Nancy Salvato

Circumnavigating the Rule of Law

The last I heard, the United States was not a signatory to the Law of the Sea Convention. Yet back in 1996, under President Clinton, we became signatories to an agreement with the Commonwealth of the Bahamas "concerning a cooperative Shiprider and Overflight Drug Interdiction Program for Joint Operations," known as the 1996 Shiprider Agreement.

In Just 100 Days

January 20, 2009, Barack Hussein Obama became the 44th president of the United States. Our most recently elected president has been presiding in what is commonly referred to as the "honeymoon period", the beginning of a new president's term in which the chief executive enjoys generally positive relations with the press and Congress. During this first hundred days, or "honeymoon" a new president uses good will to his advantage, trying to push through an executive agenda while generally being forgiven for what could be considered novice mistakes. April 30th marks the end of President Obama's first 100 days in office. What has been accomplished in since his inauguration?

Defining Article 2, Section 1 in Context

According to Article II, Section 1 of the United States Constitution, no person except a “natural born citizen” (citizen at birth) shall be eligible to the office of President.

A Constitutionally Illiterate Congress

The definition of a citizen is one who is ruled and can rule in turn. We must have the capacity for both under the law. All citizens must be able to take the following oath of office:

Natural Born Citizens

This is a commentary in response to James Taranto's recent column in which he takes yet another opportunity to use his bully pulpit to jab at the vast numbers of people who take painstakingly seriously the idea that no person except a natural born citizen shall be eligible to hold the office of President.

Impoverishment, Elitism & Apath

We experience considerable disjoint between those with money to run expensive campaigns for the Senate or House of Representatives and those persuaded to elect the chosen few. This great disparity is without a doubt a function of the degree to which impoverishment or elitism defines the classes that make up our society. While many people let the world of politics revolve without giving it a second thought, our present political reality begs for our attention and consideration. We cannot afford to disengage.

An Alternative to Impending Doom

In the time that has passed since President Obama was elected to and now holds the presidency of the United States, there has been something of an ominous and disturbing feel accompanying the media's portrayal of his administration. It brings to mind news coverage of third world countries taken over by a military coup or overrun by a junta or dictatorship whose next move is to nationalize their industries or indiscriminately ravage the countryside.

Effective Tools in Education

“I don't know, I'm waiting for you to tell me how I feel.” (Reese stops thinking and becomes the world's happiest tool) Reese Joins the Army “Malcolm in the Middle”

Houston, We Have a Problem

64 percent of all students engage in one of three of the most serious cheating behaviors — copying from another student's work, using cheat notes or helping someone else cheat.”

Letting the Evidence Speak for Itself

In a letter recently submitted to Education Week CITATION Ste09 \l 1033 (Stephen Krashen, 2009) Stephen Krashen, Professor Emeritus, Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California, draws attention to the Reading First final impact study which showed that children following an intensive decoding-based curriculum do well on tests of decoding but not on measures of reading comprehension when compared with regular students. He reminds readers that the National Reading Panel, the foundation for Reading First, came up with similar results.

The Right to Defend Sovereignty

It is written in the Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” Each and every one of us has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. A seemingly simple idea, it's the definition of when a life begins or should end, when the liberty of one being is to be considered encroaching on the liberty of another, and on the meaning of personal happiness on which we disagree.

Undermining Our Sovereignty from Without & Within

The first amendment to the United States Constitution expressly prohibits the United States Congress from making laws that infringe on the freedom of the press. While it should be expected that those elected to the legislature have at least a basic understanding of the Bill of Rights, this is not necessarily the case.

Risking our Nation’s Sovereignty

Anyone who is successful at forging relationships has mastered the art of diplomacy. There are a few simple rules. There is a time and a place for everything. You cannot change another person, only yourself. You have to give to receive. Maintaining a balance of power is probably the most difficult. If one person denies another a relationship, there can be no balance of power because that person has taken all the control. Both parties have to want the relationship for one to occur. Any parent soon realizes that a dictatorial style will not foster loyalty or the intrinsic motivation to behave within a child. At the same time, giving in to a child’s demands grants the child all the power. A well-timed tantrum can put an end to a parent’s agenda.

True Patriots Put Country First

Sometimes, I find it hard to stomach reading the headlines in my preferred publication of choice, the New Media Journal. I just finished an article reporting that Osama Bin Laden is planning on attacking the U.S. again --real soon. It’s hard to believe 7 years have passed since our hijacked planes were flown into the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. It almost seems surreal. However, we must remember that the terrorists who would do us harm do not adhere to commonly accepted timetables, do not fight a conventional war, do not distinguish between military or civilians, and are not affiliated with any one country. And any westerner or infidel is considered fair game for their next atrocity.

The Oath of a Citizen

The United States of America has in one fell swoop rejected the status quo and elected the first black president. Now that the minorities in this country have seen one of their own elected to the highest office in the land, hopefully we can finally put the race issue to bed and discontinue the Balkanizing of America. Although we have our differences, these differences should not be what identify us. There should not be a hyphen in front of or behind the word American. Profiling should be left to those who investigate crime.

The Constitution, Two Candidates & An Election

We are presently witnessing an historic event during this 2008 presidential election. On the one hand, we could see the first female vice president resulting from the vote. On the other hand, we may find that we have elected our first black president. Either way, a glass ceiling will have been broken, heralding in a new era in our history. Many challenges had to be met before a moment like this could take place, beginning with the creation of a written constitution which reflected an entirely new understanding about government. I’m not talking about federalism or the idea that democracy could be scalable. What I’m referring to is the idea that there can be “conflict in consensus.”

Article 2, Section 1: Just Words

In a 1995 Press Release is a statement by the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Deval Patrick (yes, that Deval Patrick -“just words”), on the Appellate Court Ruling upholding the Constitutionality of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (otherwise known as “Motor-Voter” Law), a bill signed into law by then President Clinton.

The Hidden Costs of Voting Early

Voting early in the presidential election? Seems like a great idea to many Americans.

Money, Influence and Motive

I found it absolutely remarkable that George Soros was lampooned in the Saturday Night Live skit, Washington Approves the Bailout. (1) This is because I had previously wondered aloud to my husband my suspicion that there might be more at work than what was being reported around the tanking of the stock market. While I concurred that Fannie May and Freddie Mac contributed to the crisis we currently find ourselves in, I couldn’t help but wonder if the stock market was being manipulated in some other way. Although I initially dismissed my thought as likely “black helicopter” the fact that the writers on SNL included Soros in their parody piqued my interest again. So at the risk of being labeled a conspiracy theorist, I’m going to jump on Former Governor Mike Huckabee’s bandwagon and raise the question.

Let the Records Speak for Themselves

It’s been about two years now that the mainstream media has been reporting on the campaigns to win the 2008 presidential election. Sen. John McCain formed his exploratory committee in November 2006 and Sen. Obama announced his plans for an exploratory committee in January 2007. Both senators announced their candidacies for president in February 2007.