Present Day Patriots

Government and Morality

2012-02-03T21:02:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! School has kept me extremely busy these last few weeks, obviously, but second semester is going much better than the first. I wanted to share with you some thoughts that I’ve been mulling over the past few weeks, now that the GOP race is getting rather intense. Throughout my recent GOP-related blog posts, I’ve tried to remain factual and neutral, researching the candidates thoroughly to get an idea of who they are and what they stand for. But this blog post, and the questions I’ve come up with, don’t really have all that much to do with the candidates themselves, but their stances on social issues, and whether their resolutions to these problems will really strike the root of the problem or not.

Let me preface this by saying that I’m focusing on social issues here because I believe that the moral structure of America lays the foundation for the rest of our society, and determines much of our nation’s policy and principle.

For a moment, I want to look at Ron Paul and Rick Santorum’s stances on social issues, specifically abortion and gay marriage.

In a general sense, Ron Paul believes it is the role of government to protect liberty, for the government to remain separate from private life, and to ultimately follow the Constitution. He is ardently pro-life. As President, he would request that Congress remove these issues from the federal judiciary and return them to the states for them to decide on. An interesting quote of Dr. Paul’s: "Marriage is first and foremost a religious matter, not a government matter. Government is not moral and cannot make us moral. Law should reflect moral standards, of course, but morality comes from religion, from philosophy, from societal standards, from families, and from responsible individuals. We make a mistake when we look to government for moral leadership."

Rick Santorum is best known for his strong stance against abortion and for traditional marriage. He seems to be very focused on the Judeo-Christian foundations of our nation and the preservation of those foundations by government. He favors a federal ban on abortion, and also a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman. He is arguably the most pro-family candidate that the GOP has seen in a number of years. He says this about marriage: “Marriage is a society’s life blood. Not everybody can or will marry, but all of us (married or not) depend on marriage in a unique way. Marriage is foundational: it creates and sustains not only children but civilization itself. This is an institution which protects our liberty.”

This is just a quick glance at the two candidates’ stances on these issues, to help you get a general idea of where they stand. You can read much more about their views on these sites:
http://ronpaulmyths.com/social-issues.php
http://www.ricksantorum.com/we-hold-these-truths

So, who is right? Ron Paul believes the federal government should not have any say in moral issues, but Rick Santorum believes the Constitution should be amended to protect the sanctity of life and of traditional marriage. I’ve heard numerous arguments against both candidates. Some of the most recent that I’ve heard have been against Ron Paul; it seems that many folks think that Ron Paul’s view of getting government out of private life will trample upon and demolish the Judeo-Christian foundations of this country. I’ve heard arguments against Rick Santorum, also; many think that the federal government and the Constitution cannot and should not be involved in maintaining our country’s founding moral and religious values.

Both, I think, are legitimate arguments worth discussing. I believe in small government and individual liberty, wholeheartedly. But I also realize the value and importance of our country’s moral and religious roots. My questions are, though, can our system of government rightly be involved in social issues? Did our Founders intend for the Constitution to address moral issues such as the ones we face today? And will either of the solutions proposed by Paul and Santorum really solve any of the problems we face/restore our country’s moral values?

One of my favorite quotes from John Adams is this: "We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion . . . Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." The Founders believed that government cannot make people moral and religious, but our system of government—self-government, as it was intended—cannot function properly if people are not capable of conducting themselves in a moral and religious manner.

When they drafted and ratified the Constitution, I don’t know if anyone at the Constitutional Convention could have predicted the types of problems their nation would face just a few hundred years into the future. But, I feel that they would have thought it a great overreach for the federal government and the Constitution to be involved in moral issues. Yes, our Republic and its success require a moral and religious people—but as Adams said, the Republic isn’t capable of controlling “human passions unbridled by morality and religion.”

This is what I’m having a hard time understanding. Ron Paul, a Baptist who I’ve heard speak of his religion as a very private matter, is very Constitutionalist and believes it’s the responsibility of the individual to govern themselves, and that the government has no place in private life. Rick Santorum is enthusiastically in favor of maintaining our moral and religious values, but by way of Constitutional amendments and federal bans.

Can people, in their current moral and religious state (which is arguably lacking compared to the last few decades/centuries), handle the type of liberty that Ron Paul supports? Will instituting federal direction on moral and religious issues, as Santorum supports, solve the problem, or make it worse?

Undoubtedly, as I’ve said before, it’s not hard to look around and see that the moral and religious state of this country is not what it used to be. In fact, I’d wager to say it’s crumbling right before our eyes. I think the solution to this, though, is not in government that would simply make something “illegal” without reaching to the root of the problem. (Please note: I’m pro-life, and believe that marriage is defined as being between a man and a woman.) But will making a law or amendment that says “this is how it’s going to be, like it or not” really teach people why abortion is wrong, and will it make people understand that the definition of the word “marriage” is the union of a man and a woman? I personally think the issues we face in morals and religion are solved within the individual. Instead of more laws and more government intervention, teach people about the sanctity of marriage and of the sanctity of life, so that eventually, there’s no question as to what is right and what is wrong. This is a very rudimentary example, and I know this would take a great deal of time and effort and faith—but I really think that our problems would be better solved by reaching out to the hearts of people to help them understand the definition and practice of true morality and righteousness.

This is what has been on my mind these past few weeks. I hope I’ve laid out my thoughts clearly enough, and I welcome your opinions and comments on the candidates and their stances on these issues.

As always, thanks for reading ☺. And don’t forget about the GOP Primary coming up this Tuesday for all my Missouri readers! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

http://www.ricksantorum.com/we-hold-these-truths
http://2012.republican-candidates.org/Santorum/Abortion.php
http://www.thepoliticalguide.com/Profiles/Senate/Pennsylvania/Rick_Santorum/Views/Gay_Marriage/
http://ronpaulmyths.com/social-issues.php
http://www.free2pray.info/5founderquotes.html

The Facts on Newt Gingrich

2012-01-27T11:18:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone! As you can tell due to my lack of blog posts, school is back in session and my classes are keeping me quite busy. This week, though, I had a little free time and decided to do some research on a candidate that I haven’t discussed on Present Day Patriots yet—Newt Gingrich. He won South Carolina with 40.4% of the vote, and has continued to maintain something of a lead, close to Mitt Romney. Until now, I’d only heard bits and pieces of Gingrich’s political views and his past record. I took some time to do a little in-depth research, so I’ll share what I found.

Newt Gingrich was born in 1943 in Harrisburg, PA and grew up in a military family. He went to Emory University and Tulane, and got a Ph.D in Modern European History. For several years, he worked as an assistant professor of history and geography and West Georgia College. He married his first wife in 1962, divorced her—married his second wife in 1981, divorced her—and married his current wife, Callista Bisek in 2000.

In 1978, he won a House seat after losing in 1974 and 1976, and was subsequently reelected to Congress ten times. Gingrich is credited with energizing the “Republican Revolution” in 1994, when the GOP won back a majority in the house after decades of a Democrat majority. Gingrich was named Speaker of the House in ’94.

http://www.biography.com/people/newt-gingrich-9311969

In debates and in the news, I’ve heard quite a bit about the “Ethics Violations” that Gingrich was supposedly guilty of. The whole situation seems to have been a complicated, partisan mess. While serving in Congress, he taught a class from 1993-1995 called “Renewing American Civilization” at two Georgia colleges; it was funded by a tax-exempt organization called the “Progress and Freedom Foundation.” Critics said the class “had little to do with learning and was in fact a political exercise in which Gingrich abused a tax-exempt foundation to spread his own partisan message.” A Georgia Congressman who was defeated by Gingrich, Ben Jones, brought the whole ordeal to the public sphere and requested that the House Ethics Committee investigate it. Gingrich eventually made a “limited confession of wrongdoing in 1971 for not getting advice on a tax lawyer for the funding of the course, and for providing “inaccurate and incomplete” information to the House Ethics Committee. He was fined $300,000 and reprimanded. A quote from his attorney at the time regarding Gingrich’s confession: “The atmosphere at the time was so rancorous, partisan, and personal that everyone, including Newt, was desperately seeking a way to end the whole thing.”

Later, the IRS further investigated the situation to see if the class was political or educational in nature. They reviewed student evaluations and listened to recorded classes, and eventually, it was determined that it was purely educational; Gingrich was exonerated of the charges.

http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/article/what-really-happened-gingrich-ethics-case/336051

The GOP lost a great deal of House seats in 1998 and Gingrich received much of the blame—for this, he resigned as Speaker and from his position in the House in 1998.

From 1999 to 2008, Gingrich associated with Freddie Mac—the infamous mortgage lender. The released contract specifically indicates that Gingrich position is not that of a lobbyist, but he “advised the company’s chief lobbyist on business and public policy issues.”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71930.html

There you have a basic summary of Gingrich’s past. Something that particularly caught my attention with the former Speaker is his apparent admiration—or obsession?—with the Roosevelts. He identifies himself as a “Teddy Roosevelt Republican” and really, really loves FDR. Numerous times, he’s expressed his belief that FDR was the greatest, most effective President of the 20th century. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was certainly “effective,” but I, personally have never been a huge fan of FDR because of his contributions to the growth of government and entitlement programs. Here are some of Gingrich’s statements on FDR:

In researching his past and current political views, it was at times difficult to pinpoint his opinion because his opinions on many things have changed. I’ve heard people say that Mitt Romney has “flip-flopped” on many issues, but I think it’s fair to say that Gingrich has, as well.

Here are few notes on the issues—past and present— that I found pertinent:
• Gingrich is pro-life (except in the cases of rape and incest) and opposes same-sex marriage.
• He appeared in an ad with Al Gore and Nancy Pelosi saying how our country needs to take action to address climate change. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi6n_-wB154). He was, at one point, for cap-and-trade, and then later said it would lead to corruption and would harm the economy.
• He was for the formation of the U.S Department of Education.
• Supported the TARP Bailout
• Wants to replace the EPA with an “Environmental Solutions Agency” to “incentivize green technology” rather than regulate it.
• At one point he was for a federal mandate on health insurance, but then later called it unconstitutional

This article has a few more of Gingrich’s “flip-flops”: http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2011/11/newt-gingrich-flip-flops.html .

During one of the many, many debates that have been held thus far, Gingrich said this regarding how the United States should handle Iran and their efforts to go nuclear (beginning at 2:37):

Personally, that aggression does not sit well with me. I don’t think that kind of aggressive foreign policy would be in the best interests of the United States. But Gingrich has a sort of “aggressive” air about him at all times, especially in debates, and especially when he is going after Mitt Romney. (It got pretty ugly in last night’s CNN Debate!)

I hope this has given you a little more insight into GOP candidate Newt Gingrich. I don’t know if he can honestly run as a “Washington outsider” as he’s clearly been in politics for most of his career. Further, I question whether Gingrich is capable of beating Obama—nearly every Obama vs. Gingrich poll I’ve found indicates Obama leading by a huge margin. (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/us/general_election_gingrich_vs_obama-1453.html)

Your thoughts on Newt Gingrich?

I have several more topics I want to address on Present Day Patriots—some political, and some not political in nature, so keep checking back for updates! Thanks for reading, have a nice weekend! ☺

http://www.newt.org/solutions/protecting-life-and-religious-liberty

http://www.salon.com/2007/11/10/gingrich_4/

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/05/12/gingrich-feels-heat-global-warming-ad-pelosi/

The Facts on Mitt Romney

2012-01-12T10:35:00.001-06:00

Mitt Romney stole the New Hampshire Primary victory by a mile with 39.3% of the vote—not surprising, since New England is his home turf and he dedicated a great deal of time to the state. Ron Paul was second with 22.9% of the vote (with 37,000 more votes than he had in 2008 in NH) and Jon Huntsman was third with 16.9%.

For this blog post I want to focus on Mitt Romney. Since even before the 2012 Presidential Race really began in earnest, Romney has led in the polls and has seemed the first choice of many Republicans. The man gives a good speech, and certainly looks like a President… and some of the things he says during debates have sounded promising, as if he really does represent Conservative ideals, contrary to the current administration. But does his past back up his claims of the present? Is he Conservative “enough”? Will Republicans “settle” for him because they think he is the only candidate capable of beating Barack Obama?

Romney is a businessman, and without a doubt he was successful in the private sector. He started Bain Capital in 1984, a private equity investment firm, and invested in or acquired companies like Sports Authority, Brookstone, and Domino’s Pizza. Bain & Company, the parent company from which Bain Capital was a spinoff, began to suffer financially and Romney became the CEO in 1991. Also of note: Romney and Bain Capital were given a $10 million bailout from the FDIC in 1993 when the company ran into financial trouble. Bain & Company’s finances were turned around and Romney was the CEO until 2002 when he became the President and CEO of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games Organizing Committee.

While at Bain, Romney says he created over 100,000 jobs in the companies he worked with (i.e Sports Authority, Staples, Domino’s). What his critics (Newt Gingrich!) are quick to point out: “But like Romney’s work on all the businesses Bain invested in, the primary goal with these companies wasn’t job creation but making them more profitable and valuable. This meant embracing aspects of capitalism that have unsettled some Americans: laying off workers when necessary, expanding overseas to chase profits and paying top executives significantly more than employees on lower rungs.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/mitt-romney-bain-capital-and-the-gospel-of-creative-destruction/2012/01/09/gIQAfRKEsP_story_1.html

Keep in mind that profits are the first concern in capitalism, not creating jobs. Though Romney created a lot of jobs, many employees in the companies he worked with were also laid off. Please don’t think I’m bashing capitalism—I’m definitely not! I’m probably one of its biggest advocates. I’m simply trying to bring to light that the fact that Romney did lay off employees could come back to haunt him in debates against Barack Obama if he becomes the nominee.

Before Romney took over, the Olympics were falling $379 million short on revenue. He reduced budgets and increased fundraising and oversaw a budget of $1.32 million. The games cleared a profit of $100 million.

Romney ran for Massachusetts senator in 1994 but lost, and later served as the governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007, the only political position he’s held. When he took office, Massachusetts faced a deficit of $3 billion. While in office, he cut spending and balanced the state’s budget each year he was in office. He’s proud to say that he turned Massachusetts around fiscally without raising taxes. Romney raised government fees (marriage licenses, gun licenses, court filings, other state licenses, etc.) and imposed new ones (33 new, 57 increased). This brought in revenues of $240 million.

Massachusetts, under Romney’s leadership, also adopted universal health care for the state (“Romneycare”) in 2006. This mandated all citizens of Massachusetts to buy health insurance, or face a penalty. Here’s an excerpt from a Cato Institute article on Romney’s healthcare plan:

“Perhaps the most publicized aspect of the Massachusetts reform is its mandate that every resident have health insurance, whether provided by an employer or the government or purchased individually. "I like mandates," Romney said during a debate in New Hampshire. "The mandate works." But did it? …

Such a mandate was, of course, a significant infringement on individual choice and liberty. As the Congressional Budget Office noted, the mandate was "unprecedented," and represented the first time that a state has required that an individual, simply because they live in a state and for no other reason, must purchase a specific government- designated product. …

The subsidies may have increased the number of Massachusetts citizens with insurance, but as many as 400,000 Massachusetts residents by some estimates have failed to buy the required insurance. That includes the overwhelming majority of those with incomes too high to qualify for state subsidies. Fewer than 30,000 unsubsidized residents have signed up as a result of the mandate. And that is on top of the 60,000 of the state’s uninsured who were exempted from the mandate because buying insurance would be too much of a financial burden.

The Massachusetts plan might not have achieved universal coverage, but it has cost taxpayers a great deal of money. Originally, the plan was projected to cost $1.8 billion this year [2008]. Now it is expected to exceed those estimates by $150 million. Over the next 10 years, projections suggest that Romney- Care will cost about $2 billion more than was budgeted. And the cost to Massachusetts taxpayers could be even higher because new federal rules could deprive the state of $100 million per year in Medicaid money that the state planned to use to help finance the program.”

http://www.cato.org/pubs/policy_report/v30n1/cpr30n1-1.html

Romney stands by his decision to enact universal healthcare in Massachusetts, saying: “…our plan was right for our state. …The plan is not perfect, there are things that I’d change in it, but I’ll stand by the things we’ve done.”

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/mitt-romney-defends-romneycare-will-do-what-i-think-is-right-for-the-people-i-represent/

In the past, Romney’s views on social issues have changed. He went from being pro-choice to pro-life, from being a supporter of gay marriage to an advocate for the traditional family. He embraces the fact that his opinions have changed over the years. Specifically on the issue of abortion: “He supported abortion rights when he ran for Senate in 1994 and for governor of Massachusetts in 2002. But when he was in office, Romney said, an embryonic stem cell research bill came to his desk that ‘would have created new life for the purposes of experimenting on it and then destroying it. I simply could not sign a bill that would take life,” Romney said. “I recognized that was a very different course than I’d expected.’”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/post/romney-says-changing-positions-can-be-a-good-thing/2011/12/22/gIQA9TeUBP_blog.html

Well, there you have it—the facts of Mitt Romney’s record (also, if you haven’t yet, check out my blog post about campaign contributors to GOP candidates—it’s the post below this one). Now to discuss the question, is he electable? I think Romney is the person the Republican establishment wants to elect to run against Obama, and he’s heavily attacked by only a few, mainly Newt Gingrich. He may look like the strongest candidate right now, but when standing next to Obama, will the left try to paint him as “disconnected with the average American” because of his corporate connections?

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2012/01/09/donna_brazile_lets_the_cat_out_of_the_bag_dems_want_to_run_against_romney

Here are Fox News’ Exit Polls from the New Hampshire Primary. Take a minute to scroll through the results. The wealthier voters seemed to favor Romney, and the Independent vote was split quite close between Mitt Romney and Ron Paul.

I hope this post gave you some insight into the record and past view points of Mitt Romney. What do you think? Is Mitt Romney “Conservative enough” for you? Will Romney connect with voters of all or of varying demographics? Can he beat Barack Obama?

http://biggovernment.com/awrhawkins/2012/01/10/sarah-palin-and-rush-limbaugh-agree-mitt-romney-is-obamas-candidate-of-choice/
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/58952.html
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2005/09/the-i-holy-cow-i-candidate/4196/3/
http://magazine.byu.edu/?act=view&a=843
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/fact-checker-biography-romneys-fiscal-policies-as-governor/2011/10/27/gIQAoJUmPM_blog.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1619536,00.html

Candidates Campaign Contributions

2012-01-10T10:23:00.002-06:00

It’s New Hampshire Primary Day! Mitt Romney is maintaining his decent lead in the polls but it looks like Jon Huntsman, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul may be competing for second. I’ve been thinking about the GOP candidates, and in trying to discern who the best person is for the job, I wanted to know what kind of people are pouring money into the campaigns of frontrunners. In looking for the candidate’s most prominent donors, I found OpenSecret.org. This organization has detailed reports of each candidate’s campaign contributors with the campaign contributions broken up into demographic, industry, and location. You can tell a lot about a candidate by looking at their campaign contributors, so here is some of the info I found on Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, and Rick Santorum…

(*Note: In the “Top Contributors” section, as per the website: “The organizations themselves did not donate, rather the money came from the organizations' PACs, their individual members or employees or owners, and those individuals' immediate families. Organization totals include subsidiaries and affiliates.”)

MITT ROMNEY:
Total $ Raised: $32,212,389
Debt: $0

Top Metro Areas that Contribute: New York ($2,634,763), Boston ($2,076,144), Washington, DC-MD-VA-WV ($1,345,000), Houston ($1,174,575), Los Angeles-Long Beach ($1,091,351).
Top Industries that Contribute: Securities and Investments, Retired, Real Estate, Lawyers/law firms, Miscellaneous Business
Top Contributors: Goldman Sachs ($367,200), Credit Suisse Group ($203,750), Morgan Stanley ($199,800), HIG Capital ($186,500), Barclays (157,750). (Others: Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase & Co, Wells Fargo, Citigroup)

http://www.opensecrets.org/pres12/candidate.php?id=N00000286

RON PAUL:
Total $ Raised: $12,623,422
Debt: $0

Top Metro Areas that Contribute: Houston ($169,111), Los Angeles-Long Beach ($163,910), New York ($151,387), Austin-San Marcos ($118,971), Washington, DC-MD-VA-WV ($107,843).
Top Industries that Contribute: Miscellaneous Business, Retired, Candidate Committees, Health Professionals, Computers/Internet.
Top Contributors: US Army, US Air Force, US Navy, Mason Capitol Management, Microsoft Corp. (Others: Boeing, US Government, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Department of Defense).

http://www.opensecrets.org/pres12/candidate.php?cycle=2012&id=N00005906

RICK SANTORUM:
Total $ Raised: $1,286,975
Debt: $71,866

Top Metro Areas that Contribute: Philadelphia, PA-NJ ($139,562), Washington, DC- MD-VA-WV ($78,450), Pittsburgh ($66,750), Sarasota-Bradenton ($44,300), Scranton-Wilkes-Barre-Hazleton ($36,900).
Top Industries that Contribute: Retired, Miscellaneous Business, Real Estate, Securities and Investment, Insurance.
Top Contributors: Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Universal Health Services, Kimber Manufacturing, El Dorado Holdings, Achristavest. (Others: Northwestern Mutual Life, CONSOL Energy, Diamond Manufacturing).

http://www.opensecrets.org/pres12/candidate.php?cycle=2012&id=N00001380

And just to compare, here are the same statistics on Barack Obama…

Total $ Raised: $86,215,580
Debt: $1,709, 300

Top Metro Areas that Contribute: New York ($4,522,865), Los Angeles-Long Beach ($3,330,018), Washington, DC-MD-VA-WV ($3,307,094), Chicago ($2,473,302), Boston, MA-NH ($2,425,617).
Top Industries that Contribute: Retired, Miscellaneous Business, Lawyers/Law firms, Education, Securities and Investment
Top Contributors: Microsoft Corp., Comcast Corp., University of California, Harvard University, Google. (Others: Goldman Sachs, Columbia University, Time Warner).

http://www.opensecrets.org/pres12/candidate.php?cycle=2012&id=N00009638

Well, what do you think of these numbers? Mitt Romney is leading the GOP in fundraising amounts but definitely has the support of banks and financial institutions. I found it interesting that Ron Paul’s top donors come from the military—no other candidate has as much support from the military as Ron Paul. Considering his stances on foreign policy, this is telling. It’s interesting to note that Santorum and Obama’s campaigns are in debt (as is Newt Gingrich), and that much of Obama’s campaign money comes from educational institutions.

Hopefully this post gave you some insight as to where the money is coming from in several of the candidate’s campaigns. I’ll be watching coverage of the New Hampshire Primary tonight and hopefully post again tomorrow. Have a great day, everyone! ☺

“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”

Thoughts on Ron Paul

2012-01-07T21:51:00.002-06:00

You’ve probably noticed I haven’t mentioned many of the GOP candidates specifically on my blog yet. And as I stated in my previous post, it’s because I’m simply undecided and, frankly, skeptical of each of the candidates for one reason or another. But there’s one particular candidate I’ve heard countless conflicting opinions about, and that’s Ron Paul.

Some folks call Ron Paul a nut, and others show a fierce devotion to his campaign. So I decided to do some research about just what makes this guy so despised and admired at the same time. Still, after reading about him and watching some video clips about him and his campaign platform, I don’t quite know what to think.

Here’s some of the info and opinions I found on Ron Paul. I haven’t made any decision or commitment to any GOP candidate yet, but wanted to share with you what I found as you may or may not have seen some of it before. I welcome your comments for or against Ron Paul, and any of the other candidates as well!

I’ll start with a little background info: Ron Paul went to Gettysburg College, and Duke University’s School of Medicine. He was formerly a gynecologist/obstetrician, and has reportedly delivered over 4,000 babies. He served in the United States Air Force as a flight surgeon, and later in the Texas Air National Guard. He serves as the representative from Texas’s 14th district. He is a Baptist, and his political leanings have been described as “conservative, Constitutionalist, and libertarian.”

From what I have read, Ron Paul bases much of his campaign on the Constitution. He seems to believe firmly in small government, and that states should decide on social issues not detailed within the Constitution. Something I have heard Dr. Paul say several times is, “Get government out of your life.” I think this sums up his political views—he is pro-life, opposes the War on Drugs, and believes the federal government should stay out of marriage, but believes the states should make decisions on these and other moral issues.

A concern among many voters with Paul is his views on foreign policy. I found this video (I believe it was put together by Veterans for Ron Paul) that really made me consider his ideas on foreign policy further than I had previously. It’s 13 minutes long, but please watch all of it. I’m still in the process of researching more about Ron Paul’s foreign policy stance, but I found the video pretty interesting.

Another issue people have with Ron Paul is his opinion that the United States should drastically cut foreign aid, even to Israel. I found a blog post by Rafi Farber, a member of Jews for Ron Paul, and blogger at Settlersofsamaria.org. It’s a long blog post, probably one of the better-written pieces I’ve read in a long time. But it’s worth your time to read all of it. Here’s the link: http://settlersofsamaria.org/vote-ron-paul-free-israel/ I know its one person’s opinion, but a fascinating perspective, nonetheless. (*Note: if the hyperlinks don't work, copy and paste the web address into another browser to get to the link!)

I also want to add that Ron Paul is known as “Dr. No” and, he “never vote[s] for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution." Also, Rick Santorum’s own nephew, John Garver, a 19-year-old student at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, wrote about why he is supporting Ron Paul rather than his uncle. Here’s the link: http://dailycaller.com/2012/01/03/the-trouble-with-my-uncle-rick-santorum/

Thoughts and comments on Congressman Paul? To be honest, previously, I didn’t consider him a serious candidate with any chance of beating Barack Obama; after some research, I am beginning to think he is not only a person of principle, but also capable of beating Obama. Though I’m not completely sold, nor do I endorse Paul or any other candidate yet, I do appreciate his dedication to the Constitution. He respects America’s governing document unlike our current fearless leader, and arguably more than many of the GOP candidates.

Just thought I would share some different perspectives with you on one of the most-talked-about candidates in the 2012 presidential race. Comments are welcome; hope you all have a chance to watch the ABC Debate tonight!

Have a great evening! :)

Intense Iowa Caucus

2012-01-04T21:23:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Years. I did, and I’m enjoying two more weeks of winter break until I return to school. (Another plus for college!) The New Year is starting out to be an intense one with last night’s caucuses in Iowa. Mitt Romney pulled off a victory by a mere eight votes, and underdog Rick Santorum took the state of Iowa by storm. But I’m wondering if this Santorum surge will carry over to New Hampshire and South Carolina, and whether Huntsman’s decision to skip Iowa will help or hurt his campaign.

Mitt Romney: 24.6%
Rick Santorum: 24.5%
Ron Paul: 21.4%
Newt Gingrich: 13.3%
Rick Perry: 10.3%
Michele Bachmann: 5%
Jon Huntsman: 0.6%

The Iowa Caucus is something taken very seriously by candidates and voters of both parties. It seems to be glorified straw poll, inflated by a lot of media hype, but most candidates take advantage of this to interact with voters and gain exposure. Though the process really began in earnest in 1972 with candidate George McGovern, the influence of the Iowa Caucus was proven in 1976 with Jimmy Carter who went on to win the Democratic nomination and the presidency. Some interesting results from past caucuses:
-Bill Clinton, George H.W Bush and Ronald Reagan lost the Iowa Caucus (but, obviously, won party nominations and later, the presidency)
-In 2008, Mike Huckabee won, and John McCain (GOP nominee) was 3rd with 13% of the vote. (Newt Gingrich won 13.3% of the vote last night.)
-In 2000, George W. Bush won the Ames, Iowa Straw Poll, the Iowa Caucus (with 41% of the vote), and obviously, the party nomination and the presidency.

These past results just go to show that the Iowa Caucus does not necessarily predict a winner. There’s still a long, volatile road of campaigning to go before the GOP chooses a candidate to run against Obama!

You’ve probably noticed that I haven’t discussed my opinion on GOP candidates on this blog yet. Why? Because, to be honest, I am quite undecided at this point. (I know, hard to believe!) I like certain qualities of certain candidates, and can’t put my money on any one person yet.

What I do know is this… in this next election, we cannot be passive and apathetic as we were in 2008. America desperately needs a proven leader with the knowledge, experience, and resolve to turn the country away from the entitlement-obsessed and—dare I say it—socialist road that we’re traveling on right now. Sometimes, I am reminded of Benjamin Franklin’s quote to a bystander, who asked what kind of government the Founders had created after the ratification of the Constitution. Franklin’s answer: “A republic, if you can keep it.” I believe there are Americans out there who will devote every last ounce of their energy to work to keep our republic—I am one of them. But I don’t know if the republic can be kept, if America as we know it can survive another four years under the so-called leadership of the current administration. Call me pessimistic, but there is so much riding on this election. It’s an event we can’t take lightly.

On a lighter note… Obama has been taking some reelection advice from former (one term) President Jimmy Carter. Carter advised Obama to not “alienate voters with controversial positions.” I could rant a lot more about this, but I’ll just say that I hope Obama takes the advice of oh-so-successful Jimmy-Iranian-Hostage-Crisis-Carter. Because after one term of Carter, we got Ronald Reagan.

http://iowacaucus.com/2012/01/03/iowa-caucus-history-lesson/
http://www.uiowa.edu/election/history/index.html
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/winners-losers-iowa-caucus/story?id=15273630#.TwUV2s1siW1

What Christmas Means to Me

2011-12-24T10:18:00.000-06:00

I’ve been meaning to post a new blog entry for several days now, but every time I found a possible topic or news story to discuss, something would happen that usually doesn’t when I’m writing a blog post…I was at loss for words. Right now, I just don’t have much to say about the payroll tax cut extension, Obama’s vacation, GOP candidates, or any other news stories. (Hard to believe, I know!) So I’m turning to a topic that is of much greater importance to me and millions of Christians at this time, something that’s more important than anything going on in Washington D.C, and the greatest “news” that we on Earth will ever receive—the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Most of us know the story—in simple terms, the Son of God, Jesus, was born in a lowly stable in Bethlehem to the virgin Mary and her husband Joseph. And we celebrate the birth of this child every year on December 25th. Glittering lights, presents, well-loved songs and decorated trees also accompany this time of year. Many people see this holiday as just that—an ancient birthday celebration with presents and great food for those who choose to celebrate it. But it’s so much more than just a date on the calendar. What does the birth of Christ really mean? Christmas means different things to different people, I’m sure, but I’d like to share what Christmas means to me.

Christmas is a time that makes me “slow down” in my personal life, in my worldly concerns, and reminds me of something much greater than myself. Christmas, first and foremost, reminds me of the unfathomable love of God; “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) It is humbling and awe-inspiring to realize that the Creator of the Universe loves us so much that he sent his own son to save us from our sinful ways. I am humbled because, though I am such an imperfect sinner, I am still always loved, always forgiven because of Jesus Christ.

Christmas gives me hope. Lately, I have been anxious and stressed about what my future holds, and the current state of our country and the world itself. Sometimes I feel like I’m walking around in the dark, flailing my arms wildly trying to find direction. But I am reminded that I am never alone so long as I follow Jesus. Though there is darkness everywhere in our world, I believe in the words of John 8:10 when Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” Christmas makes me see Jesus’ light brighter than before and gives me hope for the future.

Most importantly, Christmas reminds me of the powerful omnipresence of God. He loved the world, so He sent His son as our Savior. God is not just a far away Creator, detached from his Creation—He is at work in everything. He is here, always. He is at work in my life, in your life, everywhere, despite attempts to silence the mention and the worship of Him in schools, colleges, and the public in general. And this is the most comforting fact of all. Christmas takes away the fear and anxiety I have of facing a secular world and gives me a stronger resolve to serve God in all that I do.

What does Christmas mean to you?

Take a moment to remember and say a prayer for the many men and women spending Christmas overseas, and for the families who are missing their deployed or fallen loved one during this time as well. Thank you, everyone, for reading, and I hope you have a very blessed Christmas!

Vid on Ron Paul Foreign Policy...

2011-12-15T10:17:00.003-06:00

Hello everyone! Happy to say that today is my first day of a month long Christmas break. I found a rather interesting video this morning that I wanted to share. Watch the whole thing and let me know what you think of it!

Comments welcome! Also, don't forget to watch the GOP Debate tonight! :) Have a great day!

Letter to the Editor #2!

2011-12-07T19:37:00.007-06:00

I present to you... my second Letter to the Editor of the Webster Journal, in print! :)

If you're curious as to what this was all about, just scroll down for the editorial my letter was in response to. Thoughts and comments are welcome! Thanks for reading, keep checking back for new blog posts. And if you'd like to receive email updates when I post, comment and let me know or type your email in the box on the right hand navigation bar.

Have a nice evening:)

Remembering December 7th

2011-12-06T12:12:00.002-06:00

Today I hope everyone will stop and remember the significance of this day. It's not just another Wednesday, but December 7th. Seventy years ago today, a vicious attack was carried out by Japanese forces against our nation, taking the lives of over 2000 service men and bringing the United States into World War II. In our fast-paced, busy lives we tend to forget about the magnitude of this attack and its importance, so I hope you'll take a moment to reflect. Thank you to those of the "Greatest Generation" who paid the ultimate price in defense of our freedom, and an equally as grateful thank you to those who continue to readily serve our country in the armed forces today!

In honor of this day, I want to again mention Soldiers Angels. Soldiers Angels is an organization that I have been priviliged to be involved with for the past year. Throughout that year, I have been able to directly support our men and women serving overseas by writing letters and sending care packages. I have made some great friends and being involved with S.A has truly changed my life. I hope you'll consider becoming involved with Soldiers Angels in some way, if you're able. If not, take a minute to thank a veteran! www.soldiersangels.org (If the link doesn't work, just copy and paste or google "Soldiers Angels"!)

I'm happy to announce that my last letter to the editor was printed in the Webster Journal! When I get a copy of the printed edition I will post a picture on the blog. Thanks for reading, have a great day :)

Another Letter: Defense Spending!

2011-12-04T14:13:00.003-06:00

Hi all! I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving and hope December is starting off well for you. I've been busy keeping up with school, but in the midst of this I picked up another school newspaper at Webster and one of the editorials struck a nerve. And so, I wrote another letter to the editor I want to share with you.

Before you read my letter, please read the editorial it is in response to first. This was in last week's issue of the Webster Journal at Webster University. Here is the text to the article, or copy and paste this link: http://websterjournal.com/2011/11/29/editorial-congress—-just-big-enough-to-fail/

EDITORIAL: Congress--just big enough to fail

The defense budget for the United States military is facing cuts for the first time since WWII. Last summer, more than $500 billion in cuts were agreed upon between the White House and congressional leaders. And when the Super Committee failed to reach a new debt reduction deal a few weeks ago, they set off a legislative trigger: failure to reach a deal results in trillions in automatic cuts. An additional $500 billion will be axed from the defense budget over the next 10 years.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has painted a dark picture of America’s future with such cuts. Panetta said the cuts would result in the smallest Air Force in history and the smallest ground force since 1940.
The Journal knows it cannot sway the legislature to make radical decisions. We recognize much has been said about the impending cuts and the implications for the American military, and experts have varied wildly in their predictions of the consequences.
The Journal thinks it is high time for the cuts. In fact The Journal’s stance on cuts to the military is unequivocally in favor. We do not favor cuts to the military because we are pacifists or anti-war. We do not favor cuts because we are worried about debt or violence or the future of our military might.
We favor these cuts because failures should be forced to face their failure, and our leaders failed massively.
These cuts are trigged by a failure of our leaders to reach a compromise on our debt and spending problem. Our leaders are elected and paid (handsomely) to work together and run the country. When they cease working together, when they cease running the country, there should be consequences.
When congress failed to pass the DREAM Act, no immediate repercussions were felt in the chambers of the capital. When congress failed to end the Bush Tax cuts, their highest donors applauded them. When congress failed to punish criminal mortgage companies, only those already suffering felt the pinch.
Now, though, congress is taking the heat. Military officials in every branch have begged and pleaded with the leaders to find a deal quickly. The men and women in uniform every politician claims to love so much are happy to go on television and call them liars, failures and thieves.
America needs to fix its schools, prisons and public services. Our entitlements are going broke and our energy resources are suffocating, and congress has greeted each catastrophe with malaise and corruption. In our past, our bickering officials have come together over very little.
But even the military was considered an easy sell. No politician wants a reputation as soft on national security. But today’s elections produce cowards and malcontents, not real leadership
Now, even our military cannot be funded thanks to the stupefying partisan deadlock in Washington.
The Journal wants these cuts to happen, because we want to electorate to wake up and smell the failure. Then, we want them to vote.

And here is my response. Please note that I only had 200 words to get my point across. There are so many things I could have ranted on and on about with this editorial, but I had to stick to one avenue. So here's my reaction...

Dear Editor,

I was disturbed by The Journal’s reason for favoring upcoming cuts to the US military. You state that through major defense spending cuts, Congress should be “forced to face their failure” and you “want the electorate to wake up and smell the failure” and vote. I agree, incompetent leaders should be ousted in elections; but your stance on this issue is dangerous.

Your editorial states, “when [leaders] cease working together… there should be consequences.” You say military cuts would be the consequence. If an ill-equipped America is attacked again, politicians will not be the only ones paying the consequences. Those consequences could be deadly and affect American citizens, including Webster students and faculty.

Your editorial shows frustration for the current political gridlock preventing any real solutions to America’s problems. Your attitude, however, reflects that same obstinacy of current politicians. Instead of educating Americans to vote for leaders who will uphold and defend the Constitution, keep our country safe and put citizens back to work, you favor putting our nation at risk to prove a point to a stubborn Congress.

But in a society in which it is more popular to lay blame than to solve problems, I’m not surprised.

Sincerely,

Sarah Hinds

Well? What do you think? The first time I read the editorial, it's message was so bizarre I had to read it again carefully. And then it just made my blood boil. They're for military cuts because they think cutting this area will somehow "prove" to Congress that they failed. Well, this method of proving a point could prove to be costly for all. I think cuts could be made much more wisely to entitlement programs, foreign aid, etc. rather than defense. Especially when foreign relations at this point in time are so volatile.

Input is welcome! I hope to see my words in print again, and if The Journal chooses to print it, I'll post a picture on the blog!

Letter to the Editor: in PRINT!

2011-11-16T17:39:00.003-06:00

The most recent issue of the Webster Journal came out today, and my Letter to the Editor on Veteran's Day is printed on the second page! :) Here is a pic I took with my phone... and you can see the online version at this link: http://websterjournal.com/2011/11/16/letters-to-the-editor-4/

Judging by my reaction the rest of the content in the newspaper this will definitely not be the last Letter to the Editor I write. So keep watching Present Day Patriots for continuous updates! Also, if you'd like to receive an email whenever I publish a new post here, type your email address into the box on the right hand side of the screen.

Thank you all for your reading and support!!! :)

Thoughts on OWS!

2011-11-15T18:33:00.010-06:00

I should be doing homework but I just can't help but comment on the most talked about recent headline in our country. Affectionately known by some as the "Flea" Party, I'm talking about the whole Occupy Wall Street movement. (Is it really a movement? Perhaps "ordeal" would be a better word..."movement" would imply the existence of coherent goals and/or values, something lacking with OWS).

Regardless of what started this whole movement, let's look at what it has turned in to. Diseases in their camps, assaults, arrests, violence against fellow protestors and police officers, a fatal shooting, and defecation in the streets (not kidding about that last one, either... ) are just a few of the methods these folks use to get their point across. These guys are everything the left-wingers claimed the Tea Party Movement to be (can anyone give me a number of arrests of Tea Party protestors? Oh right, there were none!) When I watch interviews with these OWS protestors (the ones that aren't stoned or drunk, and those that are) and see their "artful" cardboard signs they strike me as either odd, disturbing, or just plain funny... here are a few...

http://www.buzzfeed.com/fjelstud/the-best-signs-from-occupy-wall-street

I could rant on every one of the signs on the site posted above, but I won't. But notice the disturbing Biblical reference on the second sign. "We are legion, and we are many." Anyone know where that comes from? Mark 5:1-20, which you can find at this link. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+5%3A1-20&version=NIV I implore you to read it and see what kind of ideas are floating around these "tent cities". I'm not sure what kind of education all of the OWS protestors have, but since when does referencing demons in relation to yourself and your cause serve as an effective method of communication of legitimate ideas (assuming you have legitimate, coherent ideas)?

What is being achieved here, besides proving to the world who the degenerates of American society are? How are these protests actually helping the downtrodden and destitute in this country? All I see from these protests are people angry with those Americans who "have" more than they do. There are a handful of wealthy people who have reached their level of wealth/stature by dishonest means, and that IS wrong. But there also exists a number of wealthy people who have reached their level of financial success through their own merit and hard work. The concept of earning what you work for is NOT wrong. This country was NOT founded upon the principle of entitlement, nor was it built to last under that doctrine of giving freebies to those who don't work for them.

If the whole Occupy Wall Street "movement" is a battle between the "haves" and the "have nots" I can tell the protestors that the best way to remain a "have not" is to sit in a park waving a cardboard sign. (Let us not forget that these two terms--haves and have nots--represent an undesirable concept in itself, and are subjective. And an American's definition of "have not" is much less deprived than that of any other third world country on this Earth). Get up and make a difference in someone else's life, and don't expect someone else to provide for you--be it the people around you or the government itself. Stop "occupying" and start LIVING!

Marine's Prayer

2011-11-14T13:45:00.004-06:00

A Facebook friend and former Marine shared this with me yesterday (Thank you John!) and I just wanted to share the Marine's Prayer with those of you who have never heard it before.

Almighty Father, whose command is over all and whose love never fails, make me aware of Thy presence and obedient to Thy will. Keep me true to my best self, guarding me against dishonesty in purpose and deed and helping me to live so that I can face my fellow Marines, my loved ones, and Thee without shame or fear. Protect my family.

Give me the will to do the work of a Marine and to accept my share of responsibilities with vigor and enthusiasm. Grant me the courage to be proficient in my daily performance. Keep me loyal and faithful to my superiors and to the duties my Country and the Marine Corps have entrusted to me. Help me to wear my uniform with dignity, and let it remind me daily of the traditions which I must uphold.

If I am inclined to doubt, steady my faith; if I am tempted, make me strong to resist; if I should miss the mark, give me courage to try again.

Guide me with the light of truth and grant me wisdom by which I may understand the answer to my prayer.

I think each of us can use this prayer to guide our own lives, whether we serve in the military or not. Also, since we're on the topic of the Marine Corps...

This classic picture was taken when an ex-Marine had had enough with an Occupy Wall Street Protestor trying to disrupt the swearing in of New York Representative Bob Turner. Let's just say this guy met his match. Check out the story below:

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/ex-marine-tosses-occupy-heckler-from-congressmans-swearing-in/

I'll keep everyone posted on whether or not my letter to the editor gets published or not. We shall see :) Have a great week everyone!!!! :)

My Letter to the Editor

2011-11-13T20:01:00.002-06:00

I am a freshman at Webster University, for those of you who don't know, and as I was scanning through the most recent issue of "The Journal," the student run newspaper last Thursday, I was surprised that there was no mention of Veteran's Day ANYWHERE in the paper. So... I decided to write a Letter to the Editor and remind Journal readers of who we have to thank for our freedoms, and to express my own thanks to veterans and current soldiers in the Webster community. I just submitted it... so we shall see whether or not they publish it!

I thought some of you might want to read it, so here it is...

Dear Editor,

I am surprised and disappointed that there was no mention of Veteran’s Day in the last issue of The Journal. While the expression of different viewpoints within the newspaper is interesting, not an inch of space thanked or recognized the men and women who have served in the US military, whom our nation honors with a day of remembrance on November 11. Though we at home and at school seem to be so occupied (no pun intended) with the matters of our daily lives, we tend to take our freedom for granted. In our complacency and in this era of entitlement, have we so soon forgotten to whom we owe the rights to free speech and press—which allows the free printing of ideas in this paper—and a score of other precious freedoms? I haven’t forgotten; to all faculty and students who have served in any branch of the United States Military, I say THANK YOU for your service and sacrifice. The next time you see an American flag, I encourage students and faculty of Webster to pause and reflect on the high price that has been paid time and again throughout history for that flag to wave freely.

Sincerely,

Sarah Hinds

Thoughts/comments? Hope everyone has a safe, blessed week! :)

Love your freedom? Thank a Veteran!

2011-11-11T07:23:00.003-06:00

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the "Great War", World War I, ended... and November 11th was known as Armistice Day until after World War II and the Korean War, when it became Veteran's Day.

Today isn't just another Friday--it's a day to pause a reflect upon the selfless service of our men and women who have given so much to protect and defend our country and our freedom, past and present. I'd like to dedicate this post to those men and women, and say THANK YOU for your devotion to our country and defending our way of life!

So, to every American soldier out there: Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for believing in a cause greater than yourself, and thank you for being willing to put your life on hold and on the line to defend our country. Thank you for willingly sacrificing the comforts of civilian life to protect and defend that way of life. Thank you for believing in the principles this nation was founded on, and believing in them enough to devote your life to defending them.

I love my freedom and I NEVER take it for granted because I know the price of that freedom. I pray that other Americans realize the same and I thank each and every one of you who has ever worn the uniform of the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, National Guard, Reserves for their dedication and sacrifice for the United States of America.

I thank our veterans, but I also want to thank their families. I cannot imagine the fear of watching a loved one leaving for a deployment, the emptiness felt at family gatherings when that person cannot be there because he/she is overseas, or the pain and anguish of receiving word that that loved one has paid the ultimate price for their country. So to all of you military wives, husbands, kids, parents, siblings, etc... thank you as well!

Today, take a minute of your day to thank a veteran. Do something to show that you, as an American, are grateful of the sacrifices made to ensure your way of life is protected. If you love your freedom, thank a veteran!

Happy Birthday, Marines!

2011-11-10T08:29:00.004-06:00

You'll be happy to hear that Obama administration has decided to "delay" implementing the asinine Christmas tree tax I spoke of yesterday. Good choice, Obama.

On a better note, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the United States Marine Corps! :) On this day in 1775, a resolution was approved that formed the Continental Marines. And for those of you who don't know, the motto "Semper Fi" means "Always Faithful" which so accurately describes our US Marines, past and present.

Just want to give a shout out to those of you who currently serve or have served in the Marine Corps... thank you for your service and Semper Fi!

Also...tomorrow is Veteran's Day. Will you treat it just as any other Friday, or will you DO SOMETHING to reflect upon the meaning of the day and/or directly thank an individual who has served our country?

Obama loves Christmas... trees.

2011-11-09T09:50:00.003-06:00

I have a lot of homework I could be doing but couldn't resist sounding off on just another one of the Obama administration's laughable schemes, and this time its a tax on live Christmas trees.

Obama loves Christmas so much, he's going to boost the whole Christmas tree industry by slapping a 15 cent tax (they'd rather call it a "fee") on Christmas trees to tree sellers. But wait--this isn't just any tax, like the many others that go to the federal government so they can spend it frivolously. Every 15 cents will go to the newly formed Christmas Tree Promotion Board... a program intended to help the promotion and marketing of live Christmas trees. I'm not kidding.

Unemployment: 9%
National Debt: almost $15 trillion
Relationships with other foreign world powers: Shaky.
US Christmas tree industry: Flourishing!

I am almost at a loss for words with this administration (note: almost). Their idea of leadership gets more bizarre everyday. Is this seriously the best thing the administration can come up with? Our country's economy is at one of the most fragile and weak states it has ever been in throughout it's short history, and we are worried about Christmas tree sales. I love Christmas as much as the next person. But a REAL leader who has their priorities in order is desperately needed in this country.

Someone give me one good reason why Obama deserves my, or your, vote in 2012. I can't even imagine, nor do I want to, what this group of buffoons will do to our country if they are in power four more years.

On that note... have a nice Wednesday :)

Soldiers Angels

2011-09-27T09:09:00.000-05:00

It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the Soldier, not the reporter Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the Soldier, not the poet Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer Who has given us freedom to protest.
It is the Soldier, not the lawyer Who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the Soldier, not the politician Who has given us the right to vote.
It is the Soldier who salutes the flag, Who serves beneath the flag, And whose coffin is draped by the flag, Who allows the protester to burn the flag.

(Attributed to Charles Michael Province, U.S Army)

This poem is one of my favorites; it really puts into perspective how fortunate we are as Americans to have the freedoms of religion, press, speech, etc. and it reminds me of who I should thank for these freedoms: our military. I am able to pursue the education I desire, speak my mind on this blog, and go to the church I want to go to on Sundays because of the American soldier.

I have always had a deep respect for men and women in uniform. I realized in early 2011 that there really are no words to express my gratitude for their service to our country, and that is when I discovered an organization called Soldiers Angels.

Soldiers Angels allows participants to directly support deployed and wounded soldiers and their families. You don’t just send off a financial donation and hope it helps. There are dozens of teams and projects to become involved in. Participating in the Adopt A Soldier program and the Letter Writing Team has truly changed my life. I have supported two soldiers with monthly letters and care packages and frequent emails, and each week I receive two soldier addresses. To these I write letters of support and send care packages if they request anything.

I have met some absolutely incredible, selfless, and dedicated people through this program. It has taught me the value of giving without expecting anything in return. I continue to see the dedication of our troops and hope to emulate that selflessness in my own life by helping others. I encourage and challenge you to become involved in Soldiers Angels. It will not only bring a smile to the face of a soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan, but I assure you, your life will be changed for the better!

www.soldiersangels.org

Freedom OF/FROM religion?

2011-09-26T19:30:00.000-05:00

More and more it seems like our “freedom of religion” is turning into “freedom from religion” as organizations like the ACLU and individuals obsessed with political correctness continually try to purge any and all reference to religion from our culture.

Several football coaches at a public high school in Westmoreland, Tenn., were reprimanded for bowing their heads during a student-led prayer before a game. These coaches were required to sign statements indicating they understood “the school’s policy, which prohibits staff from appearing to participate in a student prayer in any way, even if it takes place after hours.”

The coaches didn’t say a word; they simply bowed their heads alongside students. I suppose the non-offensive act would have been for them to stare blankly into space. Whether these coaches are Christians or religious at all is regardless, as it seems that freedom of religion ends when you reach the public sector (even though it is the public sector that guarantees a freedom of religion in the First Amendment of the Constitution…hmm). Let me remind you that the phrase “separation of church and state” does not exist in the United States Constitution. It first appeared in a letter from Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists of Pennsylvania 1802 when they expressed their concern over a false rumor regarding a national denomination. (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/987191/posts)

I do not understand what is offensive about this. The First Amendment of the Constitution ensures, “Congress shall make no law respecting and establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Are a couple of coaches who bow their heads in a student-led prayer forcing any other student to do the same? I really don’t think so.

Life is not perfect, and unless you lock yourself in an empty room eternally you are bound to become offended at one point or another. If you’re at a football game and a prayer is said, and you happen to not be a praying person—the answer, to me, seems simple: don’t pray! Or if you pray to a different God, take the opportunity to pray to that God!

In the words of Glenn Beck, “Political correctness doesn’t change us; it shuts us up.” All I can say is, if I were a student at this school, I would be BEGGING my parents to send me to a private or charter school. Now if you’ll please excuse me I am going to go bow my head and pray. (Seriously!)

What are your thoughts/opinions on the role of government and religion? What do you think of this incident in Westmoreland, TN?

(http://www.theblaze.com/stories/high-school-coaches-in-trouble-for-bowing-their-heads-during-student-led-prayer-in-tenn/)

Thoughts on the Economy

2011-09-25T19:39:00.001-05:00

Recently, Obama conjured up $1.5 trillion in new taxes for the richest Americans and the largest businesses. Supposedly this will help reduce national debt, an estimated $3 trillion over the next decade. (Right now the United States’ debt is over $14 trillion…I don’t see how $3 trillion in a decade will make a dent in it). He also called for the wealthiest Americans to “pay their fair share.” (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/09/obama-unveils-3-trillion-plus-debt-cut-plan/1?csp=34news)

I’m not a millionaire, nor am I financially wealthy by any means. (And I say “financially” wealthy because I don’t often associate the word “rich” with money matters. I guess everyone’s definition of “rich” may vary—but I’ll just say that America’s definition of poor is vastly richer than “poor” in other countries around the world.) But it makes absolutely no sense to me to require those who earn money on their own merit to give their “fair share” of it back, simply because others aren’t at a certain level of wealth or corporate stature.

If I earn money, I think I know best where to spend that which I earn. And honestly, I will have no problem donating money to private charities and organizations of my choosing. But I have a problem with the government telling me where to put my money that somehow isn’t rightfully mine, even though I spent the time and labor to earn it.

I would like to ask our fearless leader, how is taxing the rich going to improve the economy? And how is taxing the rich going to create jobs? How is spending more money than our country takes in going to reduce our national debt?

Our economy is struggling to keep its head above water and is sinking fast. What do you think our economy needs at this point? More spending? Serious spending cuts? Higher taxes for the rich? More entitlement programs?

'12 Republican Candidates-Herman Cain

2011-09-25T17:59:00.001-05:00

If you’ve been watching any debates lately, you’ve probably formed some opinions on the line-up of 2012 presidential hopefuls vying for the Oval Office. A few of them are seasoned politicians, some are just smooth talkers, others I wonder how they can even call themselves Republicans; but one candidate stands out in particular.

I am increasingly impressed with Herman Cain. In the past few debates I have watched, and in listening to him speak in interviews, he seems to be the “realest,” down-to-Earth candidate out there, compared to seasoned politicians like Mitt Romney, Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Perry (I know, “realest” isn’t a word). Oftentimes politicians want to come across as “one of the people”…I think Herman Cain doesn’t just come across that way, he is one of the American people. He is not a career politician, but a businessman. He turned around Godfather’s Pizza as CEO when the company was on the brink of going under, and has held other numerous positions of immense responsibility (www.hermancain.com/about). I think the Left-wingers will dwell on the fact that he has little political experience, but he obviously knows how to run a business. Our country is a business that depends on a working economy to function properly, and right now I think it’s safe to say our finances are seriously out of line.

Cain’s tax reform ideas are quite fascinating, also. He outlines this plan in detail at his website (http://www.hermancain.com/999plan). Watch this clip from the debate where he briefly explains his “999 Plan”:

Herman Cain won the Florida GOP Straw Poll with around 37% of the vote. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/24/herman-cainflorida-straw-poll-results-2011_n_979096.html) I really think he has what it takes to straighten out our economy. What say you about the 2012 presidential hopefuls? Comment below!!

Why "Present Day Patriots"?

2011-09-25T15:36:00.001-05:00

As you can see on the side bar of this page, the word "patriot" is defined as: "a person who vigorously supports their country and is prepared to defend it against enemies or detractors."

We cannot deny that our nation currently faces dangerous challenges. A nation over $14 trillion in debt, involved in numerous foreign conflicts, with unsecure borders and lacking serious leadership requires a society that will strive to restore the founding principles of the United States of America while offering up proven solutions to new problems.

We, as Americans, have two choices. We can allow the problems of our country to overrun us; we can allow incompetent "leaders" sink our nation with their self-serving agendas. We can be apathetic about our nations problems and let someone else figure it out for us. We can be “sunshine patriots” and wave an American flag when it is necessary or convenient, and not respect what that flag stands for.

Or, we can rekindle that fire called responsibility that is barely flickering in our modern culture. We can take responsibility for our actions, not lay the blame on another person, or another group. We can think for ourselves and seek out the truth rather than believing everything we hear on Facebook, Twitter, or the evening news. We can judge our leaders based on the "content of their character" rather than their outward appearance or catchy campaign slogans. We can learn of the humble origins of our country, and preserve and protect the rights and principles to which our Founding Fathers pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor. We can be “present-day patriots.”

A government by, for, and of the people requires a “people” that cares about their leadership, their country, and their Founding principles. So…will we be apathetic, ignorant, and herded like sheep by our leaders, the role of the “sunshine patriot”? Or will we become educated on our founding principles, seek the truth in all that we do, defend the Constitution, and be Present Day Patriots?

Whether we like it or not, we have the opportunity—and the obligation—to be Present Day Patriots. Our nation depends on us. I hope this blog is interesting and encouraging to similar Present Day Patriots like myself, and enlightening to those who may lean to the side of “sunshine patriot.”

After all, in the words of Thomas Paine…

“THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.” –from The Crisis; December 23, 1776

Renovations Coming Soon!

2011-09-20T14:40:00.004-05:00

Readers! I haven't posted on my blog since May 31, 2011. But that is about to change. Thanks to a college class assignment, Present Day Patriots is about to undergo some serious renovations in format. So, let's hope this means I will be able to post more regularly despite a hectic college schedule.

...I just used "hope" and "change" in the same paragraph. I have definitely been absent from this blog for MUCH TOO LONG!

Watch for the new and improved Present Day Patriots coming soon!

Memorial Day...& Some Thoughts

2011-05-31T09:16:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone! I realize I haven't posted in several months--again. I always tried to get back into a normal routine of posting during school but studying kept getting in the way. But, I am happy to say that I graduated from high school on the 28th (summa cum laude!) and now have the summer to get back to blogging. This fall I plan to attend Webster University and, hopefully, my class schedule will allow for some blogging time, too.

Yesterday was Memorial Day, and I hope everyone had a nice weekend. But while you were enjoying time with your family and friends, I hope you thought of the many chairs that are empty in other family's households during holiday gatherings--chairs that should hold those who serve our country currently or those who have paid the ultimate price in service to our nation.

I can't think of a better way to commemorate Memorial Day and to say thank you to those in uniform than by getting involved in Soldiers Angels (www.soldiersangels.com). There are countless opportunities to volunteer as much or as little time as one desires in order to directly or indirectly support our men and women deployed overseas, their families, and also those who have come home wounded. I encourage anyone to get involved...our soldiers really appreciate any support from home and it will truly make a difference in their lives!

I have been doing some thinking regarding the people of our nation, and though I've been out of the blogging loop for quite some time, I haven't stopped watching others and analyzing myself and my ideology. Let's face it--our country is in serious trouble, and it would be incredibly difficult for one to argue otherwise. The serious debt America faces is worrisome beyond words; people are unemployed; food costs and the general cost of living is going up; and the situation in the Middle East isn't going so well either. These problems, I believe, are not going to be solved by electing a new President (thought it might help...) nor will they be solved overnight. Resolving these issues, I think, starts right in our own homes, in our own mindsets and the way we live our lives.

Maybe I am the only one that has noticed, but it seems that morals are almost nonexistent in America anymore. People lie. Cheat. Steal. Stab others in the back. They're unfaithful, they're adulterers. They're materialistic, and selfish. That's people in general for you, but these vices seem to be running rampant in our country. These days, "anything goes." It seems we place value on iPods and iPads rather than reliability and trustworthiness, Cadillacs and Mercedes rather than honesty and fidelity. People care more about American Idol and Jersey Shore than the state of our economy, the heated situation in the Middle East, and the suffering in our cities such as Joplin, MO and Tuscaloosa, AL. Honor, and the desire to do things the RIGHT way are hard to find. We want convenience, and instant gratification. We don't want to work for anything, but want someone else to do the work for us, we want to elect others to think for us. Instead of taking responsibility, we make excuses and expect someone else to pay the consequences. (Please note that I'm definitely not pointing fingers at anyone, nor am I excluding myself from this.) We all have an area of our lives in which we lack strength.

I have always loved this quote by John Adams, and find it particularly meaningful now: "We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." Our nation cannot be revived unless we first examine our own lives. We cannot control government spending if we are irresponsible with our own money. We cannot expect others to take responsibility for their own actions unless we take responsibility for our own. We cannot expect the tension in the Middle East to simmer unless we stand our ground and stand with our true allies, at the same time eliminating prejudice. We cannot become offended at every whim and in turn we cannot allow political correctness to control our every move.

Another quote that comes to mind is perhaps one of the more well known quotations in history by Ghandi: "Be the change you wish to see in the world." Before we can solve the problems of the world, we must evaluate our own lives and make a change for the better. I try hard to do this every day... if we are going to revive our nation, the resolution starts small; resolve to make a change in an area of your life in which you are lacking. Remove anyone and anything from your life that causes you strife. Be positive, and be responsible for yourself. Get rid of anything untruthful in your life. Even those little white lies that don't seem to matter. If we are to restore truth to a society so ridden with lies and deceit, it starts with being truthful to ourselves. Ask yourself; at this point in time, is the way you live your life a model for a true and just society? Is it a model for the way we KNOW Americans can live and behave, with honor and responsibility, and concern for others?

I know I am capable of being better, and I know all Americans are capable of taking hold of their lives and instituting morality where it lacks. The question is whether they care enough to make a change in themselves. This is the one and only life we are given; are you making the most of it, and are you using it for personal gain or for the betterment of your family, your nation, and the world?

All of that may sound funny coming from an 18 year old soon-to-be-college student, but I'm just sharing my thoughts humbly. Take it with a grain of salt. Thanks for reading... soon I will post a satirical essay I wrote for school, and you won't want to miss that! If you'd like to be included in my email list to receive updates regarding new blog posts, send me an email at sarah.hinds515@yahoo.com.

I'll leave you with this quote to ponder...

"We have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us."
Abraham Lincoln's 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation

A Possible Gov't Shutdown

2011-04-08T18:24:00.002-05:00

As I scroll through a plethora of news websites, I really do not even know where to begin with another blog post after being absent from my site since January 25th. During the past three months, I have traveled to Belgium, New Orleans, San Diego, and registered for college classes; each event has even further solidified my belief that America is the most exceptional nation on the face of this Earth. School, also, has kept me from writing, but with the looming shut down of our national government, I felt compelled to get back to blogging. I have a lot to say and I hope you will share my site with as many of your friends as possible, regardless of their political views.

If Congress cannot agree on a budget by midnight tonight, the United States government will be shut down. Granted, operations such as the Post Office, TSA, and Social Security will still be operating and in effect; however hundreds of thousands of government employees will be without work and, sickeningly, the pay for our men and women in uniform will freeze. Directly from the Constitution, Article 1, Clause 9, Section 7: “No money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.” Redstate.com describes the process clearly, also: “The government only shuts down if the President vetoes the congressional appropriation bills. It is this presidential veto, which effectuates the government shutdown, not Congress. The President shuts down the government, not Congress.”

Literally thousands of families will be affected if this occurs. The Republicans and Democrats have butted heads constantly, trying and failing to come to a consensus on a budget for our nation, one that will cut spending in attempt to salvage what is left of our broken economy. The left shrieked in disgust over Paul Ryan’s “Path to Prosperity” budget plan to cut federal spending by $5.8 billion over the next ten years, though I have yet to see any real solutions to the problem from their side of the aisle. In seeing the events of the past few weeks regarding this, I have been waiting for a real leader to emerge from the White House, and predictably it has not happened.

The farce that is Barack Obama’s presidency has been revealed even further, though. Be it his self-proclaimed superiority showing through when he insisted that lawmakers need to “act like grown ups” or yet another planned “weekend getaway” while the entire country is in shambles (is anyone keeping a vacation count?) there has been nothing but frivolous talk and no action coming from the White House. Further, in budget discussions with Senator Harry Reid and Speaker of the House John Boehner, he and Reid have refused to cut nearly $300 million in funds for Planned Parenthood. Reid and Nancy Pelosi have already used the line that the Republicans are waging a “war against women” and the goal is to “prevent women from getting cancer screenings”. Really? I don’t buy it. Any defense for this organization I see as absolutely sick. Planned Parenthood is a federally funded organization that time and time again has been found to have covered up cases of rape, sexual abuse, and sex trafficking in girls/women of all ages. http://biggovernment.com/lrose/2011/02/01/shock-investigation-planned-parenthood-advises-pimp-on-underage-sex-trafficking-secret-abortions-for-minors/ Aside from the fact that this group is absolutely sickening in general, does the President and his cohorts realize that the United States is fighting THREE wars? Has he SEEN the National Debt Clock? http://www.usdebtclock.org/ At the time of this writing, the debt per citizen was at $45,899. I know I don’t have that much money, do you?

A primary ramification of the government shutdown is the fact that soldiers will have a freeze on their paychecks. Besides having a loved one overseas for a number of months to a year, military families will have to deal with the effects limited funds. Soldiers who are half a world away from their families, too, will have to worry about how bills will be paid back home. President Obama showed his disregard for those who serve by denouncing a bill that proposed to fund the Department of Defense through the end of the year. It’s unbelievably obvious that Obama ignores the fact that he was elected to represent the American people rather than adhere to his own agenda and that of his party.

WHEN in the history of American has the Commander in Chief blatantly turned his back on those who have volunteered to serve their nation? Obama’s concern for an organization known for covering up heinous crimes receives priority over the greatest fighting force in the entire world, the military he swore to command. Glenn Beck was ridiculed on Good Morning America just a few days ago for saying that “we are in deep and treacherous waters” but the man could not be more right.

Americans who are still complacently living in their own utopian worlds, wake up before you are rudely awakened from your ignorant slumber. Look at that debt clock again. Our nation is now involved in three wars in the Middle East. Unemployment is at 9.2%. The dollar is constantly dropping in value. The Middle East is literally on fire, and Japan is physically devastated. The entire world is in deep and treacherous waters and the tide is rising fast. And all the leader of the free world can do is battle for funding for a sick and twisted organization that functions harmfully and distrustfully in the name of women’s health, and blatantly disregard military families.

In the words of Thomas Paine:
“THESE are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.”

Whether the government shuts down tonight or not, we are still amidst trying times that require real leadership, something we are not seeing in the White House. Paine’s words still apply over 200 years later—though he and his fellow founders are discredited by elitists more and more every single day. Are we sunshine patriots, only flying our flags when it is the popular thing to do? Or will we continue to stand by our country in times of strife and turmoil, when the unpopular—but right—thing to do is to seek the truth from our leaders, from each other? Do we still hold our America dear, and do we still value the truth? But more importantly, do our leaders?

http://www.redstate.com/timelyrenewed/2011/02/25/the-constitution-and-obamas-threat-to-shut-down-the-government/
http://www.newsmax.com/Murdock/paul-ryan/2011/04/08/id/392277
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-gop-budget-20110408,0,617540.story?track=rss
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/52593.html
http://www.vagazette.com/articles/2011/04/07/news//doc4d9da89df0225539456348.txt
http://www.salon.com/news/budget_showdown/?story=/tech/htww/2011/04/08/planned_parenthood_budget_shutdown

Nonviolence...the weapon of the strong

2011-01-25T21:16:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! After an extended weekend due to snow days, I am happy to finally be back on Present Day Patriots. Quite a bit has transpired since my last post, and today I will discuss a few thoughts surrounding the shooting in Tucson, AZ on January 8, 2011. I have prayed a lot for the families of those who lost their lives and those injured in the shooting, and the continued reports of Representative Gabrielle Giffords’ road to recovery are particularly inspiring. I watched the news and internet headlines in the wake of the shooting, and was disappointed by the high level of politicizing this tragedy received beginning just a few hours after the news broke. I saw that many tried to pin the blame on a specific party or group, and attempted to paint the shooter as a victim himself of the “rhetoric” inflaming talk radio and TV today. This “blame game” played by the mainstream media and its followers made me think.
The shooting in Arizona brought out the best in some people, and the worst in others. I’ll start with the worst; needless to say, first and foremost, the shooter, Jared Loughner. He is obviously believed taking innocent lives was the best way to make his statement (whatever statement that may have been). Former classmates and “friends” have described him as extremely odd, a disturbing class disruption, and generally left-leaning…though it seems politics were not his sole motivation. (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/10/national/main7229463.shtml) I’ll get back to him in a second. But also, I feel, the worst was brought out in Pima County Sherriff Clarence Dupnik. Shortly after the investigation into the massacre began, Dupnik began politicizing the whole thing: "There's reason to believe that this individual [Loughner] may have a mental issue. And I think people who are unbalanced are especially susceptible to vitriol," he said during his televised remarks. "People tend to pooh-pooh this business about all the vitriol we hear inflaming the American public by people who make a living off of doing that. That may be free speech, but it's not without consequences." First of all, isn’t a Sherriff’s duty to INVESTIGATE, not to SPECULATE? To me he appears to be making excuses for the shooter…just a poor, impressionable guy afflicted by those big bad guys (and gals) on talk radio and the “airwaves” in general speaking their minds. He insinuates that this “vitriol” is inciting violence in listeners. Megyn Kelly of Fox News confronted Dupnik about his opinion on such “vitriol” in a rather interesting interview… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeJNKXgAUto For Dupnik, in his position as a public servant, I feel this immediate speculation was highly inappropriate. And I’ll further digress on such supposed “vitriol” in a moment.
The best, though was also brought out in folks that Saturday morning in the Safeway parking lot. Rep. Giffords intern, Daniel Hernandez, ran to the congresswoman’s side immediately after she was shot and applied pressure to her wound, possibly helping save her life. He stayed with her until paramedics arrived, and until they arrived at the hospital. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0111/47307.html Also, Patricia Maisch, a St. Louis native coincidentally, saved an unknown number of lives when she grabbed a magazine away from Loughner as he tried to reload. http://www.kmov.com/news/local/Local-woman-called-hero-in-AZ-shooting-113234379.html Judge John Roll, who was fatally shot, threw himself on top of one of Rep. Giffords’ staff members to shield them from the gunfire, saving their life. http://themoderatevoice.com/98794/tucson-shooting-video-reveals-a-hero-judge-john-m-roll/ Despite the unspeakable tragedy that occurred that day, the selflessness of several brave Americans was revealed and the risk of all and the sacrifice made by of Judge Roll will not soon be forgotten.
Back to Loughner and Sherriff Dupnik... free speech cannot be blamed for this tragedy, nor can the Second Amendment. To be blunt, there is no one to blame for the loss of life and injuries but the man who made the poor, murderous decision to pull the trigger. I strongly believe that stricter restrictions on firearms would not have prevented this...Loughner had his mind set to do what he did, and regardless, he would have found a means of carrying out this despicable act. He did have a record of unlawful activities (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/08/arizona-shooting-suspects-record-showed-minor-offenses/#) so perhaps more discretion in WHO purchases a gun would have made a difference...but this reminds me of a favorite saying...guns don’t kill people, PEOPLE kill people. The firearm Loughner used didn’t just go off by itself, it had help. I saw an interesting comment on Facebook regarding this recently...if guns kill people, pencils misspell words, and cars drive drunk. A gun is like a car; it can be used safely, correctly, and lawfully. But when taken advantage of, the consequences can be deadly. The wrong person can obtain a firearm. The wrong person can also get behind the wheel of a car, intoxicated, under the influence, and do just as much damage.
My last post discussed the controversial revisions of Huckleberry Finn and the omission of key parts of the Constitution in its congressional reading. And so the “language purification” continues... CNN anchor John King apologized on air for a comment a guest made, that comment being “in the cross hairs.” He says they are “trying” to get away from that sort of rhetoric. Now, really...in what language does the term “in the cross hairs” translate to “go shoot someone...NOW!” ?

It’s a phrase. It’s a phrase used every day. Critics without a lick of common sense tried to blame the shooting on Sarah Palin, who used crosshairs on a map of congressmen and women who voted in favor of Obamacare, Rep. Giffords being one of them. A horrible coincidence, yes, but how in the WORLD, based on WHAT logic and reasoning, does this map make Sarah Palin at fault for Jared Loughner’s shooting spree? A man who, as I stated before, has been described as left leaning, with no evidence to show he was a Glenn Beck or Bill O’Reilly (or similar) listener?

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/images/palin-crosshairs.jpg

If we’re going to continue scratching out words and phrases from our English language that could be taken as “offensive” or “violent”...society is going to have to get ready for some big changes. Kids, turn off the cartoons.

I mean look at that violence after just one minute of Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner. And this is what I grew up on...I’m surprised I’m not locked up and prosecuted by now. And Target will need to be changing their name and logo...that’s insinuating violence if I’ve ever seen it...I mean, a target...wow. Watch out everyone. And my favorite restaurant here in St. Louis, Annie Gunn’s... (gasp!) Gunn’s! That will have to go, too.
Common sense, people. We know better than to believe that cartoons like the one above, phrases like “in the crosshairs” or “oh, shoot!” are the reasons for violence in this country today. We are each ultimately responsible for our own actions. Loughner slipped through the cracks—he was a disturbing disruption in his college classes, he had been caught numerous times with drugs, and accused of other infractions...and it just so happens that his mother worked for Pima County...hmm.
Just for fun, here are just a few examples of “rhetoric” that could be construed as violent from our own fearless leader, and the creepy Frances Fox Piven...
“If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun...” –President Barack Obama
President Obama encourages Latinos to “punish our enemies on election day”... http://www.theblaze.com/stories/audio-obama%E2%80%99s-on-gop-to-latinos-punish-your-enemies/
Violence is acceptable, as long as it’s a part of your strategy... http://www.theblaze.com/stories/a-guide-to-the-ideas-and-violent-rhetoric-of-frances-fox-piven/

As I just said, responsibility for our actions lies in no one’s hands but our own. Loughner made a sick decision, and sadly innocent lives were lost as a result. Had there been some parental or law enforcement interference sooner in this man’s life, perhaps this could have been avoided. But honestly, there is no use playing the “what if” game, because what happened has happened, and for those affected it only makes it all the more painful. What we can do, and what I plan to do, is reinforce our personal edicts of PEACEFUL opposition.
Violence is not the answer, ever. Pick up a pen, not a gun. Though we may disagree, both sides of our nation—which is becoming more polarized every day—must remember that we are ultimately all on the same team. It is an understatement to say that discussion and debate through words and writings are far better than mindless riots and blood shed. Though, in keeping our society a peaceful one, we have to keep our heads on straight, and not allow simple words and phrases to be ousted from our vocabulary simply for what they could insinuate or simply for whom they could offend. This is a step backwards in the progress time—we are a better nation that that. We are a better people; we have too much common sense to be offended or pushed to violence by words printed on paper or spoken by a talk show host. As Ghandi said, “Nonviolence is the weapon of the strong.” I’ll shamelessly say that Americans are, arguably, some of the strongest folks around. No matter the situation, we cannot weaken to the whims of the “word police” nor those who say the sword is mightier than the pen. Americans are better than that.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/10/national/main7229463.shtml
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/10/dupnik-friends-critics-remarks-arizona-shooting/
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2011/01/sheriff-dupniks-criticism-of-p.html

Rewriting History?

2011-01-08T09:08:00.003-06:00

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Years! Now that I am caught up (slightly) in school and life, I hope to post on Present Day Patriots as much as possible. I’ve been thinking a lot lately in light of a few things I’ve seen in the news, so I felt the need to post. A few days ago, the 112th US Congress was sworn in. We have reason to be hopeful, but trust is something that will have to be earned. On Drudge Report on Wednesday, I saw this classic picture that became my Facebook profile picture for a time…

…the end of Nancy Pelosi’s reign as speaker! Also in Congress, yesterday, they read the US Constitution. Or, part of it at least. The Constitution was read, without some major amendments, such as the 18th (Prohibition) and the 3/5 Compromise of 1787, declaring slaves would be counted as 3/5 of a person for apportionment of Senators and Representatives and enumeration purposes. Here is a full list of some of the major statements left out of the Constitution’s reading; http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/06/AR2011010603759_2.html?sid=ST2011010603624 (note: there are two pages). It surprised me to learn that this was the first time the Constitution had ever been read in Congress (ironic…if it weren’t for that document, there wouldn’t even BE a Congress).

Were these crucial pieces left out because they could be considered “offensive” or was it just incompetence already rearing its ugly head again? I’m personally offended that these parts of the document were left out in the first place. This document, in its entirety, is what gives congressmen and women their JOBS. They swear to uphold it’s every word. It is history, and I think that history is something that ALL Americans, especially those in CONGRESS, need to be reminded of. If the reading of the Three-fifths Clause was left out for fear it would offend someone…that clause is history. They were mistakes in our past that were righted; Prohibition was revoked, and slavery abolished. The Constitution is often called a “living document” as it is amended as time goes on…I would think that if you’re going to read the Constitution and gain something from it—and especially if you’re CONGRESS—the document in its entirety should be read to see these changes over time, and how far we as a nation have come. Are grade school kids not going to be taught of the darkest days of our nation’s history simply because they’re unpleasant? Are grade school kids even taught about the Constitution anymore? Now that I think of it I wasn’t subject to an “in-depth” study of the Constitution until sophomore year of high school…and even then the mandatory American Government class left MUCH to be desired in the way of learning about our nation’s governing bodies. Choosing not to remember is a good way to forget the lessons learned from such mistakes. Our nation has its scars—it’s horrible, horrible scars that counted a human being as only 3/5 of a person; it was not right, but it happened. It’s history. It was resolved, and our nation finally lived up to the phrase, “all men created equal” under God. Forgetting the lessons learned from our history is a sure way that such mistakes will be repeated in the future. If we do not learn from the past, our present will be turmoil and our future even more so. Essentially, if we forget what and where we came from, we forget WHO WE ARE.
http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_17031461?source=rss

This brings me to another point, one that was briefly discussed in one of my AP classes at school…the censoring of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn. Alan Gribben, a professor at Auburn University is “revising” Twain’s classic by replacing the n-word (used 219 times in the text) with “slave”, “injun” with “Indian”, and “half-breed” with “half-blood.” I know a certain English teacher who was particularly outraged with this… it’s surprising how alterations to already published and copyrighted text are even legal. Twain wrote Huckleberry Finn; those are his words, his ideas, his message to society, who is Alan Gribben and others on the “politically correct” side to change that? In an interview, Gribben said, “Race matters in these books. It’s a matter of how you express it in the 21st century.” Well, that’s just fine…go write your own masterpiece, comparable in theme and literary richness to Huck Finn, and express race in a 21st century way, because it will be published IN the 21st century. Mark Twain’s Huck Finn was not published IN the 21st century but in the late 1800’s, so it would not express things such as race in the same way we do today. Like I said above about the reading of the Constitution, it’s HISTORY. Yes, using the n-word in such capacity was and is degrading and unspeakably disrespectful, but Twain wrote the novel using that word to convey WHY it was wrong. Without the language of the time, Huck Finn won’t cause kids to ask WHY. Cleaning up the language will not allow kids to see the mistakes of the past, how they were righted, and how Twain used his literary talent to satirize the practice of slavery.
Turn on the radio to any local rap station. Listen for ten, fifteen minutes, and count many times you hear the n-word or other words that could be considered offensive. Now how many kids who are not “allowed” to read Huck Finn, or who will end up with a censored version, listen to that sort of music or music with comparable lyrics after school? On the radio, it’s called “art.” But in the case of Huck Finn, it’s considered offensive and politically incorrect.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/censored-new-version-of-huckleberry-fin-erases-injun-and-n-word/

Two different but still similar situations with the Constitution and Huck Finn…important pieces being left out that carry irreplaceable meaning. Again, without the mistakes, the horrors, the scars of the past, what guide do we have to the future? If we forget what and where we came from, we forget WHO WE ARE.

This makes me think of a comment by Michelle Obama over two years ago… “[Barack knows that] we are going to have to make sacrifices; we are going to have to change our conversation; we're going to have to change our traditions, our history; we're going to have to move into a different place as a nation."

I have a big problem with everything stated in this sentence, but for now I just want to focus on one part; change our history? Just how, I ask, do you “change” history? You can’t rewind time and change how things happened, how things played out. But you can rewrite the history books as to how you see fit. You can twist and transform people’s perception of the past—that is, people who are too blind and gullible, or people who simply do not care, to not learn history on their own…I think that is what’s happening here. There are many, many unpleasant things that have occurred in our history, and the world’s. But that gives us all the more reason to learn everything we can about those events, so as to not let that mistake happen again.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,580414,00.html

I have a few quotes that coincide quite well with the topic of this blog post...

"The happy union of these states is a wonder; their Constitution is a miracle; their example of the hope and liberty throughout the world. Woe to the ambition that would meditate the destruction of either!" -James Madison

“The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is.” –Winston Churchill

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”-Ronald Reagan

As always, thanks for reading…comments are welcome. And lastly, two quotes I found that have great validity to the situation we find ourselves in today…

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” –Martin Luther King, Jr.

“If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.” –Ronald Reagan

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

2010-12-29T16:06:00.003-06:00

Hi again everyone! Ok, my long absences are starting to get ridiculous. But it's almost 2011 (my graduation year!) and my New Years Resolution will to try to post more often here (I'm making no guarantees though!). I hope you all had a great Christmas. I did, and I am enjoying a much needed break from school and all things requring mental activity...but I missed blogging!

Speaking of Christmas...I have been thinking quite a bit about how much I enjoyed spending it at home with my family, with our tree and lights, annual Christmas Eve crab cakes (yum!) and other fun stuff...and how many of America's greatest heroes are deprived of that cherished family time this holiday season because they are serving overseas. It makes me realize how lucky I am. I could ramble on all day of how their sacrifice and dedication has given every one of us so much, but there really are no words to express my gratitude to our armed forces. Remember that they have put their lives on hold to serve, and put their lives on the line daily, in defense of our nation. To any present or past soldiers reading this, thank you! :)

I've spoken of Soldiers Angels in a previous blog post, but I'd like to bring it up again. In 2011, make a difference in the life of someone who is fighting for your freedom. There are various ways to get involved at www.soldiersangels.com... you can either Adopt A Soldier, or if you are not wanting that commitment, join a team, such as the Letter Writing Team. It is rewarding to simply put my feelings down on paper and thank deployed soldiers for what they are doing, even though I may never hear back from them. Consider it in the coming year...you'll be glad you did. :)

Well that's all for now, I'll try to post again soon... until then, a few interesting quotes by 30th US president Calvin Coolidge!

"Don't expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong."
"Industry, thrift and self-control are not sought because they create wealth, but because they create character."
"Patriotism is easy to understand in America. It means looking out for yourself by looking out for your country."
"The nation which forgets its defenders will be itself forgotten."

A Date Which Will Live in Infamy

2010-12-07T20:29:00.003-06:00

Sixty-nine years ago today, December 7, 1941 became “a date which will live in infamy”…when Japanese forces brutally attacked Pearl Harbor, as well as several islands in the South Pacific and Asian cities. I found a few pictures to share and excerpts from President Theodore Roosevelt’s speech to commemorate the day…it is depressing and sad, yes, but it’s history. It really happened. We must remember with respect and awe those who lived and fought through it, and with an equal or greater respect and honor remember those who laid down their lives during the attack on Pearl Harbor, and those who perished in the war that followed.

I’m not a Theodore Roosevelt fan by any means, but one particular quote in his December 8, 1941 speech rings true still today, as it has for America’s 234 year history: “No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.”

Some further excerpts I thought particularly meaningful…

“Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger. With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounding determination of our people - we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God.”

Read the complete speech here: http://www.famousquotes.me.uk/speeches/presidential-speeches/presidential-speech-franklin-roosevelt-pearl-harbour.htm

**NOTE: The pictures are so large they don't fit completely on the blog page, so if you want to see the entire image just click on it and it will come up. :)

Seattle Times pics: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/picturethis/2013606285_pt_pearl.html

If you’re wanting to watch a good movie on Pearl Harbor in honor of December 7 (maybe I’m the only one that plans my, though relatively sparse, movie watching schedule around historic holidays, but you never know!) I’d say the best one I’ve seen is Tora! Tora! Tora! (That’s really the name of it…means attack! In Japanese I think.) It is extremely detailed and gives the story from both the American side and the Japanese side leading up to the attack. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066473/

Oh, and how can I forget one of my most favorite quotes, said by Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto after the attack… "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve."

On a lighter note, I’m proud to announce that Present Day Patriots is now on the blog roll (a list of conservative blogs) on Smart Girl Politics.com. If you’re not a member of SGP, consider joining—it’s a free social network of like-minded patriots. Check it out at www.smartgirlpolitics.ning.com.!

Also, for my fellow Glenn Beck fans, in select theaters there will be an encore presentation of his “Broke” Town Hall meeting this Wednesday, December 8. There are quite a few participating theaters in the St. Louis area, so if you’re interested in buying tickets for Wednesday, click here to find a theater near you… http://www.glennbeck.com/content/events/?ibid=broke

Well, just wanted to drop in and post real quick since it is a very important day in our history...have a great rest of the week, I hope to post again soon! Until then...

Thank you Lord for allowing me to live in this beautiful country and give all Americans the strength to live and preserve American ideals so as to not let those who have died for our freedom have died in vain.

Soldiers Angels

2010-12-04T14:53:00.004-06:00

Hey everyone! Hope you all have had a great week! I don't know about everyone else but it's definitely starting to feel like winter here in Missouri. Yesterday, I found an awesome website posted by a Facebook friend that I feel is worth sharing, especially with Christmas coming up: www.soldiersangels.org. This organization allows you to directly support and communicate with our dedicated men and women in uniform overseas. You can sign up to send a one-time care package, or adopt a soldier and commit to sending at least one letter a week and at least one care package a month. Several years ago I adopted a soldier and it was one of the most rewarding experiences to know that the things I wrote and sent to the Middle East were helping a soldier risking everything for my sake and the sake of my country. I just adopted a soldier from Soldiers Angels yesterday...consider taking part in this. It is a way to say thank you to those who won't be able to be home this Christmas. Regardless if you're for or against the war, we cannot ignore the sacrifices our armed forces make on a daily basis in the name of freedom.

Also, for my fellow Missourians, I was reading the Lake Saint Louis Journal and came across a rather interesting story. The ACLU is filing a lawsuit against St. Charles County challenging a law restricting picketing/protesting at funerals. The legislation passed with a vote of 6-0 from the St. Charles County Council and, from the Newstime article...

"...defines 'picketing of a funeral' as 'protest activities engaged in by a person or persons located within 300 feet of the premises of a cemetary, mortuary, church or other place of worship or other location during, and which target or disrupt a funeral.' A person who commits unlawful picketing of a funeral 'during a period from one hour prior to the commencement of any funeral through one hour following the cessation of any funeral'...if convicted, would be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined in an amount not exceeding $1,000.'"

This is aimed at individuals that feel it necessary to gather at the funerals of American soldiers to sling horrible insults and obnoxiously protest (*cough* Westboro Baptist Church *cough*), which I think is absolutely disgusting. (There are many, many much more respectful ways to get your point across). The Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church is being represented by the ACLU in the case, and claims that it violates free speech. (Westboro Baptist protests at funerals holding anti-gay signs, protesting the "nation's tolerance of gays.") Now I cannot say that I approve of that sexual orientation, but a fallen American soldiers funeral is no place to voice that opinion. This is an interesting case and I am wondering what others think of it... it could be said that this legislation is not in accordance with the First Amendment's definition of freedom of speech (as the ACLU claims).

Here's the First Amendment... "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Personally I do not see it as affecting the freedom of speech at all; this law is not shutting up these protestors or outlawing their opinions, it is providing a time frame for when such action is not lawful. The folks of Westboro Baptist Church are free to protest to their little hearts content, as long as it's three hundred feet away. It could be said, also, this challenges the right of the people to "peaceably assemble"...but, one must ask, are those of Westboro Baptist Church being peaceable? And simply, is there any respect for the families of the fallen left in our country? It is sad to say, but obviously not.

Further, ACLU confuses me. Many, many times in the past they have fought for equality for gays in the military, such as this particular story regarding salaries. http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2010/11/aclu_challenges_another_milita.html However, now they defend a group who is unquestionably anti-homosexuality. Hmmm. I think profit speaks much louder than principle with the ACLU.

I encourage my County to stand by this ordinance, and agree with County Executive Steve Ehlmann who is quoted in the LSL Journal in saying, "...we think it's[the ordinance] the right thing to do to protect the rights of family members to memorialize their loved ones without outside disruption or disturbance. You'd think in this country we wouldn't have to pass laws like this because people would have the common decency not to disturb families who are grieving the loss of a loved one. But, unfortunately, this is necessary."

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/stcharles/article_64ab695c-fd91-11df-99c9-0017a4a78c22.html

Well that is all for today...I will try to post again soon, until then remember to sign up for Soldiers Angels if you want to make a real difference in someone's life, and ponder this...

‎"The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us
tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second
will not become the legalized version of the first." - Thomas Jefferson

If not us, who?

2010-11-17T20:26:00.006-06:00

Hi all! I haven't posted in awhile, and I have the usual excuse...school = busy busy busy! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving...the news can get pretty depressing sometimes but we as Americans still have quite a lot to be thankful for.

No doubt many of you have probably seen something on the news about the Transportation Security Adminstration's new and extremely friendly (or intimate, whatever you want to call it) "security measures" for passengers of airline flights.
Travelers have two choices; in many airports, new x-ray machines using backscatter technology can screen you (in some airports, the old metal detectors are still being used) and also give you a free (though minute, but it's still there) dose of radiation and a racy pic that could possibly end up on the internet (http://www.theblaze.com/stories/broken-promises-body-scanner-stores-35000-pics-100-hit-the-web/ ) or, you can really get to know some random TSA agent by a physical pat down. And not just any pat down... this is just one story I found about a woman in Ohio: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/ohio-woman-outraged-by-tsa-pat-down-she-sexually-assaulted-me/

And, also, this story of a three-year-old recieving quite an intense pat down as well. Oh yes I said THREE years old. I don't know about you, but I were three years old and some random guy started touching me all over, I would probably freak out...just a little. (Ok, a lot.) The video has been disabled by YouTube, but heres the article... http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfmoms/detail?entry_id=77140&tsp=1

Are there any boundaries anymore? Will this administration stop at nothing to encroach on privacy more and more? Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has endorsed actions that are seriously just plain sick and intrusive towards American citizens in the name of security. And yet, I wonder, if there is such a deep concern for our national security that we need to have individuals called "agents" putting their hands down our pants, why is the border open? Why can anyone just waltz through and get a job, a drivers license, etc? I have a hard time believing the Department of Homeland Security has our "best interests" at heart, considering there is now talk of the DHS withdrawing National Guard troops from the border by February.
http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/2010/11/texas-republicans-protest-plan-move-national-guard-troops-border

Here's another interesting video of a man's experience with TSA...

I'm all for security, and with my parents careers, I am definitely all for keeping our airports and aircraft completely safe from any and all terrorist attacks. But seriously, is the best we can come up with--possibly cancer causing x-ray machines that reveal everything, or getting a little too acquainted with a TSA agent? God help us.

On a lighter note, last Sunday at church I heard a particularly moving and meaningful sermon by Rev. Larry Maley (Dardenne Presbyterian Church). I don't want to recopy the entire sermon here, (though it's excellent--so if you want a copy I could email one to you...)but here is a brief excerpt that speaks for itself...

"This nation was birthed by people who sought to practice their Christian faith without fear and interference. They were the invading force for God's Kingdom in this land. Christian principles of personal responsibility and sacrifice built this nation...

Sadly our nation has strayed from its Biblical foundation. We have become a nation where Christians are being instructed to keep their religion to themselves. I am not advocating intolerance towards other religious expressions. I'm merely reminding God's people that the Lord showers blessings on those nations which honor God's righteousness and truth. So if we turn our back on the Lord and His Word, history tells us God will not be mocked.

The economic, social, and moral problems our nation is now experiencing are rooted in pride, power, greed, and selfishness. These are qualities which the Bible calls sin--which are being increasingly glorified in this land. These qualities are the very opposite from those which built this nation...

It is time for Christians to ask themselves the question, 'Are we being transformed by the values of this world (Romans 12:2), or are Christians transforming the world with the Gospel?'"

That last question really hit home with me, and I really hope that I am fulfilling the second half of it. What about you...is this world transforming you into something you aren't, into something you don't want to be? Or are you transforming this world for the better? This verse also used in the sermon I found particularly applicable and meaningful for our nation ......"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Thank you, Rev. Maley for such an inspiring sermon.

That's all for tonight, I hope to post again soon! Speaking of humbling ourselves, seeking the Lord's face, and turning from our wicked ways to restore our nation...

"If not us, who? If not now, when?" -Ronald Reagan.

Seeing Red: Election 2010!!!

2010-11-03T19:26:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone! Well, I feel like America’s voice was heard loud and clear last night…with the Republicans taking the House of Representatives and running a very close race in the Senate. I myself was thrilled to have my vote counted in this midterm election, and I am proud to once again be living in a “red” state! Last night I was up late (and I mean ridiculously late) working on a school project, while also watching election results, of course—and contemplating what to write in this blog post...

You all know me; I tend to THINK a lot about things and voting was one of those things that I have THOUGHT a lot about. My brother and I walked to the polling place, just down the street from my house. I walked in the door and handed them my voter registration card, and received my ballot, with the names of candidates from FOUR political parties running for Senate. I voted (and I bet you can guess how) and as I turned in my ballot to the ballot box a flood of images and thoughts rushed through my head (you don’t have to remind me that I’m a nerd—I know!). Filling in the bubbles on that sheet of paper seems like such a tiny, insignificant thing that we take for granted and may even feel burdened by…until you stop and think of what it took to get to this point, and what it took and continues to take to secure and maintain the security of this right. I ramble on about the Founding Fathers and their sacrifices all time, but voting, to me, was directly taking part in something they fought a war, risked being hung for treason, and died to secure; the ability, and the responsibility of Americans to CHOOSE who they want to be represented by. It was riveting to think of the centuries of men and women that have come before me, those who risked everything fighting in war and in peace against forces who seek to destroy America’s free way of life, just to allow me to sit at that table in the basement of a church in a suburban Missouri town and choose my representatives. It was, in a word, an incredible experience!

And now for some of the finer points of Election 2010…the main event that was rather disappointing was Missouri’s Proposition B or the “Puppy Mill Initiative”… this passed 52% to 48%, with the metro areas mainly voting for it, and the rest of the state against it. This is just a testament to why it is crucial to READ and RESEARCH legislation before you vote on it; stopping puppy mills and making sure dogs are taken care of sounds like a great idea when it’s stated on the ballot, but when you research who is funding it and their motives, and how it can and possibly will affect other areas of business and agriculture in our state, it is less appealing. I dedicated an entire blog post to this Proposition, so scroll down if you want to read it.
http://www.fox2now.com/news/ktvi-prop-a-prop-b-ballot-passes-missouri-election-110310,0,6290419.story

However, as I said, I am excited to finally live in a RED state again! Missouri overwhelmingly supported Republican Roy Blunt in the senate race; he defeated Democrat Robin Carnahan 54% to 41%, winning in all but one county. For the race for the House, in all but three of Missouri’s nine districts, Republican’s won. Check out the map on Fox News’ website for all the minute details of each race and state data…it’s really fascinating: http://www.foxnews.com/interactive/politics/election-map-2010/#race=racesInPlay&pres=false&tab=senate&state=us-senate&profile=region

And debatably the greatest news of all, Nancy Pelosi no longer holds the gavel as the Speaker of the House! (PARTY! Haha...) Ohio Representative John Boehner will take her place. Here are a few words from Boehner's speech last night...I know my liberal friends will have fun ridiculing comments this, but I felt it rather inspiring, myself! :)

I also want to share Florida's future Senator Marco Rubio's victory speech with you...really puts things into perspective for this election!!

Lastly, I'd like to congratulate my cousin, Mike Fellows, on his victory as the Lee County Family Court Judge in Alabama! :)

http://vp.mgnetwork.net/traveler.swf?embed_referer=www.facebook.com&u=063848ba3858102ea6fd001ec92a4a0d&z=OAN&embed_player=1%2522

That's all for tonight... Though the results of this election will most definitely not solve all our problems, let's hope that Republicans take this "second chance" and stand firm in defense of our Constitution and the future of our Republic!

“...my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right.” -Abraham Lincoln

Missouri's Prop B

2010-11-01T09:09:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone, and especially my fellow Missourians… In my last blog post I promised a post dedicated to the discussion of Missouri’s Proposition B, an initiative to place restrictions and further regulations on the care of dogs in breeding facilities in Missouri. My state is a nationally acclaimed hot-spot for puppy mills (nothing to be proud of, really) and according to the US Department of Agriculture, Missouri contains 30% of the nation’s licensed dog breeders. I want to dedicate this blog to uncovering both sides of the argument over Yes or No on Prop B, explore some of the future ramifications of this law, and of course, provide my two cents.

The Initiative is rather long, so I’ll provide the link and a brief summary. http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/2010petitions/2010-085.asp

This “Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act” states, in general, “The purpose of this Act is to prohibit the cruel and inhumane treatment of dogs in puppy mills by requiring large-scale dog breeding operations to provide each dog under their care with basic food and water, adequate shelter from the elements, necessary veterinary care, adequate space to turn around and stretch his or her limbs and regular exercise.” This act also limits the number of dogs that any breeder can have to 50 dogs, regardless of the quality of the facility.

At first I didn’t think much of this when I first heard about it; I love dogs.My family has never been without a dog, and our current dog was rescued from the streets of Saint Louis, and we love him dearly. I think puppy mills are about the sickest and most horrible beginning of life for any dog. When I heard the limit on 50 dogs to any breeder, though, it got me thinking of how this amendment will affect breeding operations in this state.

Let me also remind you that Missouri already has legislation regulating the treatment of dogs in breeding operations and other facilities in the state, passed in 1992 called the Animal Care Facility Act. This act regulates breeders, pet stores, and other facilities and sends out inspectors (there are a total of 12 throughout the state) to make sure operations are meeting state standards in the areas of “feed, water, veterinary care, shelter, building maintenance, socialization, identification, and record keeping requirements” http://mda.mo.gov/animals/ACFA/) Read more on the Animal Care Facility Act of 1992 here... http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G9902

It is common knowledge that the MO Department of Agriculture does not have enough inspectors to meet the needs of the state. According to a News-Leader article, “Two audits, in 2004 and 2008, found inspectors weren’t reaching all the animal care facilities they were required to inspect.” They estimate they would need to hire about seven more inspectors to keep up with the demands of the state. There is no doubt that the employee resources of the US Dept. of Agriculture in Missouri are limited.

Now that I’ve given a little background info, I’ll get down to my thoughts. First of all, this act is more government intervention. These are regulations put on top of already in place regulations that are not being enforced. In addition, it attempts to stifle the growth of businesses that may be extremely competent in the care of their animals.

The Animal Care Facility Act is already in place with state standards to the care of animals for retail. This proposed Puppy Mill initiative is estimated to cost, within the first year alone, $654, 768 and each year after that, $521, 356. I’m not good with numbers, but it seems to me that several more state inspectors could easily be hired and paid a decent salary to enforce the CURRENT legislation.

I just don’t understand…why more interference in private life? Yes, puppy mills are horrible, horrible operations, but with the Animal Care Facility Act even more strictly enforced, I feel this would crack down on irresponsible breeders while not stifling business for the responsible ones. Also, why punish operations that sincerely care for the well-being of their animals but seek to expand business by limiting the number of dogs to 50? And further, what’s the next stage of this campaign for regulations on the handling of animals? I have to wonder, being as greatly involved with horses and the horse world as I am, what division of agriculture will be the next to be affected by regulations and limits such as these.

It is pertinent, also, to know where the funds for the campaign in favor of Prop B are coming from. So far, nearly $3 million has been raised to support this campaign. Out of 250 donors, merely one tenth of the funds have come from donors WITHIN THE STATE OF MISSOURI. The United States Human Society, based in Maryland, has contributed $1 million. I have a problem with so many out of state donors; it makes me question the reality of this act being in the STATE’S best interests, or in the best interests of the agendas of special interest groups.

There are irresponsible and sick people out to make a quick dime EVERYWHERE. And it’s disgusting that these people take advantage of animals the way they do in the form of puppy mills. But not EVERY dog breeder is running an overcrowded, cruel puppy mill. Just as with every other facet of life, there are responsible people out there who really care about what they do and the lives and well being of their animals. However, I feel it is the responsible who will be punished should this act pass. I know this post will earn me the title of “animal-hater!” but...believe what you want; I don’t think an animal hater owns three horses, a dog and two cats and thoroughly enjoys their company. :) Anyway...Before you vote “yes” on Missouri's Prop B… think of future ramifications of this act and if it’s intentions are REALLY what they appear to be.

Two informative articles from Springfield, Missouri's News-Leader....
http://www.news-leader.com/article/20101017/OPINIONS01/10170319/Proposition-B-well-intentioned-but-not-in-state-s-best-interests
http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=201010240384

Tomorrow is the day, people! I hope ALL of you will get out there and VOTE! I'll leave you with a great quote by General Douglas MacArthur...

"No Man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation."

Five Days until November 2nd

2010-10-28T20:59:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone! It’s been way too long since I last posted on Present Day Patriots. I’m being totally truthful when I say that school is consuming so much of my time I have not had enough time to write up a quality blog post. But on the eve of fall break, I’m back!

We have five days until Election Day, November 2nd. It goes without saying that we—America, itself—has a lot riding on this election alone. I cannot stress the importance of getting out there and VOTING! Don’t think that “one vote won’t make a difference”… America blindly allowed the current administration to come to power the last time; let’s not make the same mistake again and get involved in our civic responsibilities. Research your candidates, and make the best decision based on their character and dedication to doing what is right, rather than what is popular. We need to restore our political system so it fulfills the quota it was intended to fulfill upon its creation; a government by, for, and of the people.

I know I’ve missed a lot of fascinating and just plain infuriating events and stories in my long absence, but I want to share with you the most recent of my findings. Never, in any history I have ever learned have I ever heard a President declare those with opposing views as the “enemy” that must be “punished” until the current administration. In speaking of his plans for immigration reform (oh yes, the ever present fight to just completely demolish the idea of a secure border and the value of citizenship) stated;

“If Latinos sit out the election instead of saying, ‘We’re going to punish our enemies and we’re gonna reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us,’ if they don’t see that kind of upsurge in voting in this election, then I think it’s going to be harder and that’s why I think it’s so important that people focus on voting on November 2.” http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/25/in-appeal-to-hispanics-obama-promises-to-push-immigration-reform/
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/new-obama-gotv-rallying-cry-lets-punish-our-enemies/

Now I’m all for exercising your right to vote, obviously! But it’s a form of “punishment” now for those with opposing views? Those of us who kind of like being a legal American citizen and want to maintain to merit to that status are labeled the enemy?

Think of me what you want, but to be honest, I don’t see opposing views as the enemy. There have got to be opposing views to some degree in our society—that’s how our government works. And if it weren’t for the current administration’s ridiculous belief in spreading the wealth and opening the border, I wouldn’t have much to write about in this blog. But are we not all Americans still? Or has our country become so polarized we cannot even identify ourselves as the UNITED States anymore? You all know how much I am NOT an Obama/Pelosi/Biden/etc. etc. fan…but I see the enemy as those who wish to KILL US and dream of their radical religion flying a flag over the White House. (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/oct/4/islamic-flag-over-the-white-house/ )

(And before my many Anonymous friends cry, “MUSLIM-HATER!” as a caveat, it’s the radical ones that used airplanes as lethal missiles to attack my country that I’m really not fond of.) My enemy is the group of monsters called Al-Qaeda…the same group behind the murder of two Somalian girls, age 18 and 15, by firing squad, in a Somalian town for trying to spy against this radical group. Those are the ones I consider the enemy, and their threat is ever-present. I can’t picture myself around a campfire singing Kumbayah with any radical left-winger, but still…those of us who are LEGALLY HERE are still AMERICANS. Isn’t that something we can still be proud of? Let’s get our priorities in order. This brings to mind a quote by Abraham Lincoln that is painfully true…

“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”

This goes hand in hand with another favorite quote—a quote engraved in granite outside of the National Archives in Washington, D.C: “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” Where is our VIGILANCE being directed these days?

Speaking of Abraham Lincoln, lately I have been looking for some meaningful quotes to put as my Facebook status (don’t laugh) and have come across some of his incredibly powerful words…so I’d like to share a few with you. I read some of these and was shocked of how well they can be applied to present day, and situations in my own life as well.

“I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.”

“Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right.”

“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.”

"It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt."

This last quote is often erroneously attributed to Abraham Lincoln, but in all actuality it was written by American Presbyterian minister and speaker of the mid 1900’s, William John Henry Boetcker…
"You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away men's initiative and independence.
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves."

And I love polls (even though AP Statistics and I aren’t getting along well at the moment) so here’s an interesting one I found on Rasmussen.
“A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 65% of Likely U.S. Voters say if they had the option next week, they would vote to get rid of the entire Congress and start all over again. Only 20% would opt to keep the entire Congress instead. Fifteen percent (15%) aren’t sure.”That’s just one of the all-encompassing stats from the survey. Click on the link below to read more stats from the poll...
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/october_2010/65_favor_getting_rid_of_entire_congress_and_starting_over

On November 2nd, one of the propositions my fellow Missourians and I will vote on is Prop B, the “Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act”... I’ve been doing some reading on this and have come across arguments in its defense, and other vehemently opposed to it. Missouri has long been known as a “hot-spot” for puppy mills, and this legislation intends to combat this by limiting the number of dogs breeders can have in addition to adding strict regulations as to the care of animals by dog breeders. However I am wondering, why isn’t our current puppy mill legislation being enforced? Why more government intervention? Why more restrictions? It is feared that this will put many responsible Missouri dog breeders out of business and speculation exists that other areas of agriculture could be affected in the future. However I need to do a little more research on this to provide you with all the facts, so watch for that in the coming few days!

Well that’s all for tonight! Being the lover of the free-enterprise system that I am, I’ll leave you with an Ayn Rand quote...
“America's abundance was not created by public sacrifices to "the common good", but by the productive genius of free men who pursued their own personal interests and the making of their own private fortunes.”

Colin Powell has gone off the "deep end."

2010-09-20T10:50:00.011-05:00

Hi everyone, I was scanning through some links this morning and I found a CBNC Economic Poll (no, I do not get all my facts from Fox News only :) ...) that I found fascinating. I'm a nerd; I love looking at polls, graphs, and stats like these. Below is a link to the poll conducted regarding the current economic conditions, conducted by Public Opinion Strategies/Hart Research on September 9th and 12th. To me it's obvious American's know something's afoot, that this "recession" is far from over, and that allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire may not be the best decision. This poll also brings to light the fact that the economy, the existence of jobs, spending and deficit are among main concerns. The first link is to a write up about the poll, a summary of the results, and the second is to the poll and graphs themselves.

Poll: Extend Bush Tax Cuts

Complete Economic Poll Results

I just found another little joyous tidbit on Theblaze.com (really--check this site out).

Once again it's the omittance of that nasty word "illegal" that brought my attention to Former Secretary of State Colin Powell. He states that "illegal immigrants do essential work in the U.S"... and he knows this, because they "work on his house."

Well that's just great. Way to support legal citizens working in the landscape/yard care industry, when unemployment is in the double digits. I just cannot comprehend what is so difficult to realize that those illegally here are breaking the law. Don't call me anti-immigration; I'm definitely not. But go through the naturalization process. If you're going to do something so important and pivotal as seek a new, better life in the United States, do it right! I do believe we could make the naturalization process and the process of obtaining a Green Card more accessible to those wishing to come to the US. Don't say I don't show sympathy for folks who wish to come to America because conditions in their country of birth are less than desirable...I do. Millions of immigrants saw, and still do see, America as a "shining city on a hill" and continue to risk everything to get here. I think people from around the world who desire a second chance on America's shores should have the opportunity to enjoy the rights we do...and I wish them the best, and if given the opportunity I would help them to the best of my ability to get settled and start a life here...but, not if such a person were breaking the law and taking a job from a legal citizen.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/powell-says-illegal-immigrants-do-his-home-repairs/

I could discuss that all day, but I wont...no, I just want to share with you a few words from our White House "Science Czar" John P. Holdren. He seems like a really fun guy. According to a book he wrote in '73, he'd like to work to "de-develop" the United States and believes that "wealth distribution is absolutely essential in order to provide a decent life for everyone." Oh my. Can I please tell this loon that I'll keep my money, you keep yours, and the quality of my life is up to me and is a result of the decions I make. Personal responsibility. Thank you very much, have a nice day. I really feel like our environmental well being is in the hands of a great guy now. Don't you? Such a relief. (please note sarcasm).

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/wh-science-czar-use-free-market-to-de-develop-u-s-wealth-redistribution-absolutley-essential/

Well, that is all for today, thanks for reading... I'll leave you with a final quote, one of my favorites..."The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money." -Alexis de Tocqueville (Democracy in America)

Gotta love Alexis. :) Have a great week, everyone!

Long Time No See!

2010-09-17T21:04:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone! It's been way too long since I last posted anything here. Time flies when you're having fun, I suppose! I wanted to post a quick update tonight, while I had a little time.

First I want to express my regret that I did not post anything regarding September 11th. I had planned to, but that day was really hard for me. I did not lose anyone that I knew in the attacks, but it still really gets to me, especially with my family's direct connection to the aviation industry. I was in 3rd grade in 2001; I really didn't understand what really happened, what was lost, and what was really attacked that day. Every year since I find myself reading more and more in depth about 9/11, looking at pictures, watching videos. Sounds morbid, maybe, but I think it's my way of understanding, and not forgetting. And I'll admit, I usually cry every year on September 11th. I'll also admit that I can be rather emotional, so I can only imagine the utter devastation and emptiness that families of victims experienced and are reminded of every day. President George W. Bush summed it up best, "... for those of us who lived through these events, the only marker we’ll ever need is the tick of a clock at the 46th minute of the eighth hour of the 11th day." Regardless of your opinions of GWB, read his speech to Congress and the American people... http://www.greatdreams.com/bush_speech_92001.htm .

Never forget.

On a lighter note, (sort of) I want to share something with you that I have found interesting.

For a man that has proved to be so, so skilled in reading off a teleprompter, he may have slipped up this time. Or did he? I'm not sure. But it's awful fishy to me. In a speech to the "Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute" he started quoting the Declaration of Independence (wow--didn't see that one coming). Now let's see how many of you are history nerds. Choose the phrase that is correct (aka exact text of the Declaration of Independence)...

A: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

B: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are crated equal. Endowed with certain inalienable rights: life and liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Which one did Mr. O use? Guess. B.

He omitted the word "creator." Go figure. Watch the video for yourself...

This just sounds a little fishy to me. First of all, if I were president, and I forgot the lines of one of--if not the--most important statements in all of American history, I would die of embarrassment. I would, I'd just die. If you're President, you might want to know what our founding documents say. (But, that's right, Obama is the one that said our Constitution is "flawed"...) And if he just chose to leave the word "creator" out... hmmm. And we all know his talent for reading teleprompters.
(http://www.theblaze.com/stories/revisionist-recitation-obama-omits-creator-while-quoting-declaration/)

That's all for tonight... I hope to post again soon. In the meantime, check out TheBlaze.com for some really revealing stories everyday... it's where I found the one posted above. Have a great week!!

“The man who fears no truth has nothing to fear from lies.” -Thomas Jefferson

Good Morning!

2010-08-30T10:32:00.008-05:00

Hi everyone... I know it's not usually typical of me to post at such an early hour, but I have some free time here at school so I figured I'd make the most of it.

Over the weekend I'm hoping that you heard at least a little news blurb regarding the 8/28 Restoring Honor Rally in Washington D.C, instigated by Glenn Beck. I had the privilige of watching it on CSPAN and on the live stream on Facebook...to those of you that actually got to go, please send me an email or post a comment about your experience! Also, any pictures you have I would love for you to share.

In total, the rally raised over $5 MILLION for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. If you've never heard of SOWF, PLEASE visit their website at www.specialops.org and help if you can. SOWF provides college educations to children of fallen special ops soldiers, and also immediate financial assistance to the wounded and their families. This was the reason for 8.28...restoring honor where it needed to be restored. In our military and veterans.

It was not one massive Tea Party protesting government spending, and I think that is what is throwing off the media. Most of the people there were there because they still believe in the greatness of their nation, and they believe that the days of America being the most free nation in the world, that city upon a hill, is not near finished.

Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, Alveda King (neice of Martin Luther King, Jr.) and various other speakers were present. Sarah Palin recognized three veterans. One of them was Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell. (A little off topic, but if you haven't read it yet, read Marcus's book, Lone Survivor. It will change your life. Seriously.)

From Glenn's website, here are a few pictures, and below his keynote speech.

And Glenn's speech...

I personally got chills just watching the rally on TV and was near tears at times... whether we like it or not, America has been and, God willing, will continue to be a model nation for the world...a nation that puts God first, and a nation that recognized that rights were derived from God himself, not man. I feel like those in power right now are contradicting and straining to change that fact, and as Glenn said, we are going to have to first fix ourselves and turn back to God.

As I said, if anyone attended 8/28, please comment or send me an email or message! I'd love to hear about it. I have some great thoughts that I want to put into words here pretty soon... so keep checking back and reading PDP. Have a great day!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Right vs. RIGHT.

2010-08-24T20:17:00.005-05:00

Hi everyone! Wow, sorry for the ridiculously long absence. It is now the second week of school, and it has been keeping me rather busy. But, I'm setting aside some projects tonight to get back to Present Day Patriots. Quite a bit has been going on since I posted last, and I have been sent some great links by friends that I would like to share.

Undoubtably you've heard about the big New York City Mosque debate... originally named "Cordoba House" ("reference to the Spanish capital where Muslim conquerors vanquished Spanish Catholics in the 8th century" ... spells "conquest" to me) which has been renamed to "Park 51"... basically the intent is to build a mosque and community center just a stone's throw away from Ground Zero. Now, I have a problem with this. A big problem. Let me first say that yes, yes, yes, freedom of religion is a founding principle and a Constitutional right, and I don't care if you pray to God or Allah or Tom Cruise or WHOEVER... as long as you are not persecuting or harming, you have that right. So yeah, build your mosque. Sure.

But is it right? And where is the funding for this mosque coming from? And really, why does it HAVE to be within walking distance to Ground Zero? Really?

A poll of New Yorkers taken in late June illustrated that folks in the Big Apple were against the mosque by 52%... 31% favor, and 17% are undecided. Those are some pretty clear stats.
(http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local-beat/New-Yorkers-Oppose-Ground-Zero-Mosque-Poll-97602569.html)

I know, I know, not ALL Muslims believe the same radical ideologies as those who took the lives of almost 3000 Americans on 9/11... I'm definitely not insinuating that. But the perpetrators were practiced RADICAL ISLAM. Turn the picture anyway you want and it's still going to look the same.

Let me remind you that those in New York have a pretty good idea about what happened on the morning of September 11 (not to say that those who do not live in NYC don't...but I mean, it was in their city...just saying).

Looking at those pictures just now, I still am incredulous to the fact that this really happened. New York Mayor Bloomberg stated, "The government should never, never be in the business of telling people how they should pray or where they can pray. We want to make sure that everybody from around the world feels comfortable coming here, living here and praying the way they want to pray.”
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/02/new-york-mosque-controversy-fires-national-campaign/

Totally agree with that, Mayor. But one thing...(and I would think you, as Mayor, would feel a twinge of sensitivity to this, it being your city and all) but can you not understand that Americans are just a tad sensitive with this situation? Or is that just way out of your realm of understanding? This picture sums it up for me...

Muslims consider Mecca holy ground... well, Americans consider Ground Zero, in a way, sacred ground. Being one of the few countries in history to allow such religious freedom to any and all, you think we'd get a *little* respect for that.

To add insult to injury, how about the Greek Orthodox Church, that stood in the shadow of the World Trade Centers, and has yet to be rebuilt? Requests to rebuild this church have been constantly ignored. Wait... what about this freedom of religion, freedom to worship Mr. Obama was talking about? Seems theres more concern for the mosque, than the church that was destroyed in the collapse of the towers.
(http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/17/ground-zero-church-archdiocese-says-officials-forgot/)

And Nancy Pelosi, ever the comedian, wants to investigate the opposition to this mosque. She just never quits. I mean if it weren't for prying into people's lives and denouncing their opinions as lunacy --oh, and spending tax dollars frivolously-- I really don't know what she would do all day.

And lastly I have a classic loon to share with you... seems to me he's been drinking a little too much Kool Aid. He says, in regards to September 11th, "Get over it"... yeah, you read right, and if you don't believe me, watch the clip for yourself! I only wish I could meet the lady who put this guy in his place... just thought I'd share this with you for a little comic relief!

Wow... look at those pictures of Ground Zero that I posted above. Think about the Pentagon. Think about the field in Pennsylvania. Think about Todd Beamer saying the infamous phrase "Let's Roll" on United Flight 93. Can you just "get over it?"

I returned with a rather depressing topic, but it's rather important, I think, and something we can not disregard. So let me just say this... I am all about freedom of religion. You want to pray to God, Allah, Tom Cruise, whoever, that's your prerogative (I'll take God, but that's just me). But, when you want to build a mosque two blocks from the site of buildings taken to the ground, lives ended abruptly, by radical members of your religion, that's where I draw the line. It's a right but... I really don't think its right.

"Keep the Change"

2010-08-09T20:06:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone! Hope you all have been having a lovely summer! I have been pretty busy lately; last week I toured Webster University for the second time. I really enjoyed it and have applied there... we'll see where that leads! :)

I have some interesting stuff to share with you tonight. While driving I heard a song on the radio, called "Keep the Change" by Darryl Worley. It speaks for itself, and I think it really puts into words what a lot of Americans are feeling. But it on iTunes and share it with your friends, especially those who have yet to "wake up." Here are the lyrics:

If you see me hold my hand over my heart
Before I start the pledge of allegiance
There's a reason
It's to honor those who died

And if you see me close my eyes and bow my head
Before I break bread with my family
It ain't a habit, it's important
It's my right.

I work half the year for me
The other half for uncle sam
While he's bailin' out those sinkin' ships
And drownin' the little man.

I watch the news and have to wonder
If this country's goin' crazy
Talkin' 'bout how much they love it here
But how they want to rearrange it

I'm just your average joe
And that makes me smart enough to know
There's a bunch of us out here
That feel the same

Wanna keep our God, our freedom
A little money in the bank

Y'all can keep the change.

Now the fat cats on the hill actin' so brilliant
Ain't smart enough to notice
That we're angry
And that America's in trouble

If they don't wise-up and stop
Bustin' out the blocks that were laid
As a foundation well our nation
Could wake up in a pile of rubble

They say we're makin' progress
But it's a big old shame to me

Common sense ain't near as common
As it used to be

I watch the news and have to wonder
If this country's goin' crazy
Talkin' 'bout how much they love it here
But how they want to rearrange it

Well I'm just your average joe
And that makes me smart enough to know
There's a bunch of us out here
That feel the same

Wanna keep our God, our freedom
A little money in the bank

Y'all can keep the change.

I bet our grandpas are gettin' dizzy
Down there in their graves
Rollin' over and over
Over what's goin' on these days

I watch the news and have to wonder
If this country's goin' crazy
Talkin' 'bout how much they love it here
But how they want to rearrange it

I'm just your average joe
And that makes me smart enough to know
There's a bunch of us out here
That feel the same

Gonna keep our god our freedom
A little money in the bank

Y'all can keep the change
Just keep the change
Y'all can keep the change.

A friend shared this movie trailer with me on Facebook...I don't watch too many movies, but I think this one, "I Want Your Money" will be one of those proverbial "must sees"....

In the meantime, I encourage everyone to keep working hard every day so you can fund future Obama vacations...oh, did I just say that? Yes, I think I did. Note sarcasm.

I don't know about you, but I'm glad that our tax dollars can fund an almost $400,000 trip for Mama and Daughter O to Spain. Must be nice. Glad I can help out. Anytime.

As always, thanks for reading! Tell your friends and neighbors about PDP... regardless of their political stance. I'm not afraid of a little debate here and there...as far as I know, we still have our right to free speech and I intend to take full advantage.

Have a great week!

ARIZONA.

2010-07-28T18:18:00.008-05:00

Hi everyone... I've been posting quite a bit lately but there are just so many political musings I've come across that I can't resist sharing my thoughts. Thanks so much for continuing to return to PDP; the site is at about 1202 hits! :)

Today I want to refocus on Arizona; today judge Susan Bolton blocked some of the key points of the state's new illegal immigration law. When this bill was first introduced, I did an extensive, in-depth post regarding the law, exploring all sides. If you'd like to reread it, click here or copy and paste this link: http://presentdaypatriots.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html

Unlike many on the left, I love facts. So here they are plain as day. If you remember, the soon-to-be law stated:

-The new Arizona law mirrors federal law, which already requires aliens (non-citizens) to register and carry their documents with them (8 USC 1304(e) and 8 USC 1306(a)). The new Arizona law simply states that violating federal immigration law is now a state crime as well. Because illegal immigrants are by definition in violation of federal immigration laws, they can now be arrested by local law enforcement in Arizona.
-The law only allows police to ask about immigration status in the normal course of "lawful contact" with a person, such as a traffic stop or if they have committed a crime.
-Before asking a person about immigration status, law enforcement officials are required by the law to have "reasonable suspicion" that a person is an illegal immigrant. The concept of "reasonable suspicion" is well established by court rulings. Since Arizona does not issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, having a valid license creates a presumption of legal status. Examples of reasonable suspicion include:

-A driver stopped for a traffic violation has no license, or record of a driver's license or other form of federal or state identification.
-A police officer observes someone buying fraudulent identity documents or crossing the border illegally.
-A police officer recognizes a gang member back on the street who he knows has been previously deported by the federal government.

-The law specifically states that police, "may not solely consider race, color or national origin" when implementing SB 1070.
-When Arizona's governor signed the new law, she also issued an executive order requiring the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board to provide local police with additional training on what does and what does not constitute "reasonable suspicion."(13)

Judge Bolton blocked the following provisions in the bill;

• Requiring a police officer to make a reasonable attempt to check the immigration status of those they have stopped;

• Forbidding police from releasing anyone they have arrested until that person's immigration status is determined;

• Making it a violation of Arizona law for anyone not a citizen to fail to carry documentation;

• Creating a new state crime for trying to secure work while not a legal resident;

• Allowing police to make warrantless arrests if there is a belief the person has committed an offense that allows them to be removed from the United States.

This is a subject that I am possibly most passionate about; this does not only affect those who live in Arizona, or another border state. No--this has to do with everyone. This has to do with NATIONAL SECURITY.

I really wonder if the Obama administration or anyone that is for open borders even cares about our nation anymore. Do they care that ANYONE--radical terrorists not excluded--is capable of entering our country at any point in time, with no questions asked (because if we asked questions, we might offend somebody)? Individuals that could potentially take the lives of thousands or millions of Americans? Do our leaders care? Do those of you who think it's ok to "give illegals a chance" care? The unemployment rate is currently at 9.6% and well over 12.5 million Americans are out of work. (http://www.wowowow.com/money/over-125-million-americans-out-work-230610) WHY, I ask, WHY should those present illegally in our country take jobs from those legally here, those trying to make ends meet, those trying to feed a family, if only they had a job?

WHY does the government put the rights and "feelings" of those ILLEGALLY HERE over the well being of the AMERICAN CITIZENS and the nation the swore to work FOR, not AGAINST?

I found some rather riveting stats for ya...

-More than 43% of all Food Stamps issued are to illegal aliens.

-More than 41% of all unemployment checks issued in the United States are to illegal aliens.

-13 people per day are killed by illegal immigrants who drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol. An additional 4,745 premature deaths per year.

-62% of all “undocumented immigrants” in the United States are working for cash and not paying taxes, predominantly illegal aliens, working without a green card.

-95% of warrants for murder in Los Angeles are for illegal aliens.

-83% of warrants for murder in Phoenix are for illegal aliens.

-86% of warrants for murder in Albuquerque are for illegal aliens.

-75% of people on the most wanted list in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Albuquerque are illegal aliens.

http://www.charlotteconservative.com/index.php/2007/05/illegal-immigration-statistics/

http://www.snopes.com/politics/immigration/taxes.asp

As I said, why not put American citizens FIRST? Why give priviliges to those breaking the law? WHY do people continually disregard the law of the United States and believe themselves and their actions are above and beyond it?

Don't hurl the racist stone at me. I don't care what color you are, what race you are, if you're here illegally, you are breaking the law. I am very, very proud to say that my own county is taking a stand against illegal immigration; the St. Charles City Council voted 6 to 1 in support of Arizona's new law. Check out the story here...

http://www.kmov.com/news/local/Should-Missouri-enact-a-tough-immigration-law-like-Arizona-93497794.html

Five more states are following in Arizona's lead; Michigan, South Carolina, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island are all introducing similar legislation to fight illegal immigration. Is our government going to sue each of these states?

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/07/17/2010-07-17_arizona_gov_jan_brewers_immigration_law_copied_by_five_states_mi_sc_mn_pa_ri.html

In May, 52 soldiers became U.S Citizens on the day before completing Army basic training during a special naturalization ceremony in Fort Jackson, SC.

These are some real Americans... legal, U.S Citizens that believe in this nation enough to respect it's immigration laws and fight in the defense of America.

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=ead760657dd68210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=68439c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

Governor Jan Brewer will not be defeated easily; she assured the press, "This fight is far from over. In fact, it is just the beginning, and at the end of what is certain to be a long legal struggle, Arizona will prevail in its right to protect our citizens.” Brewer is one of the few that has stuck with her beliefs and stayed the course of securing safety in her state. I pray other legislators, politicians, the administration, and Americans in general stop and think; in a situation where NATIONAL SECURITY is in the game, it's one we cant afford to lose.

http://www.kpho.com/news/24425243/detail.html

As Ronald Reagan once said, "A nation without borders is not a nation." Where does that leave us, America?

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/07/28/federal-judge-rules-arizona-immigration-law-dispute/

http://azstarnet.com/news/state-and-regional/aea822e0-9a6b-11df-9fe8-001cc4c002e0.html

In the words of Samuel Adams

2010-07-26T18:31:00.005-05:00

Hi everyone, I hope you've had a great Monday. First I would like to say that I will also be posting some of my blog posts on a blog called Conservative Blogs Central... thousands of Conservative bloggers post there every day so it's pretty cool to be among them. :) Check out http://conservativeblogscentral.blogspot.com !

I found some pretty interesting, scary, frustrating, infuriating stories lately and I can't help but share.

I know I'm not the only would that appreciate a little fiscal responsibility from the government. Between 2009 and 2010, while throwing away literally millions and millions of taxpayer money, Congress was bellying up to the table... check out these numbers from the House Expenditure Reports Database! (Click on the link below to see all the stats from our famished Congress...below are just some of my favorites.)

$604,000 on bottled water alone... good grief. Do they not have reuseable water bottles on Capitol Hill? Or how about a DRINKING FOUNTAIN? Think of all those plastic bottles that will no doubt end up in a landfill...I just don't know how they sleep at night.

$397,000 on catering...

$3,694 on barbeque from Gates Barbeque... in KANSAS CITY, MO spent by the House Committee on Homeland Security. As the site says, our tax dollars are literally paying for pork.

$202,927 spent by Republicans...

and $298,734 spent by Democrats...but that's because they have Barney Frank.

So I guess if you're a foodie, Congress is THE place to be. We want our elected representatives working hard at writing thousand page, clear-as-mud, unconstitutional, progressive legislation to be well fed I suppose.

http://www.aolnews.com/house-money/article/congress-spent-604000-on-bottled-water-397000-on-catering/19541719

The hypocrisy of our dear President is just incredible. He recently told Federal workers "to cut down on business travel and commuting by car" in an effort to reduce those pesky green house gas emissions.

But...I guess jet fuel doesn't apply? Because Michelle and Barry just had a nice lil' trip to Maine... oh and so did their pooch. But he took a separate jet. Oh. Wow. That seems like quite a bit of CO2. You don't want dog hair in Air Force One though... but oh, right, Portuguese Water Dogs don't shed...

http://sweetness-light.com/archive/obamas-fly-dog-on-separate-jet-to-maine

And even more exciting, Mama and Daughter O are going on a trip to Spain. More CO2. And about 30 hotel rooms at a 5-star hotel courtesty of American taxpayers. I guess it's a "do as I say, not as I do" sorta thing.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/110911-michelle-obama-to-make-private-visit-to-spain-with-daughters

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/336549,michelle-obama-vacation-spain.html

This next link is just scary. Thanks to Charlie Rangel, there is now legislation out there stating that it would:

To require all persons in the United States between the ages of 18 and 42 to perform national service, either as a member of the uniformed services or in civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, to authorize the induction of persons in the uniformed services during wartime to meet end-strength requirements of the uniformed services, and for other purposes.

AKA, a draft. Lord help us.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-5741

This last one really, really makes my blood boil. I regret that I have to subject my readers to a clip from CNN (I'm sorry, I really am) but in light of the Shirley Sherrod case, I fear our First Amendment rights are going to be one of the next liberties under attack.

First and foremost, these people just make me cringe with their laughable discussion over "checks and balances" over anonymous bloggers. Roberts says anonymous blogging would be acceptable in Iran or North Korea, but not here. Wait. Whoa. Stop the train. Hold the phone. Folks in Iran and North Korea aren't at liberty to write what the believe because of totalitarian dictators...but yet you suggest checks and balances on internet blogging in the United States, where we DO have the right to free speech and press?!?! Where in the world did you go to college, John Roberts of CNN?

I could pick apart their terminology all night (freedom of first amendment? I think we are entitled to the rights IN the first amendment, Kyra.) And I'm not sure if she meant that all bloggers are "cowards, and people seeking attention"...and if so, I take a bit of offense to that overgeneralization; but if she meant anonymous bloggers who are the attention-seeking cowards...if they don't put their name, I don't see how they can be wanting attention...hmm.

Roberts asserts that bloggers should at least put their names on comments...and with this, I kind of agree, because I've had so many anonymous comments on my blog that I'm just DYING to know who wrote them :) ... but their call for a "crackdown on bloggers" is a red flag.

People with too much free time put trashy, incorrect, blackmail-material type stuff on the internet every day. It's in one's best interest to sort out the good and the bad and to find the REAL FACTS (but, remember, last week I discussed how Obama, and the left in general, finds facts rather inconvenient). And no, Mr. President, too much information is not a distraction or source of confusion to the country that put a man on the moon...

They can call me a coward, or a crazy attention seeker, but they'll never shut me up. :)Even when the government regulates how many a's I can have in my name, I'll keep on writing the truth.

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/alana-goodman/2010/07/23/cnn-host-calls-crackdown-bloggers-wake-sherrod-incident-something-s-g

I don't write these things to scare people, I don't write these things for attention or to get credit. I write because people need to know. I still see people oblivious to what is going on in our country, still "choosing to ignore", still choosing to be that token ostrich in the crowd, with their head in the sand. It's no longer a matter of if you have an interest in politics or not. It's a matter of the level of interest you have in our country and everything we have--our right to live as a free people. And if you don't think it could happen in America, think again, because it's happening right now.

We can't be on the fence anymore. We can't afford to be passive and submit to those who assure that tomorrow we will wake up and the good old government will take care of us. They won't. And they shouldn't. It's time to decide if you value the republic and the future of the republic enough, or if you really don't care. Let me remind you that our fight will not be fought with firearms and weapons, but with words, with facts, and with reason. In the words of Samuel Adams...

"If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen!"

Question With Boldness

2010-07-23T08:57:00.007-05:00

Hi everyone! Hope you have had a great week... it's been an eventful one, and if you've watched any news you've probably seen at least a few tidbits on the Shirley Sherrod case.

This has brought something to my attention... the Obama administration has a real problem with FACTS...and with speaking out of turn before all facts are known.

A little over a year ago, the Cambridge, Mass. police arrested Henry Louis Gates, Jr. in his home for disorderly conduct after he refused to show I.D to arresting officer Sgt. James Crowley, whom Gates called racist and got rowdy when the Sgt. asked him to calm down.

Read the full story here: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/07/23/cambridge-police-officer-obama-butt-arrest/

President Obama had quite a bit to say and, thought personally I think this should have been handled locally, not taken to a national level, stated before he knew all the facts, the Cambridge Police "acted stupidly"... see the video below (1:55). He even admits he doesn't have all the facts!

We can't forget Obama's most recent nonexistent attempt to tell the truth: Arizona's newest immigration law. Of course, we must remember that the entire administration also has a problem with actually READING legislation... whether it is thousands of pages long or, like Arizona's law, a mere three.

If Obama had read the law, he would have known that it specifically prohibits racial profiling. His statements are completely untrue regarding this law and, as I have reiterated over and over again in my blog, the only way people can be asked for identification is if there is reasonable suspicion of their illegal presence. I'll post a few examples of reasonable suspicion again:

-A driver stopped for a traffic violation has no license, or record of a driver's license or other form of federal or state identification.
-A police officer observes someone buying fraudulent identity documents or crossing the border illegally.
-A police officer recognizes a gang member back on the street who he knows has been previously deported by the federal government.

Facts. They're a beautiful thing, Mr. O.

But wait, there's more. And this one is disgusting, disturbing, and saddening. Just last fall, Obama ensured the American public that federal tax dollars would not be used to fund abortions.

See story here: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/10/redux-obama-claims-health-care-plan-cover-abortion-services/

But alas, what's just one more broken promise from the administration? Except this one comes at much too high a cost. Maryland and Pennsylvania now offer federally funded abortions.

Maryland will receive $85 million in federal funds for its federally mandated high-risk insurance pool, which will cover abortions. As CNSNews.com reported on July 14, Pennsylvania will receive $160 million in federal funds for its high-risk insurance pool, which will also cover abortions
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/69559

Sickening.

And now I return to the Shirley Sherrod case...let me preface by saying that I do not condone anything she has to say, but its just another example to my point. This woman is obviously classist. She spoke to the NAACP on how she realized it wasn't about race, but about the haves and the have nots. However, when a sound bite was released out of context stating how she did not help a white man as she would have helped an African American, tempers flared... the White House called Ms. Sherrod three times encouraging her to tender her resignation immediately over her "racist" comments... that in all actuality, took place several years ago and did not reflect her current opinions. But the administration jumped the gun and fired her anyway.

Now the WH has apologized and Sherrod even recieved a phone call from Mr. O (how thriling) and Pillsbury Spokesboy Robert Gibbs (as Glenn Beck called him) apologized on behalf of the administration.

Like I said, facts: they're a beautiful thing.

And just to add, Glenn Beck was one of the few to stand up for Sherrod when the injustice was done. But now Sherrod claims Fox News is racist. "When you look at their reporting, this is just another way of seeing that they are racist", she said in an interview. http://mediamatters.org/strupp/201007210037

At this point, pulling the race card and hurling the word "racist" at someone is starting to get really old. Kind of like blaming George Bush. It seems like if someone can't think of something coherent and logical to say, either say the opponent is racist, or blame it on George Bush. Come up with a newer, more creative line if you're going to deflect debate with name calling and blame...please!

This brings me to a Thomas Jefferson quote that Glenn Beck uses often, but it applies perfectly to all I have shown you in this post:

‎"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear."

If we are to be a self-governing nation, we must question everything... our leaders, our media sources, everything. If something doesn't make sense, we have to go searching for an answer, even if the answer is something we don't want to hear. We must do our own research rather than rely on the media to do it for us, and then distort the picture. Facts, proof, and reason: something that our current administration has NONE of. But as Washington said, "Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains taken to bring it to light."

The truth will ultimately prevail.

2010-07-19T18:09:00.005-05:00

Hi everyone! I realized that I have not posted since July 5th... time flies when you're having fun. For 12 days, I was in Washington D.C. During that time I came to a lot of realizations--I should say, I was reminded of things I knew already, but they were just intensely reinforced. I learned even more about our nations history on my vacation (because, in my family, vacation means tours of historic sites, history, history, and more history =) ) and was constantly reminded that our country is the greatest on this Earth, but it was not raised to such high a standard by a group of corrupt bureaucrats or citizens dependent on their government for unemployment checks.

It reminded me that we live in a very special country. One that was founded on the idea of the individual, an idea never really thought of in government until the American Revolution, when a group of men who believed that rights were derived from God, not government, weren't afraid to secure those rights for future generations.

It reminded me that much blood was shed to preserve our Constitution and our way of life. We visited just about every war memorial in downtown D.C, and each one was moving. To think that those faceless men and women, forever remebered by a granite marker or steel monument, went through unthinkable pain and sacrifice for me. My family. Every American. Our way of life. Our flag, our Constitution. Maybe I'm a sap, I don't know... but seeing these things rekindles a patriotic flame in all of us.

In front of the World War II Memorial, within plain view of the Lincoln and Washington Memorials, and if you look close enough, the Vietnam Wall, a slab of granite with the following statement sits:

"Here in the presence of Washington and Lincoln, one eighteenth century father and one nineteenth century preserver of our nation, we honor those twentieth century Americans who took up the struggle during the second World War and made the sacrifices to perpetuate the gift our forefathers entrusted to us; a nation concieved in liberty and justice."

This quote sums it all up. Americans have fought for this glorious cause, our nation, "concieved in liberty and justice" for centuries, and have believed in themselves, their neighbors, and most importantly God.

And every day I feel like everything the Founders, and those that came before us fought to preserve is slowly, painfully, but nonchalantly being dissolved.

Look through any of my past blog posts if you still believe we're on the rise, if you believe the Obama administration truly has the best interests of the AMERICAN PEOPLE as it's number one, and if you still believe our government's priorities are on the right track.

Regardless, I have a few links for you.

What did the Declaration of Independence state? "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

What does the Fifth Amendment state? "No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."

Due process. Right to a fair trial by jury. I think we traded due process and the Fifth Amendment for "hope" and "change". The CIA has a program, which the Obama administration supports, to assassinate U.S citizens. Yep. U.S Citizens *suspected* not tried, not charged, but *suspected* of involvement in terrorist activities are now fair game. And these days, that could be my 85 year old neighber with her Don't Tread On Me flag.

http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/usnews/politics/2856-cia-has-program-to-assassinate-us-citizens

Or how about the New Black Panther case that was just... dropped by Obama's Justice Department? Blatant voter intimidation, racial slurs, and plenty of proof... just dropped. Liberty and justice for all? I have to wonder.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/29/charges-new-black-panthers-dropped-obama-justice-dept/

And yet the NAACP hounds the Tea Party Movement for being racist. How about the New Black Panthers? They're the ones that seem a little bigoted and racist to me....

http://www.stltoday.com/news/national/article_a2d60bcc-6be4-57af-8a86-c5dbd4f81a25.html

Just some thoughts to ponder. If you'd like to see some D.C pictures, find the Present Day Patriots fan page on Facebook and go to the photo albums; and while you're there, become a fan and suggest it to friends. I want to close with a quote that I found while in D.C, engraved at the steps of the National Archives, where our founding documents--the Constitution, Declaration, and Bill of Rights-- are all held.

"Eternal vigiliance is the price of liberty."

If we are to maintain our liberty, we've got to remain vigilant. Learn our history so it doesn't repeat anymore that it already has. Educate ourselves on current events rather than blindly following the mainstream media. Get our priorities in order and find out what is really important in our lives; learn the truth and live it. As Washington said, "Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains taken to bring it to light."

A few thoughts...

2010-07-05T21:13:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone! Hope you had a safe and fun Fourth of July. I will be pretty busy in the coming week so I will try to post as much as possible. For tonight, I found a few links that were worth sharing...

NASA's foremost goals now include "improving relations with the Muslim world"... WHAT?!

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/07/05/nasa-chief-frontier-better-relations-muslims/

Obama also wants NASA to "help them feel good about their historic contribution to science ... and math and engineering". Wow. Instead of furthering space exploration we're... patting Muslim nations on the back. Great job guys, keep up the good work. Lord help us...

Nancy Pelosi never ceases to amaze me. Now unemployment checks, she believes, are the greatest stimulus to the economy. Again, I say, WHAT?!

The greatest stimulus to our free market capitalist economy are lower taxes... lower taxes that allow small business to HIRE employees... which in turn will put money BACK into the pockets of those previously unemployed... who will then SPEND money on items they need... in turn creating more supply and demand. Common sense.

And just think of how many jobs would actually be available to LEGAL US CITIZENS if those present ILLEGALLY in this country were removed. I find it sad that when it comes to jobs, those here ILLEGALLY take priority over legal, taxpaying citizens.

Just a thought. Have a great week! :)

In Congress, July 4, 1776... The Birth of a Nation

2010-07-03T17:35:00.008-05:00

"The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not." (The Book of Abigail and John: Selected Letters of the Adams Family, 1762-1784, Harvard University Press, 1975, 142).

...These were the words of John Adams regarding the Declaration of Independence. The part in bold is my personal favorite, as it clearly depicts what dedication and reverence Adams felt for the cause of independence, a cause he fought for his entire life.

America turns 234 years old today... our Republic has lasted longer than most, and undoubtably thanks to those in uniform that continually pay the price for our freedom, and those that have stood and continue to stand for the principles our Founders built the nation on.

Fifty six men pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor by signing a document severing ties between their 13 colonies and strongest empire on Earth at the time. They knew that it was time to put liberty first, to stand up for the idea of individual rights and freedom for all Americans. Below is the document itself, and I encourage everyone to read through it once or twice today!

http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/freedom/doi/text.html

I hope everyone has a safe and fun 4th of July... take a moment to remember the generation that created America, the men and women in uniform that have paid the ultimate price to defend our freedom, and those that continue to fight in our defense. God Bless America! :)

Virginia's Resolution on Independence...

``Resolved, That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.''

Never let a good crisis go to waste...

2010-06-15T17:45:00.005-05:00

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!

June 14th-Flag Day!

2010-06-14T09:47:00.004-05:00

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!

What Americans Are Made Of

2010-06-13T20:17:00.004-05:00

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.

Presidential Ass Kicking

2010-06-08T19:21:00.006-05:00

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

Responsibility and Respect

2010-06-07T18:30:00.007-05:00

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.

Memorial Day

2010-05-31T16:23:00.006-05:00

Hi everyone! I hope you've all had a great Memorial Day. Today we honor those that paid the ultimate price for our freedom... and those that continue to believe in this great nation enough to put their lives on hold and in harms way to defend our way of life. As I posted in a previous blog post honoring our military... they fight so we don't have to. As we sit comfortably in our homes, they willingly face unspeakable dangers, half a world away. We plan vacations, they plan the next enemy assault. The nation is nearly put on hold for Michael Jackson's funeral, media obsesses over celebrity break ups, scandals, and deaths, yet the soldiers that pay the ultimate price are only a statistic on the six o'clock news.

If you enjoy being able to speak your mind, thank a soldier. If you enjoy being able to pray to the God you believe in, thank a soldier. If you enjoy being able to assemble peaceably, thank a soldier. If you appreciate the right to bear arms, thank a soldier. For every personal freedom we take for granted every day, we can thank America's finest.

I'll post again a quote I found on a Facebook fan page...

Remember,

It is the soldier, not the reporter,
Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the organizer,
Who has given us freedom to demonstrate.

It is the soldier, Who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
and whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.

And I'm going to quote my cousin, Mike Fellows: "It is empty to praise the courage of those who paid the ultimate price for our Freedom and yet lack the courage to defend the principles upon which Freedom rests with our own lives."

To our servicemen and women, past and present, and to the families of those who have lost a loved one in defense of our nation... thank you, and God bless.

May others have the same courage to protect the ideals that made America great.

Summer is here!

2010-05-30T07:52:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone! I am happy to say that finals are FINALLY over and summer is here! I hope everyone is having a fun and safe summer already... and congrats to all who have graduated! Just one more year and I'll be graduating too. :o

I have a few interesting links I wanted to share with you...

Santa Ana College in Orange County, CA is offering a $2500 scholarship, and those eligible include illegal/undocumented immigrants. Yeah... a school endorsing the breaking of the law. Why it is so difficult the concept of ILLEGAL as in AGAINST THE LAW?!

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/05/28/calif-college-offers-scholarship-to-illegals/#content

While a spokeswoman for the college, Laurie Wiedner, speaks on behalf of this scholarship and says public funds will NOT be used, Dana Rohrabacher, (R-Calif) holds different opinions: "The fact that a public employee of a public college is seeking to circumvent immigration laws is problematic," he told FoxNews.com. "The fact that it's being associated with a public institution means there's public funds involved: If you have a fund being operated by public employees, it's public."

Why is it America is continually for everyone BUT Americans? Wow.

Hillary Clinton thinks "the rich are not paying their fair share..."http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0510/Clinton_The_rich_are_not_paying_their_fair_share.html

And the left is STILL blaming the Bush Administration even after the Obama Admin. has been in office for over a year.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/pelosi-blames-bush-administration-for-bp-oil-spill-95175304.html

Really, Nancy... it's time to come up with a new excuse, that one's so cliche these days.

Whatever happened to responsibility? Why can't we stop trying to lay blame on anyone and everything, and start coming up with some solutions to this oil disaster?

Have a great day!

Michelle Obama, BMI, Elena Kagan, the First Amendment... oh my!

2010-05-17T20:28:00.007-05:00

Hi everyone! I have been swamped with school work this week, as finals are fast approaching! However, I just couldn't resist posting a few links that I think you'll find interesting (or disturbing, or both)...

America has the constant threat from the Middle East, the economy in a rut... but the government is armed and ready to combat your (or your child's) french fry fetish.

Michelle Obama's Obesity Crusade has led to legislation in Congress that would give the federal government the power to keep tabs on the BMI (that's body mass index) of all children ages 2 through 18... this info would be forwarded to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for analysis... the bill "would establish and fund a wide range of programs and regulations aimed at reducing obesity rates by such means as putting nutritional labels on the front of food products, subsidizing businesses that provide fresh fruits and vegetables, and collecting BMI measurements of patients and counseling those that are overweight or obese."

Uh yeah... I'm not kidding... here's the link... read for yourself!

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/65781

Ok, I'm sorry, but this is ridiculous. It all boils down to rugged individualism and personal responsibility, on the part of individuals and on the part of parents. If I want to stuff my fat face full of the delicacy of saturated and trans fats and the culinary masterpiece of McDonald's and similar fast food establishments, then I will do as I damn please with my french fries and milkshake, thank you very much. And I don't need the government to "counsel" me on my eating habits. That's my business.

And really, I believe that parents (for the most part) know how to raise their kids better than the federal government that has difficulty managing anything well these days. They don't need Michelle Obama and the U.S Department of Health and Human Services sitting at the dinner table, helping to count calories. Just another outlet for government intervention into private life.

Moving on... so how about that Supreme Court nominee of Obama's... Elena Kagan? Seems she to have a slight issue with the idea of Free Speech--which is part of the first amendment, which is a part of a little thing called the U.S Constitution (which, of course, justices of the Supreme Court uphold)... check out this article. It's a bit lengthy... but it's a bit disturbing that a woman who argued on behalf of "government’s right to restrict constitutional free speech during an election". And, just a brief excerpt that caught my eye, during the Clinton administration, Kagan was "a fierce advocate of homosexual rights, and the ACLU has credited her with shaping the administration’s hate crimes policy. Hate crime laws chill free speech rights by empowering government to accuse and prosecute people for “inciting” hate crimes by, for example, proclaiming the Biblical understanding that homosexuality is a sin" .

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=36994

Wow. And just for fun, here's the First Amendment itself... I wonder if Kagan's ever read it.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

And lastly, kudos to Rand Paul for winning the Kentucky Senate primary! http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/20/us/politics/20teaparty.html

Well those were just a few of the fun stuff I have heard on the news over the past few days... hope everyone is having a great week. I ask that you please keep our soldiers overseas and this great nation in your prayers... and as always, God Bless America. :)

The Ostrich Effect

2010-05-16T11:27:00.005-05:00

Hey everyone! Sorry for the long absence... AP test week and fast approaching finals week have been keeping me ridiculously busy and unable to post on my blog but I finally have a little time to breathe, so here I am :).

Last weekend I overheard an indirect comment that has been on my mind and that I have a few things to say about. While in normal conversation a few people agreed that, when it comes to politics and events going on in the world today, they "...choose to ignore it." Being the person I am, it took me by surprise. I had known there were people out there that don't keep themselves educated on current events but never had it occurred to me that some of "those people" could exist in my sphere of acquaintances.

So it's been bothering me. These people "choose to ignore it." They don't have time for the stimulus packages, the bailouts, the corrupt politicians, the controversial legislation, the natural disasters, the general abridgements of freedom occuring in the US today... they just don't have time for it. Why watch the news? It's depressing. And Glee is on, anyway. There's nothing I can do. It's ok, we live in America. Bad stuff can't happen here.

I may be generalizing this a bit, but from what I've seen in my peers and adults such as the ones I speak of today, many of the above qualities describe their feelings perfectly. Let me preface this by saying that, I know, I know, not everyone is (nor should be) as intrigued (or is it obsessed?) with politics and current events as I am... and I am not saying they should be. Nor am I trying to bash those that don't pay attention to the news or what's going on in this country in general. I'm expressing my belief that it is the responsibility of every citizen of this country to stay educated--through legit sources--on what is going on in their nation.

Everyone is busy. Appointments. Kids to take care of. Careers. School. Studying. I know, because half my life my nose has been stuck in a text book. It can get difficult to even remember to eat, let alone keep up on current events. But we've got to. It's not an option anymore. Politics and current events have turned from optional interests to events, legislation, actions that will affect every American personally, and it is our responsibility to keep tabs on it... if government gets out of hand--as it is--We the People must stand up, speak out, and do something about it. But if everyone "chooses to ignore it" and remains in their happy worlds, oblivious to what is going on outside, "... then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter." (Washington)

I'll use the simile of an ostrich with it's head in the sand.

If we keep our heads in the sand--if we choose to ignore the government that is growing bigger and yet more incompetent every single day--then whatever we are dealt from the said government, we deserve all the more. We can't stand idly by while our Consitution is being trampled, our freedom of speech being put in danger by those who cry "racist" at every turn, we can't stand idly by while government takes hold of our healthcare and allows individuals illegally on American soil to hold jobs while unemployment is in the double digits. We can't stand idly by while our hard earned income is given to someone who hasn't worked--or tried to work--a day in their life.

There are the people who don't want to be bothered with the troublesome state of the country, and then there are those who care, but don't know what to do. They think there isn't anything they CAN do. I was one of those people. I had so much pent up emotion for this country and I didn't know where to direct it. I cried on several occasions... (not kidding...) because it was (and still is) painful to watch the country our Founding Fathers fought SO hard to stabilize be knocked down to her knees repeatedly because of greed and a hunger for power. That's why I started this blog, with the encouragement of family members. I don't know if I'm making a difference--maybe I am, maybe I'm not. But I'm expressing my right to free speech and if I can impact only one person with my words, I feel I've accomplished something. There is something you can do. Speak out and regardless, stand for what you believe in. Start a blog. Write letters to the editor. Stay educated and informed.

And then there are those that just want to avoid conflict. I'm only 17 but in school and outside of school, I have come across so many people that walk away when politics are brought up in conversation, or avoid the subject altogether to either avoid conflict, or avoid the judgement by others they might be subject to if their views differ. I've lost so many friends--that weren't friends at all, really-- because I refused to bend my beliefs in order to "follow the crowd." It's hurt and I've felt alone and I've been judged, a lot. But at the end of the day, what other people think of me doesn't matter, and I know I'm a better person for it... and someone's got to do the right thing, and as I've learned, it's NEVER the easy thing.

It isn't easy, and no one ever promised it would be... people like the Tea Party patriots have recieved so much flak just for standing up for what this country was intended to be, but they haven't given up. The Founding Fathers could have "chosen to ignore it"... they could have chosen to ignore the oppressive actions of Britain. But they knew that it was wrong. They knew and believed that all men are created equal, and are endowed by their Creator certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. The Founders didn't choose the easy way, they choose the right way, and the one they believed in, and the one that has given us every ounce of freedom we enjoy in America today.

Patrick Henry said, “The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.” In order to restrain our government, to keep it in check so it CAN'T dominate our lives in interests, we must know OF the Constitution... but when we bury our heads in the sand and "choose to ignore it" ... our power to maintain the republic will become inept.

"That's No Angry Mob, That's My MOM!"

2010-05-05T17:02:00.006-05:00

Hey everyone! Hope you all are having a great week! I'll be ridiculously busy towards the end of this week so I wanted to update Present Day Patriots beforehand. I found a few links I wanted to share with you regarding the recent bombing attempt in NYC's Time Square.

I'm sure you've heard about this, so I don't want to dwell on the basic facts, but in short, 30-year-old Faisal Shahzad has admitted to attempting to detonate a car bomb in Times Square this past Saturday night... he was a U.S citizen and recieved bomb-building training in Pakistan, his native country. Shahzad was arrested before the plane he was on took off for Dubai.

I was browsing some recent headlines regarding this and found just a few more examples of biased media... number one, from CNN..

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2010/05/04/cnn_foreclosure_brought_pressure_and_heartache_on_ny_car_bomb_terrorist.html

It sounds to me like they're sympathizing with this TERRORIST because his house foreclosure brought "pressure and heartache" to him and his family? So it's okay to attempt to blow up buildings and take American lives when things aren't going your way? If I planted a bomb every time I was under pressure or dealing with heartache, and if everyone else did the same in this world... we'd be in a lot of trouble. There is NO excuse for acts of terrorism and it's sickening that Americans (if you can even call them that) are making excuses for the potentially fatal acts of someone who obviously despises our country. To me, that makes them sharers in the guilt.

Next up, a little news bit from MSNBC's Contessa Brewer who is "sorry" that the Times Square bomber has Islamic ties...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRmPTN07Iz4

So... she's "frustrated" the Times Square bomber has Islamic ties... this leads me to believe that she just REALLY wanted to blame this attempted act of terrorism on one of those darn "right wing extremists" that are always causing trouble, you know, those "teabagging Rednecks" that are such a danger to the country with their American flags flying and homemade posterboards and "Don't Tread on Me" flags... (note sarcasm)... now I just have to wonder what she would be saying if the bomber HADN'T been one with Islamic ties ....

Speaking of the flak the Tea Parties have been dealt, and Americans concerned over the growth of government and shrinking of values and common sense in this country in general, readers of this blog might be interested in "That's No Angry Mob, That's My Mom" by Timothy Graham. Graham exposes and comments on the ridicule that everyday Americans have had to deal with since the beginning of the Tea Party movement with classic wit and disturbing quotes from the Left that will encourage readers even more to become involved in "taking back America."

Order Graham's book here: http://www.amazon.com/Thats-Angry-Mob-Mom-Talk-Radio/dp/1596986190

That's all for today... hope everyone has a great week... and as always, God Bless America. :)

The Big Deal on Immigration

2010-04-30T17:20:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone! Hope you all are having a great week. You’ve probably noticed a few new additions to Present Day Patriots home page… a few images, a hit counter, and some general flair! Thank you for returning to the blog… I appreciate all the support. Remember to tell your friends!

The news reels have been teeming with incidents and events this week… the oil spill devastating the Gulf of Mexico, Arizona’s new Immigration Law, and the bill to allow Puerto Rico’s statehood that has now passed the House… (Oh wait, you haven’t heard about that one…because most of the mainstream media has neglected to cover that story…oops).

I have been doing quite a bit of reading on Arizona’s newest immigration law—one that has caused quite a stir in the left and the right of the US. Of course the liberal left is against it, but I have heard quite a few staunch conservatives voice their opposition of the law as well, and this surprised me. I have found quite a bit of information on this topic… and I have quite a bit to say about it. So here goes…

I’ll begin with a few statistics. It has been estimated that “Arizona had one of the fastest growing illegal immigrant populations in the country, increasing from 330,000 in 2000 to 560,000 by 2008” and the Center for Immigration Studies (a non-partisan research institution) estimated (in 2007) that nearly 12% of workers were illegal. This takes jobs away from legal citizens of Americans… and unsecure borders put citizens of not only Arizona, and other border states in danger of drug cartel violence, but the country as a whole…as Ronald Reagan said, “A nation without borders is not a nation.”

I have family members that live in Arizona, and I asked my cousin for her opinion on the issue…

“I think our state has been suffering from the effects of illegal immigration for so long that we are at point where something must be done. The federal gov't is not solving the problems with their methods. Governor Jan Brewer is a strong Conservative, Republican politician with high moral values and a strong Christian. I trust her judgment and I agree that "racial profiling" is not the method for which the law will be carried out. Over half of Arizona is in favor of this law and I just heard that other states are looking into it. Whatever happens with this law, we are certainly getting the attention this crisis deserves from the nation. I just pray that in the end, we can get closer to securing our country.”

My cousin is not the only one that feels this way… a Rasmussen poll showed that 70% of voters were in favor of AZ’s immigration bill, and only 23% opposed it. May I remind you that, as the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution states, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Arizona decided it was time to take action to protect its citizens instead of waiting on federal action that was not going to happen.

From the Center for Immigration Studies, here is a good summary of the law’s provisions… please read it in full… it may debunk conceptions the mainstream media has thrown out there…

-The new Arizona law mirrors federal law, which already requires aliens (non-citizens) to register and carry their documents with them (8 USC 1304(e) and 8 USC 1306(a)). The new Arizona law simply states that violating federal immigration law is now a state crime as well. Because illegal immigrants are by definition in violation of federal immigration laws, they can now be arrested by local law enforcement in Arizona.
-The law only allows police to ask about immigration status in the normal course of "lawful contact" with a person, such as a traffic stop or if they have committed a crime.
-Before asking a person about immigration status, law enforcement officials are required by the law to have "reasonable suspicion" that a person is an illegal immigrant. The concept of "reasonable suspicion" is well established by court rulings. Since Arizona does not issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, having a valid license creates a presumption of legal status. Examples of reasonable suspicion include:

-A driver stopped for a traffic violation has no license, or record of a driver's license or other form of federal or state identification.
-A police officer observes someone buying fraudulent identity documents or crossing the border illegally.
-A police officer recognizes a gang member back on the street who he knows has been previously deported by the federal government.

-The law specifically states that police, "may not solely consider race, color or national origin" when implementing SB 1070.
-When Arizona's governor signed the new law, she also issued an executive order requiring the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board to provide local police with additional training on what does and what does not constitute "reasonable suspicion."(13)

(Source: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/center-for-immigration-studies-on-the-new-arizona-immigration-law-sb1070-92454374.html )

This pretty much sums up the law… Arizona Governor Jan Brewer gave a speech before her signing of the bill into law on April 23. She spoke of the law’s intentions to make Arizona a safer state, and to finally take action on what has been a pressing problem for the state for quite some time. Governor Brewer also vehemently stated that the practices of racial discrimination and profiling will not be tolerated within the carrying-out of this law. One particular section that stood out to me was as follows:

“Despite erroneous and misleading statements suggesting otherwise, the new state misdemeanor crime of willful failure to complete or carry an alien registration document is adopted, verbatim, from the same offense found in federal statute.

I will NOT tolerate racial discrimination or racial profiling in Arizona.

That effort led to new language in the bill, language prohibiting law enforcement officers from “solely considering race, color, or national origin in implementing the requirements of this section…”

The bill already required that it “shall be implemented in a manner consistent with federal laws regulating immigration, protecting the civil rights of all persons and respecting the privileges and immunities of United States citizens.”

While the general protection was already included, I believe the issue is so important, we needed to make it CRYSTAL clear.

Today I am issuing an executive order directing the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board – AZPOST -- to develop training to appropriately implement SB 1070.

Importantly, this training will include what DOES – and DOES NOT – constitute “reasonable suspicion” that a person is not legally present in the United States.”

(Source: http://janbrewer.com/article/governor-brewer-signs-sb1070-to-fight-illegal-immigration)

Among the cries of racism and discrimination, there have been accusations that this law violates the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution, which states:

“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

But the key word here is “UNREASONABLE”.

I hope that, by the sources I have provided here, the point has been made that police officers will not have the power to randomly ask Hispanic people for their identification when passing them on the street. President Obama’s perception of this law appears to be skewed in this direction, or perhaps he was just ignoring this fact when he stated to a crowd in Iowa that… "Now, suddenly, if you don't have your papers and you took your kid out to get ice cream, you're going to get harassed -- that's something that could potentially happen ... That's not the right way to go." Actually, Mr. President, the only way someone would be “harassed” when taking their child out for ice cream under this law would be if they a) stole the ice cream and were confronted by police, b) committed a traffic violation or other crime on the way there! Maybe he should actually read the law (though the left has seemed to have difficulty actually reading bills and laws) and he would get his facts straight…

(Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100427/ap_on_bi_ge/us_obama_15)

The law PROHIBITS officers from confronting people based on their race or color. As stated above in the law’s summary, officers must have REASONABLE suspicion... such as when a police officer stops an individual because of a traffic infraction, and they are unable to provide a drivers license, or when fake identity is seen being purchased, or the like. And as Governor Brewer stated, the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board will train officers of what will “…constitute ‘reasonable suspicion’ that a person is not legally in the United States.”

It’s not racist; it is Constitutional protection of legal residents of the United States. It’s not discriminatory, as officers are forbidden from singling out any suspected illegal simply because of race or color…and I must assume that, in the event an officer did step out of these boundaries, legal action would follow. I think the sources I have provided speak for themselves… and the fact that lawmakers in Texas are considering composing a similar bill to combat illegal immigration illustrates that Americans are ready to take it upon themselves to fight the illegal immigration battle—rather than rely on the federal government.

I find it saddening and despicable that Americans that value citizenship of the United States are labeled as racists. They’re not, and neither are supporters of this law. The citizens of Arizona are taking a stand to protect their families and livelihoods, and God willing, more states will follow suit.

Senate Bill 3217

2010-04-22T19:22:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone, hope you're having a great week. As always, thanks for returning to Present Day Patriots. I'd greatly appreciate if you could either become a fan of the Present Day Patriots page on Facebook, become a follower of the blog (click to your right!) and/or email a handful of your friends (regardless of political stance!) with the blog address.

I'll start today's post by saying Happy Earth Day to all of the flouresent-lightbulb-loving-recycling-reduce-your-carbon-footprint-crowd... (and anyone else that celebrated Earth Day...). I wasn't surprised to read that President Obama and VP Biden both burned up a ghastly amount of fuel on several flights today (on separate airplanes, of course). I'm not good with math, so if anyone can tell me how much jet fuel these presidential jaunts spit into the atmosphere, let me know.

Yesterday, I recieved an email regarding the government's latest move to further solidify their grasp around the throat of the free enterprise system. It goes by the name of Senate Bill 3217...or rather, the "Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010". This bill (1,421 pages long... wonder if anyone will read this one?) as written by the Tea Party Patriots website...

In short it grants permanent, unlimited bailout authority to the Federal Reserve. It's like TARP forever without the nasty, unpopular debates and votes in Congress. Beyond that it gives the Fed the power to takeover vaguely defined "nonbank financial companies". And the Fed has the power to decide what constitutes a "nonbank financial company" on a case by case basis.

Mitch McConnell (Kentucky Senator) is quoted in saying, “This bill not only allows for taxpayer-funded bailouts of Wall Street banks, it institutionalizes them,” Mr. McConnell says on the video in a speech on the Senate floor. In another clip, Mr. McConnell says, “It provides for an endless taxpayer bailout of Wall Street banks.”

I found the Congressional Budget Office's Cost Estimate of S. 3217 ... http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/114xx/doc11454/s3217.pdf

Just reading the first line of the summary makes me cringe...

More government intervention and expansion. More taxpayer dollars going in the wrong direction. Just what the United States does NOT need at this point. I have emailed several Congressmen and women imploring them to NOT support this bill, and I encourage you to do the same if you have a free second. The government has already grown to a despicable level: a majority of the auto industry, the student loan industry, the health care industry are now in the clutches of the government rather than the PEOPLE... and in addition to the reckless spending by Washington... this is FAR from the nation our Founding Fathers intended to create when they signed their lives away with the Declaration, and framed One Nation Under God with the Constitution.

Government expansion has got to stop before the only freedoms and liberties left in this country are those printed in textbooks. Call or email your Congressmen/women ... every voice counts!

http://www.investmentadvisor.com/News/2010/4/Pages/Obama-Presses-For-Swift-Action-on-Reform-CBO-Estimates-Cost-of-Dodd-Bill-.aspx

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/23/business/economy/23regulate.html?hp

http://www.rightsidenews.com/201004219669/politics-and-economics/senate-bill-3217-another-horrible-bill.html

Oh and just for giggles... I found an article on Drudge Report regarding the number of gallons of fuel burned by President Obama's Earth Day Excursions... grand total: 9,116 gallons!

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-4962384-503544.html

Have a great day... and by the way, you still have time to take out your recycling bin. Just sayin'.

No Longer Silent

2010-04-20T19:45:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone, hope you had a great weekend! School is keeping me busy as summer approaches, but I still will be posting on Present Day Patriots as much as possible! :)

Monday, April 19, was an anniversary of many things... from watching a few different news stations, I noted that the Waco Siege and the Oklahoma City Bombing were mentioned. These were two horrendous events that took many lives and shattered countless others... but Monday was also the anniversary of something else... something perhaps not remembered by many, but something that set in motion the fight for the freedoms we subconsciously enjoy each day... the battles of Lexington and Concord.

I'm not going to give you a history lesson (don't worry) but I thought I'd give a brief overview of what happened on that fateful April morning, in case you don't remember from your last history class. British troops that were occupying Boston were ordered to take the military supplies the Massachusetts militia had stored in Concord. On the village green of Lexington, about 38 minutement stood before several hundred soldiers of the strongest empire in the world. The origin of the first shot is still not known, but it was on this village green that the "shot heard around the world" was fired.

These men stood for what they believed in...freedom and liberty...though they were labeled radicals and extremists. The American people find themselves once again at a crossroads in which they must choose the easy way, or the right way. I hope to God that people continue to stand for their values and morals, and fight to preserve the principles this country was founded upon, and those that our Founding Fathers pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to secure.

Bill Clinton compares the Tea Party movement to Timothy McVeigh's deadly act of anti-government sentiments.

"I realized that there were lot of parallels between the early '90s and now, both in the feeling of economic dislocation, the level of uncertainty people felt, the rise of kind of identity politics, the rise of the militia movements and right-wing talk radio, with a lot of what's going on in the blogosphere now, and in the right-wing media," Clinton said.
"A lot of the things that have been said, they create a climate in which people who are vulnerable to violence because they're disoriented, like Timothy McVeigh was, are more likely to act"

I have to disagree. The Tea Party patriots are exercising their right to FREE SPEECH which is protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution. Free speech and dissent is NEEDED for anything, namely a republic in which the people are the fulcrum on which it balances. Timothy McVeigh was not exercising any right protected by any Constitution anywhere! Leftist news anchors have constantly accused Tea Party protestors of shouting racial slurs and even "spitting" on Congress members during the Tea Party protest of the health care bill on Capitol Hill. Yet, strangely enough, no one can seem to find ANY audio or video proof of these accusations. Hmm.

The first minutemen and soldiers of the Continental Army fought with muskets and bayonets so we could fight peacefully with the written word. As Glenn Beck said yesterday of the Americans speaking out against a government that has overstepped its boundaries,

"Not racist, not violent...just, no longer silent."

Have a great week. :)

A Bit More on the Tea Parties...

2010-04-14T18:27:00.004-05:00

Hi again everyone! Yesterday I spoke of the incredible grassroots Tea Party movement, modeled off the actions of the Sons of Liberty of almost 240 years ago. Today I have a few more comments/links to share with you on this topic.

Mike Fellows, who I am proud to call my cousin-in-law, spoke at a Tea Party last year in Auburn, Alabama. Below is the link to the youtube video of his speech... I was, and still am very moved and inspired by his words and encourage you to watch all ten minutes of the speech. Mike, in my opinion, is THE farthest thing from the extremist, racist, pitchfork-carrying radicals that liberals have labeled Tea Party Patriots as. He is a true American, concerned for the future of the country in which his children will live. View the Video Here.

Mike is a candidate for Lee County (Alabama) Family Court Judge (Circuit Judge, Place 3)... visit his website at http://www.fellowsforfamily.com/. (Thanks Mike for letting me post your speech :) )

Today in Boston, Sarah Palin made an appearance at a Boston Tea Party... strangely reminiscent of a similar Tea Party held in Boston over two centuries ago. Click here for the clip of Palin's speech.

With tomorrow being Tax Day--April 15--Tea Partys will be popping up all across the United States. These Americans will be fighting with words and the truth to take back America and the principles of the Founders; these Americans will be fighting to keep the government working FOR the people, not the other way around. Leftist dissidents (who happen to have way too much free time, and no facts to debate the Tea Party Patriots with) will possibly attempt to "crash" these Tea Parties... but as I said yesterday, the truth is something that can withstand even the harshest verbal beating.

If you will be attending or speaking at a Tax Day Tea Party, please email me at sarah.hinds515@yahoo.com, or leave a comment and tell about your experience!

Have a fantastic week, and long live the Republic. :)

"May your chains set lightly upon you..."

2010-04-13T19:02:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone! Hope you all are having a great week. I am extremely excited that the Present Day Patriots' fan page on Facebook almost has 100 fans! Remember to tell your friends and family members about my blog, regardless of political stance! :)

With my last post discussing free speech, I have a continuation of that topic today, with a focus on the Tea Party movement. Members of the Tea Party are Americans --regardless of what their liberal counterparts label them as-- that gather at city halls, town hall meetings, street corners, even Capitol Hill--to peacefully protest (and exercise their First Amendment right to peacefull assembly) the reckless spending of the government, and the actions of said government that blatantly contrast to what the Founders intended, in general. Since the Tea Party was first formed within the start of President Obama's term, members of this group have been dealt ridiculous flak for their beliefs and for simply having the nerve to stand up and say enough is enough. I have yet to attend a Tea Party myself, but it is something I would really like to do in the near future if schedules allow.

Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, labeled them as "right wing extremists"... actress Janeane Garofalo labeled them "a bunch of teabagging rednecks," and added "this is about hating a black man in the White House. This is racism straight up"... and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi even teared up (or made a lame attempt at tearing up, rather) when speaking of such "frightening rhetoric" and "political violence" and wishes that we would all "curb our enthusiasm in some of the statements" that have been made. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) wants Conservative Tea Party members "talked to...interviewed" to probe for racist views. http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2009/09/16/maxine_waters_press_should_probe_conservatives_for_racist_views.html

These are just a few of the lovely leftist opponents of the Tea Party Movement. One group in particular that caught my eye was an article regarding http://www.crashtheparty.org/ ... this group, with 65 supposed "leaders" (if they can even be called "leaders"... ) in cities across the US who plan to "...infiltrate and dismantle the political group by trying to make its members appear to be racist, homophobic and moronic..." and are "... trying to recruit members to infiltrate tea party events for April 15—tax filing day, when tea party groups across the country are planning to gather and protest high taxes."

To those that think the Tea Party is a racist, hateful movement directed at Obama simply because of his race, I think I speak for many like-minded Conservatives other than myself in saying, we don't care if he's white, black, yellow, red, pink, green, orange, or RAINBOW for Pete's sake... he is trampling the Constitution, spending tax dollars wrecklessly, and literally pulverizing the principles that our Founding Fathers fought so hard to build the United States upon.

Liberal dissidents of the Tea Party can call these protestors what they want, but the false accusations and just plain ridiculous and immature name-calling and attempts to silence the protests are proof of one thing: the Tea Party is right. If the left believed their principles held truth, I would think they would be debating the principles for which the Tea Party members stand for, such as lower taxes, smaller government, etc. But, liberals such as Garofalo, Napolitano, Waters, and those with way too much free time at http://www.crashtheparty.org/ and others, resort to pulling the race card, or by labeling them as violent and unruly, or just trying to silence them all together.

As you know, I'm a huge Glenn Beck fan, and I think one of his quotes--one of my favorites--applies to this discussion:

"Only those afraid of the truth seek to silence debate, intimidate those with whom they disagree, or slander their ideological counterparts. Those who know they are right have no reason to stifle debate because they realize that all opposing arguments will ultimately be overcome by fact."

It makes sense. Those trying to silence the Tea Party members are afraid of what they have to say. They are afraid of these average Americans--not radicals-- that are afraid for the future of their country, the future of their children, grandchildren, businesses. The fact that the state does not dictate the rights of a citizen, that each one of us has been "endowed by our Creator certain unalienable rights" and the fact that the Founding Fathers established a country based on these rights, those of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, the fact that the American people are perfectly capable of making business decisions for themselves with minimal government intervention...these facts, and countless others, will stand through even the most brutal verbal beating.

And just as a fun fact for the day, speaking of the Tea Party movement, check out this recent Rasmussen poll...

On major issues, 48% of voters say that the average Tea Party member is closer to their views than President Barack Obama. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 44% hold the opposite view and believe the president’s views are closer to their own.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/april_2010/tea_party_48_obama_44

48%. I'm thinking this is because the true Americans do not appreciate "spreading the wealth" nor do they believe in the "big government" ideals of the Obama administration.

For more information on the Tea Party Movement, visit http://www.teapartypatriots.org/ ... and in closing, I leave you with this quote of Samuel Adams...to those who fail to stand for the liberties that are in jeaopardy of being eradicated, keep in mind the lines in bold...

"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the
Tranquility of servitude better than the
Animating contest of freedom, go home from
us in peace. We ask not your counsels or
arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which
feed you. May your chains set lightly upon
you, and may posterity forget that ye were
our countrymen."
~ Samuel Adams, speech at the
Philadelphia State House, August 1, 1776

Have a great week :) God Bless America.

When You Speak From the Heart...

2010-04-09T19:30:00.005-05:00

Howdy everyone! I hope you all have had a great week. I am excited to say that the Present Day Patriots fan page on Facebook now has over 90 fans! Huge thanks to all my readers and supporters. In an effort to spread the word even more about my blog, I'd greatly appreciate it if you could send a quick email (or Facebook invite) to a good number of your friends, regardless of their political stance with the web address of my blog.

Today I want to discuss something very close to my heart, being the avid writer that I am--the right to free speech! The Framers of the Constitution accentuated this right by placing it within the First Amendment of the U.S Constitution:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

The right to free speech, though many of us take it for granted every day, is a right that created our free country in the first place, and is a right that has kept it free to this day. A few brave colonists had the guts to speak out against an oppressive government and secure their basic God given rights, and break away from one of the most powerful empires of the 18th century through the power of words. The Founding Fathers knew the importance of this right, and how essential it was to maintaining liberty:

"Without Freedom of thought, there can be no such Thing as Wisdom; and no such thing as public Liberty, without Freedom of speech." -Benjamin Franklin

“If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” -George Washington

The People for whom the government works must be able to stand up against their government when it oversteps its boundaries; people thinking for themselves results in a government BY, FOR, and OF the people... whereas when a government thinks FOR the people, they become, as Washington said, "like sheep to the slaughter" and totally dependent on biased media and the promises of politicians. Educated citizens, citizens willing to speak out when their rights are threatened, keep a nation free.

Recently, there have been a few headlines that have caught my eye regarding free speech. In general, they are people that have decided to fully excercise this right to free speech...and some have paid dearly for it, from the loss of business to public smearing. However, they stand by their beliefs, and as Thomas Paine said, "The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman."

Most recently, a man by the name of Dr. Jack Cassell has made headlines. Dr. Cassell is a urologist in Florida, a conservative, and outpoken dissident to the newly-passed healthcare overhaul. In his Mount Dora, FL office, Cassell posted a sign on his office door that read:

“If you voted for Obama, seek urologic care elsewhere. Changes to your healthcare begin right now, not in four years.”

Cassell also has a pile of Conservative magazines and other reading material in a waiting area with another sign posted nearby:

“This is what the morons in Washington have done to your health care. Take one, read it and vote out anyone who voted for it.”

Now, note that Cassell does not screen his patients of their political views before providing treatment, and does not turn potential patients away on the basis of their political beliefs, either. (http://www.sfltimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4192&Itemid=210)

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) is quoted in saying, "he was 'disgusted' by Cassell's behavior." He further stated, "...If this is the face of the right wing in America, it's the face of cruelty...Why don't they change the name of the Republican Party to the Sore Loser Party?" (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/02/jack-cassell-doctor-refus_n_523076.html)

Grayson is just one of Cassell's many, many critics. All I can say is... really, Grayson? Since when is excercising one's right to free speech in their own workplace "cruel"? And this is not grade school kick ball...those that do not agree with the so-called "winners"--or group in power--should not be labeled as "sore losers". I say KUDOS TO CASSELL! More power to ya'. It is his office, his beliefs, and if patients do not agree, they may choose to recieve services from Cassell's office, or seek medical care elsewhere.

My next little tidbit is on a specific group of Tea Party protesters: African American Conservatives. The Tea Party movement, peaceful gatherings of every day Americans for lower taxes, smaller government, and government according to the Founding principles, are not radical right wing extremists (as Janet Napolitano labeled them)... they show up at city halls, street corners, town hall meetings, even Capitol Hill to voice their opinions and fight with the power of words for the future of their children and grandchildren. African American Conservatives that are involved with the Tea Party movement have had to take even more heat based on their race. From Fox News,

"A member of a group of black conservatives, who support free market principles and limited government, says: "I've been told I hate myself. I've been called an Uncle Tom. Black Republicans find themselves— always having to prove who they are."

Some of the disapproval also comes from supporters of President Obama. David Webb, a Tea Party organizer and radio personality, says some black conservatives are hiding their political views because: "I've gotten the statement— 'How can you not support the brother?'"

A political figure should not be supported simply because of race! And if those of the same race disagree, they should not be slandered for their beliefs! Also, I found this peculiar article condemning African American members of the Tea Party movement. Read through it... I think you'll notice a few just-plain-ridiculous claims by Mr. Robert Paul Reyes...
http://newsblaze.com/story/20100407092008reye.nb/topstory.html
This individual seems to think the Tea Party movement is specifically racist...based on the premise he has seen signs saying, "Fight Crime, Deport illegals!" Well, Mr. Reyes, that's just being an American concerned for one's nation. If they are here, and they are illegal, I see an issue with that. As Reagan said, "A nation without borders is not a nation." But immigration is a whole other bucket of worms for another day. :)

Again, I say KUDOS to all of the Americans who stand by the principles our nation was founded on, regardless of who disagrees with them.

I leave you with a quote from Newt Gingrich that I found especially true and moving, and one that we should keep in mind when listening to politicians, and simply people in general speak:

"When you speak from the heart, you don't need a teleprompter."

Have an awesome weekend, everyone. :)

Happy Easter

2010-04-05T17:17:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone, sorry for the long absence! Hope everyone had a great Easter weekend! I have a new blog post coming soon, but I just wanted to share a quote on Freedom of Speech with you...

"If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” -George Washington

America was founded by those who spoke out against unjust leadership... we find ourselves back in that position today, only now those who speak out are at risk for public smearing, slander, the ruining of businesses and lives. A free people cannot remain free if they put the entirety of their lives blindly into the hands of a government.

Just a thought for the day.... new post coming soon!

Sunshine Patriots...

2010-03-30T14:56:00.002-05:00

Good afternoon, all! Hope everyone is having a great day... please take a moment to read yesterday's post that is just below this one. Also, join the Present Day Patriots fan page on Facebook (now has over 70 fans!) and become a follower on Blogger! :)

At first I wasn't going to post today, but then I remembered a quote of Thomas Paine's that I particularly love. It is from "The Crisis", written during the Revolutionary War prior to the publishing of the infamous "Common Sense" pamphlet. This phrase in particular is a favorite of mine, and highly applicable to America's situation today.

"THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated."

I ask now, will YOU be a sunshine patriot? Or stand by your country, your beliefs, and what you know is right even when the world is against you and those that think like you? As I said yesterday, those who side with big government, "spreading the wealth", and corrupt leadership may have won the most recent battle--health care--but this American Revolution within the hearts and minds of the PEOPLE has just begun.

Fearful yet Optimistic...

2010-03-29T19:47:00.006-05:00

Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay in posting this next blog entry... I want to thank all of you who return to read and comment on this blog... I appreciate it!

So, it's been one week since the passage of "Obamacare"...half the country seems to be in a shocked daze, while the other is celebtrating. I, for one, have some mixed feelings about this. Obviously, I'm incredibly fearful for the future of this country. The President and Congress won the battle of overhauling the healthcare system... in which Americans will be required to purchase insurance or face a fine...and government will have the power to come between you and your doctor, your child/family member/loved one and their doctor...that cost $940 billion...(don't for get the trillion dollar deficit)...and just to top it all off, 73% of voters wanted Congress to scrap the bill and start over! Yes, the healthcare system IS flawed. It NEEDS work. Not placement in the hands of the government. Over half of the American public was against this bill, and yet the politicians that were elected to represent the PEOPLE kept pushing and got it passed. Our rights are at stake. The future is at stake. My future, and my generations future is at stake. The freedoms that are given to us by our Creator, NOT our government, are at stake now that the leadership of this country has shown they will stop at nothing to adhere to their sick, twisted, government-growing agenda.

However, the other half of me is slightly optimistic on this. Yes, I know, that sounds rather surprising. But I've been doing a lot of thinking. We have reason to be optimistic because the agenda of the politicians supposedly 'leading' this country we've been suspicious about all along, is now being revealed. The "mask is off" as Glenn Beck said just a week ago. He also said, and this I firmly believe, that the health care "battle" may have been won by Obama, Pelosi, Reid, etc.... but the 'war' between right and wrong, truth and deception is nowhere near over. It has just begun. I believe a "sleeping giant" has been awakened in the American people. We are sick and tired of corrupt "politics as usual". We are sick and tired of elected official's phone lines being seemingly "too busy" to answer our calls. We are sick and tired of faulty campaign promises and fancy rhetoric and teleprompter-speeches taking the place of real efforts to further the republic. We are sick and tired of our voices being ignored by those elected to represent us.

Prior to the vote on healthcare, President Obama offered his fair share of bribes to get the votes needed to pass this bill. I don't want to delve into this too much because a corrupt politician is a corrupt politician... but, today I heard a comment that really made my hair stand on end. At school, a random political discussion broke out, namely abaout some of the bribes the president offered in exchange for votes. One particular Obama-fan said something like, "Do you really think other Presidents in the past haven't offered bribes for things?" ...insinuating that this practice is "okay". This just really made me wonder. Just because someone pushes their neighbor off the roof of a building, does that make it acceptable? WHY has the idea of politicians--PUBLIC SERVANTS-- doing their jobs, representing the people, listening to the people, gone out of style? Just something that made me think about the general order of things, and thought I'd share!

Lastly on today's post, I bring you the "Al Sharpton Socialism Shocker" that... actually, isn't all that much of a shocker...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqojWrtnieI&feature=PlayList&p=278EC343E9BC04B0&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=27

Apparently, according to Sharpton, the American people voted for socialism when they voted for President Obama. Really? Nice move, Sharpton... I think you confirm our suspicions on the goals of the Obama administration. And anyway, the "will of the American people" didn't elect him, the electoral college did!

I leave you with a quote by Ronald Reagan, one the greatest Presidents of our time...

"Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves."

God Bless America, and Long Live the Republic.

"Abridgements of freedom..."

2010-03-25T15:40:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone! I have returned from the West Coast... and what do you know, it's raining in Missouri. Wish I was back on the beach!

Anyway, I just wanted to post a quick update since I have been gone for a few days. I found a quote by James Madison that is shockingly applicable to the recent passage of "Obamacare"... read it and think about the reprecussions of this government-expanding legislation... and the future "reforms" that the left has in store for this country.

"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison

I pray that those believe the government "knows better" than the American people and those that believe the government is capable of "taking care" of the American people and their families realize, before jumping on the Obama bandwagon, that NOTHING in life is "free".

God Bless America

2010-03-22T23:53:00.002-05:00

Hello from Monterey, California, everyone...

Well, what is there to say? The bill that was predicted to fundamentally alter, possibly bankrupt the United States has passed. The Democrats may have won this battle; they most definitely have not won this tacit war between right and wrong. In my opinion, this only means the REAL Americans, the TRUE Americans are going to have to fight even harder to preserve the Republic and take back our country.

The West Coast is beautiful, on a lighter note... I've seen the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, the cliffs edging the Pacific Ocean, Monterey Bay...in the back of my mind was the thought that America, even with all of her internal conflicts and imperfections, is a beautiul place. It's a beautiful, liberating idea of personal freedom, self determination that we often take for granted. It is sickening to me that such self-absorbed, power hungry, socialist leaning politicians that believe they "know better" than the American people themselves want to virtually change the land of the free and home of the brave to fit their agenda, and to become the proprietors of freedom, the givers of rights.

I will post some more commentary on the passage of this bill within the next few days, but I want to leave you with a quote that has really influenced me, and one that I believe we must consider if we are to "bring back" our country.

"Only those afraid of the truth seek to silence debate, intimidate those with whom they disagree, or slander their ideological counterparts. Those who know they are right have no reason to stifle debate because they realize that all opposing arguments will ultimately be overcome by fact." -Glenn Beck

Good night, and God Bless America. :)

A Word on Health Care...

2010-03-20T13:23:00.005-05:00

Hello! I will be out of town for the next few days so I wanted to leave an update in case I do not get to a computer until I return.

I found this quote by Thomas Jefferson and I thought it rather appropriate...
"The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government".

With the epic vote on the health care bill just hours away (Sunday morning) I hope members of Congress realize what their vote will mean to the United States, and I hope they keep in perspective that the "first and only object of good government" is the "care of human life and happiness, not their destruction". This morning, watching Fox News, I saw an unofficial vote count for the Health Care bill... 214 "no" and 217 "yes"... let's hope and pray for the future of the country that a few undecided members of Congress decide to side with the PEOPLE they were elected to represent and vote against this bill.

Also while watching the news, I saw an amazing thing that, if I lived closer, I would have been a part of... nearly 2,000 Americans gathered on Capitol Hill to protest the health care bill, fully exercising the beautiful rights to free speech and assembly. As I watched, I realized the people holding signs reading "Big Government-NO!" and "Kill the Bill" all looked similar... they were all AMERICANS, concerned for the future of their country, their families, their children. They were Americans who DON'T want the government coming between them and their doctors, who DON'T want this $940 billion overhaul to change the United States, who DON'T want government to overstep it's boundaries any further.

Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security calls them "right wing extremism"... any other clear-thinking American knows their mothers, fathers, grandparents, husbands, wives, small business owners... the every day hard-working American who just wants representation by their government. All I can say is, if standing up for your beliefs and your Constitutional rights is considered right wing extremism, make the most of it!

May the collective voice of the people prevail... God Bless America.

A Government Big Enough to Give You Everything...

2010-03-18T22:18:00.005-05:00

Hi again, all… if you’re just visiting my blog for the first time, check out my previous posts and become a follower, and a fan of the Present Day Patriots page on Facebook! (It already has around 55 fans after just one week!) Before I go any further, I have another favorite quote to share that I think is very relevant to many of today’s current debates…

“A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take away everything you have.” –Thomas Jefferson

That brings me to today’s topic: the epic battle over health care. I think I’ll begin with the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of, or read about, this debate. Turn on the news and listen to something regarding this issue… so-and-so will vote yes on the most recent bill because so-and-so won’t support their campaign in the next election, or will ruin their careers if they vote no. It’s sickening; those who were elected BY the people no longer seem to be LISTENING to the people, but rather, their colleagues. In fact, it doesn’t seem to even be about the people anymore. It’s a matter of power, of political parties, of endorsement promises. Around 55% of voters in a Rasmussen poll (http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/healthcare/september_2009/health_care_reform) … “would rather see Congress scrap the original plan and start all over.” And yet these “civil servants”—a term to be used loosely—never seem to be able to keep up with citizens phone calls; they have turned a deaf ear to their constituents and continue to press forward with the most recent healthcare bill.

There ARE problems in the health care system. It DOES need work. But this bill, and government-run health care in general, are not the answer. Our system is one that has drawn citizens of countries that have universal health care TO the United States to receive decent care. Our system needs refining, not total annihilation and replacement.

Everything about this bill, including the American people it will affect, is screaming NO, but Congress is still fighting. It is estimated that this plan is capable of putting the country in bankruptcy within four years (http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/governor-races/87061-cahill-blasts-dem-healthcare-bill). As a teenager, I find this incredibly alarming… along with the ridiculous deficit, who will be paying for this? My generation, and the generations that follow.
Equally disturbing, nearly 45% of doctors polled in a Fox News poll, “said they would consider leaving their practice or retiring early if the proposed health care bill was to pass.” (http://health.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/09/16/45-of-doctors-oppose-proposed-health-care-bill/)
If—and by if, I mean, God forbid—this bill passes, it will virtually change the United States… and I fear, not for the better.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi recently stated that citizens offering up their opposing views of healthcare reform are “un-American”. (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/10/tight-spot-pelosi-calls-health-care-critics-american) Tell me, what is “un-American” in exercising the right to free speech and assembly? What is American in ignoring the will of the American people? Also, something else that really made my hair stand on end… the “Pelosi Surprise”… “…we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy.” Check out a video clip here… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoE1R-xH5To Does anyone know what's in this 1,990 page "surprise"?

I feel that the Founders and those in history who have fought so relentlessly to ensure a “government of the people, by the people, for the people” (The Gettysburg Address) would roll over in their graves if they knew the danger the republic faces at present.

I’m not saying I know the answer to this problem, but I know what its not. I return to the quote, “A government big enough to give you everything you want is capable of taking away everything you have.” There IS a problem with healthcare; the system does need improvements. But the answer does not lie in more government intervention!

I'm sure I will recieve a lot of flak for the opinions and facts stated here, but I know I speak for many, many Americans when I say that We the People want Congress to scrap this bill and start over...We the People want representation...and
We the People want our voices heard by those elected to LISTEN and REPRESENT the people!

Quote of the Day...

2010-03-18T06:25:00.004-05:00

Good morning everyone! I hope everyone had a great St. Patrick's Day... hope you wore your green! (I forgot.) I'm working on a new entry at the moment but until then I wanted to share a quote and some links with you.

Here's a classic Benjamin Franklin quote that I think is very appropriate for current times...

"Any society that would give up a little libtery to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both."

Also, here are some stories I found rather interesting...

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g0LSHNfmnWDnZ_JylqiFxeT5GKEQD9EGLNDO0
...All I can say is, Go Idaho! Power to the people.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hFNcC7dde6DREm6fdWhjfr3cqCDwD9EGNS980
...Our Vice President might want to do some research next time... oops...

http://cbs3.com/local/soda.tax.philadelphia.2.1568225.html
...The debate to tax soda in an effor to "not only raise needed revenue, it would also help fight childhood obesity". Let parents be parents and feed their own kids. And if I want to drink soda all day every day and get to be 550 pounds, thats my own choice! :)

Have a great day, keep checking back for a new post soon! :)

The "Obama Chart" ...

2010-03-16T17:41:00.002-05:00

Hello again, I was watching the Glenn Beck Program today and saw something of interest. Check out the "Obama Chart"... www.obamachart.com

...scary, and sad... just a testament to how out of control government is getting, and how it no longer seems to be a government by, for, and of the people...

The Words of Thoreau

2010-03-16T15:08:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone! I have been a bit swamped with school work this week, which is why I have been slow to post. Thanks for finding Present Day Patriots, and double thanks to the readers that keep coming back! :) If this is your first visit, take a look at my previous posts, and become a follower or a fan of the Present Day Patriots page on Facebook!

I am currently in the process of writing a political essay for my AP English class. During my research I have found a few quotes I think you will find interesting. From Henry David Thoreau's "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience"...

-"I heartily accept the motto,--'That government is best which governs least"; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which I also believe--'that government is best which governs not at all"; and when men are prepared for it that will be the kind of government which they will have. Government is at best but an expedient; but most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, inexpedient."

-"Governments show thus how successfully men can be imposed on, even impose on themselves, for their own advantage. It is excellent, we must all allow. Yet this government never of itself furthered any enterprise, but by the alacrity with which it got out of its way. IT does not keep the country free. IT does not settle the West. IT does not educate. The character inherent in the American people has done all that has been accomplished; and it would have done somewhat more, if the government had not sometimes got in its way."

-"But, to speak practically and as a citizen, unlike those who call themselves no-government men, I ask for, not at once no government, but AT ONCE a better government."

-"The authority of government, even such as I am willing to submit to... is stil an impure on: To be strictly just, it must have the sanction and consent of the governed. It can have no pure right over my person and property but what I concede to it. The progress from an absolute to a limited monarchy, from a limited monarchy to a democracy, is a progress toward a true respect for the individual."

Each of these quotes can be applied to today's current state of affairs. In general, I found Thoreau's argument in favor of small government rather fascinating! If you're interested, here's a link to "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience": http://www.constitution.org/civ/civildis.htm

Spring Break is coming up, so keep checking back for new blog posts! Have a great day!

A Note about "Becoming a Follower"...

2010-03-14T09:22:00.003-05:00

Good morning... don't forget Daylight Savings Time! :)

I have been clicking around Blogger and trying to figure out how to send email notifications to my Followers when I post a new blog, and evidently this is not possible. So... if you would like to recieve email updates when I post a new blog entry, send me an email with your email address and I will send a mass email to everyone so you can go to the site and check out the new entry.

I'd appreciate if my readers would still become Followers, as well! :) Thanks so much for your support everyone! :)

And a quote to think about... inspired by an AP English essay I will be writing today... “Do not put such unlimited power in the hands of husbands. Remember all men would be tyrants if they could.” –Abigail Adams

Have a great day!

If You Want to Help Obama...

2010-03-13T15:29:00.003-06:00

By the way, here is something laughable that my mom and I found while perusing through the History and Politics section of Barnes and Noble...

...among the "50 Ways You Can Help Obama Change America"...."Reach Out To Convservatives"... "Hold Extremists Accountable" (I wonder to whom they are referring to as 'extremists'?) ..."Throw A House Party for Change"..."Rescue a Pound Puppy!"..."Support Political Art"... and of course, "Respond to Obama's Call for National Service"! (I'm really not making this up!)

Quality reading, available at a book store near you! :P

Common Sense...

2010-03-13T15:03:00.004-06:00

Here is Present Day Patriot's daily quote! Sorry it's late... but here's a favorite quote from the author of Common Sense...

“Society in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.” -Thomas Paine

If only there was a little more common sense to be found in today's world!

**Also... I encourage any of my blog fans to "become followers" if you haven't already there is a link just to the right of this column.

Have a great weekend!

To our Military

2010-03-12T17:00:00.006-06:00

With a family member soon to be deployed to Iraq, I wanted to dedicate this blog post to the men and women, past and present, that have risked everything in defense of our country.

If one is not directly affected, it is relatively easy to forget that the United States is fighting a war with a faceless enemy that has proven they will stop at nothing to alter, if not destroy, our way of life. The whirlwind that is daily living and our generally safe and secure quality of life causes us to forget that American troops risk everything daily for America. At home, we take the most important things for granted, we complain about the most trivial, and often forget that we owe our possession of every necessity, every luxury, every right, every freedom, to those that have served and presently serve as American soldiers.

They fight so we don't have to. As we sit comfortably in our homes, they willingly face unspeakable dangers, half a world away. We plan vacations, they plan the next enemy assault. The nation is nearly put on hold for Michael Jackson's funeral, media obsesses over celebrity break ups, scandals, and deaths, yet the soldiers that pay the ultimate price are only a statistic on the six o'clock news.

If you enjoy being able to speak your mind, thank a soldier. If you enjoy being able to pray to the God you believe in, thank a soldier. If you enjoy being able to assemble peaceably, thank a soldier. If you appreciate the right to bear arms, thank a soldier.

I found this in the Facebook page "I Will Always Put My Country First. Plain and Simple." ... it is so, so true.

Remember,

It is the soldier, not the reporter,
Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the organizer,
Who has given us freedom to demonstrate.

It is the soldier, Who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
and whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.

I don't care if you're a pacifist. I don't care if you don't support the war. Support our troops. Thank a veteran. Respect the men and women that believed enough in this great nation to lay it all on the line to defend our way of life. As the saying goes... "If you don't stand behind our troops, feel free to stand in front of them!"

God Bless America.

2010-03-12T05:48:00.000-06:00

Good morning all, today I decided to post a quote from one of the greatest American Presidents of all time... Ronald Reagan. :)

"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." -Ronald Reagan

New blog post coming soon, so keep checking back! :) Have a great day.

Thought for the Day...

2010-03-11T06:18:00.000-06:00

“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.” - Patrick Henry

I thought this quote rather appopriate for today... if only politicians 234 years later could understand this and LISTEN to their constituents.

Have a great day! :)

A Blurb on Education...

2010-03-10T20:18:00.000-06:00

With my most recent blog post regarding the Texas textbook debate, I would like to bring up another topic of discussion concerning public school education, specifically in the area of American History. (Note—I am a little hesitant to post the following experience, but I feel instances such as this should be revealed. Names have been change to protect the not-so-innocent. :) )

So, here are my experiences in an incredibly biased history classroom. At the beginning of my Junior year, I was a student in an American History class (a class required of all high school students in order to graduate) taught by an individual as I will refer to as Ms. Tyrant. Being the history nerd I am, I was unbelievably excited to start learning more, especially since the first topic of study was to be the American Revolution (my absolute favorite!). However, after a week or so of listening to Mrs. Tyrant’s lectures and copying down her hardly-legible notes, I started to get the feeling something was extremely wrong. Here are just a few things that were taught within the first few weeks of the class:

• The Sons of Liberty was a secret terrorist organization.
• The colonists of the original 13 colonies, specifically in Boston, were “selfish” and “simply did not want to pay their taxes.”
• The colonist’s lack of representation was a “slogan.”
• Washington, Adams, Paine, Jefferson, and other Founders were portrayed ONLY as radicals.
• The Declaration of Independence was depicted ONLY as propaganda.

Now, I totally understand that, in the viewpoint of those in Britain in the 18th century, the colonists that favored separation from England WERE most likely viewed as radicals, and the Declaration was not viewed with reverence across the ocean in front of King George, either. My issue with Ms. Tyrant’s methods of teaching was the bias that existed against the people that founded this country. The bullet points above were the ONLY representations of early American history that were taught in this class.

To me this just was not right. I can honestly say that I got a little teary eyed when the Declaration was never read with the intention of explaining its significance, the Founding Fathers contributions were never discussed, nor was the basic significance of the American Revolution itself.

If I had the opportunity to experience that over again, I would have handled it differently. However, I am now in an American History class that is taught in a totally neutral manner by a phenomenal teacher that teachers BOTH sides of every story.

Personally I think the lack of respect for our Founders in the said classroom was sickening. I understand the method of teaching from different perspectives, but it is upsetting that my generation and future generations are being deprived of the knowledge of where their freedoms came from. As I stated in my previous post, citizens will not appreciate the liberties they have if they do not know where they came from and the sacrifices the generations before us made to protect those freedoms.

I’m not a teacher, and I definitely do not claim to be someone that knows all the answers. However, I believe American history classrooms—that have not already—must wake up and realize what an important role they play in society. If we do not clearly understand the past, how will we ever survive in the future? We should rely not so heavily on the often biased, “politically correct”, watered down text book versions of history and turn to a more credible source, such as the writings of the people were part of history, the people who made the history. Again, I know, I’m a history nerd and I definitely don’t expect everyone to be as obsessed as I am. But it is the responsibility of EVERY American citizen to understand their nation’s past; and to understand the government that We The People have a say in.

If you have opinions on this topic, please comment! I would like to hear your views or any similar stories of bias in the education system.

Oh, and just another tidbit… President Barack Obama visited St. Louis today. He first made a stop at St. Charles High School to continue his quest for health care reform (which is another debate entirely, but I’ll save that for another day!) and later attended a “fundraising dinner” for Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill. Wait. Really? A fundraising dinner for McCaskill? Our economy is buckling at the knees, we have troops fighting—dying—in Iraq and Afghanistan, and as of February, the unemployment rate sits at 9.7%... and the Commander in Chief is bellyin’ up to a table at the Renaissance Grand Hotel for the Missouri senator. I’m sorry, something is really not right with this picture. One word: PRIORITIES!

AND… let’s talk about carbon footprints! I wonder how many harmful chemicals Air Force One, the presidential motorcade, etc. spewed out into our fragile ozone with this little jaunt to the Show Me State to support an old buddy? It seems that “being green” goes out the window when it comes to the White House. Well, that’s all for tonight… I’m going to go take out my recycling bin.

Sources:
http://www.ncsl.org/?tabid=13307

http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2010/03/08/daily50.html

Thought of the Day...

2010-03-10T06:18:00.000-06:00

I will be trying to post a thought provoking quote from one of our Founding Fathers, or another pivotal figure in history each day... today I found this particular Jefferson quote rather fitting for modern times. Enjoy! Thanks for reading! :)

"A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government."
Thomas Jefferson

Just a few threats to the republic...

2010-03-09T17:14:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone, thanks for returning to Present Day Patriots! If you are visiting the site for the first time, I encourage you to read my previous posts!

The Texas State Board of Education will begin discussion on Social Studies curriculum this week for new textbooks for the state. A number of ideas have been proposed, and several in particular caught my attention. From http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6526101.html ...

“…biographies of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Stephen F. Austin have been removed from the early grades’, said Brooke Terry of the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

The early draft, which is likely to change multiple times in the coming months, also removes Independence Day, Veterans' Day, and anthems and mottos for both Texas and the United States in a section on holidays, customs and celebrations, she said.”

The fact that these omissions are even a possibility really scares me, to be honest. I admit, I’m a bit of a history nerd… I’ve been obsessed with American History literally for as long as I can remember. My parents raised me with an enormous respect and reverence for the ideas and the people and that created America…

But no child is too young to learn of their country’s founders and those that defended the republic. The past must be taught so that it may teach us how to live in the present and ensure a secure future. If future generations of America remain ignorant on their history and do not know from where their freedoms and liberties came, if they do not respect the sacrifices it took to establish the rights we take for granted everyday, how will such freedoms and liberties be respected, defended and preserved in the years to come?

I do not expect everyone to be as history obsessed as I am… but I do believe that every American has the responsibility to be educated on their nations past and the men and women that sacrificed everything us.

As celebrated author David McCullough said, “History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.”

By the way, if you want another scare, check out this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEEtScHIC1U This caught my attention on Glenn Beck’s show yesterday. Just listen to this whack job, Jed Brandt, an American Communist. His radical opinions are disturbing, and a prime example of the danger our republic is in.

What has happened to America?

2010-03-07T11:22:00.001-06:00

I write to you not as an arrogant teenager, not as a member of any specific political party, not as someone who thinks they know all the answers, but as an American. I write to you to implore my fellow American citizens to WAKE UP … and realize just what kind of “change” our nation has undergone.

What has happened to America? A nation that used to lead the world by economic and political example now has a failing economy, a falling dollar, a staggering deficit. A nation whose citizens were among the most educated and possessed the highest standard of living now take backseat to those residing illegally within the nation’s borders.

At one point in time, an individual with a dream could, with good old-fashioned hard work and American ingenuity, work his or her way up the ladder to be a successful and prosperous individual despite all odds. Now it is believed that, in order to be “fair” we must spread the wealth… what has happened to America, a federal republic, a nation founded on the blood, sweat, and toil of men and women who earned what they worked for?

Politicians concerned over carbon footprints, fighting to limit the carbon emissions of large companies ignore the carbon emissions their own private jets release on transcontinental flights. A nation founded on the principle of the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness now is more concerned with the life and well-being of a bird or bear species rather than that of an unborn child. What has happened to America?

We rely on countries that house terrorist groups that pose the highest threats to our subways, our airspace, and our citizens for oil rather than drill reserves on American land… in an effort to be “green.” Respect for the men and women serving overseas and on American soil in the armed forces that lay it all out on the line to defend our freedoms has diminished to a sickening level.

Those elected to serve the public seem to only be serving and advancing their political agenda. Those elected to serve the public seem to think they know what is best for America’s families… to point that these “public servants” believe it is time that politics come between you and your doctor, your child and your doctor, when any number of nations with universal health care have previously flocked to the United States to receive decent medical attention. I ask again, what has happened to America?

It is not a matter of political party. I am not aiming to bash Democrats nor Republicans. I only pose these questions in order for Americans to stop and think… is the America we are living in today the same America that our Founding Father envisioned? Is it still the land of the free and the home of the brave, or rather, the land of those with crippling debt and a “go-green” mindset? Is this the America that millions of soldiers—men and women, fathers, husbands, mothers, sisters, children—sacrificed everything for on a hellish Pacific island or mine-covered European beach?

In my mind, the answer is a resounding NO. Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Paine, Revere… they fought for liberty and justice for all, not crippling taxes and an oversized government, screaming the need for “political correctness” at every turn. They did not pledge “their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor” for Americans 234 years later to have their rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness buried within an over 1500 page Stimulus Package that few, if any, of the supposed “civil servants” in Congress had ever read thoroughly.

The Founding Fathers gave us a government for the people, by the people, and of the people… and it is slipping out of reach at a terrifying speed. The Constitutional Convention of 1787 framed a document as “an instrument for the people to restrain the government,” in the words of Patrick Henry; a document giving you and I the right to speak, write, pray, assemble, vote freely. The man who swore to “preserve, protect, and defend” the United States Constitution, the piece of parchment that gives us the rights we so lavishly enjoy every waking moment, is quoted in saying the document contains “deep flaws”.

The president is also quoted in saying, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” To this, I say with deepest sincerity, no, Mr. President, it is not change that we seek. The United States is in desperate need of revival; revival of the ideas our Founders possessed when they created this great nation, revival of the idea of liberty and justice for all that is America. We the People do not need a stimulus package, more taxes, government intervention, a jobs bill, the Green movement, political correctness… We the People must refocus on what it means to be an American; not government handouts and unemployment checks, but the audacity to have a dream, a goal, and go for it without restraint. We the People must never forget the lives that have been lost to preserve and protect our precious freedoms that allow us to do so, and that makes America the great nation that she has been, and, God willing, will continue to be.

America. Say the word, say it over and over and over, several times if you have to. America is not just a place, not just fifty states, not just a nationality. It is an idea. An idea that liberates, that sets one free, a dream that became a reality when brave individuals stood up against injustices and fought for what they believed in, regardless of the cost.

The republic is in danger of being eradicated by those who no longer believe, or never believed, in the idea of personal freedom that is America. Right now, our country is covered in a veil of deceit, under which corrupt politicians are functioning to create a government-dependent population… yet I, for one, believe that with the same faith and determination our predecessors in breeches and tri-cornered hats possessed, that veil can be lifted to revive the principles upon which this country was founded.
At the close of the Constitutional Convention, a bystander asked Benjamin Franklin, “Well, Doctor, what have we got—a republic or a monarchy?” Franklin answered, “A republic, if you can keep it.” Well, friends, it is now not a matter of whether we can or we cannot, it is a question of whether we will.

2010-03-07T10:29:00.001-06:00

Hi readers, that is… if I have any readers! I regret that I have not kept up on this blog as I intended when it was first created. Travel, school, and equestrian competitions have kept me extremely busy over the past few months; however, recent events are drawing my attention back to the state of affairs in our nation. I hope to find myself updating Present Day Patriots much more often.
If you are a first time visitor to this fascinating political blog, welcome. Present Day Patriots is a blog written by a teen for teens… and for those of all ages, for that matter. I aim to provide a fair and balanced analysis of today’s most debated political topics … and anything else I feel like writing about. J
Keep checking back, as I will be posting a new blog entry soon.

Common Sense Over Compassion

2009-08-23T20:28:00.000-05:00

Since the purpose of this blog is to “shed truthful light” on today’s biggest issues, I feel the need to share my political musings on a recent, controversial topic that bothers me a great deal; the release of the Lockerbie bomber.
That kind of sounds like a title for an action/adventure movie, but it is all too real. On December 21, 1988, a bomb planted in the cargo pit of Pan Am Airlines Flight 103, exploded over the city of Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 crew members and passengers as well as 11 people on the ground. Libyan citizen Abdel Baset al-Megrahi was the only person convicted for this horrendous act of terrorism, and given a sentence of life in prison in 2001.
Al-Megrahi, age 57, is now a terminally ill cancer patient—doctors gave him approximately three months to live. Last Thursday, the man who took 270 lives twenty one years ago returned home to a “hero’s welcome” after being released on “compassionate grounds.”
The act of releasing prisoners that are close to death or, on “compassionate grounds” is, according to Associated Press, “an established legal practice” in Scotland.
Let’s think about this for a minute. Where is the fairness and justice in a justice system that rewards and sympathizes those responsible for heinous crimes? Al-Megrahi wished to die with his family back in Libya… what about the 270 victims killed when that airplane plummeted to the ground? I am sure they would have like to be with their families before they died, too. But they were not given that option, were they? The Scottish government is showing “compassion” to the wrong group in this case; al-Megrahi made the conscious decision to murder 270 innocent people by way of a brutal act of terrorism… where was his compassion?
Abdel Baset al-Megrahi received a jubilant welcome back to his homeland, despite a warning to Libya from Barack Obama not to give him such a return (which I am sure made a huge impact). Upon al-Megrahi’s landing in Tripoli, Libyans cheered, waved flags, blared music, wore al-Megrahi t-shirts. The convicted terrorist received treatment such as that of a hero. Something is not right here, people!
The Obama administration has taken an unusually firm stance on the issue of al-Megrahi’s release. From the Associated Press, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs commented that, “…the images we saw in Libya yesterday were outrageous and disgusting. We continue to express our condolences to the families that lost a loved one as a result of the terrorist murder.” I would commend the administration on their opposition to this matter, if it were not for one fact that sticks out to me like a sore thumb; honestly, there is very little difference between the release of al-Megrahi, which President Obama has denounced, and the closing of Guantanamo Bay.
Obama and his administration have led the controversial fight to close Gitmo, with the ever-present precept of “unfairly treated” prisoners; dispersal of these individuals around the world has also caused quite a stir in the political world. Yet the administration is up in arms over the release of al-Megrahi. Seems like someone cannot make up their mind! The prisoners of Gitmo took innocent lives, as did al-Megrahi. What’s the difference?
Leaders around the world need to take an adamant stand against terrorism. Those who choose to take lives should not be rewarded on any basis. In situations like these, I believe we must put common sense over “compassion.”

Sources: FoxNews.com (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,540967,00.htm) and Associated Press "Lockerbie Bomber Release Stirs Diplomatic Dispute"

Welcome!

2009-08-18T20:59:00.000-05:00

Welcome to PresentDayPatriots.com, a blog for the teenage generation of America with the goal of shedding truthful light to today's greatest issues from the viewpoint of a young Conservative! The young people of today have the power to either make or break the republic-- to either save or squelch our natural born rights given to us by God and secured by the Founding Fathers. Whether we like it or not, we have the opportunity-- and the obligation, to be present-day patriots. The road ahead is not a clearly paved one, but I'm up to the task and pray there are more teens out there who desire to stand up and speak out for the truth.

On the radio, on the internet, on television... it seems like every news station or talk show host throws around words like stimulus package... universal health care... economic recession... socialism... republic. Such words seem to bring about a number of emotions from the teenage generation. Perhaps you feel a great deal of stress, stress about what the future holds for you, or the security of a parent's job. While you blame either the Republican or Democratic party for the country's problems, you realize the party you thought you belonged to hasn't stepped up to the plate either. You are not alone.

A few of you may see the significance of these words, but assume that, as a young person, there is nothing you can do. The bad economy and growing government are things I can't stop. We're just going to have to deal with it. There is something you can do.

And sadly, there exists a number of teens who don't know the meaning or the importance of nearly half or all of the said words, and furthermore, don't care; someone else will take care of things, right? Wrong.

We are the future of this country, and the responsibility to save the republic rests in our hands. "The land of the free" slips further and further out of reach everyday as the United States government tightens its grip around the auto and health care industries. Our constitutional rights slowly disappear as those who speak out are called "racist" or "radical extremists", sending our country down a slippery slope towards socialism, in which unalienable rights are replaced with government control and intervention. Is this truly a government by, for, and of the people?

The reckless growth of our government poses a daily threat to every citizen's God-given right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. These unalienable rights may sound like just a simple phrase you learned in history class... but they are so much more than that. The Founding Fathers-- George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and so many more-- sacrificed their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor in order to secure your right to speak freely, worship the religion you choose, to voice your personal opinion without punishment, to go to college for the career of your choice, secure a good job, to save money in order to buy a house, a car, start a family... life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness represent everythng we Americans appreciate and live our lives around, and tend to take for granted. In case you haven't noticed, everything that has made America one of, if not the most free nations on Earth, everything the Founders fought to secure, everything our brave soldiers have fought to protect since the ratification of the Constitution... is being threatened by a society's burning desire for political correctness and a socialist level of equality for all.

Maybe you think it's all a bunch of nonsense-- like that high school relationship drama in the cafeteria last week, the question of universal health care, the economy, the reckless government spending, tensions in the Middle East and North Korea will all blow over eventually, and then things will be fine and dandy again, back to normal. Sure, we could just put all of the issues in the back of our minds; focus more on who the Hollywood celebrities are sleeping with this week or the whereabouts of "Jon" from Jon and Kate Plus Eight.

But can we afford to?

And do we have the right to?

You know what you want in your future, or at least you have a good idea. College. A dream career. A nice house, a decent car. A salary to support your hobbies and a decent world for your kids to grow up in would be awesome, too. By putting the problems of today's world out of our minds, we put our futures solidly in the hands of career politicians in Washington D.C. Personally, that doesn't sound like a bright future to me.

When the original 13 Colonies were being unfairly taxed into oblivion by Great Britain, the colonists didn't tune out the oppression and wait for someone else to come to the rescue. Minutemen assembled to protect their means of defense and townships from the most powerful nation on Earth; delegates from each colony bravely signed a piece of parchment that declared their Independence, then fought, and won, an eight-year-long war to secure it. I know I, for one, cannot and will not put the efforts of our Founders to create a free-thinking and independent nation to shame by passing the buck to a white-collar politician in Congress or the White House. We won't be brandishing muskets on a different battlefield, but we'll be speaking out against the government's usurpations and abuses, and our ammunition will be the truth.

Chances are that reading this hasn't given you the inspiration to run for a political office or call your Congressman (though neither are bad ideas). Yet I hope this blog will open your eyes to the issues our world faces today that will inevitably affect us tomorrow. No, as teens we cannot change the course of history in the blink of an eye, but We The People, as Americans, have the responsibility to excercise and protect our rights as stated in the Constitution.

Speak the truth. Put family first. Think for yourself; don't believe everything the media reports. Always question. Benjamin Franklin is quoted in saying, "It is the responsibility of all citizens to question authority." Elect the most qualified, honest individuals that will be the best for political offices, regardless of their speaking skills or image. Corrupt politicians that put their careers over United States citizens do not belong in the governing seats of our country! Become educated on current events going on in our country and world. An educated citizen will not follow a fast-talking politician down the raod to more oppressive forms of government-- socialism, fascism, communism-- as history has proven.

Realize that a government capable of giving citizens everything is equally capable of taking everything away.

Nearly 200 years ago, a brave generation of Americans risked everything to create a government served the people, a world where voices could be heard, religion could be practiced, dreams achieved. DO you feel as if, anymore "we the people" are the ones expected to be serving the government? If so, you've come to the right place... check PresentDayPatriots.com frequently for political updates and feel free to comment with your own views. We live in a time that will define the character of America's people; will we follow the politicians who promise but do not follow through, or will we stand up for our beliefs and be patriots of the present day? In the words of the great Patrick Henry, "I know not the course others may take... but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!"

Coming Soon!

2009-08-08T22:43:00.001-05:00

First blog post coming soon!!!