Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Never let a good crisis go to waste...

Hey everyone! I hope you all have had a great weekend. I have been busy the past few days so haven't been able to reach PDP to update... but over the weekend--Saturday night to be exact--I had the privilige and honor of attending Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck's BOLD FRESH Tour in St. Louis. It was, in a word, incredible! Glenn and Bill each spoke for thirty minutes, giving commentary on current events, both brutally honest while humorous, and to finish, both Fox News anchors went back and forth in a question/answer session. The Bold Fresh Tour was an thoroughly enjoyable night as the seats of Chaifetz Arena at St. Louis University were packed with like-minded Conservatives with one common goal, to restore honor and integrity in this country (though I'm sure there a few protestors lurking somewhere...). It was great to be among fellow Patriots!

http://www.boldfreshtour.com/

Quite a bit has occurred in the last week regarding the Gulf Oil Disaster. If you didn't get a chance to see Obama's speech regarding the oil spill...



I won't comment on the technical aspects of his speech--though the constant hand movements and condescending tone did annoy... but what frustrated me the most was his insistence on moving the country away from oil dependency. Whatever is on your agenda this week, Mr. President, be it a decreased oil dependency, go-green underwear for all your cabinet members or what ever... when there are gallons of crude oil in the thousands each day, could you maybe put your agenda aside and focus on the task at hand? Then, if you must, you can get back to your pointless and unproductive activities...like suing Arizona. And playing golf.

I'm not calling for the government to get their hands in yet another issue and take control, I'm saying that local governments and state governments and the federal government itself HAVE the resources. But the Obama Administration--and BP-- just seem to have other, more important things to tend to.

The scheduled meeting with BP Executives? It was planned to only last 20 minutes.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN16174261

The President indulged in yet another golf game... coincidentally around the same time that BP CEO Tony Hayward took a trip on his yacht.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/nightlinedailyline/2010/06/haywards-yachting-vs-obamas-golfing.html

And possibly the most ridiculous--not necessarily directly related to Obama or BP, but the fact that the US Coast Guard halted barges that were effectively sucking up oil off the Louisiana coast... because there was confusion as to whether life vests and fire extinguishers were on board. The barges sat idle for a day.

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/bp-oil-spill-gov-bobby-jindals-wishes-crude/story?id=10946379

Come on. It's the COAST GUARD! Could the barges not have borrowed a few life vests to continue cleaning up oil?

In his speech addressing the oil catastrophe, Obama stated that “We will fight this spill with everything we’ve got for as long as it takes"... well, sir, so far I am having a very hard time believing that. If you meant it, I think you would have made a statement like this before Day 50 of the spill. If you meant it, I think you would decline a few Ford's Theater concert and former-Beatle performances and golf-outings to take care of business in a country whose Constitution you swore to uphold and defend.

It sadly makes me think of something Obama's Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said awhile ago...



Don't let a good crisis go to waste. Couple that with Obama's promise to decrease oil dependency and what do you have?

Lieberman and Kerry's American Powers Act...Cap and Trade... http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/06/17/17climatewire-conservatives-work-to-tar-cap-and-trade-bill-42785.html.

Never let a good crisis go to waste... just a thought.

I'll leave you to ponder that fact. In the meantime, have a great summer and remember to tell your friends about Present Day Patriots! Thanks for reading, and as always, God Bless America!


Monday, June 14, 2010

June 14th-Flag Day!

Hi again everyone! I posted last night so I encourage you to scroll down to my previous post and check it out. Today is Flag Day, a day commemorating the recognition of the American flag in the Flag Resolution of 1777, which stated:

"Resolved: that the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation."

According to UsFlag.org, the idea to actually commemorate a day specially for the American flag came from a schoolteacher by the name of BJ Cigrad around 1885. He encouraged his students to recognize June 14th as the birthday of the flag. Cigrad continued to push for a more widespread recognition of this date. Other cities and towns followed, namely New York City in 1889, by the influence of another teacher, George Balch.

Many years of informal celebrations commemorating the flag spurred Woodrow Wilson's Proclamation that established the date of June 14th as Flag Day. In August of 1949, President Harry Truman declared June 14th as the National Flag Day.

http://www.usflag.org/history/flagday.html



So there's a little history of June 14th... our flag represents everything that has made our nation great, and we should display it often and respect it not just today, but every day of the year. I found an interesting poem/picture off the group on Facebook "If the American Flag Offends you, I'll be happy to help you pack!"



"Our flag means all that our fathers meant in the Revolutionary War. It means all that the Declaration of Independence meant. It means justice. It means liberty. It means happiness.... Every color means liberty. Every thread means liberty. Every star and stripe means liberty." ~Henry Ward Beecher

"Oh say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave."

Happy Flag Day!

Sunday, June 13, 2010

What Americans Are Made Of

Hi everyone... I hope you're all having a great summer so far. Last night, I watched the movie Pearl Harbor starring Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett.



Now, as a disclaimer, I'll say that, yes, I know, this is yet another instance of historically incorrect, embellished, Hollywood drama-drenched movies that is more love-triangle than historically correct events. But still... it spurred some thoughts that I wanted to share.

Take a look at some of these pictures of the REAL Pearl Harbor that I found through a Google search. This is not Hollywood, this was reality. This was the all-too-real Sunday morning of December 7, 1941 for Americans on the island of O'ahu, Hawaii.











This was, as President Roosevelt said, "... a date which will live in infamy." The attack not only killed over 2,000 American soldiers of the Navy and Marines, but brought the United States into World War Two which took around 500,000 American lives.

My point? Watching the Hollywood version of Pearl Harbor, embellished and dramatized as it may be, was just one small thing that reminded me of why I am proud to be an American. As I watched the actors run towards the simulation of the exploding battleships during the Japanese attack, no doubt a feat in special effects...the plain, everyday people those actors were, that went to work, portrayed a sailor, packed up and went home... I thought of the REAL sailors. The REAL sailors in 1941 that laid down their lives prematurely in service to their country, and those that continued to fight in their stead to defend the Harbor, and later, the nation in a war.

When I watched the actresses that portrayed nurses in the hospital that just overflowed with charred, bloody, dismembered men (actors... everyday, ordinary people in costume and make up) I thought of the REAL nurses. The REAL women in the 1940s that left the traditional way of life for women of the time to give their service to much needed soldiers, bearing the burden of pain for their nation's safety. And I thought of the REAL men, the REAL sufferers of that attack whose blood and fatal wounds were not make-up artist induced.

And when the man portraying Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto stated after the attack, "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant" I thought, yes, that is exactly what you did. A sleeping giant. One that will fight, when provoked, with every ounce of strength on any battlefield against any group in order to defend the beautiful liberties we enjoy as Americans.

I recalled that the sacrifices that those that have come before me have endured...either in loss, in pain, or in death. I recalled the Americans that never cease to enlist in the military, be it in the 18th century militias of our budding nation, the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, during World War Two, or those who continue to believe in our great nation today, and every war or conflict in between. Selflessness. Bravery. Courage. Determination. Dedication. This is what Americans are made of; it's who we are. It's not belligerence and the desire for confrontation. It's the willingness to defend the people, the land, and the liberties you love. It's having the belief in not only yourself, but the morals and principles that have made you who you are. It all comes back to the idea that our Founder's forged a nation upon, that all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Do I think too much? Probably. But I know that I am not the only one who becomes entranced when my eye catches an American flag waving in the wind. I know I post a lot of disturbing facts of the increasing abridgements of freedom and just plain bizarre occurrances in our country's government and society today, and it seems that the image of America and it's Founding principles have slipped from view and even from thought. The piece of ground we stand on is more than an environment for our everyday life. The very ideas that GAVE us this place we call home give us every right we take for granted every day. But In God We Trust... and I believe and know the ideas of self-government and freedom and liberty that are America are still alive and well in this country. They were a sleeping giant for a time... but I believe it has been awakened.

"America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.” God Bless America.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Presidential Ass Kicking

Hi all! If you haven't watched the news lately, you're probably really wondering what in the world the title of this post means... so let me clarify for you!

President Barack Hussein Obama (I just like adding the middle name... has a better ring to it... :P) has upped his level to PG, with some comments made to NBC today regarding the oil spill.



I've been alive to see three presidents in office--Clinton, Bush, and Obama--but I don't think I've ever heard nor read about a President speaking this way. Is this Obama's response to the accusations that he hasn't been showing much emotion regarding the oil spill? Who cares about emotion... let's actually DO something. And not just poke around on oil covered beaches then returning to D.C for a concert or photo-op.

So he's talking to these experts so he knows WHOSE "ass to kick"...um, okay. Wow. You're not talking to these experts to find a solution to this horrific problem that is destroying America's southeastern coastline and the livelihoods of countless citizens in the regions affected by the oil spill, Mr. President?

Like I said yesterday; the Presidentdial Blame Game.

It is DAY 50 of the BP Oil Spill. And Mr. President just now wants to start kicking some ass?

Talk is so, so cheap, as Obama has proven. Stop pointing fingers, laying blame. The federal government should support the states affected so they can take care of their affected areas or get out of the way!



http://www.tgdaily.com/sites/default/files/stock/article_images/misc/bpoilspill1.jpg

Monday, June 7, 2010

Responsibility and Respect

Hey everyone! Sorry for the long absence... I've been out of town for awhile, but there has been so much going on politically and controversially and I have a lot to say... I've been keeping a list of topics to discuss so hopefully I'll cover them all in a timely fashion! Thanks for your continued support of Present Day Patriots (even those of you who consistently choose to remain anonymous, haha :) ) ... as the site now has over 700 hits since April 28th!

I have a few links and pictures to share with you tonight... first and foremost I want to say that today is a GREAT DAY!

Helen Thomas has retired. Finally.

She's the 89 year old liberal journalist, known for making politicians squirm with her questions, who showed her anti-semitic side on the steps of the White House this past week.




Wowww...

Next up, a little display of the Presidential blame-game. http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/07/29/obama_blames_bush_wall_street/

Obama blames the Bush administration for the economic strife we deal with today... this is something that is getting extremely tiresome; I'm tired of the "let's lay the blame on someone else to cover up our own shortcomings!" mindset. What ever happened to personal responsibility? What ever happened to making a real difference without harping on whose fault it is or is not? And no, Mr. President, I--and I know many, many other Americans, do NOT believe the answer lies in spending more and more of our money.

Here's the U.S National Debt Clock... when you see these numbers, try not to fall out of your chair: http://www.usdebtclock.org

And according to the article above, we can look forward to "another round of "stimulus" measures from Congress to revive the economy". YAY! (Not.)

If we want to see a rebound in the economy, the federal government has got to QUIT SPENDING. Lower crippling taxes and put money back in the pockets of Americans, so they themselves can fuel the economy, and small business can hire back employees and create REAL jobs--not those created by the census and suspiciously counted in the government's special little way (but that's another bucket of worms that I'll get to later on!).



You've probably seen this photo, or one similar, before. D-Day: June 6th, 1944. A day in which thousands of soldiers, American, British, Canadian and more, stormed the beaches of Normandy in an effort to liberate France from Nazi occupation. It is estimated that over 2500 Americans died in this assault.

How did President of the United States, Commander in Chief Barack Hussein Obama spend this day? His second big bash of the week, this time at Ford's Theater.



http://biggovernment.com/jhoft/2010/06/06/barack-obama-ignores-d-day-anniversary-goes-to-theatre-party/

Not even a comment on www.whitehouse.gov commemorating the 66th anniversary of this monumentous and pivotal event in American history.

And while America's southeast beaches, economies, wildlife, and fragile marshes along the Gulf coast are being painfully destroyed by crude oil, the administration sits idly by, half heartedly pointing fingers. Or... shooting water guns?



http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/06/07/at-the-biden-beach-boardwalk-a-watergun-fight-with-rahm-emanuel/

Priorities?



God help us.