Thank God Robert Byrd is not our president. This is typical blame America first garbage. Of course everything is the administration's fault. It had nothing to do with the course of events that led up to September 11th and the previous eight years of passive foreign policy that helped find us in the state we are in today.
Thank God we have a group of willing and able men and women who believe in their cause and will help pave the way to make this country even greater than it is now, along with pulling the world's bootstraps up once again.
Ah, the rhetoric of the toils of war. It's such liberal crap.

A follow up to John Q's comments:
Do you have anything intelligent to say to rebut Byrd's speech? We are about to engage in a war that is a major turning point in our foreign policy. Sen. Byrd is making some major points about the lack of discussion in Congress, a new policy of preemption, do we have a solid plan for the aftermath of an invasion, and the insulting beligerent attitude of the adminstration that has strained our relationships with long-term allies. These are all valid concerns that really need to be addressed. War is the last resort and Sen. Byrd, the majority of the US citizens, and the vast majority of the world do not believe we have exhausted our options. Do you have anything solid to present that states why Iraq is presenting an immanent threat to our country or allies that demands that we invade and topple their government, something other than Saddam is a bad person. There are dozens of horrible dictators around the globe that we could remove from power. Why are we so focused on Iraq? We haven't seen any evidence that they are linked to terrorism. We have however seen that evidence that other countries have been involved in terrorism, Saudi Arabia and Iran for example. Why Iraq?

Wasn't Iraq supposed to forego development weapons of mass destruction subsequent to the Gulf war? Haven't they been in violation of such requirements? Why have I heard nothing about those issues? I recall that our allies in years past have been reluctant to get involved with enforcing the non-development requirements imposed on Iraq. Isn't that what the U.S. is really doing now? Calling the impending war a "policy of preemption" seems to be incorrect if what we are doing is merely following through on our word to enforce agreements made by Iraq. If it was so objectionable why was it not made an issue long ago, considering it was perfectly predictable that Iraq would indeed go forward on developent of the banned weapons and the U.S. would have its hand called?

Senator Byrd: Thank you for your courage to ask on the SENATE FLOOR ABOUT THE INSANITY(MY WORD) OF THE PRESIDENT IN HIS NEED TO CREATE WAR. Also thank you for being so clear in your disdain of the congress persons and Senators who are so in need of a job at the public slop jar that they will not speak openly and honestly about the insanity of this administration and its drive to war now. Richard L. Shoup RET. DISABLED NAVAL AVIATOR p.s. I ENTERED THE MILITARY ON Aug.6 1951 AND WAS RELEASED TO DISABLED RESERVE IN 1962. I WAS TOP SECRET QUALIFIED AND WAS ATOMIC WEAPON QUALIFIED. I am a sworn Warrior and am aware of war and its results. I RESENT THAT WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO BRING GEORGE W. BUSH TO A COURT MARTIAL FOR GOING ABSENT WITHOUT LEAVE FROM THE National GUARD. I was trained to be a U.S. NAVAL LEGAL OFFICER at the Justice School, U.S. NAVAL WAR COLLEGE in Newport,R.I. My studies there covered desertion in depth and my research has well proven that Mr. Bush should have been COURT MARTIALED TO DETERMINE HIS GUILT OR INNOCENCE. You may remember that the REPUBLICANS accused Mr. Clinton of far less serious CRIMES than desertion. In addition you will remember that Mr. Clinton was honest about how he obtained his ability to not serve. Mr. BUSH HAS BEEN DISHONEST AND HIS FAMILY AND CORPORATE FRIENDS HAVE PROTECTED HIM FROM ANY POSSIBLE RAMIFICATIONS. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR HAVING THE COURAGE TO BE A TRUE AMERICAN CITIZEN. Dick Shoup

Once again, Senator Byrd is one of the lone voices of reason in the Senate. Eloquent as always, this speech gets to the heart of the matter. Where is the debate? Where is the dissent? Who dares to oppose the Bush administration steamroller.

This is not about Saddam. Everyone knows he is a tyrant. Everyone also knows that he is but one of many, equally bad ones in the world. The hidden agenda lies much, much deeper. The Bush administration is destroying this country in just about every way they can. From the gutting of environmental regulations and agencies, to dismantling the Bill of Rights, to stacking the courts with far right conservatives, to wrecking domestic social programs in every direction, this is the worst administration in American history.

Thank you Senator Byrd.

Morning News Letter Volume II, Issue 50 by Brian Rodgers Las Tusas Ranch Sapello New Mexico USA Visit us at www.lvdsl.net
Good Morning
Since it is still so early I decided to read the New York Times newspaper. I will include the story I read titled " Americans abroad face anger with U.S. " http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/19/international/19AMER.html?th If American's at home are bracing for terrorist attack just think how American's abroad are feeling in light of American leadership being bent on obliterating Iraq's Saddam Hussein. An attack against Iraq by this country will not be taken lightly by the Moslem world. In fact this act of aggression by the United States will most definitely unify the Moslems against us. So if you feel the need to protect your selves from terrorist attack, by duct taping up your windows , you can thank the Bush administration for bringing this down on us all. That's right I am saying that our own warmonger G.W. Bush has strengthened world hatred of America. So even if these terrorists weren't Terrorists, before they are now. If you have been following the Patriot Act II draft, and you are a fool if you choose to ignore this, you will see that American politicians are about to make it a simple process to classify anyone a Terrorist. Maybe you will be classified a Terrorist just by duct taping up your windows! Do you know something that the government should know? Why would anyone poison gas us Americans? After all, we are innocent of those charges by the rest of the world. If you plastic up your windows then maybe you know that Terrorists are going to bomb us. So it stands to reason that you must be in cahoots with the Terrorist ( they told you to get ready ) Guilty!!!! Bingo !!! Since due process has been removed from your rights as American citizens, they won't need to prove anything! Guilty and the Duct tape proves it. Guilty!!! We Tax payers better set aside some more cash to build some big ass, enormous prisons to hold all the American terrorist sympathizers. Cause if you think the American jails can hold a few more prisoners, just wait until we can jail suspected Terrorists with out the need for Lawyers and Judges.
While we are at it we better pass some new laws so that all those folks that are waiting in jail still need to pay taxes. We wouldn't want a bunch of deadbeats clogging up the prison system!

Thank you so much Senator Byrd for saying what so many of are thinking. Brian Rodgers

Thank you Senator Byrd. I do not understand how any U.S. Citizen cannot support discussion of events by the leaders we elected concerning issues that so deeply affect our lives. You are one of so few senators who are truly representing his constituents.
With the majority of New Mexicans opposing the war, particularly those from Northern New Mexico,
a stronghold of Democratic Traditions, Senator Bingaman D has failed to represent his. I am embarrassed but more importantly terrified at the lack of courage displayed by all members of the House and the Senate who have refused to express the voice of those who elected them. I commend you Senator Byrd for your courage.

I am an American expatriate living and working in Saudi Arabia. Before 9/11 I was as ignorant as most Americans about the root causes of such a despicable act. After 9/11 I had to find out why America is so hated. I read several books on the history of Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan, written mainly by Brits and Jews - on bookshelves over here, not on U.S. bookshelves. I am an industrial accident investigator, trained in root cause analysis. Root causes must be determined and addressed. Otherwise the same accidents will recur. Terrorism today is tied directly to the West's colonial past in the Middle East and to U.S. blind support of Israel. The U.S. cannot fight a war on terrorism in which the U.S. is a root cause of that terrorism. The just grievances arising from those root causes must be addressed. This is not "blame America." This is "protect America." The course Bush is taking will devastate this planet. If anyone would like information on the history of the Middle East, please contact me at rehmte@yahoo.com. You won't find any of it on U.S. bookstore shelves.

In this great country we have morons see John Q and intellectuals. We also have people who have no concept of war what the consequences are who pays the price; we have as americans very rarely ask ourselves these questions. Why for the same reason why the man on TV said on Sept. 11th when asked what he saw happen. He Replied! It was like amovie. We live in aculture so dominated by mass media we sometimes forget that we are the furthest behind in the world on current events
most americans live in a bubble and do not want it to pop or be popped this war will pop it no matter how hard we try not to let it it will happen. Maybe this war will give Americans courage and curiosity about our goverment and the
real reason we do such horrific things.
Senator Byrd should be applauded for his courage to stand up to a man ( BUSH ) he will call him a traitor and throw him in prison so fast none of us will ever hear about it. I hope that we all can apprecaite his words and can really concentrate on them.

John Q.'s reaction is a popular one. Unfortunately, many American's like him think that to question authority is to be unpatriotic when in fact the opposite is true. If we didn't question authority, there'd still be slavery, segregation, women wouldn't have the right to vote, and the US would still be part of England. Despots like those in the Bush administration LOVE to take advantage of and rely on the likes of John Q Public - those that nod there head to anything without intelligently considering the consequences.

SAY NO TO WAR IN IRAQ - GO TO

http://www.idealist.org/en/ip/idealist?COMPONENT=OrgViewer&ORG_ID=91768#CAMPAIGN_2

I agree whole-heartedly with Senator Byrd. I would like to add that we need to be watching and evaluating patterns--much can be predicted by comparing previous patterns with what is emerging within our country now. Bush has a history of mis-managing the businesses in which he was put in charge, reaping profits from them, allowing them to fall apart, then expecting someone else to bail him out and clean up his mess. And there is a remarkable similarity with what this Administration is currently doing to the U.S. and its citizens as was done to Enron by Kenneth Lay and Jeff Skilling. The pattern is there -- re-assure the stockholders (we citizens) to continue investing in our corporation (the U.S.) while they are busy breaking the rules for their own benefit, raking in the money for themselves, and pushing the company (again the U.S.) into ruinous bankruptcy. Furthermore, you may have noticed the drum-beating for a "pre-emptive war to preserve the peace" began at the same time this administration's strong connections with Lay and the U.S.' current (ha) Energy Policy came to light. This is typical political move to unite the public behind Bush while distracting citizens from his real actions and to take the heat off his buddies. Are any of the Enron people in jail? Do you even HEAR anything about Enron on the news these days? Or is every broadcast aimed at innoculating and brainwashing the American people to the thought that War Is Inevitable? Bush fully plans to engage in nothing less than human sacrifice to gain his own ends. I can only wonder with the massive, unbelievable, unmanageable, and literally unpayable debt Bush plans to force upon us how long it will be before the dollar is devalued and we will need a thousand dollars or so for a week's groceries. Don't laugh. It's happened to other countries, don't think it can't happen here. Thanks to government policies and incredibly lenient corporate and accounting laws that have not been altered one iota, we have lost pensions, 401ks, jobs, homes. We are facing losing Social Security. Does anyone really believe our savings are safe from the consequences of the actions of these people?

I have tremendous respect for someone like senator Byrd who can, in the face of such lacking leadership, take charge and make people aware of the consequinces of war. I'm South African and experienced 3 wars.... one in Angola, one in Mosambique and the "apartheid" struggle. I have seen women and chilkdren burned to death for nothing more than speaking to a friend of the family who happened to be a policemen. Have you ever smelled burning flesh and the sickenigly cloying air that lingers in you nose and mind for years to come? have you any idea of what war entails. I have been living in Europe now for 2 years and the general idea here is that Blair and Bush should grow up. They are doing a childish little song and dance routine which is getting very tired very soon. Why are there so many naive Americans around that cannot see the trees just because the old oak has had his say? Please think about the consequences. You will be changing the face of modern molitics forever if this goes through. America has now in the eyes of most european countries changed into the world bully. The one who supports opression that suits them and suppresses or realistic thi9nking to the contrary. The biggest mistake in South Africa was to give the Americans the free hand that they had. Everyone believed them. Foreighn aid will be rolling in, foreighn investment would happen... they would see to it... and what is happeneing now.... the whole of southern africa is destabilizing... and no-one in the current US government gives a damn. 20 000 murders in South Africa last year (all time high) 50 000 violent crimes (once again all time high) and yes the South African government should take responsibility... but how can they rebuild a cournty when the support they were promised never happened? The general idea most Africans, Asians, middle easterns and now Europeans have of the "new" America is just this.... We do not believe your promises anymore. The hollow truths that you spew forth is not good enough. Show us with your actions that you mean well and leave the empty rhetoric to the facists, the terrorists and the "evil" do-ers of this world..... and BE as MAGNANIMOUS as you claim to be..... BE as TRUTHFULL as you expect others to be.... Lets see the honesty for a change..... lets see the Amrican people in chagre for a moment and not just their ii choices. Well I have said enough. For words can not tell you what you must experience. Once you have held a dying 6 month pregnant young mother in your arms while her burnt skin rubs off on your clothes, Once you have sat with a little boy of 12 dying in your arms having been eviccirated, once you have seen war you will know the simple bloodyness of it.... and will not be able to in all "good" concience relagate anyone to the horror which you have only seen second hand. Who are you to be the moral fibre of the world if you have no moral backbone of your own? May all Americans become that which they say they are and thus facilitate the peace we all so desperately need.

Yes, thank God that Mr. Bird is not our President. It would be awful to have someone in charge who looks at the larger picture and dares to ask if our current path is the best way to handle things. It’s so much better to go in, guns blazing, and the consequences be damned. Unfortunately, this isn’t a video game. People will die. Others will be horribly wounded. Our solders, their solders, civilians. At least 100,000, if the last war is any indicator. And the vast majority of the Iraqis killed will have little control over their own fate. A huge portion of the cannon fodder in the Iraqi army are conscripts who don’t have any choice about how they die. The civilians will be caught in the crossfire or placed in harm’s way by their own government. War is horrible and should be the last resort, not the preferred option.

The evidence that our current course of action is likely to destabilize the middle east, fuel the militant fires that give rise to terrorist attacks, and ruin any trust that we can still garner in the international community is much greater than the evidence that Iraq presents any type of direct threat to us. If this war costs thousands of lives and billions of dollars, but makes the world a more dangerous place, what have we gained?

Although Byrd is right to be cautious about military action, and concerned about the potential for the conflict and its aftermath to have unintended and disastrous results, his arguments are simplistic and his "facts" are wrong, and I get the sense that he's arguing more out of partisan politics than out of thoughtful analysis of the situation.

Two examples of Byrd's incorrect facts (which could either be deliberate falsehoods or careless repetition of incorrect information; neither of which speaks much for the credibility of the rest of his argument): (1) Iraq's population under the age of 15 is categorically *not* over 50%. Both the UN and the CIA web sites give a figure of around 40%, which is still high compared with many countries, but his exaggeration for emotional impact is inexcusable. (2) Regarding the Administration's "squandering the projected surplus", the biggest reason why the projected surplus is no more is that the projections were based on the illusory bubble economy of the late 90s, which arose under the previous Administration and which was starting to deflate before the election of 2000.

But apart from quibbling over those details (I mean, what's a few exaggerations and distortions anyway?): A much better case for a cautious approach to the conflict and its aftermath (including what could go wrong if we screw it up) can be found, ironically, in a book that actually makes a case for why invasion is likely the "best" among a number of very bad options for dealing with Iraq at this point: Kenneth Pollack's _The Threatening Storm_. I haven't read a bad review of it yet, from the left or from the right. The NY Review of Books has a good summary of Pollack's arguments here: http://www.nybooks.com/articles/15911 If Byrd had addressed these concerns, or had shown any evidence that he'd really thought about them seriously rather than was just looking for any way he could to slam the administration, I'd be inclined to take him more seriously.

My biggest problem with this is that Byrd doesn't suggest any solutions of his own. What alternatives is he suggesting in his emotionally charged speech? Does it forward debate to say, in so many words, "War is Bad"? What sensible person would not agree? The debate should center around whether or not it's necessary. Byrd does not attempt to reveal his own foreign policy ideas. So why should we listen to him, or any of the rest of you who find favor with this empty criticism?

Is Byrd simply suggesting we do nothing? What brilliant plan will he unveil to make this administration's plans seem as foolish as he and the readers of this blog think? Why, such a brilliant senator must have a plan of his own right? I mean, only a coward would log his complaints without proposing an alternative, right?

This is the voice of old Europe:

It's true what Senator Byrds says.

Where are the other senators voices? This is outragious.
Bush should negotiate with Sadam to both step down together. The world will be a better place.

Bottom line: Byrd is right and Bush is wrong.

Next problem.

Senator Robert Byrd has said precisely what I've been thinking and wondering for weeks now. It's given me hope that Reason and Strength and Responsbility might actually be alive after all.

I'll do my research on Byrd so I can base an honest opinion. But until then, it's about time a politician shows some balls. Go figure, he's from a state that is often ridiculed for it's 'illiterate, backwoods, hillbilly constituents.' Tell you what, I'd rather have someone that speaks up than puts up with the crap coming out of the Whitehouse. Pre-emtive strike? Who the hell came up with that concept. Personally, I want to be a part of a nation that is representative of a respectable leadership, not some resource grabbing, pushy bully that only has it's own interests on the agenda. I don't wish to be hated worldwide, bringing more potential terroism brought on by ill decision. Where are the other voices of reason? Does it only lie in the voice of the people that see beyond a media that seems bent on expressing a single voice? That of a government gone wrong? Ours! This situation can't be justified as patriotic, because my patriotism does not believe that the destruction of innocent citizens and their country in order to eliminate a single dictator's flagrant rule. Let the man speak and be heard. And those brave enough to agree I commend.

i disagree witth seantor byrds but i comend his courage in the face of a war mania in the us i support war becauise the iraqi need liberating from tyrany and the only option is war butthe seantor has shown courage sand is a true patiot .i know the press and mdia willtry to tear him apart but still as this christain website says god bless you seantor byrds fr your courage

You can always transform a conlfict. War should not be the first or only answer. We are a young country still getting used to the politics of the world. I agree Saddam is a ruthless leader who should be ousted, but invading Iraq and killing perhaps hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, not to mention Americans, is not acceptable in my mind. It is this sort of behaviour that bred fanatics like bin Laden and Noriega. I don't think the Bush administration realises the consquences just yet. Remember it took us over 10 years in Vietnam to realise that we made a mistake, and that cost us 50,000 American lives and over 1 million Vietnamese lives.

When I served as editor of the Martinsbrg Journal, I had the privilege of meeting and speaking to Senator Byrd. His brilliant speech. setting the record straight on Bush and his war, on our sinking economy, our loss of allies, our ruined fiscal health caused by way overspending and cutting taxes. This truly a profile in courgae. A lone man with the grit to speak truth to power. Thank you Senator Byrd for giving voice to our nightmares. When -soon, our bad dreams become reality, West Virginians can stand tall knowing they've elected the only Senator to tell the obvious true. .

We were the victim of a "sneak attack" on Dec.7,1941. It centered around our cutting Japan's oil supply and failed diplomacy. The moment we had "weapons of mass destruction" we used them against civilian targets. Should Iraq be the victim of a "premptive strike" and respond with "weapons of mass destruction", would they not be following our example? What is the difference between a sneak attack and a preemptive strike? We demand Iraq turn over weapons of mass destruction for fear the would use them on us. Is that not a Catch 22? If they have them and have not threatened us does that mean they are responsible? If they do not have them how can they turn them over?

Seantor Byrd shoud be congraduated for his personal stand on the war! It takes courage to stand up and tell the country that this adminstration is not doing someting right. It also takes courage to say to the American people that they are being fead unture information, that the rest of the world already knows. Why do you think that the UN did not condon this war? The press here in the US is unable or unwilling to tell the truth! We as Americans need to research and become more inform about our world! We also need to ask ourselves if we have the right to judge other countries and their rulers! Agreed Saddam is and monster, but could we have not waited until all the results were in to the UN and then corrected the problem. America needs to understand that the Muslim world is not all bad, they are wonderful people as well as bad. Do we as an American have the right to tell others how to believe? I am afraid that by attacking Saddam and his people we have opened up Pandors Box and we had better be prepared for all that is to come. The only way for peace is through education and aid! Helping the poor of this world should be the first and only plan this country should do. Helping is the only way to earn back our respect as a great nation and hopefully we can stop the hatred felt about us.

You can tell senator Byrd for me he is an un-
patriotic imbecile and should have retired long
ago. Let him stay in the movies with the rest of
the Hollywood rat pack. The guy criticizes the
best president we have had in ages and to criticize the president for going out to land on
the carrier is too much. Thats why our fellows
love him. He's just one of the bunch and a mighty
smart man. Get that overage imbecile out of the
senate will you? Dave Saalfeld Major USAF

all comments praising the byrd are typical of leftist appeasers and socialists
it's time to take these anti-american anti-bush things to task and i question anybodies patriotism , they have no idea what real leadership is

Senator Bird has become too senile to serve in the senate. His ranting about Pres. Bush landing on the carrier Abraham Lincoln was disgraceful. The president's trip did much to boost morale and express a grateful nations thanks.

kkk bird, why is he a senator?

Why is Robert Bird a Democratic party leader!!! or even in the Senate. He is still a KKK member at heart. Evidence......."White Nigger". I just wonder what was going through his mind when he said that.... Probably his thought that there are White people comparable to blacks? Kick him out! This comment was a lot more RACIST that what Trent Lotts said! Where is the outrage!!!!!! Here is a Man who probably has hanged several people just because of their skin color! Kick the guy out. He is a disgrace to the Senate and to the United States..!!!!!!

a heart felt thank you, senator byrd. to call a spade a spade is what is needed now. to say bushie regressed was also correct. keep up the good work. thank you.

(i am trying again, it was refused) THANK YOU SENATOR BYRD. CALLING A SPADE A SPADE IS WHAT IS NEEDED. THE COMMENT that "bush was regressin g was also correct" I admire you, even if we disagree. thank you

Senator Bird has told the truth that no weapons of mass destruction were found (only israel and the u.s. are allowed to have weapons of mass destruction in the region) but the way will lead to Islamic unity and the carrying out of the predictions of the Jesus Christ "and when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armeis, know ye the desolation thereof is nigh/" (Luke 21:20 which is the really good news to come from all this as it will equal the defeat of Israel and one more defeated foreign policy for the U.S. after the defeated foreign polcies in Vietnam and Iran and soon it may be time for Americans to line their defeated lawyer "leaders" up against a wall?

To all you conservative republicans who love to bring up the fact that the Honorable Robert Byrd was at one time a KKK member.......
Here's the cold hard facts about Republicans: You are racist at heart and your racism is not based on knowledge or experience, but ignorance of other people and cultures. If your racism was based on either of the above...it would make it valid in a way.
You are for the rich and the rich alone. You inherently believe that because someone is poor that they lack intelligence or moral character.
You have no compassion except for yourself. You embrace war and if your religion was Islam instead of Christianity......many of you would be terrorist of the sort this world has never seen.
Byrd was in the KKK as a young man. The fact is that he did not hang anyone or burn any crosses. Byrd regrets this and does not hold any prejiduces but those for the republican party.
Many republicans make the claim that they are christians. Let me tell you the most important story in the Bible is that of the woman accused of adultry. You all know it......"let him among you that is without sin, cast the first stone." When Christ looked up....all the accusers (republicans) were gone. Christ said "where are thine accusers? Is there no man left to accuse thee?" To this the woman replied "There is no man Lord." Christ replied to the woman: "Then neither do I accuse thee, go and sin no more."
That is what Byrd did 60 years ago.....before most of you were born.
Here's a novel idea Mr. Republican deciever.....pick up the Bible and read it once in your life. Give to the poor once in your life. Be honest and straight forward once in your life. Try telling the truth once in your life. Try living one day of your life like Robert Byrd has lived 85 years of his. Then there may be some validity to anything you spew out of your mouth.

Well...I guess a "Bird in the hand" really is worth more than being given "two birds from a Bush" after all....Wake up America...you are all being screwed by this present administration.If you are not a multi-millionaire watch out.....you just don't count in the grand scheme of republican dreaming.
Thank God there is a politician out there who knows how to speak from the heart with a degree of integrity that is rare in this day and age.

I truly believe that towards the end of one life the truth becomes more and more apparent...and that is "ALL" human beings deserve to be treated with respect, compassion and empathy simply because THAT is all we are........A voice is all we need and if senator Bird is not quite that voice...he is frequently one of the best that we have right now....

BYRD IS A SENILE BIGOT. AS MANY OF YOU KNOW HE IS A FORMER WIZARD IN THE KKK.

WHAT IS LAUGHABLE IS THE TREASONOUS STATEMENTS BEING SPEWED BY DEMOCRATS.

IT WAS DEMOCRATS WHO STOOD UP FOR JOSEF STALIN, ROOSEVELT CALLED HIM "UNCLE JOE"

IT WAS DEMOCRATS WHO STOOD UP FOR OSAMA BIN LADEN.

IT WAS DEMOCRATS WHO STOOD UP FOR SADDAM HUSSEIN.

DEMOCRATS WANT A NUCLEAR FIREBALL TO ENGULF NEW YORK BEFORE TED KENNEDY WILL GET OFF HIS FAT, DRUNKEN, MURDERING ASS AND DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

AMERICA IS NOT SAFE AS LONG AS DEMOCRATS EXIST!!!

I watch big brother

But some variables are immortal. These variables are declared outside of blocks, outside of functions. Since they don't have a block to exist in they are called global variables (as opposed to local variables), because they exist in all blocks, everywhere, and they never go out of scope. Although powerful, these kinds of variables are generally frowned upon because they encourage bad program design.

This back and forth is an important concept to understand in C programming, especially on the Mac's RISC architecture. Almost every variable you work with can be represented in 32 bits of memory: thirty-two 1s and 0s define the data that a simple variable can hold. There are exceptions, like on the new 64-bit G5s and in the 128-bit world of AltiVec

When a variable is finished with it's work, it does not go into retirement, and it is never mentioned again. Variables simply cease to exist, and the thirty-two bits of data that they held is released, so that some other variable may later use them.

Let's see an example by converting our favoriteNumber variable from a stack variable to a heap variable. The first thing we'll do is find the project we've been working on and open it up in Project Builder. In the file, we'll start right at the top and work our way down. Under the line:

Inside each stack frame is a slew of useful information. It tells the computer what code is currently executing, where to go next, where to go in the case a return statement is found, and a whole lot of other things that are incredible useful to the computer, but not very useful to you most of the time. One of the things that is useful to you is the part of the frame that keeps track of all the variables you're using. So the first place for a variable to live is on the Stack. This is a very nice place to live, in that all the creation and destruction of space is handled for you as Stack Frames are created and destroyed. You seldom have to worry about making space for the variables on the stack. The only problem is that the variables here only live as long as the stack frame does, which is to say the length of the function those variables are declared in. This is often a fine situation, but when you need to store information for longer than a single function, you are instantly out of luck.