Sanford Speaks Out is the latest blog sensation written, edited and produced by Sanford D. Horn, a writer and educator. Sanford will write about issues of the day covering myriad subjects: politics, education, culture, sports, religion and even food.
Daniel Pearl was senselessly slaughtered for having three strikes against him in the eyes of his murderers in Pakistan.
He is yet another casualty in the valiant war against terror being fought by the United States of America – a war that began with the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York City and the attack on the Pentagon in Arlington last September 11.
The heinous butchery of kidnapped Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl this week must be regarded for what it was – another shot fired in the war against the United States, western culture and Judeo-Christian values.
As a brother in the fraternity of journalists Pearl represented what the people in the fight against America fear – a free press guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Pearl risked his life to present to the world the stories of the atrocities occurring in Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as other parts of the Islamic world – a world where he spent six of the last 12 years of his career as a foreign correspondent.
Pearl risked his life as a member of the Jewish faith merely by entering a knowingly hostile Islamic world. In his final living and breathing minutes Pearl allegedly said he was Jewish as was his father, just prior to having throat slashed by his murdering captors. Pearl represented what rarely, if at all, exists in the Islamic world – the freedom to worship openly as he so chooses – again, a freedom guaranteed in America by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
As an American, Pearl represented a free and open society, the likes of which hardly exists in the Islamic world – a world where his so-called fundamentalist captors raised hypocrisy to the highest level. A world that attempts to shunt the academic growth of it females, while America not only encourages education of all its citizens, females currently represent greater than 50 percent of all law students in law school.
Those who knew Daniel Pearl described him as a charming gentleman, conscientious in his work and possessing talents as a cook and violinist playing both classical and rock and roll music. He is survived by his parents and wife – seven months pregnant with the son who will never meet his father.
Daniel Pearl’s death must not go in vain. The war against terrorism must be stepped up to demonstrate that the murder of American attempting to do his job will not be overlooked or taken lightly. Journalists must always take precautions while on dangerous assignments, but should not shrink away from such opportunities or champions of terror win.
Sanford D. Horn is a writer living in Alexandria, VA.
Germany has shown its true colors. Its so-called leadership has said it will not stand beside the United States in a potential war against Iraq – a war that appears to be more inevitable than a Major League Baseball strike.
The United States, thanks to an unbalanced NATO alliance, has continued to bail out its co-signatories and put its own troops in harms way for the benefit of foreign nations. Unbalanced in that the US responds when it is called upon to aid others, but where are those alleged allies when the call is made the other way?
France is the shining example. Pre-NATO, the US bailed France out of World War I and II. Then, following the creation of NATO, the French dumped Vietnam in the laps of the United States. Years later, how does France pay back the US? By ordering the US not to fly over French air space during a confrontation with Libya. Germany has used the weak excuse that it sees no evidence of an aggressive Iraq, or a connection between Iraq and al Qaeda.
Germany and France are not the only alleged allies of the United States to shun the US. Add Saudi Arabia to that list as well. The Bush administration has defended its position of not admonishing Saudi Arabia for its human rights violations because of six decades of friendship. The Saudi government is a dictatorial monarchy. This is a government that still believes in stoning, beheading and limb removal as a part of its so-called justice system. Women are treated as second-class citizens and its press is overtly anti-American. Economically, the disparity between haves and have-nots is wider spread than most third world nations.
The Saudis as allies? That’s laughable at best. Let’s review. During the Gulf War during the early 1990s the Saudi government demanded that American female soldiers not be allowed in public. The Saudi government banned American soldiers from celebrating Christmas while they were on dangerous missions to defend that Arab country.
Fast forward to a statement issued by Pentagon spokesman Victoria Clarke on Monday, Aug. 5. “Saudi Arabia is a long-standing friend and ally of the United States. The Saudis cooperated fully in the global war on terrorism and have the Department’s and administration’s deep appreciation.”
That is a most disingenuous statement when considering the Saudi origins of 15 of the 19 Sept. 11 terrorists, as well as providing the funding for those attacks. Saudi Arabia is the funnel from which terror attacks and terror funding flows.Let’s not forget that Osama bin Laden is a Saudi refugee.
Also flowing from Saudi Arabia is the black gold called oil. Many accused Bush I of going to war against Iraq not to liberate Kuwait, but to protect American oil interests. Either way, Kuwait needed liberating. Should US troops been the primary liberators? Probably not. Did the US succeed in its ultimate mission? Yes, Kuwait became liberated. Should the US have had a broader mission that included taking out Hussein? Yes. The Gulf War was a war without surrender. The US liberated Kuwait and went home giving Hussein increased confidence – a confidence that may cost the US lives of troops it should not have to send overseas. Had Bush I finished the job and Hussein eliminated, it’s true, there would have been no guarantee that Iraq’s next leader would have not have been as despotic as its predecessor. However, a message would have been sent that might have prevented the situation the US is in now.
A line must be drawn in the sand and Hussein must be removed. The US should not make the mistake of rebuilding Iraq, for it will ultimately become stronger than it is today. Look at Japan and Germany – defeated by the US in war only to be rebuilt by Americans so that Americans can drive Japanese and German automobiles and rely upon the technology of those two nations while Americans struggle to keep their jobs at home.
Saudi Arabia does not want the US to engage in a conflagration with Iraq because to eliminate Saddam Hussein, would make the Saudi dictatorial monarchy the next worst despotic government to need toppling.
And let’s not forget the oil alluded to earlier. One of the reasons the US is too dependent upon foreign, most notably, Arab oil, is thanks to liberals in this country. Virtually every time there is a suggestion that the US drill for oil either in the Gulf of Mexico or in Alaska or elsewhere in the Arctic region, there are protests from environmental groups for fear that one drop of spilt oil would kill a bird. There is no question that a healthy environment is important, but at what cost? The lives of American soldiers? No. Ridding the dependence the US has on foreign oil would also take the noose the Saudis have around the necks of America.
Besides, when did the US begin to cow tow and acquiesce to the court of global public opinion?
War with Iraq seems inevitable, not because of oil, but because a mad man who has no remorse over the killing of his own citizenry, will use weapons of mass destruction, unprovoked, against the United States. To be on the defensive would mean the US would have suffered a blow first. That blow was dealt last Sept. 11 and connections have been made linking Hussein to bin Laden – a Saudi refugee. If the US thinks Sept. 11 was a one-time act, think again. It was merely a harbinger of things to come – if the US wake up to reality and take preventive steps.
This should not be a partisan issue on Capitol Hill. Nobody wants to go to war.
Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) said on Sunday, Aug. 4, that, “every day Saddam remains in power with chemical weapons, biological weapons and the development of nuclear weapons is a day of danger for the United States of America.”
“I suspect that al Qaeda elements are in Iraq and there probably is more than enough justification to go into Iraq,” said Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS).
In the words of the late, great Arizona Senator Barry M. Goldwater, uttered during his acceptance speech during the 1964 Republican presidential convention in San Francisco, but applicable here, “extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice, and…moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.”
Sanford D. Horn is a writer living in Alexandria, VA.
This morning my wife awakened me with the statement that there were sharpshooters on our roof, to which I asked, “which direction are they facing?”
This was not Beirut. This was not Belfast either. This wasn’t even Jerusalem. No. When I awoke this overcast Thursday, July 25, I was in Alexandria, directly across the street from the federal courthouse where the John Walker Lindh and Zacarias Moussaoui, 34, terror hearings have been held and will continue to be held, despite the repeated protests by Carlyle Towers’ residents.
Making the most of the opportunity, I shot a half roll of photos of the sharpshooters from the recreation deck of my condo – even after being approached by an Alexandria police officer. Now, I’m a firm believer in respect for the men and women in blue – that’s just how I was raised, but I was on private property taking pictures of easily identifiable people in uniform in a public venue. And that is what I told the officer when he asked what I was doing. I got no argument from the officer, instead we engaged in conversation for several minutes, discussing the hearing to commence later that afternoon and the veracity of a potential trial.
This is a trial that should not be held at this particular courthouse in the first place. For one, the setbacks do not meet the zoning requirements. The City Council of Alexandria emerged unresponsive to the pleas of local residents concerned about their safety. As an aside the City Council should be taken to task for acquiescing to the media by allowing them a trailer park for the trials and helping complicate the lives of the residents – residents that put the City Council in office and hopefully will be defeated by candidates putting the citizenry ahead of potential city financial gains.
However, and this is important to note here, that once it became apparent that the courthouse would be the trial venue, residents called for, and received additional security – thus the sharpshooters. It was vital to include Carlyle within the perimeter. But there is a cost for such increased security. Residents cannot park on the street in front their buildings. The street can potentially be shut down to allow for the safe transport of terrorist defendants. A Carlyle shuttle bus is unable to complete its rounds in serving the residents here – an inconvenience to people trying to get to the metro in order to get to work. These are people who utilize the metro in order to not have to add to the traffic that already plagues this region. Also inconvenienced are the elderly who are unable to walk the distance to the metro without the shuttle.
Currently Jamieson Avenue is being torn up for the benefit of the media circus, causing residents further inconvenience. Hordes of media from the alphabet networks to the cable outlets such as Court TV, to out of towners such as the Hartford Courant and members of the press from France have descended upon Carlyle. They have clogged our streets, attempted to enter our condos and left coffee cups and cigarette butts as the reminder of their presence. Ultimately residents of Carlyle will suffer in the depreciation of their property values.
On the other hand, two Mondays ago Greta Van Susteren from Fox News Channel conducted her show “On the Record” in front of the courthouse. I know this as I was watching her program from my home. About halfway through the program as she went to commercial, Van Susteren announced that recently expelled Congressman James “Jim” Traficant (D-OH) would be her next guest. Interested, I went outside to watch the proceedings live. After the program I introduced myself to the news reporter and newsmaker as a viewer and across the street resident, and the pair couldn’t have been nicer.
Going to Court
At 11:30 a.m. I joined the assembled masses, media, residents, attorneys and law students alike in the lobby of the federal courthouse mere steps from my residence. Upon entering the courthouse identification became necessary and all belongings were to be placed on an airport-like conveyer belt for scanning. Guards scanned each person with wands prior to allowing us to retrieve our scanned belongings.
No electronic devices allowed. A cell phone rang and a member of the French media was shouted out of the courthouse by a guard – and rightfully so.
Up to the seventh floor for the Moussaoui hearing. Exiting the elevator, groups of 10 at a time were allowed to proceed for the next round of presenting identification and conveyer belting belongings. Then into the courtroom to wait until the hearing began at 1 p.m. Prior to the beginning of the hearing I allowed a reporter from the Hartford (CT) Courant to interview me as a local resident.
All rise for her honor Leonie Brinkema.
The prisoner, a French citizen of Moroccan descent is ushered in and called to the lectern where he said he needed no extra time nor had any desire to change his original plea of guilty made a week prior.
A professor Reza from New YorkUniversityLawSchool met with Moussaoui for roughly 20 minutes. He answered Brinkema’s questions the same way, “I have
no representations to make regarding Mr. Moussaoui.”
The defendant’s mother sent a letter saying, in French, not to let her son plead guilty without the services of council – council Moussaoui has continued to reject at every turn. At the end of the July 25 hearing, however, Moussaoui said he would utilize court appointed attorneys only to find witnesses to defend himself.
It came as little surprise that Moussaoui recanted his initial guilty plea. “Because of my obligation to my creator Allah and to save and defend my life, I withdraw my guilty plea,” he said.
But Moussaoui rambled, initially saying that “the fact that I will enter a guilty plea will help my case with the jury. I want the people to hear why I came to the US, what I did here. I want to talk to those 12 people who are my enemy. In the name of Allah I will tell the truth to the best of my ability.”
Six Counts to Oblivion
At the outset, Moussaoui decided he would plead guilty to counts one through four, but not guilty to counts five and six.
Count One: Conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries.
Count Two: Conspiracy to commit aircraft piracy.
Count Three: Conspiracy to destroy aircraft.
Count Four: Conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction.
Count Five: Conspiracy to murder US employees.
Count Six: Conspiracy to destroy property.
Each count exposes the defendant to a sentence of death if a death resulted from the conspiracy, explained Brinkema, adding that the US government has alleged death. Other possible penalties, per count, included life imprisonment, up to 20 years in prison followed by a five year supervised release requiring the defendant to remain in the US.
Regarding potential supervised release, Moussaoui queried, “I would have to look for a job?” to a room full of muffled laughter.
“The maximum penalty can be death,” said Brinkema.
“I am not concerned about this,” said Moussaoui just prior to asking for a 15-minute recess to contemplate a guilty plea regarding Count Number Two.
Upon returning from the break, Moussaoui uttered a barely audible praise to “the prophet Mohammad,” before reminding people that “we’re here today because I want to plead guilty. I cannot endorse any matter that will lead to my death, according to Islam. I must withdraw my guilty plea.”
”That’s not an unwise decision,” said Brinkema. “You clearly are not admitting guilt. You have a right to go before a jury,” she said.
Brinkema seems to have bent over backwards to ensure Moussaoui’s rights are not violated in an effort that an appeal not come back to haunt either her or the nation as a whole.
“I want to put my story forward. I have a change of tactic. Ask the French consular and French government to assign Mr. Freeman to be my counselor,” said Moussaoui of the Houston resident not admitted to the Virginia Bar. “I will talk with Mr. Reza,” he added.
The trial is expected to begin on Sept. 30.
Following the adjournment for the day, at just after , reporters, both print and electronic alike, stampeded in droves for the elevators, as the stairs in the courthouse were blocked from use.
Once outside and in front of the courthouse, six members of the Black Panthers gathered at a central microphone to remind media and other onlookers that there are, in their opinion, other forms of terrorism in the United States such as corporate terrorism, police terrorism and domestic terrorism.
Later in the afternoon, around Moussaoui’s mother, with translator in tow, took to the microphone to defend her son, claiming he had nothing to do with Sept. 11.
Prior to returning home I spoke briefly with representatives of the Bloomberg news outfit and the local CBS affiliate channel nine. If Court TV or some other network has the right to broadcast the upcoming trial, I plan to watch from home when time allows.
As a local resident I want the trial and potential sentencing hearing over and done with as expediently as possible. As an American I want justice served – justice for the families of the 2,823 killed and missing victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Sanford D. Horn is a writer living in Alexandria, VA.
Let’s start with the simple notion that the farce the Major League Baseball All-Star game turned into Tuesday night, July 9 in Milwaukee is merely a microcosm of what is wrong with our national pastime.
That two starting pitchers, Freddy Garcia of the Seattle Mariners and Vicente Padilla of the Philadelphia Phillies could not, or in Padilla’s case, would not pitch more than two innings when they would normally pitch at least six, is an absurdity. Allegedly Garcia claimed he was willing to keep pitching after his two-inning stint.
In days gone by the All-Star game starter pitched three innings, not the two we have witnessed in recent years, and many of the next several pitchers have been starting pitchers and have also gone two innings – or at least one complete inning – unlike Barry Zito of the Oakland A’s who pitched to exactly one batter on Tuesday night. The National League roster featured only three starting pitchers of the 10 that took the mound, so naturally the seven relievers were only expected to work one inning.
And the two managers, Joe Torre for the American League and Bob Brenly for the National League exhibited nothing but fear – fear of the players and fear of the all too powerful players’ union in sheepishly claiming that there was nothing they could do.
But the blame should be shared equally amongst the players, managers and the poor excuse for a baseball commissioner Bud Selig, legally the former owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, entrusted to his daughter as he serves in his current post.
The inmates are running the asylum in Major League Baseball. With a pending work stoppage potentially on the horizon, there are deeper issues than the all-star game itself, and I am not taking sides in this one. I have no sympathy for either the players or the owners. Each one’s greed begets the others’.
For only the second time in 73 Major League Baseball All-Star games, last Tuesday’s Midsummer Classic as it has been dubbed lo these many years, ended in a tie at innings as both managers complained that they had run out of players. (The first tie occurred in 1961 due to rain.) After Tuesday’s display it should be redubbed the Midsummer Classless. And it’s a shame because until Larry (Torre), Moe (Brenly) and Curly (Selig) – that’s for my friend Kenny – huddled together to decide the fate of the game during the middle of the 11th inning, the fans were treated to a good game with some stellar defense, good hitting and overall action on the field. And thus because there was no winner, no MVP was named. It’s ironic too, because the MVP award was renamed for the late, great Ted Williams who died just last Friday, July 5. Ted Williams, a.k.a. Teddy Ballgame has been called the greatest hitter of all time, would have rolled over in his grave were it not for his son John Henry wanting to put him on ice. Williams played the entire 1941 All-Star game ultimately hitting the game-winning home run in the ninth inning. Yes, this was a farce.
That there hasn’t been a policy regarding extra innings has to do with the fact that baseball does not have a discernible end and will continue until there is a winner. Nine times all-star games went extra innings – all won by the National League incidentally. In 1967 the late Catfish Hunter of the Oakland A’s tossed five extra frames in a 2-1 loss by the AL in 15 innings. As it is, the rosters, at 30 players per team are already larger than a regular season roster of 25 players. However, this is an exhibition game and the managers do attempt to give all players an opportunity to see action.
In 1960 when Major League Baseball fielded 16 teams, all-star rosters were 30 players. In 2002 with 30 teams in the big leagues the rosters are still set at 30 players. The rule calling for each team to be represented at the All-Star game should remain in place. As a long suffering New York Mets fan I could count on seeing the likes of Lee Mazzilli or Jon Matlack make the all-star team. First expand the rosters to 35 players. Second, those elected to the starting line-up should play at least half the game. The fans voted for these players, the fans should get to see their picks play.
Third, hold back two or three players – at least one of which should be a starting pitcher just to avoid the embarrassment that took place Tuesday evening. These are grown men, supposedly, and not little leaguers. If they don’t all get to play, so be it. Who would have missed Adam Dunn, Robert Fick, Jose Hernandez or Randy Winn? In fact bonus points for the person who can tell me what teams they play for – no peaking.
To hell with the contract incentives. The average salary in the majors is just over $2 million per year. And while on the subject of dollars, the players ought to reimburse the 41,900 fans attending the game at Milwaukee’s MillerPark for the cost of their tickets. Prices ranged from $125 to $175 per ticket. That totals out to between $5,237,500 and $7,332,500, or between $87,291.67 and $122,208.33 per each of the 60 players in Tuesday’s game.
Apparently money is the only thing the players understand. That is just one of the reasons for the potential work stoppage brewing on the horizon, but unlike the season ending strike of 1994, there may not be a comeback for our national pastime. The strike of 1994 caused the cancellation of the World Series, something that even World War I and World War II could not accomplish. Baseball enjoyed a revival thanks to Cal Ripken of the Baltimore Orioles surpassing the late Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees in consecutive games played in 1995 and the epic home run battle between Mark McGuire of the St. Louis Cardinals and Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs in 1998.
But in 2002, we are 10 months removed from the terrorist attacks on the WorldTradeCenter in New York City and the Pentagon in Arlington. We the people have more important concerns right now. While the players, making millions, are battling the owners, making even more millions, we as a nation are battling terrorism. While the players and owners are disputing revenue sharing, major corporations have disputable accounting practices that are costing thousands of workers not making $2 million a year their pensions.
Fans may not come back to the game that has put them last – even diehards. Some have decided to avoid the proverbial Christmas rush such as my friend Troy a huge Cleveland Indians fan and my father a former Brooklyn Dodger fan, now a New York Mets fan. They opted not to watch the All-Star game on Tuesday.
I don’t begrudge anyone the right to make as much money as they can – it’s a simple concept of supply and demand. As long as fans are willing to pay the price to visit a ballpark, the players will continue getting richer – and I’m just as guilty – I go to the occasional game as well. I therefore, do not support a salary cap – that smacks of socialism.
But the owners are just as guilty of being as greedy as the players. In order to procure the best players, owners are willing to cough up the big bucks. In this case, it’s a case of Darwinism – survival of the fittest. Reports indicate that the Tampa Bay Devil Rays had to secure additional credit in order to make July 15 payroll. Selig supposedly said this practice is no longer acceptable.
I agree. If a team cannot support itself financially, like any other business that goes bankrupt, so too should the team. It should fold up its tent and go away. People stopped shopping at Montgomery Ward’s – they went away. I do not support revenue sharing – that smacks of communism. Having two of the lowest attendance figures in the majors, the Devil Rays and the Florida Marlins should be contracted and their players – about 300 between the two teams’ organizations, should be available in a dispersal draft.
Teams, from worst records to best records would select players from the two teams. This would weed out players that should not be wearing a major league uniform in the first place. Besides, Major League baseball should not be played in Florida after April 1.
Eliminating two teams would strengthen the pool of players in the big leagues.
After eliminating two teams – which will not happen due to the unconscionable power the players union wields – they don’t want to see the loss of jobs by players unworthy of slipping on a major league uniform in the first place, teams unable to survive financially should be given the opportunity to move – once, before folding.
If the Expos can’t make it in Montreal, perhaps they should relocate. If the Royals can’t make ends meet in Kansas City or if the Padres are floundering financially in San Diego, there are no doubt cities that would welcome them with open arms and open wallets. Cities such as Portland, OR, Memphis or Nashville, TN, New Orleans, LA, Charlotte or Raleigh-Durham, NC could possibly support a major league team. Certainly our nation’s capital is long overdue for the return of a major league team – we now need to solve the infighting going on between the two leading forces supporting the move of a team to the DC area.
Then there’s the issue of testing players for steroid use. This should not be a debatable issue. I do not support random testing of ballplayers for steroids. Every major and minor league ballplayer should be tested for steroid use. As in baseball, three strikes and you’re out. The first test of positive should cost the guilty player a month long suspension without pay. The second positive should result in a one-year suspension from the game without pay. The third positive should result in a lifetime suspension and loss of pension.
Selig has performed his duties as commissioner poorly and should be removed from the position. I wouldn’t mind taking the job.
As for Dunn, he plays for the Cincinnati Reds, Fick plays for the Detroit Tigers, Hernandez plays for the Milwaukee Brewers and Winn plays for the Devil Rays. How many did you know?
Baseball will either fix itself or it will implode. The choice is theirs.
A final word –
The pre-game show provided a nice waltz down memory lane. What marred it was the embarrassing interpretation by Anastacia in her rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. She made several glaring mistakes. All potential singers of the anthem should actually know all the words and sing it the way it was meant to be sung.
Sanford D. Horn is a writer living in Alexandria, VA.
Terps Capture National Title, Defeat Indiana 64-52
Commentary by Sanford D. Horn, Maryland Class of 1988
April 2, 2002
My friends, this is not a news article per se, because I cannot possibly be objective, but it does offer information. Sports information, as opposed to my traditional political offerings.
My alma mater, the University of Maryland, in its 2002nd NCAA basketball game in school history played in its first national championship game and defeated the upstart Indiana Hoosiers 64-52 Monday night, April 1 in Atlanta.
This was by no means pretty. Turnovers and overall sloppy play dominated in a game that was played, for the most part, at an Indiana pace – slow and deliberate. Maryland averaged around 85 points per game over its first five games of the 2002 NCAA Tournament.
Seniors Juan Dixon and Lonny Baxter led the Terrapins with 18 and 15 points respectively and Maryland came to play in the last six minutes of the game demonstrating why they are the number one team in the college basketball world. Maryland ended its storybook season at 32-4, having lost all four of its games to NCAA Tournament teams – Arizona, Oklahoma, Duke and North Carolina State.
The 2002 senior class, championship not withstanding, had its most successful four-year stretch in school history, led by Baltimore native Dixon and Silver Spring resident Baxter. Byron Mouton, a transfer from Tulane two years ago played a key role throughout the season, and made a game saving play late in the NCAA Final. In gathering in a loose ball under the Indiana basket that looked to be headed out of bounds, Mouton called time-out, which as it turned out, was needless as he was fouled on the play.
Junior guard Steve Blake, whose father drove to all Maryland home games from the family’s home in Florida because of his aversion to flight, played a disappointing game at best making unwise passes and committing turnovers that he did not ordinarily commit. His free throw shooting was suspect at best over the Final Four. An 85 percent shooter from the charity stripe, Blake missed half his free throws over the last two games.
Sophomore Chris Wilcox, rumored to consider taking a shot at the NBA, played flat, proving he is not quite ready for prime time. I like Wilcox and he can be an exciting player with his dunks – even the monster slams that backfire and land at half court.
Red Bank, NJ native Tahj Holden and Long Island, NY Island native Drew Nicholas led the bench play. They will prove to be solid starters next season as the Terps defend their title. Blake will take over as floor leader and if Wilcox does the right thing and remains in College Park, there will be a solid four on the floor for the Terps.
The three senior starters will be missed. I predict Dixon, deservedly the Tournament MVP averaging just over 25 points per game, will be selected late in the first round of this coming June’s NBA draft. Baxter will be selected midway through the second round, but I don’t think he will be an impact player.
I like Dixon. He stayed four years at Maryland, is on target to graduate – just six credits shy and did not let personal adversity send him down the wrong path. It has been widely reported that Dixon’s parents died of AIDS when he was 15, but he had the steady influence of his brother Phil, a Baltimore police officer.
There is a fourth senior that must be mentioned – Earl Badu. I am not mentioning Badu because a local daily newspaper did a story on him last weekend. I am mentioning Badu because I like this guy. He sat quietly on the end of the bench game after game in his warm-ups waiting for the opportunity to play even for one minute. He appeared in 12 games for a total of 26 minutes. Yet Badu, a walk on, did his job – showing up to practice and serving as a body for the starters to pound on. Badu will not only earn his degree this spring, but is headed to law school – that’s what I like – the true student-athlete.
I haven’t mentioned Coach Gary Williams until now, not because I think he is insignificant. Just the opposite. He kept this team together and should be coach of the year. By the way, Mike Davis of Indiana should be coach of the tournament. I have always liked Williams. He brought the basketball program out of the trash heap following the tragic death of Len Bias in June of 1986 and the unfortunate, scandal-ridden tenure of Coach Bob Wade, an otherwise excellent high school coach.
Williams, coaching at his alma mater, led the Terrapins as they rose like a Phoenix out of the ashes into national prominence, eventually landing in its first Final Four last year before being eliminated in the national semi-final by ACC rival Duke. The lesson learned by the defeat by Duke is that the 2001-02 Maryland basketball team learned not to fold like a cheap tent. They squandered a 20-point lead Saturday night, but held on to defeat Kansas in a game I think they would have lost last year. This year’s team was not surprised to find itself back in the Final Four. They played with a greater maturity and that is why they could win on Saturday with a virtually absent Baxter and on Monday despite the sloppy play.
The victory Monday night in Atlanta by Maryland will forever be a bright shining moment in school history. Unfortunately, the story does not end there as the images of wild, drunken students taking to the streets of College Park on both Saturday and Monday nights will also be indelible memories of a victory tarnished. College Park began to look like Newark in 1967. Store windows were broken, looting took place, fires were set, street signs were torn down and a general disregard for law enforcement ensued when the police attempted to restore order and encourage the students off of the streets. Street benches were thrown through the window of a police car and revelers also damaged another police car.
Enough video footage is available to identify the guilty. They should be arrested, charged and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. A message must be delivered. These student miscreants should be expelled from school and made to pay restitution. Any student expelled on scholarship should be made to reimburse the university for the value of the scholarship used.
It’s a shame such a great victory should be marred by such heinous behavior. It gives a bad name to the university as a whole and is an embarrassment to alumni like myself who truly take pride in our alma mater. Congratulations to the University of Maryland and its National Championship winning basketball team.
Sanford D. Horn is a writer living in Sterling, VA.
It has been a while since my last writing on a political matter, but this transcends politics as we observed the birth date of former president Ronald Reagan yesterday.
On February 6, 1911 Ronald Wilson Reagan was born in Illinois. Raised in humble surroundings, Reagan worked hard and after college had jobs as a sportscaster and a career as an actor before turning to the political arena.
Reagan served as Governor of California in the 1960s and was an ardent supporter of another of my political heroes, the late Arizona Senator Barry M. Goldwater. Reagan made commercials for Goldwater during the 1964 presidential campaign. The tables were turned in 1980 as Senator Goldwater vigorously endorsed Reagan during his campaign for the White House.
Reagan won that election, defeating president Jimmy Carter handily. On the day Reagan was inaugurated as president in 1981, the hostages returned home from Iran having been held captive for 444 days. Under President Reagan the United States enjoyed a renaissance via a strengthened economy, renewed patriotism and an overall pride in being an American.
President Reagan was known for his quips and good humor. He responded to a question in a debate during his reelection campaign in 1984 against former Minnesota senator and vice president Walter “Fritz” Mondale regarding age, that he would not hold his opponent’s youth and inexperience against him.
Yesterday Ronald Reagan turned 91 years of age, but as we know, suffers from Alzheimer’s. This is a disease that is devastating for a family to witness – powerless to solve or comprehend. While there will be no cure for Ronald Reagan, contributions to a legitimate Alzheimer’s fund or foundation should be made in his name, in his honor.
Say what you will about Nancy Reagan and her alleged antic in the White House or her affinity for things astrological, but she has stood by her husband through all the challenges and ravages of this disease. G-d Bless both Ronald and Nancy Reagan.
Happy birthday, Gipper.
Sanford D. Horn is a writer living in Sterling, VA.
Terrorists attacked the United States on Tuesday, Sept. 11 with such force, in such epic proportion, it made the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor resemble the Boston Tea Party.
That is not for one second to diminish the severity of Pearl Harbor, an attack and declaration of war by the Japanese provoking the United States into World War II. No, instead it is to emphasize the heinous nature of this cowardly attack that Arizona Sen. John McCain, himself a veteran and war hero of the Vietnam War, called an act of war.
Four events unfolded almost simultaneously on Tuesday. Four United States commercial airplanes were hijacked and eventually crashed into targets wreaking such devastation its enormity may not be fully realized for days or even weeks. The first two planes crashed into the two Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City ultimately turning those 110-story buildings into rubble and dust killing potentially, thousands of innocent civilians.
The third plane found its target smashing into the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., partially destroying that symbol of America’s military. The fourth plane supposedly heading toward the White House crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
While there is sadness, and rightfully so, for the devastating loss of life, there should also be anger. Anger over a lax security system at America’s airports. Anger over a lax immigration policy in the United States.
This is the boldest, most horrific attack against the United States in its history, anywhere. The legend of First Lady Dolley Madison running through the White House to save the portrait of George Washington during the British attack on Washington during the War of 1812 does not compare to the thousands of people running through the streets of Manhattan following the crumbling of the World Trade Center as if chased by the bulls of Pamplona, Spain.
Thousands of innocent lives have been lost. They should be mourned. Go to synagogues, churches or mosques – remember the dead, pray for their souls, and pray for their survivors. Let’s not forget the policemen and firefighters – those who survived and those who perished. They are true heroes. Each and every life lost should also be avenged.
“This is an attack on our civilization,” said Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Terrorists do not deserve justice. Justice is for those who can feel remorse. Justice is for those with a conscience. This was a tyrannical attack by cowardly zealots reveling in the suffering of others. Just look at the footage that came from the Middle East with Palestinians dancing and cheering in a refugee camp in Lebanon.
“They hate us for our freedom,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) from the floor of the Senate on Wednesday morning.
“Those with a demonic view,” have attempted to destroy “the freedom that is the foundation of our nation,” said Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) from the House floor Wednesday morning during the One Minute Speeches.
Americans have a long history of defending the freedom of other nations of the world. Today America is rebuilding the shattered psyche of a people to enable it to once again enjoy freedom at home.
The United States must take swift and certain steps to demonstrate that it will not take this act of aggression lying down. A determination of who is responsible must come quickly. Military forces must be mobilized and the retaliation must be proportional. A message must be sent that America will not roll over.
Former Secretary of State Madeline Albright said it is important for the United States to have international support before it reacts to the violence perpetrated against it. That kind of liberal pandering will only demonstrate that the United States is weak and unable to vigorously stand up for itself.
America must not concern itself with world opinion. Its first concern must be the safety and protection of the American people. America must not allow infiltrators to wreck the fabric of the American way of life it has earned through years of hard work and a constant striving for betterment. It must demonstrate that it is still a strong and vital nation that will not slink away in the face of pressure and distress, but instead stare adversity in the face and not blink – acting swiftly and severely.
American intelligence agencies continue investigating and seeking out evidence, which thus far points to Osama bin Laden, a Saudi fugitive believed to be harbored by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Bin Laden was affiliated with the World Trade Center bombing of 1993. He and supporters, particularly the American supporters he has in places like Florida, must be eliminated without hesitation. The nation of Afghanistan and/or any other land harboring bin Laden and/or his supporters must pay the price for their alliance with extreme severity.
This should not be an invitation for random attacks upon American Muslims or the desecration of mosques. In an attempt to head off any such attacks, boxing great Muhammad Ali, an American Muslim, said, “If the culprits are Muslims they have twisted the teachings of Islam.”
The borders must be sealed and a strict immigration policy needs to be adopted and adhered to. People who are not American citizens should not be allowed to flit from nation to nation willy-nilly. Today’s immigrants are not the same kind of immigrants that poured through America’s ports from the 1880s through the 1920s.
The southern and eastern Europeans coming to America were forced to have a job, the promise of a job and/or a sponsor who would bear responsibility for the new immigrant. Those same new immigrants came to America speaking Yiddish, Italian, Greek, Magyar, Russian and many other languages indigenous to southern and eastern Europe, and without the benefit of English as a Second Language classes, managed to learn English – with pride. They studied and became citizens – citizens who vote, serve on juries (willingly or unwillingly) and volunteer to make their communities better places.
Many of today’s immigrants have made a decided choice not to learn English or become citizens, yet somehow have been able to take advantage of the social programs invented by liberals that only encourage a greater influx of immigrants. This is not a case of xenophobia, but a dose of reality.
Airports nationwide have admitted to less than circumspect hiring practices and a lack of scrutinization of employee credentials. The level of security must be raised to the point of visibility and total saturation at airports, border stations, schools and stadiums. America has already learned the hard way that its enemies have placed a zero value to human life.
The not knowing when and where the next attack may be struck is much akin to the nation holding its collective breath in 1961 during the Cuban Missile Crisis when Soviet nuclear warheads were aimed at the United States.
Life as it is known in these United States will be forever altered. Transportation systems such as subways, bus and train depots and airports must experience a heightened security. The borders of the United States must be more securely guarded. An increased police presence in communities from rural hamlets to overpopulated metropolises is becoming mandatory.
“This was an indiscriminant cruel thing,” said renowned sportscaster and author Jim McKay, who remained on the air throughout the Arab terrorist kidnapping and ultimate slaughter of 11 Israeli Olympic athletes during the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics. In comparing the murder of the 11 Israeli athletes to the terrorist attacks on American soil on Tuesday, McKay said NFL games should not be played this coming Sunday. It is an issue of safety for both the teams and the fans – 60,000 to 70,000 people in the stands. “Something else could happen,” said McKay, who called the two events the most tragic since the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963. In a decision he admitted he regretted NFL Commissioner, the late Pete Rozelle, determined that the NFL scheduled games for that Sunday would be played.
It should be noted that following only a one-day suspension of competition, that included a memorial service attended by 80,000 people, the then 84-year-old IOC president, and anti-Semite, Avery Brundage declared, “The Games must go on.”
Let the indelible pictures of the fireballs, collapsing buildings and dust reminiscent of nuclear winter, be the constant reminder of the evil that has been perpetrated against this great nation. Let the void where the World Trade Center used to stand be the memorial for those who will also no longer stand.
Citizens should demonstrate their patriotism by flying their flags and observing Constitution Day on Monday, Sept. 17. This year is the 214th anniversary of one of the greatest documents ever written.
The gauntlet has been thrown down at the feet of the United States. The United States must pick up that gauntlet and strike back with a vigor and gusto that declares: never again will this great nation fall prey to such ugliness.
“Our grandchildren will not just ask where we were on Sept. 11, 2001, but what we did about it,” said Rep. John Sweeney (R-NY) from the House floor on Wednesday during the One Minute Speeches. “What we did about it – the only way to eradicate terrorism is to eradicate terrorists. We must move forward forcefully.”
May G-d continue to bless America and the American people.
Sanford D. Horn is a writer living in Sterling, VA.
