Testosterone Deficit Disorder

   A few years ago, I sat with a group of school administrators during a teachers conference.  The question was asked of those in the group about what quality each of us uniquely added to the schools where we served.  In my usual sarcastically humorous way, I decided to go for the laugh and said, "Testosterone".  I was serving at a school at which, other than the pastor, I was the only male on the staff.  Although I was going for a chuckle, and did indeed get several, I do believe that there is what I will describe as a testosterone deficit disorder in American schools....public, private, and parochial.
   There is a disturbingly low percentage of male teachers in our schools.  One report I read said that over 80% of teachers in public schools are women.  Before I proceed with my thoughts, let me say that there are absolutely wonderful ladies teaching in classrooms all over the country, and our children need the motherly, nurturing kind of care that only women can give.  However, the miniscule number of men in the classrooms is problematic. 
   When I began teaching in the 1970's, I served at a school that at one time had five men teachers on a staff of seven.  We even had a male Kindergarten teacher, which in those days was almost unheard of.  I have great memories of those days.  In today's schools, such a proportion is extinct. 
   Later in my career, I was one of two sixth grade teachers at a school.  Many single moms would request that their child be placed in my class, not because of any superior teaching on my part, but because they wanted a father figure for their children that was missing at home.  It was an understandable.
   I have a few thoughts about how this testosterone deficit disorder may have impacted the horrible events that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School.  I believe that it is especially male students who are affected by the shortage of male influence in the schools.  Without that male influence, I think boys end up without some of what I would describe as manly traits.  They experience a world where most of the authority comes from females.  Men as authorities have been marginalized.  To be honest about it, I think a lot of the blame for this goes squarely on the male population which in a great part has abandoned the leadership responsibilities they should have.  To many, there is also confusion over the gender roles they should play in society.  I really have to wonder whether this killer in Connecticut was influenced negatively because of the lack of positive male role models in his life.  After all, he was apparently from a broken home.
   It is not hard to figure out why more men do not enter the teaching profession.  Society does not exactly hold the male teacher in high regard.  If the teacher is single and cares very much about children, they can often be perceived as being gay.  I know.  It has happened to me.  There are also so many other occupations out there which would provide a much larger salary as well.  Also, it has become increasingly true that all it takes to ruin a male teacher's career is the mere false charge of sexual impropriety with children.  I understand why we are not getting men to become teachers.
   I have looked at the list of staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary.  There is only one male listed on the staff, that being the custodian.  ALL of the educators in that school were women.  And I might add that they were unarmed women.  It just seems to me that a place which is known to be a gun-free zone, populated by almost all women and children, would be an incredibly soft target.  And it was.  There are stories coming out of this tragedy that indicate those women acted in incredibly courageous ways to defend those innocent children.  They are heroes.  However, I have to think that had there been knowledge of that school having some imposing male figures present on a daily basis, this young killer may have made a different choice.
   I know that if there is such a thing as testosterone deficit disorder, it was not the only factor leading up to this horrific event.  I also know that the biggest factor in events like this is sin, and it does not help to have schools that go out of their way to make sure that God is not talked about there.  Our country needs a cultural restoration....a spiritual restoration.....a moral restoration.   In conclusion, I would also add that what is needed with regard to testosterone deficit disorder is to get back to the gender roles as described in God's Word.  But, you see, those are not considered politically correct nowadays.  Alas.

Socialism in our Schools

This article provides support for the statements I have made about our government school.  It shows that there is indeed a connection between teachers, labor unions, and socialism.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/11/11/Teachers-flock-to-Northwestern-University-Marxist-Conference-journalist-booted

The Grumps Plan for Restoring America's Greatness

   I believe that our American heritage and culture has been hijacked by liberal thinking.  A slow erosion of our American values has been taking place over a long period of time.  Certainly it was already present during the promotion of the New Deal during the years of FDR's terms as President.  The question now remains.  How can we restore America to the type of country our Founding Fathers had in mind when they penned the US Constitution?  Here are some of my suggestions.  It took a long time to get us to this point in time.  It will take a long time to get us back to where it should be.
    Before I begin, it must be noted that some of the big enemies of this restoration are to be found in our education system, public employee labor unions, and the mainstream press.  Therefore, any solution must include how to address these enemies.

• First of all, every effort should be made to stop the so-called "progressive" agenda.  In the immediate future, that would entail the House of Representatives standing in the way of this agenda's success.  The Senate can have some influence also through their use of the filibuster.
• As for long-term solutions, they are going to have to include ways to educate our citizens differently.  Liberal teachings have penetrated into every government school.  That must be changed, and that will take quite a bit of time.
• Conservative young couples should have more children.  Then they must do what is necessary to make sure those children learn the lessons from American history taught from a conservative (and therefore, true) perspective.  Liberal educators, starting in elementary school and going all the way through our higher education institutions, have succeeded in revising our history to set in motion their liberal agenda.  
• This part of the plan will necessitate parents to do all within their power to make sure their children do NOT attend government schools.  Two good alternatives for this would be sending them to Christian schools or opting for homeschooling.  As far as Christian schools go, you know my bias toward the Lutheran school system run by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.  This, of course, would require sacrifice, but if we are to take our country back, it must be done.
• Those who are not parents, such as grandparents, can pitch in by urging others to avoid the public school system.  It would be an admirable thing for such people to adopt other children, dedicating their time and financial support to make this approach possible.
• In the meantime, in the political arena, we must draw the line in the sand and not allow our country to slide farther away from Constitutional principles.  Compromise should not be a priority.  A persistent stance against continued progressive erosion must be the priority.
• One piece of good news from the recent election is the fact that we now have 30 GOP governors in America.  Those governors should continue efforts such as those made in Wisconsin by Gov. Walker to stifle public employee unions in order to promote fiscal sanity.  Other Americans need to be made aware of the successful results from such policies.  Getting more of our states to become right-to-work states is a must.
• One of the big obstacles to overcome is reduce the influence of the liberal mainstream press.  I think the only way to get this done is to attack them in their pocketbooks.  We must be vigilant about letting companies that advertise in the liberal media know that we are going to find other products to consume instead of theirs.  We need also to make sure that we cause their ratings to descend to the depths by simply not watching or listening to their coverage.
• An underlying important concept which must be part of this plan is to diligently work at making sure our country is a Christian nation.  Our people need to be well-versed on what Scripture teaches, and once again the general moral fabric of our country will be improved.  Our country ideally should be a country which strives to do God's will in all they do.
• The easy thing to do is to continue down the road to moral and fiscal decay.  The hard thing is to dedicate our time, talent, and treasure to making the USA the exceptional country that our Founding Fathers envisioned.  By now, we should know that those things which are worthwhile in life are also the things which require them most hard work.  We know we have a God who is more than willing to guide us in the right way to go, equipping us with what we need to promote His kingdom.  Get on your knees and ask for His blessing.

Hip, Hip, Hooray!

Here is a partial list of those who are celebrating the re-election of our President:

• Ahmadinejad 
• Chavez
• Putin
• Zawahiri 
• Greece
• China
• The 47%
• Occupy Wall Street
• Planned Parenthood
• The Communist Party
• George Soros
• And of course......Honey Boo Boo

Alan vs. Allen

This is an indication of what is really wrong with the American electorate:

This Alan was elected to return to the Congress:

....and this Allen wasn't:

Venting - Part 2

• One good thing about the GOP being the side that lost is that the result was certainly not going to end with a violent reaction.
• Now that the election is over, the Democrats can now safely turn off their conservative speech and return to their very liberal actions.  It's to be expected.
• I cannot imagine how the GOP could have put forth a more squeaky clean ticket, yet the combination of the Obama campaign and the mainstream media still managed to convince enough of the electorate that they were monsters.  
• The GOP also put forth the kind of ticket which was designed to deal with America's biggest problems.....against a ticket which is completely unqualified in that department.  Yet again, the Obama campaign and the mainstream media turned the race into one about contraception and other issues that do not matter.
• If I didn't care so much about our country, I'd tell the Republicans in Congress to let the Democrats have everything they want and then sit back to watch the country go down the toilet so they lose all credibility.
• The Stock Market certainly did not act as if they liked the results today.
• I am ready to admit how wrong I have been.  I always thought that there were still plenty of citizens left in America to defend good, old-fashioned American values.  I was wrong.  I now live in a different America.  It is a short-sighted, live-for-today America.  This did not happen overnight.  It apparently has been around for a while.  I just did not recognize it.  I do still have faith that this trend can be reversed, but it's going to take a lot of work to change the culture, and it may take that 2X4 smack on the head from God himself to make it happen.
• I mourn for my grandchildren's future.
• Unemployment is high.  Growth is extremely slow.  People said the economy is the biggest problem.  The American people re-elected President Obama anyway.  This points to the fact that this election was mostly a popularity contest.
• The Libya story is an outrage, yet, between Romney not focusing on it and the press shoving it under the rug, it was not the issue it should have been.  I now wonder if President Obama will ever be held accountable for it.
• Green energy companies failing and Fast and Furious also did not get raised as important issues either.  
• President Obama has absolutely divided our country into so many factions.  Yet he proclaims how he is going to unite us, and apparently over half of America believes him.
• In fact, America obviously believes a lot more things that he says than I do.  His description of America in the last few days before the election was a description of an alternative world that wasn't close to reality.  OK, I'll say it.  He lied to America, and they believed the lies.

Morning-After Venting

• America has been transformed.  Last night's results tell me that the American electorate has been transformed.  We have an electorate that has a whole new perspective on what a Constitutional republic is.  
• I am already tired of people saying the GOP needs to move to the middle.  The Democrats certainly are not even close to the middle.  We now enter the second term of the most liberal President in the history of America.
• It is time for the GOP to hand the torch over to the Tea Party.
• The media had a rather large part to play in this election.  I grew up knowing that the media was in the business of controlling the power of the government by exposing the truths which were attempted to be hidden.  This media went out of their way to hide the truth in order to get the candidates of their choice elected.  I will even go as far to say that the mainstream media has acted in very un-American way.
• I am astounded that polls today indicate that over half of voters said that the response to Hurricane Sandy was an important or very important factor in their choices.  This is what I mean by a transformed electorate.  How shallow our people must be!  And the response to the hurricane has not even been that good or well-received.
• The results are so much worse than the re-election of our President.  The loss of the Senate and many other good candidates adds to the misery.
• We even have cases where some states have now legislated things which are sinful according to God's Word.
• The fact that the evangelicals cast there votes with over 70% to the GOP and we still took this licking should tell you that our country has way too few evangelicals.  Maybe President Obama is correct.  America is not a Christian country......anymore.
• Let me be the first to say that, unless the President drastically changes, I hope his policies fail.  I do not care to have our country become another Greece.
• The US has spoken and they have said that they want a government that gives them free stuff.  This attitude may gratify people for the present, but it does not bode well for our country's future.
• Sometime in the middle of the night, and I heard the sound of our Constitution being crumpled up and thrown into the trash.
• The logic given for voting for re-election was that America's economy was creeping slowly back.  We should let the President have more time.  Now we have the situation where our country will be speeding forward to a debt that will crush us.
• This may upset some of my friends who teach in government schools, but I think the transformation of our electorate took place primarily within the walls of those schools.  Conservative perspectives have become endangered or extinct there.  We are teaching our children to be liberals.  The astounding thing is. that the parents don't seem to recognize that it has happened.  It has happened with a drip, drip, drip approach, slowly corroding the values put forth by our Founding Fahers and our Heavenly Father.
• We are likely to see President Obama trying to promote a global form of government and legislation.  American exceptionalism will go away.
• We can only pray that our conservative Supreme Court judges remain healthy.
• One good thing about the election results is that we have more GOP governors.  This will likely to be tempered by Eric Holder's DOJ which will continue to sue states when they pass legislation that does not fit the liberal agenda.

Enough for now.

30 Reasons I Will Not Vote for Obama

1. Obamacare- This will result in higher costs, less freedom, rationing, etc.
2. HHS Mandate - I am opposed to free contraceptives.  This is also a violation of our freedom of religion.
3. Supreme Court Judges - I shudder to think about Pres. Obama nominating several new Supreme Court judges.
4. Higher taxes - These are inevitable.
5. High unemployment - Under Obama, high unemployment has become the new normal.
6. More regulations - Our country has become a Nanny State.  Regulations are stifling the growth of small business.
7. Higher energy costs - Obama is opposed to the use of hydrocarbon fuels and wastes money on investments in green energy.  Gasoline prices will remain high (another new normal).
8. Dept. of Justice - Eric Holder's DOJ obstructs the law more than he enforces it.
9. Reduction of States' Rights - Many state-passed laws have been opposed by the Obama administration.
10. Bigger Government - We need a reduction in the size of government, not an increase.
11. Union Influence - Unions would continue to exert their influence in the government.
12. Socialism - Socialism is NOT a dirty word to Obama.
13. Weaker Defense - Obama is not a fan of a strong military.
14. Weak Foreign Policy - Obama has a naive foreign policy.  Peace does not come through appeasement.
15. Weak on Constitution - Obama thinks the Constitution is a flawed document because it limits the Federal Government's power.
16. No chance of entitlement reform - Like it or not, we have to get something done about reducing entitlement programs.
17. Larger Debt - This is also inevitable.
18. No American Exceptionalism - Obama thinks America is the same as any other nation.
19. Anti-business - Obama's policies do not promote business.
20. No Voter Integrity - Obama is opposed to any voter ID laws.
21. Support of Planned Parenthood - Obama will continue to grant subsidies to an organization whose main function is to provide abortions.
22. Rule by Executive Order - If Congress opposes Obama, he will issue executive orders to get his way.
23. Passing the blame - Obama never takes blame, instead finding someone or something else to blame.
24. More Apologizing for America - Obama continues to make apologies for our country's supposed wrongdoings.
25. Not Qualified - Obama entered the Presidency unqualified and has not proven to me that he has gotten any better.
26. Narcissistic - I am tired of Obama using "I" and "me" in his speeches.
27. Amnesty - If Obama gets his way, some form of amnesty would occur.
28. Joe Biden - It scares me to death that he is a heartbeat away from being President.
29. Poor Commander-in-Chief - Most in the military have no respect for him.
30. Lack of Trust - He has not gained my trust.

   Bonus:  Michelle Obama - the Food Nazi.

Makes No Sense to Me

     Black unemployment rate:  September = 13.4%.     October = 14.3%.  Yet you can take it to the bank that President Obama will get over 90% of the black vote on Tuesday.  There is no logical explanation for why the Democrat Party has such a stranglehold on the black vote.

A Conspiracy Theory

   When all is said and done, will the Benghazi story be found to be an elaborate conspiracy in which  the Clintons instigated the Obama administration to do the many things they did to cover up the story in order to give Hillary a better chance to run for the Presidency in 2016?

Is Anything a Surprise?

   We are beginning to see several indications of potential "October surprises".  The Democrats have used the October surprise strategy for many years.  Right now, there is the rumor that the USA and Iran will sit down for a one-on-one session of negotiations on nuclear arms.  There also are lower gas prices being predicted.  We even hear an indication that Gloria Allred may have another "client" who may throw the election into a tizzy when he/she makes some sort of charge against someone on the Romney/Ryan ticket.  These should be NO surprise to the American public.  I have come to even EXPECT it.  There may even be more of these before November 6th.
   On the other hand, there is a much more important event that really should impact the election.  Some might refer to it as the "September surprise".  This event would be the deaths of four Americans on September 11 in Benghazi.  The facts are indicating that this was NO surprise to those in the Obama administration.  The intelligence they had very clearly indicated that security in Libya was totally inadequate and that there were indeed serious threats to our citizens there.  Either the Obama administration is involved in a cover-up or they are incompetent.  Either way, this is just one more important reason that we need leadership in the White House.  We do not have good leadership there right now.
   If there is any surprise here, it is a surprise to the President's loyal supporters that he is not the ideal President that they would like to think he is.  I hope they are paying attention to this before they go to the polls and make their choice.

Is It Tea Party Time?

   President Obama's record is abysmal.  The economy is in miserable shape because of his policies.  His foreign policy is in shambles.  Given these conditions, if the GOP cannot win this election, they ought to fold up their tents and go home.  The Tea Party should step in and take over.  It would be just the right time for a party which would represent what so many Americans support in the way of limited government, low taxes, and a strong defense.  It is not a matter of right or left, it is a matter of getting our country back to a Constitutionally limited government.  Americans are craving this.  Having said this, I hope the GOP wins this election, complete with victories in the White House, Congress, and local governments.  If they do, a lot of credit can be given to the Tea Party.  And the most important thing is to get President Obama out of office.  We need to take the exit ramp off the road to socialism.  Our destination should not be Greece.

Potential Losers

   If the Romney/Ryan ticket wins the election, I think there will be several losers as a result:

• President Obama for obvious reasons.
• The mainstream media....They would have devoted very much time and effort to get President Obama re-elected....all to no avail.
• The pollsters....They, too, have gone to great extremes to attempt to influence the viewpoints of Americans going to the polls.  Lately, they have been bringing their results closer to reality in order to protect their reputations, but these days Americans are wise to their strategy.
• Planned Parenthood....They should lose their government funding, and that would be a good thing.  Despite their repeated claims to be an organization devoted to women's healthcare, the fact is that this organization is all about performing abortions and promoting promiscuity so that they can perform more of them.

Singing the Anthem Together

   In my opinion, a National Anthem (not just ours) is similar to a hymn like "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God".  It is not meant to be sung as a solo.  It is supposed to be an inspirational song and meant to be sung by many people together who by doing so proclaim their loyalty.
   I think that if I was ever offered the opportunity to sing the National Anthem, I would introduce it with words similar to these:  "The National Anthem is not about ME, it's about WE, the people.  Please join me in singing it boldly."
   Imagine with me, if you will, what a great experience it would be if a stadium full of people would loudly proclaim their love of their country by filling the building with thousands of proud voices.  It would be a moving experience, and it would maybe.....just maybe...begin the process of bringing our country back together again.
   I feel very strongly about this.  If you agree, please share this post with your friends.  Maybe we can start a movement. 

No Specifics vs. No Plans

   The Democrats keep demanding specifics from the Romney/Ryan ticket.  I keep hearing many more specifics than are usually given during a Presidential campaign.  What I do not hear are any plans the Obama/Biden ticket has for improving things if they are given another term.  The only plan I hear them talking about is "Tax the Rich", and I believe that is more of a plan to get votes than a plan to make a difference in the economy. 

Obama Took Da' Bait. Romney Took the Debate.

A few thoughts on the debate:

• It was a stunning victory for Gov. Romney.  A lot of the credit for that goes to President Obama, who seemed incredibly unprepared for this debate.
• There were three losers at the debate:  President Obama, Jim Lehrer, and Big Bird.
• If I had any complaint about Romney's performance, it would be that he made a lot of concessions to move to the center, saying things which I am sure he said in order to give the perception that he was not going to be excessively hard on the President.
• You know that the President lost the debate when even the liberal cable networks are mad at the President for not taking it to Romney.
• After Bush lost his first debate several years ago, it took an excellent performance by VP Cheney to help him come back.  This time, President Obama has to count on VP Biden to make such a performance against Ryan.  I think his chances of doing so are quite slim.
• No matter how great Romney's performance was, the only ones who are going to possibly change their minds because of it are the few independents there are out there.  It probably will not be a large factor in the race.
• Chris Matthews had a meltdown on MSNBC after the debate.  His tingle became a palpitation.  You could almost see the steam coming out of his ears.
• I would be interested to hear what an expert in body language has to say about the two candidates last night.  To me, Romney oozed confidence, and Obama seemed nervous and overwhelmed.
• Despite Romney giving the President what I would describe as a butt-kicking last night, he also still managed to give the impression that he was doing it respectfully.  That is not easy to do.
• I found it outrageous that the President hammered on banks that gave out loans to unqualified people when, as community organizer, he was involved in threatening to sue banks if they did not approve loans to lower income families that fit into that category.  And when he said words to the effect that budgets matter, I burst out laughing.

Overcoming the Refs

    Having spent many years doing sports officiating, I am not one to complain about referees, officials, and umpires.  However, one could describe the mainstream media as the supposed officials who are designated to "make the calls" on the events happening in the world.  Right now, it especially applies to the election.  As such, it is embarrassingly apparent that the officiating is biased, favoring Obama and his administration in a huge way.  In other words, the GOP is playing a game in which they have to not only overcome the opponent, but in order to do so, they must also overcome the referees.  I submit to you that this is not the way it should be.  I do not see any immediate solution to this problem.  It just makes it more necessary that other forms of media take on the responsibility of conveying the message that our country is in need of different leadership.  The country needs to get back to its Constitutional heritage.

Stories Wallowing in Oblivion

   I could really write a lengthy blog on what bothers me about the Obama administration's meltdown in the Middle East, but I choose not to do so. At least not now. Instead, I will briefly mention some of the news stories that have vanished from the media lately.  These are stories which I do not think should be forgotten.

• John Corzine has managed to misplace over $1 billion of other people's money, saying he has no idea what happened to it.  This could turn out to be the biggest robbery in the history of the world.  And our government appears to be doing nothing about it.  I think we know why.
• The Fast and Furious debacle led to the death of one American law enforcement officer and hundreds of Mexicans.  No one in the administration seems to care.
• Related to that, Attorney General Holder has been held in contempt by the House of Representatives.  Even after that, he seems to be holding back reports which have been requested of him by more committees of Congress.
• Companies are now at the mercy of the HHS mandate concerning contraception and abortifacients.  This could be called a War on Christianity.  In the meantime, we have an administration which says some in our country are acting insensitively toward another religion, saying that is not what America stands for.
• The Department of Defense is purchasing Chevy Volts for their fleet of vehicles.  These not only cost $40,000 each, but it has been reported that each Volt produced has resulted in a loss of $49,000 for GM.  I'll also remind you that, thanks to our President, America owns a bunch of stock in GM, meaning that those losses are also losses to the taxpayers of America.
• The percent of military personnel requesting absentee ballots for the upcoming election has reported gone down by about 50%, even after Congress passed a law in 2009 which is supposed to expedite the distribution of these ballots to our service men and women.  Talk about voter suppression.

  I could go on.  Enough for now.

Muslim Explosion

Time to Wake Up, America!

   I have recently been made more aware of many aspects of the Islam religion.  Here are some thoughts:

• Islam is not a religion of peace.  I disagree with both Presidents Bush and Obama on this.  It is in the tenets of this religion that everyone in it should be about the business of making it the only acceptable religion.  The concept of jihad is not just a personal struggle for individual Muslims.  It is an intentional effort to eliminate all infidels from the earth.
• It is a goal of every Muslim to make the nation in which they live into a Muslim nation.  That includes the USA. The Muslims are also succeeding in this effort all over the world.  When a Muslim immigrates to our country, they do not come because of what America has to offer, it is because they want to take over our country.  I think Muslim immigration is the most dangerous type of immigration in America.....and it is legal.
• Because of the alms tenet in their religion, the Muslims have an almost unlimited amount of funds to spend on the spread of their religion.  Mosques are being built all over America and are being funded by the powers that run the Islam religion.  Many times, they are purchasing defunct Christian churches and turning them into mosques.
• The birth rate among Muslims is much higher than that among other Americans.  This is intentional.  At the same time, many efforts are being made in our country to keep the birth rate down.
• The largest increases in the Muslim population in America are in the area surrounding Washington, D.C.  This also is intentional.
• Many Muslim men come to America, entice American women with their material wealth, marry them, become citizens, and then proceed to either subjugate them to the ways women are treated within Islam or divorce them.
• The treatment of women by Muslim men is appalling.  To make matters worse, women are not believed to have any hope for a pleasant afterlife.  They are destined for hell.  Talk about a War on Women.
• All over our country, prayer rooms for Muslims are being provided in our government schools, as well as a time which is being dedicated for the Muslim students to say their appointed prayers.  At the same time, Christians are denied prayer.  It is all done with the idea that we Americans should not offend others, especially the Muslims.  Political correctness is an incredible blessing to Muslims.
• There are some pretty amazing similarities between Islam and Mormonism.  To me, it is incredibly frightening that America is now facing a choice between a Mormon and a person who at the very least is incredibly sympathetic to Islam.  Many of President Obama's actions cause one to suspect that he may just be claiming to be a Christian while actually being a Muslim.
• It is incredibly hard for a Muslim to make the commitment to leave their religion and join another when the Muslim doctrine is that they should be killed for doing so.
• One only needs to look back in history to see that the Muslim threat to Christianity has occurred before.  One of these times occurred during the time of the Reformation.  During Martin Luther's time, the Turks were a real threat to Europe.  The Roman Catholic Church was in moral decay.  I believe God was calling on His people to repent and return to Him.  It indeed was time for the church to return to the teachings of the Word of God.  I believe the same types of problems are evident in America and the rest of the world today.  Just look at the policies which are contrary to God's Word which are being implemented in our country.  I believe we are once again being called to repentance and a return to the Word of God.  
• The Crusades have gotten a bad rap.  The Crusades were an effort to stop Muslim aggression which was threatening Christianity.  I cannot help but wonder if another Crusade-like effort will have to be made to suppress this aggression again.

   It is time for Christians in America to wake up.  It is also time for Christians to share their faith with Muslims.  We know that God can do amazing things through His Word.

A Reverend's Regret

   Rev. Jesse Jackson indicated this week that he thinks that the Creator maybe should not have been mentioned in the Declaration of Independence.  I keep wondering why he would think that.  I know he is not a godless person.  Here are some possibilities, none of which I would consider acceptable:

• Mentioning the Creator would not be the politically correct thing to do.  It would possibly offend someone.
• It does not fit into the storyline that the Founders wanted a distinct separation of church and state in the operation of our government.
• It does not fit into the educational policy of insisting that our public schools teach evolution, and only evolution, to the students of America.
• It does not fit with the left's insistence upon the woman's right to choose an abortion.  If a Creator gives the right to life, then how do you justify taking away the life of an innocent little one.  If a government gives the rights, then the government can take them away also.
• Having a Creator granting the rights to people takes away the possibility that a government can give additional rights to people.  

   One thing seems so puzzling to me.  Why would someone with a "Rev." in front of his name be the one to object to this?

Reflection on Ketchup

Just some thoughts related to a story I saw on schools which have limited students to one packet of ketchup in their school lunches.

• Why are schools giving ketchup in packets instead of distributing it in a bottle of some sort.  It seems to me that schools would have to spend more money on ketchup by purchasing it in packets.
• Don't the packets add to the amount of trash which is generated by the school lunch program.  Wouldn't the environmentalists be upset with this?
• As a former teacher, it was my experience that ketchup was distributed in squirt bottles, and, for the most part, a teacher was responsible for putting the ketchup on the food according to the student's request.  A teacher was the one who determined the amount of ketchup which was used.
• Wouldn't Senator Kerry be upset with this policy?
• I would have never liked having students getting ketchup in packets.  First of all, teachers would have often been asked to help young students open those packets.  Also, I always considered a packet of ketchup in the hands of a student was an invitation to mischief.  I always considered a ketchup packet to be a potential ketchup launcher.
• It is a sad state of affairs when the government gets involved in the distribution of ketchup in schools.  
• I have eaten the commodities which are part of school lunch programs.  It is pretty horrible stuff.  I cannot blame students for wanting to cover up the taste with ketchup.
• Isn't ketchup a vegetable?
• Is mustard also included in this limitation?  What about salt and pepper?  
• Maybe entrepreneurial students will find ways to make money by starting up a black market ketchup business.

Random Political Thoughts

Some more quick thoughts about politics:

• There seems to be so much angst over whether Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.  I say, "Ask Israel."
• I do not think the matter of taking reference to God out of the Democrats indicates that the Democrats are godless.  However, it does indicate a shyness on their part to declare their belief in God.  I think that is sad.
• It seems that the official fact-checkers in the media need to have fact-checkers.
• My impression is that the Democrats look angrier than the Republicans.  The big question, though, will be which group will be more energized and gets to the polls in higher numbers.  Right now, I think the Republicans have the edge.
• One of the most audacious speeches was made by Harry Reid who accused the Republicans of obstructing the work of the Congress.  This is the same Harry Reid who has orchestrated over 1200 days of NOT passing a budget.
• I think the Democrats are making a mistake in going as far as they have on the issue of abortion.  They have changed a previous plank which described abortion as safe, legal, and rare into one which says abortion should be safe, legal, and tax-funded.  One poll I have seen indicates that only 25% of Americans want that.  There are plenty more that support abortion, but do not feel that American taxpayers ought to pay for it.
• I continue to ask myself why in the world Jewish voters would support the Democrat Party, especially with Barack Obama on their ticket.  It makes absolutely no sense when you see his actions and policies.
• Headlining Ted Kennedy and Bill Clinton is certainly interesting, especially since the Democrats are trying to portray the GOP as fighting a War on Women.
• I side with the folks who say that the decision to move the President's speech indoors is not just a decision made based on the weather.  I think they had real trouble filling the seats.  All along, they had been speaking in terms of "rain or shine" when discussing potential weather concerns.  I also think they were horrified by the possibility of the GOP making hay out of the "empty chair" meme.
• I know the Democrats are not about to mention Fast and Furious, but I would like the GOP to attempt to make that policy a part of the campaign conversation.

Labor Day Thoughts

   As we celebrate Labor Day, I choose to vent a little bit about labor and labor unions in America.

• Way too many people in the USA have left the labor market.  Some have been put in this position because of economic conditions.  Others just simply choose not to work.  These would rather let the government take care of them.
• Labor unions have way too much power.  There was at one time when these unions served a valuable purpose.  Now these unions have transitioned from organizations which basically serve the interests of their leadership and have developed into forces which attempt to exert their influence upon the government.
• Only 12% of the work force belong to labor unions.  The campaign contributions made possible by the dues of these workers go almost exclusively to the Democratic Party.  Many of those workers would rather have their funds go to support the Republicans or to no party at all but are powerless to do anything about it.
• The auto industry buyout can described as a buyout program more for the UAW than as a buyout of the companies.  Investors in those companies lost their money while the pensions of the workers were maintained.
• Delphi, a company which is important to the auto industry, was not part of the bailout because they were non-union.  Those workers lost their jobs and their pensions.
• It is sad that the party that now controls the Presidency is one that claims to be so supportive of the laborers in this country is really the party which is just feeding at the trough of the labor bosses.  We can see what this approach has done to our economy.  It is time for a change in leadership.

Things Missing at the RNC

   Here is a list of things which were not very much in the highlight at the RNC, despite a few of them getting some minimum attention.  I suppose there are reasons for this.  I just list them as something that I observed.

• War
• Foreign policy
• Iran/N. Korea
• The HHS mandate
• Freedom of religion
• Immigration
• Right to life
• Naming Supreme Court Justices
• EPA regulations
• Solyndra and other green energy failures
• Fast and Furious
• Voter ID laws

   If you can think of others, I would love to hear your suggestions.

A Stable Full

   I recently visited Grant's Farm in St. Louis and saw the stables being used to house and breed the great Clydesdale horses.  It was especially meaningful to me to see the young, elegant Clydesdale colts which were the future of the Clydesdale breed.  They were beautiful. 
   Especially after listening to two straight nights full of speeches by prominent and not-so-prominent Republicans, I have come to the conclusion that the GOP has a stable full of up-and-coming, talented, and principled future leaders.  That stable is full of governors who are now leading their states out of economic misery and into fiscal stability.  It is full of men and women from a multitude of diverse backgrounds.  They are articulate, honorable, respectful people who love our country and its heritage.  It appears to me that the future of our country may be in very good hands, assuming that our country has not already become too far gone into a dependent mentality and they can get elected.
   At the same time, it seems to me that the Democrat stable is not full of thoroughbreds.  I would describe them as old, worn-out nags, no longer able to accomplish anything useful.  I keep trying to identify good, young leadership coming out of the Democrat Party, even when I try to think like a liberal.  They just don't seem to be there.  In fact, what seems to be true of the Democrat Party right now is that many of their politicians are hiding in the bushes, waiting for President Obama to fade off into the distance so they can once again be proud of their party.  The fact that so many of them are not attending the DNC is evidence of that.  I don't doubt that they will make a comeback, but I think it will be a while before they recover from Pres. Obama's failure.
  Heaven help us if the Democrats are able to hold onto their power after the upcoming election.  This vote in November is crucial.  We can our nation's pride back, and maintain it for a good, long time.

Let's Get It Over With

   If the polls are right (and I am very leery of polls) there is only a small percentage of Americans who have not made up their minds about the candidate that will get their vote.  I wish we could just get it over with.  Let's go to the polls right now.  Forget the conventions.  Forget the campaign ads.  Forget the robo-calls.  Forget the debates.  Forget the political speeches.  And let's take all the money which has been contributed to the candidates and give it to the American Red Cross for disaster relief.  I think most Americans would throw parties to celebrate NOT having to put up with politics for the next two months.

Sounds Like I Am an Extremist

   Wow!  President Obama (and almost every Democrat as well) describes Mitt Romney as supporting "extreme" policies.  The first thing I consider is what words he would use to describe my positions.  I look at Mitt Romney as one who has reluctantly moved his positions slightly to the right only as a result of his hearing that those positions are held by so many Americans  that he may lose some votes if he didn't make such a move.  I have not been very supportive of the Romney nomination because he seems to be a moderate to me.
  Obama's very carefully crafted words are merely being used to paint Mitt Romney in a way that he and his campaign think will get people to vote for the President.  I happen to think they are wrong in their assessment of the way many Americans are thinking.  The Obama Campaign is also trying to tie Mitt Romney to the misguided words of Todd Akin.  Mitt Romney has been very clear in stating that he in no way agrees with Rep. Akin.  In fact, I think a more powerful argument can be made that the President is the one who espouses "extreme" positions, like his stance of supporting late-term abortions.
   President Obama has no record of which he can be proud.  He is choosing the option of trying to destroy the reputation of his opponent. 
   By the way, wouldn't you define an extreme view as being one which is only supported by a fringe group of the populace? 

There's A Lot of War Going On but No War on Women

   What is the opposite of pro-life?  It is not pro-choice.  It is anti-life.  Here are some of my thoughts on abortion and the so-called War on Women.

• The only "choice" that Democrats are interested in is the choice to have an abortion.  They are attempting to take away just about all other types of choices we Americans have.
• I submit that if there is a War on Women being waged by the Republicans, then there must be a War on Little Lives (Babies) being waged by the Democrats.  It is the Democrats that have blood on their hands.
• I recently was told that a "life" was being terminated in an abortion, but not a "person".  Accusations are often made that Republicans are ignorant about science, or that they are ignoring science.  I ask those accusers how you could possibly come up with a scientific study to document at what  precise point a life becomes a person.  There is no science behind such a belief, nor can there be.
• It is also much more apparent to me that there is a War on Religion (more specifically, Christianity) being waged by the Democrats.  The HHS mandate is evidence of that.  What is astounding is that the Democrats see in the Republicans' defense of the freedom of religion to be a War on Women.  Not only that, Democrats do not see anything wrong with forcing a business, in this case, the health insurance industry, to provide a product to consumers at no cost.  In others words, they are required to give someone something free.  They even claim that women have a RIGHT to, not only contraceptives, but FREE contraceptives.
• Some of these required drugs are abortion-causing drugs.  Forcing religious institutions to provide these to their workers violates their religious tenets.  There is no War on Women here.  There is a war on innocent lives.
• Conservatives are constantly being portrayed as being mean-spirited, violent, and intolerant.  Are conservatives the ones who promote the killing of innocent lives?
• Planned Parenthood continues to be the place where the most abortions are performed in America.  That number keeps rising.  Our Federal government continues to give this organization subsidies.  Our tax money continues to go there.  They get by with this by saying that none of that money is used for abortions.  Americans should be able to figure out that that is just spin.  This support should stop immediately.
• There are almost as many abortions amongst African-American women in large urban areas such as New York City as there are births.  Why, oh why, are the Democrats not crying out with all their might that this is outrageous?  Why isn't the African-American community up in arms over this?  Why are a disproportionate number of blacks being aborted than any others?  Shouldn't the ACLU be raising a royal stink about this?  Yet it's the conservatives that are the ones being portrayed as having no compassion.  They are the ones who want to put a stop to this.
• If conservatives are fighting a War on Women, does this mean that conservative women are fighting against their own kind?  And most men, whether conservative or not, know better than to fight against women.  If anything, another war that is being fought is the one being fought by the Democrats against conservative women.  Consider the treatment of Michelle Bachmann and Sarah Palin, just to name a few.
• The GOP is not conducting a War on Women.  This concept must be some more of that fairy dust or snake venom.  And the real reason why this concept is being promoted is to distract America during an election season from that fact that our country is going down the toilet under the present leadership.
• I take some comfort in the fact that polls indicate that more people agree with me than with the Democrats on the issue of abortion.  It is not even that close these days.

Remember the Constitution

   If you do a study of the word "remember" as it used in the Bible, you will find out that it means more than just recalling something that has happened in the past.  It means that when you remember something, you make it meaningful to the present time.  When we are told to remember Christ's suffering, it is intended for us to make that event apply to our present life.  When we are told that God will not remember our sins, it does not mean that God has a lousy memory.  How can that be?  It means that those sins remain in our past and do not have meaning for today.  They no longer apply.
   Having said this, I would submit to you that the same type of meaning ought to be given to the word when we say that we should remember the Constitution.  It is not just a historical document.  It is not just a fact that should be part of a history class in school that on which our children get tested.  The U.S. Constitution should be applicable to what is going on in the present, not just something that happened in the past. 
   There is a movement which minimizes the Constitution nowadays, saying that it no longer is relevant.  Not so!  If anything, the Constitution should be MORE relevant today than ever before.  In a way similar to how the once-meaningful slogan, "Remember the Alamo", we should now be proclaiming, "Remember the Constitution."

Akin is Mistaken

   I suppose I ought to write some thoughts I have on the Todd Akin circus.

• His controversial remarks were not just misspoken, he was stupid to say them.  
• It is a shame that a man's whole career is likely to be ruined over one sentence.
• This scenario once again illustrates, at least in my perspective, the double standards that exist in America when you compare how the media responds to GOP missteps and how they respond to Democrat missteps.  Just look at how they handle the almost endless list of gaffes made by our Vice President.
• About a month ago, a Minnesota lawmaker was caught having oral sex with a teenager.  As of today, he has not resigned.  I also ask you if you have even heard the story reported?
• It appears to me that Republican politicians usually apologize when they mess up (and they should).  They also usually end up resigning in disgrace.  However, in similar situations, Democrat politicians do not appear to think that similar behavior is even wrong, and they on occasion even become heroic in the eyes of the media in the long run.  Sen. Kennedy and President Clinton come to mind.
• By the way, one thing that astounds me is that there are plenty liberals who state that they think there are double standards from the media in the other direction.
• As one who believes that life begins at conception, I do not think it matters what the circumstances are that caused that life.  It is still a life and should not be terminated.  Ideally, that decision should be made by the mother.  What is REALLY wrong is government money being used to fund abortions.  Arguments can be made that this is not happening, but I submit that it indeed is happening.   I get sick when I think that some of my tax money is being used to commit murder.
• I am also appalled that Pres. Obama has always gotten a pass on the fact that he supported legislation that would have legalized infanticide.
• Regardless of who is on the ballot in November, I will not be voting for Sen. McCaskill.  This is a matter of doing what is best for the future of America.

A Sweet First Kiss

    A plaque has been placed at a Baskins Robbins location to mark the spot of Michelle and Barack Obama’s first kiss.  I have several thoughts and questions about this.
• It is certainly interesting that Baskin Robbins was at one point in time rescued by Bain Capital.
• Did Barack ask for the kiss or did Michelle?
• Do you think Michelle is happy with this monument being placed at an ice cream joint, considering her efforts to get young people to make wise nutritional decisions?
• Will this plaque cause more youngsters to have some ice cream at this location, and will this contribute to the so-called obesity epidemic?
• Do YOU remember the location and circumstances of you first kiss with your spouse?
• Will the President visit this location and tell the owner, “You didn’t build that, I did.”
• Did Bain Capital rescue Baskin Robbins in order to cause more Americans to die of obesity?  Should the Obama Campaign turn this into a campaign ad?
• Will the President count the work done on this monument as jobs that he created?

Thoughts on the First Day of School

  Here in my hometown, today is the first day of school.  I will share a few of my thoughts on the quality of education in America which, in my opinion, has gone downhill..

• There should be higher expectations of students in the basic courses.  Too much emphasis is made on whether the students are enjoying themselves in school. 
• The problems in today's government schools will not be solved by throwing more tax money at them.
• There is no need for a Federal Department of Education.  The control of the schools should be as localized as possible.  America does not need one-size-fits-all approach to education.
• One huge problem in the government schools is the amount of influence that the public employee labor unions have on the system.  For one thing, way too much tax money is being directed to pension plans instead of being used to benefit students.  Secondly, we all know that so much of the money collected as dues by these organizations is being directed to the Democrat Party, much of it from members who have different political viewpoints.
• I am outraged that right now the present administration in Washington is placing new regulations on parochial schools concerning health care mandates and contraception/abortion.  Even if you ignore the doctrinal issues, these mandates, if permitted, will cause the cost of educating a student to go up.  In the economic climate we have now, it has become more difficult to get parents to commit to paying tuition to get a Christian education.  Many schools are closing.  I happen to think that the present administration likes that trend.
• Schools in America apparently need to be doing a better job of teaching the development and content of the U.S. Constitution.  Today's political discourse indicates that there are great misunderstandings about the importance of the Constitution in the operation of our country.
• The task of the teacher is much harder now.  I think the biggest cause of this is that students and parents have less respect for teachers.  Parents, more so than ever, will believe just about anything their children tell them about their teachers.  Parents need to have the teachers' backs.  Teachers have been put on the defensive these days.  That should not be.
• I am still on the fence about school vouchers.  I just cannot seem to get past the idea that as government money is deposited into the parochial schools, it comes with a large amount of strings attached.  I fear the loss of control in the parochial schools.

Much more can be said. There could be another post on this topic in the future.

Fear Not

    After the Ryan pick, we have already heard the horror stories about how he is bad news for seniors.  I am a senior, and he does not scare me.  I do not think I am going to be thrown off a cliff.  In fact, I have more worries about my medical future from Obamacare.  I think most seniors are more concerned about the future of their grandchildren than they are about their own interests.  They do not want their grandchildren to grow up in a country that has gone bankrupt.  They also do not want their grandchildren to live in a socialist country.  If you ask yourself which party has a fiscally responsible plan for America's future, you must conclude that it is coming from the GOP side.  The Democrats are trying to paint a picture that is not reality.  Seniors are not selfish.  Do not believe their scare tactics.

Thoughts on the Ryan Pick

• Paul Ryan is, in my opinion, the best person in America to present fiscal concerns and solutions to the American people.  He is brilliant.
• Having said that, one of my concerns is that he would no longer be on the Budget Committee in the House.  I would hope the GOP can find an adequate replacement.
• From a Tea Party perspective, Ryan is the better part of the team running for the GOP.
• The Democrats will ramp up their attacks, saying that Ryan is a dangerous choice for seniors, ignoring the fact that the Ryan budget does not affect those who are already on Medicare and on Social Security.
• My hope is that younger Americans will buy into Ryan's message and NOT want to be part of an entitlement nation.
• Ryan has a beautiful family.  Start praying for them.  Even if they do not get attacked, they are going to have to watch their loved one get viciously attacked by Chicago-style politics.
• The Ryan pick ought to turn the conversation back to the important issues of improving our economy, reducing our debt, and tightening our belts.  But will it?
• I am guessing that very few Americans really know who Paul Ryan is.  I am going to enjoy watching him impress them with his ideas.
• I am really looking forward to the VP debate.  The big question in my mind, though, is whether the folks asking the questions will even approach asking about money issues.  I am betting they will try to focus on foreign affairs.
• As a values voter myself, Ryan is now the best of the four people running with regards to social issues.
• I have already seen a comment online about this ticket as being the best ticket of all time when it comes to hair. Makes me giggle.
• Ryan should get the "Packers" vote, but will probably lose the "Vikings" vote.
• All in all, I think it is a good choice.

Positive News Day

There have been so many days in which the news seems to be so bad.  Today is not one of them.  Here are some reasons why.

• There has been an incredible outpouring of support for Chick-fil-A today.  I don't think this is so much an anti-gay movement as it is a statement about how America thinks about the effort to stifle freedom of religion.  They are fed up.
• A coalition of black pastors has spoken out against the President's support of gay marriage, saying their support will not just be based on the color of the President's skin.  They, too, are willing to stand by their Biblical values.
• Senator Reid claims to have been told by a Bain investor that Mitt Romney went ten years without paying taxes.  This claim is completely unsubstantiated.  This may sound like bad news, but it shows how desperate the Democrats are.  They must know that President Obama is in deep trouble going into this election.  And he is.
• Now the big one.  Texas Republicans rejected an establishment man and instead showed their support for Tea Party candidate, Ted Cruz.  This is monumental.  It should send shudders throughout not only the Democrats, but also all moderate Republicans.  Mitt Romney is going to have to sit up and take notice, too, and make sure he maintains a conservative stance on the issues.  There is a large groundswell of support for Constitutional conservatism in America.  Another lesson from this election is that people should learn that they should not be influenced by polls.  This was a classic case of the attempted use of polls to manipulate the election.  It did not work.

America's Perception

In a recent poll, only 50% of respondents said that President Obama is a Christian. Seventeen percent said he is a Muslim. I would like to think that if I were President, that people would be certain that I am a Christian.

A Vent of Olympic Proportions

I'm an Olympic cynic these days.  Why?
1.  I'm not an NBC fan.
2.  The coverage will be used to promote NBC programming.
3.  The coverage will be heavy on events that have judges decide the winner.  Not a fan of those.
4.  I checked the DirecTV listings  for the Olympics.  In 138 listings, 59 of them included gymnastics.  Since I'm not a fan of that, it discourages my viewing.
5.  I'm old-school.  I liked it when athletes were all amateurs.
6.  There will be too much coverage of the celebrities who are attending.
7.  There's always too much "up close and personal" stuff and not enough of the actual athletic events.
8.  The opening ceremonies have become sensationalized...like the Super Bowl halftime show.  I don't watch that either.
I still am likely to tune in on occasion, but it will not take much to get me to tune out if I do not care for the coverage. You folks who are fans of the Olympics....enjoy. I will probably watch some baseball.

Bad Investment?

The word is out that the Colorado shooter had a $26,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health. The worst case scenario is that he used this money to buy weapons. The best case is that it was just another Solyndra-like "investment" by our Federal government that did not turn out well.

Real War on Women

There really is a War on Women. It's a war fought by the progressives against conservative women. Just ask the likes of Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachmann, etc. The amount of hatred these women are confronted with is huge.

Resurrection of Racism

   All right, maybe that is an exaggeration.  Racism is not dead.  However, I think it has at least been put in hospice care.  Yet, despite the fact that great strides have been made in our country during my lifetime in the area of race relations, there are some who would like to tell America that racism is still a big problem here.
   Let's face it.  The Democrats rely on victims in order to win.  They have to make victims of as many Americans as possible.  This election cycle has shown a ramped-up effort to increase the level of victimhood.  Women, Hispanics, African-Americans, gays, etc. have all been targeted by the Democrats.  They have all been portrayed by the Obama Campaign as victims who need to be helped by the government. 
   No mention is made of the advancements that have been made in America.  Most of the people I know do not spend their time worrying about what someone's race is.  They simply do not consider it as important.  They do not judge a person by the color of their skin.
   What is objectionable to me is the fact that conservative folks like me are painted as racists.  It is simply not true.  But I know why it is done.  Without conservatives being perceived as racists, it is not likely that the President will be re-elected.  In my opinion, it is not going to work this time around.  The President simply has no record to stand on.
   I wish people would put racism to its eternal rest in hell and not try to resurrect it again.

Not All Are Government Teachers

   Recently, President Obama referred to everyone having teachers to thank for their success.  I agree with that to an extent, but you cannot always say that those teachers were government teachers.  I am a rare person.  I NEVER had a teacher hired by a government in all my years of schooling from Kindergarten through graduating from college.  I always attended Lutheran schools.  In my opinion, I think our country would be better off if more of the nation's students were attending schools that are NOT run by a government.  Maybe more excellent teachers would be hired by non-governmental schools and not be stifled by their positions in government schools.  Maybe fewer people would agree with the President that our success is not our own, it is attributable to the government.

Krauthammer Hammers Obammer

Did the State Make You Great?

What's the Difference?

Based on how politicians make their pitches for votes, I would come to the following conclusions: 1. Republicans must be people who like to work extra hard to make a good income which they would like to keep for themselves by keeping the government out of their lives. 2. Democrats must be people who work (or not), yet would like to have access to other people's money by utilizing the government. I do not think either of these portrayals are entirely correct, but they do come reasonably close. These are also generalizations only. Certainly not every American can be pigeon-holed into one or the other. For me, the important question is this: Which party is more closely in line with operating a government as outlined by the U.S. Constitution?

Alternative America

I must be visiting an alternative America. In this alternative America we have a President who says that if you are successful, it was not because of your hard work. In this America, a "squeaky clean" Mitt Romney is being portrayed as a felon. In this America, the President who refuses to provide documents about his past has his campaign demanding that his opponent release at least ten years of tax records. In this America, photo ID's are required for numerous circumstances, but you dare not require such a thing in order to vote at the polls. in this America, we have managed to elect a socialist as our President. Maybe someday I'll wake up and find out I've been just having a nightmare.

More Random Questions

• (I believe I've asked this one before)  How can anyone of the Jewish faith even consider voting to re-elect our President?
• When the employees of the Department of Defense lose their jobs because of this administration's policies, will they be included as jobs lost by the Labor Department?  Will they be factored into the unemployment figures?
• Are you as tired as I am of the class warfare being promoted by this administration?
• It seems to me that the Obama Campaign is desperate.  All they seem to want to do is attack Romney's character and not mention the President's record.  Is that all they have?  (I know the answer to this one.)
• Is what Neal Boortz tweated correct?  That the choice we have is getting a check from Obama or a paycheck by electing Romney?
• Has the American public been intentionally dumbed down about how America and its Constitution were started?  Have the reputations of the Founding Fathers been tarnished?
• Have you heard that ALL of the states with newly-elected GOP governors have unemployment rates that are going down?  EVERY one of them!
• Was the Andy Griffith Show the last TV sit-com that portrayed a father as a decent, responsible person?  In other words, NOT as a moron?

Obama Administration Says "Don't Read...."

The Obama Administration today wrote that we "We should not read too much into one jobs report." I just saw on a website that this very phrase has been used in at least 30 of these statements about jobs reports by this administration. I wonder how many of these lousy reports we are going to have to get before we CAN read something into it.

The Law I Passed

Today, President Obama said, "The law I passed is here to stay." First of all, how long has he gone without acknowledging the healthcare law? He has been avoiding talking about this legislation for a long time because it would have been bad for him politically. Now that the Supreme Court has ruled, I guess he will lay claim to it once again. Secondly, it exhibits amazing audacity for him to make it sound like he alone passed that bill. I am not surprised though. The President has always appeared full of himself to me. More importantly, this is a call to patriots everywhere to work to prove the President wrong. If it IS here to stay, America will never be the same. And that is not a good thing.

One for the Team

Change Back

   I still believe this is the country that has the greatest amount of freedoms in the world.  In comparison, we are still the best.  Yet I see the gap between us and others as narrowing, and NOT because we are getting even more freedoms.  Our freedoms have been eroding.  This has been a long, slow process until recently.  Under the Obama administration, a jackhammer has been used to destroy our freedoms.  It is no longer a slow process. 
   What do we do about it?  If we want the country of which the Founding Fathers would be proud, we need to change the leadership in this country.  We need a new President.  We need to get control of the Senate.  We need to keep control of the House.  We even need to get rid of some of the wishy-washy Republicans that always want to compromise.  This is NOT the time to compromise.  It is time to stick to the basic principles upon which this country was founded.  Our opportunity to do this comes this November. 
   If we continue down the road we are on, we will end up a socialist country.  To a great extent, we are there already.  Every time socialism has been tried, it has failed.  Hopefully we have learned from others' mistakes. 

Did Pelosi Misspeak?

   Maybe Nancy Pelosi should have said that you have to pass the bill in order to find out what's NOT in it.

The Small Fine Print

   Please tell me if I am wrong.  If you want to stop a bad behavior with a fine, wouldn't you make the fine larger than the cost a person would have to pay if they did NOT pay the fine?  It seems to me that a low fine becomes merely a way to collect revenue, not an effort to change the bad behavior.  If the fine is small enough, people will make the choice to pay the fine rather than change their behavior.
   It seems to me that this is what is happening with Obamacare.  The fine (which has now been declared a tax) is so much smaller than paying the high premiums of health insurance, will cause many to choose the fine.  As a result, the number of people who have no health insurance will increase.  And why would the government want this to happen?  It appears to me that the reason the government is doing this is because the WANT the bad behavior to get worse, so that they can institute a different approach to health insurance in America.  They want the government to take over the entire healthcare business.  They want a single payer system.  They want the ultimate mechanism to control the lives of our people.....the control of our health.  This administration wants to control our behavior, not allow us to be free.
   I am going to do what I can to influence people to vote in such a way as to return our country to the type of country as envisioned by our Founding Fathers....the ones who were willing to die to have the freedoms that we used to have.

Thoughts on the SCOTUS Decision

• Obamacare has now become an incredibly large tax increase on Americans and American businesses.  Granted, this is because the SCOTUS changed the word "mandate" into the word "tax".
• I am baffled that the SCOTUS can make a decision to change the intent of a law while declaring it constitutional.  The debate leading to this bill's passage was filled with people, including the President, claiming the mandate was NOT  a tax.
• It appears to me that the people who are going to suffer the most from this tax will be the ones making less than $250,000, the very people the President has said will not have a penny added to their taxes.
• Obamacare is not really about getting people treated for their health problems.  It is about the government taking control of people's lives.  It limits Americans' freedoms.  As such, it is imperative that Obamacare gets repealed.  This is true regardless of today's decision.
• Sadly, this is why I am not that thrilled that the GOP has to rely on Mitt Romney to carry out this task.  He is the one who championed Romneycare in Massachusetts.  His credibility on this issue is tainted.  I only take comfort in the fact that he is an incredibly better choice than Barack Obama.
• I did not hear the President say the word "tax" in his talk today.  I do not think he will be using that term.  That means the Republicans will have to go out of their way to use it as often as possible when discussing Obamacare.
• The Federal government has now been told that they can tax the American people on things that they DON'T buy.  That is an incredibly scary thought.  A huge can of worms has been opened.
• I have yet to personally experience how the "Affordable Care Act" has resulted in my health insurance being more affordable.  I also have yet to talk to anyone else who has found that their costs have gone down.
• Obamacare is another policy that will lead this country down the same road that Greece has traveled.  We are worse off as a country financially as a result of this bill.  It will only get worse if it gets completely implemented.  We are on the road to bankruptcy.
• I think Justice Roberts has taken a stick and pounded on a hornets' nest.  Americans are going to be even more energized now to vote the President out of office.  It make me consider that Roberts had this in mind when making his decision.
• It is once again time for the Tea Party to assert its voice in the next elections.  We need conservatives in as many offices as possible.  It is my hope that the conservative voices are heard.  This blog is my attempt to influence people in this direction.  I know I have to do more than that.

No Respect

Attorney General Eric Holder lost my respect a long time ago. It is not so much because of the Fast and Furious scandal. I will give him the benefit of the doubt that there are some documents that may rightly be withheld. What really continues to bother me to this day is how the person who is supposed to be head of law enforcement in this country refuses to prosecute two members of the New Black Panthers when there is video proof that they were intimidating voters at a polling place in Philadelphia. That was clearly a violation of the law. Basically, the reason he is not prosecuting is that they are black. He is giving people a "get out of jail free" card to people based on their race. That will get no respect from me. Period.

Civil War?

   I think we are presently involved in a civil war in this country.  It is not a civil war where citizens are shooting guns at one another.  It has certain similarities to the well-known Civil War, but it is also much different.  It is a war of ideologies.
   In the present civil war, the fight is between those who think that states are sovereign and those who think that the Federal government should have as much power as possible.  It is a civil war which pits those who admire how the Founding Fathers established this country, designing the Constitution to form the framework for its governance, against those who think the Constitution is an out-dated document and should be changed or eliminated.  It is a civil war in which one side has as its leader one who thinks he has the right to pick and choose which laws he will enforce as the head of the Executive Branch.  The other side respects the balance of powers as described in the Constitution.  The Attorney General has contributed to this war by bringing lawsuits against several states over several different issues.  Several states have taken the bull by the horns and filed lawsuits against the Federal government over the provisions in Obamacare.  This civil war is basically one in which one side wants to transform our country into one with an entirely different structure against the other side which would like to return our country to the type of country our Framers envisioned.
   So far, there is little or no loss of life in this civil war.  I do wonder whether that will continue.  It is starting to look like more and more folks on the left side of the political spectrum are considering some sort of violent revolution if their side comes out on the short side of future elections.  One of the truly great things about America's history is that we have ALWAYS had a peaceful hand-off of power from one administration to the next.  I pray that Americans will choose to continue to live in peace with other Americans.  We certainly do not need an un-Civil War.

Lack of Execution

   After the Supreme Court upheld part of the Arizona immigration law today, the Department of Homeland Security declared they would not honor some calls for assistance from the state of Arizona.  I find it shameful that the Executive Branch of our government is so dead set on NOT enforcing the immigration laws of this country.  They seem to think that they can pick and choose which laws they will enforce.  As I have said so many times before, we need a new Executive.

Nancy Nonsense

Nancy Pelosi says that charging AG Eric Holder with contempt is because he is the one who will prevent the GOP from suppressing the vote in this country. Does she not remember that Holder is the one who refused to pursue charges against two New Black Panthers who were attempting to suppress the vote in Philadelphia?

You Can't Make This Stuff Up

Two things happened today. 1. Sheila Jackson-Lee blames President George W. Bush for the Fast and Furious scandal. 2. President Obama invokes executive privilege, thus preventing Attorney General Holder from having to turn over Fast and Furious documents. My question: Are we supposed to conclude that President Obama is trying to protect Presient Bush's reputation?

Questions about our President's Golf Game

• President Obama just completed his 100th round of golf during his Presidency.  I wonder how many times he has BROKEN 100.
• When the President plays golf, does he redistribute his score to the others in his foursome so that they have the same score at the end of the round?  It would only be the fair thing to do, right?
• How many mulligans are given to the President per round?
• How many "gimme" putts are given when he plays?
• How many golfers are outraged when they find out their tee times are cancelled because the President wants to play their course?
• Does his administration count the person who takes the flag out of the hole as a "green" job?  Is that a job that he has created or saved?

President's Press Briefing

    I just got to listen to a portion of President Obama's news conference this morning.  The grandchildren kept me from listening to a lot of it, and for that, I am thankful.  I continue to be amazed how he can stand up before the American people and make the outrageous statements that he makes.  Then he takes a softball question from a reporter and dominates ten more minutes of time spewing forth his talking points.  I think he is on the ropes.  He is desperate.  He continues to push blame on others, while at the same time he takes credit for things that are not even happening. 
    We need a new President.  One who leads.

Lessons from Wisconsin

• The Democrats were guilty of over-reaching in this recall effort.
• Polls, especially exit polls, should be ignored.  I now take from the exit polls the exact opposite result to be the most likely result.
• President Obama abandoned the unions.  President Obama abandoned Wisconsin.
• President Obama was a big loser in this election.
• The one who should learn the most from the Wisconsin recall effort is Mitt Romney.  The lesson he should learn is that a staunch conservative stance is a winning position.  There is no need to pander to the middle.
• American voters are fed up with fiscal irresponsibility.
• Many Americans now realize that there is a conflict of interest between public employee unions (especially their leadership) and the government.  Those unions provide a slush fund for the Democrat Party, and much of that money comes from folks that are not Democrats.
• No politician should be fearful of labor unions.
• Many people are now of the opinion that the use of recalls is overdone.
• Major progress can be made in deficit reduction without raising taxes.  Conservative policies work.

A Different Reality

Unbelievable! Some in the leftist media say that the real winner in the Wisconsin elections last night was President Obama. Dream on!

More Disgusting News from the Justice Department

The state of Florida is making efforts to ensure that future elections are not filled with election fraud. They want to purge the rolls of those who are not legal residents or are dead. However, the U.S. Department of Justice has stepped in to stop their efforts. I can think of no other motivation for this action other than the fact that most of the illegals or ones who would use a dead person's name to vote would be voting for Democrats. What is indeed outrageous is that the Democrats try to paint the GOP as a party that wants to make sure that certain people do not have the opportunity to vote. Don't you think that America can ensure that all legitimate citizens get the opportunity to vote without fraud being part of the process? I certainly do.

Taking Sides

    The Holder Department of Justice is a travesty.  At a meeting with black pastors yesterday, he told them that there is a concerted effort being made to suppress the right to vote in America.  Does he really think that there are conservatives in America who do not want any certain sector of people to have the right to vote?  Yes, there is an effort to pass voter ID laws, but those are meant to eliminate voter fraud, not suppress the right to vote.  If there is anyone working to suppress the vote in America, it may well be Eric Holder himself.  He is the one who chose not to pursue charges against Black Panthers who were intimidating voters in Philadelphia. 
    Holder's record on obstructing state laws from being enforced in states like Arizona just give more evidence of the travesty that the Justice Department is.  It is an embarrassment to this country and its justice system.  This is not justice.  It is taking sides.  This is just one of so many reasons to elect a new President this November.

Miscellaneous Thoughts

• America has never before had a major Presidential candidate who was running against the free market and capitalism.
• It has taken a long time for me to get bold enough to say this.  Many politicians mislead, distort facts, put their spin on stories, and tiptoe their way around questions.  This President does that and more.  He lies.
• The mainstream media is being completely irresponsible by NOT covering the story of the Catholic churches who are suing the Federal government over the HHS mandate.
• It completely baffles me why anyone who is Jewish would even consider voting for President Obama.
• Tea Party candidates continue to make inroads.  The Tea Party is NOT dead.
• Don't believe the mainstream media.  Don't pay attention to polls.
• Planned Parenthood has been shown assisting a woman who wanted an abortion because she wanted a boy, not a girl.  And it's the GOP that has a War on Women?????

Temporarily Non-Grumpy

With us hosting two grandchildren here all week, I haven't been very grumpy lately. I guess you could say that I haven't been very curmudgeonly. Maybe next week I'll feel like venting again.

I Guess It Was a War FOR Women

a New CBS/NYT poll indicates that women prefer Romney to Obama 46% to 44%. That poll is certainly not done by a right wing organization. Quite the opposite. Looks like portraying the GOP as conducting a War on Women is an absolute flop.

Real Unintended Consequences

In an effort to distract voters fr on the President's record of failure, The Obama Campaign has delved into the area of social issues. I guess they figure that the GOP will come out looking bad on these issues. They have now tried free contraceptives and gay marriage as decoys to get the attention away from the President's dismal failure with the economy. I am thinking that this may turn out to have a different result than they anticipated. It appears to me that a large segment of the American people have been energized in their opposition to the President because of his stances on these moral and religious issues. What is next? I suspect the progressives will manage to use well manipulated polls to project an image that most Americans agree with the President. And of course the mainstream media will continue their efforts to paint conservatives as intolerant monsters. Don't believe any of it. It will be a smoke screen.

Eroding, Not Evolving

   Much is being made these days of President Obama's "evolving" ideas about gay marriage.  I have been contemplating a similar concept for some time now about what is happening in America, only I would not refer to the process as evolution.  I refer to the change that is happening as erosion.
   Over the years since the founding of our country, changes have been made to the very framework of our government.  The US Constitution provided the foundation upon which our country was to be built.  That foundation, made up of very basic principles, has been chipped away slowly, but intentionally.  The changes to our country have been made in very small increments.  For the most part, Americans did not even notice the changes as they occurred.  That is the way erosion works.  It is a very slow process.  It is also a very destructive process. 
   I think what is finally happening these days is that more and more people are noticing the damage which has been done to our country.  We see that our foundation is crumbling.  Yet, we have another group of people in our country who would rather that our foundation crumble so that they could build an entirely different country.  To them, this change is what they want.  They refer to it as evolution, as if the change they want is a beneficial change.
   Not me.  I see it as erosion.  I love our country the way the founders designed it.  Our principles are eroding.  What is needed is some principle repair.  Also, we have to always be vigilant.  We must be alert for all the efforts to make those small, seeming meaningless, changes that progressives want to make which will corrupt our principles.  One of the processes used to bring about this erosion is compromise.  It seems every compromise brings another tiny chink in our foundation.  It is never a time to compromise our founding principles.  We cannot let go of our freedom and liberty.

Good Results

Several good things took place at the polls yesterday. In Indiana, A Tea Party candidate won in a primary battle with a 36 year veteran of Congress who has a record of RINO tendencies. It was not even close. In Wisconsin, GOP voters far outnumbered the Dem voters. This is amazing because the Democratic primary was destined to be a much closer race, and Gov. Walker was facing practically no competition. Those two results indicate Tea Party victories. In another vote that was not one that aligns with Tea Party principles, voters in North Carolina chose to prevent future efforts to change the definition of marriage and passed an amendment which defines marriage as that between one man and one woman. This was more a victory for voters who would like our country to remain one which is aligned with God's plans. I think America is not as liberal as the media would like to paint it in their coverage.

More than the White House

  It is certainly imperative that our country elects a new President in November, but if we want the election to make real positive differences in this nation, there is much more to do. 
  Conservatives need to also take back the US Senate.  It is very much in reach for the GOP to do this.  It would also be wonderful to have a filibuster-proof Senate as well, but I do not think that is going to happen this time around.  I know I am going to get great pleasure voting for someone else than Claire McCaskill, and there are several possible good replacements for her that are running against her.
   This is also more than being about removing Democrats from the Congress.  It is also about getting more conservative people elected.  We need to elect people who are going to do the hard work of getting our nation back on track.  We have way too many establishment politicians in Washington.  It is time to get more there who are committed to Tea Party principles.  We are already "settling" on an establishment Republican to run for the White House.  We cannot be satisfied with that type of approach elsewhere.  We need bold leadership.
   Lastly, it is also crucial to get better leadership in state and local elections.  Great strides were made in 2010, and the beginnings of positive changes have taken place already as a result of that election.  The next election sets the stage for a continuation of this trend. 
   The next election should not be just a vote AGAINST somebody.  We need candidates who we can proudly vote FOR.  Our nation is at risk.  Let's do this.

Lessons from Joplin

    I listened to an interview this morning on a radio show with someone who was actively involved with the recovery efforts after the Joplin tornado.  I do not pretend to know much about Joplin.  I have not been there.  However, this gentleman had what I would consider some valuable insights.
   Joplin actually has been rather successful in their efforts to rebuild.  As I listened, I heard some important ingredients in making Joplin generally more successful than other disaster areas in recent years.  One of the reasons for their success is the amount of volunteer help they received from religious and charitable organizations.  These people just showed up and Joplin was willing to let them help.  When FEMA finally showed up on the scene, they were amazed and asked the folks of Joplin where they got all the chainsaws to get all that work done.  They were impressed.
    A more important factor in their success was that the local officials pretty much got out of the way.  They refrained from putting all kinds of restrictions on the volunteers.  They kept their supervision to a minimum.  They relaxed their usual regulations and allowed workers from out of town to come in to be employed.  They ignored the regulations which were there to protect local businesses from competition.  They relaxed normal guidelines required for new construction.  The local government did not try to take advantage of the situation and try to change their city by making zoning changes.  They basically took the attitude that they were going to trust their people to rebuild the city they loved and get the city and their homes and businesses back to the way it once was.  The people of Joplin did not approach the problem they faced by waiting for the Federal government to come in there to fix it and pay for it.  They put on their gloves and got to work.  And they accepted the help of others.  The folks of Joplin are going to end up with a rebuilt town that they can take pride in because it will be their sweat and toil which made it happen.
    There is a valuable lesson to be learned from Joplin.  The American people need a government to provide for an orderly society and provide for its defense, but they do not need a government to solve all their problems.  In many cases, government IS the problem.  A good government is one that recognizes the times when the best thing for it to do is to get out of the way.
    Just a side note.  If I have heard correctly, President Obama has named himself as the graduation speaker for the high school in Joplin this spring.  I predict that he will use that speech to proclaim how instrumental the Federal Government was in the rebuilding of their city.  This thought appalls me.  I hope the President makes the right choice and praises the residents of Joplin for their outstanding successes without taking any credit for himself.  However, based on his past performance, my guess is that he will once again try to spike the football.  In this case, he wasn't even involved in scoring the touchdown.