Thinking Out Loud

Can we talk?



I need to mull something over with you.



Did you see this headline today?



"PRESIDENT OBAMA DELIVERS NATIONAL ADDRESS TO AMERICA’S SCHOOLCHILDREN "



Seems harmless enough, right?



Think again.



On September 8, President Obama is planning something unprecedented for a sitting President. He will directly address the nation's school children.



In a letter from Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, he states "The U.S. Department of Education encourages students of all ages, teachers, and administrators to participate in this historic moment by watching the president deliver the address, which will be broadcast live on the White House Web site (http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/) and on C-SPAN at 12:00 p.m., ET. We also encourage educators to use this moment to help students get focused and inspired to begin the new academic year. The Department of Education offers educators a menu of classroom activities—created by its teachers-in-residence, the Teaching Ambassador Fellows—to help engage students in the address and stimulate classroom discussions about the importance of education." [emphasis added]



Tommy Vietor, a White House spokesman, told FOXNews.com, "This isn't a policy speech. This is a speech designed to encourage kids to stay in school." I actually believe him. I don't think Obama has to actually state any policies or his agenda. In fact, he's very gifted in speaking in generalities while still inspiring unthinking people to blindly follow his lead.



While the stated purpose of the speech seems innocuous enough, the Orwellian"menu of classroom activities" that have been provided for teachers' use before and after the speech contains some rather leading questions. Well, I have some questions for the Department of Education: Will children feel forced to say that they support the President? Will they feel peer pressure to conform to their thoughts to the opinions of those around them? Will some teachers use this as an opportunity to proselytize for the Left? Just who are these "Teachering Ambassador Fellows" who wrote the lesson plans?



Some education experts are troubled by "a suggested lesson plan that calls on school kids to write letters to themselves about what they can do to help President Obama" because it establishes the president as a "superintendent in chief" and "may indoctrinate children to support him politically. " I'm troubled by the fact that my tax dollars may be funding the indoctrination of America's children in a political ideology that I vehemently disagree with.



I don't have a problem with the President using his bully pulpit to encourage kids to study hard and stay in school. Unfortunately, in today's polarized political climate, and knowing what I know of Barak Obama, I suspect he has ulterior motives.



I'm not worried about my own children. We talk frequently about these things and they know what our families' values and beliefs are. I worry about them being ridiculed for their beliefs. (It's happened before--a story for another day.) I worry about the other children whose parents haven't taken the time to discuss these things with them perhaps because they haven't taken the time to educate themselves on the issues. Children are so impressionable and I am extremely uncomfortable with one-sided political discussions in the classroom.



I'm not planning to pull my kids out of school that day as some parents plan to do. I plan to sit down with them before they go and prepare them for what they might hear and the pressures they might face. I will encourage them to stand strong for what they know and believe to be true. I will instruct them to be respectful of others' opinions but I will make sure they understand that it's ok for them to expect to receive that same respect from others.



I also plan to contact my children's schools to find out if they plan to participate. If they do plan to show the speech, I will write letters to the school board members and school administrators to let them know how uncomfortable I am with this situation.



These are just my initial thoughts. I'll keep you posted on my progress. Thanks for listening!

Freedom Friday 08.28.09

Show me who your friends are and I’ll show you who you are.

"Let me tell you who I associate with. On economic policy, I associate with Warren Buffett and former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker. If I'm interested in figuring out my foreign policy, I associate myself with my running mate, Joe Biden or with Dick Lugar, the Republican ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, or General Jim Jones, the former supreme allied commander of NATO.

Those are the people, Democrats and Republicans, who have shaped my ideas and who will be surrounding me in the White House. "-Barak Obama, Third Presidential Debate, Oct 15, 2008

In his own words, Obama himself recognized that he surrounds himself with the people who have "shaped his ideas." Have you been paying attention to who President Obama is appointing as his special advisors and czars? Just who exactly is he surrounding himself with?


There are nearly three dozen of these special advisors or czars that have been appointed. They don't go through a confirmation process. They answer to no one but the President. They are advising our President. So isn't it fair to ask:

• Who are they?


• What do they believe?


• What are they advising the President to do?

This week we'll look at Czar #1: Van Jones, Special Advisor to the President for Green Jobs.

• Attended Yale Law School and has been quoted as saying "If I'd been in another county, I probably would have joined some underground guerilla sect. But as it was, I went on to an Ivy League law school." Although he wanted to drop out, he stayed because he felt that the degree would give him some legitimacy to speak out on civil rights issues.
• Was arrested in 1993 as part of the Rodney King riots. In jail he, "met all these young, radical people of color. I mean really radical--communists and anarchists. And it was like, This is what I need to be a part of." The verdict in the King case came down in April of that year and Jones said, "By August, I was a communist."
• He spent the next 10 years as a full-fledged radical and even founded a group, STORM, 'Standing Together to Organize a Revolutionary Movement', which held study groups in the Marxist and Lenin teachings. In the group's historical pamphlet, "Reclaiming Revolution", they said, "All of STORM's members developed a basic understanding of and committment to revolutionary Marxist policies with a particular emphasis on the historical experiences of third world communist movements." The group revered Mao Tse-Tung, the revolutionary theorist and political leader that history tells us killed 77 million of his own people. STORM specialized in "mobilizing young people of color into militant direct action and combining it with more deeply-rooted organizing in our communities."

So how is it that such a committed revolutionist has made it so high up in the Obama Administration? Isn't it fair to ask how Obama's "ideas are shaped" by this chief advisor?

Yesterday while driving home from school my daughter noticed that the truck in front of us had several "Obama" stickers on the bumper. She remarked, "There goes a stupid person." Trying to give the benefit of the doubt, I replied, "I wonder if perhaps they have changed their mind about him now?"

And she said, "I sure hope so because Obama sure does hang out with some weird people!"

Even my 13 year-old gets it. That right there made my heart sing!

Freedom Friday 08.14.09

Welcome to Freedom Friday! If you're new here, check out the Freedom Friday links over there on the right to find out what it's all about.

So unless you're living under a rock you are aware that the hot topic these days is health care. It's a huge subject and we could talk for days about the details of the proposed plans. Let's not.

Here's the really important thing you need to know whether we're discussing health care, cap and trade, auto bailouts, or bank bailouts:

It's time to make a choice.

The time for sitting on the fence is past. It is your right and your responsibility to educate yourself, pay attention to what is going on in our Republic and make a choice. Which side are you on? And I don't mean Democrat v. Republican or conservative v. progressive. I mean, do you believe in the unalienable rights given to us by our Creator and the liberty to exercise those rights as preserved by our Constitution or do you believe in a big government, nanny-state that controls every aspect of your life? Do you believe that the future is best left in the hands of men and women who are free to exercise their God-given talents and ingenuity or do you believe that government is the solution?

You need to know what you believe. Do not take anyone's opinion as gospel, even mine. Educate yourself, question boldy and then stand firm and speak without fear. Exercise your First Amendment rights. Be polite and respectful, but do not be timid. The future of our Republic depends upon YOU. Will your children and grandchildren ask you someday what you were doing while the Constitution was being shredded? Will they ask you what you were paying attention to while America as we know it was on fire? Will they ask you what was more important to you than liberty?

One last thing that you need to do (and it's really the most important):

Get on your knees and pray for our Republic.

May you be encouraged, inspired, educated and bold.

And may God bless America.

Freedom Friday 07.24.09

Welcome to Freedom Friday!

Today we're going to do something fun. I'm having a Freedom Friday Giveaway!

I'm giving away a copy of Glenn Beck's new book "Common Sense."



It's a quick, easy read that really lays out out the case against an out-of-control government...which is handy since that's the title of the book. See? How's that for common sense? Make the title of the book relevant to the subject.

Here's the catch. You knew there had to be one right?

If you win the book, you have to promise:

1) You'll actually read it or give it to someone who will actually read it; and

2) After you read it (or the person you gave it to reads it) you(they) will give it to someone else and ask them to actually read it or give it to someone who will...who will promise to pass it on and on and on; and

3) After each person reads it they will log onto my blog and leave a comment about the book and let me know where they live. Won't it be fun to see how far the book travels?!

I'll put the link to the specific post where comments about the book can be made inside the front cover of the book and my location to get it started. Feel free to be vague about your exact location. This is the world wide web, after all. For example, I'm going to use the closest major city to my actual home town.

Ok, here's how to win:

Leave a comment below and tell me what topic you would like to hear more about here on Freedom Friday. I will use the infamous random number generator to choose a winner from the comments. This contest will close on Thursday, July 30, 2009 at 9:00 pm Central. You do not have to be a blogger to win. However, please make sure you leave me your email address in your comment or enter your email address in your Blogger profile so I can contact you if you win. To avoid spam when leaving your email in your comment, you can type "(at)" instead of "@" and "dot" instead of "." I'll use my common sense to figure it out.

Freedom Friday 07.17.09

Welcome to Freedom Friday!

Today I am incapable of writing a coherent post since my head is swirling with the health care debacle, the cap and trade fiasco, anthropogenic global warming hysteria, the Goldman Sachs oligarchy that is taking control of our government, GE's plan to rule the world through carbon credits and "green" energy, and China's growing economic stranglehold on us.

Let's clear our muddled brains for a minute and take a deep breath.

OK, that's better.

Now. In times like these when our country, nay, the whole world is burning down around us it's crucial to know what your values are and what you believe.

What do you believe?

I believe in God first. I believe in the Constitution second.

Not the "living, breathing," constantly "evolving" Constitution that Progressives talk about. I believe in the original intent of the Founding Fathers. Progressives want you to believe that the Constitution is outdated and that it has to change as society changes. No, no, NO! The Constitution is still as relevant today as it was 200 years ago. Truth doesn't change. Core values do not change.

If you don't know what you believe, EDUCATE yourself. We are in the midst of a sea change. I believe that the times we are living in will be written about and studied for years to come. The decisions we make today will be analyzed and second-guessed for generations to come. Please don't blindly accept what you are being spoon-fed by the media and politicians. Don't be afraid to ask "Why?" and "Does this make sense?" And above all else, REMEMBER: Everyone has an agenda.

No country or society has ever done what we are currently doing and survived intact. We cannot continue to borrow and print money. In the words of our illustrious Vice-President Biden, "We have to go spend money to keep from going bankrupt." Ask yourself if that even makes sense?! IT IS UNSUSTAINABLE. Study the Weimar Republic. Be a student of history. Because history DOES repeat itself. Don't think that you can continue to go about your daily lives in ignorant bliss with your head in the sand.

If you aren't sure what you believe, here are a few books that I've found helpful in understanding where we've come from and the dangers of where we might be going:



Common Sense by Glenn Beck.



The Five Thousand Year Leap: A Miracle That Changed The World by W. Cleon Skousen



The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression by Amity Schlaes



American Progressivism: A Reader by Ronald J. Pestritto



Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg

If you aren't sure where to start, I'd recommend starting with The 5,000 Year Leap. Skousen draws heavily from original source materials to show how and why our system was founded.

And I don't want to hear any of this, "But I'm not smart enough to read this stuff." or "History is boring." or "I'm just gonna let the people who know these things take care of the decision-making." It is absolutely vital that we pay attention!

In the words of John Adams in his Dissertation on Canon and Feudal Law in 1765, "Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people, who have a right, from the frame of their nature, to knowledge, as their great Creator, who does nothing in vain, has given them understandings, and a desire to know; but besides this, they have a right, an indisputable, unalienable, indefeasible, divine right to that most dreaded and envied kind of knowledge; I mean, of the characters and conduct of their rulers. "

So go read, go study, go listen and God speed.

And God Bless America.

Freedom Friday 07.10.09

Freedom Friday is back! Welcome.

If you're new here, you can check out the Freedom Friday links over there in the sidebar to read how it got started and what it's all about.

Today's topic is...

Health Care.

*groan*

I've been reading about the history of the American health insurance industry but before you stop reading, I am NOT going to bore you with it. I would just like to say that I think the problem with today's health system was created by the unintended consequences of excessive government regulation.

Say what?!

In a nutshell, during World War II, wage freezes imposed by the government actually accelerated the spread of group health care. Unable by law to attract workers by paying more, employers instead began adding health care to their benefit packages, resulting in our current employer-based health insurance system. This also proves once again that despite government's good intentions, they more often than not create more problems than they solve.

Government programs to cover health care costs began to expand during the 1950s and 1960s. When the government created Medicare and Medicaid programs in 1965, private sources still paid 75 percent of all of the health care costs. By 1995, individuals and companies only paid for about half of the health care with the government responsible for the other half. I think that this government intervention contributed to the notion that health insurance is a "right" and also contributed to increased health care costs to the insured. Once again...say it with me...Government's good intentions created more problems than they solved.

So, what makes us think that government can fix it this time?

No, really. THIS time they'll get it right.

I believe that the health care plan(s) being discussed in Washington will lead to lower-quality health care, fewer medical personnel entering the profession, and more government control of what should be personal decisions between you and your doctor. In a word, DISASTER!

So, Lisa, what's YOUR solution?

I think ideally the solution would be market-based where individuals are responsible for purchasing their own insurance. Elimination of government intervention and meddling in health care would lead to greater competition which would lead to lower costs.

*gasp!*

I know, the idea of individuals actually being responsible for themselves is shocking. But you know, I pay for my own auto and homeowner's insurance. If I chose not to and I crashed my car or my house burned down...well, it would suck to be me. Why should health insurance be any different?


How do we get there in today's political climate?

I don't think we can.

Which is one great reason to get actively involved in changing the political climate! Government IS the problem. Or more to the point, the two-party system IS the problem.

I know, I KNOW, I've just greatly over-simplified a very complex subject. But hopefully this will serve as a starting point for you to begin thinking about government's role in health care.

Freedom Friday 05.22.09

Welcome to Freedom Friday! If you're new here, please check out the Freedom Friday collection over there on the sidebar to find out what it's all about.

Today I was planning to begin discussion of the 12 Values of Freedom but I've been noodling something for a few days that I think we should talk about.

I'm sure most of you are aware of the young boy with Hodgkin's Lymphoma who is refusing chemo treatment. If you haven't heard about it here it is in a nutshell:

Daniel Hauser is a 13-year old boy diagnosed with cancer. Doctors say that with chemo he has a 90% survival rate and without it his rate drops to about 5%. However, Daniel and his parents are refusing chemo treatment based on religious reasons. They are a part of the Nemenhah Band which is some kind of religious group that uses Native American healing. The courts have ordered the Hausers to accept the chemo treatment and so the mother and son have gone into hiding.

So here's the part I'm noodling:

My first response to this story was probably like many of you. I was thinking that those people are insane for not wanting chemo for their son! Having recently lost my niece to cancer, I can tell you that I would have given my right arm for Hannah to have had a 90% survival rate with chemo. And these people are throwing away the gift of modern medicine that could heal their child.

But this is the tricky part. Remember our Principle # 4: The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.

So if I believe that as a parent, I have the right to raise my kids as I see fit and make decisions on their behalf according to my belief system, do the Hausers not have the same right? Now obviously, in the case of physical or sexual abuse the government has the right to step in because rape and assault are illegal. But alternative medicine is not illegal.

And where do we draw the line? The government steps in and says "You must use traditional medicine rather than alternative medicine regardless of your religious beliefs because it's in the best interest of the child." Ok, we probably all agree that makes sense. But where does it lead? Let's says I have a young teenage daughter who gets pregnant. What's to stop the government from coming in and telling me, "We don't care that you think abortion is murder and it goes against your religious beliefs, we think it's in the best interest of your child to have an abortion." We would all think that was preposterous and a true violation of our rights. Is it such a leap in logic to think we're heading that way?

The progressive movement is based on the idea of the best interest of the collective rather than individual rights. Is it far-fetched to think that someday soon the government could make the argument that, in the infamous words of our illustrious leader Barak Obama, "We don't want [your] child punished with a baby." Besides, an unwed teen mother will probably be on welfare so it's in the best interest of the collective (society) that taxpayer dollars not be used to support them. And God help us if we go the route of socialized health care. Then it will be deemed more cost effective to eliminate an unwanted pregnancy.

And think about this: Let's say I'm a homeschool mom and I'm teaching my kids according to my religious beliefs. What's to stop the goverment from deciding that it's in the best interest of society that my child be taught only evolution rather than creationism? What's to stop them from ordering me to put my kids in the public school system so they can be properly indoctrinated?

It's a slippery slope we're on. Do I think it is reprehensible, appalling and foolish that the Hausers are refusing an almost certain cure for their son's cancer. You betcha. Do they have the right to be foolish? I'm afraid I have to say yes.

Freedom Friday 05.15.09 - The Saturday Edition

So obviously I missed Freedom Friday yesterday. I could tell you that I was busy battling Marxism but really it was just that real life got in the way.

So welcome to Freedom Friday - The Saturday Edition!

If you're new here, please check out the Freedom Friday collection over there on the right to find out what it's all about. Also, please go check out The 912 Project for some really great information.

We have finished our discussion of the Nine Principles of Freedom. (That would be the 9 in 912.) Next week we'll begin looking at the 12 Values of Freedom. Yep, you're quick! That's the 12 in 912. Good job!

For today, I just want to recap the 9 Principles to refresh our memories and catch everyone up if you missed a week.

Nine Principles of Freedom:

1. America is good.

2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life.

“The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained.” from George Washington’s first Inaugural address.

3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.

“I hope that I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider to be the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.” George Washington

4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.

“It is in the love of one’s family only that heartfelt happiness is known. By a law of our nature, we cannot be happy without the endearing connections of a family.” Thomas Jefferson

5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.

“I deem one of the essential principles of our government… equal and exact justice to all men of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political.” Thomas Jefferson

6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.

“Everyone has a natural right to choose that vocation in life which he thinks most likely to give him comfortable subsistence.” Thomas Jefferson

7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.

"It is not everyone who asketh that deserveth charity; all however, are worth of the inquiry or the deserving may suffer.” George Washington

8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.

“In a free and republican government, you cannot restrain the voice of the multitude; every man will speak as he thinks, or more properly without thinking.” George Washington

9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

“I consider the people who constitute a society or a nation as the source of all authority in that nation.” Thomas Jefferson

The 9 Principles of Freedom were compiled by Glenn Beck and were based on his reading of the Founding Fathers. You should watch his show on Fox News daily at 4 pm Central.

He's a hoot and you'll learn something too!

Freedom Friday 05.08.09

Welcome to Freedom Friday! If you want to know more about the purpose of Freedom Friday and the source of the logo, check out my collection of Freedom Friday posts over there on the left.

Note: I have not been using labels so I had to go back and add them and re-publish each post so my apologies if your feed reader is full of posts that aren't really new. But really, you could look at it as a valuable opportunity to review everything we've discussed so far.

Today's principal is: The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

"I consider the people who constitute a society or a nation as the source of all authority in that nation.” Thomas Jefferson

Somewhere along the way, our government and the politicians have gotten too big for their britches. They have forgotten that we pay their salaries and pay for their programs with our hard-earned tax dollars and that we hired them by electing them to office.

However, it is not entirely their fault. Somewhere along the way we got lazy. We unplugged and stopped participating in the process. It is futile to gripe and complain about the way things are in this country and not participate in the process of changing it for the better. As the Scriptures say, "...to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin." James 4:17

When fighting for what's right, we must not stop until we prevail. When George Washington led his troops into battle during the Revolutionary War, he lost most of those battles, but through perseverance he eventually won the war. As a result, we won our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

There is something exciting beginning to happen around the country in states like Montana, Texas and Utah. Specifically, it involves states' rights and gun laws. Generally, it has the potential to reverse decades of progressive intrusion on our liberties and reset this country back to the way our founding fathers intended. You need to closely watch the Montana law that was signed by the Democratic governor on May 5, 2009 which states if guns and ammunition are manufactured inside the State of Montana for sale and use inside that state then the federal firearms laws have no applicability since the federal government only has the power to control commerce across state lines.

People, Montana has thrown down the gauntlet and challenged the federal government. I have goose bumps! We are living in historic times. Your grandchildren and great-grandchildren will study this in their history classes. Look for this to go all the way to the Supreme Court as more states look to assert their rights.

Kudos to Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer and the Montana legislature!

I am so giddy.

Freedom Friday 5.01.09

Freedom Friday will return next Friday.

I have to take a nap to prepare for my garage sale which starts at 4:00 pm where I will exercise my love of all things capitalist.

Hope we don't get rained out. It's very cloudy and dark right now...hence the nap.

Freedom Friday 4.24.09

Welcome to Freedom Friday! Oh, and this is my 100th post so "Happy 100 to me!"

If you're new here and want to know more about how Freedom Friday got started, read this post. If you're concerned about the Freedom Friday logo, I explain it here.

Today's principle is: It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.

“In a free and republican government, you cannot restrain the voice of the multitude; every man will speak as he thinks, or more properly without thinking.”
- George Washington

As a side note, in the quote above by George Washington, the word "republican" does NOT mean Republican party. Contrary to popular belief, our country is NOT a democracy but a republic. A republic is a form of government based on the concept that sovereignty resides in the people, who delegate the power to rule in their behalf to elected representatives and officials. A democracy is government by the people, especially rule of the majority.

Today the terms are used interchangeably but to our founding fathers there was an important distinction. In the 18th century democracy was normally understood in its original Greek sense of direct rule by the entire populace. The idea was that all the voters would meet regularly to make laws and debate issues. The founders recognized that eventually that would result in mob rule so they established a republic which would still leave ulimate power in the hands of the people but permit efficiency of government through elected representatives.

Are you bored yet? Sorry I went off on a tangent there. But don't you feel informed now?!

Back to today's principle.

I think that this principle and its violation is best understood by looking at Janeane Garafolo's view of dissent: then and now.

Janeane Garafolo in September, 2003 defending anti-American remarks by Johnny Depp:

"There has been so many inappropriate responses to dissent, which is the most patriotic thing you can do. And the First Amendment guarantees everyone's right to speak out. The pillorying that was endured by the Dixie Chicks and Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins and now Johnny Depp is absurd. And, again, it is promulgated by the kind of Archie Bunker mentality that dominates the right wing of the Republican Party and also right-wing radio and some of the faux populist right-wing cable news shows."

Ok. So dissent, when a Republican is president, is patriotic.

Janeane Garafolo in 2009 when asked about the Tax Day Tea Parties held around the country on April 15th:

"Let's be very honest about what this is about. This is not about bashing Democrats. It's not about taxes. They have no idea what the Boston Tea party was about. They don't know their history at all. It's about hating a black man in the White House. This is racism straight up...The limbic brain inside a rightwinger or Republican or conservative or your average white power activist is much larger in their head space than in a reasonable person and its pushing against the frontal lobe so their synapsis are misfiring."

But dissent, when Obama is president, is racist and a result of a brain disorder.

Huh.

The truth is while I whole-heartedly disagreed with Johnny Depp's anti-American comments, he has EVERY RIGHT to state his opinion and I do not consider him un-American. But by that same token, I and everyone else who attended those tea parties have EVERY RIGHT to protest outrageous government spending.

Janeane Garofalo also has every right to be stupid.

Freedom Friday 04.17.09

Welcome to Freedom Friday! If you're new here, you can go to this post to find out who inspired Freedom Friday.

Today's principle is:

I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.

The timing of this one could not have been any better since we just "celebrated" Tax Day on April 15th. I don't know about you but I've never felt charitable on April 15th.

Conveniently, I've already discussed this one a little in this post so click on over there so I don't have to reinvent the wheel.

Now I'd like to tell you about the April 15 Tax Day Tea Party I attended with my family. The main stream media would have you believe that these protests (which were held all over the country) were about high taxes. They would also have you believe that the people who attended these parties are Anti-Obama, Republican, crazy, racist, hate-mongering, right-wing extremists. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

The parties were actually about out-of-control government spending. Of course, the enormous spending of today will inevitably result in higher taxes tomorrow. So I guess the parties were indirectly about taxes. And they weren't necessarily anti-Obama. George W. started this outrageous spending. The Republicans are as much to blame as the Democrats.

As for the kinds of people who attended the parties...imagine Mayberry meets Leave It To Beaver meets Dukes of Hazzard. There were grandparents, families with small children, teens, college students, good 'ol boys, small business owners, retirees, veterans...people from all walks of life. And they were so nice and friendly! I heard "Oh, I'm so sorry, is my sign in your way?" and "Oh dear, who do these sunglasses belong to?" and "Let's be sure to pick up our trash." In fact, my dad said, "Conservatives really don't know how to throw a protest, do they? Shouldn't we be burning something?!" There was fun music and for cryin' out loud, an ice cream truck! I was so proud to be able to show my kids that THIS is how change happens in America. We don't have coup d'etats or violent revolutions. Praise God, we have the right to assembly and peaceful protest!

The Tea Parties were about connecting with like-minded individuals and having our voice heard. And a good time was had by all!

Here are a few pics:








This Ain't New York had a great post about her experience. Very eloquent!

Big Mama had a hilarious post about her husband's adventure at the San Antonio Tea Party.

Freedom Friday 04.10.09

Welcome to Freedom Friday!

Today's principal is : I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.

“Everyone has a natural right to choose that vocation in life which he thinks most likely to give him comfortable subsistence.” -Thomas Jefferson

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." -United States Declaration of Independence

The key to understanding how our government and society were designed to work is to recognize that while "all Men are created equal" we were never guaranteed equal results. Ideally, our government provides the framework for us to operate in and then gets out of the way, leaving us to our Lives, Liberties and pursuits of Happiness. What I decide to pursue may differ significantly from what you decide to pursue. The things that make me happy are not necessarily the things that make you happy. I may be ultimately more successful in my pursuits than you are or vice versa. And that's okay.

What matters is that you and I have equal opportunity.

What we make of that opportunity is up to us.

Meet Chris Gardner, the man whose rags-to-riches story inspired the movie Pursuit of Happyness starring Will Smith. Chris did not have any positive male role models as a child, since his father was absent and his stepfather was a violent man who physically abused him and his mother regularly. Despite her unhappy marriage, Gardner's mother, Bettye Jean Triplett, was a source of inspiration and strength. She encouraged Gardner to believe in himself and sowed the seeds of self-reliance in him. Gardner quotes her as saying, "You can only depend on yourself. The cavalry ain't coming."

Bettye was imprisoned and Chris and his siblings sent to live in foster care when his stepfather reported her for working while receiving welfare. They re-entered foster care when she later tried to burn down the family home with the stepfather inside. From those experiences, Chris determined that alcoholism, domestic abuse, child abuse, illiteracy, fear, and powerlessness were all things he wanted to avoid in the future.

Long story short, Chris kept trying to work his way out of poverty and powerlessness and kept getting knocked down. Gardner eventually worked to become a top trainee at Dean Witter Reynolds. He arrived at the office early and stayed late each day, persistently making calls to prospective clients with his goal being 200 calls/day. His perseverance paid off when, in 1982, Gardner passed his licensing exam on the first try and became a full employee of the firm. He still barely made enough to support himself and then after a failed relationship, he found himself with sole custody of his infant son. The rooming house he lived in didn't allow children and so Chris and his son secretly struggled with homelessness while he saved money for a rental house.

This is just a glimpse into the trials and tragedies of Chris' life. But the good news is that Chris never gave up. He persevered and in the end his hard work was rewarded when he founded his own brokerage firm.

Today, Chris is wealthy beyond his wildest dreams and he uses his influence and wealth to fund many charitable organizations some of which provided assistance to Chris and his son many years before. Now I'm not suggesting that hard work and perseverence will always result in wealth; nor am I suggesting that wealth for wealth's sake should be our goal. I simply offer Chris' humble rags-to-riches story as an example of how we can overcome our circumstances through perseverance and we can use our stories of struggle and success to inspire and encourage others to do the same.

Freedom Friday 04.03.09

Welcome to Freedom Friday where we discuss the founding principles of America.

Today's principle is: If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.

“I deem one of the essential principles of our government… equal and exact justice to all men of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political.” Thomas Jefferson

It seems like these days there are exceptions for everything. If you are rich enough, powerful enough or smart enough then you can get away with just about anything. If you have the right political connections or if you are 'too big to fail' then you get a pass.

Justice no longer exists in our society. Everything is relative. There is no absolute truth anymore. When did truth become a moving target?

John Adams said about our nation, "They define a republic to be a government of laws, and not of men." How far we have strayed.

I know the AIG bonuses are terribly unpopular. However, they were part of a legally binding contracts. Congress has NO RIGHT to break those contracts regardless of public sentiment. You could argue that the contracts should not have been agreed upon; that's a different argument. The TRUTH is the contracts were knowingly, willingly and legally entered into and must be honored.

Tim "TurboTax" Geithner is another great example. He knowingly signed documents acknowledging that his income was taxable and yet deliberately chose to omit it from his tax returns. If you or I did that we would go to jail for tax evasion. However, Congress and our President would have us believe that Mr. Geithner is so smart and the economy is so bad that we NEED him so we'll just have to overlook the fact that he cheated on his taxes and PUT HIM IN CHARGE OF THE IRS AND ENFORCING THE TAX CODE.

Let's get back to standing firm for truth and justice regardless of whether or not it makes us popular. Let's do the right thing.

Freedom Friday 03.27.09

Welcome to Freedom Friday where we discuss the founding principles of our great nation!

Today's principle is:

The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.

“It is in the love of one’s family only that heartfelt happiness is known. By a law of our nature, we cannot be happy without the endearing connections of a family.”- Thomas Jefferson

In 1996, Hillary Clinton wrote the book It Takes a Village: And Other Lessons Children Teach Us in which she presented her vision for the children of America. She focused on the impact individuals and groups outside the family have, for better or worse, on a child's well-being, and advocated for a society which meets all of a child's needs. At the time I remember thinking that the title made me feel good. After all, who wouldn't want a nurturing and loving society to help raise their children?

And then I had kids.

And I saw society through the eyes of a mother.

And I do. not. want. them. raising. my. kids.

And then my kids started to school in the public school system.

And I realized that, like it or not, they were trying to raise my kids for me.

I make sure that I know what my kids are learning. I read their textbooks and sometimes we have to have the discussion that while they have to know certain things for testing purposes this is what we actually believe to be the truth. They understand this and it brings me great joy when they come home and tell me "Mom, my teacher said so and so but I know the Bible says... or I know you taught me... or my book says such and such but..." It does a Momma's heart good for her kids to think for themselves! "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6

My kids are MY God-given responsibility and even though society, culture and the government want me to believe I need their help in raising them I consider it an honor and a blessing to "...bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6:4

Freedom Friday 03.20.09

Welcome to another edition of Freedom Friday!

Today we will discuss the third principle:

I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.

I think one of the greatest problems in our society today is that we no longer trust each other. Why have we lost that trust? Because we aren't honest with ourselves and with each other.

We can point to Bernie Madoff as a prime example of greed and dishonesty in business. We can voice outrage at the lies of Senator Chris Dodd . Yes, there are scores of examples of dishonesty in business and public life.

But let me ask you this: What about us - you and me?

When did we cease to value honesty in people? When did we start to reward those who tell us what we want to hear whether or not it's the truth? When did we decide that if you were smart enough or important enough then it didn't matter if you were honest? Why do we continue to elect to political office men and women who don't make honesty a priority? We continue to vote for the ones that promise us stuff we like, for the most eloquent speakers, the most personable individuals, the ones with the most money that can buy the most entertaining commercials.

How can we expect our leaders to live by principles that we ourselves don't value?

When the phone rings and it's someone you'd rather not talk to, do you tell your kids (or whoever answered the phone) to tell the person you're not home? Do you fudge your deductions on your tax return because you know most likely no one will ever know? Do you tell "white lies" to avoid hurting someone's feelings? Ouch. That's the one I have trouble with.

"No, dear, that shirt doesn't make you look fat."

"No, honey, I can't eat at school with you today because I have an 'appointment'."

"I really like your new haircut."

Let's agree to challenge ourselves to be more honest each day. We won't be perfect, but it's a start. And then let's agree to expect honesty from each other and then let's expect it from our leaders- local and national.

“I hope that I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider to be the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.” - George Washington

"A psalm of David. Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord, who keeps his oath even when it hurts, who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken. " Psalms 15:1-5 (NIV)


One last thing: My hubby is bummed that these Friday posts don't get many comments. He's afraid that I've alienated all my readers--actually, he thinks you may all be closet socialists. Could you leave me a comment just to let us know you're out there and that I haven't run you off...yet?

Freedom Friday 03.13.09

Principal #2 - I believe in God and He is the center of my life.

Did you happen to catch this headline the other day?

"15 % of Americans Claim No Religion At All."

This is acccording to the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) released on March 10, 2009. While it seems disturbing, let's think about what it also indicates...85% of Americans DO believe in God or at least some kind of higher power.

Now we can argue differences in theology, doctrine or denomination or whether my God and your God are one and the same but that's a different conversation. Let's focus on our common ground: Most of us believe in a Creator. Our founders called this 'Nature's God.' You see, they knew that they could never agree on just one interpretation of God or just one theology. But they also knew that it was absolutely imperative that for this kind of government to work, the people had to be capable of self-governance. This self-governance depends upon the morals and values of the people. We derive our sense of morality and values from our belief in God.

"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." - John Adams, October 11, 1798

As people of faith, we must stand together. ALL faiths, denominations and doctrines. We must put aside our differences and quit attacking each other. God is under attack in our society and we are fighting for the soul of our country.

This week there was a bill proposal brought before the Connecticut Judiciary Committee that would have taken control of the Catholic Church's property and financial management away from the church leaders and given control to the State of Connecticut.

Let that sink in for a minute.

A bill was proposed that would have given control of the church to the state.

Fortunately, the bill was killed due to the uproar it caused in the religious community. And if you've been reading this and thinking to yourself, "I'm not Catholic, I'm a Baptist (or Methodist, Prebyterian or Jewish) so what do I care?" then you, my friend, need to wake up. An assault on religion, ANY religion, is an assault on your religion. If this bill had passed, how long do you think it would be before another legislator decided that since this bill had set a precedent it might also work for the state to take over the Southern Baptist Convention, etc.?

Please, be aware of what's going on around you. We may not be of this world, but we do live in it.

Freedom Friday 03.06.09

Are you totally creeped out by my logo? Allow me to explain.

It was designed by Glenn Beck and is based on one of the earliest political cartoons by Benjamin Franklin. Mr. Franklin was making a point about colonial unity. Glenn's logo makes a point about the unity of the American people.

Glenn has spent several years studying and reading our founding fathers and has proposed nine basic principles that our founders embraced and that most of us today can agree on. The point is in this day and age we have strayed so far from what our founders intended. They fought for and died for these principles. We argue today about politics, Democrat v. Republican, left v. right, conservative v. liberal. There are two extremes and they are vocal but Glenn believes, and I do too, that MOST of the country doesn't care about how you label your politics. MOST of us care more about the principles that you live by. We CAN quit fighting and unite around these principles.

The first of these principles is that America is good.

There has been so much divisiveness in politics in recent years, it should come as no surprise that America's image is somewhat tainted. After all, you can't keep calling our President (Bush) evil and then expect everyone to believe America is great. In the era of Blame America First, we need to remember that America is good. Have we done things that tarnish our reputation? You betcha. But the government is only as good and honest as the people who elect it. Samuel Adams said "He therefore is the truest friend to the liberty of his country who tries most to promote its virtue, and who, so far as his power and influence extend, will not suffer a man to be chosen into any office of power and trust who is not a wise and virtuous man...The sum of all is, if we would most truly enjoy this gift of Heaven, let us become a virtuous people."

Virtue. Moral excellence.

I challenge you to promote the virtue of America by first living virtuously in your own life.

Say what you mean and mean what you say.

Do the right thing.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Then I challenge you, as far as your influence extends, do not suffer anyone to be chosen into any office of power and trust who does not also live virtuously. Our reputation depends on it.

Freedom Friday

Freedom Friday will return next week.

Today IS Friday, isn't it?!

Introducing....

Freedom Friday!!

(If I knew how to write code I'd have a cute little button with a flag on it or something. That's on my bucket list--learning to write code, that is, not cute little buttons. )

Here's the deal. This is probably gonna bum some of you out. I've decided to dedicate my Friday posts to discussing the principles of freedom.

Hey, you there, the one that's just about to click to a different blog...please hear me out.

The other day Wes was having a conversation with someone-who-shall-remain-nameless and they were discussing (read: arguing) about the ridiculous stimulus bill that was just passed. Wes was saying that you can't give a tax "cut" to someone who doesn't pay taxes...it's called "welfare" people. So the someone-who-shall-remain-nameless says "I just think we need to return to what our founding father's believed."

So, let me get this straight. This person believes that our founding fathers advocated welfare for the masses. Allow me to quote Benjamin Franklin--

"I am for doing good to the poor, but...I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. I observed...that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer. "

Wow. We as a nation are so disconnected from our roots that we don't even know what the founders believed anymore. So it occured to me that what we need is some education. I don't claim to know everything about the founding fathers but I do read a lot about them. I've decided that it's my responsibility to share the things I learn with you, my bloggy friends, because friends shouldn't let friends be ignorant.

So, I know what you're probably thinking. As Christians we should be more concerned about reaching the lost. This government stuff is so secular, so worldy. As Christians, we should be about the Lord's business. I submit to you that protecting our Constitution IS the Lord's business. Our right to worship as we please depends on it. Do you realize that we the people are liberty's last line of defense?

You and me.

And we're going into battle unarmed.