"When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic." - Benjamin Franklin;
"And when politicians find that honor and character matter less than buying votes and a constituency, that too will herald the end of the Constitution. When that happens we must work tirelessly to change their minds, or their occupation!" - Hoping The Blind Will See

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Is Racism Self-Serving

I like, or dislike, many people. If I had to identify what I base my feelings on, I'd say they're based upon the other person's personality, social views, attitude, kindness, behavior, integrity, and the commonality we have between us in terms of our interests. To me, it makes no difference if you are black, white, hispanic, asian, indian or blue! But I have noticed that racism in America has been ramping up for the past 10-15 years. I remember growing up in rural Massachusetts and we (my brother and sisters and I) were taught by my parents that there was no difference between the friends we chose regardless of our skin color. Consequently, I (and my siblings) had friends who were not white - and we thought nothing much about it. But the current crop of liberal/radical black leaders have extolled the mantra of race for many years. Many black children hear that diatribe and start believing it from an early age. In the 60's and 70's America made great strides in reducing racism in America. Those black parents and white parents who worked tirelessly to teach their children that color didn't matter, will have my respect forever - because that teaching is the ONLY way we'll eliminate racism in America. There are many black men and women who try hard everyday to teach their children about tolerance and acceptance, just as their are white, hispanic, and asian men and women who do the same. And yet, we have the radical end of the liberal ideology (politicians, professors, news commentators, etc) crying racism, or racial profiling in some cases, every time a black man (or woman) is questioned, criticized, or shunned because of their behavior or views, etc. To me, that's self serving. That keeps racism alive (and expanding), and has hurt the cause of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Civil Rights movement, immeasurably. To be fair, there are some black Americans who do speak out on this - most notably Bill Cosby. But where are the other black men and women, of all classes, who are being used by the radical left as pawns to push a destructive agenda? Why aren't they speaking out? Why aren't they actively distancing themselves from these radicals? Why aren't they denouncing the radical left at every opportunity? Why can't they see the possibility of destruction that this behavior will bring? If I criticize a man, people will say that the criticism was justified or it wasn't. But when I criticize a black man, why am I a racist? Why don't people just acknowledge that the criticism was justified or it wasn't? It's because the radical left continues to play the race card, making racism self-serving in my view. They want a divided America - it serves their purpose. It's a "progressive" strategy. And it's working! Wake up America!

Friday, July 24, 2009

Countdown to New Elections!

I'm So Tired Of Racism and The "Race Card"

` Here's a link that I think you'll find informative, and it somewhat addresses the "Racism Card" syndrome that has swept through America for years, and, in my opinion, continues to prevent racial healing to this day. http://www.gopusa.com/theloft/?p=1755 I'm tired of the politicians stoking the "racism" fire. That card is invoked regularly by many black "leaders" in America. It's my belief that many black politicians have no intention of healing race relations - it's not part of their agenda because it's counter-productive to that agenda, and would make them irrelevant in society. In my view, if they were truly leaders, they would conduct themselves more like Colon Powell, Condalleza Rice, Clarence Thomas, Bill Cosby, and Denzel Washington (and there are others), who, even though I do not agree with all the views that some of them hold, none-the-less conduct themselves with dignity and aplomb, and all act reasonably. Current black "leaders", including our esteemed President, should demonstrate dignity and restraint and common sense when dealing with this sensitive issue instead of inciting racial tension with their rhetoric. They should try to insert themselves into instances and circumstances of racial conflict to be diffusers, not inciters. But in reality, these black "leaders" are not really leaders at all, they're nothing more than racial activists hiding behind their thinly veiled mantle of respectability. When will we stop the madness, and just live by the Constitution and Bill of Rights? In my view, life in America would be much less complicated if we did. Today, President Obama went on the air in an attempt to "clear the air". We'll see if he's successful, but my opinion is that he failed. Time will tell. But here's a question for you. Before this is all over, will we find out that Henry Gates is another "radical friend", like William Ayers and Reverend Jeremiah Wright, that Barack Obama will have to jetison for political expediency? And when will we all finally acknowledge that the friends you choose help to define who you are? Wake up America!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Am I The Only One Who Thinks This Way?

Let me preface this article by disclosing that I am a white American. I am also conservative and a constitutionalist. None of us currently living in America has ever been a slave owner. And no American still alive was ever a slave. So then why would any of us be required to pay "reparation" for something we had no involvement in? Why would anyone feel entitled to receive "reparation", in any form, for something that happened before they were born? How have they been harmed? What proof of harm can they present as support of their claim(s)? And if some form of proof could be procured, what proof can be presented that would tie any of us to those claim(s)"? I am a descendant from a minor Indian tribe - should I feel entitled to reparation? I don't think so. I wasn't placed on a reservation. No one alive today placed anyone on a reservation. My government is not an abstract body - it is people. And none of them placed me on a reservation. So what am I entitled to? Only life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - all for which I'm grateful. I have never considered myself a racist. I still believe that every person has a right to the same rights as every other person, and that those are enumerated in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I have had black friends in my life, and black mentors as well. I firmly believe that there should be no Affirmative Action, but that all Americans be held to the same standards regardless of race, color, creed, or gender. I believe that there have been many black Americans who are smarter and/or more driven than me, and have proven that by where they have driven their life, and the level of achievement they have accomplished. The same holds true for many white, Hispanic and Asian Americans. But I also know that there are many black and white, and Asian and Hispanic Americans who are less intelligent, and less driven, than I. And I have achieved more than those individuals in my life. And I believe that is how it should be. To each according to their intelligence and drive. We all start out knowing nothing and none of us is able to crawl. That's a pretty level playing field, wouldn't you say? But at some point, we all start making choices. Some conscious, some not. Some of us choose to apply ourselves at school more diligently than others. Some of us decide to drop out of school. Some of us choose the wrong friends. Some of us decide to be promiscuous, or quit college. All the decisions we make in life lead us to what we achieve in our lifetimes. And choices have consequences (shouldn't we be teaching our children that?). So why would anyone think they are entitled to the rewards of someone else's hard work? You can't use the "poor" card as an excuse, too many people have picked themselves up from poverty and become successful -black, Asian, Hispanic and white. So someone please explain to me where the unfairness in America is coming from. White America is handicapped by Affirmative Action, the ACLU, the NAACP, reverse discrimination, double standards, and the list goes on. When will we finally say "Every Man and Woman In America Is Created Equal" - period! What you do with your "equalness" is up to you. When will we stand up and say "We All Made Our Choices In Life,. They Had Consequences! Now Live With Them Or Change Your Circumstances"? When will we say, as Tecumseh said, "From My Tribe (society) I Take Nothing, I Am The Maker of My Own Fortune". Where di d that pride disappear to? When did we lose the willingness to stand on our own two feet. When did we forget about personal responsibility? What ever happened to the John Wayne's of the world? How did we transform into a country of entitlements? And why do we think that's OK? Where will the new pioneers come from? The entrepreneurs? The visionaries? They will come less and less from America, because of the choices we have made. The consequences are not irreversible, however. We can change our circumstances. We can roll up our sleeves and dig in. We can all be John Wayne's. Would he roll up his sleeves, or turn and run? You decide. Wake Up America!

What's The Real Purpose?

Here are two links you need to visit, what purpose do you think they serve? http://thatsmycongress.com/house/ http://thatsmycongress.com/senate/ Here's how I see it. There has been an persistent, organized progressive movement in this country for the past 45 years. They have been organizing for years - look at ACORN. And look at Obama's own words - he was a community organizer. So what would an organized, well planned, politically active, progressive ideological organization use this website for? It's used to clearly identify to their supporters who the non-progressive politicians are so that they know where progressive candidates are needed, and so those supporters can vote out of office all non-progressives. But this website is a double-edged sword. Because we can do the same. So identify where your candidate stands. Vote him out of office if he/she is a progressive. If necessary, run for office yourself. Get involved, the good of the Republic demands it. Wake up America!

BS Obama - Barack "Semantics" Obama

It's all about semantics with Obama. Listen closely to what he says, but more closely to what he doesn't say. He is misleading the public in many cases with his omissions. Let's take Health Care Reform for example. He claims that health care reform will not cost Americans another dime. ROFLMAO!!!!! Here's how it's going to work... Let's say the current national budget is $10,000 to keep it simple, and that budget is broken up this way: 1. Energy - $1000.00 2. Defense - $2000.00 3. Education - $1000.00 4. Agriculture - $1000.00 5. Medicare - $1500.00 6. Medicaid - $1500.00 7. FBI/CIA/NSA/DHS - $2000.00 Let's further assume that all that money is needed to fund the different departments, otherwise, why would the government be taxing us for it? In order to get his Health Care bill passed, Obama has mandated that no new tax dollars be spent on it. Therefore, the money is going to have to come from existing programs in the current budget. Let's assume that in this example Health Care is going to cost $2000.00. This is what the new budget breakdown could be: 1. Energy - $750.00 2. Defense - $1500.00 3. Education - $750.00 4. Agriculture - $750.00 5. Medicare - $1250.00 6. Medicaid - $1250.00 7. FBI/CIA/NSA/DHS - $1750.00 8. Health Care - $2000.00 In this example, BS Obama is going to come on TV and tell us all how well Congress did working together to cut programs so that his health care plan could become reality. He's going to tell us how proud he is of Congress, etc, etc, yah-dee, yah-dee, yah-dee. But NEXT year, he's going to come on TV to tell you your taxes have to go up. We need more money to fund Energy, Defense, Agriculture, Medicare and Medicaid, as well as the FBI and other agencies. Well, at least he didn't lie about health care costing more, or did he? You decide. And, by the way, why wouldn't we take the time to fix Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid BEFORE we add another cumbersome burden to the Government? They've demonstrated just how competent they are with our money while managing those programs, haven't they? Man, these belly laughs are starting to make my sides ache! http://www.ourcountrydeservesbetter.com/campaigns/opposeobamacare.html Wake up America!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Barack Obama, Wake Up!

You act like you have unconditional public support behind you. You act like you think you can push your agenda on all of us, and we'll just roll over and accept it. You act like you think none of us understands what America stands for, and what the Constitution means. You act like you have a mission, and only a short period of time in which to accomplish it. You act like you think we are all in need of government intervention. You act like you believe we are all little kids who don't know any better, but you do. Well, let me take the time to enlighten you. You are, without doubt, and you've accomplished it in only 6 months I might add, the WORST president in my lifetime. Worse than Jimmy Carter, who was woefully ineffective and an embarrassment to the country. You too are an embarrassment - apologizing in speech after speech in foreign countries for perceived mistakes that the United States has made. It is ONLY because of us that many countries still exist. We are the MOST compassionate country in the history of the planet. We are PROUD of our history - every bit of it. And for those mistakes we've made as a country, we need NOT apologize. We the people will NOT apologize. We, none of us, are responsible for the actions (or inaction) of the past. When, as a society, we realized our shortcomings, we changed them. We DO NOT NEED TO KEEP PAYING FOR THEM FOREVER! Get over it! We are only responsible for ourselves. And that's how we like it - that's how we WANT it! Get government out of our lives! In my view, you are an embarrassment to the Office of The Presidency of the United States. You are so blatantly socialist and anti-American, and I find it pathetic. I rejoice that there are people like Major Cook who defy you. It shows just how inept you really are. You are a Chicago thug, a bully, an intimidator and a manipulator. You bring shame on the Office of the Presidency of the United States. You should be ashamed of yourself for bringing shame to this country. We are the GREATEST country on earth - start espousing that, and acting like it. You do after all, and unfortunately, hold the Office of the Presidency of the United States! Or take yourself, your cronies, your Czar Squad, and your politics, and move on - quick! Your rhetoric is abysmal. You have no substance, you are ONLY rhetoric. And it's pathetic. It's pathetic to watch you disgrace the office you hold. The only consolation, though small, is that you WILL be out of office in four years. You have taken away everyone's incentive for wanting to succeed. WHY? Why would anyone strive to be a millionaire, only to have 60% of their money taken from them in taxes? How smart is that? How will that philosophy generate jobs? It won't. What it will generate is a larger welfare class, because people who do not strive for success, and who do not strive to work, will be taken care of by the government (on the backs of the "rich"). That is a pathetic ideology. I can not wait for 2010, so that we can provide some form of deterrent to your madness by voting in conservatives. And 2012 can not come soon enough. Enjoy the next 3 years, they'll be the last time you see the inside of the White House. Do you think I am alone? You are delusional if you do. In fact I believe you are delusional anyway. In fact, I believe that you are intentionally misleading the American people with the half truths you speak. The First Black President. There was so much promise there. And you have done your race, along with ALL Americans, a disservice. Are you proud of that? If we were another country -maybe the one you are transforming us into - we'd run you out of office. Do you understand that sentiment? Again, do you think I'm alone in that sentiment? I keep telling America to wake up. Maybe it's time you did too!

The Union (R)evolution

First off, let me state three important facts. I have friends and family who are union members. I was in a union for a short span of time myself. Most people who belong to unions are intelligent in my view. However, while many people see the union as "looking out for our rights", in reality that is secondary to their real purpose. While unions were a necessary part of our development in the distant past, they have now evolved into just another arm of the progressive movement. They see their members as a "cash cow" that will allow them to pursue and promote their progressive agenda's. And while they claim to be available to represent you in times of need, how many of you have really needed representation from your union during your career? Historically, there are less than 5% of individuals who need union representation. If you are honest with yourself, you must admit those people probably aren't doing their share of the work anyway. And in fact most are probably a drain on morale, are lazy, and shouldn't be employed anyway. So, why do you need a union? Oh yeah, I remember, the unions negotiate your "pay package". Did it ever occur to you that your "pay package" could be negotiated by you - through your performance - by making yourself invaluable to the company that employs you? Do you honestly believe that some company would seriously under compensate your performance, and risk losing you to a competitor, if your value to the company was indisputable? In most cases I would argue no. And if they did, there's nothing that says you must remain working for that company - go find a company that will adequately compensate your worth. Which leads me to negotiated pay scales and raises - everyone gets the same amount based upon time with the company regardless of how well they (or you) perform. Is that fair to the people working hard? This is a tactic based upon progressive ideology - it's socialism at the grass roots. It provides a disincentive to work hard, and over time, in many cases, creates an environment where productivity is lessened, revenue and profit is lessened, and the strength of the company is diminished - take a look at GM, once one of the biggest companies in the world! Now ruined by union greed. No, my friends, the real purpose of the union is to push a progressive agenda by supporting, progressive candidates and programs. They do that by collecting your money - even though you don't need them. And to ensure they have enough money, they are constantly trying to increase their membership. And when that's not enough, they raise your dues. Maybe locally, maybe nationally - but it doesn't matter, it's less money in your pocket. All the while they're telling you that the dues is worth it, after all they're getting you more money in your paycheck. Are they? Have you ever been involved in the negotiation process? Do you know what goes on in there? To "prove" their worth to you, the union's must always negotiate for more. There's no way around that, until the company has no more to give and goes bankrupt - again I reference the car manufacturing companies. Now I know there are millions of union members who are more conservative thinking than the union hierarchy. What do you think would happen if all of you got out of your union(s)? Would the union cease to exist? No. But you would sharply hamper union organizations from pledging huge sums of money to candidates with progressive-leaning ideologies. And in the long term, you would be doing something proactively that would help to prevent the continued slide into socialism that we find ourselves in today. Is America worth that? The problem as I see it is that everyone looks at their life in a short-sighted manner. They look at what they can have now, today. The "what's best for me" mentality. But they have failed to see what that philosophy has done to America, how much weaker she has become. Most Americans have not employed forethought, so now, in retrospect, we see a country nearly consumed by the progressive parasites that feed on her. She is just a husk of what she once was, and that's sad. There is still time to save her, but it will take action. Remember what John F. Kennedy once said. "Ask not what your country can do for you, but rather what you can do for your country." It is widely accepted that JFK was a great man, and would have been a great president. So how did we manage to stray so far from his philosophy? It's time for you to do for your country. Act now - stop paying union dues and leave the union! Wake up America!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Gerry's Hole

Gerry was only three years old, but he loved to dig holes in his sandbox. He was so cute and innocent, and happy, and loved to laugh. One day his mom decided to bring him to the ocean. Like most moms, she packed the towels, the picnic lunch, the blanket, the sunscreen, and yes, the pail and shovel, as off to the beach they went. When Gerry got to the beach he was simply enthralled by how much sand was on the ground. This was way better than cake and candy! So Gerry walked down by the water with his little shovel and began his favorite activity. He began to dig a hole. Digging the hole was hard work for Gerry; he was only three after all, and the sand was harder than what he was used to. But he was fascinated, and committed (though he didn't know the concept), and he worked hard to dig his hole. As Gerry dug, and the hole got a little deeper, the tide started coming in. Gerry dug, dug, dug, and the tide crept closer. Eventually, the water filled Gerry's hole. Undaunted by this setback, when the tide receded, Gerry cleared the water and kept digging. Unfortunately, and to Gerry, unfairly, the tide kept washing into his hole. It didn't matter how quickly he tried to clear it, he couldn't keep the water out of his hole. Pretty soon the tide overwhelmed Gerry's resolve and his hole. So Gerry got up, and left his hole behind. When Gerry got far enough away from the water, he turned around to look at his hole. He could still see it, but it was harder to identify. Eventually, as time went by, and the tide kept coming in, Gerry's hole disappeared completely. Gerry's hole was lost forever, and would never be seen again. We are like Gerry, but it's the progressive tide that keeps washing over our hole. Our hole is America; and the progressive tide is socialism. So we don't have the luxury of walking away from our hole. Because you see, if we do walk away, like Gerry's hole, the progressive tide will wash over it, and America will cease to exist. Keep shoveling America! We can not afford to lose our hole. The cost will be too great. And though many of us will get tired from the shoveling, there will be others to pick that shovel up when we need to rest. Fear not, just grab a shovel and dig in for as long as you can. Then rest, but be sure to come back to relieve someone else as soon as you can. Wake up America!

Monday, July 20, 2009

You May Find These Things Interesting

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/story/778482.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWFb1Yvlem4 And then there's this: "Many Around the world believe the environment can be protected through regulation. Even the United States is going down this path now. Before it acts too swiftly, the United States might want to consider some of the lessons that we learned the hard way in Europe. As a Member of the European Parliament, I have worked on environmental protection for years, particularly as rapporteur for the European Union's Air Quality Directive that was successfully implemented last year. The experience has taught me two key things: (1) Economic growth is the base for the political and technological capacity necessary to make a clean environment possible. A dynamic economy is not inimical to a healthy environment; it is a prerequisite. (2) Political leaders can achieve real results for the environment when they take a no-nonsense, pragmatic approach and work together. Coming from East Germany, I saw firsthand how heavy-handed bureaucracy led to both poor economic performance and a poor environment. For decades, East Germany had among the worst environmental protection records in all of Europe. Indeed, we are still paying a high environmental toll for the years of eschewing market forces while permitting the political class to make economic choices for the nation. Poverty is the planet's real environmental crisis. SO policymakers who care about a clean and healthy environment need to support policies that promote economic growth. The United States is now considering legislation about greenhouse gasses emitted from industrial activities. In its current form, this legislation will almost surely put a significant damper on economic growth and throw environmental protections into jeopardy. Europe has already adopted a cap-and-trade regulatory apparatus similar to the one debated in Washington. Europe's experiment is called Emissions Trading System (ETS), and it hasn't worked very well. For starters, we agreed to give emissions permits away for free, a political compromise required to get industrial groups on board. This is something the current legislation in Washington does as well. This created a windfall for emitting industries and sowed confusion in the market. At the same time, it did little to place downward pressure on emissions. As a result, permit prices have swung wildly, as much as 70 percent in a single day. They continue to fluctuate on average about 17 percent per month. This makes sensible, long-term industrial development much more costly and difficult. Besides, giving investment bankers another area where they can wildly speculate and create artificial bubbles paid for by the consumers is not the soundest of ideas. There is a cautionary tale here - one way to reduce emissions is to weaken your economy.Such a goal is politically unacceptable, which is why policy,makers on both sides of the Atlantic opt for the cap-and-trade systems that are too complex and notoriously opaque and difficult for the public to understand. This is not to say there aren't sensible environmentally friendly ways of working on emissions reductions. For example, the United States and the European Union could work together to reach an agreement at COP 15 (the United Nations Climate Change Conference) in Copenhagen this December that allows for economic growth and technologically driven solutions to climate change. This would encourage innovation and development of low or zero-emission technologies, and expand the range of options for addressing emissions and climate change to include geo-engineering and adaptation strategies. This approach would also help create real jobs in green research and development rather than fake jobs in bureaucratic emissions trading. Hasty government decision-making, particularly in pursuit of ideologically motivated goals, can do lasting harm. It is the experience of my former country of East Germany and of others that put utopian aims ahead of the concerns of citizens and the environment. It would be a shame for Americans to overlook the lessons of recent history." - Holger Krahmer, German Liberal, is a member of the European Parliament's environment committee and of the temporary committee on climate change.