I can say without a shred of doubt that I have never, nor has anyone else that I have ever known, heard of gang members conducting a drive-by shooting while listening to Mozart or Vivaldi. But the same can not be said about 50 Cent - even the opening of his first and hopefully last movie spawned shootings at movie theaters across the country.

There have always been questions about whether Congress can police itself. The situation in the House removes all doubt. The House is not policing itself.

The question remains, does this impact our youth? Because of my exposure to this problem, my unedited affirmative answer would not be suitable for printing. To me, it seems woefully obvious. These problems did not exist - to this extent - until it became a part of popular culture.

Every gang member that I have worked with is enamored by the hip-hop culture and the lifestyles of this genre's rich and famous. It is common for youths to emulate these rap artists by wearing similar gangster-type clothing. This alone is not concerning. The concern evolves when the behavior and attitude begin to go as south as the pants. Certain rap artists tout their criminal history, gang affiliation and their fortune of surviving gun battles. It becomes a concern, when dealing with a very troubled individual that is consumed by the gang mentality.

We own just over seven acres of the upper bluff and will pursue the remaining four properties with all deliberate speed as money allows and as the owners are willing to sell.

I wouldn't put it past God to arrange a virgin birth if He wanted, but I very much doubt if He would.