Lucas Wondra has achieved something only about 4 % of those who enter scouting achieve. He has achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.

His achievement is particularly significant because the 16-year-old Hutchinson (Kansas) High School student has the genetic disorder Down Syndrome. Lucas is one of many who are demonstrating that individuals with Down Syndrome can be productive members of society. Maybe they are not capable of performing brain surgery or becoming professional athletes, but then neither are the vast majority of the rest of us.

Individuals with Down Syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome 21 , a condition called trisomy 21, which can cause physical and mental disabilities because having three copies of some genes interferes with the normal operation of cells and development. Down Syndrome children may not be geniuses, but many of them are able to attend classes with other students instead of being limited to special education classes as was once the case.

The cause of the extra copy of the chromosome is unknown, but it is known that an extra copy may be received from one of the parents or the extra chromosome may appear during the embryonic stage of development resulting in some cells with the extra copy and some with only two copies of chromosome 21. The possibility of an extra chromosome developing in embryonic cells is a major reason why embryonic cells may be unsafe to use in treating human disorders

Lucas isn't the first Scout with Down Syndrome to earn the rank of Eagle Scout. For example, Adam Townsend of Mesquite, Texas, became an Eagle Scout on June1, 2009. A. J. Trueblood of Lakeland, Florida, became an Eagle Scout in August, 2006. Clayton "Trey" Henderson of Ridgeview High School in Orange Park, Florida, became an Eagle Scout in April, 2006.

Down Syndrome scouts have to meet the same requirements as other Eagle Scouts if they are physically able to do so. A. J. Trueblood didn't even mention that he had Down Syndrome on his application.

Lucas is unable to swim so he substituted a 20 mile hike. He also completed five 10 mile hikes. I don't know if I even hiked 20 miles when I took basic training in the army, although it sometimes felt like 20 miles.

Lucas is physically unable to speak but can communicate using sign language and a PDA with voice software. He used the PDA to communicate with a congregation while serving as a chaplain's aide including offering a thought for the day and leading in the Lord's Prayer.

Many of those with Down Syndrome never had the opportunity for achievement that these Eagle Scouts had because their mothers listened to ignorant, prejudiced doctors and others who persuaded them to have abortions. Many share the prejudiced (or is it bigoted) view of Nicholas Provenzo that "a person afflicted with Down syndrome is only capable of being marginally productive (if at all) and requires constant care and supervision."

Provenzo obviously doesn't understand what those with Down Syndrome can do. I wonder how many of those who think Down Syndrome individuals cannot do anything had the drive to become Eagle Scouts.

Perhaps the lamest argument for aborting Down Syndrome babies has been suggested to students on more than one occasion by University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Professor Albert K. Harris. "In my opinion, the moral thing for older mothers to do is to have amniocentesis, as soon during pregnancy as is safe for the fetus, test whether placental cells have a third chromosome #21, and abort the fetus if it does. The brain is the last organ to become functional."

"I know somebody who had a child like this, and it ruined their life," he said.

Down Syndrome babies do require more time and effort than some other babies, but that doesn't mean they should not have the opportunity to be born and live.

Active "normal" children may actually require more supervision than Down Syndrome children because they may be physically able to get into dangerous situations faster than Down Syndrome children.

Potential parents who are concerned that a child with Down Syndrome might require more of their time should reconsider the decision to become parents. Down Syndrome isn't the worst thing that can happen to a child.

A child could be afflicted with a fatal form of cancer or Muscular Dystrophy. A child might be severely injured in an accident or abducted.

A child might require greater effort from parents because of hyperactivity or autism. A "normal" child may decide to get involved with drugs or gangs.

These and many other problems that can occur with children can adversely affect families, but the problem isn't with the children. Major illness of the death of a child from any cause potentially can destroy a family if parents start playing a blame game. The problem in these situations is with parents who cannot accept adversity.

Sue Thomas was born in May, 1950, and was a normal child until she suddenly lost her hearing at 18 months. The "experts" told her parents that she would never amount to anything and should be institutionalized. Her parents ignored the advice and made sure that she had the opportunity for as normal a life as possible including attending school with children who could hear.

At the age of 7 she became the youngest Ohio Champion free style skater in history. In 1979, she became part of an elite FBI surveillance team. In 2002 a tv series Sue Thomas: F.B. Eye debuted based on her career, although many of the episodes dealt with the type cases facing the FBI at the time of the series rather than cases from the 80's. The Gospel Music Channel is bringing that series back on September 14.

Some people try to define others by what they cannot do instead of what they can do. Lucas Wondra, Adam Townsend, A.J. Trueblood and Clayton Henderson have done something I couldn't have done when I was their age. They have become Eagle Scouts.

I was a Cub Scout, but my family moved to another town when I was in the 6th grade and I never became a Boy Scout. Even if I had participated, I doubt that I could have fulfilled the requirements for an Eagle Scout because I was the stereotypical "98 pound weakling" in high school.

I cannot play a musical instrument like Sarah Itoh who has Down Syndrome and who was playing the clarinet by the time she was11 years old. She is an accomplished public speaker who particularly enjoys telling audiences how she enjoys Special Olympics. At her age I had enough trouble just repeating lines in a church Christmas play.

We all have different abilities and disabilities. We can do some things that others cannot do and they can do some things that we cannot do.

Sue Thomas responded to her loss of hearing by learning to read lips. That skill got her a job as an FBI agent because she could what other FBI agents could not do. She could tell what a suspect under visual surveillance was saying without the need to plant a microphone near him.

We don't know the full potential of what individuals with Down Syndrome can do because for many years people just labeled them "retarded" and assumed they couldn't do anything. Maybe none of the Eagle Scouts mentioned will become an astronaut like Eagle Scout Neil Armstrong or a movie director like Eagle Scout Steven Spielberg. However, drama student and cheerleader Clayton Henderson might become a successful actor like Joseph "Chris" Burke who has Down Syndrome and was a star of the successful tv series "Life Goes On.."

How many of us could star in a tv series?

Some people claim that Down Syndrome children cost society because of government programs that have assisted them. I doubt seriously all Down Syndrome individuals together have cost society nearly as much as Bernie Madoff.

I"m not a Michael Jackson fan. I'm more into music of the 60's including the earlier Motown groups such as the Temptations.

However, I believe Jackson should be buried at
Neverland Ranch. His fans will want to go his final resting
place much like the fans of Elvis Presley do. Neverland is as much
associated with Michael as Graceland is with Elvis. There's
even a song about visiting Graceland.

They could get around the California law prohibiting burial on private
property by transferring at least a portion of the property
to local or state government. The property might be
donated for a tax write off, or it could be sold with payment
coming in the form of a portion of an admission fees or
sale of memorabilia at the site if some type of sales building
were
included. Another alternative would be to donate property then
lease it back for a portion of admission fees, etc.

Transferring property to government would eliminate the need to pay
property taxes on it. California could benefit from a
major tourist attraction and Neverland as Michael Jackson's
burial place would become one. It could also become the location
of a Michael Jackson theme park.

Some of the tributes to Jackson have misrepresented his
accomplishments. Jackson's contribution was in the video presentation
rather than its audio presentation as some comments implied.

For example, he wasn't the one combine soul, R & B
and pop. He came out of a musical climate in which they were
already combined. The Motown sound, particularly the Temptations, had
already done that before the Jacksons began performing. In fact in
the 60's just about everything was
combined to some degree from country to R & B. Elvis Presley even
combined R & B and country.

Jackson
continued the tradition of combined music. Jackson also continued
the tradition of social commentary in lyrics that the Temptations had
used in songs from "Runaway Child..." through "War!" However, Jackson
primarily used simple phrases repeated many times instead of
explanations. Jackson also continued the Temptations use of complex
instrumental music.

One tribute falsely compared Jackson to Elvis Presley and the
Beatles. Elvis Presley and the Beatles were singers. As a
singer Jackson wasn't in their class, but Jackson wasn't just a singer.
Jackson was in a different category of performers. He was a
"song and dance" man along the lines of Gene Kelly
and Sammy Davis, Jr.

The best comparison would be to George M.
Cohan. Jackson, like Cohan, started show business early as
part of a family act. Cohan performed with his parents and
sister, Jackson with his brothers. Jackson eventually eclipsed
his family as Cohan had before him.

Cohan helped change music through a shift from vaudeville to the
musical theater which combined performers with songs, dancing and
dialog around some central theme instead of as individual acts.
Jackson helped bring back and popularize the art form of music
videos which had been called "soundies" in the early days of sound
movies.

Jackson also brought back dance as a popular art form. The
demise of variety shows had largely removed dance from public view
except in old movies. The Lawrence Welk shows kept dancing
available through the 70's until the series "Fame" debuted in
1982.

Jackson's well choreographed music videos reestablished
dance as a popular art form

Jackson was an innovator like Fred Astaire who had also done some
singing. Astaire figured a way to appear to dance up the walls of
a room by using a revolving stage. Jackson invented the moon walk
among other things.

Music in the 60's had been primarily an audio event. Jackson
transformed it to a video event for a generation that had never known a
world without television. Jackson reversed the decline in
popularity of music in the early 80's and made MTV a popular cable
channel.

The current Illinois scandal involving Gov.
Rod Blagojevich's (D) alleged attempt
to sell President-elect Barack Obama's former Senate seat demonstrates
we need a constitutional amendment requiring special elections to
choose replacement Senators. In the future, there will always be
a
question about the possibility of some type of secret deal
involved in
a governor's selection of a new Senator. How can voters be
sure that
a political or monetary favor was not involved in the selection?

The timing of the election should be sufficient to allow preparation
for conducting the election while insuring selection of a
replacement
as soon as possible..

The only possible exception might be in a general election year if
there were four months before the scheduled primary or general
election. Conduct of a special election might hamper
preparation for
these elections. In this case the legislature, rather than the
governor, might be allowed to select an interim Senator from among
those wishing the office who would serve until the next primary or general
election.

Governors like Blagojevich will probably protest limiting their ability
to function as power brokers by using Senate appointments to reward
political allies or make some money for themselves. Over the last 50
years governors have been the officials most likely to be prosecuted
for corruption. Former Maryland Governor Spiro Agnew had to resign as
vice president because of corrupt behavior while serving as governor.
His successor as Maryland governor, Marvin Mandel, went to jail for
corruption. Allegations of corrupt behavior as governor got President
Bill Clinton in trouble in the Whitewater scandal.

November 29 will be the 100th anniversary of the birth of the black preacher known as "Mr. Civil Rights". No, I'm not talking about Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., although this man was named after his preacher father.

Rev. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr, was conducting civil rights demonstrations when Dr. King was still a child in the 30's. As assistant pastor at his father's Abyssinian Baptist Church he was in charge of providing food and clothing to those who couldn't afford them, on one occasion he even gave the shoes he was wearing to a man who couldn't find his size in the used clothing.

When he succeeded his father in 1935 it was the largest Protestant congregation in America. The church itself began as a protest against the segregated seating at New York City's First Baptist Church in 1808. A century later the church would call Rev. Adam Clayton Powell, Sr., to be its pastor.

Rev. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., recognized that providing food and clothing wasn't the best way to help people, so he began an effort to get jobs for blacks. His Coordinating Committee for Employment used mass protests such as his "Don't Buy Where You Can't Work" campaign to persuade various businesses, including Harlem Hospital, to hire more blacks. In 1941 he used a bus boycott to force the hiring of 200 more blacks by the transit authority. In 1941 he integrated the New York City City Council when he was elected as its first black member.

In 1944, he became the first northern black from a state other than Illinois to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Rep. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., informed Congress: "I'm the first bad Negro they've had in Congress." The other black Representative, William Dawson of Chicago, had avoided challenging the status quo.

Powell promptly integrated the House dining room and barber shop. He persuaded other members of Congress to stop using the n- word on the floor of Congress. He pushed for an end to segregation in the military and the District of Columbia and invented the "Powell Amendment" which, if successfully attached to legislation, prohibited racial discrimination in the use of federal funds. Many years later a similar provision later was adopted to require equal treatment for women.

Later he played a major role in getting President John Kennedy's New Frontier and President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society legislation passed.

Unfortunately, late in his career he succumbed to the temptations to misuse power and was eventually expelled from Congress for corrupt activities. Charles Rangel subsequently replaced him. Powell died on April 4, 1972.

The focus on Dr. Martin Luther King's contributions has obscured the fact that King didn't start the fight to end segregation, he merely carried that fight to the south where the resistance was greatest. Rep. Adam Clayton Powell didn't start the fight either, but he escalated it. As a preacher he demonstrated that public protests and boycotts could change the situation. As a member of Congress he began the difficult process of changing government racial policies. Perhaps the military would have been integrated without his efforts, but his support certainly helped. He forced President Harry Truman, who needed the black vote in the north, and others to deal with the issue of racial discrimination.

The Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education didn't happen in a vacuum. Charles Sumner had argued before the Massachusetts high court that "separate but equal" was impossible a century earlier in the Roberts case which had served as a precedent for the ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson. Society had changed, at least outside the south.

Integration was the coming thing. The nation's principle government organization, the military, had been integrated as had its most popular sport, baseball. Men like Rep. Adam Clayton Powell were demonstrating that they no longer considered racial discrimination acceptable.

I don't have time right now to check to see if any of those newspaper editors and columnists who are calling for Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens to resign are also endorsing Sen. Barack Obama. If any are doing both they are hypocrites and probably partisan or even racist.

Sen. Ted Stevens was recently convicted of not reporting various gifts and home remodeling work from a powerful oil services industry company. Sen. Barack Obama received money from the University of Chicago hospital in the form of a doubling of his wife's salary after he was elected to the Senate and then attempted to circumvent the normal National Institutes of Health grant process by earmarking brain trauma research money for the hospital. He also attempted to earmark $1 million for a hospital expansion project. Ironically, one of the critics of Obama's research earmark was Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens.

Both Senators have accepted favors from those who wish their help in obtaining government benefits. That used to be called bribery. Why should one Senator who has taken a bribe have to resign and another allowed to become president?

Is it because one is older than the other or of a different party or has a different skin color?

We apparently have different standards here in Kansas than they do in Washington. One of the county commissioners who is retiring this year has an auto dealership. When the county purchased vehicles that his dealership bid on he abstained from participating in the decision. Local city council members abstain if a decision impacts their outside interests.

If Sen. Stevens were honest he wouldn't have accepted favors from a company that did business with government. If Sen. Obama were honest he would have stayed out of any decision involving his wife's employer instead of actively attempting to obtain funds for the employer.

Perhaps Obama could be excused on the grounds he is too young to know any better, but if so he is also too young to be president.

We should have the same standards for all Senators regardless of their party affiliations. Young Senators should be held to the same ethical standards as old Senators.

Not all racists are anti-black. Some racists believe that blacks are less capable of being honest and thus shouldn't be held to the same ethical standards. I believe that blacks are just as capable of being honest as whites and should be expected to adhere to the same ethical standards. I don't recall ever working with a black person whom I thought was dishonest, but there were a couple of white law enforcement officers who became crooks.

Norm Crosby suggested during the Jerry Lewis Telethon that this may be the election when voters "hope that nobody wins." He might be right.

Sen. Barack Obama has suggested that Sen. John McCain would be a continuation of the Bush administration. I wish that I thought one of the presidential candidates would be as effective a president as George W. Bush, but I don't. The current set of major party candidates may be the worst since the 19th Century.

I would rather have four more years of George W. Bush or Bill Clinton than have four years of either Barack Obama or John McCain. I would rather bring back Jimmy Carter or George H. W. Bush, in spite of their ages, than have four years of Barack Obama.

Neither George W. Bush nor Bill Clinton will be considered a great president, but both are likely to look good compared to which ever of the major party candidates wins this year's election.

The only ability Obama seems to have is the ability to con people into thinking he can handle the presidency. He has never handled any executive position and doesn't understand the War on Terror or the current economic situation. There is more to being president than just looking good on television. Fred Thompson knows how to act like a president on television, but I wouldn't have voted for him either.

Obama is less experienced than the 20th Century's least experienced president Warren G. Harding. Obama shares Harding's tendency to associate with corrupt individuals. Unlike Harding, Obama may himself be corrupt considering that he attempted to earmark a million dollars to his wife's employer after the employer more than doubled her salary Providing government benefits after receiving money is usually consider bribery.

He cannot understand that regardless of whether or not the U.S. should have invaded Iraq, the country has become a battleground in the War on Terror. If we leave before the Iraqis are able to keep al Qaeda from taking over, Osama bin Laden (OBL), or another al Qaeda leader, will move to Iraq and use its oil revenue to fund al Qaeda's operations.

Obama doesn't understand that if OBL is hiding in Pakistan, OBL is doing so because even if the U.S. kills him there, his successors might be able to use the action to either take over Pakistan or at least gain access to some of its nuclear weapons. Sending troops into Pakistan, as Obama wants to do, could spark a full scale war with Pakistan which not only has nuclear weapons, but also a population nearly as large as the combined populations of World War II Germany and Japan.

OBL is not a Hitler type leader who wants power for himself. OBL believes he is pursuing a cause that is bigger than he is. He believes he might benefit in the afterlife if he became a martyr to that cause.

Obama's comments about the current economic situation are just simplistic partisan nonsense. He fails to recognize that the sitaution results from global economic problems rather than the policies of President Bush.

The basic problem began with a boom during the Clinton administration. Historically, economic booms fuel greed and encourage those with money to feel they cannot lose regardless of the risk. Booms may also encourage politicians to believe that busts are a thing of the past. The boom could have gone bust with the double shock of 9/11 and the Enron collapse, but Bush helped prevent that outcome.

McCain isn't much better on economic matters than Obama, but he does recognize the dangers of tax increases in a bust situation. If I remember standard economic theory taxes should be increased during growth periods to prevent a boom situation and pay off any debts and reduced during recessions to stimulate the economy. Reducing taxes is less expensive than sending out economic stimulous checks.

As an experienced executive McCain won't be distracted by having to learn how to be in charge of an organization. McCain has a better understanding of what can go wrong because of his experience during the savings and loan crisis in the late 80's.

McCain understands the War on Terror and recognizes the need to win on all battlefields. He is unlikely to make the mistake of starting a war with Pakistan.

McCain's weakness is that he doesn't come across as a strong enough leader. I don't expect him to be another Roosevelt (TR or FDR), but he could exhibit the fiestiness of Harry S. Truman. McCain was too laid back during the debates which is one way he is like George W. Bush.

Obama also shares a trait with Bush. Obama decided to follow Bush's example and choose an older vice president who could tell him how to handle foreign policy. If Obama really were as intelligent as his supporters claimed he would have selected a woman for his vice president.

I'm not a fan of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, but I would concede that she would have been a better choice for vice president than either Sen . Joe Biden or Gov. Sarah Palin. She would have been a better choice for President than Obama or McCain.

Obama's foolish decision to choose Biden allowed McCain to select Palin as his running mate. She's the only bright spot in this dismal election. She is better prepared to be president than Obama. Like Vice President Calvin Coolidge, who became president after Warren G. Harding died,. she was selected for the vice presidency during her first term as governor.

Theodore Roosevelt, who like Palin was 42 at the time he was selected as vice president, was also in his first term as governor. However, he had also briefly been an under secretary of the navy as well as an army colonel (the army equivalent of the rank achieved by McCain in the navy). It's too early to say Palin is another TR, but she has a similar enthusiasm. TR may have been the ultimate presidential maverick.

I wasted another evening Tuesday Oct 7, watching one of the
media events ignorant journalists insist on misrepresenting
as debates. The candidates repeated the same cliches they used
in their first debate.

Once again Sen. Barack Obama demonstrated that he is dangerously
ignorant in the area of foreign policy and the War on
Terror. Once again journalists ignored his mistake.

Obama. is apparently incapable of understanding the fact that sending
military forces into another country without permission is an
invasion. It doesn't matter why the troops enter the country, it
is still an act of war. The fact that Osama bin Laden might
be in Pakistan doesn't mean the U.S. can invade Pakistan without
fear of retaliation -- and Pakistan most definitely does have
nuclear weapons.

Obama doesn't understand the volatility of the situation in
Pakistan. The country has been on the brink of a civil war for
many years and its government could fall at any time. An American
invasion would force the government to declare war on the U.S. to try
to keep the country united. The first action in that war might be
a nuclear attack that would wipe out our forces in the Middle East.

Obama's obsession with bin Laden and Afghanistan indicates he doesn't
understand the War on Terror. This war isn't a traditional war
against an enemy with a geographic base.

Al Qaeda can function without bin Laden and might even benefit if
the United States killed or captured him. Others are available to
head al Qaeda if something happens to bin Laden.

Death at the hands of the U.S. would make bin Laden a martyr and
violent Muslims would rally to avenge his death. Capture
of bin Laden would provoke efforts to capture Americans any where in
the world in an attempt to obtain hostages to trade for him.

Al Qaeda doesn't have a fixed location that it has to
defend. If pushed out of one area, al Qaeda will move to
some other area with a large Muslim population. If the U.S.
leaves Iraq before the Iraqis are able to maintain
stability
in the country, al Qaeda will move in and use Iraq as a base.

It is no longer important whether or not Iraq should have become a
battleground in the War on Terror. The fact is that Iraq is a
battleground in the War on Terror and we cannot afford to turn that
battleground over to al Qaeda.