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By Claudia Anderson,

Vice President Madison County Republican Club
Very little media attention has been given to  something that has become a huge scandal.  This Operation Gun Walker a/k/a “Fast and Furious,” needs much attention by everyone and all media.

Early this year, it was disclosed that the ATF and Obama Justice Department had been selling  2,500  assault rifles to Mexican drug connections in the United States to be “walked” across the Mexican border.  The theory being that the American government would then be able to track the guns via their serial numbers and paint a picture of drug cartel activity, by where the guns showed up.  However, it seems that somewhere between 1,200 and 1,300  of the weapons are now unaccounted for and perhaps some of the greatest tracking “success” has come where weapons connected with more than 200 murders were linked to Operation Gun Walker guns.

Very recently, U.S. Border Patrol Agents found an arsenal of weapons including assault rifles and explosives inside the U.S. border and according to the Wall Street  Journal, June 08, 2011, regarding another incident, “An arsenal found in Mexico included at least five assault rifles that U.S authorities trace to a federal operation gone badly awry, according to government documents.   The discovery appears to confirm, for the first time, fears cited by Republican lawmakers that a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives operation called Fast and Furious failed to stop guns from ending up with drug gangs in Mexico.”

In March, President Barack Obama acknowledged that the plan was flawed and it could be that a serious  mistake was made, in which case, someone will be held accountable.

Sen. Charles Grassley, Iowa Republican, called for an independent investigation into the operation and called for “heads to roll” and Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said the operation “looks an awful lot like Iran-Contra,” the scandal that put a shadow over Ronald Reagan’s presidency, during congressional hearings he chaired.  John Casa, an agent at the ATF’s Phoenix Field office called the program “a colossal failure of leadership.”

Now the idea is to use the government authorized illegal gun sales as evidence that our constitution authorized bearing of arms needs more regulations.  . Yes, MORE REGULATIONS ARE NEEDED ON THE ATF AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT!

There must be accountability for those individuals and agencies who ordered and approved the illegal sale and trafficking of these weapons that continue to flood back into the US and are responsible for so  many deaths, one of which is that of Brian Terry of the Border Patrol’s elite Tactical Unit known as BORTAC.  According to family and coworkers, Brian was an amazing young man, strong, courageous and incredibly patriotic with a nick name of “Superman”.  This fine young man was murdered while on duty days before Christmas 2010 at a distance of 18 miles inside our border with the assistance of “THE FAST AND FURIOUS GUN WALKER”.
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The REPUBLICAN CLUB of Madison CountyWill meet at noon Monday, October 10, at Shelby’s RestaurantWe welcome all to join us.
Paid for and approved by the Madison County Republican Executive CommitteeMadisonRepublican@embarqmail.com

By Becky V. Bennett

Madison Extension Office

October 7th is National Denim Day where we can celebrate the many wonders of jeans!  Jeans you say?  Just how can jeans be that important?  Let’s do some digging 4-H style…

Head—Denim material has been around since the 1600s, but what we know as “jeans” today was not invented or patented until 1873 by German immigrants Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss (yes that Levi!).  The term “denim” is thought to be derived from the French term “serge de Nîmes,” as the material was thought to have originated in Nîmes, France.  Now here’s the kicker…the term “jean” originated in Genoa, Italy.  Jean material is actually a cheaper version of denim and is made from a cotton, linen, and/or wool blend of the same color.  Davis combined the two methods to create denim jeans adding rivets to the pockets to increase durability.

Heart — Modern jeans today were originally created for miners, millworkers, ranchers, and cowboys.  The durable material soon morphed into a means of rebellion for 1950s youth, then into a representation of egalitarianism in the 1960s, and finally became all about fashion statements in the 1970s up to the present.

Hands — Although hundreds of brands and designs have come along since Davis and Strauss’ original design, the methods of producing denim and constructing jeans has remained relatively the same.  Cotton warp yarn dyed a specific color (often blue) is interwoven with white cotton filler yarn in either a left or right hand twill creating a twill weave.  Originally jeans were a cotton only product, now it is combined with other synthetic materials such as spandex.
Health — Levi’s® launched its global creative platform this year in which the company is encouraging youth to “Go Forth!”  This initiative seeks to inspire pioneering spirits to help in global sustainability efforts.  Several organizations use blue jeans to bring awareness to their cause as well as raise money for communities in need.  Blue jeans have become synonymous with strength and comfort in today’s society.  Casual Friday’s have taken on a whole new meaning in a time where people are pulling together to better the lives of others.

So, there you have it: agriculture, fashion, sewing, artisanship, science, entrepreneurship, community service, and so many more themes we focus on in 4-H in just one little pair of jeans!  If you thought this was interesting, just wait until you discover all of the wonderful projects and topics we learn about in 4-H.  Stop by and discover your passion!
Becky V. Bennett
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Employment Opportunity—Affirmative Action Employer authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations.  U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A&M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating.

By Jacob Bembry

The night was cold and dreary. The sentry was lonely as he waited alone in the darkness.

There had been word that the enemy was close by and he dreaded the thought that one of them would discover his position.

If he only knew what was going on near him, he would have probably died from the shock. Instead, he reached deep within himself and drew from the well of faith. He began to pray and then he sang the words to “Jesus, Lover of My Soul” in a beautiful loud voice.

Lurking in the darkness nearby was an enemy scouting party with all their guns aimed at the young Confederate soldier. They had every intention of killing him until he sang the words “Cover my defenseless head with the shadow of thy wings.”

The leader of the Union scouting party heard the sentry singing and told his men, “Boys, put down your rifles; we will go home.”

Dwight Moody tells the story that years later, the two men were on a ship crossing the Atlantic. The Union soldier and another man had met to sing hymns together when the scout heard the voice of the young soldier behind him singing out in a clear, recognizable voice.

The two men shared their story of God’s great protection and provision in the darkest of times.

God watches over us, even in the darkest of nights when we’re all alone and the enemy has us in his sights. God is the true sentry of our souls.