Free Republic

Those who still think that it's a good idea for government to "spread the wealth around" must think they're "wiser than God." That's what Plymouth Governor William Bradford concluded nearly 400 years ago after one of America's first socialist experiments led not to shared wealth, but pooled poverty. The Pilgrims, whom we remember at Thanksgiving, started life in the New World with a system of common ownership forced on them by Plymouth colony investors. That quasi-socialist arrangement proved disastrous, and had to be scrapped for one which gave these first Americans the right to keep the fruits of their labor...

Without even speaking to her or looking at her face, quarterback Sam Bradford made a young woman cry. (She asked him to marry her) That signature of his must be magical. That's really sweet. High-fives to the Rams employees who made the exchange happen, Bradford for taking a moment to sign, and the girl for her pure enthusiasm. Smiles all around. http://nfl.cpa.delvenetworks.com/delve/player/carousel/embed_code.html?channelId=de89a8aeb3e422bac4eb48567f10ebd0&mediaId=703fc7ea67184b1283060c05f0ff1163

(Joseph Farah) – There are many myths and misconceptions surrounding the people responsible for the American Thanksgiving tradition. Contrary to popular opinion, the Pilgrims didn’t wear buckles on their shoes or hats. They weren’t teetotalers, either. They smoked tobacco and drank beer. And, most importantly, their first harvest festival and subsequent “thanksgivings” weren’t held to thank the local natives for saving their lives. Do you know there are public schools in America today actually teaching that? Some textbooks, in their discomfort with open discussions of Christianity, say as much. I dare suggest most parents today know little more about this...

The St. Louis Rams do the right thing and select their franchise quarterback in Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford. Detroit is up next. Read more: http://blog.thenewstribune.com/seahawks/2010/04/22/no-1-rams-take-sam-bradford/#ixzz0lsM3hPsn

COPS fear that 25 British-born Muslims are plotting to bomb Western airliners. The fanatics, in five groups, are now training at secret terror camps in Yemen. It was there London-educated Umar Abdulmutallab, 23, prepared for his Christmas Day bid to blow up a US jet. The British extremists in Yemen are in their early 20s and from Bradford, Luton and Leytonstone, East London. They are due to return to the UK early in 2010 and will then await internet instructions from al-Qaeda on when to strike. A Scotland Yard source said: "The great fear is Abdulmutallab is the first of...

With the United States under direct assault from the evils of Socialism (or other forms of "Collectivism" including: Communism, or Fascism...pick your tyranny), and with Thanksgiving Day upon us, it's timely, appropriate, and necessary to visit the nation's very first attempt with Socialism, nearly four centuries ago.

link only

Bradford to get £5m for tackling Islamophobia LONDON: Britain’s city of Bradford is set to be named as one of the areas that will benefit from cash to “tackle Islamophobia and win the hearts and minds of young Muslims”. Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly and Community Cohesion Minister Phil Woolas want councils to collaborate with Muslims in winning the battle, and a £5 million government scheme is likely to be announced this month after discussions with local authorities on how they can respond to the threat posed by violent extremists. It is not yet known how many councils will benefit, but...

For 14 months, the two suspects in the shooting death of Dr. Gulam Moonda stuck together, even as one walked free and the other sat in jail. Each remained close-mouthed. Both relied on lawyers to profess their innocence. Their alliance dissolved last week when Damian Bradford agreed to plead guilty to being the triggerman who killed Dr. Moonda on the Ohio Turnpike on May 13, 2005. He sent word from his jail cell that he would finally tell the truth. In implicating himself, Mr. Bradford turned against Donna Moonda, the doctor's wife of 14 years and an eyewitness to his...

Bridging the gap — I first met Bill Bradford close to 20 years ago at one of John Baden's Liberty Fund conferences held at a Montana dude ranch. Before the conference began, I found Bill sitting at a table with another libertarian he had just met. Bill was saying that his magazine did a regular poll of libertarians that showed there had been a shift from people who considered themselves libertarian primarily for ideological reasons to those who were libertarian primarily for pragmatic reasons. The former were influenced by writers such as Ayn Rand and considered freedom an end in...

How the Pilgrims Made Progress Behind the Pilgrims' bad harvest in 1621: a lack of property rights. November 25, 2005 The textbooks don't explain why the Pilgrims had only a meager harvest in 1621, so we will. For their first two years in Plymouth, the settlers conducted an experiment in communalism. It wasn't until 1623 that they divided the land into private plots and could look forward to the kind of bounty that many of us enjoyed yesterday. In his "History of Plimoth Plantation," the colony's governor, William Bradford, wrote about how the settlers studied human nature and laid the...

FIVE Somalis were being questioned by police last night about the murder of a woman police officer in Bradford. Four men and a woman who were arrested in London were driven north by armed convoy yesterday to be held in custody at separate police stations across West Yorkshire. ...All six suspects are understood to be members of the Somali community who have lived in Britain for a number of years and have links to the Thamesmead area of southeast London. Police have released few details about the suspects in case they are eventually charged. ...Their heavily guarded journey up the...

PRINCETON, N.J. - David F. Bradford, a Princeton University economics professor and former presidential adviser, died Tuesday from injuries suffered in a fire at his home two weeks earlier. He was 66. Bradford, who served as a top economic adviser to former President Bush (news - web sites), suffered third-degree burns over half his body in the Feb. 8 fire, which was caused by one of about 10 lit candles on a Christmas tree that had been in the house since December. He had been a member of Princeton's faculty since 1966 and was an authority on taxation. He was...

PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) - A Princeton economics professor and former presidential adviser lay in critical condition after being burned while carrying a blazing Christmas tree from his home. David Bradford, who served as a top economic adviser to former President Bush, suffered third-degree burns over half his body early Tuesday, police said. He was being treated at a hospital in Philadelphia. The fire was caused by one of about 10 lit candles on the tree, which had been in the house since December, police said. Bradford was a member of the President's Council of Economic Advisers from 1991 to 1993.

"...and as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many, yea in some sort to our whole nation, let the glorious name of Jehovah have all the praise." Gov. William Bradford, 1640's That is my favorite passage from Bradford's Journal. Two decades after the famous landing of the Mayflower, Bradford sat down to write of Pymouth Colony, in a family journal to pass on to his descendants, relating the period of time from the first beginnings in England, their sojourn in Holland, and their first 20 years in New England. Little did...

SOUR LAKE, Texas - A former federal prosecutor who successfully defended the government in a lawsuit filed by surviving members of the Waco cult was found dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. A police officer found the body of former U.S. Attorney J. Michael Bradford on Tuesday after checking on an abandoned car in the woods near Sour Lake, about 20 miles from Beaumont. The body and a shotgun were about 75 feet away. The wound was apparently self-inflicted, Sheriff Ed Cain said.

Houston Police Chief C.O. Bradford announced today that he would resign in September to spend more time with his expectant wife. Although Bradford did not respond to calls for comment today, several members of his staff -- including Lana To and senior community liaison Anita Fuentes -- said Bradford told a small gathering of his personal staff that he wanted to spend more time with his wife, Dawn, who is expecting the couple's first child in November. According to Mayor Lee Brown's staff, Bradford and Brown would hold a news conference to discuss the resignation tomorrow at 11:15 a.m. at...

Urges crime lab court of inquiry Criminal defendants in Texas are at the mercy of prosecutors in an unfair system that emphasizes winning rather than justice, Houston Police Chief C.O. Bradford said Monday. "Trial by ambush -- that is a Texas criminal justice problem," the embattled chief said. In a two-hour meeting with the Houston Chronicle editorial board, Bradford also said he believes there is sufficient probable cause for Harris County judges to convene a court of inquiry to publicly and independently investigate the entire Police Department crime lab, not just the troubled DNA portion. He distanced himself, however, from...

9 on City Council say he should quit Houston City Council members and police union officials Thursday pressured Police Chief C.O. Bradford to resign amid the latest revelations that he has known about the problems in his department's crime lab for four years. Bradford has called a news conference for 11 a.m. today. A majority of council members said a series of problems beyond the crime lab at HPD has damaged their confidence in Bradford, including last summer's mass arrests at a westside Kmart and his trial on aggravated perjury charges, for which he was acquitted. "He should take the...

<p>The police chief might go to prison for perjury. The captain who led the raid might eventually be fired. Twelve other officers have been relieved of duty. And the city faces millions in potential legal costs.</p> <p>The 5,300-man Houston Police Department is in turmoil, many aligning themselves behind either Capt. Mark Aguirre or Police Chief Clarence Bradford.</p>

Bradford riot families protest Families of the Bradford rioters jailed for last year's disturbances have called on the Home Secretary to review their sentences. Up to two dozen friends and relatives protested outside the Home Office. The Fair Justice for All campaign said the sentences of up to eight years were disproportionate to those given after recent riots elsewhere in the country. David Blunkett has previously labelled the rioters as "maniacs" and said they were "whingeing" about their sentences. The protesters, carrying banners, handed a petition in to the Home Office and a letter addressed to Mr Blunkett demanding action....