Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Republican Party

2008-09-07T19:24:50Z

Richards: /* Criticism */ revert vandalism by User:Republicanrule

{{AmericanPoliticalParty
| party_name = Republican Party
| party_articletitle = Republican Party (United States)
| party_logo = [[Image:Cjjfdjfty.png|200px|"Republican Party Elephant" logo]]
| website = [http://www.gop.com www.gop.com]
| headquarters = 310 K Street SE [[Washington, D.C.]] 20003
| chairman = [[Mike Duncan]]
| president = [[George W. Bush]]
| houseleader = [[John Boehner]]
| senateleader = [[Mitch McConnell]]
| foundation = 1854
| ideology = [[moderate|Centrism]] [[Conservative|Conservatism]] [[Fiscal Conservative|Fiscal conservatism]] [[Neoconservatism]]
| fiscalpolicy = [[Free Market|Economic liberalism]]
| socialpolicy = [[Conservative]]
| international = [[International Democrat Union]]
| colors = [[Red states and blue states|Red]] (unofficial)
| footnotes =
}}
The '''Republican Party''' is one of the two major political parties in the [[United States]]. The current [[President of the United States]], [[George W. Bush]], is a member of the party – and by rules common to both major U.S. parties, its head. Of the two major U.S. parties, the Republican party is the moderate/center-right party. The party has been very successful in Presidential elections: 18 of the 27 US Presidents since 1861 have been Republicans and since that same year a Republican has won 23 of the last 37 presidential elections. The Republicans have "switched" platforms since their inception. They used to be champions of civil rights but now believe that minorities such as homosexuals do not deserve equal rights because they are unchristian beings.

The party was born in the early 1850s by anti-[[slavery]] activists and individuals who believed that [[government]] should grant western lands to settlers free of charge. The first informal meeting of the party took place in Ripon, [[Wisconsin]], a small town northwest of [[Milwaukee]]. The first official Republican meeting took place on July 6, 1854 in Jackson, [[Michigan]]. The name "Republican" was chosen because it alluded to equality and reminded individuals of Thomas Jefferson's Democratic-Republican Party. At the Jackson convention, the new party adopted a platform and nominated candidates for office in [[Michigan]]. Since its inception, its chief opposition has been the [[Democratic Party]].
== Symbol ==
[[image:The_off_year_nast_1877.jpg|left|thumb|1877 Thomas Nast drawing of the Republican elephant]]
[[Image:gop.jpg|right|150px|Official logo of the GOP.]]
The official symbol of the Republican Party is the elephant. Although the elephant had occasionally been associated with the party earlier, a political cartoon by Thomas Nast, published in ''Harper's Weekly'' on November 7, 1874, is considered the first important use of the symbol<ref>http://www.harpweek.com/09Cartoon/BrowseByDateCartoon.asp?Year=2003&Month=November&Date=7</ref>. In the early 20th century, the traditional symbol of the Republican party in Midwestern states such as [[Indiana]] and [[Ohio]] was the eagle, as opposed to the Democratic cock. This symbol still appears on Indiana ballots.

A political term referring to the party is "G.O.P.", which was originally an acronym of "Grand Old Party". The term was coined in 1875.

==Ideology==
The fundamental philosophy and political ideals of the Republican Party are founded on the idea that societal health is rooted in personal responsibility and actions. The Republican Party holds the belief that all material things are earned, not owed. This is seen most often in the party's push for lower taxes. This is fought for in an attempt to treat all citizens equally despite income, race, gender, or religion. They also see taxes as a drag on the economy, and believe private spending is usually more efficient than public spending.

Republicans also show concerns about having big government in charge of such vital issues as food, shelter, or health care, as they believe the private sector and/or the individual are better suited to control their own lives. President [[Ronald Reagan]] who became a Republican in the early 1960s after being a [[New Deal]]er at one time, has been quoted as saying "Government is not the solution, it is the problem."

The party tends to hold both [[conservative]] and [[Libertarianism|libertarian]] stances on social and economic issues respectively. Major policies that the party has recently supported include a conservative foreign policy, including [[War on Terror]], liberations of [[Afghanistan]] and [[Iraq]], and strong support for democracy especially in the [[Middle East]]. Many party members and politicians have shown a distrust of the [[United Nations]] due to the organization's incompetent bureaucracy, anti-capitalist undertone, corruption on the [[Security Council]] and in UN humanitarian programs. Along with demanding radical reforms in the UN, many Republican politicians also opposes the Kyoto Protocol due the protocol's unfair application to certain countries (especially the United States) and the fact that it prevents economic growth and slows the reduction of poverty.

The Republican Party generally supports free trade, especially [[NAFTA]] and [[CAFTA]]. It is responsible for a series of across-the-board tax cuts since 2001 that have bolstered the economy and reduced the punitive aspect of the income tax. It has sought business deregulation, reduction of environmental regulations that restrict fair use of land and property, and other policies that are pro-capitalism. It supports gun ownership rights, and enterprise zones (low taxes for investing in poverty areas). On social issues the majority of its national and state candidates usually favor the death penalty, call for stronger state-level control on access to [[abortion]], support a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage at the federal level and by the states, favor faith-based charitable initiatives, support school choice and homeschooling, social welfare benefit reform, and oppose reverse racism, such as racial quotas.

In recent years the party has called for much stronger accountability in the public schools, especially through the "No Child Left behind Act" of 2001 (which also increased federal funding for schools). The party is split on the issue of federally funding embryonic stem cell research that involves the cloning and killing of human embryos. Many in the party think it unethical to force tax payers who believe this type of research is morally wrong to finance it. Historically Republicans have had a strong belief in [[individualism]], limited government, and business entrepreneurship.

== History ==

John C. Frémont ran as the first Republican for President in 1856, using the political slogan: "Free soil, free labor, free speech, free men, Frémont." Although Frémont's bid was unsuccessful, the party grew especially rapidly in Northeastern and Midwestern states, where slavery had long been prohibited, culminating in a sweep of victories in the Northern states and the election of Lincoln in 1860, ending 60 years of dominance by the slavery-supporting Democrats and ushering in a new era of Republican dominance based in the immigrant and industrial north and on the end of slavery.

With the end of the [[Civil War]] came the upheavals of Reconstruction under Democratic President [[Andrew Johnson]] (who had bitter disputes with the Republicans in Congress, who eventually impeached him) and [[Ulysses S. Grant]], a Republican. For a brief period, Republicans assumed control of Southern politics (due especially to the former slaves receiving the vote while it was denied to many whites who had participated in the Confederacy), forcing drastic reforms and frequently giving former slaves positions in government. After Reconstruction came to an end, the southern states became known as the "Solid South", giving overwhelming majorities of its electoral votes and Congressional seats to the Democrats until 1964.

States' rights had been a cause in the pre-Republican era, control of the federal government led the Republican Party to be known as the Party of the Union. The unity among veterans that developed in the North after the war led to a string of military men as President, and an era of international expansion and domestic protectionism. As the rural Northern antebellum economy mushroomed with industry and immigration, supporting the rights of the individual, innovation, invention, opportunity, entrepreneurship and business became the hallmarks of Republican policy proposals. From the Reconstruction era up to the turn of the century, the Republicans benefited from the Democrats' racist origin and their association with the Confederate States of America. The Republican Party, therefore dominated national politics--albeit with strong competition from the Democrats, especially during the 1880s. With the two-term presidency of [[Ulysses S. Grant]], the party became known for its strong advocacy of commerce, industry, and veterans' rights, which continues to this day.

During the 1880s and 1890s, the Republicans struggled against the Democrats' efforts, winning several close elections and losing two to [[Grover Cleveland]] (in 1884 and 1892).

The election of [[William McKinley]] in the [[United States presidential election of 1896]] is widely seen as a resurgence of Republican dominance and is sometimes cited as a realigning election. The progressive, protectionist, political and beloved McKinley was the last Civil War veteran elected President and embodied the Republican ideals of economic progress, invention, education, and patriotism. He confirmed the Republicans as a pro-enterprise party; his campaign manager, Marcus Hanna was a highly effective political strategist and fund-raiser which meant McKinley outspent his radical rival William Jennings Bryan by a large margin.

After McKinley's assassination, President [[Theodore Roosevelt]] tapped McKinley's Industrial Commission for his trust-busting ideas and continued the federal and nationalist policies of his predecessor. In order to ensure fair competition in the economy Roosevelt took steps to abolish "trusts" or cartels which then dominated many key markets within the economy. This led Republicans into conflict with the most powerful commercial interests in the country, led by John D. Rockefeller, the richest man in the world.

Roosevelt decided not to run again in 1908 and chose [[William Howard Taft]] to replace him, but the widening division between progressive and conservative forces in the party resulted in a third-party candidacy for Roosevelt on the United States Progressive Party, or "Bull Moose" ticket in the [[United States presidential election of 1912]]. Roosevelt finished ahead of Taft, but the split in the Republican vote resulted in a decisive victory for Democrat [[Woodrow Wilson]], temporarily interrupting the Republican era.

The party controlled the presidency throughout the 1920s, running on a platform of high tariffs, the promotion of business interests, opposition to the League of Nations, and overall isolationism after Wilson's turbulent internationalism. [[Warren G. Harding]], [[Calvin Coolidge]] and [[Herbert Hoover]] were resoundingly elected in 1920, 1924, and 1928 respectively. These years saw the party firmly committed to laissez-faire economics, but the Great Depression cost it the presidency with the election of [[Socialism|socialist]] Democrat [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] in 1932. Roosevelt's [[New Deal]] Coalition controlled American politics for the next two decades, concluding with the two-term presidency of popular World War II hero [[Dwight Eisenhower]].

The post-war emergence of the United States as one of two superpowers and rapid social change caused the Republican Party to divide into a conservative wing (dominant in the West and Southeast) and a liberal wing (dominant in New England) - combined with a residual base of inherited Midwestern Republicanism active throughout the century. A Republican like Senator Robert Taft of Ohio represented the Midwestern wing of the party that continued to oppose New Deal reforms and continued to champion isolationism. Thomas Dewey of New York represented the Northeastern wing of the party that was closer to Democratic liberalism and internationalism. In the end, the isolationists were marginalized by those who supported a strong U.S. role in opposing the Soviet Union throughout the world, as embodied by President Eisenhower. However, this development did not represent the end of the story. The seeds of conservative dominance in the Republican party were planted in the nomination of conservative [[Barry Goldwater]] over liberal [[Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller|Nelson Rockefeller]] as the Republican candidate for the [[United States presidential election of 1964]].

Any enduring Republican majority, however, was put on hold when the Watergate Affair caused [[Richard Nixon]] to resign under a threat of impeachment by elements within the Democratic Party opposed to U.S. efforts to fight [[Communism|communist]] totalitarianism. Gerald Ford succeeded Nixon under the 25th Amendment and struggled to forge a political identity separate from his predecessor. The taint of Watergate and the nation's economic difficulties contributed to the election of Democrat [[Jimmy Carter]] in 1976, a Washington outsider who would later be regarded as the worst president of the 20th century.

In 1980, Ronald Reagan won the Republican nomination and easily beat Carter with his strong communication skills and message of economic freedom and strength against the [[Soviet Union]]. Reagan produced a major realignment with his 1980 and 1984 landslides. In 1980 the Reagan coalition was possible because of Democratic losses in most social-economic groups. In 1984 Reagan won nearly 60% of the popular vote and carried every state except his Democrat opponent Walter Mondale's home state of [[Minnesota]] and the District of Columbia, creating a record 525 electoral vote total (of 538 possible). Even in Minnesota, Mondale won by a mere 3,761 votes <ref>http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=1984&fips=27&f=1&off=0&elect=0</ref>, meaning Reagan came within less than 3,800 votes of winning in all fifty states.

The so-called "Reagan Democrats" were Democrats before the Reagan years, and afterwards, but who voted for Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984 (and for George H.W. Bush in 1988), producing their landslide victories. They lived in the Northeast and were attracted to Reagan's libertarian-conservative views, and to his strong stance on national security issues.

Reagan's Vice-President, George H.W. Bush, a [[World War II]] war hero, was elected in 1988 but was defeated in 1992 as domestic issues took prominence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and end of the [[Cold War]]. Democratic challenger [[Bill Clinton]] strategically repositioned the Democrats to the right. [[Ross Perot]]'s candidacy was instrumental in Clinton's victory as he took Republican votes with his criticism of deficits. Perot won 19% of the popular vote, and Clinton, still a largely unknown quantity in American politics with 41% of the popular vote took office. Despite his loss, George H.W. Bush left office in 1993 with a 56 percent job approval rating.

House Republican Minority Whip [[Newt Gingrich]]-led the "Republican Revolution" of 1994 and its famous ''Contract With America''. It was the first time since 1952 that the Republicans secured control of both houses of U.S. Congress, which, with the exception of the Senate during 2001-2002, lasted until the 2006 mid-term elections. Democrats had controlled both houses of Congress for the forty years preceding 1994, with the exception of the 1981-1987 Congresses (in which Republicans controlled the Senate).

In the 1994 mid-term election, Republican congressional candidates ran on a platform of promising floor votes to force members of Congress to go on record on a series of popular reforms -- something the Democrats had stifled for decades. These measures and others formed the Contract with America, which represented the first effort to have a party platform in a mid-term election. Seven of the ten Contract items actually became Law. The budget reforms, coupled with reduced defence spending after the Cold War, and the earlier Reagan Tax Cuts for Business Research and Development in the 1980s, led to a high tech consumer boom, rising incomes for all groups, and unprecedented, sustained economic growth in the late 1990s. Democratic President Bill Clinton opposed some of the social agenda initiatives but he co-opted the proposals for welfare reform and a balanced federal budget. The result was a major change in the welfare system, which conservatives hailed and liberals bemoaned. One Contract item, which required Democrats in a two-thirds majority to pass a Constitutional amendment to impose term limits on members of Congress, failed.

In 1995, a budget battle with [[President Clinton]] led to the brief shutdown of the federal government, an event which contributed to Clinton's victory in the 1996 election. That year the Republicans nominated Bob Dole, who was unable to transfer his success in Senate leadership to a viable presidential campaign. Ross Perot ran again (this time on Reform Party ticket), once again draining away a large percentage of Dole's support and insuring Clinton another term after the majority of Americans voters voted against him.

With the election of George W. Bush (son of former president George H. W. Bush) in an extremely close 2000 election, the Republican party controlled both the presidency and both houses of Congress for the first time since 1952. However, after [[Vermont]] senator Jim Jeffords left the Republican Party to become an independent aligned with the Democrats in June of 2001, Republicans lost control of the Senate by a single seat.

In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, however, Bush pursued a "War on Terrorism" that included the liberation of Afghanistan from the radical Islamist Taliban regime and the [[Patriot act|USA PATRIOT act]]. By early 2002, the Taliban was removed from power in Afghanistan. On March 20, 2003, U.S. and allied nations initiated "Operation Iraqi Freedom" to liberate the Iraqi people from the brutal regime of [[Saddam Hussein]]. By May 1, 2003, the regime of Saddam was declared officially over. Once US and allied military forces entered Iraq, they discovered that various international terrorists had been given sanctuary by Saddam and ran their terrorist operations from Iraq. Notable terrorists found included Muhammad Zaidan aka Abu Abbas and Sabri Khalil al-Banna aka Abu Nidal.

The Republican Party fared well in the 2002 midterm elections, solidifying its hold on the House and regaining control of the Senate, in the run-up to the liberation of Iraq. This marked just the third time since the Civil War that the party in control of the White House gained seats in both houses of Congress in a midterm election (others were 1902 and 1934).

Bush was renominated without opposition for the [[United States presidential election, 2004]] and titled his political platform "A Safer World and a More Hopeful America". It expressed Bush's commitment to winning the War on Terror, ushering in an Ownership Era, and building an innovative economy to compete in the world.

On November 2, 2004, Bush was re-elected, while Republicans gained seats in both houses of Congress, leaving Democrats in disarray. Bush carried 31 of 50 states for 286 Electoral College votes. In that election, he also received more popular votes than any previous presidential candidate, 62.0 million votes. Democrat challenger, Senator [[John Kerry]], carried a 19 states and the District of Columbia, earning him 251 Electoral College votes and 48 percent of the popular vote to Bush's 51 percent, the first popular majority since his father was elected in 1988. That election also marked the seventh consecutive election in which the Democratic nominee failed to reach that threshold.

The counties where Bush led in the popular vote amount to 83% of the geographic area of the U.S. (excluding Alaska, which did not report results by borough/census area, but had all electoral districts but one of the two in Juneau vote for Bush).

The election marked the first time an incumbent president was reelected while his political party increased its numbers in both houses of Congress since Lyndon Johnson in the 1964 election. It was the first time for a Republican since William McKinley in the 1900 election.

==Presidential dominance==
[[Image:Washington painting at the Oval Office.JPG|right]]
In terms of winning presidential elections, the Republican Party has been the most successful political party in U.S. history. Since the American Civil War, Grover Cleveland is the only non-incumbent Democrat who has won the office of President of the United States under "ordinary" circumstances (meaning no third party, no Great Depression, no disputed count in Illinois, no assassination of the previous president, no Watergate).

From 1860 through 1912, 10 men were elected President of the United States -- Grover Cleveland being the only Democrat.

Woodrow Wilson, who won in 1912, only won because William Howard Taft (the Republican incumbent) split the party vote with former President Theodore Roosevelt who ran as the Progressive Party candidate. Wilson only garnered 41.6% of the popular vote, compared to a combined 50.6% of Roosevelt and Taft.

Following Wilson, there were three more Republicans. It took a major economic depression to get another Democrat elected (in 1932).

John F. Kennedy (the next Democratic non-incumbent to win the White House) won the [[United States presidential election, 1960]] as the result of voter fraud in Chicago (and several other locations), with a mere 0.2% difference in the popular vote.

It took the aftermath of the Watergate matter to get the next, non-incumbent Democrat elected in 1976 in a very close election in which Democrat Jimmy Carter received 50.1% of the popular vote to Gerald Ford's 48.0%. 5,000 popular votes in the State of Ohio would have made the difference.

The next non-incumbent Democrat victory occurred in 1992, in which third party candidate H. Ross Perot took away 19% of the popular vote from the Republican candidate, incumbent George H.W. Bush. And even though Bill Clinton was twice elected, he never once had a majority of the vote (43.0% in 1992; 49.2% in 1996). More people (the majority of voters) voted against Clinton for President than ever voted for him.

Since the birth of the Republican Party, the average Republican margin of victory over their opponents in Presidential elections has been around 12% to the Democrat's margin of victory over their opponents at around 8%. Also since the birth of the Republican Party, Democrats only garnered a majority of the vote a total of 7 times in 38 elections, while Republicans earned a majority 17 times in those same 38 elections.

In the 20th century, only 7 U.S. Presidents gained a larger margin of victory over their opponents in their second election. Five of those seven were Republicans. It must be noted that this statistic cannot be applied to incumbents who entered office without being elected, as their re-election was actually their first election -- i.e. Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Gerald Ford)

*Nixon from a 0.7% margin of victory in 1968 to a 23.2% MOV in 1972.
*Reagan from a 9.7% MOV in 1980 to a 18.2% MOV in 1984.
*FDR from a 17.% MOV in 1932 to a 24.3% MOV in 1936.
*Eisenhower from a 10.7% MOV in 1952 to a 15.4% MOV in 1956.
*McKinley from a 4.2% MOV in 1896 to a 6.1% MOV in 1900.
*Clinton from a 5.6% MOV in 1992 to a 8.5% MOV in 1996.
*GWB from a -0.5% MOV in 2000 to a 2.8% MOV in 2004.

Of the 11 U.S. presidents to be re-elected (i.e. elected a second time) since the Civil War, 7 were Republicans and only 4 Democrats. All seven of those Republicans were re-elected with a higher percentage of the vote , while only 3 of those Democrats received a greater percentage for their re-election bid. And this doesn't even include Franklin Delano Roosevelt's third and fourth terms, where victory margins diminished in his third and forth terms.)

== Contemporary Party ==

The contemporary Republican Party represents a wide array of interests such as the conservative evangelicals and the economic libertarians. The party has had some internal conflict over attitudes about how governments should run and how large they should be, what the party stands for, and what the party's attitude towards [[neo-conservatism]] should be especially in regard to foreign policy. The party is also divided over immigration issues with some members (such as George W. Bush) favoring workers visas and permits and some other members favoring strict control of immigration and strong action against illegal immigration. Unlike the Democratic party, the Republican party routinely allows dissenting factions such as the [[Log Cabin Republicans]] to speak at National Conventions.

==Presidents from the party==
# [[Abraham Lincoln]] (1861-1865)
# [[Ulysses S. Grant]] (1869-1877)
# [[Rutherford B. Hayes]] (1877-1881)
# [[James Garfield]] (1881)
# [[Chester A. Arthur]] (1881-1885)
# [[Benjamin Harrison]] (1889-1893)
# [[William McKinley]] (1897-1901)
# [[Theodore Roosevelt]] (1901-1909)
# [[William Howard Taft]] (1909-1913)
# [[Warren G. Harding]] (1921-1923)
# [[Calvin Coolidge]] (1923-1929)
# [[Herbert Hoover]] (1929-1933)
# [[Dwight Eisenhower]] (1953-1961)
# [[Richard Nixon]] (1969-1974)
# [[Gerald Ford]] (1974-1977)
# [[Ronald Reagan]] (1981-1989)
# [[George H. W. Bush]] (1989-1993)
# [[George W. Bush]] (2001-2009)

==Criticism==
The Republican Party have been frequently accused of vindictive and callous political positions. For instance, their attitudes to criminal justice are usually rather harsher than those espoused by the Democrats. Also, they have been accused of starting wars purely for political incentives, and frequently worsening situations. {{fact}} For these reasons and others, it is difficult for a Christian to justify voting Republican, though the same is also true for the Democrats.

==See Also==
*[[RINO]] - '''R'''epublicans '''i'''n '''N'''ame '''O'''nly
*[[Previous Breaking News/Republicans|Articles about '''Republicans''' from previous "Breaking News"]]

== References ==
<references/>

==External Links==
*[http://www.gop.com/ Official GOP Site]
*[http://nyyrcrecord.blogspot.com/ New York Young Republican Record]
*[http://www.house.gov/hensarling/rsc/doc/rsc_action_plan.pdf The RSC’s Action Plan for House Republicans], Republican Study Committee, May 20, 2008
*[http://www.house.gov/hensarling/rsc/doc/rsc_action_plan_(broad).pdf A Detailed Action Plan For House Republicans: Bold, Simple, and Different than the Democrats], Republican Study Committee, May 20, 2008
*[http://www.aim.org/wls/category/republicans/ What Liberals Say - Category: Republicans], [[Accuracy In Media]]

[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:United States Political Parties]]

Joust

2008-09-07T19:21:36Z

Richards: add information about Ivanhoe

==Jousting in history==

Jousting refers to mock combat between two armored, mounted [[knight]]s performed during the 14th-16th centuries. Jousting was a public display of the knight's skill and a popular public entertainment. Starting at opposite ends of the tourney field (known as the ''lists''), the competing knights would ride at each other and try unhorse their opponent with a wooden tipped [[lance]]. The wooden tip of the lance was blunted and would splinter on impact to prevent serious injury, not to mention to create a dramatic effect for the onlookers. Knights would joust in full plate amour with additional padding to mitigate against the effects of the blows.

Jousting tournaments were often lavish affairs and offered prizes of money or land to victorious knights. Fortunes and indeed, reputations, could be won and lost competing in this way.

A joust could also settle a score between two knights or noblemen, in the role that a [[duel]] with [[pistol]]s or [[rapier]]s came to fulfil in later centuries. The practice is described in stirring detail in Scott's ''[[Ivanhoe]]''.

==Jousting in the present day==

Although the practice of jousting died out in the 16th century, some groups continue to put on displays of jousting to entertain the public. An example of this is the Royal Armouries Museum in the United Kingdom where staged jousting (along with other displays of [[falconry]] and [[musket]] firing) is one of the most popular attractions during the summer months.

==Popular Culture==

A jousting tournament can be seen in the comic film "A Knight's Tale". The novels of George R R Martin feature jousting tourneys.

''Joust'' may also refer to a [[video game]] where knights mounted atop flying [[ostrich]]es attempt to dismount each other.

[[Category:Games]]

Falconry

2008-09-07T19:17:27Z

Richards: fix references

'''Falconry''' is an ancient "[[sport]] of [[king]]s". Widely practised in the [[Middle Ages]], it has fallen out of favor in recent decades, thanks mainly to the expense of maintaining a collection, or ''mews'', of birds. The relentless [[urbanization]] of our cities and towns has also led to an overall reduction in the number of predatory birds, and those birds that remain extant have by necessity learned to mistrust mankind.

==Falconry in the Middle Ages==
Falconry was a popular pastime in medieval [[England]], and in [[Europe]] more generally. No nobleman's [[castle]] would have been deemed complete without at least one mews, and the office of court falconer was a highly esteemed position. The falconer's responsibilities were to exercise the birds daily, and to tutor young lords and princes in the art of the hunt. A nobleman's son would typically begin his education at age ten or eleven; it might take years to master the sport.

Medieval princes hunted mainly for sport. The procurement of meaty victuals for the banquet table was left to the ''gamekeepers'': professional huntsmen employed by the throne. [[Venison]], of course, would be hunted with bow and arrow on horseback; [[beef]] would be supplied by peasant farmers; and [[fish]] would be taken from the rivers by hook and line; but the fowls of the air that arrived at the royal dinner table would in all likelihood be the products of the falconer's art. Falcons were as well used to procure [[rabbit]]s, or ''conies'', and other palatable rodents.

==Falconry today==
Falconry is rarely practiced in this modern age, due to its expense and the dedication required to train a bird. There is also something of a social pressure: the budding falconer may find himself the butt of jokes by his friends, who prefer to stick to their four-legged pets and store-bought victuals. On the other hand, a perseverant student of falconry will really have something to show off — think of the approbation a well-executed ''arraché'' may earn from representatives of the fairer sex!

===Catching a falcon===
If you are fortunate enough to live near a large city, you may be able to find a falconer's shop nearby; look under "F" in the phone book, or ask your parents. Some large [[pet store]]s may also carry birds of prey, or be able to procure one if you inquire politely. This is by far the easiest method of obtaining a bird, but it is also the least satisfying. An adventurous lad, not easily bored, with a week or two of summer vacation to spare, may find amusement in trying to catch a falcon in the medieval way.

The kings of Merrie England would catch their falcons thus: First, make the [[bait]]. Since falcons prey on smaller birds, the bait should look like a bird. A dead bird (say, your sister's pet [[canary]], if it should happen to die a natural death at a convenient time) would certainly do the trick. Of course, medieval falconers, who might need to catch several birds every month to keep up with the demand, did not use dead canaries as the lure. Instead, they would [[whittling|whittle]] a model bird out of wood or some lighter material, feather it with the distinctive plumes of a [[cardinal]] or [[magpie]], and then use the same model over and over to catch three or four falcons before it became too worn out and battered for further use.

Take the lure and attach it to one end of a stout cord. Holding the other end firmly in your fist, whirl the lure around your head. (Make sure that it doesn't fly off or come untied.) To a falcon soaring thousands of feet above, the feathered lure will look like a real bird; if the falcon is hungry, it will swoop down and attempt to grapple with its prey. At that point, you can quickly reel in the cord and grab the falcon. Be careful to grasp it firmly by the legs, and keep your arms and legs away from its head. One peck from that razor-sharp beak and you may find yourself wishing you had never taken up the art of falconry! Also be careful not to catch the falcon by its wing. A bird with a broken wing is no fun at all.

You will catch no falcons whirling a lure on Main Street, of course; you must first go where the falcons are. The best places for birds of prey are rolling open fields, such as the downs of England. In a pinch the country boy may make do with a cow pasture, or the city lad with a grassy vacant lot. Ask your parents whether they know where falcons might be found. They have lived longer than you have, and know more about these sorts of things.

If you live near a river, especially in the north-west part of the [[United States]], you may have more luck catching a [[fish eagle]] with a bait of [[salmon]]. Instead of whirling the bait in the air, set it in the shallows of the river and wait behind some cover for a bird to take the bait. Be careful, too; eagles are fond of a free meal of salmon, but so too are [[grizzly bear]]s!

===Training your falcon===
Falcons are natural-born hunters, and therefore require very little training in the actual procedure of catching their prey. The main objective of training is to convince the bird that you are its master, and that it must return to your hand when it has had its fun. To this end, you should procure a length of string or fishing line — about ten yards should do. Tie one end securely to the bird's ankle, and the other end to your wrist. This system allows the falcon to range freely within a certain radius, but forces him to return to your wrist to roost. Gradually the falcon will acclimatize himself to his new condition, and soon
he will be sleeping on your wrist even without his fishing-line harness.

It is also important to fashion a hood for your falcon. Like other birds — your sister's late canary, for example — falcons instinctively fall asleep when the sun goes down. Putting a hood over the bird's head serves to block out the light, telling the bird that it's time for sleep. You may buy a ready-made falcon's hood at a falconer's shop, or make your own out of leather or cloth. In a pinch, a black plastic trash bag will do the trick.

To sharpen your falcon's hunting instincts, let him practice diving at pieces of meat you toss on the ground. This activity simulates the action a wild falcon would perform in capturing a [[rabbit]], [[weasel]], or other small creature. Be careful to keep your falcon hooded around other people for the first few weeks,
or you may have some awkward explaining to do at the next family cookout!

===Hunting with your falcon===
After a few months of training, your falcon will be as tame as a spaniel; it will then be ready to hunt for you. Carefully remove the lead from its ankle and point your arm up into the air, which will force the falcon to take wing. It will circle high in the air until it spots a bird or rabbit, whereupon it will dive on its prey with a great show of speed. If you are lucky, it will instinctively bring its prey back to its customary roosting-place — your own wrist — whereupon you can relieve it of its burden. Make sure to keep handy a supply of small tidbits, such as ground beef or [[sweetmeats]], to reward the bird for its work; otherwise, it might decide that it wants to keep its prey — and a hungry falcon can be more than a match for its would-be trainer!

Keep at it. With some luck and a good deal of perseverance, you may find falconry as engrossing, and as much fun, as did the royal falconers of Merrie England!

==References==
*Applecot, H.W. "Falconing". In ''Fun for Boys'' (ed. Martin Escrivel) Wine Press: [[Boston]], 1931.
*"Falconry". ''Encyclopaedia Britannica''.
*Greer, S. ''The Boys' Book of Outside Pastimes''. Scribner's: [[New York]], 1892.

[[Category:Sports]]
[[Category:Birds]]

Falconry

2008-09-07T19:16:29Z

Richards: add instructions circa 1931

'''Falconry''' is an ancient "[[sport]] of [[king]]s". Widely practised in the [[Middle Ages]], it has fallen out of favor in recent decades, thanks mainly to the expense of maintaining a collection, or ''mews'', of birds. The relentless [[urbanization]] of our cities and towns has also led to an overall reduction in the number of predatory birds, and those birds that remain extant have by necessity learned to mistrust mankind.

==Falconry in the Middle Ages==
Falconry was a popular pastime in medieval [[England]], and in [[Europe]] more generally. No nobleman's [[castle]] would have been deemed complete without at least one mews, and the office of court falconer was a highly esteemed position. The falconer's responsibilities were to exercise the birds daily, and to tutor young lords and princes in the art of the hunt. A nobleman's son would typically begin his education at age ten or eleven; it might take years to master the sport.

Medieval princes hunted mainly for sport. The procurement of meaty victuals for the banquet table was left to the ''gamekeepers'': professional huntsmen employed by the throne. [[Venison]], of course, would be hunted with bow and arrow on horseback; [[beef]] would be supplied by peasant farmers; and [[fish]] would be taken from the rivers by hook and line; but the fowls of the air that arrived at the royal dinner table would in all likelihood be the products of the falconer's art. Falcons were as well used to procure [[rabbit]]s, or ''conies'', and other palatable rodents.

==Falconry today==
Falconry is rarely practiced in this modern age, due to its expense and the dedication required to train a bird. There is also something of a social pressure: the budding falconer may find himself the butt of jokes by his friends, who prefer to stick to their four-legged pets and store-bought victuals. On the other hand, a perseverant student of falconry will really have something to show off — think of the approbation a well-executed ''arraché'' may earn from representatives of the fairer sex!

===Catching a falcon===
If you are fortunate enough to live near a large city, you may be able to find a falconer's shop nearby; look under "F" in the phone book, or ask your parents. Some large [[pet store]]s may also carry birds of prey, or be able to procure one if you inquire politely. This is by far the easiest method of obtaining a bird, but it is also the least satisfying. An adventurous lad, not easily bored, with a week or two of summer vacation to spare, may find amusement in trying to catch a falcon in the medieval way.

The kings of Merrie England would catch their falcons thus: First, make the [[bait]]. Since falcons prey on smaller birds, the bait should look like a bird. A dead bird (say, your sister's pet [[canary]], if it should happen to die a natural death at a convenient time) would certainly do the trick. Of course, medieval falconers, who might need to catch several birds every month to keep up with the demand, did not use dead canaries as the lure. Instead, they would [[whittling|whittle]] a model bird out of wood or some lighter material, feather it with the distinctive plumes of a [[cardinal]] or [[magpie]], and then use the same model over and over to catch three or four falcons before it became too worn out and battered for further use.

Take the lure and attach it to one end of a stout cord. Holding the other end firmly in your fist, whirl the lure around your head. (Make sure that it doesn't fly off or come untied.) To a falcon soaring thousands of feet above, the feathered lure will look like a real bird; if the falcon is hungry, it will swoop down and attempt to grapple with its prey. At that point, you can quickly reel in the cord and grab the falcon. Be careful to grasp it firmly by the legs, and keep your arms and legs away from its head. One peck from that razor-sharp beak and you may find yourself wishing you had never taken up the art of falconry! Also be careful not to catch the falcon by its wing. A bird with a broken wing is no fun at all.

You will catch no falcons whirling a lure on Main Street, of course; you must first go where the falcons are. The best places for birds of prey are rolling open fields, such as the downs of England. In a pinch the country boy may make do with a cow pasture, or the city lad with a grassy vacant lot. Ask your parents whether they know where falcons might be found. They have lived longer than you have, and know more about these sorts of things.

If you live near a river, especially in the north-west part of the [[United States]], you may have more luck catching a [[fish eagle]] with a bait of [[salmon]]. Instead of whirling the bait in the air, set it in the shallows of the river and wait behind some cover for a bird to take the bait. Be careful, too; eagles are fond of a free meal of salmon, but so too are [[grizzly bear]]s!

===Training your falcon===
Falcons are natural-born hunters, and therefore require very little training in the actual procedure of catching their prey. The main objective of training is to convince the bird that you are its master, and that it must return to your hand when it has had its fun. To this end, you should procure a length of string or fishing line — about ten yards should do. Tie one end securely to the bird's ankle, and the other end to your wrist. This system allows the falcon to range freely within a certain radius, but forces him to return to your wrist to roost. Gradually the falcon will acclimatize himself to his new condition, and soon
he will be sleeping on your wrist even without his fishing-line harness.

It is also important to fashion a hood for your falcon. Like other birds — your sister's late canary, for example — falcons instinctively fall asleep when the sun goes down. Putting a hood over the bird's head serves to block out the light, telling the bird that it's time for sleep. You may buy a ready-made falcon's hood at a falconer's shop, or make your own out of leather or cloth. In a pinch, a black plastic trash bag will do the trick.

To sharpen your falcon's hunting instincts, let him practice diving at pieces of meat you toss on the ground. This activity simulates the action a wild falcon would perform in capturing a [[rabbit]], [[weasel]], or other small creature. Be careful to keep your falcon hooded around other people for the first few weeks,
or you may have some awkward explaining to do at the next family cookout!

===Hunting with your falcon===
After a few months of training, your falcon will be as tame as a spaniel; it will then be ready to hunt for you. Carefully remove the lead from its ankle and point your arm up into the air, which will force the falcon to take wing. It will circle high in the air until it spots a bird or rabbit, whereupon it will dive on its prey with a great show of speed. If you are lucky, it will instinctively bring its prey back to its customary roosting-place — your own wrist — whereupon you can relieve it of its burden. Make sure to keep handy a supply of small tidbits, such as ground beef or [[sweetmeats]], to reward the bird for its work; otherwise, it might decide that it wants to keep its prey — and a hungry falcon can be more than a match for its would-be trainer!

Keep at it. With some luck and a good deal of perseverance, you may find falconry as engrossing, and as much fun, as did the royal falconers of Merrie England!

==References==
*Applecot, H.W. "Falconing". In ''Fun for Boys'', 1931.
*Greer, S. ''The Boys' Book of Outside Pastimes''. Scribner's: [[New York]], 1892.

[[Category:Sports]]
[[Category:Birds]]

Falconry

2008-09-07T19:09:30Z

Richards: still working

George Allen

2008-09-07T19:07:14Z

Richards: /* Education */ link to falconry

[[Image:Allen.jpg|right|150px]]
'''George Felix Allen''' (born March 8, 1952) is the former [[Republican]] [[Governor]] and [[United States]] [[Senator]] from the state of [[Virginia]]. Allen lost his 2006 bid for reelection in the Senate to [[Democrat]] [[Jim Webb]]. He is currently a [[Fox News]] contributer and a Presidential Scholar at the Young America's Foundation. Allen was elected as a member of the Senate Republican leadership as Chairman of the [[National Republican Senatorial Committee]] in 2002, and oversaw a net gain of four seats for the Republicans in the 2004 Senate elections. Allen is a self-described "Jeffersonian [[Conservative]]."

==Early life and Family==
Allen's father, George Herbert Allen, was a legendary [[NFL]] coach who was inducted into the Pro [[Football]] Hall of Fame in 2002 and Henrietta Lumbroso. He has a younger sister, Jennifer, an author and correspondent for NFL Network, and two brothers, including Bruce Allen, currently general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Allen was born in Whittier, [[California]]. He and his family lived in there until 1957. They moved to the suburbs of Chicago after George Sr. got a job with the Chicago Bears. Allen's father was later named head coach of the [[Los Angeles]] Rams.
==Education==
Allen graduated in 1970 from Palos Verdes High School, where he was a member of the [[falconry]] club and the [[car]] club. He was also quarterback of the varsity football team. Allen attended the University of California, Los Angeles, for a year before transferring to the University of Virginia, in 1971, where he received a B.A. degree with distinction in history in 1974. He was class president in his senior year at UVA. After graduating, Allen completed a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1977. In 1976 he was the chairman of the "Young Virginians for [[Ronald Reagan]]".

==Political Career==
After earning his law degree, Allen served as clerk for a federal judge and then opened a law office in Charlottesville. Allen's first race for the Virginia House of Delegates was in 1979, two years after he graduated from law school. He placed third in a field of four candidates. He ran again in 1981 and won the election. The seat he held was the same one held by [[Thomas Jefferson]]. He was a delegate from 1982 to 1991, representing a district in Albemarle County. On November 5, 1991, Allen won a special election to fill the seat in the [[United States House of Representatives]] for Virginia's 7th District with 63% of the vote. On November 1993, Allen was elected the 67th Governor of Virginia, serving from 1994 to 1998. Allen could not run for re-election because Virginia's constitution does not allow a governor to succeed himself; as of 2006 Virginia is the only state that has such a provision. Governor Allen was elected to the Senate in November 2000, defeating the Democratic incumbent, [[Chuck Robb]]. George Allen was the only Republican to unseat a Democratic incumbent that year. He served on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee and the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Allen was frequently mentioned as a possible Republican candidate for the [[2008 Presidential Election]]. However, his 2006 defeat for his Senate seat help derail his potential candidacy. On December 10, 2006, Allen gave an interview in which he stated that he would not seek the 2008 nomination. He has been mentioned as a candidate for Governor of Virginia in 2009. Allen would be eligible to run since his two terms would be non-consecutive.

==Political views==
George Allen's political platform fits with that of the conservative wing of the Republican Party: he is pro-life, opposes same-sex marriage, and supports the [[war in Iraq]].

==Controversy==
On August 11, 2006, during his Senate reelection campaign, Allen used the word "macaca" to refer to the haircut of S.R. Sidarth, who was filming the event as a "tracker" for the opposing Webb campaign. Sidarth is of [[Indian]] ancestry, but was born and raised in Fairfax County, Virginia. Macaca means "monkey" in some [[African]] nations. Allen apologized and said that he did not know the meaning of the word. Nevertheless, the incident proved to be extremely detrimental to his campaign.

==External links==
*[http://www.georgeallen.com/], Senator George Allen's political website
*[http://www.issues2000.org/Senate/George_Allen.htm], George Allen on the issues
*[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=a000121], Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, George}}

[[Category:Former United States Senators]]
[[Category:Republican Governors]]
[[Category:Virginia Governors]]

Joust

2008-09-07T19:06:16Z

Richards: /* Jousting in the present day */ link to falconry

==Jousting in history==

Jousting refers to mock combat between two armored, mounted [[knight]]s performed during the 14th-16th centuries. Jousting was a public display of the knight's skill and a popular public entertainment. Starting at opposite ends of the tourney field (known as the ''lists''), the competing knights would ride at each other and try unhorse their opponent with a wooden tipped [[lance]]. The wooden tip of the lance was blunted and would splinter on impact to prevent serious injury, not to mention to create a dramatic effect for the onlookers. Knights would joust in full plate amour with additional padding to mitigate against the effects of the blows.

Jousting tournaments were often lavish affairs and offered prizes of money or land to victorious knights. Fortunes and indeed, reputations, could be won and lost competing in this way.

==Jousting in the present day==

Although the practice of jousting died out in the 16th century, some groups continue to put on displays of jousting to entertain the public. An example of this is the Royal Armouries Museum in the United Kingdom where staged jousting (along with other displays of [[falconry]] and [[musket]] firing) is one of the most popular attractions during the summer months.

==Popular Culture==

A jousting tournament can be seen in the comic film "A Knight's Tale". The novels of George R R Martin feature jousting tourneys.

''Joust'' may also refer to a [[video game]] where knights mounted atop flying [[ostrich]]es attempt to dismount each other.

[[Category:Games]]

Falconry

2008-09-07T19:02:02Z

Richards: in progress, please bear with me...

User:Richards

2008-09-07T18:55:18Z

Richards: New page: Donald S. Richards, age 40, father of two.

Donald S. Richards, age 40, father of two.