The Wreaking of Havoc

I think we should ban autmobiles and go back to horses.Very few people statistically are ever run over with horses. But, cars, that's another story. Ask any insurance company, those cars are flat deadly and wreak havoc all over the world. Sometimes there are 10-20 car pile-ups on major freeways. We should ban them, just sayin.' Just post a person with a pooper scooper everytime you leave the house and we're good. Or a diaper for the horse, although that might get messy after the first turn around the city. And while we're at it, let's get rid of knives. Knives are nasty creatures, I use them all the time and cut my fingers regularly. Sometimes I bleed on the food and have to throw it out. Have to use copious amounts of band-aids to fix my fingers. Shameful. I think getting rid of them altogether is good. After all most of us now have food processors or those jam-the-tomato-on-the-cutters-doo-dahs and we can probably cope. Just because Grandpa Hoozits knows how to make a knife doesn't mean anything, right? And what about drugs, you've tried banning those, yeah not so effective. Or poisons? People keep making them.Huh. Must be something we can do. But let's be serious about gun control for a minute: even in Europe where guns are rigidly controlled, they have had massacres like ours: Dunblane, Ireland; Kingsmill, Ireland; Norway, etc. So what do we do to prevent these atrocities? How do we save the lives of our precious children amidst a world filled with people bent on destruction, driven by evil? Their hearts are evil, not the implements they choose. The gun didn't wreak gavoc on the earth, but their hearts surely can and do. We must live in truth and understanding, with a healthy dose of forgiveness.Without the seeds of forgiveness, we become cold hearted, self-centered people. The hearts of men are desperately wicked. If we do not want to fall into that category ourselves, we have to be a vigilant and prayerful people. We could not have saved those blessed children in Newtown, CT.because of the personal actions of a messed up kid. But we can be aware of our own hearts and keep them fully centered in Christ. It's never easy to do that; it's nearly always difficult. But as the world grows colder, thanks to the kind of evil we saw in Connecticut, we must stay warm with the love and forgiveness, the fruits of the Holy Spirit. And it will require every ounce of strength, every modicum of God's power in our hearts to stay in that place. As the Allstate Insurance advertisement claims, we need to be protected from "mayhem." Or the wreaking of havoc.

What do the "righteous" do?

First let me define "righteous"- it's a legal term that means right standing. The ONLY way we get there is by acceptance of Jesus as our Savior. That's it. We don't get there by works, although works are an important part of following the Lord. Sometimes Christians get that backwards.We can't work our way to the Lord, no matter how "good" we are on the surface. But we should follow Him daily by doing the things He asks us to do. Enough said on that. So what do people who love Christ do when every sign around them shows things swirling down the toilet of sin and destruction? They trust. They refuse to bow their knee to what's happening. I read a short piece from a brother in Christ this morning, and by and large it was true. We must pray in the gap for our land and our people because things are quickly spiraling out of control. We must stand firm in our principles. We must not buckle under the pressure to believe what the world believes about things. But he left out one key piece of the puzzle: trust (faith). When Daniel's three friends were faced with being thrown in a furnace hotter that the human body could survive, they looked the king in the eye and with humility told him flat that it didn't matter whether God saved them or not, they would not bow their knee to his image. The king became enraged and pitched them into the fire.We know the rest of the story: a fourth Man "like the Son of God" appeared in the flames and walked around in the furnace with them. They didn't even so much as have the smell of smoke on their clothing. What we need to see in that is a) God doesn't remove us from the fire, He stands beside us in it, and b) trusting God when everything around us is dark and evil is essential. We are only in the beginnings of fire right now. Because we chose to elect a President that does not operate in our values, that fire is going to burn ever hotter. We cannot and should not sit on our comfortable couch and watch Desperate Housewives. We must pray, repent, and hope. God can and will do as He chooses. But unless we use our faith muscles we will get soft and worthless. Our Lord loves those who trust Him and those who believe in His love in their lives.

Controversial me

My earthly dad had a very black and white personality. No such thing as lukewarm in his world- either you loved him or hated him and vice versa. It appears I have the same effect on people. Good for me. Must be doing something right. A friend from Twitter called me "auspicious" this morning. What a compliment. The word means "favorable" or "prosperous." While some days I don't feel so prosperous, I know that I am blessed beyond a lot of folks. So my babbling this afternoon will be about that. 1. I am blessed because a man on death row says he trusts me not to condemn him further. Say what you will, that is a huge compliment. And amazing, considering where the guy has come from in his life. That statement recently almost brought tears to my eyes. 2. I am blessed because I believe in the redemption of the lost. Redemption, by the way is not perfection, it is "adoption" or "purchased." If we were all perfect we'd be walking on water all the time. I've run into many people who demand perfection and therefore can't see redemption standing in front of them. (Snarl) 3. I am blessed because I have friends and relatives who love me. And I am blessed to love them back.There's not enough of that in the world- true friendship that lasts through time. I am fond of telling my friends that when I get a friend, I intend to keep them forever. If God can do it for me, I can do it for them... and Him. No matter what we encounter in our lives, the ability to love is everything. America's love has grown cold. People are living in fear, anger, and bitterness. Because of it, our nation is polarized into opposing forces that cannot meet without compromising the values of the people. Instead of rational thought we have judgments and opinions that are running amok throughout the nation.So I will hold fast my blessings listed above. Who knows how someone will try to steal them.

Who Gets Who

While many conservative Christians are wringing their hands and wallowing in defeat (the woe-is-me syndrome), there are a couple of very bright sides to the coin. A dear friend reminded me of them as doom and gloom tried to settle over a prayer meeting the other day. She said, "The Republicans still have control of the House." And I mentioned that we had 30 gubernatorial seats. While it means that gridlock is the way of the political scene right now, it also means that there is still some sort of balance in spite of the left-wing coup. There is still hope for America. They can try to remove God from all areas of America life, but HE is alive, real, and cannot be removed from anyplace. They can run but they can't hide. Everyone loves to see apocalypse on the horizon. The left hopes for Conservative doom, and the right prays for the judgment of Liberals. As Mark Twain once said, "All Democrats are insane, but not one of them knows it. None but the Republicans. All the Republicans are insane, but only the Democrats can perceive it. The rule is perfect: in all matters of opinion our adversaries are insane." It's much like little children who face each other and yell "You're gonna get it" at each other. I have seen God move recently in the lives of people that everyone else gave up on. I have felt His compassion and watched His Grace take over when it all seemed lost. There is no greater hope for us all that in the One True Living God. He lives in three persons- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And He cannot be killed. Not by Harry Reid, not by Eric Holder, not by Mr. Obama. Terrorists can't snuff Him out. He is the one constant in America that has been with us from the very beginning. Yes, there is judgment, but there is also mercy. And boy, as individuals do we need mercy now more than ever! And no, there were no Muslims in the Revolution or the Civil War. No one screamed allah ahkbar as they jumped out of the bushes to fight the British Army. Our forefathers were both secular and Christian in faith, and they are the reason we live as free men and women today. This government is working hard to destroy all that we are, but they are forgetting that The God of Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Deborah, Paul, Peter, John, Mary, James, etc.... is alive and well. So in the "Who Gets Who" debate, let's remember that God hasn't taken a vacation. Let us stand in faith like free men and women and keep our hand-wringing in check. We've got much work to do!

Failure to move forward

Well, the votes are in and the people have voiced their inability to change anything. Basically they voted to sit in their read ends and complain. Our nation fairly screamed that they like whining and refuse to get out of debt,or move past strife and division. The House is still Republican, the Senate is still Democrat, and the White House is still over spending. Our local Sheriff race has left the same ol' group in charge and failed to move forward into a new era. VERY sad. Gridlock is in our future, not forward momentum. Watch for an economic crisis of historic proportions. Watch for the coldness of society to become a titanic iceberg. Maybe it IS time to buy more toilet paper. As my dear friend put it this morning: "America is still the greatest nation in the world." At least it used to be- what we will behold in the next 4 years could dampen that enthusiasm. I love the America I grew up in. I love the flag that flies over a proud and stable nation. I love the military that strives to keep me safe. I love the freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, the ability to choose how to live my life. Those things may change in the next few years, so prepare yourselves. Keep your eyes focused on the One True Living God and let Him guide you all through this difficult time. He's the only stable help we have.

Go vote!

If I hear one more person tell me they aren't voting next Tuesday because they "don't like the choices" I'm going to flip out and shove them onto a cargo ship to Albania. They don't like the choices then go somewhere that never gets choices at all! Seriously. One of the greatest gifts that God has given America is the privilege-- and responsibility -- to vote. Remember that first election in Iraq? The one where the people all ran around with purple fingers and were proud of it? America wake up! The fate of our nation is in the hands of the voting public- and if that block of folks stays home and grouses about everything, they are going to hand the nation over to people who don't care about it. ( I think they did that...) God wants people who are doers of the Word, not couch potatoes who gripe. I hear Christians complain about a Mormon candidate- and my answer is so what? This is the very thing that sank us all in the last election: murmuring and backstabbing, complaining and whining. They didn't like John McCain and look what happened: instead of a moderate we got a screaming liberal. Brilliant, people. Way to go. God will one day demand of us an account of our actions. He will want to know why we stayed home and refused to vote when millions of other people on the planet are not allowed that privilege. It must mean that we are not a grateful people, and we don't value that which God has given us. Personally, I don't want to be on that end of the conversation, do you?

The Heart of It All

As a nation we must move past the partisan foolishness that has so imprisoned our ability to move forward. The first debate was civil, with Mitt Romney the clear winner. The VP debate was rancorous with obnoxious sidelines from our Vice President that created a muddled victory for both candidates. Last night's debate was a solid draw by most who measure such things. I will ask the obvious question...why? Why are the American people so easily led astray? Why do we listen to deception and lies, and see what we want to see rather than the truth? We are so divided on contentious issues that we can't hear the truth because our opinions (judgments in disguise) get in the way. Abraham Lincoln once quoted Jesus in his "House Divided Speech"... "A house divided cannot stand." He wasn't kidding, and we're in it right now. Abraham Lincoln intended to give a prophetic thought for America in that speech. He believed strongly that we would not remain divided on the issue of slavery. He foresaw that we would eventually ban the evil practice and move on toward unity. But I will ask you now...will we move on from this current rift? As long as attitudes remain self-serving, as long as self-seeking people remain in office, we have little hope of our society taking the strides toward solving America's problems. We need heart changes. The church needs heart changes to be more like Christ with less fear, anger and bitterness. All of us, Christians, Muslims and every other religion, every race (we're all part of the human race as a friend puts it) need to stand as Americans, not as separate little groups. A house divided cannot stand. Hatred, anger, distrust, fear, those words that carry such venom cannot be our heritage. Only God's love, His favor, His purpose for America, can become the legacy that lasts through eternity.

It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over

I laughed last night when even CBS mentioned that Mitt Romney won the first debate. Took them long enough to figure it out. Overconfidence, however, is as deadly as apathy in the political realm. Winning is a heady experience, but there are several more debates left in this last month before the election, so Romney and company must be vigilant. The healthcare crisis is going to break out on top of Obamacare one of these days- thousands of middle class Americans were notified that their "Medicare Advantage" coverage will cease to exist as of December 31, 2012. It means that the companies who used to supply such marvelous coverage can no longer do so. So we will need separate policies for prescription drugs and medical coverage. Separate usually mean more expensive, by the way. It's a recipe for disaster. The problem as I see it is this: "social conservatives" (that's evangelicals to you and me)tend to get into a snit about who's running and hand the election off to the other guy. Yep, that's right, in the last election scores of people stayed home and look where it got us! They didn't like John McCain so we got Barack Obama. Whiners, they should have voted ANYWAY. Now I get emails consistently about how bad the Mormons are. Frankly I don't care if Mitt Romney is from Mars and has antenna under his hair. If we don't get out and V.O.T.E. we will have a fiscal explosion so big that I very much think America will not survive it. So for everyone you know...kick them in the read end and tell them to get out and VOTE! Don't just hand this election over to Barack Obama!

Phone Calls, Promises, and Real Relationships

Now that I'm calmer today, I can back the truck up and maybe make some real sense. Maybe. And so far I haven't seen any black SUVs in my front yard from my last rant. That's a good thing. So let's think about a couple of things with a quieter (slightly) voice for a minute: 1.Israel is backed into a corner, surrounded by Hezbollah, Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Iran (a class all by themselves). The U.S. has always been a faithful ally. Our promises and reassurances have always held a lot of weight for the leaders of Israel. Their current Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is a good man who understands the dangers surrounding his nation. Inevitably being surrounded by a bunch of threatening,shrieking voices will cause action on someone's part...whether the loud mouths or the people who are surrounded. The pot will boil over, it's only a question of when and by whom. 2.I have several friends who love the Arab people. I love the Arab people. They are beautiful, smart, and an integral part of the human race. What I do not love are the temper tantrums that cause death and destruction. While in modern Christianity you find the odd man out wacko that bombs abortion clinics or a group of loon birds that picket funerals and spout hate speech, in general Christians just pray their way through difficulties without pitching a fit or killing others. Not so with our radical Muslim brothers. They seem to delight in throwing hissy fits that are intended to intimidate everyone around them from speaking their minds and hearts. I do not like bullies, how about you? True peace comes from hearts that have flushed away violence and anger. True peace comes in right relationship to Jesus Christ. True peace fills a life that focuses on what is good, true, beautiful, and loving. If our President had true peace, he would be able to stand in strength rather than apology. He would meet face to face with our allies rather than call them on the phone. Phone calls and emails are too easy to manipulate because they can't see your face. Promises made are not stable unless friendship and trust are at their foundation. Trust is earned, not bestowed. I pray that America will once again find that place where we can earn the trust of our allies, and stand firm against our enemies. "When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him." Proverbs 16:7

Demagogues

In my half century of living, I have never heard a President apologize to the perpetrators of a heinous act. I have never seen a President ignore the anniversary of an attack on US soil.I have never seen a President turn his back on Israel and make up stupid excuses why he did it. This President did all of those things in one day. Anyone who fails to stand up to terrorists will draw their venom. Anyone who fails to love the people chosen by the God of Israel will suffer the consequences. Why? Because there are spiritual principles involved. The only way to kick a demon in the butt is to hit it with the Blood and authority of Jesus Christ. The only way to stop terrorists is to hit them with the power and might of leadership that gives them a bloody nose whenever they move. Strength, whether spiritual or physical is the only thing that moves evil. This President is a demagogue- that means he plays on people's emotions and prejudices. He tries to make Christians and Jews look like idiots, and Muslims look like saints. He hates America, but will use us for his purposes. He plays on the emotions of the citizens by telling them things that are twisted and untrue. To him, we are the colonialists and we should be taken down to the same level as everyone else. EXCEPT him, of course. HE should be in charge. We are evil; he thinks he is the savior of the world. He's wrong. There is only one Savior of the world, and He stands for us against the garbage perpetuated by our leadership. There will be a day of reckoning. I can hope it will be this coming November, but if not, the "shaking" is going to be extreme and hard. America, wake up. Dump this President and dump him immediately. Our future as a nation hangs in the balance.

Welcome to the United Socialist Republic of America

This morning we have awakened to an entirely new universe. It's one that promises disaster to America if we don't confront it and remove it from our vocabulary. What is it? It's the Democratic National Convention platform - you know, the one that told us last night that we all belong to the government. We are all products of the government. We aren't PEOPLE, we're automatons. Just little puppets to move at the government's whim. Add that to the deletion of any reference to God from their platform and we've got BIG trouble. When BO made the statement to a john q. citizen that "you didn't build that" earlier this year, we fluffed it off. Don't fluff it off now, America. He really believes that the government does everything and people are not worthy of notice. When Michelle sang the praises of America being able to do anything last night, she meant that the government can do anything, not the individual people. This president is all about elitism, not about "we the people." The problem with deleting God from everything is that when you remove Him from the equation, you have to replace Him with the government. Like the former Soviet Union, God was gone from their acceptable terminology. The Communist government became the god. What they said was what was allowed. It was still "religion", just an impersonal, cold, unloving form of it. Instead of a personal, loving God who sent His Son for the salvation of mankind, we now have a giant, cumbersome, fat worldly god that moves according to the lust for power, greed, and self-serving agendas. I'll take my loving God, thank you very much. And by the way, to hell with the idea that we are "products of the government." (Hell is where that idea came from, by the way). We are living, breathing, human beings who can make choices,and we choose to be free. Personally, I will not succumb to the humanistic garbage that says we are all accidental farts of nature. (Can you tell I'm hoppin' mad today?) And to help the conspiracy theorists along, why the heck has the Social Security Administration purchased 174,000 rounds of hollow point bullets? What's THAT all about? Because this big ol' fat government is so secretive (so much for the "open" promise they made in 2008), now everyone's imagination has run wild with ideas about that purchase. God gives FREEDOM. God has made us a FREE people. We will not stand idly by while this newest crop of radical liberals tries to tromp on our rights, our liberty, or our pursuit of happiness. We will vote them out of office. and we will do it with a smile on our faces.

The U.S. Troops and Afghanistan

The Disunited States of America is yet again embroiled in wars that we haven't got the stomach to finish. Many thousands of men and women were killed in WWII, but the people kept their backbones and saw it through because they knew that to do less would leave the entire world in jeopardy. What we do not realize is that situation is EXACTLY the same now! The reason that corruption runs rampant in Afghanistan (and Iraq and Syria,etc) is that their country is riddled with bribery, favors, tribal politics, and a religion that allows lies as an acceptable means of dealing with outsiders. That dynamic is as deadly as anything Hitler could have dreamed up. And whether anyone likes to hear this or not, it affects the whole world. It's affecting US RIGHT NOW! Subterfuge is a well known method of warfare- oh yes, you can plant bombs, shoot off grenades from a grenade launcher, and shoot guns, but the real danger is in sneaky underhanded ops that make people believe everything is fine. Oh, the poor people are just misunderstood. Don't rock the boat. Get everyone to back off the problem. If we just negotiate we'll be fine. You cannot negotiate with rattlesnakes and cobras. You cannot have truthful, honest conversations with people who want to destroy you and are willing to lie to your face to accomplish their goals. And because we seem to lack the family jewels to see this thing through, we will yet again back away from the fight. The 7 brave men who died in the Blackhawk helicopter incident in Afghanistan a few days ago were among the many who will have died in vain if we do not move forward into the battle with conviction. The only hope we have is God and the election. Trust God to help us. Kick the guy out who panders to the enemy, and put someone in who will stand up to him. What do you say?

The Last Line of Defense

while I generally don't have time to mess with too much blogging, I thought it important to weigh in on the Supreme Court ruling on Obamacare last week. If I give Justice Roberts the benefit of the doubt, let's say that he thinks changing his mind to rule that the Obamacare mandate for health insurance as a "tax" is a good thing for the country. But there was one disturbing sentence in his opinion that bothered me: he said that it "wasn't the job of the Supreme Court to protect the American people from bad legislation." OUCH. I have to strongly disagree with that philosophy. If it isn't the judicial branch's job to protect us all, who will? The three branches of our government were founded as checks and balances- and the judicial branch is our last line of defense.If they aren't charged with stopping a bad law, then what's the point? 1. Obamacare contains within it far more than just an individual mandate. It contains extreme spending that threatens the very fabric of america. $1.6 Trillion over the next several years makes the current debt so top heavy that it threatens to knock over every portion of the economy. Unless the conservatives win this election in November, America has nowhere to go but straight downhill. 2. The threat of fines and/or jail for those who can't afford healthcare insurance is not a "tax" despite what the Supreme Court says: it's socialism. If it walks like a duck the adage says- and in whatever disguise it takes, it's still socialism- forcing people to pay a "tax" or buy an insurance policy it's all the same. Quack quack quack. We need our last line of defense:the Supreme Court of the United States. If we have lost that line, we are in serious trouble. As I mentioned earlier, perhaps Mr. Roberts thinks he did America a favor. I sincerely hope he is correct- because the fallout is going to be horrendous.

Wisconsin Kickfest

So. Gov Walker won the recall vote in Wisconsin last night, eh? What happened to all the lefties who were going to kick his rear end? Guess their shoe closet was emptier than they thought. Lost 'em before the kicking started. And while this vote has little to do with the general elections, it did provide a nice window-view of how tired conservatives are of the whole liberal agenda. Unions would have a place in America, but they over-stepped their bounds a very long time ago. Their power has grown over-bearing. Even back in the early years of labor unions, corruption was rampant. Give power hungry people access to lots of money and you have complete flippin' disaster. Federal Congressional hearings from back in the early years showed favoritism and graft were the order of the day. (Still are). Not to mention an occasional murder to round things out. People think that we can't function without unions, but I submit that if employers and employees were not so all-fired greedy they could come to agreements mutually beneficial to both. The unions were started to help the workers. But from forced extrication of dues from worker's paychecks to the whole beating-people-up-because-they-cross-a-picket-line thing. It's not the way civilized people are supposed to act. Add that all to the fact that they have become extremely socialist in nature. Grrrrrr I remember a rule that I was taught in management school: never give a person who treats others poorly a position of power over your workers. They will ruin your business, your nation, the lives of the employees. I once remember a sleezy guy who was given a position of power in our local city government. He was so bad that no on liked him and most of us wanted to shoot him on sight. His secretarial staff started having to take anti-depressants and bump their hours back severely. He smirked at us and tried every way he could to control our behavior and our work. His efforts were a dismal failure- a few of us stood up to him and backed him off. He finally quit, but not before he wreaked havoc in the lives of employees. I very much hope that our nation is not destroyed completely by the greed, the control, the narcissistic behaviors we have witnessed over the last 4 years. I pray that we can turn it around, and do that this year. The recall election was a sweet victory for common sense. But the main ballgame is coming up- and we'll see which way the batter hits the ball.

Too Much Government

Reprinted by permission Here's another gem from Patrice Lewis at Rural revolution: Her views aren't necessarily my own, and we are divergent in candidates, but her overall thoughts at right on. Less government is always better than more."Absolute power corrupts absolutely" is the phrase that comes to mind. Faye _______________________ Lately I’ve been feeling quite depressed about the state of our nation. I guess I’m suffering from political burnout. That’s an amazing thing when you consider I haven’t exactly immersed myself in politics. We don’t have television reception, and so I haven’t seen any televised debates. Nor have I made any real effort to listen to any of the candidates. It’s gotten to the point where I just don’t care. This week I’ve been re-reading portions of Harry Browne’s excellent book “Why Government Doesn’t Work.” Harry Browne was the Libertarian Party candidate for president in 1996 and 2000. Naturally he never even got close to winning because he had the audacity to suggest that government, in its current incarnation, doesn’t work. Sheesh, no wonder he was never elected. Consider his words on why government grows. “The bad consequences of a government program usually don’t show up immediately. And the delay may be long enough to hide the connection between the program and its results. So government never has to say it’s sorry – never has to take responsibility for the misery it causes. Instead, it can blame everything on personal greed, profit-hungry corporations, and the ‘private sector.’ And the government’s cure for the problems is to impose bigger programs, more regulations, and higher taxes. … Each government program carries within it the seeds of future programs that will be ‘needed’ to clean up the mess the first program creates. No matter how much mischief it causes, government always shows up in a cavalry uniform – riding in to rescue us from the problems it created. … Government grows, too, because the subsidy given to one group inspires others to demand the same benefits. And when government protects one company or industry from competition, others wonder why they shouldn’t demand the same protection.” The interesting thing is how accurately the Founding Fathers anticipated exactly what Harry Browne wrote. Sure, in the first 150 years or so our government violated the Constitution numerous times, but that was nothing compared to the blatant, transparent, palpable loathing nearly every current politician expresses (subtly, of course) for the bylaws of our nation. And when, to a person, they put their hand on a Bible and swear to uphold the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, they do so with the absolute knowledge that they are the domestic enemy because they have every intention of tearing down, not upholding, that document. I’ve been asked a number of times whom I would endorse as the GOP candidate for president. How does “nobody” sound? With the possible exception of Ron Paul (whose chances of winning are low), not one of the candidates has the slightest interest in reducing government to the constraints outlined in the Constitution. Literally the only now-acceptable platform from which a modern politician can argue is how smoothly and glibly he will further trash the Constitution. Stripped of romantic notions of being civil “servants,” it’s actually pretty funny to hear these guys talk. “HIS government solution isn’t as good as MY government solution!” they announce. But never – not in a zillion years – does it occur to anyone that government isn’t, nor should be, the solution. Of course politicians will conveniently ignore this. Most politicians enter the arena of politics for personal gain, power, glory, accolades … in short, for all the wrong reasons. They don’t enter the political arena with the intent of upholding the Constitution. So I understand why politicians talk about government solutions. What I cannot grasp is why citizens don’t understand that more government is not the answer. Are we so collectively hoodwinked that we cannot see how the cancerous growth of government is bad? Oh wait. I forgot that a majority Americans are now dependent in some way on the government. In fact, government spending on “dependence programs” accounts for more than 70 percent of the federal budget. No wonder government has gotten bigger and more intrusive. We’ve let it. We’ve demanded it. We’ve wallowed in it, with our hands outstretched and our mouths wide open. Government creates artificial monopolies. It skews free-market competition. It corrupts the private industry (banking? health care? education?) by offering bribes, giving sweetheart deals, immunizing officials from prosecution and otherwise sticking its nose where it has absolutely no business. So when election-year promises come down to politicians informing us that “MY government solution is better than THEIR government solution,” I’m not impressed. If you read Mr. Browne’s book, you’ll understand that if we got rid of unconstitutional government interference, most of our country’s problems would solve themselves through the often harsh corrections of the free market. The trouble is, by allowing free-market corrections, we’d have no one to blame but ourselves when things go wrong or fail. But when we accept Big Brother solutions, it means we can blame the other guy’s government. And that’s why this nation is so polarized – we’ve forgotten how to take personal blame and responsibility for our failures, and instead spend all our time blaming the other guy’s government “solution.” And so government will grow and grow. Our freedoms will shrink and shrink. How this will end is anyone’s guess, but it won’t be a happy ending. That much we know from studying the cycle of history. So, for whom will I vote for president? I don’t know. It’s almost to the point where I don’t even care. Whoever wins will still continue to trample on the Constitution, further regulate my life and pretend that rights come from regulations rather than from God – so what does it matter if it’s a Democrat or a Republican? They’re both the same. In fact, the logic of some particularly despairing conservatives is to vote for Obama so he’ll ruin the country faster and spark a revolution. I can almost see their point. I’ll vote, of course. I’ll vote for the most constitutionally conservative candidate available because I have a civic and moral duty to do so. But I’ll vote in complete understanding that it won’t much matter. The moment a winner puts his or her hand on a Bible and pretends to take the oath, the farce goes on. Ultimately, if history is the judge, we’ll reach the point where we won’t even be given the choice of which path we’ll take into the abyss. The government will decide that for us.

Nut Cases

This morning I opened my email from Erick Erickson's Red State Blog and was totally shocked to read that some left-winger (wing-nut) had targeted his home and family for a prank phone call to 911. Several Sheriff's deputies arrived at his home, lights flashing, and deployed around it with guns drawn because someone had called in an accidental shooting there. It placed him, his wife, and three year old son in a life-threatening situation. I don't know why I was shocked. I know that it's getting dangerous out there. The not-so-encouraging thing is that it's going to get worse. As it gets closer and closer to whatever it's getting closer to (you like that I didn't tell you? Ha! Exercise your imagination), we are going to see things we never thought possible. More than a government that has lost its flippin' mind. More than economical collapse. We are going to see their love grow even colder. Heck, we'll see OUR love grow colder if we don't absolutely guard our hearts. The left fails to remember Who's really in charge. They snicker and laugh at their own plans and think there will never be a consequence to their actions. The sad thing is that people like Erick and his family could have suffered terrible loss should an officer have shot one of his family members. It could have ended badly- the "Accidental shooting" could have easily become a tragedy. It didn't because Erick is a smart cookie and had warned the Sheriff's Department ahead of time that such a thing could happen. They still had to respond cautiously, guns drawn.Still dangerous, any way you look at it. We live at a time when we have to be vigilant not only in our circumstances, but in our hearts as well. We can't allow ourselves the luxury of becoming bitter or vindictive. We can't "let the sun set on our anger." We have to be constantly aware of the temperature of the atmosphere (and I'm not talking about a hole in the ozone, folks).If some of the crazies on the left are willing to place us in harm's way for fun, then anything can happen. Keep your eyes open!

Who's the Real Rat?

My friend and fellow blogger Patrice Lewis from blogged this masterpiece in January of this year. I enjoyed it so much I'm reprinting it here for you. Faye -Figbee ______________________________________________ Who's the real rat? Just when you think things can't possibly get any loopier, they do. Allow me a bit of history. Years ago when we lived in Oregon, when Older Daughter was just barely a toddler, we had a rat infestation. We had rats all over the house, in our basement, in our barn, in the chicken coop, in the shop, everywhere. Rats are BIG. And when you're watching your tiny toddler facing a rat, maternal instinct kicks in and you really, really want to make sure your kid isn't bitten. We set traps and soon our problem was eradicated. If we were to have a repeat of that problem today, we would solve it in the same way. So it's just durn lucky we don't live in Washington D.C. where it's the LAW that you cannot exterminate a rat. Please, spare me the lame jokes about politicians (because I agree with you), but the fact remains that rats are not endangered in any way. What they are is numerous, clever, filthy (their urine and droppings contaminate food), and vectors of disease. The Wildlife Protection Act, passed unanimously in 2010, prohibits pest control operators from killing pests such as rats and mice. Instead -- get this -- the animals must be relocated. And more than that, pest control operators cannot break up rat families. Yes, you read that right. You can't leave Grampa Charlie Rat or Aunt Matilda Rat behind -- you have to round them all up and transport them together. (I'll leave you to speculate as to the impossible logistics of this feat.) This is, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli notes, "a triumph of animal rights over human health." What on earth does the Virginia Attorney General have to do with this law? Simple. The "relocated" rats are being transported across the river into Virginia, where they are released (in family groups, of course). "Actual experts in pest control will tell you, if you don’t move an animal about 25 miles, it will come back," Cuccinelli said. "So what’s the solution to that? Across the river." Gene Harrington of the Fairfax-based National Pest Management Association called it a "stupid, stupid, ill-advised, ill-conceived law." Bingo, couldn't have said it any better myself. So here we have an example of the entire population of Washington D.C. held captive by the bleeding-heart legislation of a few. And this, I think you'll agree, encapsulates the entire problem America is facing at the moment -- the entire population held captive by the bleeding-heart legislation of a few. It is my sincerest wish that those doofuses who saw fit to pass this law will have their homes invaded by rats. Posted by Patrice Lewis at 8:53 AM

Common Sense is Extinct

Would somebody please tell me when common sense went extinct? It happened so slowly that most of us were lulled into sleep and didn't notice it fading into the horizon. It's like listening to the sound of a drum hypnotically making us numb. The current polarization within our government is a case in point. Everyone has an opinion. Nobody has a solution. I nominate an ex-drug dealer to fix it. One of his mottoes is "Don't be a complainer, be a fixer." Why can't our government do that? (Yeah, no he can't run for office. It's that convicted felon thing.)Complaining about the other guy is just an exercise in futility, as unless there is forward movement on an issue, it's just beating a drum with a stick.Bam bam bam...I've heard a lot of nonrhythmic drums lately. It's election season, ya know...bam bam bam.Yawn. Instead we get Presidential edicts instead of cooperation and common sense. We get Congressional stone-walling rather than intelligence and wisdom. Our government grinds to a halt more often that it should, and when it's not stopping its work entirely, it's scheming and plotting on how to bypass the legislative process by subterfuge. We have power hungry people in office who could give a rip less about the regular folks. Afghanistan: yes, we're leaving. Too soon, no doubt. The policy of our government, even since Vietnam, is to leave a job unfinished. A lot of good men and women die because a job is left unfinished. Cut and run isn't common sense, it's a waste of lives. NDAA,"Green policy," the Keystone Pipeline, etc: we've got a lot of hidden agendas in these "acts" of legislation. People don't bother to check into them. I don't have a problem with green policies, as long as they are based on common sense and not someone's personal power agenda. I love the earth and its creatures and we should take good care of them. But it isn't cool when no one tries to balance the need for oil with the environment. It's not one or the other, it should be common sense to have both. I don't have a problem with anti-terrorist polices until it threatens the freedoms of law-abiding citizens. Gun Control is a simple power-grab by people with an agenda. Safeguards are important. Common sense is missing. We should be fixers not complainers. Point is, when everyone is pointing the finger at everyone else, nothing is being accomplished. Common Sense has gone the way of the Tyrannosaurus.

Secrets for Eternity

The other day I was pondering my life and wondered why so many people have secrets that they don't want anyone to know about. Because they are so secretive, I spend a lot of time "warehousing" their problems forever. They are things I must take to the grave with me, simply because of confidentiality issues. Make no mistake, I don't hold them myself, as that would be a burden too heavy even for me. I do give them to the Lord for Him to carry. But I often wonder what life would be like for all of the people if they were able to unload the trailer of back-stories and move on with life in general. Our own government must have the weight of the ages on them for all the secrets, lies, and other assorted things that they carry. I remember a line from a Harrison Ford movie where he told the "President" not to hide his relationship to a drug dealer. He said to tell the press that he was a good friend. It was a great line. Don't give anyone a reason to question- just be open. Hiding secrets can be taxing and stressful, and sometimes can cause the death of the person holding it it so deeply in their minds and hearts. And darn it, telling lies causes mixed up stories and makes people suspicious. (Which is why so many are not happy with the current administration- true openness is non-existent, and suspicion with an unhealthy dose of distrust is rampant.) Whether it's a drug dealer trying to hide their activities from the police, or a government official trying to cover up a problem, the result is the same: anything WE try to hide will eventually break us into pieces. Truth really does set us free.

Observers

Have you ever noticed that the United Nations is great for sending "observers" all over the globe, but rarely do they actually help anyone? (Except the bad guys, of course). They are apparently send more of those "observers" to Syria. What, to watch the slaughter? Point at the perpetrators and ogle the situation? "Oh, looky there, someone's being murdered. Hmmm. Let's tell uh, umm, somebody somewhere." In one of the chapters of my new book, there was an incident in prison where a man was beaten so badly that he did not appear to be alive. My friend saw the perpetrator wash blood off his hands and knew that something horrible had occurred. So he ran up to the room where it happened and tried to get the attention of the guards, but was ignored. So he used the prison phone and called for help himself.The victim was barely breathing, and very nearly died. Thanks to my friend he lived. My friend was not an "observer" he was pro-active. We should be the same. When David saw the atrocities perpetrated by Goliath, as his own people stood watching and whimpering,he stepped up and did something about it. He went into attack mode. Today there is a headline about a woman who was "flashed" by a pervert on a train. She screamed and not one person paid any attention. So she had to grab the offender, call the police, and hold him until they arrived. Good for her. She took action instead of doing nothing. I pray that one day we will become warriors instead of wimps. Then instead of just watching what evil does, we can stop it in its tracks.

Revenge or Practicality

America seems to have an issue: a penchant for revenge. The politics of throwing criminals in prisons and jails has finally overrun our ability to handle it. We just gotta build more jails, people tell us. So the taxpayers have to dig deeper into their pockets to come up with more and more money. Problem with that is: it's not practical. It's also iffy when it comes to the Bible.

Flint, Michigan is a case in point. They are so overcrowded in their jails that they are now handing out "appearance tickets." Now, I have to say, I don't think that's a wise thing and here's why: DUIs have committed a crime AT THE TIME. They should go to jail at least long enough to sober up. Assault, burglary, etc are the same. Not too smart, if you ask me. (And I'm well aware that no one has asked me). Oh, well, I'm an opinionated woman, after all.

I remember a case several years ago of a young female drunk driver who plowed into a young man's car and killed him. She, of course, survived and went to jail for the crime. But instead of revenge, the parents of the young man went to the jail and forgave her. She was not just amazed, she was transformed! They went to bat for her at her trial, and the judge let her go on supervised probation. She will have to live with her actions for the rest of her life, but the forgiveness granted her will always be with her as well.THAT is the Biblical way. Forgiveness even with consequences.

Tomorrow is Easter and we will all be reminded of Christ's sacrifice for our sins. And it wasn't just for the righteous who committed bad things, it was for the criminals too. Remember the thief? Never forget him-he was given the mercy and love of God even as Jesus hung on the cross in mortal agony. Sometimes it takes extending the hand of help to people who are angry, hate-filled, and on the wrong path in order to make them see that life can be better.

Let's give it a try, shall we? I know my pocket book would be grateful.

Fires of History

A few years back I experienced a vision in which the sky was suddenly consumed with fire. It wasn't the fire of a sunset or sunrise. The clouds literally became flames and rolled across the heavens with the purpose of burning everything in their path. If I had to describe it, it would be like those movie pictures of a backflash when a fireman opens the door of a building engulfed in flames and is greeted by a roaring wall of fire. The flames seemed to have a life of their own, and could not be stopped. As the flames surrounded me, I noticed that I was still standing without being burned. My skin was not singed, my Albert Einstein hair did not burst into flames, nothing on me was harmed in any way.

Why do I tell you this? Because we're coming to a place in time when we MUST learn how to stand in the midst of the fire and not be consumed by that fire.

We are in a period of history that frustrates Christians to the max. Their prayers against and for the current leadership of America seem to be stymied in many cases. Legislation is passed that is in direct opposition to the Word of God, and even our President appears to be so hostile to Christianity that it makes us crazy. (Actually, he thinks We're crazy and he's ok. Not).

Becoming harsh and legalistic about it will not help us. Standing in the midst of a fire means standing completely in trust of the Lord. It means standing in the love of God, not trying to use what we think is His wrath. We can rail against the problem, we can shriek and holler and stomp, but the fact remains that God's time table is being performed before our eyes. The President signed a very dangerous executive order this last week, and we need to be aware and ready. The GOP is fragmented, divided, and the current crop of nominees are desperately flawed in the experience department. The economy is NOT the top issue- the direction of our nation of PEOPLE is.We are the people of America- and without the Lord Jesus Christ as our banner and hope, we will be plunged into a "gross darkness."

caucuses...who gets to vote again?

Some friends and I attended the North Idaho Republican caucus this last week and found a disturbing reality: after 4 rounds of voting and hours of waiting, another part of the state had already decided the election before we even finished. Now, I have to say, that's a bunch of hooey.

Whatever is going on in the systems regarding elections, they are messed up. When any one group of people can throw the rest of us under the bus with their votes, that's garbage. Wrong wrong wrong. Short of seceding from the state, I'm not sure how to fix it. But it does give one pause to wonder how we can make it work so that the voting allows everyone's vote to count.

If any of you have ideas, please leave a comment (nicely, please).And no we can't shoot anyone, so let's skip that kind of remark. Thanks

National Defense-What cost?

Today I read that the new defense budget has within its rather extensive pages a severe cut to the health benefits for our troops. Now THAT infuriates me. The union laborers within the Federal government have no such cut- and they don't carry guns to defend us!

Why is it that the people who protect us on a daily basis have to bear costs incurred by other agencies? I understand the Pentagon is pissed. I hope so. I hope they get so mad that this travesty is pushed back and a realignment of priorities occurs. This administration continually helps itself and its cronies but treats others like they are so much garbage.

The article I read further claims that this cost cutting measure is designed to increase the membership of the Obamacare federal insurance programs. I'm incensed that our troops are "fed" the slow governmental health care while regular federal workers and Congress get high end healthcare.
What the??? It's not right. Let's tell them what we think!

Good Grief Gertrude

I've decided to weigh in on the last Republican debate. As a dear friend put it today, "It's nothing that a baseball bat couldn't cure." Yeouw is he right.

Our candidates need to stop campaigning against President Bush and each other, and start coming up with solutions to Barack Obama. Unless they stop being idiots, none of them will win and the Republican Convention will be a dismal failure. Let me put it in the vernacular of C.S. Lewis and "The Screwtape Letters."

FoolishFart: I think I've got Ron looking as stupid as possible, you want me to move to someone else now?
Boss: No, just stay there. I want him down for the count.
FreakyFred: What about me? I've got Newt, well, sounding like a newt. I just whisper some silly things in his ear and he romps off after bunnies. I've even gotten him to cry on occasion. Such fun.
Boss: Great job, Fred, keep up the good work.
MeanyGrinch: Oh, but my candidate Mitt is doing great. I've got the media all ready to shove him down the human throats. He's so stiff and has a mean streak. I love that about him. Some stupid humans have been trying to derail that, but I think it's handled.
Boss: Get your A game on, Grinch. There are some folks out there who want your buddy to lose. Better get smart.
Nosuchthingasevil: Yeah, I finally got Rick to admit that evil exists- that'll sink his fast tracked ship. Nobody believes in us. Ain't that a bitch? ha ha ha ha ha ha...
Boss: Yeah, that's funny. snort, spit, hiccup, ha ha ha ha ha

What is a President?

As I perused the news today I made note of all the headlines and blogger comments on everything from Mitt Romney's dog incident to Barack Obama's comments on being President at a Hollywood Fund raiser. Being President is not "prose," it is being strong and compassionate at the same time. I've come up with a short list of qualities our American President should embody- I invite you to add to the list.

1.Above all things, a President must be quick to defend against the enemies of democracy.He (or she) must have a foreign policy that stands ready to swiftly protect the American people and their interests from harm. This President is fond of claiming diplomacy in favor of our enemies, and rudeness to our allies.

2. A President must understand the history of America- its heroes, its Bill of Rights, its Constitutional heritage. This President has no regard whatsoever for our founding documents, our ability to win armed conflict, or the inner values of the average American. This President has attempted to re-write our history to delete the people of the past who served this nation with distinction and honor. He has done that by claiming that we are not really a Christian nation, and trying to manipulate school children into politically correct (incorrect) verbiage.

3. A President must love America, and stand firmly at her side come hell or high water. This President has never done so in any foreign situation. He has apologized, criticized, and ostracized Americans continually. He has created the largest deficit in American history and continues to pull out the very foundations of our economy in the name of "taxing the rich" and "redistributing wealth to the poor." American businesses could go the way of the dinosaur if we do not find a way to bring health and fresh jobs to their aid. To love America is to deeply care about her people and her future.

4. Finally, a President should be compassionate. Whatever mistakes President Bush made (and he made many), everyone knew that he cared about his troops and the people of America. The current President never shows any emotion whatsoever. A man who cannot show emotion over the plights of others is not the kind of President that is good for America.

Be aware of these qualities as you vote in this upcoming election. If you choose a man with emotionless qualities over compassion, we will again find ourselves with a man like the one we have. I do not care to live in a socialist/Marxist society. I pray that we will choose a man of integrity and honor, with love for his country. Let's not exchange one problem for a similar one.

Pilots and the Obama budget

So word is out today that within the Obama budget (or lack thereof) is a severe cut in the Federal Flight Deck Officers program- also known as the Armed Pilots program.

Having our flight deck officers armed and trained is essential during a time of terrorism. I flew back to Idaho the day before 9-11-01 and was appalled to see that the cockpit door was open on my flight, with no security whatsoever.That has not happened on any subsequent flights, now with armed officers, at least I feel secure enough to duck if necessary.

This administration is bizarre in its function. First out of the box they tried to cut off the supply of brass for reloading shells. They have often tried to sneak in gun control legislation in the fine print of completely unrelated bills. Now they want to cut the pilot's program so deeply that, according to other bloggers, it would essentially destroy the program. They simply hate guns. They hate the people of America having access to any guns. They want us disarmed.

And yet the "Fast and Furious" scandal showed that they were more than happy to give guns to the Mexican cartels. What's the deal? It's ok to arm criminals, but not ok to have citizens armed for protection? Something needs to give here. This hypocritical stance on guns needs to be stopped in its tracks.
The right to keep and bear arms is being whittled away. The pilot's right to protect themselves is at stake. Let's not let them win!

Freedom's Demise

Do you think that freedoms of Americans are being eroded? They're not. They're being sunk like the Titanic after hitting a big iceberg. And that iceberg is the current administration. There's not even time to jump ship and swim to safety- we need to act THIS YEAR if we are going to stop the sinking. We're listing seriously to the left.

Were you aware that millions of American citizens must now apply to the DHS in order to work? This excerpt was posted on an Ironworkers Union website: "TWIC is short for Transportation Worker Identification Credential and SWAC stands for Secure Worker Access Consortium.
TWIC “is a biometric credential that ensures only vetted workers are eligible to enter a secure construction site, unescorted,” Ironworkers Local 361 in Ozone Park, New York, explains. “Before issuing a TWIC, TSA must conduct a security threat assessment on the TWIC applicant. An applicant who, as a result of the assessment, is determined to not pose a security threat, will be issued a TWIC card.”
In other words, construction workers in New York will need permission from the TSA and DHS in order to practice their profession and earn a living."

Who knew that the government would over-reach their authority and punish American citizens just as Stalin or the nazis have done in the past? The government has now decided that THEY have the right to pick and choose who is a danger...and it could be US~

That's just one issue. Then there's the comment by Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsburg that the "Constitution is no longer relevant." Add that to all the non-senate-approved "Czars" and other assorted times when our Prez has by-passed Congress, and you get a picture of a giant-sized sinking ship.(He did it again today, just in case you were wondering. He by-passed Congress on the "No Child Left behind" law and relaxed the restrictions for 10 states. Big states with lots of liberal voters, by any chance??)

The ability to judge things wisely is a gift that only comes from God.The real One. How do we deal with the threat from radical Islam, or domestic problems? Forfeiting our freedoms is not the answer. And when men or women who lack wisdom make the laws of our land, we're headed for the rocks, the iceberg, and the sandbar. This ship is about to have a colossal disaster. Run for the lifeboat!

Prayer and the President

http://www.redstate.com/breeanneh/2012/02/02/give-me-your-money-in-the-name-of-jesus/

I read the above blog this morning and was grieved that any President of our nation could be so deceived and foolish. The Bible says that God honors His Word ABOVE His Name- and His Name is above every other Name, so messing with His Word can bring some horrifying consequences. If anyone adds to His Word or takes away from it, that person is essentially cursed- and removed from God's Book of Life. (Rev 22:18-19)

We are called to pray for our President and all leaders in America. We are called to bless them and not curse them. That's one reason why. They can actually curse themselves during the course of their terms. The President used the "Prayer Breakfast" to justify his actions and attempt to twist the facts. He apparently doesn't realize the danger of sticking his middle finger in the air at God.

Maybe God will have mercy on him, but only if we pray in the heart of God.I submit to all of us that most Christians are so angry with Mr. Obama that they will not pray anything but curses and anger.We must rise past that and do it according to His Word.

And please, Mr. Obama, stop pretending that your cultural god is the real one, and bend your knees to pray to the right One. You need relationship to the REAL Jesus, and a re-think of your actions.

Blogger's Blues

Ahhh, the sunset. Just makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over to look at the glorious sunsets in the sky. Better than listening to the garbage out there right now.

Sometimes I get tired of trying to talk about political junk. Tomorrow is the Florida election and there's so much acrimony among the candidates it leaves me speechless. Yes, speechless. Hard to believe.I don't want to listen to their crap, period. They have spent so much time pitted against each other that their program ideas, and solutions to our problems have been weak at best.

Then there's the $16.4 Trillion U.S. debt by the end of 2012, and that just makes me want to vomit. I have always believed that America would stand for years to come because God has had His hand on us. But the teter-totter can only go so high before somebody gets knocked off, and that debt thing is going to knock us off. We are going to experience some real "shaking in the nation" because our God is fiscally responsible- He talks about increasing money (talents), not increasing debt. Maybe when America has spent all of its inheritance, its children's, inheritance, and its great-great grandchildren's inheritance, etc, it will fall to its knees to repent. (Almost there? does $16.4 trillion get us there?) I'm not holding my breath. We're not very "civilized" there days.

I've seen a lot about so-called "civilized" people over my half-century lifespan. The Ancient Romans pitted people against lions. Now the only place you hear about lions is Africa-- none left in the Middle East. Good goin', Rome. They also slaughtered people as if they were worthless. Really civilized way to devalue human beings. Which is why I'm concerned about America.
Both "left" and "right" have become vicious, much like the Roman Empire. God's not pleased with that either, folks. And it gives me one of those "pits" in my stomach. I'm not afraid, because I know my God and He loves me. But collectively America is sitting on the precipice of disaster. Think I'll go out tonight and watch the sunset... I just hope that sun isn't setting over our nation.

They call it a "Horse Race"

They call the season of picking a party candidate a "Horse Race." I call it annoying. I'd much rather watch a real horse race. At least I could bet on that.

The debates have been embarrassing.(Newt stumbling around, Mitt sounding like a left winger...sheesh.) The rhetoric has been embarrassing (negative words, foolish statements, eeeekkk). The President has been embarrassing. Just ask Governor Jan Brewer, who got a book critique instead of real action on the border security issue when she spoke to the President the other day. Good grief, people.

Why can't people actually be civil to one another? Why can't we find candidates who have strength like the proverbial horse? Someone who can go the distance with majesty instead of fumbles. I like Newt, but he opens his mouth and doesn't think before he opens it. Mitt has the habit of talking up his Romneycare as if it were something fresh and new...not, it's another socialist program just like Obamacare.

Can't we get some honesty? Why do people continually try to cover their butt? Just say it like it is, and let the chips fall where they may. We used to have a politician here in our area who never minced words. You knew exactly where he stood on every issue. He was crusty, ornery, and opinionated. But you knew where he stood no matter what. I want THAT in a Presidential candidate. But the press would likely paint him/her as a fruitcake, I suppose. We just can't seem to win for losing. Give me a horse race with real horses anytime!

No Politics Today

Hi, all. I read a friend's blog yesterday and after laughing my fool head off, I have to make some comments. By tomorrow I'll have to comment on Romney-Gingrich, so I'll take this short opportunity to bring a laugh or two. Tana Essary wrote about some former workplaces being filled with "colorful people." Then she posted a photo of a male peacock. I have to say...wonderful! I,too, have known some extremely "colorful" folks in my life, if on a different level. But the peacock image was right on.

Let's see. First, there were the policemen I used to work with. Honestly cool guys, 90% of them, but of course we had some arrogant men whose chests were so puffed up they threatened to burst the buttons off their uniforms. Like one guy who lasted about one month on the job because he was convinced that he was "God's gift to women." Not. One other guy got fired because he kept making jokes about donuts. Then there was one guy who got fired because he got lost every time he went on a call. Cute, huh?

Then there was the Federal Parole officer who loved to make wine in his spare time. I have it on good authority that his basement was...well...interesting. He was a great guy. But definitely colorful.I used to cook with his wine, but drink it? No chance.

My family was "colorful"- most of them gone now. Dad, for example, was convinced that we could re-elect Ronald Reagan to office after his second term if we just put him in as vice president and then got rid of whoever was the president. Interesting concept, don't you think? I'm sure he meant for someone to "step down" after the election, but um, that was my Dad.

Of course at this point in my life- as a writer-- I have oodles of colorful folks. At one writer's meeting a couple of weeks ago we had a former Madame from San Francisco. You like? She was most assuredly colorful.

But my absolute favorite is my current friend, Bobby Wilhelm, a former drug kingpin from North Idaho. His list of relatives and their friends beats all for "colorful." One friend of the family was the Sheriff in Shoshone County Idaho and was indicted for racketeering (they declared a mistrial)huh, imagine that; one friend of his Grandfather was connected to a Teamster's Union scandal in 1957; his Grandfather was arrested numerous times for bootlegging and/gambling. The deeper we get into his life and that of his family's friends and relatives, the more "colorful" it gets. You'll have to read the book "BobbyConvict" when it comes out to find out more.

Integrity

Something remarkable happened this morning in the political scene. Erick Erickson talked about sponsorship of the SOPA and Protect IP (PIPA) internet bills before both houses of Congress, and publicly called on the sponsors to withdraw their support.

Now if you weren't aware, these are two bills that threaten the freedom of the internet to the max. They are touted as "anti-piracy" bills, and are supposed to prevent copyright infringements by certain websites. Unfortunately, they give an disproportionate power to the Attorney General and/or the President to censor websites and prevent search engines from linking to them. Basically, it gives the kill switch to people who have already demonstrated their lack of wisdom.

Up until this morning, Marco Rubio of Florida had been a sponsor of those bills. Within a short few minutes of Erick's post this morning, Marco Rubio had withdrawn his support. He had not realized the danger of giving that kind of power to a few. Kudos, Marco, for recognizing the problem and removing your name from the sponsors! You have great integrity! (I see that at least 3 members of Congress have withdrawn their support so far).

Censorship is evil, period. It allows the influences of that evil to destroy freedom. Personally I would rather have an internet that has problems, than one which tells me I can't express my opinion or demands that I follow someone else's bandwagon. Long live the First Amendment!

Iowa Caucuses

Well, the verdict is in: Romney squeaked by Santorum by just 8 votes, Paul flew into third and Newt fell into a dismal 4th place. A little embarrassing, actually, on that one.

Now I have to be careful here, because I'm a nonprofit, so I can't endorse any candidate for office. But I do have some pointers:

When we pick a candidate, we need to ask for wisdom from DAD. We need to not operate in our emotions, our angry backlash, or any other foolish place. We need to ask very specific questions: Who is really electable? Why are they qualified? Are they passionate without being "radical?" Do they have the expertise and fortitude to get up day in and day out as President of the greatest country in the world and face horrendous difficulties both abroad and at home?

Frankly, I don't give a darn about "charisma," or intelligence. I don't give a rat's rear end about their background or their sins of the past. I want to know whether they've learned any lessons from those past mistakes. I want to know how they see the world and what they can bring to the table. We don't need more polarization, folks. We have such a right/left split in our nation now that very little gets done at all. We need a leader of strength, power, and wisdom.

Honestly, I don't see those qualities in anyone yet.There are hints of it in all of them, but only hints. Stay tuned to see if anyone fits the requirements of a President.