17 Sep 2013

Simon encourages civic engagement, working together while speaking to female leaders in Chicago

By Ted Nelson

CHICAGO - Lt. Governor Sheila Simon will urge civic involvement and highlight the importance of women in politics while speaking to the Chicago Bar Association (CBA) Alliance for Women and League of Women Voters of Illinois (LWVIL) in separate events on Tuesday.

Simon will join a panel of female elected officials including Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno and State Representative Patricia Bellock at the LWVIL State of the State event at the Union League Club of Chicago. Later Simon will provide the keynote address at a CBA Alliance for Women event.

"I am excited to be participating in a dialogue with this great group of women," said Simon.  "We should be thankful for the dedicated work of the women that paved the way for us and continue carrying on their efforts to help future generations of leaders."

In an effort to commemorate the dedicated work of the courageous Illinoisans who worked to grant women the right to vote in Presidential elections over 100 years ago, the LWVIL is hosting a luncheon featuring a prominent panel of four female elected officials, including Simon, moderated by Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich.  Proceeds from the State of the State benefit the organization's education fund and its mission of promoting civic education and voter service.

Founded in 1992, the Alliance for Women credits itself for working within the Chicago Bar Association to advance the interests of women in the legal profession and the larger community. Through monthly programs, special projects, networking events and professional development the Alliance brings together the talents of its members to implement strategies that effect change. As an Assistant State's Attorney in Jackson County, Simon prosecuted domestic violence cases, and as professor at Southern Illinois University's School of Law, she helped launch a domestic violence clinic to train law students and to serve clients at no cost.

The Alliance for Women event is its annual kick-off meeting designed to welcome new members and promote involvement over the upcoming year.  Previous speakers have included Dawn Clark Netsch and Illinois Supreme Court Justice Hon. Anne Burke.

 

EVENT

DATE: Sept.17

TIME: 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

PLACE: Union League Club of Chicago, 65 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago

NOTE: Simon is available for interviews following the event.

 

EVENT

DATE: Sept.17

TIME: 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

PLACE: CBA Building, 321 S. Plymouth Ct., Chicago

NOTE: Simon is available for interviews following the event.

###
17 Sep 2013

Rock Island Library Events for Adults Mix Learning, Culture, Illinois History

By Lisa Lockheart

Rock Island, IL- Whatever your interest, there's probably an adult program for it this fall at the Rock Island Public Library. The list of free programs for late September and October ranges from genealogy education to the history of African-American miners in Illinois.

Researching Your Family Tree: Thursday, Sept. 26, 2:30 to 3:30 pm, Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street Curious to research your family history but not sure where to start? The Rock Island County Genealogical Society can help! The hour-long session will help participants get their research started. The event repeats on Oct. 8 from 6:00 to 7:00 pm, also at the Main Library.

Irena Sendler: Angel of the Warsaw Ghetto. Tuesday, Oct. 1st, 6:30 to 7:30 pm, Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street. As a Polish Catholic social worker during WWII, Irena Sendler risked her life to save others. With ingenuity, calmness and courage, she was responsible for rescuing 2,500 Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto. Irena never thought of herself as hero, and said she simply did what needed to be done, and followed her heart. In this 60-minute performance and question and answer session, Actress Judy Winnick will portray this extraordinary woman. Event presented in partnership with the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities.

Getting Started with Computers, Monday, Oct. 7, 11:00 am to noon, Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street. If you've never used a computer before or just not comfortable with one, this is the class for you! This one-hour class starts with the very basic lessons on computers and how to start using them. Registration is required - space is limited. Call the Rock Island Library's Reference Desk, 732-7341, to sign up. No computer skills are required.

Uprisings: Illinois Miners Revolt! Wednesday, Oct. 9th, 6:30 to 7:30 pm, Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street. Illinois Road Scholar Rosemary Feurer will discuss the role of miners throughout the state, incorporating the lost history of African-American miners, and the first successful miners uprising in 1897-1898. Also, learn how downstate miners during 1894-1935 created an oppositional culture that led to an uprising against their union, mining corporations, and state and federal officials. This program is made possible in part by an award from the Illinois Humanities Council, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Illinois General Assembly. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Library How-To: Download Music, Thursday, Oct. 10th, 2:00 to 3:00 pm, Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street. Learn how to use the Library's music service, to download music to your computer and personal devices. Participants must have a Rock Island, Bettendorf, Davenport, or Sherrard District Library card to use Freegal.

Getting Started with the Internet, Tuesday, Oct. 15th, 11:00 am to noon, Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street. This class will help you to use the Internet more effectively. Learn about some of the Library's databases, search engines, and how to move around online. Reservation is required - space is limited. Call the Rock Island Library's Reference Desk, 309-732-7341, to register. Keyboarding and mouse skills required.

All of the above events are free and open to the public.

For more events at Rock Island Library, visit the library website at www.rockislandlibrary.org, follow the library on Facebook or Twitter, or call 309-732-7323 (READ).

 

(End)

17 Sep 2013

Chinese Ag Leaders Sign Commitments to Buy $2.8 Billion Worth of U.S. Soy

By United Soybean Board
Checkoff event results in purchase agreements between Chinese, U.S. companies
DAVENPORT, Iowa (Sept. 16, 2013) - As China's appetite for soy products continues to grow, it's leaning on U.S. soybean farmers to help meet demand - in one recent case, to the tune of $2.8 billion.

During the recent U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange, Chinese agricultural leaders signed agreements to buy approximately $2.8 billion worth of U.S. soy. The delegation signed 13 contracts with U.S. exporters.
"These contracts speak to U.S. soybean farmers' work to produce high-quality soybeans," says Jim Stillman, chairman of the United Soybean Board (USB), which co-sponsored the Exchange with the American Soybean Association (ASA). "The U.S. soy industry is committed to meeting the demands of our customers, and we are doing that by growing the best crops we can," says Stillman, a soybean farmer from Emmetsburg, Iowa.
"China is an important trade partner of the U.S. soy industry," says Randy Mann, chairman of the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), which hosted the Exchange. "We look forward to continuing to grow our relationship with our largest international customer," says Mann, who raises soybeans on his farm Auburn, Ky.
More than 200 foreign trade delegates attended the Exchange in the Quad Cities Sept. 16-18. Farmer-leaders from across the soy family networked with international customers and solidified purchase agreements.
"This is the first year we've held the U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange, and we're very pleased that purchase commitments resulted from the event," says Kirk Leeds, chief executive officer of the Iowa Soybean Association. "The point of the event was to cultivate relationships with our customers, including China, and show purchasers the unrivaled U.S. transportation system."
In the last marketing year, the United States exported about 1.8 billion bushels of soy, valued at $23 billion. Checkoff-funded efforts have helped turn China into the biggest international destination for U.S. soy. Customers in China bought 850 million bushels of U.S. soy last year, or more than one out of every four rows grown.
"The United States continues to export so many soy products because our customers recognize the strength of our delivery system and the quality of our soybeans," says Danny Murphy, ASA president. "These agreements certainly prove the U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange was a success."
The 69 farmer-directors of USB oversee the investments of the soy checkoff to maximize profit opportunities for all U.S. soybean farmers. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff funds to increase the value of U.S. soy meal and oil, to ensure U.S. soybean farmers and their customers have the freedom and infrastructure to operate, and to meet the needs of U.S. soy's customers. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff.

For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit www.unitedsoybean.org
Visit us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/UnitedSoybeanBoard
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/unitedsoy
View our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/UnitedSoybeanBoard

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17 Sep 2013

Library, Writing Center Celebrate the Freedom to Read Next Tuesday

By Lisa Lockheart

Rock Island, IL - Rock Island Public Library and the Midwest Writing Center will partner to celebrate the freedom to read with a Banned Books Week Reception and Reading next Tuesday, Sept. 24 at the Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street.

The Rock Island Library event begins at 6:00 pm with a public reception. From 6:30 to 7:30 pm, readers will celebrate their First Amendment rights by offering public readings from their favorite banned or challenged works. The event is free and open to the public. No registration is required. Content of some readings may not be suitable for all ears.

Attendees may also show their support for intellectual freedom by entering to win Banned Books merchandise, such as cups, bookmarks, pins, bags, t-shirts, and more.

Banned Books Week is an annual event, held this year from Sept. 22 to 28. Since 1982, Banned Books Week has rallied librarians, booksellers, authors, publishers, teachers, and readers of all types to celebrate and defend the freedom to read. Each year, the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom records hundreds of attempts by individuals and groups to have books removed from library shelves and from classrooms. The list of banned or challenged works includes classic novels of the 20th Century, such as The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, and To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee.

While books have been and continue to be banned, part of the celebration is the fact that, in a majority of cases, the books have remained available. This happens only thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, students, and community members who stand up and speak out for the freedom to read. For a full list of Banned or Challenged Books, and more information on why books on the list were challenged, visit the Banned Books Week Web site at http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks.

For more events at Rock Island Library, visit the library website at www.rockislandlibrary.org, follow the library on Facebook or Twitter, or call 309-732-7323 (READ).

(End)

17 Sep 2013

Donated blood, platelets can help transplant patients

By Ben Corey

PEORIA, Ill. (Sept. 16, 2013) ? October is Liver Awareness Month, and the American Red Cross reminds eligible donors that organ transplant patients often rely on donated blood products. Liver transplant patients may need 30 or more transfusions during the surgery.

Recently, a liver transplant patient at a hospital served by the Red Cross was treated with more than 75 units of red blood cells, platelets and plasma.

Liver transplants are the second most common transplant, with more than 6,000 performed every year in the U.S. ? and more than 16,000 Americans are currently waiting for a liver transplant, according to the American Liver Foundation.

Ways to protect your liver from disease

There are a variety of ways to help protect your liver from disease. The American Liver Foundation offers these simple tips:

- Maintain a healthy diet low in fatty foods.

- Limit alcohol intake.

- Do not smoke.

- Manage medications appropriately.

- Limit contact with toxins.

- Exercise regularly.

For more information, visit liverfoundation.org.

Please visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS to make an appointment to donate blood or platelets to help patients like these and many others.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities:

Carroll County

Oct. 14 from 12-5 p.m. at Savanna Moose Lodge, 125 Main St. in Savanna, Ill.

Henry County

Oct. 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Black Hawk College-East, 26230 Black Hawk Road in Galva, Ill.

Oct. 9 from 2-6 p.m. at First Christian Church, 105 Dwight St. in Kewanee, Ill.

Oct. 14 from 2:30-6 p.m. at Hooppole Community Center, 1404 Washington St. in Hooppole, Ill.

Mercer County

Oct. 3 from 1-6:30 p.m. at Calvary Lutheran Church, 121 N. Meridian St. in New Windsor, Ill.

Oct. 15 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at VFW Hall, 106 SW Third Ave. in Aledo, Ill.

Whiteside County

Oct. 2 from 2-6 p.m. at American Red Cross, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.

Oct. 3 from 9:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. at CGH Medical Center, 100 E. LeFevre Road in Sterling, Ill.

Oct. 8 from 1-6 p.m. at Robert Fulton Community Center, 912 Fourth St. in Fulton, Ill.

Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at American Red Cross, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.

Oct. 14 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Prophetstown-Lyndon-Tampico CUSD 3, 79 Grove St. in Prophetstown, Ill.

Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Morrison Institute of Technology, 701 Portland in Morrison, Ill.

The need is constant. The gratification is instant. Give blood.®

How to donate blood

Simply call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver's license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. The Red Cross is supported in part through generous financial donations from the United Way. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

###

17 Sep 2013

The Old Creamery Theatre opens their 2nd Annual Great Raffle for the Arts

By Shelly Klimes

Amana - Would you like to turn $100 into $1,000, $2,000, $3,000 or even $5,000?

It might be possible when you buy a raffle ticket during The Old Creamery Theatre's 2nd Annual Great Raffle for the Arts!

Buy a ticket for $100 and you get the chance to be one of four cash winners, top prize of  up to $5,000! Only 400 raffle tickets will be sold.

Final cash prize amounts will be determined by actual number of tickets sold.

If all 400 tickets are sold, prizes will be as follows:

One cash prize of $5,000

One cash prize of $3,000

One cash prize of $2,000

One cash prizes of $1,000

Tell your friends and coworkers and purchase a ticket together! The drawing will be held as soon as 400 tickets have been sold, or December 22, 2013.

Tickets are available at The Old Creamery box office or call us and we'll send you a ticket order form, 319-622-6262. The box office is open 7 days a week and always at least 2 hours prior to a performance.

Money raised will go toward sound equipment and other theatre enhancements.

All prizes awarded are subject to federal and state taxes.

The Old Creamery Theatre Company is a not-for-profit professional theatre founded in 1971 in Garrison, Iowa. The company has been bringing live, professional theatre to the people of Iowa and the Midwest for 42 years.

17 Sep 2013

Food Tasting To Be Held At Miss Mamie's

By Courtney Boothe

Everything You Never Knew You Wanted To Know About Hominy

MOLINE, IL/ September 16 2013 - Miss Mamie's Restaurant and Bar in Moline is hosting a food tasting on Thursday, September 26th beginning at 6:00pm. Miss Mamie's will be introducing a quintessential Costal dish to their menu; Polenta with Sautéed Shrimp Fra Diavolo, better known as Shrimp & Grits.

In addition to Shrimp & Grits, Miss Mamie's will feature several appetizers, cocktails, and desserts to give guests a feel for the possibilities of what could go with this exciting new entrée.

Reservations are limited to 50 people and the cost is just $30.00 per person. All proceeds and donations from this event will go to a scholarship for the Scott Community College Chef Apprentice Program.

Miss Mamie's' Chef and Owner, Mike Osborn, wants to bring this fresh, new Costal Cuisine to the Quad Cities. "This event offers local foodies a chance to be the first to taste a new entrée, as well as several other selections. Our launch party will highlight a Southern specialty with a Midwestern base." Grits are small, broken grains of corn, and Iowa and Illinois have produced the largest corn crop for almost two decades.

To reserve your spot at Miss Mamie's' Food Tasting, call 309-762-8336, reservations are limited.

The Food Tasting event is a piece of their new, fresh look that was introduced earlier this year. Miss Mamie's has made some dramatic renovations to their restaurant, as well as incorporating their new look. These changes compliment the rich tradition of entrees this restaurant has been known for throughout the area, while adding an upbeat and relaxed flair to your experience.

About Miss Mamie's: Miss Mamie's Restaurant and Bar is located it Moline, Illinois.  We define fresh as locally sourced steaks, cut in our kitchen. The best seafood we can buy. Crisp salads with house-made dressings. Original entrees crafted by a culinary chef and offered at a good value in an established, locally owned Quad Cities restaurant. Our restaurant and menu embody a casual coastal flair you won't find anywhere else in the area. There's something for every food mood and flavor lover, so let us take care of your current craving, whether it's salad or steak, sandwiches or seafood.

About Mike Osborn: Miss Mamie's' Chef/Owner, Mike Osborn, is a Quad Cities native who has been in the restaurant field his entire professional career.  Mike trained at the most prestigious culinary school in the U.S., the Culinary Institute of America, and he has cooked in private clubs throughout the Country and owned a bagel chain. In 1995, Mike became the head chef at Miss Mamie's. He helped open another location in Davenport, which is now Mo Brady's Steakhouse, and in 2007, he purchased Miss Mamie's Restaurant & Bar and Mo Brady's Steakhouse. Mike has always been serious about food. He takes care to select just the right ingredients, cook them properly and create excitement on the plate.

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16 Sep 2013

Soldiers from across the state compete in Illinois Guard Combatives Tournament

By Illinois National Guard PAO

SPRINGFIELD, IL (09/16/2013)(readMedia)-- Sixty-four Soldiers competed in the Illinois National Guard's fourth annual Adjutant General's Combatives Tournament at Camp Lincoln in Springfield, Ill, Sept. 15.

The tournament was open to all Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers regardless of combatives experience.

Fighters competed individually in brackets based on weight class, while team points were awarded based on total number of bout wins and individual placement. The 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment received the overall team award, an axe hand forged by Col. Michael Glisson, the 65th Troop Command Brigade commander.

The tournament was double elimination. The preliminary rounds were fought under Modern Army Combatives standard rules, which allows takedowns, joint locks and choke submissions. The championship bouts were fought under intermediate rules, which added open hand strikes to the head, punches to the body and head to toe kicks.

Individual winners included:

Bantamweight division (110 pounds and under): Sgt. Kassandra Cussen of Johnsburg, Ill., with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 33rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion in Machesney Park, Ill.

Flyweight division (110.1 to 125 pounds): Spc. Jose Duarte Jr. of Elgin, Ill., with Troop C, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment in Aurora, Ill.

Lightweight division (125.1 to 140 pounds): Sgt. Jacob Trigleth of Effingham, Ill., with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment in Marion, Ill.

Welterweight division (140.1 to 155 pounds): Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Lipa of Decatur, Ill., with the Recruiting and Retention Battalion

Middleweight division (155.1 to 170 pounds): Sgt. Allen Simmerman of Chillicothe, Ill., with Company A, 33rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion in Marseilles, Ill.

Cruiserweight division (170.1 to 185 pounds): Spc. Logan Weir of Monmouth, Ill., with the 444th Chemical Company in Galesburg, Ill.

Light heavyweight division (185.1 to 205 pounds): Sgt. Thomas Luca of Springfield, Ill., with Company B, 935th Aviation Support Battalion at Chicago Midway

Heavyweight division (over 205.1 pounds): Pfc. Steven McMahon of Streamwood, Ill., with Troop C, 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment in Aurora, Ill.

The Modern Army Combative Program (MACP) uses competitions as a tool to motivate Soldiers to train, build esprit de corps and to build confidence by testing techniques against a fully resistant opponent. MACP Instructors with the Illinois Army National Guard administered this year's tournament.

During the tournament, MACP Instructors gave a tactical demonstration to present several techniques and training methods recently added to the MACP course curriculum. The demonstration included close quarters fighting in full combat equipment, detainee handling and hand-cuffing, as well as extraction of a non-compliant subject from a vehicle.

For more information on Illinois' Combatives Program and updates on future competitions, please visit the Illinois Army National Guard Combatives Team's Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Illinois-Army-National-Guard-Combatives-Team/224254734272195

16 Sep 2013

Mallards Sign Rugged Forward Lane

By Brian Lavelle

MOLINE, Ill. (September 16, 2013) - The Quad City Mallards have signed forward Jordan Lane, the Mallards announced today.

"We needed a big, physical presence on our team and Jordan can provide that," said Mallards coach and general manager Terry Ruskowski.  "I actually first talked to Jordan last year but he decided he needed to work on his conditioning.  Two years ago, when he reported to camp [with the ECHL's Elmira Jackals] he thought he was in good condition but now we know he's in great condition.  Jordan knows what he has to do to help the team.  He's going to make the rest of our guys feel like they're three inches taller and he can play in front of the net."

Lane, a 6' 8", 240-pound 24-year old, last season scored two goals and added two assists while collecting 110 penalty minutes in 19 games with Portage College in Lac La Biche, Alberta.

Lane played two seasons of professional hockey before joining the Voyageurs.  The native of Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, scored three times and piled up 132 minutes in penalties in 61 games as a rookie with the Central Hockey League's Evansville Icemen in 2010-11.  The following season, Lane notched a goal and an assist along with 53 penalty minutes in 34 games with the Jackals.

Lane turned pro after five years of junior hockey, a stint that included a season- 2008-09- in the major junior ranks with the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.  He also suited up for the Princeton Posse of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, the Dauphin Kings and Neepawa Natives of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and the Estevan Bruins of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.

The Mallards will open their seventeenth season- and their fourth in the CHL- when they host the Rapid City Rush on Saturday night, October 19.  Mallards 2013-14 season tickets as well as half season tickets and flex packs are now on sale.  The Mallards offer ticket packages to meet any budget and season ticket holders also receive a host of additional benefits, including a unique season ticket holder Mallards jersey.  More ticket package information is available by calling the Mallards at 309-277-1364 or emailing info@myqcmallards.com.

About the Quad City Mallards
A proud affiliate of the National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild and the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild, the Quad City Mallards are approaching their seventeenth season and their fourth in the Central Hockey League.  One of the winningest teams in all of minor league hockey, the Mallards competed in the United Hockey League from 1995 through 2007 and in the International Hockey League in 2009-10.  The Mallards' proud history has seen them capture the UHL's Colonial Cup Championship three times (1997, 1998, 2001) and secure that league's Tarry Cup four times (1998, 2000, 2001, 2002) for the best overall regular season record.  In 2001, the Mallards made professional hockey history, recording their sixth consecutive season with 50 or more wins, a feat that has yet to be matched.  The i wireless Center provides a unique environment for hockey and features one-of-a-kind seating areas such as the Nest for groups and functions and the exclusive Drake Club.  For more information on the Quad City Mallards or for Mallards tickets go to www.myqcmallards.com.  Fans can also follow the Mallards via Twitter at twitter.com/myqcmallards and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/quadcitymallards. 

-### Quad City Mallards ### -
16 Sep 2013

In Recognition of Constitution Day, John Whitehead Speaks to Students on the Constitution's Importance in the Era of the American Police State

By Rick Martin

Danville, Va. – Constitutional attorney John W. Whitehead will speak to students and faculty at 11a.m. on September 17, Constitution Day, in Oliver Hall at Danville Community College in Danville, Va. in order to emphasize the importance of the Constitution in the era of the emerging American police state. Described by one historian as "the owners' manual to the greatest form of government the world has ever known," the Constitution has come under increasing attack by government agents in recent years, a phenomenon which is thoroughly documented in Whitehead's new book, A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State (SelectBooks, 2013).

"The Constitution provides us with the blueprint for maintaining a balanced republic, and it must always be the starting point. Each of us, from public officials to citizens, has an affirmative duty to hold our government accountable," said Whitehead. "However, in the end, it is still the people who hold the ultimate power, and with it the concomitant responsibility, to maintain our freedoms."

Hailed by those at all points along the political spectrum for its masterful chronicling of America's shift away from the rule of law, the U.S. Constitution, which historically shielded the citizenry from government abuses, A Government of Wolves paints a chilling portrait of a nation in the final stages of transformation into a police state, complete with surveillance cameras, drug-sniffing dogs, SWAT team raids, roadside strip searches, blood draws at DUI checkpoints, mosquito drones, tasers, privatized prisons, GPS tracking devices, zero tolerance policies, overcriminalization, and free speech zones. Drawing on his vast knowledge of history, culture, and law, John W. Whitehead compellingly argues that fiction has now become fact. Indeed, with sci fi movies such as Minority Report, 1984, The Matrix, They Live, and V for Vendetta pointing the way, America has become that futuristic society of celluloid fantasies in which a passive, uninformed populace gives rise to an overbearing, out-of-control government. This is the future Aldous Huxley and George Orwell warned against. This is the present that Whitehead cautions could become an endless nightmare from which there is no awakening unless we act now. As American historian and nationally syndicated columnist Nat Hentoff notes in his special introduction to A Government of Wolves: "We have been through some troubling times before in our nation's history. There were the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 . . . the Red Raids in the early 1920s . . . the Japanese internment camps of World War Two . . . What we have now may be more insidious. Indeed, I believe we are in a worse state now than ever before in this country. With the surveillance state closing in on us, we are fighting to keep our country free from our own government."

John Whitehead is an attorney and author who has written, debated, and practiced widely in the area of constitutional law. A prominent leader in the national dialogue on civil liberties and human rights and a formidable champion of the Constitution, Whitehead's concern for the persecuted and oppressed led him in 1982 to establish The Rutherford Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the defense of civil liberties and human rights. "John Whitehead is one of the most eloquent and knowledgeable defenders of liberty, and opponents of the growing American police state, writing today," declared Ron Paul, twelve-term US congressman and former presidential candidate. "I am pleased to recommend A Government of Wolves to anyone interested in learning how modern America increasingly resembles a dystopian science fiction film instead of a Constitutional Republic."

A Government of Wolves is available in bookstores and online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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