Big B Files Website Maintenance, Modification, & Updating

Dear Visitors to Big B Files online,

     The Big B Files website will be undergoing some design modefications over the next week.  the look may look funny and/or wierd… please be patient as the process to give the Big B Files website gets underway. . .thanks so very much in advance.

Sincerely Yours,

Mr. Bryan V. Hewing

Designer and commentator of the Big B Files Online.

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WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, POPE BENEDICT XVI

Pope Benedict XVI’s papal Visit to the United States of America is the subject of this Big B File.

     POPE BENEDICT XVI arrived in the United States of America Tuesday Afternoon near Washington, D.C.   The pope was greeted at Andrews Air Force Base by President George W. Bush, Laura Bush and their daughter Jenna Bush.  this was the only time the president has met a foreign dignitary at the air force base ever.  as the Catholic news agency put it..

 Pope Benedict touches down in the United States
     Washington DC, Apr 15, 2008 / 03:52 pm (CNA).- Shepherd One landed right on time this afternoon, bringing Pope Benedict XVI to the United States for the first time. President Bush, Laura Bush and their daughter Jenna paid Pope Benedict the honor of meeting him at the airport—the first time Bush has done so for a head of state. 
     The Pontiff was greeted by an honor guard of military servicemen and a crowd of 5,000 military family members. 
     After waving to the crowd, the Pope was transported via motorcade to the house of the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Pietro Sambi. Normally, President Bush takes Marine One to the Andrews Air Force Base, but due to the scale of the preparations for tomorrow’s record crowd of 12,000 people at the White House using the helicopter became impossible.  Pope Benedict will reside at the Apostolic Nunciature while in Washington and will make his first public remarks on Wednesday morning at the White House at 10:30 EST.

      Pope Benedict XVI did address the Priest Sex Abuse Scandal that the Ancient Media has been bashing the Roman Catholic Church over ther head since the late 1990s (courtesy Catholic News Agency [CNA]).

     “It is a great suffering for the Church in the United States and for the Church in general and for me personally that this could happen,” Benedict said. “It is difficult for me to understand how it was possible that priests betray in this way their mission … to these children.
     I am deeply ashamed and we will do what is possible so this cannot happen again in the future,” the pope said.
     Benedict XVI also said he was determined to prevent pedophiles from becoming priests in the Roman Catholic Church.
     “We will absolutely exclude pedophiles from the sacred ministry,” Benedict said in English. “It is more important to have good priests than many priests. We will do everything possible to heal this wound.” Pedophilia is “absolutely incompatible” with the priesthood,” Benedict said.

- Pope promises to “do everything possible” to heal scandal of sex abuse
Aboard the papal plane, Apr 15, 2008 – Catholic News Agency [CNA]

 

  I do not know how much more assertive he could be in his statements to satisfy the far left (if they can ever be satisfied) short of removal from office people like Cardinal Roger Michael Mahony of Los Angeles, CA and other church leaders who either refuse to follow or dragging their feet in implementing the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.  Numerous people had, essence, written Pope Benedict XVI’s obituary before he had served even one day as pope and had written him off as a “transitional pope” . . . including on the Big B Zone radio program I did from 2004-2007 on the Odyssey and judging from how viabrant and physically fit the Pope is, I believe and would not be surprised that he becomes the first Centurian (100 year old+) pope in Church history!

 

And that is the Big B Files. Click on the “Comments” Link below and tell me what you think . . . I’m Bryan Hewing. 

The 2008 Elections and Exercising YOUR cherished God given right to vote

The 2008 elections and exercising Your cherished God given right to vote is the subject of this Big B File.

     I had the privilege to serve in the February 5^th elections as an election judge for St. Louis County. According to St. Louis County Election Officials, just under 43% percent of the people who were registered to vote in St. Louis bothered to turn out to vote. . . .just under 43 percent! Normally 20-30 percent turn out to vote . . . just dispicable!  
     What is Despicable is that less than half of the people bothered to come out to vote. Unfortunately, this not a rare occurrence, but rather the norm here in the United States of America… a shining beacon of freedom for just the last 231 years. It is a shame that more people are not exercising their God Given right to vote in this country where you are not threatened to vote in a certain way or lose your life, or under a hale of bullets or not even knowing whether you will live to the end of the day or not. Take these instances for example:

On Thursday, December 15, 2005, 70 percent of people that were eligible to vote in Iraq voted in the first free elections in Iraq’s history, even though as the Iraqi blogger Iraqi Rebel put it,“Kids were playing football and army patrols offered their services to drive people to their polling stations. There were a few thuds and bullet shots here and there, but all in all it was very peaceful and tranquil.”

 

On September 19, 2005, in Afghanistan “…There was voter participation of about 50%, compared with 70% for the previous presidential election. According to Bimillah Bismal, head of the Afghan-

UN Joint Electoral Management Body, “The election was held in a peaceful manner…there was also a high level of political awareness and participation amongst the Afghan people.” Voting proceeded calmly, with little violence at the polling stations, most of which were able to remain open throughout Saturday.

The May 1990 local elections were entirely free. Candidates supported by Solidarity’s Citizens’ Committees won most of the races they contested, although voter turnout was only a little over 40%. The cabinet was reshuffled in July 1990; the national defense and interior affairs ministers–holdovers from the previous communist government–were among those replaced. In October 1990, the constitution was amended to curtail the term of President Jaruzelski. In December, Lech Walesa became the first popularly elected President of Poland. (

U.S. Department of State)

     Take a look at the National elections for Iraq and the First Free election for the President of Poland. Both of those elections had a turnout rate of 70 percent…and yet, in this country it is very rare to achieve that large of a turnout here in a country that is supposed to be as Ronald Reagan said once that “shining city upon a hill.” of freedom.
     Far more people should go out and exercise their right to vote. It would make me very happy of far more people would turn out to vote….try along the lines of at least 80% would show that the Citizens of the USA really treasure their right to vote. Even if it means that the candidate I support wins…good. If it if it means that the candidate I oppose wins…good. It means that people cared so much about this great country of ours that they turned out to vote. If that ever happens, It would make so proud of this country that you it would very difficult for me to stop talking about it whatsoever.
     The Big B Files believes that if you do not bother to come out to vote for the candidate of your choice, then you should not have the ability to complain because you did not bother to take a few minutes out of your day to cast your vote or vote absentee.  

And that is the Big B Files. Click on the “Comments” Link below and tell me what you think . . . I’m Bryan Hewing.