."<ref name="bar"/> In 1998 the Rockets acquired [[Scottie Pippen]] from Chicago to replace the retiring Drexler. The team would make the playoffs in the 98-99 lockout shortened season, but lost in the first round to the [[Los Angeles Lakers]]. After the season ended, the Rockets traded Pippen to the [[Portland Trail Blazers]] and Barkley announced that he would retire following the 1999-2000 season. Barkley would play in only 20 games that year due to injuries and the team would go 34-48 to miss the playoffs. Barkley announced his retirement on April 20, 2000.

==Off the Court==
===Charity===
Barkley has been involved with several charity efforts, including the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the United Service Organization. In 1995, he bought [[Christmas]] gifts for twenty homeless children. Barkley said, "My charity work has always been my focus. I think that I have been blessed. I've been sent to help poor people, and I try to do it through my foundation...And what I've been doing for the last few years, I'm giving a million dollars to my high school, a million dollars to my college, a million dollars to another school to help poor people go to college, because without education, you cannot be successful."<ref>http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0212/17/ltm.11.html</ref>

===Quotes===
Barkley on Auburn hiring Gene Chizik as head football coach:<ref>http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3770769</ref>
<blockquote>
"I think race was the No. 1 factor. You can say it's not about race, but you can't compare the two résumés and say [Chizik] deserved the job. Out of all the coaches they interviewed, Chizik probably had the worst résumé."
</blockquote>

Barkley on rebounding:<ref name="quote"/>
<blockquote>
"I always laugh when people ask me about rebounding techniques. I've got a technique. It's called just go get the damn ball."
</blockquote>

Barkley on Democrats:<ref name="quote"/>
<blockquote>
"Well, when I went off to college, the guys I used to hang with were pumping gas and voting Democrat. Today they're still pumping gas and voting Democrat. Guess the Democrats didn't do much for them."
</blockquote>

Barkley on Tonya Harding:<ref name="quote"/>
<blockquote>
"I heard Tonya Harding is calling herself the Charles Barkley of figure skating. I was going to sue her for defamation of character, but then I realized I have no character."
</blockquote>

After retiring from the NBA:<ref name="quote"/>
<blockquote>
"I'm just what America needs - another unemployed black man."
</blockquote>

==References==
<references/>

==External Links==
*[http://www.databasebasketball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BARKLCH01 Barkley @ Basketball Database]

*[http://www.hoophall.com/halloffamers/bhof-charles-barkley.html Basketball Hall of Fame Profile]

[[Category: Basketball Players]]
[[Category: Olympic Athletes]]
{{DEFAULTSORT: Barkley, Charles}}

Obama inauguration

2009-01-19T16:59:33Z

PhilScheur:

The '''Obama inauguration''' signals the conclusion of the Bush administration by the swearing-in ceremony of president-elect [[Barack Hussein Obama]], and [[Joe Biden|Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr.]] as Vice President, on Tuesday January 20th, 2009. The price tag for the festivities could approach the most expensive ever at $160 million. Carole Florman, spokeswoman for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies says it's "not a lot of money in the scheme of planning an event for 240,000 people" and "We're always very budget conscious, but we're sending a message to the entire world about our peaceful transition of power, and you don't want it to look like a [[schlock]] affair. It needs to be appropriate to the magnitude of events that it is." <ref>[http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/01/13/2009-01-13_obamas_inauguration_is_most_expensive_ev.html Obama's inauguration is most expensive ever at $160 million] NY Daily News, January 14th 2009</ref> At least 2 million people are expected to travel to [[Washington D.C.]] for the swearing-in.

==Controversy==
*While inviting a [[Christian]] to give an inaugural prayer is not so controversial, the [[gay]] community is in an uproar over the invite to [[evangelical]] pastor [[Rick Warren]]. Pastor Warren voted for [[Prop 8]] in his home of [[California]]. <ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE4BH7DR20081218 Obama's next pastor controversy - at inauguration] Reuters, December 18, 2008</ref>

*Rev. Sharon Watkins of [[Protestant]] Christian denomination will also give an opening prayer. She is the first woman pastor of a religious faith to give an inaugural prayer. <ref>[http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-obama-prayer-service,0,7764780.story Female minister to deliver sermon at inaugural prayer service, a first] AP, January 11, 2009</ref>

*Openly gay Bishop V. Gene Robinson from [[New Hampshire]] will say an inaugural prayer. Bishop Robinson was among those responsible for the breakup of the [[American]] [[Episcopal]] Church over the issue of gay pastors. <ref>[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jan/13/gay-bishop-to-offer-obama-inaugural-prayers/ Gay bishop to give Inaugural prayer] Washington Times, January 13, 2009</ref>

*Ingrid Mattson, president of the [[Islamic Society of North America]], is invited to give an inaugural prayer. Mattson's group says it does not condone [[terrorism]]. The Holy Land Foundation and five of its former leaders were convicted of funneling millions of dollars to [[Hamas]], for which the ISNA funded and supported. <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/17/feds-say-obama-prayer-leader-group-linked-hamas/ Feds Say Obama Prayer Leader Is From Group Linked to Hamas] Fox News, January 17, 2009</ref>

*In an additional break with Obama's predecessors, no [[Catholic]] or [[Jewish]] speaker is invited to give an inaugural prayer.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Obama Administration]]

Obama inauguration

2009-01-19T16:57:32Z

PhilScheur: Biden's full name

The '''Obama inauguration''' signals the conclusion of the Bush administration by the swearing-in ceremony of president-elect [[Barack Hussein Obama]], and [[Joe Biden|Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr.]] as Vice President, on Tuesday January 20th, 2009. The price tag for the festivities could approach the most expensive ever at $160 million. Carole Florman, spokeswoman for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies says it's "not a lot of money in the scheme of planning an event for 240,000 people" and "We're always very budget conscious, but we're sending a message to the entire world about our peaceful transition of power, and you don't want it to look like a [[schlock]] affair. It needs to be appropriate to the magnitude of events that it is." <ref>[http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/01/13/2009-01-13_obamas_inauguration_is_most_expensive_ev.html Obama's inauguration is most expensive ever at $160 million] NY Daily News, January 14th 2009</ref> At least 2 million people are expected to travel to [[Washington D.C.]] for the swearing-in.

==Controversy==
*While inviting a [[Christian]] to give an inaugural prayer is not so controversial, the [[gay]] community is in an uproar over the invite to [[evangelical]] pastor [[Rick Warren]]. Pastor Warren voted for [[Prop 8]] in his home of [[California]]. <ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE4BH7DR20081218 Obama's next pastor controversy - at inauguration] Reuters, December 18, 2008</ref>

*Rev. Sharon Watkins of [[Protestant]] Christian denomination will also give an opening prayer. She is the first woman pastor of a religious faith to give an inaugural prayer. <ref>[http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-obama-prayer-service,0,7764780.story Female minister to deliver sermon at inaugural prayer service, a first] AP, January 11, 2009</ref>

*Openly gay Bishop V. Gene Robinson from [[New Hampshire]] will say an inaugural prayer. Bishop Robinson was singlehandedly responsible for the breakup of the [[American]] [[Episcopal]] Church. <ref>[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jan/13/gay-bishop-to-offer-obama-inaugural-prayers/ Gay bishop to give Inaugural prayer] Washington Times, January 13, 2009</ref>

*Ingrid Mattson, president of the [[Islamic Society of North America]], is invited to give an inaugural prayer. Mattson's group says it does not condone [[terrorism]]. The Holy Land Foundation and five of its former leaders were convicted of funneling millions of dollars to [[Hamas]], for which the ISNA funded and supported. <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/17/feds-say-obama-prayer-leader-group-linked-hamas/ Feds Say Obama Prayer Leader Is From Group Linked to Hamas] Fox News, January 17, 2009</ref>

*In an additional break with Obama's predecessors, no [[Catholic]] or Judahism speaker is invited to give an inaugural prayer.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Obama Administration]]

Talk:Gallery of American Heroes

2009-01-19T16:55:13Z

PhilScheur:

I removed Robert E. Lee. He is ''not'' an American hero--he was a traitor who waged war against his country and his fellow citizens.--[[User:RossC|RossC]] 11:43, 16 December 2008 (EST)

:I do understand your point of view; But, before removing Lee I would like to have the opinion of other editors or an honest debate. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 14:14, 16 December 2008 (EST)
::What's to debate? He fought for the enemy. He's responsible for the deaths of thousands of loyal American soldiers. If you're going to include Lee in the list, you might as well add Benedict Arnold, John Wilkes Booth, Adlrich Ames, Timothy McVeigh, and the 9/11 hijackers to the list.--[[User:RossC|RossC]] 15:03, 16 December 2008 (EST)
::I'd agree that "American" hero doesn't quite fit Lee. While "traitor" is a bit strong, he led an armed rebellion AGAINST the United States... hardly rationale for calling the man a hero. [[User:PhilScheur|PhilScheur]] 16:47, 17 December 2008 (EST)

This is my reasoning:

He is a hero in the old confederate states + this states are part of the US = He is an American hero.

--[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 19:23, 29 December 2008 (EST)

By this logic, General Santa Anna is also an American Hero: He is a hero in the old Mexican region of Texas + this state is part of the US = He is an American hero. Please add Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna to the list of American Heroes, Joaquin. [[User:PhilScheur|PhilScheur]] 11:55, 19 January 2009 (EST)

See above, Joaquin. He led a rebellion AGAINST the United States. Feel free to start a "Gallery of Confederate Heroes" page if you like (though how would that differ from a "Gallery of Soviet Heroes" page?). Lee does not belong on the AMERICAN heroes page. [[User:PhilScheur|PhilScheur]] 09:44, 30 December 2008 (EST)

: I see your point and you have seen mine. Now lets wait for an honest debate. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 09:50, 30 December 2008 (EST)
::By that same logic, if everyone in California thought that, I dunno, Steve Young was a hero, he still wouldn't be a hero to the entire nation, though he would be a Californian hero. Lee is a hero ''to the South.''
:::To his credit, he came pretty close to being the next George Washington... but I agree, even if he'd won, he'd have been a confederate hero, not an American hero.
:::On a different note - removed Barry Bonds from the links section. With the scandals going on, he really isn't a good role model right now.[[User:Mikek|Mikek]] 15:13, 16 December 2008 (EST)
::::There's one thing I don't understand about this page. Shouldn't the McCain picture not be so big? It's probably four times bigger than any other picture on there. [[User:JY23|JY23]] 15:31, 16 December 2008 (EST)
:::::Because he's a big American hero--unlike that traitorous Lee. Let's stick to the issue, please.--[[User:RossC|RossC]] 15:51, 16 December 2008 (EST)
::::::Putting McCain ahead of ''Washington''? His image should be the same as the others, please. --[[User:DinsdaleP|DinsdaleP]] 19:42, 17 December 2008 (EST)

I question actor [[Paul Newman]] and the notorious drug user [[Elvis Presley]]. They are famous; they are not heroes. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] [[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]] 10:34, 17 December 2008 (EST) Fixed. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 16:09, 18 December 2008 (EST)

==Peyton Manning==

First off, I question him as an American hero. Second, I wonder if we could find another picture? That's him in the pro-bowl and it looks like he's playing for the Arizona Cardinals. Maybe find one where he's in a Colts uniform? [[User:JLauttamus|Jeffrey W. Lauttamus]][[User_talk:JLauttamus|Discussion]] 11:33, 17 December 2008 (EST)

:We need a separate category for sports idols. We can idolize someone for a reason other than [[heroism]]. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] [[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]] 11:55, 17 December 2008 (EST)

::That's a great idea, Ed. Good job on the picture, Joaquin. That looks much better! [[User:JLauttamus|Jeffrey W. Lauttamus]][[User_talk:JLauttamus|Discussion]] 12:01, 17 December 2008 (EST)

:::I wrote that page, see [[Gallery of Sports Idols]]. Add as needed. Also, does that mean we can start taking down the sports ones? [[User:JY23|JY23]] 12:58, 17 December 2008 (EST)

==Like To See==
[[User:Jpatt|jpatt]] 12:57, 17 December 2008 (EST)
*schwarzkopf
*<s>reagan</s>
*alexander gram bell
*wright brothers
*john glenn
*Charles Lindbergh
*fdr
*susan b. anthony
*paul revere
*tomb of the unknown soldiers

:Good list, and the last one is particularly appropriate. One suggestion might be to categorize them (sports, military, leadership, science/discovery, etc.) In any case, I'd like to add the following:

:*The passengers of Flight 93 on Sept.11, 2001
:*The Police, Firefighters and EMT's who lost their lives helping others on 9/11/2001.
:*Michael Phelps
:*Lance Armstrong
:*Jimmy Doolittle

:I'm sure more will follow once I think about this a bit. --[[User:DinsdaleP|DinsdaleP]] 19:39, 17 December 2008 (EST)

::"''The Police, Firefighters and EMT's who lost their lives helping others on 9/11/2001.''" - ...only the ones who died? I think I know what you were trying to get at, but the way you put it was a bit unfortunate. --[[User:AlanS|AlanS]] 20:57, 17 December 2008 (EST)
:::Good point. It should say "who risked their lives", which is more inclusive. --[[User:DinsdaleP|DinsdaleP]] 21:56, 17 December 2008 (EST)

::::*Pat Tillman--[[User:Jpatt|jpatt]] 22:18, 17 December 2008 (EST)
:::::You beat me to it, J. Good one! --[[User:DinsdaleP|DinsdaleP]] 08:53, 18 December 2008 (EST)

* [[Amelia Earhart]] Done. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 20:14, 30 December 2008 (EST)

== Elvis and Paul Newman are American Heroes, but adding [[Phyllis Schlafly]] gets you a three month block? ==

I think this article just [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Gallery_of_American_Heroes&diff=589385&oldid=589250 proved] to be a [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=block&user=&page=User%3ABrianF&year=&month=-1 minefield.]

Could a sysop give a definition of "American Hero" before more people get blocked for making one wrong addition here? --[[User:AlanS|AlanS]] 22:02, 17 December 2008 (EST)

: What is a [[hero]]. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 22:13, 17 December 2008 (EST)

::That was my question (<s>and I find it somewhat odd that the sysop who made a judgment call in this issue ''also'' asks it</s> No, scratch that. I only now noticed that it was you who added most of those definitions just today, so I guess this wasn't an actual question.), but since you gave a link...
::*A hero is a [...] figure who is a person of virtue
::*They usually believe in honour and have strong morals.
::*A person noted for special achievement in a particular field
::*A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.
::While Phyllis may not have fulfilled every single one of them (even though I'm not familiar with her detailed biography, so maybe she did indeed fulfill them all), I would say she easily qualifies. But I'm sure you had your reasons for declaring her addition to be "moronic vandalism"... right? --[[User:AlanS|AlanS]] 22:54, 17 December 2008 (EST)

::: Who was supposedly blocked 3 months for that? Often blocks take into consideration the totality of the edits.--[[User:Aschlafly|aschlafly]] 23:03, 17 December 2008 (EST)

::::BrianF. See the links in the opening posts, plus [http://www.conservapedia.com/Special:Contributions/BrianF contribs] list. This was the only edit since December 4, and it was [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Gallery_of_American_Heroes&diff=589441&oldid=589385 reverted] here. --[[User:AlanS|AlanS]] 23:07, 17 December 2008 (EST)
::::::The "user" in question was a sock of a person from (how to put this...) a website which does not have CP's best interests at heart. Furthermore, the now-reverted addition was done at the behest of persons at said website, intended as parody. I'd post a link to the discussion of all this, but that would likely be inappropriate.--[[User:RossC|RossC]] 08:21, 18 December 2008 (EST)
:::::::And this influences Phyllis Schlafly being or not being an American Hero... how? Right now, this sounds a bit like "Somebody somewhere said something that caused Phyllis Schlafly to be added. Because they said she should be added, we should not add her", which would be a classic case of ''Reductio ad Hitlerum''. I wasn't aware that people on other sites you won't even name get to decide who is an American Hero. Truth is still truth if it was added by a parodist, and it shouldn't be reverted "just because". --[[User:AlanS|AlanS]] 16:28, 18 December 2008 (EST)

==Proposed Additions==

*Norman Schwarzkopf - Military Service / Leadership
*<s>[[Ronald Reagan]]</s> - Leadership
*[[Alexander Graham Bell|Alexander Graham Bell]] - Engineering
*[[The Wright Brothers]] - Engineering
*[[John Glenn]] - Exploration
*[[Charles Lindbergh]] - Exploration / Individual Achievement
*[[FDR]] - Leadership
*[[Susan B. Anthony]] - Human Rights
*[[Paul Revere]] - Service to Country
*[[The Unknown Soldiers from America's Military
*The passengers of Flight 93 on [[September 11, 2001 attacks|9/11]] - Service to Country
*The Police, Firefighters and EMT's who risked their lives helping others on [[September 11, 2001 attacks|9/11]]. - Service to Country
*[[Michael Phelps]] - Sports
*[[Lance Armstrong]] - Sports
*[[James Doolittle|Jimmy Doolittle]] - Military Service / Leadership
*[[Pat Tillman]] - Military Service
*[[Glenn Miller]] - Arts
*Jonas Salk - Medicine
*Chuck Yeager - Military Service / Exploration

==Comments on proposed additions==

:: I think it is a good idea. I suggest to make a second page in order to make it easy to handle. You could start it with all those names. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 16:07, 18 December 2008 (EST)

:::Do you mean setting up pages like "Gallery of American Heroes - Exploration"? I'm wondering if we should break it down with colons, like this - "Gallery:American Heroes:Exploration", unless that's too awkward. It also allow for other collections to be organized under a "Gallery:" heading. Thoughts? --[[User:DinsdaleP|DinsdaleP]] 16:18, 18 December 2008 (EST)

:::: I am thinking in a second page: "Gallery of American Heroes, Part II" --[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 17:31, 18 December 2008 (EST)
:::::How about sub-pages for some categories? Like "Gallery of American Heroes/Athletes"? All linked from the main gallery, of course. [[User:Human|Human]] 17:40, 18 December 2008 (EST)

== Suggestions ==

I came up with a few thoughts that I wrote down elsewhere during a little (ahem) vacation from CP.

First, a question. Apparently these heros are organized in roughly chronological order, correct?

Some of the thoughts I had:
*Center the text under the photos for improved appearance.
*Add the birth (and death) year of each hero.
*Break up into sections (or separate pages) for:
**Warrior and politician heroes (perhaps by historical era)
**Sports heroes
**Activist heroes (Tubman, Schlafly, etc.)
**Etc.
*If they are kept in one long list, a line mentioning what they are known for might be nice (example: Ronald Reagan (1911 - 2004) Politician - with line breaks between each blurb)

And a couple of last questions:
*Why is Babe Ruth not in with the rest of the gallery?
*Why is John McCain's picture huge, why is his title ("Senator") missing? (In fact, all titles are missing)
*Where the heck is President [[Ronald Reagan]]?

I don't mind effecting any of these changes, but I don't want to step on any toes by editing first and asking later. [[User:Human|Human]] 17:39, 18 December 2008 (EST)

Gallery of American Heroes

2008-12-30T14:44:52Z

PhilScheur:

''For sports heroes, see [[Gallery of Sports Idols]]'' 
'''Gallery of American [[Hero|Heroes]]'''
[[Image:The babe.jpg|thumb|[[Babe Ruth]]]]
{{Clear}}
<center>
<gallery perrow="5">
Image:Benjamin.jpg|[[Benjamin Franklin]]
Image:George washington 3.jpg|[[George Washington]]

Image:John adams.gif|[[John Adams]]
Image:Daniel Boone.jpg|[[Daniel Boone]]
Image:TCJJ.jpg|[[Thomas Jefferson]]
Image:7648ruy6g.gif|[[James Madison]]
Image:Alexhamilton.jpg|[[Alexander Hamilton]]
Image:Andrew Jackson.jpg|[[Andrew Jackson]]
Image:Zachary taylor.jpg|[[Zachary Taylor]]
Image:Davy Crockett.jpg|[[Davy Crockett]]
Image:Lincoln.jpg|[[Abraham Lincoln]]

Image:Elizabethcadystanton.jpg|[[Elizabeth Cady Stanton]]
Image:Freddouglas.jpg|[[Frederick Douglass]]
Image:3a10453r.jpg|[[Harriet Tubman]]
Image:Sherman (B).jpg|[[William T. Sherman]]
Image:Ulysses grant.jpg|[[Ulysses S. Grant]]
Image:Andrew carnegie.jpg|[[Andrew Carnegie]]
Image:875997.jpg|[[Thomas Edison]]
Image:Macarthur1.jpg|[[Douglas MacArthur]]
Image:Patton.jpg|[[George Patton]]
Image:Irving Berlin.jpg|[[Irving Berlin]]
Image:Yte7567.jpg|[[Dwight D. Eisenhower]]
Image:Louis Armstrong.jpg|[[Louis Armstrong]]
Image:RosaParks.jpg|[[Rosa Parks]]
Image:Jesse Owens.jpg|[[Jesse Owens]]
Image:Archie Moore.jpg|[[Archie Moore]].
Image:John kennedy.jpg|[[John F. Kennedy]]
Image:Ted Williams 1847...jpg|[[Ted Williams]]
Image:Jackie Robinson in Dodgers uniform, 1954..jpg|[[Jackie Robinson]]

Image:Martin Luther King Jr Washington DC. 1963.jpg|[[Martin Luther King]] Jr.

Image:NeilArmstrong.jpg|[[Neil Armstrong]]
Image:Johnny Unitas.jpg|[[Johnny Unitas]]

Image:Muhammad Ali..jpg|[[Muhammad Ali]]
Image:Michael Jordan.jpg|[[Michael Jordan]]
Image:Peyton Manning Colts.jpg|[[Peyton Manning]]
Image:Pat Tillman.jpg|[[Pat Tillman]]
Image:McDonald- Computer Aged.jpg|Congressman [[Larry McDonald]]
</gallery>

[[Image:Casmier.jpg|210px]]

[[John McCain]]
</center>

== See also ==
[[Image:M Mantle.jpg|thumb|Mickey Mantle]]
*[[Founding Fathers]]
*[[Hank Aaron]]
*[[Mickey Mantle]]
*[[Joe Louis]]
*[[Andre Agassi]]
*[[Phyllis Schlafly]]
*[[Famous American artists]]
*[[Gallery of British Heroes]]

== External links ==

*[http://usa-hero.com/ American Heroes Who Inspire the World]
*[http://www.foundingfathers.info/ The Founding Fathers home page.]
*[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/04/opinion/04furstenberg.html Spinning the Revolution] By FRANÇOIS FURSTENBERG, The NY Times.

[[Category:United States History]]

Talk:Gallery of American Heroes

2008-12-30T14:44:38Z

PhilScheur: response

I removed Robert E. Lee. He is ''not'' an American hero--he was a traitor who waged war against his country and his fellow citizens.--[[User:RossC|RossC]] 11:43, 16 December 2008 (EST)

:I do understand your point of view; But, before removing Lee I would like to have the opinion of other editors or an honest debate. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 14:14, 16 December 2008 (EST)
::What's to debate? He fought for the enemy. He's responsible for the deaths of thousands of loyal American soldiers. If you're going to include Lee in the list, you might as well add Benedict Arnold, John Wilkes Booth, Adlrich Ames, Timothy McVeigh, and the 9/11 hijackers to the list.--[[User:RossC|RossC]] 15:03, 16 December 2008 (EST)
::I'd agree that "American" hero doesn't quite fit Lee. While "traitor" is a bit strong, he led an armed rebellion AGAINST the United States... hardly rationale for calling the man a hero. [[User:PhilScheur|PhilScheur]] 16:47, 17 December 2008 (EST)

This is my reasoning:

He is a hero in the old confederate states + this states are part of the US = He is an American hero.

--[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 19:23, 29 December 2008 (EST)

See above, Joaquin. He led a rebellion AGAINST the United States. Feel free to start a "Gallery of Confederate Heroes" page if you like (though how would that differ from a "Gallery of Soviet Heroes" page?). Lee does not belong on the AMERICAN heroes page. [[User:PhilScheur|PhilScheur]] 09:44, 30 December 2008 (EST)

:::To his credit, he came pretty close to being the next George Washington... but I agree, even if he'd won, he'd have been a confederate hero, not an American hero.
:::On a different note - removed Barry Bonds from the links section. With the scandals going on, he really isn't a good role model right now.[[User:Mikek|Mikek]] 15:13, 16 December 2008 (EST)
::::There's one thing I don't understand about this page. Shouldn't the McCain picture not be so big? It's probably four times bigger than any other picture on there. [[User:JY23|JY23]] 15:31, 16 December 2008 (EST)
:::::Because he's a big American hero--unlike that traitorous Lee. Let's stick to the issue, please.--[[User:RossC|RossC]] 15:51, 16 December 2008 (EST)
::::::Putting McCain ahead of ''Washington''? His image should be the same as the others, please. --[[User:DinsdaleP|DinsdaleP]] 19:42, 17 December 2008 (EST)

I question actor [[Paul Newman]] and the notorious drug user [[Elvis Presley]]. They are famous; they are not heroes. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] [[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]] 10:34, 17 December 2008 (EST) Fixed. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 16:09, 18 December 2008 (EST)

==Peyton Manning==

First off, I question him as an American hero. Second, I wonder if we could find another picture? That's him in the pro-bowl and it looks like he's playing for the Arizona Cardinals. Maybe find one where he's in a Colts uniform? [[User:JLauttamus|Jeffrey W. Lauttamus]][[User_talk:JLauttamus|Discussion]] 11:33, 17 December 2008 (EST)

:We need a separate category for sports idols. We can idolize someone for a reason other than [[heroism]]. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] [[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]] 11:55, 17 December 2008 (EST)

::That's a great idea, Ed. Good job on the picture, Joaquin. That looks much better! [[User:JLauttamus|Jeffrey W. Lauttamus]][[User_talk:JLauttamus|Discussion]] 12:01, 17 December 2008 (EST)

:::I wrote that page, see [[Gallery of Sports Idols]]. Add as needed. Also, does that mean we can start taking down the sports ones? [[User:JY23|JY23]] 12:58, 17 December 2008 (EST)

==Like To See==
[[User:Jpatt|jpatt]] 12:57, 17 December 2008 (EST)
*schwarzkopf
*reagan
*alexander gram bell
*wright brothers
*john glenn
*Charles Lindbergh
*fdr
*susan b. anthony
*paul revere
*tomb of the unknown soldiers

:Good list, and the last one is particularly appropriate. One suggestion might be to categorize them (sports, military, leadership, science/discovery, etc.) In any case, I'd like to add the following:

:*The passengers of Flight 93 on Sept.11, 2001
:*The Police, Firefighters and EMT's who lost their lives helping others on 9/11/2001.
:*Michael Phelps
:*Lance Armstrong
:*Jimmy Doolittle

:I'm sure more will follow once I think about this a bit. --[[User:DinsdaleP|DinsdaleP]] 19:39, 17 December 2008 (EST)

::"''The Police, Firefighters and EMT's who lost their lives helping others on 9/11/2001.''" - ...only the ones who died? I think I know what you were trying to get at, but the way you put it was a bit unfortunate. --[[User:AlanS|AlanS]] 20:57, 17 December 2008 (EST)
:::Good point. It should say "who risked their lives", which is more inclusive. --[[User:DinsdaleP|DinsdaleP]] 21:56, 17 December 2008 (EST)

::::*Pat Tillman--[[User:Jpatt|jpatt]] 22:18, 17 December 2008 (EST)
:::::You beat me to it, J. Good one! --[[User:DinsdaleP|DinsdaleP]] 08:53, 18 December 2008 (EST)

== Elvis and Paul Newman are American Heroes, but adding [[Phyllis Schlafly]] gets you a three month block? ==

I think this article just [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Gallery_of_American_Heroes&diff=589385&oldid=589250 proved] to be a [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=block&user=&page=User%3ABrianF&year=&month=-1 minefield.]

Could a sysop give a definition of "American Hero" before more people get blocked for making one wrong addition here? --[[User:AlanS|AlanS]] 22:02, 17 December 2008 (EST)

: What is a [[hero]]. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 22:13, 17 December 2008 (EST)

::That was my question (<s>and I find it somewhat odd that the sysop who made a judgment call in this issue ''also'' asks it</s> No, scratch that. I only now noticed that it was you who added most of those definitions just today, so I guess this wasn't an actual question.), but since you gave a link...
::*A hero is a [...] figure who is a person of virtue
::*They usually believe in honour and have strong morals.
::*A person noted for special achievement in a particular field
::*A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.
::While Phyllis may not have fulfilled every single one of them (even though I'm not familiar with her detailed biography, so maybe she did indeed fulfill them all), I would say she easily qualifies. But I'm sure you had your reasons for declaring her addition to be "moronic vandalism"... right? --[[User:AlanS|AlanS]] 22:54, 17 December 2008 (EST)

::: Who was supposedly blocked 3 months for that? Often blocks take into consideration the totality of the edits.--[[User:Aschlafly|aschlafly]] 23:03, 17 December 2008 (EST)

::::BrianF. See the links in the opening posts, plus [http://www.conservapedia.com/Special:Contributions/BrianF contribs] list. This was the only edit since December 4, and it was [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Gallery_of_American_Heroes&diff=589441&oldid=589385 reverted] here. --[[User:AlanS|AlanS]] 23:07, 17 December 2008 (EST)
::::::The "user" in question was a sock of a person from (how to put this...) a website which does not have CP's best interests at heart. Furthermore, the now-reverted addition was done at the behest of persons at said website, intended as parody. I'd post a link to the discussion of all this, but that would likely be inappropriate.--[[User:RossC|RossC]] 08:21, 18 December 2008 (EST)
:::::::And this influences Phyllis Schlafly being or not being an American Hero... how? Right now, this sounds a bit like "Somebody somewhere said something that caused Phyllis Schlafly to be added. Because they said she should be added, we should not add her", which would be a classic case of ''Reductio ad Hitlerum''. I wasn't aware that people on other sites you won't even name get to decide who is an American Hero. Truth is still truth if it was added by a parodist, and it shouldn't be reverted "just because". --[[User:AlanS|AlanS]] 16:28, 18 December 2008 (EST)

==Proposed Additions==

*Norman Schwarzkopf - Military Service / Leadership
*[[Ronald Reagan]] - Leadership
*[[Alexander Graham Bell|Alexander Graham Bell]] - Engineering
*[[The Wright Brothers]] - Engineering
*[[John Glenn]] - Exploration
*[[Charles Lindbergh]] - Exploration / Individual Achievement
*[[FDR]] - Leadership
*[[Susan B. Anthony]] - Human Rights
*[[Paul Revere]] - Service to Country
*[[The Unknown Soldiers from America's Military
*The passengers of Flight 93 on [[September 11, 2001 attacks|9/11]] - Service to Country
*The Police, Firefighters and EMT's who risked their lives helping others on [[September 11, 2001 attacks|9/11]]. - Service to Country
*[[Michael Phelps]] - Sports
*[[Lance Armstrong]] - Sports
*[[James Doolittle|Jimmy Doolittle]] - Military Service / Leadership
*[[Pat Tillman]] - Military Service
*[[Glenn Miller]] - Arts
*Jonas Salk - Medicine
*Chuck Yeager - Military Service / Exploration

==Comments on proposed additions==

:: I think it is a good idea. I suggest to make a second page in order to make it easy to handle. You could start it with all those names. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 16:07, 18 December 2008 (EST)

:::Do you mean setting up pages like "Gallery of American Heroes - Exploration"? I'm wondering if we should break it down with colons, like this - "Gallery:American Heroes:Exploration", unless that's too awkward. It also allow for other collections to be organized under a "Gallery:" heading. Thoughts? --[[User:DinsdaleP|DinsdaleP]] 16:18, 18 December 2008 (EST)

:::: I am thinking in a second page: "Gallery of American Heroes, Part II" --[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 17:31, 18 December 2008 (EST)
:::::How about sub-pages for some categories? Like "Gallery of American Heroes/Athletes"? All linked from the main gallery, of course. [[User:Human|Human]] 17:40, 18 December 2008 (EST)

== Suggestions ==

I came up with a few thoughts that I wrote down elsewhere during a little (ahem) vacation from CP.

First, a question. Apparently these heros are organized in roughly chronological order, correct?

Some of the thoughts I had:
*Center the text under the photos for improved appearance.
*Add the birth (and death) year of each hero.
*Break up into sections (or separate pages) for:
**Warrior and politician heroes (perhaps by historical era)
**Sports heroes
**Activist heroes (Tubman, Schlafly, etc.)
**Etc.
*If they are kept in one long list, a line mentioning what they are known for might be nice (example: Ronald Reagan (1911 - 2004) Politician - with line breaks between each blurb)

And a couple of last questions:
*Why is Babe Ruth not in with the rest of the gallery?
*Why is John McCain's picture huge, why is his title ("Senator") missing? (In fact, all titles are missing)
*Where the heck is President [[Ronald Reagan]]?

I don't mind effecting any of these changes, but I don't want to step on any toes by editing first and asking later. [[User:Human|Human]] 17:39, 18 December 2008 (EST)

Gallery of American Heroes

2008-12-29T16:57:27Z

PhilScheur: see talk page - removed per discussion

Ethiopia

2008-12-22T20:17:46Z

PhilScheur:

{{Country
|name =የኢትዮጵያ ፌዴራላዊ ዲሞክራሲያዊ ሪፐብሊክ ''ye-Ītyōpiyā Fēdēralāwī Dīmōkrāsīyāwī Rīpeblīk''
|map =Ethiopia rel99.jpg
|flag =Flag of Ethiopia.png
|arms =Arms of Ethiopia.png
|capital =Addis Ababa
|capital-raw =
|government =Federal Parliamentary Republic
|government-raw =
|language =Amharic
|king =
|queen =
|monarch-raw =
|president =Girma Wolde-Giorgis
|president-raw =
|chancellor =
|chancellor-raw =
|pm =Meles Zenawi
|pm-raw =
|area =426,371 sq mi
|pop =75,067,000
|pop-basis =2006
|gdp =$69.099 billion
|gdp-year =2005
|gdp-pc =$823
|currency =Birr
|idd =
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}}
The '''Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia''' is an [[African]] [[country]] bordering [[Sudan]], [[Eritrea]], [[Kenya]] and [[Somalia]]. With the exception of the Italian occupation of 1936-1941, Ethiopia is the only African country to never have been colonised by a European imperialist power.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/et.html CIA World Fact Book]</ref>, and is one of the oldest [[Christian]] nations on Earth. A bloody border dispute with [[Eritrea]] following that country's secession in 1991 has claimed many lives, and the country has experienced a number of [[famine]]s in the past century. Perhaps most notable of thse are the 1974 famine that led to the [[Marxist]] ouster of Emperor [[Haile Selassie]] and the 1984-1985 famine that inspired [[Bob Geldof]] to begin the Band Aid/Live Aid project. The nation's capital is Addis Ababa.

==Geography==
Ethiopia is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered on the north and northeast by Eritrea, on the east by Djibouti and Somalia, on the south by Kenya, and on the west and southwest by Sudan. The country has a high central plateau that varies from 1,800 to 3,000 meters (6,000 ft.-10,000 ft.) above sea level, with some mountains reaching 4,620 meters (15,158 ft.). Elevation is generally highest just before the point of descent to the Great Rift Valley, which splits the plateau diagonally. A number of rivers cross the plateau--notably the Blue Nile flowing from Lake Tana. The plateau gradually slopes to the lowlands of the Sudan on the west and the Somali-inhabited plains to the southeast.

The climate is temperate on the plateau and hot in the lowlands. At Addis Ababa, which ranges from 2,200 to 2,600 meters (7,000 ft.-8,500 ft.), maximum temperature is 26o C (80o F) and minimum 4o C (40o F). The weather is usually sunny and dry with the short (belg) rains occurring February-April and the big (meher) rains beginning in mid-June and ending in mid-September.

==People==
Ethiopia's population is highly diverse. Most of its people speak a Semitic or Cush itic language. The Oromo, Amhara, and Tigreans make up more than three-fourths of the population, but there are more than 77 different ethnic groups with their own distinct languages within Ethiopia. Some of these have as few as 10,000 members. In general, most of the Christians live in the highlands, while Muslims and adherents of traditional African religions tend to inhabit lowland regions. English is the most widely spoken foreign language and is taught in all secondary schools. Amharic is the official language and was the language of primary school instruction but has been replaced in many areas by local languages such as Oromifa and Tigrinya.
*Population (2006 est.): 77 million.
*Annual growth rate: 2.7%.
*Ethnic groups (est.): Oromo 40%, Amhara 25%, Tigre 7%, Somali 6%, Sidama 9%, Gurage 2%, Wolaita 4%, Afar 4%, other nationalities 3%.
*Religions (est.): Ethiopian Orthodox Christian 40%, Sunni Muslim 45-50%, Protestant 5%, remainder indigenous beliefs.
*Languages: Amharic (official), Tigrinya, Arabic, Guaragigna, Oromigna, English, Somali.
*Education: Years compulsory--none. Attendance (elementary) 57%. Literacy--43%.
*Health: Infant mortality rate--93/1,000 live births.
*Work force: Agriculture--80%. Industry and commerce--20%.

==Government and Political Conditions==
Ethiopia is a federal republic under the 1994 constitution. The executive branch includes a president, Council of State, and Council of Ministers. Executive power resides with the prime minister. There is a bicameral parliament; national legislative elections were held in 2005. The judicial branch comprises federal and regional courts.

Political parties include the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD), the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF), and other small parties. Suffrage is universal at age 18.

In 2003, Ethiopia continued its transition from a unitary to a federal system of government. The EPRDF-led government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has promoted a policy of ethnic federalism, devolving significant powers to regional, ethnically based authorities. Ethiopia today has 9 semi-autonomous administrative regions and two special city administrations (Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa), which have the power to raise their own revenues. Under the present government, Ethiopians enjoy wider, albeit circumscribed, political freedom than ever before in Ethiopia’s history.

===Principal Government Officials===
*President--Girma Wolde-Giorgis
*Prime Minister--Meles Zenawi
*Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Rural Development and Agriculture--Addisu Legesse
*Minister of National Defense--Kuma Demeksa
*Minister of Foreign Affairs--Seyoum Mesfin

===Foreign Relations===
Ethiopia was relatively isolated from major movements of world politics until Italian invasions in 1895 and 1935. Since World War II, it has played an active role in world and African affairs. Ethiopia was a charter member of the United Nations and took part in UN operations in Korea in 1951 and the Congo in 1960. Former Emperor Haile Selassie was a founder of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), now known as the African Union (AU). Addis Ababa also hosts the UN Economic Commission for Africa. Ethiopia is also a member of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, a Horn of Africa regional grouping.

Although nominally a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, after the 1974 revolution, Ethiopia moved into a close relationship with the Soviet Union and its allies and supported their international policies and positions until the change of government in 1991. Today, Ethiopia has very good relations with the United States and the West, especially in responding to regional instability and supporting war on terrorism and, increasingly, through economic involvement.

Ethiopia's relations with Eritrea remained tense and unresolved. Following a brutal 1998-2000 border war in which tens of thousands died on both sides, the two countries signed a peace agreement in December 2000. A five-member independent international commission--Eritrean Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC)--issued a decision in April 2002 and follow-up observations in March 2003 delimiting the border between the two countries, but thus far the parties have not agreed to final demarcation. The United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) peacekeeping mission patrols a 25-kilometer-wide Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) within Eritrea separating the two countries; a few minor incidents of violence have occurred, all between local villagers and militia or armed opposition groups supported by the other side. Both countries insist they will not instigate fighting, but both also remain prepared for any eventuality. Regarding its neighbor Somalia, the lack of central government and factional fighting in Somalia contributes to tensions along the boundaries of the two countries. Ethiopia has recently entered into a loose tripartite (nonmilitary) cooperation with Sudan and Yemen.

The irredentist claims of the extremist-controlled Council of Islamic Courts (CIC) in Somalia in 2006 posed a legitimate security threat to Ethiopia and to the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia. In December 2006, the TFG requested the assistance of the Ethiopian military to respond to the CIC's aggression. Within a few weeks, the joint Ethiopian-TFG forces routed the CIC from Somalia, and the deployment of the African Union's Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in March 2007 began to provide security in Mogadishu to allow for the quick withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Somalia.

==Defense==
The Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) numbers about 200,000 personnel, which makes it one of the largest militaries in Africa. During the 1998-2000 border war with Eritrea, the ENDF mobilized strength reached approximately 350,000. Since the end of the war, some 150,000 soldiers have been demobilized. The ENDF continues a transition from its roots as a guerrilla army to an all-volunteer professional military organization with the aid of the U.S. and other countries. Training in peacekeeping operations, professional military education, military training management, counter-terrorism operations, and military medicine are among the major programs sponsored by the United States. Ethiopia now has one peacekeeping contingent in Liberia.

==Economy==
The current government has embarked on a cautious program of economic reform, including privatization of state enterprises and rationalization of government regulation. While the process is still ongoing, so far the reforms have attracted only meager foreign investment, and the government remains heavily involved in the economy.

The Ethiopian economy is based on agriculture, which contributes 47% to GNP and more than 80% of exports, and employs 85% of the population. The major agricultural export crop is coffee, providing 35% of Ethiopia's foreign exchange earnings, down from 65% a decade ago because of the slump in coffee prices since the mid-1990s. Other traditional major agricultural exports are hides and skins, pulses, oilseeds, and the traditional "khat," a leafy shrub that has psychotropic qualities when chewed. Sugar and gold production has also become important in recent years.

Ethiopia's agriculture is plagued by periodic drought, soil degradation caused by inappropriate agricultural practices and overgrazing, deforestation, high population density, undeveloped water resources, and poor transport infrastructure, making it difficult and expensive to get goods to market. Yet agriculture is the country's most promising resource. Potential exists for self-sufficiency in grains and for export development in livestock, flowers, grains, oilseeds, sugar, vegetables, and fruits.

Gold, marble, limestone, and small amounts of tantalum are mined in Ethiopia. Other resources with potential for commercial development include large potash deposits, natural gas, iron ore, and possibly oil and geothermal energy. Although Ethiopia has good hydroelectric resources, which power most of its manufacturing sector, it is totally dependent on imports for its oil. A landlocked country, Ethiopia has relied on the port of Djibouti since the 1998-2000 border war with Eritrea. Ethiopia is connected with the port of Djibouti by road and rail for international trade. Of the 23,812 kilometers of all-weather roads in Ethiopia, 15% are asphalt. Mountainous terrain and the lack of good roads and sufficient vehicles make land transportation difficult and expensive. However, the government-owned airline’s reputation is excellent. Ethiopian Airlines serves 38 domestic airfields and has 42 international destinations.

Dependent on a few vulnerable crops for its foreign exchange earnings and reliant on imported oil, Ethiopia lacks sufficient foreign exchange earnings. The financially conservative government has taken measures to solve this problem, including stringent import controls and sharply reduced subsidies on retail gasoline prices. Nevertheless, the largely subsistence economy is incapable of meeting the budget requirements for drought relief, an ambitious development plan, and indispensable imports such as oil. The gap has largely been covered through foreign assistance inflows.
*Real GDP (2006 est.): $13.3 billion.
*Annual growth rate (2006 est.): 9.6%.
*Per capita income (2006 est.): $130.
*Average inflation rate (2006 est.): 13%.
*Natural resources: Potash, salt, gold, copper, platinum, natural gas (unexploited).
*Agriculture (47% of GDP): Products--coffee, cereals, pulses, oilseeds, khat, meat, hides and skins. Cultivated land--17%.
*Industry (12% of GDP): Types--textiles, processed foods, construction, cement, and hydroelectric power.
*Trade (2006 est.): Exports--$1.1 billion. Imports--$4.1 billion; plus remittances--official est. $400 million; unofficial est. $400 million.
*Fiscal year: July 8-July 7.

==History==
Ethiopia is credited with being the origin of mankind. Bones discovered in eastern Ethiopia date back 3.2 million years. Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world. Herodotus, the Greek historian of the fifth century B.C. describes ancient Ethiopia in his writings. The Old Testament of the Bible records the Queen of Sheba's visit to Jerusalem. According to legend, Menelik I, the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, founded the Ethiopian Empire. Missionaries from Egypt and Syria introduced Christianity in the fourth century A.D. Following the rise of Islam in the seventh century, Ethiopia was gradually cut off from European Christendom. The Portuguese established contact with Ethiopia in 1493, primarily to strengthen their influence over the Indian Ocean and to convert Ethiopia to Roman Catholicism. There followed a century of conflict between pro- and anti-Catholic factions, resulting in the expulsion of all foreign missionaries in the 1630s. This period of bitter religious conflict contributed to hostility toward foreign Christians and Europeans, which persisted into the 20th century and was a factor in Ethiopia's isolation until the mid-19th century.

Under the Emperors Theodore II (1855-68), Johannes IV (1872-89), and Menelik II (1889-1913), the kingdom was consolidated and began to emerge from its medieval isolation. When Menelik II died, his grandson, Lij Iyassu, succeeded to the throne but soon lost support because of his Muslim ties. The Christian nobility deposed him in 1916, and Menelik's daughter, Zewditu, was made empress. Her cousin, Ras Tafari Makonnen (1892-1975), was made regent and successor to the throne. In 1930, after the empress died, the regent, adopting the throne name Haile Selassie, was crowned emperor. His reign was interrupted in 1936 when Italian Fascist forces invaded and occupied Ethiopia. The emperor was forced into exile in England despite his plea to the League of Nations for intervention. Five years later, British and Ethiopian forces defeated the Italians, and the emperor returned to the throne.

After a period of civil unrest, which began in February 1974, the aging Haile Selassie I was deposed on September 12, 1974, and a provisional administrative council of soldiers, known as the Derg ("committee") seized power from the emperor and installed a government, which was socialist in name and military in style. The Derg summarily executed 59 members of the royal family and ministers and generals of the emperor's government; Emperor Haile Selassie was strangled in the basement of his palace on August 22, 1975.

Lt. Col. Mengistu Haile Mariam assumed power as head of state and Derg chairman, after having his two predecessors killed. Mengistu's years in office were marked by a totalitarian-style government and the country's massive militarization, financed by the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc, and assisted by Cuba. From 1977 through early 1978 thousands of suspected enemies of the Derg were tortured and/or killed in a purge called the "red terror." Communism was officially adopted during the late 1970s and early 1980s with the promulgation of a Soviet-style constitution, Politburo, and the creation of the Workers' Party of Ethiopia (WPE).

In December 1976, an Ethiopian delegation in Moscow signed a military assistance agreement with the Soviet Union. The following April, Ethiopia abrogated its military assistance agreement with the United States and expelled the American military missions. In July 1977, sensing the disarray in Ethiopia, Somalia attacked across the Ogaden Desert in pursuit of its irredentist claims to the ethnic Somali areas of Ethiopia. Ethiopian forces were driven back deep inside their own frontier but, with the assistance of a massive Soviet airlift of arms and Cuban combat forces, they stemmed the attack. The major Somali regular units were forced out of the Ogaden in March 1978. Twenty years later, development in the Somali region of Ethiopia lagged.

The Derg's collapse was hastened by droughts and famine, as well as by insurrections, particularly in the northern regions of Tigray and Eritrea. In 1989, the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF) merged with other ethnically based opposition movements to form the Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). In May 1991, EPRDF forces advanced on Addis Ababa. Mengistu fled the country for asylum in Zimbabwe, where he still resides.

In July 1991, the EPRDF, the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), and others established the Transitional Government of Ethiopia (TGE) which was comprised of an 87-member Council of Representatives and guided by a national charter that functioned as a transitional constitution. In June 1992 the OLF withdrew from the government; in March 1993, members of the Southern Ethiopia Peoples' Democratic Coalition left the government.

In May 1991, the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF), led by Isaias Afwerki, assumed control of Eritrea and established a provisional government. This provisional government independently administered Eritrea until April 23-25, 1993, when Eritreans voted overwhelmingly for independence in a UN-monitored free and fair referendum. Eritrea was with Ethiopia’s consent declared independent on April 27, and the United States recognized its independence on April 28, 1993.

In Ethiopia, President Meles Zenawi and members of the TGE pledged to oversee the formation of a multi-party democracy. The election for a 547-member constituent assembly was held in June 1994, and this assembly adopted the constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in December 1994. The elections for Ethiopia's first popularly chosen national parliament and regional legislatures were held in May and June 1995. Most opposition parties chose to boycott these elections, ensuring a landslide victory for the EPRDF. International and non-governmental observers concluded that opposition parties would have been able to participate had they chosen to do so. The Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia was installed in August 1995.

In May 1998, Eritrean forces attacked part of the Ethiopia-Eritrea border region, seizing some Ethiopian-controlled territory. The strike spurred a two-year war between the neighboring states that cost over 100,000 lives. Ethiopian and Eritrean leaders signed an Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities on June 18, 2000 and a peace agreement, known as the Algiers Agreement, on December 12, 2000. The agreements called for an end to the hostilities, a 25-kilometer-wide Temporary Security Zone along the Ethiopia-Eritrea border, the establishment of a United Nations peacekeeping force to monitor compliance, and the establishment of the Ethiopia Eritrea Boundary Commission (EEBC) to act as a neutral body to assess colonial treaties and applicable international law in order to render final and binding border delimitation and demarcation determinations. The United Nations Mission to Eritrea and Ethiopia (UNMEE) was established in September 2000. The EEBC presented its border delimitation decision on April 13, 2002. To date, neither Ethiopia nor Eritrea has taken the steps necessary to enable the EEBC to demarcate the border.

Opposition candidates won 12 seats in national parliamentary elections in 2001. Ethiopia held the most free and fair national campaign period in the country’s history prior to May 15, 2005 elections. Unfortunately, electoral irregularities and tense campaign rhetoric resulted in a protracted election complaints review process. Public protests turned violent in June 2005. The National Electoral Board released final results in September 2005, with the opposition taking over 170 of the 547 parliamentary seats and 137 of the 138 seats for the Addis Ababa municipal council. Opposition parties called for a boycott of parliament and civil disobedience to protest the election results. In early November 2005, Ethiopian security forces responded to public protests by arresting scores of opposition leaders, as well as journalists and human rights advocates, and detaining tens of thousands of civilians in rural detention camps for up to three months. In December 2005, the government charged 131 opposition, media, and civil society leaders with capital offenses including "outrages against the constitution." Thirty-eight opposition leaders and journalists were convicted in June 2007. Approximately 150 of the elected opposition members of parliament have taken their seats. Ruling and opposition parties have engaged in a process of dialogue to address issues of democratic governance raised by the 2005 elections, including parliamentary rules of procedure, media regulation, and reform of the National Electoral Board.

=References=

<references/>
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/mapcenter/map.aspx - An interactive map of the world

{| style="width: 100%; background:transparent; border: 2px solid #000099;" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1"
!colspan=2 style="width: 100%; text-align: center; background-color: #000088; color: white; "|'''Copyright Details'''
|-
!style="background-color: #000088; color:white;"|License:
|style=" background-color: none;"| This work is in the [[Public Domain]] in the United States because it is a work of the United States Federal Government under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the U.S. Code
|-
!style=" background-color: #000088; color:white;"|Source:
|style="background-color: none;border-top: 2px solid black"| File available from the {{{1|[[United States Federal Government]] [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2859.htm]}}}.
|}
[[Category:African Countries]]
[[Category:Landlocked Countries]]
[[Category:Ethiopia]]

Puritans

2008-12-22T20:11:29Z

PhilScheur:

"Puritan" describes several [[Protestant]] [[Christian]] denominations that broke away from the [[Anglican Church]] in the 1600s. Their name refers to their belief that the Anglican Church should be purified by removing all [[Catholic]] influence. Persecuted in England, the Puritans founded [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]] in 1630. During the [[English Civil War]], Puritan leader [[Oliver Cromwell]] deposed the monarchy under [[Charles I]].

[[Category:Christian Denominations]]

Mayflower

2008-12-22T20:10:03Z

PhilScheur:

The '''Mayflower''' was one of the first [[ship]]s to sail and bring [[Christianity|Christians]] from [[England]] to what was then the [[New World]]. British [[Puritans]] yearned to establish an unaffiliated Protestant Christian society free from the religious oppression that they had faced from the Anglican Church in England.

==Context==
The Pilgrims were part of the group known as Leiden Separatists, a religious group from Southampton who wanted complete autonomy from England. Leiden Separatist were constantly harassed by [[Anglican]] agents and could not legally worship in the way that they wanted to. They first tried to get to the [[New World]] via the small brig ''Speedwell'' on July 22, 1620, and then again on August 15. However, leakage problems force the crew to return to Southampton. <ref>http://www.pilgrims.net/plymouth/history/mayflower.html</ref>

==Voyage==
Under the [[Captain Christopher Jones]], in 1620 one hundred and two [[Pilgrims]] made a 3,000 mile voyage from England to America during autumn storms. When the Mayflower left England there were three pregnant women and a crew of 25-30. Food was usually oatmeal, peas, pork, fish, beans, cheese and other foods that could be stored for long periods of time. The Mayflower could carry 180 large barrels of food storage along with the Pilgrims' furniture and tools.

Pilgrims spent 65 straight days living in the ship's hold with no privacy and only a chamber pot for a toilet. They were not prepared for the rough waters of their long voyage. They suffered injuries from being thrown against the walls as the wind and waves tossed the ship. Besides the injuries many were seasick. At sea, Elizabeth Hopkins gave birth to a son she named Oceanus. After the Mayflower anchored in Provincetown harbor off the tip of [[Cape Cod]], Susanna White gave birth to a son she named Peregrine(one who has made a journey). The Mayflower then sailed across the bay and anchored at [[Plymouth Harbor]] where Mary Allerton gave birth to a stillborn son. One passenger died while at sea three days before land was sighted and one crew member also died.

The ship's passengers made the [[Mayflower Compact]], a set of laws they would follow upon landing in [[America]].

==Sources==
<references/>
*Caffry. ''Kate The Mayflower'' (1974)
*Gill, Crispin. ''Mayflower Remembered'' (1970)

[[Category:United States History]]
[[Category:Ships]]

Gasoline station

2008-12-22T20:04:09Z

PhilScheur: grammar, spelling, corrections

A '''gas station''' is a place where motorists can go to fill up their vehicles with [[gasoline]]. In the United States most vehicles run on unleaded gasoline. This usually includes grades of 87, 89, and 91 octane with the higher numbers being the more pure blends and the higher quality. Most modern cars run on 87.

Leaded gasoline was largely replaced decades ago for environmental concerns.

Some stations also sell diesel gasoline, which has been common in trucks and at one time Mercedes vehicles.

At one time, such as back in the 1950s, gas stations were full service. The trend that spread from the 1970s was towards self service, which is the most common type today. There are still pockets on the east coast that are mostly full service.

Many gas stations have a convenience store that sells common automobile products, cigarettes, and food items. A large amount of the profit from gas stations come from the convenience stores. Some gas stations also have automotive repair shops.

The average profit on a gallon of gas in for a gas station owner is 23 cents.<ref>http://autos.aol.com/article/general/v2/_a/confessions-of-a-gas-station-owner/20081215144709990001</ref>

==References==
<References/>
[[Category:Business]]

Radar

2008-12-22T19:55:22Z

PhilScheur: removed redundant material

'''RADAR''' (short for '''Ra'''dio '''D'''etection '''a'''nd '''R'''anging) is a [[radio]]-based method for detecting the existence of distant [[aircraft]]. The term was coined at the beginning of World War II. Radar was useful to the Allies in detecting German bombers.

Radar works by bouncing radio waves off distant objects (such as aircraft) and timing their reflection.

Sometimes radar "tracks" are misread, as in the American shooting down of Iran Air Flight 655 in 1988, killing all of the 290 passengers and crew aboard. That airplane was within Iranian territorial waters but approaching the American Navy.{{fact}}

[[category:aviation]]

Talk:Gallery of American Heroes

2008-12-17T21:47:24Z

PhilScheur:

Pop-punk

2008-12-09T14:50:01Z

PhilScheur: added info on history

{{stub}}

'''Pop-punk''' is an amalgamation of aspects of [[punk|punk rock]] and [[pop music]] genres.

Pop punk emerged in the late 1970s on the tails of the punk movement, with bands such as the Buzzcocks, and later saw mainstream commercial success in the mid 1990's with bands such as [[Green Day]] and [[The Offspring]]. Later bands such as [[Blink 182]] and [[Sum 41]] sought to emulate the pop-punk sound.

[[Category:Music]]

Golliwog

2008-12-03T21:34:48Z

PhilScheur: grammar

[[Image:golly.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The popular Robertson's Jam Golly]]

The character '''Golliwog''' is the main character in verses written by Bertha Upton in the 1890's. The books were charmingly illustrated by her talented daughter Florence. Mother and daughter worked together on a total of 12 books, all featuring the cheerful character and his adventures travelling around the [[world]]. Golliwog was always accompanied by his friends, the Dutch Dolls.

Golliwog, (or Golly as he became) eventually became the mascot for Robertson's [[Jam]] who created dolls and enamelled badges to be given away for a [[promotion]] whereby people would send in a number of jam jar labels.

In recent times, Golly is not seen as [[politically correct]] and has waned in popularity.

==Links==

http://www.golliwogs.com

[[category:Fiction]]

Adalius Thomas

2008-12-03T21:32:39Z

PhilScheur: spelling

'''Adalius Donquail Thomas''' is a [[National Football League]] linebacker for the [[New England Patriots]]. He was born on August 18, 1977 in Nixburg, [[Alabama]]. Thomas is well known for his chartable work in the community work<ref>http://www.patriots.com/team/index.cfm?ac=playerbio&bio=30839</ref> including starting a chess competition for kids in inner city [[Baltimore]] and working with [[Habitat for Humanity]]. In 2001 he was an intern for a [[Illinois]] congressman in [[Washington D.C.]]<ref>http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/03/04/thomas/index.html</ref>

== College Football ==
While attended the [[University of Southern Mississippi]] from 1996-1999, Thomas was a football star for Golden Eagles (the University of Southern Mississippi football team). He was twice named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year and is the [[University of Southern Mississippi]] all time leader in sacks with 34.5<ref>http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/03/04/thomas/index.html</ref>

== NFL Career ==
In 2000, Thomas was picked in the sixth round of the [[2000 NFL Draft]] by the [[Baltimore Ravens]]. In his rookie (2000) season he just played in three games and made one special teams tackle. The following year, 2001, Thomas became more of a contributer to the Ravens defense as he played in 16 games and made a total of 37 tackles and 3.5 sacks while also becoming a valuable special teams player. In 2002, Thomas, starting twelve games at defensive end (he played in all sixteen games) basically repeated his 2002 production with the exception of adding a new static for him, interception, of which he had two in 2002. In 2003, he missed some playing time due to injury's, but he still managed to set a have a productive year both as a defensive player (43 tackles, 4 sacks) and was named the AFC's Pro Bowl Special Teams Player. Thomas set a new record for himself in 2004 as he started in all sixteen of the Ravens regular season games. As a key part of one of the NFL's top defenses, he made 72 tackes, eight sacks, four forced fumbles and one interception. His eight sacks were second best total on the team for 2004. In 2005, he once again started all sixteen of the Ravans games and made 84 total tackles, nine sacks and two interceptions including one that he returned 20 yards for a touchdown in the Ravens 16-15 week thirteen victory over the [[Houston Texans]]. In 2006, Thomas started all sixteen games and for the first time in his career was named to the AFC Pro Bowl Team as a outside linebacker. He made 11 sacks in 2006, the second best total on the Ravens defense that was ranked number one on the entire National Football League. At the Pro Bowl game he returned a fumble 70 yards for a touchdown in a 31-28 AFC victory over the NFC.

After the 2006 season Thomas became a free agent. A day after free agency began he signed<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/04/AR2007030400297.html</ref> with the [[New England Patriots]] to a five year, 35.04 million dollar deal<ref>http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/03/04/thomas/index.html</ref>. He is expected to start at linebacker for the Patriots<ref>http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=pasquarelli_len&id=2900954</ref>.

== Qoutes ==

* Be humble or get humble<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/04/AR2007030400297.html</ref>

== References ==
<references/>

== External Links ==

*[http://www.nfl.com/players/adaliusthomas/profile?id=THO013777 NFL Stats]
*[http://www.patriots.com/team/index.cfm?ac=playerbio&bio=30839 Patriots Bio]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Adalius}}
[[Category:New England Patriot Players]]

Medicare

2008-12-03T21:24:27Z

PhilScheur: added context

'''Medicare''' is the [[United States Government]] welfare system that reimburses most expenses for covered medical services for persons over 65 years old and for certain disabled persons under 65 years old as follows:

*All hospital charges for covered services are reimbursed under [[Medicare Part A]]; and

*Most [[physician]] fees for covered services are reimbursed under [[Medicare Part B]] for individuals who have enrolled in Part B and make payments for that coverage.

The reimbursements under Medicare have been declining in real dollars over time and the system is predicted to go bankrupt in a few decades.

==Politics==

Medicare was first implemented as part of President Lyndon Johnson's vast social programs.

Former Democratic Sen. John Breaux made a proposal which supports raising the Medicare eligibility age. [http://www.factcheck.org/overspiced_louisiana_gumbo.html]

[[category:medicine]]

Jupiter

2008-12-03T20:46:48Z

PhilScheur: removed erroneous explanation - Kelvin-Helmholtz gravitational compression as described in this article explains Jupiter's thermal radiation

{{Planet
| image=Jumpsas.jpg
| caption=This processed color image of Jupiter was produced in 1990 by the U.S. Geological Survey from a Voyager image captured in 1979
|symbol=Jupiter symbol.svg
|discname=Known to ancients
|origname=Roman king of gods<ref name=nasa1>"[http://solarsystem.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Jupiter&Display=Overview Entry for Jupiter]." ''Solar System Exploration'', [[NASA]]. Accessed March 3, 2008.</ref>
|order=6
|primary=Sun
|periapsis=4.95 AU<ref name=nasa1/>
|apoapsis=5.46 AU<ref name=nasa1/>
|semimajor=5.203 AU<ref name=nasa1/><ref name=nasa2>Williams, David R. "[http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/jupiterfact.html Jupiter Fact Sheet]." National Space Science Data Center, [[NASA]], November 2, 2007. Accessed March 2, 2008.</ref>
|bode=5.2 AU<ref name=calc>Calculated</ref>
|circumference=32.675 AU<ref name=nasa1/>
|eccentricity=0.048<ref name=nasa1/>
|sidereal=11.862 a<ref name=nasa1/><ref name=nasa2/>
|synodic=398.88 da (1.092 a)<ref name=nasa2/>
|orbitspeed=13.07 km/s<ref name=nasa1/><ref name=nasa2/>
|inclination=1.305°<ref name=nasa1/>
|reference=the ecliptic
|siderealday=9.925 h (0.414 da)<ref name=nasa1/><ref name=nasa2/>
|solarday=9.9259 h<ref name=nasa2/>
|axialtilt=3.13°<ref name=nasa1/>
|mass=1.8986 * 1027 kg (317.705 * earth)<ref name=nasa1/>
|density=1,326 kg/m³<ref name=nasa1/>
|surfacegrav=22.88 m/s² (2.333 ''g'')<ref name=nasa1/>
|escapespeed=59.56 km/s<ref name=nasa1/>
|equatorradius =71,492 km<ref name=nasa1/>
|surfacearea=61,400,000,000 km² (120.375 * earth)<ref name=nasa1/>
|meantemp=152 K<ref name=nasa1/>
|moons=28
|composition=90% hydrogen and 10% helium<ref name=nasa1/>
|color=Colored latitudinal bands
|albedo=0.52<ref name=ssdphys>"[http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/?planet_phys_par Planet Physical Characteristics]." Solar System Dynamics, [[JPL]], [[NASA]]. Accessed March 3, 2008.</ref>
|mfd=4.28 G <ref name=jupiterfact>"[http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/jupiterfact.html Jupiter Fact Sheet]," [[National Aeronautics and Space Administration|NASA]], November 2, 2007. Accessed May 12, 2008.</ref>
|pmdm=1.55 * 1027 N-m/T<ref name=Humphreys>Humphreys, D. R. "[http://www.creationresearch.org/crsq/articles/21/21_3/21_3.html The Creation of Planetary Magnetic Fields]." ''[[Creation Research Society Quarterly]]'' 21(3), December 1984. Accessed April 29, 2008.</ref>
|cmdm=1.79 * 1027 N-m/T<ref name=Humphreys/>
|mdt=45,469 a<ref name=calc/>
|mhl=31,516 a<ref name=calc/>
}}
'''Jupiter''' is the fifth [[planet]] from the [[sun]], and the most massive. In fact, this [[gas giant]] is the largest body in the [[solar system]] except for the sun itself, and more than two times as massive as all the other planets combined. In composition it closely resembles a [[star]], so much so that some authorities hold that had it been eighty times as massive, it would have become a star.

== Ancient knowledge and naming ==
Named after the ruler of the Roman gods, Jupiter is large and bright enough to be seen by the naked eye. In fact it is the fourth-brightest object in the night sky, after the [[Sun]], the [[Moon]], and the planet [[Venus]].<ref name=arnett>Arnett, Bill. "[http://www.nineplanets.org/jupiter.html Entry for Jupiter]." ''The <s>Nine</s> 8 Planets'', April 10, 2005. Accessed March 3, 2008.</ref> Jupiter is conspicuous and easy to recognize. An observer carrying 7-power field glasses (of a type used for birding or hunting) will see a round disk that shines steadily. An observer with a small telescope should also be able to resolve the [[Galilean moons]], as [[Galileo Galilei]] himself did. They will appear, as they did to Galileo, as "stars" traveling in "formation" with Jupiter and changing their positions relative to Jupiter in a single night of observation.

The [[Babylonia]]ns believed that their god [[Marduk]] set Jupiter in the sky to guide the stars.<ref name=nelson>Nelson, Clark. "[http://www.timeemits.com/HoH_Articles/399-Day_Mean_Synodic_Period_of_Jupiter.htm 399-day Mean Synodic Period of Jupiter]." <http://www.timeemits.com/>, 2006. Accessed March 3, 2008.</ref> Jupiter might have had an influence in the invention of several ancient calendars, including the Mayan calendar, the Egyptian calendar, the ancient (pre-Hillel II) Hebrew calendar, and possibly the calendar in use (at least by the [[Seth]]ite generations of [[Adam]]) before the [[Great flood|Great Flood]]).<ref name=nelson/>

The name of the Roman god derives from [[Japheth]], one of the sons of [[Noah]].<ref>Cooper, Bill, "After the Flood", 1995, p.40, New Wine, ISBN 1 874367 40 X.</ref>

== Orbital characteristics ==
Jupiter completes one slightly eccentric orbit around the [[Sun]] in 11.86 years, and returns to the same position in [[Earth]]'s night sky in roughly 399 years.<ref name=nasa2/><ref name=nelson/> Its mean distance from the Sun is about 5.2 AU--almost exactly the distance predicted by the [[Titius-Bode law]] of planetary distances. Though Jupiter is the fifth ''planet'' from the Sun, it is actually the ''sixth'' object of a size requiring the assumption of a spheroidal shape. Hence ''n=6'' is the proper number to use in the Bode's Law formula.

== Rotational characteristics ==
Jupiter has a very short sidereal day of about 9.92 hours. However, its latitudinal cloud bands rotate at different speeds, and some of these appear to rotate retrograde. Astronomers once calculated the Jovian day from observations of the equatorial cloud band, but today they rely on the periodicity of Jupiter's magnetic field.<ref name=nasa3>Gierasch, Peter J., and Philip D. Nicholson. "Jupiter." World Book Online Reference Center. 2004. World Book, Inc. <http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar293080.> Hosted as "[http://www.nasa.gov/worldbook/jupiter_worldbook.html Entry for Jupiter]," World Book at [[NASA]]. Accessed March 3, 2008.</ref>

== Physical characteristics ==
Jupiter is about 318 times as massive as Earth, and has a radius of 71,492 km (44,423 miles). Its atmosphere is composed primarily of 86% [[hydrogen]], 14% [[helium]], and traces of [[methane]], [[ammonia]], [[phosphine]], [[water]], [[acetylene]], [[ethane]], [[germanium]], and [[carbon monoxide]].<ref name=nasa3/> It is so thick that no record exists of the surface, if Jupiter has one in the traditional sense--though Jupiter might have a heavy-metal core having a composition similar to that of [[Earth]] but 20 to 30 times as massive.<ref name=nasa3/>

=== The Great Red Spot and other storms ===
The planet endures continual storms. The most famous of these is the Great Red Spot, which has raged for at least three hundred years. The most precise estimate of its duration is 342 years,<ref name=Than>Than, Ker. "[http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060731_red_spots.html Differences Spotted in Jupiter's Big Red Storms]." <http://www.space.com/>, July 31, 2006. Accessed March 3, 2008.</ref> but this might refer merely to the first time that someone observed it with a telescope capable of resolving it. It is large enough to encompass the entirety of the [[Earth]] and rotates anticlockwise along Jupiter's equator. Winds at its edge circulate at 360 km/h<ref name=nasa3/>, far faster than those of the most powerful [[hurricane]] ever recorded on Earth.

=== Radiation of heat ===
Jupiter actually radiates 1.7 times the heat that strikes it from the Sun.<ref name=Weisstein>Weisstein, Eric W. "[http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/astronomy/Jupiter.html Jupiter]." ''Eric Weisstein's World of Astronomy'', accessed March 3, 2008.</ref> This could be due to Kelvin-Helmholtz gravitational compression, a process that also limits the size that Jupiter can have.<ref name=arnett/> In this process, the planet's cooling causes it to compress, which in turn heats up Jupiter's core.

== Magnetosphere ==
Jupiter has a magnetic field about 14 times as strong as that of Earth. Specifically, its [[magnetic dipole moment]] amounts to 1.55 * 1027 N-m/T, higher than that of any object except the [[Sun]]. It is so high, in fact, that by [[Russell Humphreys]]' model for planetary magnetic fields, Jupiter's field must have formed with ''all'' of its mass aligned for the maximum cumulative magnetic dipole moment, instead of the usual 25%. By this assumption, the magnetic dipole moment of Jupiter at creation must have been 1.79 * 1027 N-m/T. The half-life of this field is longer than 31,500 Julian years.

This field tends to shield Jupiter from the [[solar wind]]. However, the field has also trapped large numbers of radioactive particles in a Van-Allen-like radiation belt<ref name=nasa3/> that actually encompasses the orbits of the seven innermost moons. The magnetic field extends beyond the far side of Jupiter for at least 700 million kilometers.<ref name=nasa3/>

The very strong magnetic field of Jupiter is extraordinary by any standard. The Humphreys model has passed two key tests of its predictive value, one at [[Uranus]] and the other at [[Neptune]].<ref name=Humphreys2>Humphreys, D. R. "[http://www.icr.org/index.php?module=articles&action=view&page=329 Beyond Neptune: Voyager II Supports Creation]." [[Institute for Creation Research]]. Accessed April 30, 2008</ref> That model normally assumes that God formed any given celestial body initially out of water, with its molecules partially aligned for maximum cumulative effect, and then transmuted the molecules after the magnetic field was established. For most celestial bodies thus far observed, an alignment fraction of 25% suffices to establish a magnetic dipole moment at creation. But Jupiter's magnetic dipole moment is far too high to have resulted from an initial alignment of 25%. An alignment of 100% seems to be required, the highest fraction allowable and the highest fraction of all celestial bodies observed to date. This implies that God made Jupiter to be a beacon in the night sky, in more ways than merely by making it large.

Jupiter's orbit is inclined 1.305 degrees to the ecliptic, so Jupiter appears, in turn, in each constellation of the Zodiac. In fact, its 399-day synodic year places it in a different constellation of the Zodiac at the same point in each succeeding year. Pratt<ref name=Pratt>Pratt, John C. "[http://www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/lds/meridian/2005/zodiac.html The Constellations Tell of Christ]." ''Meridian'', June 15, 2005. Accessed May 12, 2008.</ref> shows that the members of the Zodiac, and a number of closely associated constellations, presage the life and ministry of [[Jesus Christ]]. If Jupiter is indeed a beacon, then it could not have been better placed.

== Ring system ==
Jupiter does have a ring, consisting of three components, called the halo, the main ring, and the gossamer ring. This ring lies entirely within the region occupied by the four innermost moons, and probably derives its substance from escaping dust from the two innermost moons, [[Metis]] and [[Adrastea]]. The average size of the ring particles is 10 microns, comparable in size to the particles in [[tobacco]] smoke.<ref name=nasa4>Harvey, Samantha. "[http://solarsystem.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Jupiter&Display=Rings Jupiter:Rings]." ''Solar System Exploration'', [[NASA]], February 7, 2008. Accessed March 3, 2008.</ref>

== Problems for uniformitarian theories ==

Jupiter's sidereal day is less than ten Earth hours long. If Jupiter formed simply as an accretion aggregate of the [[nebula hypothesis|solar nebula]], then it should not have acquired such tremendous angular momentum. The problem involves not merely the short sidereal day but also Jupiter's tremendous mass.

The alternative theory is that Jupiter formed as a "failed protostar" at the center of its own nebula. This theory has several problems:

# Jupiter never ignited, though its magnetic field is four times as strong as its mass would normally predict.
# None of Jupiter's 63 moons is gaseous. Therefore a key event in the nebular sequence did not take place.
# The four dwarf-planet-sized [[Galilean moons]] have vastly differing apparent geological "ages" coming from times estimated to be as disparate as ten million years to as recent as thirteen hundred (although the times cannot be fixed with any reliability).<ref>Fulbright, Jeannie. ''Exploring Creation with Astronomy.'' Apologia Educational Ministries, 2004.</ref>
# Many of Jupiter's outer moons move retrograde to Jupiter's own day.

== Exploration ==
[[Galileo Galilei]] studied Jupiter extensively and in the process discovered its four largest moons--[[Io]], [[Europa (moon)|Europa]], [[Ganymede]], and [[Callisto]], also known as the [[Galilean moons]]. Many other astronomers studied Jupiter from Earth-bound telescopes for hundreds of years. In the process they discovered twelve of Jupiter's moons and the Great Red Spot, but did not discover Jupiter's ring system.

Seven spacecraft, all from the [[United States]], have visited Jupiter thus far. First to do so was [[Pioneer 10]] (December 3, 1973), which suffered tremendously from the radiation belt but still provided the evidence for Jupiter's [[magnetosphere]]. [[Pioneer 11]] was next (December, 1974) and took far better images of Jupiter and its Great Red Spot.

[[Voyager 1]] (March, 1979) and [[Voyager 2]] (July, 1979) gave the first comprehensive views of Jupiter and the Jovian system, including the discovery of its rings, the discovery of four moons inside [[Io]], and the first extensive studies of the [[Galilean moons]].

[[Ulysses]] (February 1992) made a brief flyby of Jupiter in order to place itself in polar orbit around the Sun. Nevertheless [[European Space Agency]] scientists used this opportunity to make further measurements of Jupiter's magnetosphere and the effect upon it by the solar wind.

[[Galileo Project|Galileo]] reached Jupiter in 1995. It released a probe to dive into Jupiter's atmosphere; that probe transmitted for nearly an hour before the tremendous pressures crushed it. Galileo's orbiter remained in the system for nearly eight years, through two extensions of its mission, and conducted the most extensive surveys of the Galilean moons to day. Eventually, with the craft low on fuel, mission planners dived it into Jupiter to prevent its possibly crashing into [[Europa]], rupturing Europa's ice sheet, and contaminating the liquid ocean that astronomers now suspect lies a mere 10 km deep to the ice and could yet harbor [[extraterrestrial life]].<ref name=nasa3/>

[[Cassini-Huygens Mission|Cassini]] flew by Jupiter briefly in 2000 on its way to [[Saturn]]. While in the Jovian system, it took the image shown at the top of this article.

The [[New Horizons mission]] will include a Jupiter flyby in its journey to the [[Pluto]] system.

== References==
{{reflist|2}}
{{Solarsystem}}

Longitude

2008-12-03T20:36:56Z

PhilScheur:

'''Lines of longitude''' or '''meridians''' are imaginary lines that run north and south across the earth. They are used to measure east-west location, relative to a "prime meridian" which by definition is 0°. While in the past many meridians have been used, since 1884 the Greenwich Meridian has become the universal standard.<ref>Wile, Dr. Jay L. ''Exploring Creation With Physical Science''. Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 1999, 2000</ref>

Longitude is an ''angular'' measurement and is given in degrees, minutes, and seconds, represented by the symbols °, ', and " respectively. The longitude of the NOAA weather station in New Brunswick, New Jersey, for example, is 74°26'W;<ref>[http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwDI~StnSrch~StnID~20018874 NCDC / Climate-Radar Data Inventories]</ref> that is to say, seventy-four degrees, twenty-six minutes West of the Greenwich meridian.

At the Equator, the circumference of the Earth is about 25,000 miles; so one degree of longitude is about 25000 / 360 = 69.4 miles, and one minute is 69.4/60 = 1.15 miles. Originally, a ''nautical mile'' was intended to be one minute of longitude at the equator. (The nautical mile is now ''defined'' to be exactly 1852 meters, so a minute of longitude is actually 1.0018 nautical miles). A second of longitude is only about a hundred feet; before GPS, it was difficult to quickly measure longitude to an accuracy of a second.

In 1995, a book entitled simply ''Longitude,'' by Dava Sobel, made the nonfiction bestseller list. It tells the story of John Harrison's development, in the 1700s, of the first marine chronometer accurate enough to determine longitude at sea.

Although lines of longitude may be imaginary, they are very important to navigators; [[Lewis Carroll]] joked about this in his long nonsense poem [[The Hunting of the Snark]]:

:"What's the good of Mercator's North Poles and Equators, 
:Tropics, Zones, and Meridian Lines?" 
:So the Bellman would cry: and the crew would reply,
:"They are merely conventional signs! 
Accordingly, the Snark uses a map which is "a perfect and absolute blank."

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Navigation]][[Category:geography]]

Talk:Jonathan Pollard

2008-12-01T17:07:08Z

PhilScheur: explanation for my edits

I removed/rewrote many edits by Fox, which were questionable. Pollard was a traitor to the United States; this is an American-centric encyclopedia and his treason should be highlighted, not glorified. He lied to his country, and betrayed its secrets. The reasons behind his treason are interesting and bear discussion, but they do not constitute an excuse, and do not absolve Pollard, morally or ethically. [[User:PhilScheur|PhilScheur]] 12:07, 1 December 2008 (EST)

Jonathan Pollard

2008-12-01T17:05:01Z

PhilScheur: deleted anti-American spin. Pollard is a traitor, not a hero.

[[Image:Jonathan Pollard.JPG|right|thumb|Jonathon Pollard]]
'''Jonathan Pollard''' (born 7 August 1954, [[Indiana]]) was convicted of spying for [[Israel]] against the [[United States of America]] in 1986 and sentenced to life imprisonment. Pollard, a [[U.S. Navy]] intelligence analyst, pleaded guilty to providing Israel with information about the military capabilities of [[Arab]] states, including [[Iraq]].
 
==Background==
In the mid 1980's Pollard had discovered that information relating to Israel's security was being withheld by the United States government for reasons of U.S. national security. Israel was legally entitled to this information according to a 1983 Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries, but the U.S. was under no obligation to provide it, in order to protect U.S. capabilities and interests. The information being withheld from Israel included [[Syria]]n, [[Iraq]]i, [[Libya]]n and [[Iran]]ian nuclear, chemical, and biological warfare capabilities being developed. It also included information on ballistic missile development by these countries and information on planned terrorist attacks against Israeli civilian targets. When Pollard discovered this policy and asked his superiors about it, he was informed of the official U.S. policy pertaining to release of that information.
Pollard was of the opinion that Israeli lives were being put in jeopardy as a result of this U.S. government policy on sharing foreign intelligence information. In stark violation of U.S. law and the pledge he made to the U.S. Navy to protect U.S. intelligence information, Pollard began to illegally provide classified information to Israel directly.<ref>The Facts of the Pollard Case [http://www.jonathanpollard.org/facts.htm Justice for Jonathan Pollard]. Accessed 27 December 2007.</ref> Such disclosure constitutes treason under U.S. law.

On 11 May 1998, Israel formally acknowledged Pollard had been an Israeli agent, handled by high ranking authorities within Lekem (''Lishkat Kishrei Mada'' "Bureau of Scientific Relations"), which collected scientific and technical intelligence. Lakem was disbanded following Pollard's arrest.<ref>Document: Official Recognition as An Agent by the State of Israel. [http://www.jonathanpollard.org/1998/051198d.htm jonathonpollard.org]. Accessed 27 December 2007.</ref>

==Sentencing controversy==
Pollard's supporters point to how disproportionate his life sentence appears when compared to the sentences of others who spied against the United States for allied nations. He is the only person in the history of the United States to receive a life sentence for spying for an American ally{{fact}}; the maximum sentence today for such an offense is 10 years.
The median sentence for this offense is 2 to 4 years{{fact}}.

==Wall Street Journal==
On February 15 February 1991 The Wall Street Journal published a letter from Pollard, written to his [[Rabbi]] in 1989, in which he stated that: ''any objective examination of the record will show that no American agent, facility or program was compromised as a result of my actions - not one. But this salient fact was conveniently overlooked by [[Caspar Weinberger|Mr. Weinberger]], who felt that I deserved the [[Capital punishment|death penalty]] for having had the audacity to make Israel "too strong."'' With reference to the type of intelligence that Pollard turned over to Israel, he stated: ''The problem ... lay in the fact that many of the photos that I turned over to the Israelis were of a number of Iraqi chemical weapons manufacturing plants which the government did not want to admit existed. Why? Well, if no one knew about these facilities the State and Defense Departments would have been spared the embarrassing task of confronting Iraq over its violation of the Geneva Protocol of 1925, which banned the use of chemical weapons in war. You have to remember... that at the time of my sentencing the massacre of Kurdish civilians in Halabja had not yet occurred, and what little concern was being voiced over Iraq's apparent use of poison gas was largely ignored by the administration which did not want to anger the Arab world by criticizing the use of such barbaric weapons against Iran. The photos I gave Israel, though, if "compromised" would have jeopardized the administration's policy of callous indifference to this issue, in that they constituted hard, irrefutable proof that Iraq was indeed engaged in the production and wide scale use of chemical weapons. What the administration was really concerned about was being placed in a position where it would have to admit that it had tacitly condoned the creation of an Iraqi chemical weapons manufacturing capability.''<ref>'''Pollard, J.''' "Appeasement of Iraq Made Me A Spy" (1989) [http://www.jonathanpollard.org/1991/021591.htm jonathonpollard.org]. Accessed 27 December 2007.</ref>

It is notable that nowhere in this letter did Pollard deny illegally providing U.S. intelligence information to a foreign government.

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.jonathanpollard.org/ Justice for Jonathan Pollard]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pollard,Jonathan}}

[[Category:Israel]]
[[Category:Espionage]]

Endangered Species Act

2008-11-17T21:03:06Z

PhilScheur: ESA can interfere with property owners' rights also

The '''Endangered Species Act of 1973''' was enacted to provide federal protection for [[species]], such as the [[bald eagle]],<ref>In 2007, the bald eagle was removed from the endangered species but laws against possession of its feathers remained in place.[http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=8883]</ref> that were placed on the list of endangered species.

Section 7(a)(2) of the Act divides the responsibilities for protecting endangered species between the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce.

The act has been seen as an attempt by liberals to take legitimate concerns (the threat to the national bird) and turn it into environmental hysteria that interferes with legitimate business interests, individual rights, and states' rights.

== References ==
<references/>

==External Links==
*http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,295359,00.html ''The Endangered Species Act Out of Control'', [[Fox News Channel|Fox News]].

[[category:environment]]