Latino Issues, A Conservative Blog

A reader, who cowardly remained annonymouse, asked if things where as terrible in Cuba as some say it is. Initially, I thought perhaps this reader was intelectually impaired, but then I realized this would not be fair to many out there, who are victims of the mainstream media. To be fair, today we are going to address this question. If things are so terrible in Cuba, why does the US prevent citizens such as myself from going there? I have trouble believing much of anything that comes out the mouth of George Bush and his cronies... If I could see with my own eyes that things are as terrible as you say in Cuba, maybe you would make me a believer. But you may be lying too. freedom | 09.09.05 - 10:56 pm | # The truth is there is little I can say first hand. I am a US citizen, and I have never been to Cuba. I never will, until Castro dies, but I can go to those who ARE in Cuba and live under Castro's so-called revolution each and every day. Pay attention Mr. ...

This is a press release worth passing on. A million thank you's to the great American men and women of Latino heritage that have given their lives and fought for our adoptive country. They are true heroes. Gala Reception in Nation's Capital Headlines Army's National, Month-long Program of Activities San Antonio, TX--(HISPANIC PR WIRE)--September 9, 2005--Continuing its longstanding commitment to celebrating the Army's contributions of Hispanics to America, the U. S. Army announced today its comprehensive Hispanic Heritage program entitled "Generaciones: Centuries of Answering our Nation's Call to Duty." Generaciones (Generations) is a month-long series of events that will highlight the heroic achievements, and honor Latinos in the military that have served our nation from generations past and present. 'The commitment Hispanics have demonstrated to our nation and its ideals is irrefutable and laudable. From the Revolutionary War to our present Global Wa...

Being that this is a weekend, I thought I would provide with my Latino Issues readers with a glimps at what posts have been the most popular with you. Some of these have gotten a lot of readers thanks to links at other well-visited web sites. Many thanks to the Bloggers and Editors out there that read my blog, and find material worth linking too. As always, I welcome and enjoy comments and discussions, even those in disagreement. I just ask that opposing views be inteligent, fact based, and respectfull. You can be hard-hitting, but get your facts right, or you'll get shot down. I give the freedom for all my readers to do the same to me. Call me out if I miss a fact. If you are new to the site, welcome. This would be a good list of posts to start with. Most Popular Posts By Visits (as of Sept. 10, 2005): Honduras, Maduro Makes a U-Turn on Cuban Doctors Happy Birthday Fidel Castro, One Year Closer to the End New Orleans Model of Liberal Ideas Telesur Shows it'...

Illegals, afraid of deportation, are afraid of going into official shelters or to seek help. Both the Mexican and Honduran government are feeling the need to release official statements regarding deportations during this period of recovery for New Orleans residents. "Honduran's in the U.S. Need Not Fear Deportations," says the headline for Tiempo Digital , a Spanish honduran newspaper. Honduran chancellor Mario Alberto Fortin Midence declared that "The United States is not doing masive deportations, and much less in light of the tradjedy and floodings in New Orleans." This is why illegal immigration is wrong, and most importantly, wrong for the illegal immigrants themselves. To live in a strange country in fear of deportation, at the cost of seeking help when truly needed, is a crime. Worst of all, the greater crime is commited by these Latinamerican countries that seem to encourage illegal immigration. Lives are at risk. La Tribuna, another Honduran newspaper,...

The Peruvian "Association for the Struggle Against Corruption Without Compromise" has succesfully filed an injunction to stop the distribution of the morning after pill. This was after "thousands of Peruvians protested at the Ministry of Justice last August, claiming that the action violated the country’s constitution, which protects life from the moment of conception." This is great news for Peruvians, for Peruvian women, and for thousands of unborn children. Peru is setting an example in the protection and defense of the unborn. LIMA, Peru, Sep. 06, 2005, (LifeSiteNews.com) A court injunction has been granted in Lima that will stop the distribution of the morning-after pill in that country. The injunction was granted in response to a petition filed by the “Association for the Struggle Against Corruption Without Compromise”, a non-governmental organization located in Peru. The Catholic News Agency is reporting that health authorities must suspend the distribution...

Belgium pro-family groups are organizing to protest government's project to legalize same-sex adoptions. News sources are reporting there is going to be an organized protests this coming Saturday in Brussels. As a PBS story reports , a September 2003 annual report on so-called "human rights issues" in the European Union, the EU recommended that it's members give same-sex couples the right to both marry and adopt children, which went against Belgium's law banning same-sex adoption. Belgium does allow same-sex marriages already. Belgium followed quickly on the heels of the Dutch decision, legalizing gay marriage in January 2003. The decision gave married gay couples similar rights to heterosexual married couples. While the marriage law initially only allowed couples from countries where gay marriage was legal to marry in Belgium, this stipulation was lifted in February 2004, allowing non-Belgian couples to marry as long as one partner lives in or is a regular visito...

Honduras This Week is reporting on evidence that has come out that Cuban American freedom fighter, Posada Carriles spent in Honduras and was aided by the FBI in entering the country with a falsified passport. According to HTW , the FBI helped Carriles enter Honduras, with the help of a former Honduran immigration director, Ramon Romero, who is now being prosecuted for trafficking in false passports. This information should help Carriles in his fight to gain asylum here in the United States. Kennedy was a disgrace to all American's with the way he handled the Pay of Pigs invasion, but its a bigger shame how we treat the veteran who has commited to brining freedom to Cuba once again. Carriles was imprisoned in Panama for the attempted assassination of Fidel Castro at the Ibero-American summit in 1997. Following his release from Panama due to a presidential pardon it was rumoured that Carriles fled to northern Honduras. The statement from Honduras’ former immigration director now conf...

Earlier, I had written about Honduras keeping the Cuban doctors currently in the country. A.M. Mora y Leon over at Publius Pundit has picked up on the story and brought out more information on this story. As most have probably read, Cuba is offering to send doctors to New Orleans. A.M. Mora y Leon points us to today’s Investor’s Business Daily that makes an argument against it. Babalu Blog has more on this on the post titled " Playing Doctor ." In Venezuela, for another example, castro's 13,000 "free" doctors have replaced the country's real doctors, as funds are siphoned from public hospitals to castro setups, driving thousands of Venezuelan physicians out of work. Those doctors are protesting in the streets . One news photo showed an angry doctor holding a sign calling castro and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez "Pirates of the Caribbean." While those doctors minister elsewhere, health care in Cuba is nearly absent. The filthy, dilapi...

Here is an amazing article on the lengths abortion clinics will go to deceive their victims, and soften down the truth about the dangers and horros of abortion procedures. The author did a search on Google for Abortion, and made an interesting discovery . Liberty Women's Health Care of Queens - NYC came up in the highlighted sponsored links box at the top of the list. The "Safer Abortions" tagline caught my eye. I clicked through and lo and behold was the detailed summary of what constitutes a "safer" abortion. As I read through it, I was entertained to find the term "state-of-the-art" used five times on the homepage alone describing everything from ultrasound machines to urine pregnancy tests to the more vague private offices. To the unstudied, Liberty Women's Health Care sounds as if it's safer than the alternative "bargain" clinics they're competing with. (Bargain is their word, not mine.) But look a little closer and you'...

I like Estrada because he seems to be a man of character and someone who will defend the constitution. I think he would be good for the Supreme Court. I can only hope, but let it be clear--my support for Estrada has nothing to do with his ethnic background, though I would be proud should he be nominated. Here are comments from RedState.org , who sources say the White House may be considering Estrada once again, though it is not very probably that he will be nominated again. What I'm told this afternoon is that the President is leaning towards a particular pick, but has not made up his mind. The vetting process continues. The White House is also weighing its options regarding the pick as to whether it should wait until John Roberts gets on the bench or run two simultaneously. There is a growing sense that it would be politically more effective to have both going at once. Democrats can be expected to hurl the same charges at both, the effectiveness of which would be diminished if the...

Alarming story of the growing Cuban influence in Honduras. With the presidential elections coming up , it makes me wonder how much Cuba is mendling in Honduran politics. It will be interesting to see how much headway the socialist party has this year. Either way, the story is alarming. We know Castro lacks good will, so the question is what is he looking for in Honduras? It sounds to me like a sneaky export of communist ideology, particularly in the impoverished areas. Should the facts be actually true--doctors are treating the poor--I can't say this is a bad thing. The problem is we know Castro has promoting instability and communism as a primary item on his agenda. We'll see. By JOHANNES KOCH Bowing to public pressure, the Honduran government has retracted its original decision to send home Cuban doctors stationed in the country. On Thursday, in a public statement, President Maduro yielded to pressure saying, “the Cuban doctors will stay in Honduras. The decision is mine as w...

Honduran national newspapers are reporting unrest over increases in fuel prices in the Central American country. According to citizens I spoke with, people are under the impression that the country buys it's oil from Venezuela, which has not increased it's prices to Honduras. This leaves people with the impression that corrupt government officials are trying to profit from the price increases in the world market, which would not affect Honduran prices, if in fact Venezuela has not increased their price. Honduran government uses has price controls and regulations on fuel prices nationwide. The capital city of Tegucigalpa was disrupted when taxi drivers held protests all around key entries to the city and main roads by blockading with their vehicles. Honduran newspaper, La Tribuna , has the story in Spanish. "With rocks, sticks, and burning tires, and with their vehicles blockading the roads, the city is at a standstill." says the Spanish headline for Tiempo , a Hondura...

More hand outs by the Feds. While I can see the heart and intentions behind this, I can also see how this is going to be SO abused! What is wrong with our country? I don't care how dire my situation, I would think that no self-respecting man would accept a cash hand-out from the government! I was laid of some years ago, and after 3 months of unemployment checks, I couldn't take the embarrassment--I canceled it. I took on a lot of debt because of that, and I had some real rough times, but now I have a job and I am doing great! I got back up, and I did not need government help. The federal government plans to begin doling out debit cards worth $2,000 each to adult victims of Hurricane Katrina, The Associated Press has learned. Homeland Security Department Secretary Michael Chertoff described the plan in a conference call with state officials Wednesday morning. The unprecedented cash card program initially will benefit stranded people who have been moved to major rescue centers s...

I found this great article that ads to some of the arguments I have been presenting regarding the display of anarchy in New Orleans, and what that tells us about social values. Thomas Sowell writes about the rebuilding of New Orleans , and how the old-fashioned moral values many love to demonize are the very same values that are going to rebuild the city, and are right now saving thousands of lives. Put the pieces together--there is a serious problem with many in our society, and I believe many of these problems are being handed down as a result of a political leadership that is eager to gain votes, at the expense of individuals and a better future. Sigmund, Carl and Alfred have some great comments related to that article I think are straight on. There are people who want to be heard- demand to be heard- as if speaking out and criticizing can take the place of personal responsibility and actions. There are those believe that because they speak out, the focus can be taken off the job a...

Ok, so the conversation continues regarding values in public policies, and the real long term effects these have on people, and specifically on the underclass. If you haven't already, you may want to check out my first post, New Orleans a Model of Liberal Ideas Among Minorities , and my second post titled New Orleans a Model of Liberal Ideas Among Minorities , Part Two. A reader over at Sigmund, Carl and Alfred seems to be confused, and has missed the point, though at the same time, I think he reinforced my point exactly--the government needs to stop trying to subsidize the underclass, and needs to allow the free market forces to supply the needs of society. Most importantly, government needs to start holding individuals accountable for their actions and lives. Yes, in that process, some will be poor, some will have a hard time in life, but most will work harder, and come out on top--if you don't mess around with government policies that play God. Read the discussion and comm...

BUMPED: Even though the Hurricane Katrina: Blog for Relief Weekend is over, you can still donate and support the rebuilding and the helping of the victims of Katrina. Not that my little blog on the web has done much, but if you do decide to contribute, make sure to log your contribution for tracking purposes at Truth Laid Bear. I have seen Samaritan's Purse work in Central America after hurricane Mitch, and I know what they can do. They are very good at it, and have a strong and wide base of support within US churches. They also have a good teamwork aproach to getting things done on the ground, ensuring help get's to those in need and holding people accountable each step of the way. Make sure to also check out Glenn's roundup post to see the blogsphere in action in support of Katrina victims. Samaritan's Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan's P...

Thanksto Sigmund, Carlo, and Alfred readers for checking out my corner of the blogsphere. I welcome comments, including respectfully opposing views. I hope you find something of interest, and that you will come back often. On the right, you will find various ways to syndicate the site, from My.Yahoo and feedburner, to Atom and xml. Again, thanks for dropping in. Best, Josue

In regards to my previous post, New Orleans a Model of Liberal Ideas Among Minorities , I meant my comments to be about more than just about winning votes or accusing a party, but about the fact that social government policies do have a real and sometimes long term effect on society and on individuals. What happens when a society is dependent on government? What happens when a group of people are taught and brought up with the idea that they are victims worthy of a freebie each step of the way (affirmative action)? There are countless of policy decisions, based out of liberal ideologies, that are having a real consequence. It seems to me that what happened in New Orleans, the anarchy, violence, and total disorder, is an indication and symptom of some of these ills brought about by social experimentation. Don't misundestand me, individuals are always responsible for their actions. I hope every single person found to be guilty of looting, violence, or disorderly conduct is brought t...

To avoid being acused of mis-quoting, I will copy-paste the entire post here , and ask you, my readers, to post your comments and reactions to this. What do you think this blogger is trying to say? What does this sound like to you? Is my headline all wrong? [from Bradblog.com ] Guest blogged by Joseph Cannon I'm not going to post the piece I started to write. My original reaction to the Katrina catastrophe was going to be: "NOT ONE DIME." For an hour or so, I contemplated the idea of turning it into a crusade: No-one in the blue states (where the money is) should give one dime of aid to the victims of this hurricane, which devastated Bush-friendly regions. Why did I flirt with such a callous attitude? Because it should be obvious to all that this tragedy was not just an act of God. Dubya and his diety conspired to transform mere disaster into an unprecedented mega-catastrophe. Scientists warn us to expect more Katrinas. Global warming -- the existence of which W would p...

Professor Robert Winston has the guts to be honest about the lack of results in embryonic stem cell research, but to bad he doesn't have the ethical courage to make a complete stand against the murder of unborn human beings. But, this is the truth about embryonic stem cell research in the US--it is being hyped for political and financial reasons. The truth, on the other hand, is that embryonic stem cells are giving no home for any sort of cure, and have no promise of ever doing so. This, while at the same time, all evidence points to great potential in other areas of stem cell research. The British Times Online reports on the story: The promise of embryonic stem (ES) cell research has been oversold by scientists, according to a British expert in reproductive medicine. The likely benefits of ES cells and the speed with which they will help patients have been exaggerated to persuade politicians and the public to support this controversial field, Lord Winston, the fertility speciali...

I have been thinking about the troubling anarchy been observed in New Orleans, and what it is that America needs to learn from the scenes on our TV. Seeing how New Orleans is largely Democrat, one would assume that the results of liberal ideas in regard to how Democrats are helping African Americans cuold be best be observed there. The Liberals would have minorities become helpless, government-dependent and would take away our self-reliance and determination. This is what our culture and communities could look like, should we turn to the Democratic party for leadership. New Orleans turned into anarchy in the absence of a government to provide order, direction, and authority. Is this the Democrat's idea of a ideal society? Would the liberals have us become a collection of individuals that are unable to be self-reliant, to display civility in the face of hardship, and go out of control within hours of the government losing control? This truly is a perfect example of what happens when...

NY Times has gone out on a limb again to make sure to paint a propaganda picture of the Bush Administration. Has the Left not learned anything about anonymous sources? As low as the media's credibility is doing right now, the NY Times just can't resist throwing this one out there. Not that anyone cares--their only readers are the left-wing nut cases that believe the lies they see fit to print. Here are some thoughts from Kilmer at RedState.org When reporting something this serious, that the White House's response to a natural disaster of this magnitude is merely a political show, one would think a responsible reporter would find some sources inside the White House. Anonymous "Republicans" do not lend credibility merely because they are not anonymous "Democrats." This read like a propaganda piece one might see posted on Daily Kos or Democratic Underground, both of which have bee marginalized by their political jaundice. I don't necessarily expect bet...

As a Latino, I care more about life and about values, than about seeing another Latino on the Supreme Court. Mr. President, you can "represent" us Latinos by representing our pro-life, pro-family, and value driven traditions. Alberto Gonzales is not acceptable for the Supreme Court. Following is a collection of thoughts I have previously written on Gonzales, that are now once again very relevant. From " Gonzales--Setting Aside the Constitution " -- The reason conservatives will not support Gonzales, and the primary reason I am against his nomination, is the fact he has made statements about setting aside the Constitution. This is a serious concern, and the primary qualification I am hoping Bush will expect in whoever he nominates--someone who will be an originalist when it comes to interpreting the Constitution. Sean Rushton, executive director of the Committee for Justice said it best . The GOP will lose a lot of money and a bad choice bad Bush would only serve to ...