Chicago NATO Summit 2012

The 2012 NATO summit has ended in Chicago. Overall, the entire weekend is being hailed as a success. National leaders from around the world came together to form a plan to remove NATO troops from Afghanistan by 2014, which was a specific goal of the summit. The United States Coast Guard, National Guard, and Secret Service came together to ensure Chicago's complete security throughout the entire weekend.

The Chicago Police Department, supported by Illinois State Troopers and the Cook County Sheriff's Department, can only be described as heroes after the summit. Chicago Police Superintendent Gary McCarthy and his officers managed to maintain security for the people of Chicago while exhibiting constant restraint and sound judgement. The CPD managed to protect the balance of the NATO protestor's rights, while remaining intolerant of criminal actions.

This weekend, I watched Chicago Police Officers step between me and those who wished to harm me. For this, I personally thank the CPD.

Here is a small glimpse of what Chicago looked like during the 2012 NATO Summit:

Photo Credit: U.S. Coast Guard

Photo Credit: U.S. Coast Guard

Photo Credit: Ria Novosti

Photo Credit: Public Intelligence 

Photo Credit: ABC News

Photo Credit: David Combs

Photo Credit: David Combs

 

Photo Credit: David Combs

Photo Credit: David Combs

Photo Credit: David Combs

Photo Credit: David Combs

Photo Credit: David Combs

Photo Credit: David Combs

Photo Credit: David Combs

Political parties...food for thought

George Washington

However political parties may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.

George Washington, Farewell Address, Sep. 17, 1796

There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.

John Adams, letter to Jonathan Jackson, Oct. 2, 1789

(n) party, political party (an organization to gain and retain political power)

Princeton University

The people are the only legitimate fountain of power, and it is from them that the constitutional charter, under which the several branches of government hold their power, is derived.

James Madison

The great constitutional power in the hands of the people against usurpation of power, or corruption by their agents is the right of suffrage...

Andrew Jackson

This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it.

Abraham Lincoln

Present Day:

I'm happy to get good ideas from across the political spectrum, from Democrats and Republicans.

Barack Obama

Conservatives believe in providing Constitutional rights to our citizens...

Mitt Romney

I think that the Democratic Party and progressives have really gotten confused in getting trapped in this debate about are you liberal or are you centrist?

Barack Obama

For decades, it was an unquestionable clarity to our nation's leaders that the people held the true power in America. The idea of political parties defining government was unthinkable. Today, American Government would likely collapse if the two dominant parties ceased to exist. What has happened to "the people"? We rely on parties to manage the government for us. We don't have to, but we do.

Same Sex Marriage

Today, President Obama became the first sitting American President to openly support same sex marriage. This fact alone inspires disgust among some, and triumph among others. We are all entitled to our political and moral opinions. In an election year where flip-flops and backtracks highlight political propaganda, one question surfaces along with the president's new statements: has Obama flip-flopped on the issue of same sex marriages?

President Barack Obama in the Rose Garden at the White House
Photo Credit: Oliver Douliery-Pool 

So far, the media is calling Mr. Obama's views an "evolution". This evolution began in 2008 when presidential candidate Obama's support extended only to civil unions. In 2010, Obama himself said his views on gay marriage were "evolving".  Finally today, the President gave a complete endorsement. It is clear that Mr. Obama's views are not the same as they were in 2008, but does the change indicate an issue of integrity in the president? To make any call about the integrity of a leader, his own words must be taken into consideration.

"I've been going through an evolution on this issue. I've always been adamant that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly and equally."

"At a certain point, I just concluded that for me, personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married."

"I had hesitated on gay marriage in part because I thought civil unions would be sufficient."

"I was sensitive to the fact that for a lot of people the word 'marriage' was something that invokes very powerful traditions, religious beliefs and so forth."

From these words, we see that Mr. Obama has taken much time to process his own beliefs on these issues, while also taking into consideration the beliefs of the people he represents. He realized at some point, that his original stance of supporting only civil unions was not enough to satisfy his moral views of equality for all Americans.

At this point I must beg of you to look beyond any personal opinions of same sex marriage. We are all entitled to our own opinions, as is the president. On this issue, his opinions have no more power to create any practical change than our own. In every leader, we will agree and disagree with certain beliefs. The opportunity here, is to examine how our current leader made a controversial decision. As we decide whether or not to rehire Mr. Obama as our leader, we see in his statements today that he puts great effort into being a true representation of all Americans, while also upholding his personal convictions. This is the most important job of the President of the United States.

World Trade Center Rises

One World Trade Center
Photo Credit: Associated Press

For the first time in a decade, One World Trade Center towers as the tallest building in New York City. The building reached 1,271 feet yesterday, or "Suck it, Al Qaeda height" as one writer so eloquently stated. When the tower is completed next year it will reach exactly 1,776 feet, in honor of the year of American independence. This will make One World Trade Center the tallest building in America, and the third tallest in the world.

One World Trade Center (Also known as Freedom Tower) is one of many buildings being rebuilt on the site of the original World Trade Center. On September 11, 2001 the fall of the Twin Towers (One and Two World Trade Center) damaged and destroyed many of the surrounding buildings as well. Seven World Trade Center was one of the destroyed buildings, but has been rebuilt and is open for business. The new Seven World Trade Center is, at 52 floors, 5 stories taller than its predecessor, and has already won awards for its environmentally friendly design. Two World Trade Center is under construction alongside its sister tower. The skyscraper will top out at 1,358 feet and incorporates a unique, angled design. The new One and Two World Trade Center Towers are being constructed next to the site of the original Twin Towers. On the original site are two massive water features, one in the footprint of each twin tower. Between the two memorial fountains is a museum, built in honor of the victims and emergency workers of 9/11.

Complete plan of the new World Trade Center Complex
Photo Credit: panynj.com

It has been a decade since the 9/11 attacks. The terrorists that created and executed the attack in 2001, hoped to create fear, terror, among our people. From the day of their attack until now, the American people have proved this goal was not reached. They failed on every level. American architects and construction workers are repairing and rebuilding damaged structures bigger and better than before. American soldiers have hunted down and killed the mastermind behind the attack. Rather than live in fear, American families honor and remember those lost as a result of the attack. On 9/11 itself, average Americans on United Flight 93 refused to be overcome with terror. Passengers retook the plane, and forced it down before it could reach any potential target. Their actions likely saved the lives of many in our nation's capitol.

The best part is, our recovery as a nation from 9/11 is not a one time occurrence. Throughout American history, when our nation is threatened, we somehow always manage to come together and turn what was meant to be devastation into triumph. In 1941, America was in turmoil. We were trying to get back on our feet after the Great Depression, and at the same time our allies abroad were calling for our engagement in the Second World War. These two factors alone helped make politics at the time very messy and full of conflict. (Interestingly, that doesn't sound too far off from the state of things today) On December 7, Japanese forces launched an unprovoked attack on Pearl Harbor. Thousands of Americans were killed, and the vast majority of American buildings, vessels, and aircraft were damaged or destroyed. Sound similar to the general events of 9/11? The American reaction was also similar. The nation came together. Women went to work in factories for the first time, men and boys with no military background stepped up to defend their country. Workers rebuilt our fleet. Scientists came together to create and discover things that had never been thought possible, including the splitting of an atom. The culmination of that work resulted in the world's first atomic bomb. 

The point is, we refuse to be terrorized. America isn't perfect, we don't have a perfect system, and our people will likely never completely agree on everything, but we refuse to run away in fear. The 9/11 attacks and the years of recovery since emphasize that. 

Terrorists, our enemies, call their dead martyrs. We call ours heroes.

The Manhattan skyline with the World Trade Center Complex completed
Photo Credit: Alex Carter 

American Men

This week, two men have made headlines that both made unconventional differences in America. Each created a very different story, but neither ended up in the same place he began. This post will be short and sweet. Just a couple of short blurbs about a couple of men. Find their stories interesting? Do some research! Type these guys' names into a search engine and ingest as many articles as possible! Events do matter, but people define history and history in the making.

Hyman Strachman
Photo Credit: Tod Heisler

Hyman Strachman is a 92 year old World War II veteran, and a movie bootlegger. To date, "Big Hy" has pirated hundreds of thousands of popular DVDs. As the entertainment industry loses millions every year to digital pirates, Strachman is receiving praise for his work. Why? Big Hy copies DVDs for the specific purpose of sending movies to soldiers overseas. After reading on message boards that troops abroad have very little access to feature films, Strachman began copying already pirated DVDs as his way of supporting the soldiers. He isn't making any money off of his bootlegging. Since Big Hy donates all of his copies, the MPAA hasn't come own on him. In fact, a spokesman even told the New York Times "We are grateful that the entertainment we produce can bring some enjoyment to them [troops] while they are away from home."

Chuck Colson
Photo Credit: Oliver F. Atkins

Charles "Chuck" Colson was counsel to President Nixon, and spent seven months in prison for his role in the 1972 Watergate Scandal. While Colson was in prison, certain problems with his son arose. Minnesota Governor Al Quie offered to take Colson's place in prison, so that Colson could be released to tend to his son. While Quie was never placed behind bars, his efforts did result in Colson's early release. Chuck Colson decided to spend the remainder of his life serving inmates. After his release, Colson created Prison Fellowship as a Christian collaboration to prepare incarcerated inmates for release back into the community. For the past four decades, Colson has traveled to prisons around the nation to speak and to serve. He also continued to work as a radio commentator and author, all the while maintaining a presence on Capitol Hill. Earlier this week, at the age of 80, Chuck Colson passed away. 

Electoral Tie? Space Shuttle's Final Flight

This week, I am going to stay away from criminal cases. Knowledge of their status is important, but shouldn't dominate any discussion. Why? For positivity's sake. On a blog like this, it is inevitable that some things go unnoticed. Whenever possible, we should always look first to our positives, noting the negatives when the knowledge of them becomes necessary.

A milestone in America's space age took place this week. The Space Shuttle Discovery made its final flight atop one of NASA's specially fitted 747 airplanes to the Smithsonian in Chantilly, Virginia. Discovery is the first of the three retired space shuttles to arrive it its permanent home. With the retirement of the space shuttles, NASA is encouraging private businesses to take up the space race. One of the leaders, SpaceX, has been scheduled to make the first private flight to the International Space Station later this year. If all goes well, SpaceX will make 15 missions to the ISS through 2015. This will potentially end our temporary reliance on the Russian Space Agency to reach the station. In the spirit of private space travel, Virgin Galactic has also announced the building of Spaceport Abu Dhabi. The goal is to provide flight service via Low Earth Orbit between New Mexico (Spaceport America is already under construction) and Abu Dhabi. Flight time? One hour.

Space Shuttle Enterprise and Space Shuttle Discovery meet outside the Smithsonian in Chantilly, VA.
Photo Credit: Associated Press

Space Shuttles aren't the only things coming nose to nose. With the 2012 Presidential Election essentially narrowed to two candidates (apologies Mr. Gingrich), predictions seem never to be in short supply. This week however, something a bit more unusual has come up: the possibility of a tie in the electoral college. As usual, we are told this election is "the most important in our country's history." It is normal to see presidents elected by narrow margins (remember the Bush/Gore election year), but a perfect tie has only occurred once. In 1800, a tie of 73-73 resulted in Thomas Jefferson's election over Aaron Burr. Today, a tie would turn up as 269-269.

Predictions aside, what happens if the November election turns up a tie? There is, in fact, a plan. In the case of a tie, the House of Representatives will elect the President. Each state delegation is awarded one vote. The Senate will elect the Vice President. (Note: Beyond a simple tie, this plan is called into action if no candidate wins a majority of electoral votes, or 270) Granted, we give political parties no value here. In the real world of government, parties obviously determine many things. Thanks to parties, each of the two houses of the United States Congress are often "controlled" by a party. The interesting part is that each house is often controlled by a different party. Where does that leave us in the case of a tie? Potentially, this presents a scenario for a bipartisan executive branch. Or, a President and Vice President of different parties. A truly intriguing thought... I'd like to think that two men who were forced to set aside their political party in order to work together would be tremendously positive for the country. What is the likelihood of this actually happening? Such things are very difficult to predict. If you feel the urge to see exactly what it takes to create a tie, head over to http://www.270towin.com/

If you are interested in the upcoming NATO summit, or would just like to see some cool pictures of helicopters, check out the post from earlier this week.

Please forgive the somewhat late post. This is semi-weekly however!

Have a great week!
David

The military is in town

CORRECTION: It has been released that the U.S. Air Force operated the helicopters. This means that these "Black Hawk" helicopters are known as U.S. Air Force Pave Hawk helicopters.

Yes, this is an event of note. No, this will not replace the semi-weekly post (coming Thursday)

Interesting evening in Chicago! Jet Planes and helicopters and soldiers and, oh my! Please keep in mind, the purpose is not to create wild theories or make any point, political or otherwise. The purpose is to watch events unfold and ask questions. 

Now, let's break it down:

Officially: The Office of Emergency Management and Communications announced that a military training exercise will be taking place. The exercise was said to include three helicopters and military personnel. The purpose of the exercise is to prepare soldiers selected for overseas deployment to operate in urban environments. A spokeswoman for the city said this type of exercise is routine, and done often in cities around the country. She went on to say the training is not related to the upcoming NATO Summit.

What's between the lines: The exercise is stated to be for the purpose of overseas training. This implies that the exercise is only military in nature. Except for the possibility of local law enforcement being used to keep training areas clear, no personell outside of the military should be participating in the training. The announcement itself came just hours before military aircraft landed in the city.

What I observed: Three days ago (Friday, April 13) I saw two fighter jets fly low over Navy Pier, and circle for approximately twenty minutes, before leaving the downtown area completely. From a window, I watched five Blackhawk helicopters land in the parking lot of McCormick Place. After stepping outside, I saw three more Blackhawks and in the same place. Each of these three helicopters held ten men (including pilots). Two smaller, bubble cockpit helicopters took off from McCormick Place's parking lot. Each of these machines also carried a gun mounted in the door on the left side. Chicago Police cruisers and SUVs completely surrounded the parking lot being used as a landing site. Within the police perimeter, Chicago Police vans and trucks, as well as city ambulances and fire engines were among the landing helicopters. All of the helicopters landed in pairs. Between landings, the machines were shut down, and went silent. No personel exited the parking lot to the north, east, or west. 

Facts: The 2012 NATO Summit will be occurring at McCormick Place. Typically, when the American President visits Chicago, Marine One uses this same parking lot as a landing site. The McCormick Place structure reaches past each side of the south end of the parking lot. The Secret Service has been creating plans to keep the NATO Summit secure for months. After living in downtown Chicago for nearly two years, I have seen military vehicles in the city exactly three times before today. Two of these were for the annual air show, and one was the result of the filming of Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Every time (including today) that military machines have entered Chicago, it has been noted by most major news outlets.

Questions: Why was it announced that three aircraft would be used? After personally counting many more than three, I would like to know why the inaccuracy took place. On a similar note, I would like to know why Chicago fire and medical vehicles were involved with the exercise, as it was stated to be for overseas training. All military branches contain their own safety and medical personnel, so why were Chicago vehicles within the training perimeter? As far as the NATO Summit is concerned, I have a few questions. Multiple government agencies have been planning and preparing security measures for the summit for months. Naturally, much of these measures are secret. Why, only one month before the summit is the military using the summit's location for such a massive exercise? Does this not hinder the preparation process in any way? I also would like to know if personnel involved in the exercise entered McCormick Place. The helicopters did shut down, and no one left the area in any direction leading away from the building. Only two options remain. Either the soldiers and emergency workers conducted their business within the parking lot crowded with city vehicles and at least ten helicopters, or they used the summit site itself. The fighter jets from a few days ago are of interest. These planes were nowhere to be found when the helicopters moved in tonight... With the upcoming summit, I would expect certain security measures to be kept secret. I do, however, feel there is a fine line between keeping information secure, and providing false information. In this case, the city and military are ultimately responsible to us, the people. They each have their own right to use secrecy as a device of protection. I don't feel that includes the right to lie. Yes, the inaccuracies are small, like the number of helicopters. So, why? Why tweak truth? Why not simply announce that information will not be given? Maybe simple miscommunication played a role today. The "maybe" factor is endless, as it is in al situations. Whether or not excitement was related to the NATO Summit, we do know military presence will be increasing over the next month.

Feel free to check out some of the photos I snapped of this evening. On Wednesday, we will go into the rest of the week's events. 

Until then,

David

To approach the helicopter landing site, I had no choice but to put away the camera. Below are a few shots of aircraft  near McCormick Place. 

Two Blackhawks on approach to land near McCormick Place

One of the two smaller craft

The two smaller helicopters shortly after second takeoff

One of the two smaller craft landing

Two small helicopters takeoff

Two small helicopters running north along Lakeshore Drive

One of the two small craft over Navy Pier 

Blackhawk landing near McCormick Place

Blackhawk waiting out strong winds before landing

Blackhawk helicopter running along Metra tracks near Millenium Station

Blackhawk helicopter above 

Blackhawk helicopter 92 landing in McCormick Place parking lot

Blackhawk helicopter 92 landing in McCormick Place parking lot

Blackhawk helicopter 93 landing in McCormick Place parking lot

A Blackhawk helicopter landing near McCormick Place

Blackhawk helicopter 93 landing in McCormick Place parking lot

Zimmerman Charged, Santorum Drops 2012 Race

This week is shaping up to be an interesting one in America, and a fitting time to start this blog. Rick Santorum dropped out of the 2012 presidential race yesterday, Charles Manson was denied parole for the twelfth time, George Zimmerman has been charged with the murder of Trayvon Martin just hours ago, and the list goes on. It seems everything from the coverage of North Korea's looming rocket launch, to an e-book conspiracy, have seen significant developments. For better or for worse, America took a step forward today.

For e-book readers, the Justice Department made life a little easier today. After a lawsuit and quick partial settlement, most e-book prices are set to come down between 2 and 3 dollars. Not too surprisingly, Apple, along with four other publishers conspired to fix prices and eliminate competition. Someone told me today that Americans no longer care about the ethics of companies. He said that we take our business to the best product and/or the lowest bidder, no questions asked. Is this a widespread truth? Should it be?

Rick Santorum ended his presidential campaign yesterday. Since he has technically suspended the campaign, Santorum will keep control of the delegates he has won so far. While Santorum will likely be supporting Mitt Romney's campaign from now on, Newt Gingrich has "humbly" asked for the ex-hopeful's votes. It has always been the case that worst enemies become greatest supporters in elections. The 2012 election seems to have pulled out the harshest of that characteristic so far... The Santorum campaign is all but dead, and it has taken less then a day for the vultures to move in.

Likely the most controversial of topics as of late is the Trayvon Martin case. For those that are not aware of the case, the facts of what happened are still being hotly debated. What we know for sure, is that neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman, while on patrol, called 911 to report a suspicious person within his gated community. After being told by the 911 dispatcher not to pursue the person, Zimmerman left his car in pursuit on foot. Through a series of events that have not yet been confirmed, George Zimmerman ultimately shot and killed Trayvon Martin. Today, after much national outcry, Zimmerman has been charged with murder in the second degree and taken into custody. While supporters for both sides of this situation have campaigned fervently for weeks, today is just the beginning of what will surely be a very dramatic and very public display. 

What you've read here is more fact than commentary. For most, this equates to little more than boring. That's okay. The goal is to backtrack a bit, so that we can build directly from the events and people. Stick with me and we will try to make sense of it all together.

Until next week,

David

Welcome

Hi! Thanks for reading!

The purpose of this blog is, very simply, to watch the story of America unfold.

In this place, each human being is exactly as valuable as every other. Affiliation with any political party holds no value, nor does the possession, or lack, of wealth.

Here, we examine people based only on their own actions and words.

My name is David. I am studying music business in Chicago, and have no political affiliations. I am unqualified to make statements along any certain political lines, and am therefore qualified to observe reality as I see it.

Feel free to get in touch via social networks. All of my links can be found at this page: David Combs

Again, thanks for reading and welcome.

Best,
David