The First Amendment: All Smoke and mirrors?

Mommy wants to know if anyone remembers the First Amendment anymore???? The more and more she reads and watches the news, the more she worries that our freedom of expression is disappearing. The latest incident that has Mommy ranting about our seemingly deteriorating freedom of expression is the news about my Mommy's favorite driver, Tony "Smoke" Stewart, who Mommy likes because he's not afraid to say what's on his mind (a lot like me).

Smoke hosts a weekly radio show on the Sirius satellite network. During his show this week, he questioned the validity of certain debris cautions and voiced his opinion that they may have been called intentionally to impact the outcome of the races. His comments were not particularly flattering of NASCAR. When Smoke showed up at Talledega to prepare for this week's race, apparently NASCAR officials drug him to a private special meeting regarding, at least in part, the comments he made on his Sirius satellite radio show. For more on the story, check out NASCAR's website at www.nascar.com/2007/news/headlines/cup/04/27/tstewart.radio.comments/1.html.

Mommy's concern is not whether or not Smoke's comments about the impact of debris cautions on the races are well-founded but rather the fact that it seems like NASCAR took him to task for airing his opinion on the subject. Our county was founded on several very important principles, one of which is the freedom of expression. Often times, Mommy feels that we forget how lucky we are that we have freedom to express what we think and feel (could you imagine not being able to blog whatever you wanted?). She says that there are lots of people out there in other countries that don't have that luxury. We do because our founding fathers recognized the value of freedom of expression and through the years since then lots of men and women in our military (Grandpa, Mommy's Uncle James, Uncle Mike and Aunt Kim just to name a few) have put their lives on the line to protect that freedom. (Thank you all very much - we sincerely appreciate it!)

As a result, it troubles her very much that the people in our country don't seem to value that freedom like they ought to and don't do what they can to protect it domestically. Everyday it seems like someone else is told that they don't have the right to express an opinion. While we may or may not agree with what other people say, we each have the right to express our opinion to anyone who may care to listen. If we don't like someone else's opinion, we have the right to say so and offer our own opinion. For in that debate of ideas and beliefs lies the rich reward of intellectual growth.

Restrictions on free expression not only place limitiations on our ability to express our individuality, but hamper our ability to progress both as inviduals and as a nation. The free flow of ideas is essential if our democracy is to thrive. Everytime we limit free expression because we're concerned it might offend someone's sensibilites or, heaven forbid, someone's pocketbook (afterall, NASCAR is a business like any other), we willing give up a little more of the freedom that makes our country so great and that so many have given the ultimate sacrifice to protect. Regarding that, I agree with Mommy; that it's a crying shame. Meeeoooowwww!

So shame on you NASCAR for calling Smoke on the carpet for expressing his opinion. Whether his opinion was right or wrong, he's entitled to it and you shouldn't go trampling on anyone's First Amendment right to express their own opinion. If you didn't like what he had to say, you should have come out with your own statement, posted something on your website, or expressed your opinion in any other forum you wished, as is your First Amendment right. It's such a shame that we'll never know what great changes in the sport may have come from such a debate. Shame, shame, shame on you NASCAR.

As for you Smoke, all Mommy and I can say is "Go Smoke Go." You go right on airing your opinions and spurring debate among millions of NASCAR fans. You go right on driving your heart out and bring home the big trophy from Talledega to show them who's boss.

Go Smoke Go!

Okay, so I'll get off Mommy's soapbox now.

Thank you!

So much news I don't know where to start! First, thank you everyone for your lovely welcome to us. We're so excited (Mommy squealed) to see all the new friends we can meet (she thinks I need friends). We'll be making the rounds to read up on all of you and add you to our links as soon as we can (I have to confess that I'm still trying to figure out the link things. I thought I had put some on but they weren't there so I had to do them again on Thursday.)

We finally got DSL hooked up. Daddy had to do it because Mommy was very, very angry with the Qwest people because their instructions said there should be another piece and it wasn't in the kit. Daddy had to talk to the nice guy at Qwest to set it up because Mommy was fed up. Daddy, who never gets upset, followed the instructions that the guy on the phone gave him and had it hooked up in no time at all. Qwest is lucky that Mommy has Daddy or she would have given them a bigger piece of her mind. (I think she needs to keep all she has!)

Mommy was especially happy today otherwise. She went to a Christian women's retreat this weekend with my Aunt Val and their friend Lisa. She called it a girls' weekend (I don't get that since they only left yesterday afternoon and were home tonight, but whatever!). Aunt Val and Mommy stayed at the Ashley Inn in Lincoln City. Mommy said that the rooms were really nice with big white down comforters and pretty granite like she wants to put in the kitchen. She had a really good time (I think the shopping at the outlet mall had something to do with it) and she's getting very excited to go to Women of Faith in October in Portland (they have a skybox! whoohee that's the big life!).

When she got home, Daddy had finished putting in over a quarter of the cottage stone wall along the back wall in the backyard. That's hard work! They had just finished the other side and are excited to get it all done, put in the new walking steps and plant grass in the new areas they've created. Mommy says the yard will look really nice when they're done, and it will take way less time to keep the yard weeded and neat so she'll have more time to spend with me (and the furballs too I guess). I know better; they'll never be done. Mommy will also want to do just one more little thing! All I care about is whether they keep the bird feeders full and in plain view from my window.

Tomorrow Mommy and Daddy are taking Jean Grey to Petsmart in Keizer Station. The adoption people are going to be there to find her a nice forever home. All the furballs went to Petsmart last week to so they adoption people could give them their second round of shots (better them than me. I've had enough needles with those silly IVs lately). Mommy says that the furballs did really well on the trip and only cried a little.

Argh!

Mommy's pretty upset tonight. They bought a new computer last week so she decided they should get their own DSL line. She's tired of dial-up. Dial-up! Can you believe it? They are so out of touch! Anyhow, she called the phone people to get it added. She was mad when it took 25 minutes just to schedule the appointment. The the lady told her that she had to be at home to answer the phone so mommy had to schedule it on her Friday off. Then she got the confirmation and they had her work telephone number from five years ago even though she gave them the right number. They also told her that she had to wait around from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for the Qwest guy to show up! She e-mailed them to tell them they had the wrong phone number and that she didn't think that they were very customer service oriented. They didn't respond. Today she got home and the Qwest people had been here (not on the day she was told they would be) and hooked them up, but she still doesn't have the modem that they were supposed to send her. She's pretty ticked at them. Oh well, at least they'll have better access to the Internet so I can update my blog when it all gets straightened out.

On the good side, Mommy got to drive Uncle Jason home from work today. She calls it a privilege. She gets to talk to him all by herself. Today she got to help him surprise Aunt Janette with flowers and a card. Mommy thought it was really romantic. Obviously, Uncle Jason and Daddy have a lot in common.

Mommy and Daddy both got special things from their bosses this week. Daddy got a movie gift certificate so he can take Mommy on a date. His boss gave it to him because they had the best week they've ever had. Daddy rocks! Mommy got a STAR award from her office. They are really proud because she's been working really hard with a lot of people from other agencies, both state and federal, on some complex cases. Mommy cried because her boss' boss wrote a really nice memo about her, but they were happy tears. However, the thing that made Mommy cry the most is when Auntie Michele gave her a gift. It's a frame that says "Life made us sisters, love made us friends."

You should see the kittens. They are crazy. The only time they aren't into something is when they are sleeping. Smoke was eating the Whirly-Bird and Mommy had to take it away from him.

Daddy's playing with the laser light (I don't like it) with Chewbacca. Mommy's going to have to get new batteries for it. They all stayed up late last night watching Shear Genius with Mommy and chewing on her toes. Maybe I should show them what a good job I could do and give the kitties each a new 'do. Hmmm...

Welcome!

After enjoying reading everyone else's blogs, I decided that we need to start our own so we can join in the fun. Mommy didn't know how but I told her I would figure it out. I'm Zoey. I'm a thirteen year-old black tuxedo kitty. I'm really cute. I've been with my mommy since I was about eight weeks old. She adopted me from a nice woman who rescued my birth mommy when her parents abandoned her when she was pregnant with me and biological brothers.

I had an older brother McKenzie that mommy adopted from the shelter. He hissed at me alot and wouldn't share the bed with me unless mommy was gone on vacation. He got really jealous too when mommy would pay attention to me and not him. McKenzie got sick a few months ago and the vet couldn't help him. He went to the bridge. Mommy misses him a lot and still cries when she remembers him. I miss him too, even though he wasn't always nice to me.

Mommy thought I was going to go the bridge too because I got real sick from the stupid cat food. Mommy had to give me pills that I didn't like and an IV on a regular basis. The IV was okay because mommy would comb me and pet me while I was getting my fluids. Daddy gave them to me too. I used to gobble up anything mommy would put down and help myself to things she didn't, but now I'm really picky about what I'll eat. Boy am I tired of this no wheat diet! When are they going to make safe wheat foods again? Mommy keeps feeding me fish and I don't like it (except the real kind).

Mommy got mad a few weeks ago because the newspaper interviewed her about me getting sick (I'm a star!). The reporter told everybody I went to the bridge. Silly reporter! The vet called all worried when the article came out and mommy had to tell her I was okay. The vet reported my case to the authorities and mommy reported it to the food company. She says that she wants them to make better laws to protect us.

Well back to the family, mommy finally married daddy about two years ago. He says that he was drugged. He's joking, sort of. He was really sick so they decided to get married faster than they had planned. He was still on antibiotics and had only just gotten out of the hospital a few days before they got married, so I guess he really was "drug" to the altar, well as much of an altar as there is on the ice rink at the hockey game. He he! They laugh about it alot and are very thankful that daddy's okay. Despite the rush and the non-traditional wedding, I know that daddy's happy he married mommy and mommy's happy she married daddy. Personally, I thought she was never going to get married; my grandma and grandpa did too! I like Daddy alot. He treats me really nice and he treats mommy really good too.

Mommy thought I was lonely so she brought home four "foster" kitties a couple of weeks ago to care for them for a local rescue charity. Thank goodness they aren't all staying. I think they're a bunch of pests, but mommy and daddy seem to like them a lot even though they are into everything. Mommy and daddy have to tell them "no" a ton of times a day when they get into things that they shouldn't. They are little gray balls of energy. Mommy says that they look like me except they are gray. I don't see it. They keep coming up to me and getting in my face and playing with my tail. I get fed up and tell them to go away. So far they listen. I've taught them to hiss at one another. It's actually kind of funny.

(from left to right: Chewbacca, Jack, Jean Gray and Smoke)

Chewbacca is the biggest of them, mostly because she has a lot of fur. They called her Heely when they brought her home because she has little gray patches on her heels. Daddy named her Chewbacca because of all her fur. Mommy says it's because she chews everything she can get to.
Then there's Jack. He went to his forever home today. He's lucky because auntie Michele adopted him. She'll spoil him completely. He's getting a new brother, Gus, so now they are Gus and Jack like on Cinderella (auntie Michele's favorite movie). Jack was the worst of the four. He was so hyper and used to jump all over all the other kitties. He played really rough and they would cry. He'll be a good match for Gus, who's really mean too. But, auntie Michele says he's a lover. I don't know what she's thinking. He's a fighter, not a lover. Auntie Michele is really worried about Gus. He's doesn't like his food anymore and has gotten really picky. She's worried that he's getting sick so we are all praying that he's okay.

As for the kittens, next there's Jean Gray. They had been calling her "gray" when she first came home because she had a gray chin and Jack had a white chin. After calling her Gray for a while, daddy started calling her Jean Gray after the X-men character and it stuck. She's cuddly. She likes to be near mommy and daddy and cries if she gets left behind when the others leave the room. She needs someone who needs a good companion.

Finally there's Smoke, named after mommy's favorite race car driver Tony "Smoke" Stewart. I think she calls him Smoke because he gets around so fast like last night when he darted under her feet when she was trying to feed him.

Mommy says that Chewie and Smoke are staying here as my new brother and sister. I guess I'm okay with that as long as they give me my distance. I'm even willing to let them be around me now. Mommy says that Jean Gray's going to be going to a new forever home as soon as they find a good one. I wouldn't tell her this, but she really deserves one. She's a good kitty.