The way the national anthem (apart from Rosanne Barr at a baseball game few years back) is sung at special events sends shivers down the spines of all those in attendance and if it is outdoors I never cease to wonder how the pilots of those FA 18’s can fly over the stadium with split second timing at the completion of the anthem. I will never forget after 9/11 how every second car flew the stars and stripes for months and months after the tragedy. I am one of many local residents in my neighborhood who flies the flag fifty-two weeks of every year. Every time I leave or arrive home Old Glory reminds me of how lucky I am to live in the greatest nation, bar none, on earth.

This week Germany’s most famous footballing son Franz Beckenbauer expressed his disgust that the German World Cup soccer team management decided it was optional for players to sing the national anthem before the start of the matches. The fact that over half the team is made up of “new” Germans (mostly refugees from some pretty disgusting countries- which in itself would make Adolf Hitler turn in his grave) who probably can’t speak a word of German anyway is a soft way out rather than attack the issue. The other thirty-one finalists, especially the USA, have been fine tuning their singing skills for months waiting for the occasions to sign the national anthem. Germany still has post WW 2 issues where the liberals still want to play down the celebration of nationhood, but they have it all wrong. Franz Beckenbauer is absolutely right in his assertion all team members should stand together with pride and sing their lungs out, “The Song of Germans”, Germany’s national anthem. If the “new” Germans won’t participate, as far as I am concerned they don’t deserve to represent Germany and should be cast out.

World Cup 2010 from South Africa

The World Cup has started. As much as I would love the USA to reach the final, there are thirty-one other countries vying for the two spots. CII, a veritable United Nations, has employees with mixed feelings should America fail, where they will look to their original or parents’ homelands for success. Countries include; England, New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Cameroon, France and Germany. Please be patient when calling us over the next three weeks whenever there is a game being played. The TV in the lunch room will be on and at least one CII team member could have a real interest in the result. Depending upon the two teams playing, one to forty soccer fans could be out of circulation for a couple of hours!

Over the last twenty-five years Latinos have succeeded in dominating local and state politics and today the credit worthiness of California is at “junk” level and going by the pot holes, shabby neglected government-owned buildings, including schools and grid lock in ever getting anything worthy done, Los Angeles and California are headed for imminent bankruptcy. Led by L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the new breed of Californian politician has a social agenda which advances the causes of the Hispanic population while ignoring the values and concerns of the remainder of his other constituents.

It is common knowledge that the recent anti-illegal immigration law passed in Arizona is how most thinking and caring Americans throughout the fifty states view illegal immigration. Anyone wishing to come to America needs to apply from their country of residence and await the leisure of the United States government to approve or disapprove their application. The line of people asking for the opportunity to enjoy the fruits and benefits of becoming American is millions long. People shortcutting the system by jumping over fences, swimming across rivers or crossing the border by other means spoils it for the ones who legitimately wish to choose the USA as their new home.

Here we have the City of Los Angeles and L.A. County literally bankrupt and this week both entities have spent the whole time condemning and passing ordinances blocking Arizona from doing business with L.A. because Arizona legislators had the intestinal fortitude to do what the vast majority of Americans want; strengthen the laws against illegal immigration. There are already major costly social, political and security issues that still need to be addressed because of our porous borders. We need our politicians to uphold and respect the laws, not protect a section of foreigners (many of whom have become anti-social or a drain on our economy) who possess no rights whatsoever because they have not entered our country legally.

The sad thing is we have passed control of this state to a bunch of Latino opportunists who have no interest in protecting and enforcing our laws, but to turn California back into a Mexican territory exactly as it was 200 years ago. Congratulations Antonio et al; since I have lived here you have been doing a great job!