Customer Reviews

Somebody's Gotta Say It

5 star:		(95)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I have anticipated the release of this book for quite some time and on the day it was released I bought it, went home, and read the entire thing in one sitting. It's an easy (and entertaining) read and while it addresses many important issues that this country is experiencing today there is one that sears into my mind like no other, that of course being the teacher unions.

When I read that chapter in the book I could feel the temperature around me rising, and by rising temperature I'm referring to the boiling heads of the hard left with their constant support of the teacher unions. The fact is that the teacher unions are beyond dangerous and I don't know if the country can be saved. Not a person on the face of the earth could have addressed this issue better than Neal Boortz. He should be given a medal for his relentless attacks against this powerful organization that will undoubtedly destroy the future of this great nation. I have no doubt that the teacher union part of this book will cause an uproar all over the United States. Neal Boortz will be fending off the teacher unions for the rest of his life for what he has said in this book. If for some reason you don't want to buy this book because you hate people like Neal, buy it for this portion!!

With Neal being a Libertarian he has very strong feelings regarding the freedom of individuals and the value of the choices that we make throughout our life. Another fantastic chapter is why all drugs should be legal and the "War on Drugs" is a complete failure. All of the money (it would actually take much less) used for it should be put into treatment programs instead of putting non-violent criminals behind bars. Before reading it I've always kind of disagreed with the legalization of harder drugs (while agreeing about soft drugs like Marijuana being legalized), but after reading this I have changed my position. The minimum wage is addressed in a good bit of detail as to why there shouldn't be one in the first place because it's not the roll of government to set wages. There are many other fantastic parts in Somebody's Gotta Say It, too many to really mention, but I can say that Boortz doesn't hold ANYTHING back in this book!!! You'll be somewhat shocked while laughing at the same time with his disregard for the "sensitive" people's feelings. I've read so many books I can't begin to count. From Atlas Shrugged to cookbooks and this is one of the best books I've ever read.

I'm sure that many "one star" reviews will flood this item from individuals that haven't even read this book, just out of their shear hatred for Mr. Boortz. All I can really say is that you should ignore them and read it anyway. I can't say it enough, thank you Neal for having the strength and courage to write this! After over 30 years of talk radio this book is Neal's masterpiece. Everything that he has believed in and spoke of for all these years has been built up to create this book. You are a brilliant man and you were so right, SOMEBODY HAD TO SAY IT!!!

Neal Boortz has written a book he hopes many people will read with an open mind. I do not believe many people other than his listeners, Republicans, and Libertarians will pick this book up. Boortz details his feelings on several issues such as abortion, minimum wage, creation vs. evolution, and government involvement in citizen's lives.

Boortz hates the "government school system". He believes they are a bigger danger to the U.S than Al Qaeda. His reasoning behind hating government schools is merited, but to say it is more dangerous than Al Qaeda is quite a stretch. Boortz admits at the end of his book he does not know much about terrorism or Muslims. He does offer a list of books to help the reader to better understand the "Religion of Peace".

Some of his ideas do seem to be out in some far off reality. There is no way there will be a school voucher system in coming years. Democrats and teacher unions will never allow it to happen. I do agree with Boortz competition makes everything better. Many people who believe capitalism is a great sin would kindly disagree with my last statement. Boortz also goes into the "right" to vote issue. There are many issues covered in his book appealing to the above mentioned groups. I believe he is right when saying his greatest critics are the religious fanatics. There is no doubt in my mind he gets lambasted when he says homosexuals should be allowed to be in a civil union, or abortion really is a choice for the woman not government to make.

I did realize when reading his book many of the issues like abortion, prayer in schools, homosexuality, creation vs. evolution, and flag burning come down to people making their own choices. Boortz does not like government getting involved in any issue he believes an individual can make own his own. The last section of his book is devoted to really wishful thinking. He deals with issues he would fix if he were president.

I enjoyed the book and believe there are some issues he takes on that make the book worth reading. I did not go into much detail with them so you the reader could enjoy them yourself. I think the part that hurts the book is a limited audience will read his message. I do not see the book crossing over party lines.

Dustin Roberts

I've never heard of Neal Boortz and have not listened to his radio program. Still, I enjoyed this book, which was entertaining and well written. This book is written in a conversational style, where Boortz explains his views on a variety of hot political topics, such as the war on terror and the public educational system.

What I liked most about this book is that Boortz does not neatly fall into either major political party. He is definitely a conservative, but in the libertarian sense. As a result, his views on evolution, abortion, gay rights, and even flag burning are not consistent with those of most Republicans. But I think they are consistent with someone who cares deeply about individual liberty and personal freedom.

This is not to say that Boortz doesn't choose sides here. He's much more supportive of the Republicans than the Democrats. Still, unlike many political commentators, he is unafraid to criticise both parties on important issues. In the end, Boortz's governing philosophy is his belief in the power of the individual, and his dislike of welfare dependence. This is a perspective that doesn't get as much media exposure as it deserves in the mainstream media.

If your politics are libertarian-leaning, you will probably enjoy SOMEBODY'S GOTTA SAY IT. But even if they're not, this is a good down-to-earth introduction to the libertarian mindset. I enjoyed it. My only regret was that this book wasn't released during the holiday season; it would have made a nice gift.

I enjoy Neal Boortz's radio show, and have for many a year. Having become acquainted with his points of view, I eagerly awaited the release of this book.... and have not been disappointed. After I am done with this volume, my ten year old daughter will have the opportunity to read it. Hopefully, this will help reinforce the lessons in accountability and logic that I have been trying to instill - and de-emphasize the "programming" that her "government indocrination center" (public or government school) has been attempting to get her to believe.

Living in Chicago, I have gotten exhausted, listening to the continuous liberal-type dialogue that is so popular here. Personally, I recommend this book for everyone to read, as it helps to counter-act the media bias that is so widespread in most of the media today. Hopefully, this book will top the New York Times bestseller list - and stay there for an appreciable length of time.

Fact: Before any of us were "liberal" or "conservative" we were just people, babies perhaps, but people nonetheless. Before we became shackled by various viewpoints and expectations which the world makes impossible to avoid, we could identify certain truths.

So, let's say that one of these truths is that nobody wants to be pushed around by a stranger whose job it is to push people around. Or, that nobody likes being censored, and told what is appropriate to think or not to think. On such simple matters we can agree, and on such simple matters does Neil Boortz give us a lively and thought-provoking book that EVERY person who enjoys exercising the gray matter between their ears will certainly benefit from.

Now follow this: Regardless of your political persuasion, you cannot create "constitutional rights" from thin air. You may believe certain rights OUGHT to exist, but this is different from knowing which actually do and do not actually exist. So while you may believe every person has a constitutionally guaranteed right to vote, you cannot say with honesty that this right is actually spelled out anywhere in the constitution, as it is not.

So what, you ask? Ok, here's the closer; for the liberals who now claim to be in a higher intellectual echelon than your typical Republican (see the "Somewhere in Texas, a village is missing an Idiot" and "I think, therefore I vote Democrat" bumper stickers) you should welcome some sort of filter that prevents idiots, morons, the crazy and serially uninformed from voting. Doesn't it only make sense that it would provide an advantage to the "enlightened" liberal philosophy at the polls to weed out the philistines who vote with a can of Busch light in one hand and a confederate flag sticking out of their back pocket?

Of course this will drive liberals crazy, that there should be some sort of quality control over the people who vote to ensure they at least grasp the basics of American civics as this would result in a forfeiture of considerble amount of votes from the very morons and charity cases on whom they rely for electoral victories.

So should it too upset every card carrying liberal ACLU member that Congress and certain courts want to regulate and censor certain types of speech, except for the fact that it is conservative speech that is being stymied, in which case it is not only acceptable, but preferred.

In such a manner does Neil Boortz trod upon the dieing weeds and vegetagion of liberal orthodoxy to say the things that political correctness and special interest victims' groups despise. Which used to be an act that would get you accolades from liberal groups, who knew the value of heaving off a few verbal bombs now and again to keep the opposition on their toes. But alas, they have grown fat and reactionary in their ivory towers.

If you love subversive ideas expertly articulated - as a person beyond an ideological label - then you will greatly enjoy this book.

I fail to understand those that automatically hate the book, despite having even read it. If you're going to have an intelligent discussion over things, then acutally READ IT first!

This book is an excellent example of what we are all afraid to say out in the public, as we are afraid of "offending" anyone that it may affect. Boortz, not known to pull any punches, tackles various topics that are bringing this country down.

Whether you love Boortz or not, at least read the thing and then form your opinions.

Boortz believes about half of Americans are too ignorant and functionally incompetent to be living in a free society . Unfortunately, I think he's correct - watching the ignoramuses on Leno's street interviews, the latest show ("Do You Know As Much As A Fifth Grader?"), listening to people talk amongst themsevles, etc. is very discouraging.

I also agree with Boortz about abuses of power within our educational system, proportioning votes according to income tax paid, and a number of other areas.

However, I can't go as Libertarian as Boortz. As the world becomes more and more crowded, resource-poor, and interdependent (meaning that our individual actions influence the lives of others), it becomes more and more necessary that we have laws to regulate those side effects.

Obvious examples include global warming, air and water pollution, water conservation (I live in the desert), zoning (who wants a fast-food place or junkyard next to their home), public health (do you want your children going to school darkened by second-hand smoke and with other pupils carrying TB, polio, measles, etc.), noise (imagine living in a society without engine mufflers).

So, I end up with a "split decision" on Boortz's new book.

This book will be causing little brain explosions all over America. Liberal brain cells will be exploding all over the place due to the horribly painful truth spoken by Mr. Boortz. The truth is being told and there is nothing they can do about it, except have the bookstores try to hide it. IT WILL NOT WORK! I have not promoted my book on Amazon as I should, but I think everyone needs to keep SOMEBODY'S GOTTA SAY IT going as long as we can. This book needs to stay at # 1 as long as the people can keep it there. There are only two years left before the Clinton/Obamacrats completely take control and turn America into a socialist country; however, I believe this book will help educate a great deal of the ignorant people of the World. Yeah, I called everyone ignorant, look it up, we are ALL IGNORANT. Everyone has to educate themselves to cure their own ignorance and to keep from getting misinformed by our biased media and politicians. Mr. Boortz has done another great job of telling it like it is. If you are reading this, make sure you DO NOT set this book on a shelf. DO NOT just read it. Learn from it and PASS IT ON. The truth in this book needs to get out to as many people as possible. If you know someone that needs the truth, give them SOMEBODY'S GOTTA SAY IT when you are finished with it as everyone knows the greater percentage of people in America will not read, but if the book were given to them, they just might. GREAT JOB Boortz! Now go sign some books... Bear Brooks

The best thing about Boortz is there's not likely to be a huge army of mindless drones following him. He purposely goes black or white, so you can neither dawdle in the gray nor embrace every statement one-hundred percent. And THAT'S the way he prefers it.

Because who would YOU rather sit with on the front porch:

The person whose every word causes you to say, "You're wrong. I hate what you say, and I wish the fleas of a thousand camels would infest your armpits."...

The person whose every word causes you to say, "You're absolutely right. I couldn't agree more. I swear I think I'm talking to a mirror. I love you."...

- OR -

The person who expouses ideas in a clear and original fashion... with an independent spirit that engages your mind, your opinions, your preferences - where you can accept, reject, or place in that holding area for later consumption.

Of course, many people would choose to throw this neighbor off their porch. I happen to think most red-blooded Americans who really give a damn about their country and that whole "birthing" process that happened around 1776 wouldn't mind too much this Boortz guy sitting on the porch.

He's welcome to sit a spell on my porch. And in fact, he did, in this poignant little book, with chapters akin to radio segments... tackling the trivial as well as the most important matters facing our contemporary society (like individual liberties we treat like garbage).

You don't have to agree with everything Boortz says. You shouldn't.

You don't have to read this book, either. But you should.

Apparently J.Pettit didn't actually read Boortz's book. If he or she did, they would see that Boortz has views that are directly opposed to most of the Neo-Con Right. For instance, could you ever imagine Limbaugh, Hannity, or O'Reilly writing a chapter on how we SHOULDN'T have prayer in schools? Would you be able to imagine any of them saying that not only should we not have 'Under God' in the pledge, but we shouldn't even have a pledge at all? Could you imagine any of those three saying that there is nothing wrong with homosexuality? Would any of those three ever say that evolution is 100% real and that Creationism is a lie? Do you think Limbaugh, Hannity, or O'Reilly would say that abortion should remain legal, and that a woman has the right to choose what to do with her body? Would any of them ever say that the War on Drugs is a failure and that rehabilitation is more important than punishment? This nation is absolutely ridiculous today. It seems that your political views today are defined solely by your views on the War on Terror, and it's a shame. There are more issues out there besides the War, but that is the only issue that matters to some apparently. Boortz is not a Neo-Con, he's a right-leaning Libertarian. And yes, there is a HUGE difference between the two. There is a middle ground between conservative and liberal. Boortz presents a lot of ideas in this book that those on the left would agree with completely. Perhaps the people who immediately label this book as Neo-Con Right-Wing drivel should read it beforehand. This is just my $0.02.