SHALOM ALOHA ADOIS AU REVIOR HEJDA ARRIVEDERCI YASOU

SLAN HAPOONEA FAREWELL

 

Thank you Mr. Jackson and The Sun Times for publishing  “Musings On Matters of Interest and Antagonists.”  Thank you who said you enjoyed reading my columns. Special thanks to Kathryn, Tom, Patti and John for reading my drafts and making suggestions.

 

Hopefully the many hours spent on research and the time spent reading hundreds of pages of material were reflected in the columns.

 

While at Camp Chaffee during the Korean conflict it was my good fortune to meet and work with James G. Caster who became my lifetime friend.  Jim was from Oklahoma, had just graduated from law school, dearly loved the Big Red football team and was active in the Young Democrats organization.

 

In 1955 Jim called me and invited me to attend the National Young Democrats Convention meeting in Oklahoma, City.  Shortly after my arrival Jim introduced me to his friend Bill Chastain, an aide to Senator Robert Kerr.  During our visit with Chastain Jim asked: “Bill how in the world did a poor boy like you get this plum political position with Senator Kerr?”  Chastain replied:  “ when growing up in rural Oklahoma I was very poor-- my only possession was one old hound dog.  One winter there was barely enough food for me and nothing for my old hound dog. Even though I was not feeding my hound dog he remained fat.  Watching the old hound I discovered he was going to my neighbors and being nice to them and they were giving him food. I reasoned I was as smart as a hound dog and started being nice to people.”

 

Most folks agree we live in a bitterly divided world—a world where people are not nice to each other.  The media is filled with daily bombings and killings all around the globe.

 

 In America we have read the parable of the Good Samaritan but few of us can say our lives are filled with compassion and mercy for those who have been robbed and beaten  along the road of life.

 

We the people seem to choose leaders who are unable or unwilling to solve the many problems we face in our daily lives. Or is it our leaders spend so much time saying unkind, and untrue things about their opponent and raising money for the next campaign that there is no time remaining to solve problems?

 

Apparently we have forgotten the high cost which this nation paid for the bitter division that led to a civil war—620,000 American soldiers died and the many years of economic pain that followed the war.

 

 

 

 

Lee Atwater political consultant to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W Bush was known as the “happy hatchet man” and the “Darth Vader” of the Republican Party as a result of his unethical, dirty tricks successful campaigns.  When Atwater realized he was dying from a brain cancer he issued a number of public statements and wrote letters to those he had wronged during his career. In one he said ‘my illness has taught me something about the nature of humanity, love brotherhood and in relationships that I never understood.” In a February 1991 article in Life Magazine Atwater wrote: “My illness helped me to see what was missing in society, is what was missing in me: a little heart, a lot of brotherhood.  It took a deadly illness to put me eye to eye, with that truth.”

 

“If we trusted each other, we could work together to make something happen that was bigger than our individual capabilities.”  David Novak CEO of YUM Brands

 

“I love Bill Clinton.”   Barbara Bush wife of George H. W Bush the man Bill Clinton defeated for President of the United States in 1992.

 

If people of all faiths, all races and all nations are to live together in peace we must have:

 

The forgiveness of a Barbra Bush and be able to sincerely say to our political opponents –I love you.  

 

The willingness of a David Novak to trust each other and work together.

 

A little heart and a lot of the brotherhood  which Lee Atwater experienced on his deathbed.

 

In plain language we must be as smart as a hound dog and—BE NICE TO EACH OTHER.

 

May God bless you with a long and happy life.

 

AND WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR

 

When Jesus was ask and who is my neighbor he replied.

 

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half-dead.  Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.  So likewise a Levite, when he came and saw him, passed by on the other side.  But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper saying, “Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.”  Which of these three, do you think proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?  He said “The one who showed mercy on him.”  And Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Luke 10: 29-37

 

As you study this parable remember Christians are commanded to love thy neighbor as thyself.  This parable left no doubt about who is thy neighbor—for a Jew the neighbor was a social outcast, the most hated person who Jews avoided—a Samaritan.

 

Jesus did not share the Jews hate for Samaritans or avoid them.  See Luke 9: 51-52 and John 4: 7-42 for instances where Jesus stayed in Samaria and had contact with the Samaritan people

 

Also worthy of note is the man beaten and left half dead was a Jew and the people who observed his suffering and passed on the other side were Jews.  The religious leader of the Temple a priest—a man similar to our modern day ministers, priests, Rabbi’s, preachers-- and a Levite a temple worker—a man similar to our modern day workers in the churches or places of worship.

 

This parable, is considered the best known parable of Jesus, and has inspired paintings, sculptures, poems and films and many hospitals and charitable organizations are named after the Good Samaritan.

 

Samaria was a small area located between Galilee on the north and Judea on the south. Jews hated Samaritans and avoided all contact with them.  The Jews hatred for Samaritans was so intense that when traveling between Judea and Galilee they would take a longer, six day journey along the Jordan River valley rather than taking the shorter route through Samaria.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just as in Jesus time many countries in the world today have bitter hatred for other countries.    Sixty two years after Israel was accepted as a member nation of the U.N 36 countries, 30 of which are under Muslim control, do not recognize Israel as a nation and have no diplomatic relations with Israel. The list of countries who express hatred for America seems to grow longer every day.  The countries of the world are so busy expressing hate and making war against each other they fail to see, or if they saw they have failed to show compassion and mercy for the 870 million people in the world suffering from chronic undernourishment or the 10.9 million children dieing each year due to poor nutrition. 

 

Recent studies on American attitudes at the University of Minnesota found the top four   most hated groups in America, groups people wished to avoid,  were Atheist, Muslims, Homosexuals and Mexicans.  Americans are so busy expressing hate for the people in these groups they have failed to see or show compassion for the 48 million American households that do not have adequate food. 

 

Only you know if you have a hate or an avoid list.  Are there people who you would not welcome to buy the house next door? People who you would not like as a teacher for your children?  People who you would avoid in social gatherings?  People who you would you not welcome into your home?  People who you would avoid because of their politics? 

 

Only you know whether you have been a “neighbor” to the people suffering from the “beatings” inflicted by the pain of daily living on those you may have encountered along your road of life.  When your conduct is judged by the parable of the Good Samaritan would you life be best described as a life filled with  “compassion and mercy” or  as a life spent  “passing by on the other side.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DEMOCRATS RESPONSE TO FEAR ---HOPE

REPUBLICANS RESPONSE TO DEMOCRATS HOPE—FEAR PART 2

 

COMMUNISM

Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy began a six year Communist witch hunt to create “fear” of President Truman’s policies of  “HOPE”  called the “Fair Deal” with this statement on February 9, 1950.

 

“The State Department is infested with Communist.  I have here in my hand a list of 205—a list of names that were made known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping policy in the State Department.” 

 

McCarthy’s six years of wrongfully accusing thousands of Americans of being Communist produced only one noteworthy thing—a new word—McCarthyism.  “The practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without regard of the evidence. The practice of making unfair allegations or using unfair investigative techniques.”

 

AFRICAN AMERICANS

After the Supreme Court decision in 1954 ending segregation in schools and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 became law Nixon and Republicans devised a policy of “fear” known as the Southern Strategy--- creating “fear” among white people and African Americans.

“Fear” of African Americans caused white people to vote Republican and what had been the solid Democratic South since the Civil War became and remains the Solid Republican South. 

 

Reagan’s speeches against “welfare queens,”  George H.W. Bush’s speeches against “Willie Horton” and Newt Gingrich’s references to President Obama as the “food stamp president” keeps the Republican Southern Strategy of racial “fear” alive and well in 2014.

 

SADDAM HUSSEIN

 The “FEAR” created by the Bush administration of Saadam Hussein led to an unnecessary war, a war that cost over 4,000 American soldiers their lives, killed over 100,000 Iraqi civilians and cost American taxpayers more than 2.1 trillion dollars—dollars which should have been spent in the U.S. improving the quality of life for our citizens.

 

EMBASSY ATTACKS WHEN A REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT IS IN THE WHITE

HOUSE—NO REPUBLICAN “FEAR” NO REPUBLICAN WRONGDOING OR REPUBLICAN MCCARTHY TYPE INVESTIGATIONS

 

Beirut attack 4/18/83-- 63 killed 120 wounded—Reagan President

Beirut Marine Barracks 10/23/83-- 241 U.S. Servicemen killed 128 wounded—Reagan President

 

 

13 U.S. Embassies attacked from 6/22/2002 to 9/17/2008 ---95 killed—George W. Bush, President

 

ATTACK ON BENGAZI EMBASSY WHEN A DEMOCRAT PRESIDENT IN THE WHITE HOUSE 9/11/2012—4 KILLED

Republicans allege wrongdoing 24/7 to create “fear.”

Republicans have conducted 13 McCarthy type hearings without finding any evidence of  Democrat wrongdoing and Republican House Speaker Boehner has appointed a Select Oversight Committee to conduct MORE HEARINGS.

 

OTHER CURRENT REPUBLICAN MCCARTHY TYPE HEARINGS TO CREATE “FEAR” OF PRESIDENT OBAMA

The IRS, Justice Department and State Department.

 

OBAMA

Republicans have demonized  President Obama just as they demonized President Franklin Roosevelt and every Democrat President since 1930.

 

In an article entitled “Almost Every Obama Conspiracy Theory Ever” Mother Jones Magazine sets out 45 McCarthy type statements made to produce “fear” of President Obama showing the name of the person who made the statement.  Some of those statements:

“Killed his grandmother to cover up his birth”  “Son of Malcolm X” “Son of Frank Marshall Davis” “Born in Kenya” “Parents were Communist”  “Is the Antichrist”  “Married a Pakastani guy”  “Bringing 100 milloion Muslims to U.S.” “Coming for your guns, gold, farms, IRA’S, and eventually you”  “Was behind BP spill, Aurora shooting and Hurricane Sandy”  “Planning FEMA concentration camps” “Campaigns funded by illegal drug money.”

 

If you were the president of a bank or grocery and half of the people you worked with in the grocery or bank were making statements about you similar to the statements  Republicans are making about President Obama  WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO PERFORM YOUR JOB AS PRESIDENT?  Would your bank or grocery be able to survive if such attacks were made repeatedly against you?

 

Republican President Eisenhower after observing six years of McCarthyism said: “America must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and instead a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect.”

 

After 75 years of Republican  “fear”  and more than 60 years of  “unfair  McCarthy investigations”  has America become  “a community of dreadful fear and hate?”

 

 

 

 

HOPE AND PRAY that Republican  “fear” and “hate” policies and McCarthy type investigations will be replaced with “hope” “mutual trust” and “respect” and  they will work with Democrats to solve the many problems facing this country.

 

In future election will you vote for the party of “HOPE” whose policies, such as Social Security for the last 75 years have improved the quality of life for millions of Americans?

 

Or will you vote for the party who would destroy Social Security and for the last 75 years has spread  “FEAR” of Social Security and every policy which would improve the quality of life for millions of Americans?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DEMOCRATS RESPONSE TO FEAR---HOPE

REPUBLICANS RESPONSE TO DEMOCRATS HOPE—FEAR PART 1

 

Franklin D. Roosevelt became president March 4,1933 during the greatest economic disaster in America’s history.  Roosevelt’s opening lines of his 20 minute-long inaugural address about “fear” are well know.

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified, terror which paralyzes needed effort to convert retreat into advance.”

 

Other parts of that speech not as widely quoted should be read and studied. Roosevelt placed blame for the economic collapse on the greed and shortsightedness of bankers and businessmen and said of the recovery:

“The measure of the restoration lies in the extent to which we apply social values more noble than mere monetary profit.”

 

Roosevelt began a number of programs such as the WPA and CCC creating jobs for the unemployed and established “social value” programs such as Social Security to provide old age benefits which programs turned people’s “fear” into HOPE and is known as the “New Deal.”

 

Instead of WORKING WITH ROOSEVELT to bring people “hope”  Republicans offered “fear” and a “No Deal” policy for every Roosevelt New Deal proposal.

 

 SOCIAL SECURITY

Republicans preached “fear” of Social Security in 1935 with statements like these:

 “The lash of the dictator will be felt, and 25 million free American citizens will for the first time submit themselves to a fingerprint test.  Republican Congressman Daniel Reed

 

Republican Presidential candidate Alf Landon claimed “Social Security is a cruel hoax.”

 

Roosevelt’s Social Security for more than 75 years has improved the quality of life for millions of Americans and IN 2014 SOCIAL SECURITY IS THE MAIN SOURCE OF INCOME FOR MORE THAN HALF OF THE 60 MILLION WHO RECEIVE THOSE BENEFITS.

 

Republicans for more than 75 years have continued their campaign of “fear” against Social Security and want to cut Social Security benefits to give the richest 1% a lower tax rate.

 

Rick Perry the Republican Governor of Texas and former Presidential Candidate has continued the Republican  “fear” and “No Deal” on Social Security in this language: “Social Security operates the way Bernie Madoff ran his scam. Functionally both are what are termed Ponzi schemes…..Madoff was sent to die in prison, but government can raise taxes to cover up the scam.”

 

 

MEDICARE

 

Former Republican President Ronald Reagan voiced  Republicans “fear” and “No Deal” to Medicare in this language.

“Medicare will be followed by other federal programs that will invade every area of freedom as we have know it in this country.  If you and I don’t oppose Medicare one of these days you and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children, and our children’s children what it once was like in America when men were free.”

 

Republicans “fear” and “No Deal” on Medicare for 46 million American seniors  according to Republican Congresswoman Marsh Blackburn of Tennessee “What we have to do is wean everybody off Medicare and Social Security.”

 

Paul Ryan Chairman of the Republican House Budget Committee prepared the Republican budget called “Path To Prosperity” for 2011 which would replace Medicare with vouchers.  235 House Republicans and 40 GOP Senators voted for the Ryan budget  and would  replace your Medicare with a voucher system.

 

AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE ACT

In an effort to provide 50 million Americans with health care President Obama employed

MIT  Professor Jonathan Gruber to draft a health care plan. Professor Gruber authored the Massachusetts Health Care Act of 2006 for  Republican Governor Mitt Romney which provides health insurance for 98.1% of the adults and 99.8 % of the children in Massachusetts whose premiums are on average18% to 20% lower and without a tax increase.

 

Professor Gruber modeled Democrat President Obama’s Affordable Health Care Act of 2010 after Romney’s Massachusetts health care plan. NOT ONE SINGLE REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN VOTED FOR THE LAW.  Mitt Romney the Republicans choice for president in 2012 promised HIS FIRST ACT AS PRESIDENT WOULD BE TO REPEAL the law. The Republican controlled House has voted 52 times to repeal the law since 2011 at a cost of more than $72.5 million to the taxpayers.

 

Republicans have spread “fear” of and said “No Deal” to the Affordable Health Care Act

just as they did against Social Security, Medicare and all Democrat policies of “Hope” for the past 75 years.  From the hundreds of Republican  “fear” statements  about the law the following are my choice for most “malicious.”

 

“Let’s repeal this failure before it literally kills women, kills children, kills senior citizens.  Let’s not do that.”  Michele Bachmann

“This law is going to destroy America and everything in America, and we need to stop it.  Paul Broun

“Obamacare is the most dangerous piece of legislation ever passed in Congress.” John Fleming  

“Democrats bragging about the number of sign ups for Obamacare is like Germans bragging about the number of “train rides” for Jews in the 40s.”  Stacey Campfield

 

 

 

VOTING AND VOTER LAWS

 

STATE’S PHOTO ID LAW FOR VOTERS STRUCK

Citing more than 100 years of Arkansas Supreme Court case law, Pulaski County Circuit Judge Tim Fox on Thursday voided the state’s voter photo-identification requirement in this language:

“Act 595 is unconstitutional as it adds additional qualifications for qualified voters not stated in Article 3 Section 1of the Arkansas Constitution.”  Arkansas Democrat Gazette

April 25, 2014

 

Courts in Texas, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania have also held voter ID laws unconstitutional.

 

Jim Wright the 90 year old Former Speaker of the U.S House of Representatives said he was denied a voter ID card in November 2013 at a Texas Department of Safety office because his drivers license had expired and his university faculty ID did not satisfy the requirements of a 2011 voter ID law enacted by the Texas Legislature. 

 

Did the Republican controlled Arkansas Legislature pass the unconstitutional voter ID law to INCREASE or DECREASE the number of eligible voters?

 

Governor Beebe vetoed the bill saying it was unconstitutional.

 

However the Republican legislature ignored the Governor’s warning and wasted its time and wasted Arkansas taxpayer dollars overriding Beebe’s veto.

 

Did the Republican controlled Solid South, old Confederate States, from Texas to South Carolina, and more than 20 other Republican controlled states pass voter ID laws to INCREASE or to DECREASE the number of elgible voters? 

 

On October 25, 2013 Don Yelton a Buncombe County North Carolina Republican official said on the Jon Stewart TV show that the North Carolina voter law was passed to “kick the Democrats in the butt.”  Yelton said “if it hurts a bunch of college kids too lazy to get up off  their bohonkas and get a photo ID, so be it.  If it hurts a bunch of whites, so be it.  If it hurts a bunch of lazy blacks that want the government to give them everything, so be it.”

 

Asked about his statements on the Stewart TV show by the Asheville Citizen Times newspaper Yelton refused to apologize and said he would not change anything he said in this language “ “There is noting I said that I would take back—so be it.”

 

Only white men who owned land or had other taxable wealth were elgible to vote when this country was formed.  Excluding white men who had no property, women, Native Americans and African Americans DECREASED the number of eligible voters.

 

In 1776 the State Constitutions of Delaware, South Carolina and Georgia required voters and office holders to be of the “Protestant” faith which DECREASED the number of people elgible to vote and was specifically aimed at Jews, Catholics and Quakers. 

 

The 14^th Amendment to the U.S Constitution in 1868 (all U.S. Citizens), The 15^th Amendment in 1870 (African Americans),The 19^th Amendment in 1920 (women) and the 24^th Amendment in 1964 (abolished the poll tax) ALL INCREASED the number of people eligible to vote.

 

2010 General Election in Arkansas

2,204,443 citizens over age 18

1,638,135 citizens registered to vote

566,308—eligible citizens didn’t bother to register

779,957—47.61% of those registered voted.

64.51%, the highest percentage, was Clark County and Jefferson County was the lowest with 37.44%.

9,108 of the 18,362, 49.60%, of the Cleburne County registered voter voted.  (Information from census records and records of Arkansas Secretary of State)

 

Which group are you in?

The 566,308 who don’t bother to register to vote.

The 52.39% majority who registered but didn’t vote

The 47.61% minority who registered and voted.

 

In previous elections did you vote FOR a candidate or did you vote AGAINST Obama, Obamacare, Pelosi, Reid?

 

In future elections will you be in the majority and not register or not vote—if you vote will you be voting FOR a candidate or will you be voting AGAINST some person whose name is not on the ballot.

 

The motive for every law relating to voter qualifications is to INCREASE or to DECREASE the number of eligible voters.

 

Are you working to INCREASE the number of eligible voter by encouraging people to become informed about the candidates, informed on the issues, to vote and become more active in the political process or are you working to DECREASE  the number of eligible voters by voting for candidates who support unconstitutional voter ID laws?

 

Who is responsible for a Congress with less than a 10% approval rating and the “mess in Washington”—look in the mirror—your failure to vote or your failure to vote intelligently is responsible for the government we have.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CORPORATE RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITY

 

Mitt Romney says corporations are people.

 

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled corporations can give unlimited amounts of money to politicians and political causes—free speech. The Court is considering whether to allow corporations to deny employees certain health insurance benefits—freedom of religion.

 

Some believe the sole purpose for a corporations existence is to make it’s owners money.

 

Some believe corporations should act ethically, be held accountable and punished for their misconduct.

 

Please consider the following corporate activities:                                                

 

TAXES

In 1999 Caterpillar paid Pricewaterhouse Coopers more than $55.0  million to devise and put into effect a corporate restructuring that shifted most of the profits from overseas parts sales to a Swiss subsidiary saving/deferring or avoiding $2.4 billion in U.S taxes over the last 15 years.  Wall Street Journal April 2, 2014

 

Over two-thirds of corporations pay no federal corporate income tax.  Headline January 10, 2012 Huffington Post

 

Nearly 300 Fortune 500 Companies paid 18.3 per cent in taxes and 30 companies –such as GE, Wells Fargo, Verizon, Boeing didn’t pay a cent in 2008-9-10.  Citizens For Tax Justice report 11/3/2011

 

Corporate tax avoidance cost states a combined $42.7 billion between 2008-2010.  Citizens For Tax Justice report December 2011

 

Other articles on corporate tax avoidance: 

CNN-Many big firms pay zero corporate tax (video)

Washington Post---Big corporations use loopholes, dodge taxes, study shows

New York Times –Biggest public firms paid little U.S tax study says

Bloomberg—Thirty top companies profited without paying tax study finds

Reuters—Thirty companies paid no income tax 2008-2010 report

 

GM AND OTHER AUTO MAKERS

Since January 1, 2014 GM has recalled 7 million vehicles of 27 different models it sold with defective ignition switches and lock cylinders that resulted in at least 13 deaths.   

 

Since January 1, 2014 BMW AG, Fiat, Chrysler , Ford, GM, Toyota, and Volkswagen have recalled 15 million vehicles.

 

During the 1990’s auto makers issued recalls of 123 million vehicles which rose to 170 million in the 2000s.   Wall Street Journal April 10-11, 2014

 

WALL STREET

 

J.P. Morgan Chase paid $13.0 billion in fines and settlement costs in October 2013 for making false and misleading statements about bond and mortgage securities which contributed to the Wall Street meltdown in 2007.   Bloomberg News October 23, 2013

 

The six largest banks paid $62.2 billion in fines for their 2007 wrongdoing which caused the second greatest economic collapse in U.S History.   Six years later criminal charges, have NOT BEEN FILED AGAINST ONE TOP BANK OFFICIAL FOR THIS CORPORATE WRONGDOING. Numerous articles in many publications

 

BIG OIL

 

BP was fined $4.5 billion in November 2012 for the Deepwater Horizon disaster for violating well safety tests in which eleven workers were killed.  Wall Street Journal October 19, 2013

 

Exxon paid $900 million to settle the Valdez oil spill of March 24, 1989.  Wall Street Journal October 19, 2013

 

On March 29, 2013 Exxon-Mobile’s pipeline near Mayflower, Arkansas ruptured sending thousands of barrels of Canadian oil through a residential area causing 27 homeowners to evacuate their homes.  Spill under investigation.   Numerous articles in Arkansas Times—Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

 

TOBACCO INDUSTRY

 

In 1998 the five largest tobacco makers agreed to pay out $246 billion to the various states over the course of 25 years ending in 2025.   WSJ October 19, 20

 

PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY

 

GlaxoSmithKline in July 2012 paid a fine of $3 billion for illegally marketing drugs and withholding safety data.  Pfizer fined $2.3 billion in 2009, Abbott Laboratories fined $1.6 billion in 2012, Eli Lilly fined  $1.42 billion in 2009 and Merck & Co fined $950 million in 2011.  WSJ October 19, 2013

 

COAL INDUSTRY

 

Alpha Natural Resources, the third largest U.S. coal company agreed to and paid a fine of $27.5 million in June 2013 for water pollution in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.  Alpha, and its subsidiaries, discharged heavy metals 6,289 times through 794 different discharge points.   Associated Press March 14, 2014