The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

If you are someone who has read, and enjoyed my poetry, and voiced that enjoyment, I apologize to you now.



You were lied to.



Betrayed.



YES! It is my poetry. I would never, ever plaguerize another artists work, but I have to apologize to you again, and again... I wrote trash, and tried to post it as poetry. Worse, I convinced it was good.



God forgive me.



Please, do not assume I am attempting the position of:



1) A Diva



or



2) someone fishing for compliments.



I am neither, but please, let me explain. When I wrote these "poems" I wrote them mechanically. I wrote them with about as much care as a Hallmark author puts into their many, many generic message cards.

I did not FEEL my poetry the way you feel yours when you write. I did not feel the music, or feel the emotion. My poetry was written with an empty heart, without love, or sadness, and so it is a lie, and because it is a lie, you were lied to.



There are at best, THREE poems written that I love. The Ballad I wrote called "The Legend of the Outlaw Five", the poem called "Prayer of the False Prophets", and the poem called "Zombie".



Of the three, "Zombie" is the ONLY poem NOT written in Iambic Pantemeter, and does NOT rhyme in any way. Why? I felt it, when I wrote it, and my feelings told me that was the way to write it.

The Legend of the Outlaw Five is beautiful to me, as is Prayers of the False Prophets. Go read them! All three of them, because they are good, and truthful to their author, and to my readers, and my audience.

"The Spirit of Lust"... "The Collector of Souls"...? Shams. Lies. Deceit.



These were less poems, then they were space, of fillers. They are sawdust, a filiment biproduct of an author. I do not even know why I wrote them, only that I wrote them because they sounded "neat" at the time.



So, to you, I apologize. To every one of you who feels your poetry, I am sorry for what I have done. I will not take them down, simply because they ARE "neat"... and make for cool dialogue. As far as art goes, these are like the Jerry Springer Show compared to Schindler's List. One has feeling, and the other is trash.



The latter, of feeling, mine is not.



Sorry.



J. Edward Nolan

author

COMMENTS

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Airianna
05:23 Jan 30 2009

We all have those moments luv, do not fear, you do not have to ask for forgiveness from me. For I have done the same thing.

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moonkissed
14:45 Jan 30 2009

J. i find that the beauty of art is more the perception of the reader how it makes them feel and not necessarily in the way you felt when you wrote it. take for instance, the writing of erotic fiction....i find the writing a bore and arduos work at that but i know what it induces in others :)

you did not intentionally deceive, you showed your "work". i haven't read it and maybe it is nice. as a writer of crappy poetry myself, i tend to ignore the comments that try to grasp what i must have felt and focus more on the ones who tell me how it makes them feel.

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violetblood667
07:48 Feb 10 2009

Deary,

I am Proud to speak with you and write to you.

It takes a very strong minded, Honest, Brave, and Smart person to admit their faults. What you have written here is a very very truthful journal entry.



Alyssa

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POST COMMENT

I recieved an email today from a VERY pretty girl, for whom given chance, I would take home in an instant. Love me, or hate me friends, this is who I am.So. I recieve the email today, and the individual who wrote me (no names) was concerned over a matter of whether I was as good a writer as I said I was (which I never do), and why I push people away.I appreciated the letter, despite how negative this response may seem. Anytime another person takes the time to ask if I am alright, I do not take it for granted.Having said that, I should re-enforce what I said earlier. I am relationship poison. I do not push people away, so much, as I never let them get too close. Let me cue you in on what it is like to date me, so you understand why it is that I do not do "serious relationships".Hypothetical situation: We met here, we met at a book signing, or some other public venue. You and I get to know each other, and like each other. Maybe we go home together that first night. Maybe its a few days later.



Either way, I don't call you until I'm ready to call you, and if I care enough about you, you won't hear from me again.



I know that sounds a little twisted, but really, have you ever actually dated someone who is completely, and utterly married to their work? I spend my time writing, as often as I can, above all things, including eating, and drinking at times. If I can ill afford to spare time for myself, why would I devote myself to anything, or anyone else outside of my work?



You may deem this cold, or unfair, or cruel, but it is simply who I am. No one makes a woman go out with me, and I am NEVER deceptive about who I am. There are always the women that I have met, and dated, who say "Once you go out with me, you'll never want to write again."



Those are the women who find theirselves without my company, and alone on their date. I have been married once already, and sacrificed everything so I could see to it that my books would end up in print. Spending my time doting over a girl is not going to help me succeed in what I need to do, it will only distract me.



So.



If you want to talk, we can talk. If you want to hang out, we can hang out. If you want to date, sure. Don't expect a relationship, and please. Don't expect much more from me than a friend, because I can barely afford as much, as it is.



Thank you,



J. Edward Nolan

COMMENTS

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Scorned
16:54 Jan 31 2009

It makes sense though.

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violetblood667
07:54 Feb 10 2009

well Deary,



Once again I am reading a beautifully written entry that proves that you are a very truthful, Brave soul. This is only one thing of many that to me makes you a very beautiful Person.



Alyssa

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POST COMMENT

B.C / B.C.E - Before Current/Common / Before Current Era/Comma Era; alternatively Before Christ / Before Christian era.

B.P – Before Present. Also used as Before Physics. Any time prior to 1950.

A.D - Anno Domini - In the Year of our Lord. Alternatively;

C.E - Current Era / Common Era / (Christian Era)

Holocene – Approximately 11,550 years BP (9,600 years B.C.E). Also known as the Alluvium Epoch, though the Alluvium Epoch has fallen into disuse. The Mesolithic, Neolithic (New Stone age), and the Bronze age fall into this category.

Epipalaeolithic – The Mesolithic Age. The Mesolithic age predates the Neolithic age. Mesolithic artifacts include the first signs of deforestation, wooden canoes, flint tools (for hunting, and fire).

Neolithic – New Stone Age. The development of human technology that proceeded the stone age, and pushed humanity and civilization forward.

Chichast – Another name for Lake Matiene. Presently, Lake Urmia in Iran. Chichast is a Persian word for “Glittering” in reference to the minerals which are suspended in the lake water and its shores.



Author's Note:

Before engaging in why America lost, I felt it was important to educate you—the reader—on the historical, and religious value of the site in question. Furthermore, I felt it necessary to educate you on the timeline terminology that goes beyond basic BC and AD.

To understand the historical, and religious significance of this territory will both support my argument on why America lost the war VS. why the indigenous tribes are willing to fight so hard for it.

What is The Cradle of Civilization? The dramatic mantle could easily be the title of an epic box office hit, or an archeological action-adventure film, and maybe it should be. The Cradles of civilization is said to be the one place where all civilizations stemmed. Both biblical and historical scholars agree that there is such a place, though entirely where it is remains the mystery.



Biblically, the Garden of Eden, or rather its location is considered to be The Cradle of Civilization; not only that, but the beginning of all life. Bible scholars argue that while Eden may have been the beginning of all life, it was not the only place where human life may have been created. According to the bible, after Adam and Eve were exiled, they bore Cane and Able. After the first murder, and Cane’s exile, he wandered into the land of Nod where he met a woman, who became his wife, and she begat him Enoch (for whom the city was named).

It states that the alleged Garden of Eden, should it exist, has three rivers which run through. Two of these rivers are immediately identified as the Tigress, and the Euphrates rivers. The third is never identified.

Historians, educated in various locations throughout the world, look at this question each differently. Now what is the cradle, but where? There are five rivers which modern historians judge as possible candidates for locations that could bear the mantle, these rivers; The Tigris-Euphrates, which runs through what is now Modern Iraq; the Nile River in Africa (specifically, through Ethiopia); the Indus in South Asia, and the Huang He Tangtze in China.

Whether you believe in Christianity, religion, or the bible is irrelevent when faced with this argument. There is enough historical data involved that the bible itself can be used in the very least as a reference guide, as it does have historical significance that goes beyond the testaments of religion.

Most scholars agree that Ancient Mesopotamia is a probably candidate to bear the mantle. The name Mesopotamia itself means “The Land between Rivers” or “The Land between two Rivers”. It is often referred to as The Cradle of Civilization because the first civilization is said to have been born there. This civilization; Sumer. Sumer was located between the twin rivers, believed to be the Tigress-Eupgrates, where the river converged. The people there were called Sumerians.

The significance of this biblically supports the argument that Eden, if it existed, may have been the birthplace of man, but not the birthplace of civilization. It would also support, if he did indeed exist, Cane wandering into the land of Nod and marrying, as there were other civilizations being born from the first.

Historians believe that human’s history, excluding prehistory, began with invention, independently at several locations in the world. The invention of writing created: “an infrastructure for lasting, accurately transmitted memories, and thus the diffusion and growth of knowledge.”

(Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cradle_of_Civilization)

The theory that Messopotamia is The Cradle of Civilization is strongest supported by the rise of other civilizations nearer to the Tigris-Euphrates rivers. These civilizations include Sumer, Ubaid, Akkad, Assyria, and Babylon. Factually, Ubaid (5,500 B.C.E) is the oldest known civilization to exist in the same area.

Sumer is said to have existed from 4,000 – 3,500 B.C.E… though it is commonly believed that it fell roughly around 2,334 B.C.E with the rise of Akkad. What is most important, and historically significant, is that Sumer is now Iraq.

The Persian Empire, also known as the Achaemenid Empire rose in 550 B.C.E and lasted until 330 B.C.E. The earliest known records of Persians comes from an Assyrian inscription that calls them the Parsu (Parsuash, Parsumash). It mentions them hailing from a region near Lake Matiene (also Chichast, presently Lake Urmia in Iran). The Empire was founded by Kurosh-e-Bozorg (Cyrus II of Persia, Cyrus the Great, Cyrus the Elder; 590/576 B.C.E – 530 B.C.E) in 550 B.C.E after Cyrus II conquered the Medes, and unified two Persian kingdoms and became their king. He ruled until his death in battle 530 B.C.E. During his rule, Cyrus II managed to obtain most of South-West Asia, much of Central Asia (from Egypt, to Hellespont, in the West to the Indus River in the East). Cyrus was the first Persian King whose name suffixed “Great”, or Vasraka (Bozorg in modern Pars / Farsi / Persian.) He was proceeded by his son Kabujia (Cambyses II), who managed during his short reign to conquer Egypt. Cambyses II rules for seven years, five months according to Herodotus (considered the father of history). Proceeding Cambyses, Daryavahush (Darius the Great 549 B.C.E – 485 B.C.E). Darius managed to invade both the Indus River valley, and Thrace in Europe (Europa). He would fail to conquer Greece during the Battle of Marathon, and his son Xerxes would succeed where his father had lost. It was during the Battle of Plataea that Xerxes would lose his control of Greece.

It would not be an army alone that would conquer the Persian Empire, but religion as well. It was the Islamic conquest of Persia that brought the giant down, finally. In 913 A.D, the Western Persian Empire was toppled by the Buwayhid. Though the Buwayhid destroyed the Islamic territorial unity, it did not destroy the faith itself. Rather than a province of the United Muslim Empire, Iran became a Nation of its own.

Since then, the Middle Eastern states have separated, but a modern Nation of Islam has existed since its rise, and though the Persian Empire has fallen, its majority states maintain their faith in Islam.



History is why America lost this war. A nation still new in the world, without ten thousand years of war and victory; without the Mantle of The Cradle of Civilization; our nation, one nation, Under God, is beginning to divide.

We cannot agree on politics at home, no less abroad; the support for our troops grows lesser; the moral dwindles in the sun scorched sands and cities of the Middle East, and from Iraq—that was once ancient Sumer—to Iran, which vast and mighty Empires ruled for centuries, our nation enters a hostile, unfamiliar territory in an attempt to fight a battle against a foe that is intangible. Never mind that every single attempt at invasion has failed, from the First Crusades, to the Crusades we’re leading now. Forget the fall of Jerusalem, or the failure of past kings from countries whose history dates back millennia.

We lost this war because our nation was not prepared. It was not capable. It became a war of pride, and arrogance to tackle an enemy that is not afraid to die. A foe who’s dream is to die for his faith; for his country.

Self preservation, the preservation of our society, and the preservation of all other societies—the need to harbor, and protect the world—has damned us.

We invaded a land, that historically, was undefeated by all other nations, except those within its provinces, states, and territories. We invaded a land we were not adept to, and expected to spread democracy to a world where democracy was not invited. Our nation was lied to, and our soldiers sacrificed in the name of revenge.

The United States destroyed Saddam Hussein. The United States destroyed a tyrant, and feeding the tree of Liberty with the blood of Patriots and Tyrants is sometimes necessary, but when the war is over. The war is over.

What we fight now, this “war on terror” is an intangible war; it is the beginning of an American Empire; a police state ruled not of the people, for the people, or by the people, but a state ruled over the people.

It is the hardest truth for me to face, as a patriot; as a countryman. As a citizen. It terrifies me to think what could happen in a place where there was no freedom, the consequences of an essay of this magnitude, educating my fellow countrymen, and women, and having to write a lesson in tense to the future as though it has already happened.

America may win innumerous battles in the Middle East. They may secure “safe” territories. Who knows. America may even develop a Saudi-America, at least for a short while… and while America sleeps peacefully, blissfully unawares, the people of the Nation wrought on victory, built on fearlessness; a religious state that only understands that life is worth sacrificing for God, to defeat your enemy; these people will rise up again, and again, and fell their “conquerors”. The problem is that everyone knows it; America knows it… but this war has become arrogance, and pride.

How does a proud nation, undefeated, swallow its pride and go home?

I believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. I do. I believe that he lived his life as it was written, and sacrificed his life, dying on the cross. I believe that he rose again three days later, and I still celebrate that to this day. I believe that he is the son of God.



My name is not important. I know who I am. I know what I stand for. I know what I believe. I know where I am going when I die. There is little anyone can say that will upset me, or make me angry. I am a person of faith, and even blind faith; blinded by faith; faithfully blind... but I am not ignorant. I see the world for what it is, and I understand it the best I can.



I am on the side of no man, nor do I serve any politician. I am a patriot, and I love my country, and if the purpose were virtuous; righteous, I would even lead a third, fourth, fifth crusade. Too many battles are fought in the name of God.



Even now, Protestants and Catholics shoot, kill, and maim each other; they bomb churches while the faithful sit in prayer... or take up arms against their brothers. There is a war going on, internally, and externally.



...and Christians wonder why we are hated.



Any church going bible waving, arm raising preacher would have you believe that this is the work of the devil. That people hate Christians because the Devil puts the ideas into the mind of the world that Christians are evil. Christians are wrong. The bible is fake, because the Devil said so. These people--these men are wrong. They have forgotten the way of God, and gotten lost.



My name is not important. I am an American Zealot. You will have to come to terms with that, because undoubtedly, in the future, there will be more like me. Men, and women of faith. Strong people of faith who will not get angry when the agnostics rise and shout "Where is your God?". Strong people of faith who will not get angry when the athiests rise and shout: "There is no God, your faith is a lie."..



Come to me, and argue your position, and I will simply state mine. I will promise you this now: a true Christian has no position to judge you. Neither the Vatican, nor any man bestowed a title; not a priest, or a preacher; not a minister of any faith. It is written: pluck the beam from your own eye, before you try to pull it from your brother's. Being a person of many flaws, and many sins; being a sinner at constant, and constantly a sinner--being so damned imperfect--how can I even begin to tell you anything? How can I judge you? How can I claim any righteous indignation?



I am a servant of the Lord, God. Jesus Christ. I stand by that, whether it should increase or decrease my popularity. It is by Him that all I have, I have; that I live and breathe still; that I enjoy my life for what it is worth. It is by Him that I would die, and defend to the death... but why would I get mad at you if you do not feel the same way? I know who I am. I know where I am going when I die. You believe as you believe now, but in ten minutes; ten hours; ten days, or ten years... you may believe differently. I will not have God put it on my soul, your denial of Him.



A true Christian listens, and supports his brothers. All men are my brothers then, and women my sisters. All men, of all faiths. All creeds. All genders. All sexualities. I do not have to agree with what you believe; I do not have to agree with what society agrees. Pro life, or pro choice; the decision to choose one is mine, and my business to which I choose; my confidense; my secrets. Whatever you choose, it will not be my place to judge you; it is not my place to tell you that you are right or wrong, for I have wronged too many, and have sinned too much.



I find sorrow in the Reverends who stand high on a podium and tell my fellow man; my brothers not yet in Christ; not in Christ; who may never be in Christ (for how should I know?), that they will burn eternally in the lake of fire if they do not turn away from their life, and find Je-sus.



Yeah. I believe, for me, without Christ, my Lord and God; my savior... without Him, there is only hell for me... for hell is not the fire, or the torment of flames, and charring over the bladed pitchfork of a demon; for me Hell is being outside of the sight of God. I cannot imagine my strength, and my power; the only One thing in this world I need, not being there...



...but my poor brothers have mislead you. They have their fancy degrees in religious study, science, and "understanding". It was written that no men will understand until the day of judgement. Therefore, while these men may understand man's interpretation of God, their actual understanding of God is no more than mine. Or yours.



For me, my faith is my own. If you asked me to share the word with you, I would and with open arms. I would discuss it until nightfall, midnight, and sun up if you wanted. I would tell you the wonders of His works, and the majesty of His faith. I would tell you the things I know to be true. You will never hear me tell you that you are damned; you will never hear me tell you that you are going to hell.



That is the judgement reserved only for One being. I am not Him.



People hate us, so avidly, because we Christians, and we "Christians" will kill each other for our inability to agree... and again, while Protestants and Catholics in the Ire detonate churches, murder, and kill in the name of God, their own brothers; their own kind, I frown and feel an immeasurable sadness for my people; for my fellow man; for human kind; and for brothers and sisters in my faith.



My beliefs do not reflect my faith. What I disagree with does not reflect what I love, and who I love. My faith, and my relationship with God is a precarious position to stand in. While I am a sinner, and lack all divinity, patience, and righteousness, I love God. Through Christ, I love God. I know, for me, works alone will not suffice, and that I must share the word.



It isn't that the word must be shared; it is how the word must be shared. It is that is must be shared by those of us who understand that meeting hatred with hatred will only beget hatred. Evil begets evil; cruelty begets cruelty. There are elements of every faith that all adhere to the common goal of "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." I believe in that adherence, and beyond tolerance, I know. Not everyone will believe what I believe. So I will treat all people, of all faiths with the same love I treat people of my faith. Be welcome, and with open arms.



I know people hate Christians, but they should not. My brothers and sisters were mislead, and do not understand--and it is not my place to make them understand. My responsibility is to lead by example, so that perhaps someone will see, and perhaps then many will follow that example. I don't know you, and whether or not you serve the Lord, God does not affect me. That is your faith, and your argument with Him. Not mine. I'll not tell you that you're going anywhere, but for my brothers and sisters in humankind, you are always welcome here.



My name is not important. I know who I am. I know what I am. I know what I stand for. When I die, I know where I am going.



Love me. Or Hate me.



...but if you hate me, at least I know it isn't because I am Christian.

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imagesinwords
23:27 Jan 28 2009

This speaks my very words.

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IMPERIALISM



Main Entry: im•pe•ri•al•ism

Pronunciation: im-ˈpir-ē-ə-ˌli-zəm

Function: noun

Date: 1826

1: imperial government, authority, or system

2: the policy, practice, or advocacy of

extending the power and dominion of a

nation especially by direct territorial

acquisitions or by gaining indirect control

over the political or economic life of other areas;

broadly: the extension or imposition of

power, authority, or influence

(2008 Merriam-Webster's Dictionary)



Did you hear the winds of change approaching October 18, 2000?

It was one year and eleven months prior to the tragedy of September 11, 2001. At 0930 the USS Cole moored at Aden Harbor for refueling, and began refueling at 1030. At approximately 1118 a small vessel disguised as a garbage service boat approached the USS Cole.

The blast hit the USS Cole in the Galley where sailors were lining up in the chow hall for lunch. Seventeen US Sailors were killed in the blast, and thirty-nine others injured.

Our president at that time, William Jefferson Clinton, stated: "If, as it now appears, this was an act of terrorism, it was a despicable and cowardly act. We will find out who was responsible and hold them accountable".

Some critics of the Clinton Administration at that advised that, under US law, an attack against a military target does not meet the true legal definition of a Terrorist Attack.

Both the Clinton and the Bush Administrations have been the targets of harsh criticism for their failure to militarily respond to the bombing of the USS Cole prior to the September 11, 2001 attacks.

The changes were in the air, and America was unawares.



September 11, 2001, an attack against the United States of organized proportions not witnessed since Pearl Harbor was successfully executed with precision. Though the trade towers carry the most infamy, it is wise to consider that a plane was crashed into the US Pentagon, and the fourth plane—due to the sacrifice of brave citizens—crashed into a field near Shanksville, in the rural county of Somerset, PA.



Two-thousand-nine-hundred-seventy-four.

(2, 974).



This is the number of casualties excluding the nineteen dead terrorists who helped perpetrate the attack.



The United States of America responded with outrage, and violent anger. The President, George W. Bush declared a "War on Terror". An act of war against an intangible enemy that could easily last an indefinite period of time.

While many nations around the world strengthened their Anti-Terrorism Legislations, the United States created, the "USA Patriot Act". October 26, 2001, only fifteen days after the anniversary of the USS Cole bombing, the Patriot Act was passed.



USA PATRIOT ACT: An Acronym. The USA PATRIOT ACT is an acronym for: Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act.



Idyllically, the act would prevent future, and further terrorist attacks in the United States by taking precautious, and preventative measures, and strengthening the authority of military and law enforcement on all small, and large scale levels.

Realistically; literally, the act strengthens US Military and Law Enforcement to take whatever necessary precautions for the stated purpose of fighting terrorism. Reality is a harsh purveyor of truth, and truth soon reared its head in full bloom. Due to the powers granted by the Patriot Act, Law Enforcement were granted powers to tap phone lines, read emails, and the Patriot Act also expands the definition of Terrorism, thus enlarging the number of activities to which the US PATRIOT ACT is applicable. This now includes social terrorism, domestic terrorism, and so the expanded powers of Military and Law Enforcement may be applied to any and all persons, corporations, or political bodies suspected of terrorism, domestic, social, or foreign.

Benjamin Franklin said: "Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither, and will lose both."

During the signing of the Declaration of Independence, John Hancock stated: "We must all hang together."

Franklin replied: "Yes, we must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately."

The words of our forefathers are like warnings, and our failure to recognize them has cost us, especially with the February 7, 2003 Enhancement of the Patriot Act, or the "Patriot Act II". John Ashcroft's Department of Justice submitted the Patriot Act II which expanded the powers of the Patriot Act I. Amidst these is:

• Removal of court-ordered prohibitions against police agencies spying on domestic groups.

• The FBI would be granted powers to conduct searches and surveillance based on intelligence gathered in foreign countries without first obtaining a court order.

• Creation of a DNA database of suspected terrorists.

• Prohibition of any public disclosure of the names of alleged terrorists including those who have been arrested.

• Exemptions from civil liability for people and businesses who voluntarily turn private information over to the government.

• Criminalization of the use of encryption to conceal incriminating communications.

• Automatic denial of bail for persons accused of terrorism-related crimes, reversing the ordinary common law burden of proof principle. All alleged terrorists would be required to demonstrate why they should be released on bail rather than the government being required to demonstrate why they should be held.

• Expansion of the list of crimes eligible for the death penalty.

• The United States Environmental Protection Agency would be prevented from releasing "worst case scenario" information to the public about chemical plants.

Those few Essential Liberties that Americans sacrificed for a little Temporary Safety have finally shown what Franklin said to be true. The expansion of a police state government is rising, and marching toward an Imperialist Nation.

If Imperialism is: the policy, practice, or advocacy of extending the power and dominion of a nation especially by direct territorial acquisitions or by gaining indirect control over the political or economic life of other areas; broadly: the extension or imposition of power, authority, or influence, than I deduce the Rise of the American Empire began with Iraq, and the American occupation of its soil.

As our nation controls their political forums, insists upon their switch to democracy, and utilizes their resources, it becomes clearer, and clearer, exactly which direction the United States is headed.

The question is no longer how it happens, or when it happened, but what will come of it.



What will come of it?



The Roman Empire lasted over a thousand years before its collapse. Its people had health care, and its government, assemblymen, and senate made their empire strong.

Foreward:



Alot of people despise this particular essay. Some have called me unamerican for it. If anything they say about Big Brother is true, then likely, I'm on some list somewhere for it. I stand on the promise that I am a patriot of this country, and that it is that patriotism that reminds us all that we are to remain ever vigilant from tyrants, and enemies, foreign and domestic. E Pluribis Unum... from many, one. So I begin: The rise of the American Empire.





From many nations: One - Rise of the American Empire





Our nation has not lived yet three hundred years, and the foundation has become shaky. Due to the Patriot Act, and the Patriot Act II, citizens suspected of, tried, and found guilty of Terrorist conduct of any kind will have their citizenship revoked, and be deported to another country.



If revoking the God given rights of our countrymen, and citizens; revoking citizenship even, and deporting people born of our nation is considered an act of patriotism, then Americans living within their new Empire are all victims of domestic and social terrorism.

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is natural manure." - Thomas Jefferson



It is less a matter of freedom, or rights; civil, or otherwise, that brings the subject of gun control into perspective. It is, to put it succinctly, a matter of war.

The Sub Machine-Gun was not created to hunt for game, nor was the AK-47, or M-16 assault rifle.



The word assault, itself, is defined as:



1 a : a violent physical or verbal attack b : a military attack usually involving direct combat with enemy forces c : a concerted effort (as to reach a goal or defeat an adversary)

(Merriam-Webster's Dictionary)



Popular social ideals on gun control, most origins rising from anti-gun activists, base their theories on the very concept that all guns are utilized as a vehicle for violence, and assault.

Ignorance, propaganda, and misinformation are tools used to scare the society at large. The generalization that guns kill people is at best misleading. In the same light, the pro-gun activists state that guns do not kill people; that people kill people.



"The two most significant federal statutes controlling firearms in the civilian population are the National Firearms Act of 1934 and the Gun Control Act of 1968. The 1934 Act established strict registration requirements and a transfer tax on machine guns and short-barreled long guns. The 1968 Act prohibits mail-order sales and the interstate sales of firearms, prohibits transfers to minors, limits access to "new" assault weapons, and sets forth penalties and licensing requirements for manufacturers, importers, and dealers.

Crime and mortality statistics are often used in the gun control debate. The number of homicides committed annually with a firearm by persons in the 14- to 24-year-old age group increased by 173% from 1985 to 1993, and then decreased by 47% from 1993 to 1999. Firearm fatalities from all causes and for all age groups decreased by 22%. For juveniles, they de-creased by 40%, from 1993 to 1998"(http://www.policyalmanac.org/crime /guns.shtml)



"Although gun-related violence in schools is statistically a rare event, a Department of Justice survey indicated that 12.7% of students age 12 to 19 reported knowing a student who brought a firearm to school." For further information, see CRS Report RL30482, The Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Program: Background and Context, by Edith Fairman Cooper.)

Extremists of any ideal will use numbers, percentages, and statistics in an attempt to dissuade the public. Other methods include using fear as a driving force to make their point.





In reality, any tool misused is deadly.





Murders, and violent acts have been committed with tools-turned-weapons such as hammers, screwdrivers, and as demonstrated during the events that took place September 11, 2001; box cutters/razors are just as formidable as any gun in a combat, or confrontational, or assault situation.

Yet there are no protestors, or tool control extremists objecting to the use of hammers, saws, or box cutters. These tools are a day-to-day necessity for the successful operation of various trades.

In the same light, fire arms are no less tools for a number of trades; trappers, hunters, and police officers represent the many different uses that these tools serve.

The trapper may keep overpopulated vermin under control, while the hunter finds his food. A police officer will utilize his firearm to control a situation, or defend his own life from attackers bearing ANY kind of armed suspect, from knives, to firearms.

While pro-gun, and anti-gun groups may go to extremes to prove their point, there is a median where both sides should find refuge.

The truth about gun control appears to be a continuing debate. The right to bear arms is a freedom given to all US Citizens as the last defense, should our shores ever meet with invading forces again.

Less educated parties would argue that our shores have not met with invasion forces since Pearl Harbor, but it could easily be argued again, that the events that took place September 11, 2001 was in fact an assaulting invasion force that succeeded.

Could gun control have affected the outcome of the events that took place to begin with? It is certainly a measure of questionable security, and whether or not gun control could have affected the outcome, one fact is certain. The United States of America was invaded successfully, assaulted, in the end it came to War.

The declaration of the War on Terror suggests a war on an intangible objective. The War on air, or the War on wind would be as easily affected, but in any case the assault on our soil resulted in conflict that is controlled by firearms of a majority of killing calibers.



This is fire arms in the extreme sense.



On American soil, guns serve an entirely different purpose, but the right to bear them still stands for the same reason.



War.



The United States Constitution reads: A WELL REGULATED MILITIA, BEING NECESSARY TO THE SECURITY OF A FREE STATE, THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS, SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED.



Citing the case of UNITED STATES OF AMERICA vs. TIMOTHY JOE EMERSON:

...The Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms. That right existed prior to the formation of the new government under the Constitution and was premised on the private use of arms for activities such as hunting and self-defense, the latter being understood as resistance to either private lawlessness or the depredations of a tyrannical government (or a threat from abroad). In addition, the right to keep and bear arms had the important and salutary civic purpose of helping to preserve the citizen militia. The civic purpose was also a political expedient for the Federalists in the First Congress as it served, in part, to placate their Anti-federalist opponents. The individual right facilitated militia service by ensuring that citizens would not be barred from keeping the arms they would need when called forth for militia duty. Despite the importance of the Second Amendment's civic purpose, however, the activities it protects are not limited to militia service, nor is an individual's enjoyment of the right contingent upon his or her continued or intermittent enrollment in the militia.



(Judge Laurence Silberman, for the majority in Parker v District of Columbia (DC Cir. 2007))



The right to bear arms is a matter of war, and a country founded on war itself; in 1776 the United States attained its freedom from Taxation without representation. During the Civil War, the right to bear arms served as protection to citizens serving in local militias unguarded by Union armies, or in the same respect, protection by areas unguarded by Confederate armies.

While the continued debate on whether or not Americans should reserve the right to bear arms is indeterminate, there is only fact that Americans should remember. Accountability and responsibility are the elements that make of a strong nation, its citizens, and the foundation in which it stands. A nation that stands divided, does not stand at all. The coined phrase: "United we stand" explains it best. United we stand, divided we fall: at some point our nation must come to terms with their debate and draw a conclusion. If the nation stands as accountable and responsible for its actions, then its citizens will do the same. In this embrace to responsibility, and accountability, America may find its median ground, and issues far exceeding importance by comparison may be the focus of our nation's attention.

There are many people in this world, that I am aware of, that want to be big.



They want it so bad that they can taste it—and they'll ride your coat tails if they can. They'll steal your work buster, and they won't bat an eye. Oh man, they'll take it all.

There is a sickness—a desperation beyond description...beyond belief—in some people for this thing they call success. It's so bad for some of these people that any get-rich-quick scheme can't get you rich quick enough. They don't got the guts, man, but they want the glory. They want it bad, but they're just not willing to work for it.

I'm not tooting my own horn when I say this; I'm not bragging or boasting. I am a published author. No, my publisher isn't some big time press like Random House, or Putnam—its not Del Ray, or Penguin—it's not even Scholastic, and let's face it. Even Scholastic's pumping out a winner these days. My publisher's been around about eight years—no, not even a decade—but damn it! This work is mine, and I did it, you dig?

Other aspiring authors told me that in order to get in this door, I needed to steal, and trample, and ride coat tails. People told me it was a vicious industry, and the only way in was with, through, or over someone else's broken dreams. I had to be ruthless. I had to be dirty. I had to betray… I had to become a monster to get it… except that I didn't.

Let me give you the scoop how it really happened. I didn't have to betray anyone. I didn't have to take some poor bastard's hard work; his sleepless nights, and hunger and pain. I didn't have to sneak into someone's computer and add my work to their email lists, or sleuth through their contacts.

I didn't even have to run with circles I would not get along with otherwise; I didn't have to be pretentious, or plastic. I didn't have to lie, or cheat, or trample anyone else's dreams. I didn't sneak into a restroom and slip a manuscript under a stall for some publishing guru. Let's face it, success in those circles is so few and far between, you're better off on your own.

No, to achieve what I achieved, I had to do it on my own… and unfortunately for me, this meant I had to make some sacrifices. Like missing out on sleep… sometimes for days. Literally, I mean days at a time. You work; you come home, and you write until it is time to go to work again. Not that I condone it, but I popped mini-thins, drank energy drinks, took No-Doz. Man, oh man, I was a mess… but you know what? I wrote two novels. I didn't have an agent then—as of now, I do not have an agent. I found the publisher, I solicited inquiry. They accepted, published my work, and I get paid twice a year, for novels sold, at a little above industry standard.

Mind you, I didn't pay some self publisher, or vanity press to produce my work and help me commit career suicide—and let's face it, no matter what they say, self publishing is in the majority of the time, career suicide.

So what? I'm not famous—at least not yet—but if I get to some sense of fame, it will be fame that I earned. I don't want recognition for the sake of personal attention—naturally I want to earn a living off of it, so money is a necessity—I want my work to get the attention. I want people to enjoy my stories, and share them, and spread my work around.

I want to make my mark. That's all.



I earned it.



I could not afford sleep, if I wanted to win.

I could not afford to wait until tomorrow if I wanted to be the next great writer. I could not depend on friends, or family to help me; no one gave me a hand or a step.



So, I have no pity for artists who say they cannot make it, when they

refuse to sacrifice things for their art. I look to artists, and writers, who suffered for their medium. They get there through tenacity, and perseverance. They get through the darkness, and hardest times with an unshakeable iron resolve.



They certainly don't get there by sleeping.



I know a lot of you understand what I'm talking about; you slave over a

canvas, or a piece of paper, or a word processor; you sculpt, or paint, or

draw; you ink your heart out, instead of sleeping, or eating. You

bleed, sweat, and cry your art, and you deserve recognition and success.



Art is a form of madness, a creativity that the sound mind cannot understand, though it can at least appreciate it… It is, in my opinion, a form of communication that an artist can use to speak to others like minded in their community.



I remember when my manuscripts were first accepted. I had not yet chosen a pen name, and I was working at a Denny's in Riverside, California. The success of my struggle had given me so much pride, I shared it with my manager the very same day I was accepted.

Such things are an enormous accomplishment.



Man, the manager mentioned it to a guest. She told her friend, and a few

other guests overheard her.

No sooner than it had happened, I had guests pitching ideas to me like it was my duty to write for them, or get them published. Here I am, barely a foot in the door—not even famous, but these people thought they saw a door and wanted in.

These weren't people robbing themselves of sleep, or starving like I had, because they bought new clay to sculpt with instead of food; these were 9 - 5'ers, which is fine, who slept, and ate, and had gas for their cars all the time.

They were looking for a free ride and it infuriated me. Art requires a part of the creators soul. I don't think you can get the same element of art if some one else does it for you. For a photographer, it's the difference between catching a candid moment, and missing it... and trying to recreate that moment perfectly. It will never happen.



For the sake or true art, there is no counterfeit; there is no forgery. For those who strive to achieve greatness, you may… or you may not… but in order to get there, sometimes sacrifices must be made.