September 11, 2001

Each of us in our own way will always remember where we were on that horrifying day in September 2001.  Each of us felt the loss and recognized that our world would never be the same.  I pray for my children and grand children that they may solve the puzzle that is the Middle East, that they will find leaders who through strength of character with a real commitment to our way of life will defend their existence as freedom loving Americans.  We as a country have for decades survived through strength, strength of commitment to our military, and with a strong commitment to patriotism taught at every level of our growth.  The pride that accompanied the singing of the National Anthem or the presentation of our flag, I still remember how proud we were when chosen to lead the pledge of allegiance as a child in school.   Now we are plagued with what many call political correctness a scourge that weakens our society.  We can no longer choose and go after our enemies but are forced to wait for them to strike even when we know who they are and what their goals are. 

Our forefathers must be so proud, they hand us a glorious country with a wonderful Bill of Rights and a Constitution that protects and serves all mankind and we have surrendered it for what, political correctness so we don't insult our known enemies.  We have taken the God that they called upon while building this nation and thrown him out as to not offend those who seek to tear us down.  We have elected to allow our representatives to become an elite group who have used their power given them by us to insure their future existence.  They are more concerned with their personal power than the welfare of those they represent.  They buy their power by offering benefits to their constituents that our system cannot afford.  They have made us weak and meek in the eyes of our foes and it's just a matter of time before we are tested once again, the only question remains is when and where will they strike.

There will never be peace as long as it is the goal of one side to devour the other.  The religious fervor that emits from the Middle East is the cancer that will destroy the world if it goes unchecked.  We must find the will to say no to the false security offered by those who use us for their own benefit and demand to return to the strength of the eagle who our forefathers so proudly chose as our symbol of freedom.  Peace through strength, peace through personal commitment means a lasting peace for our children and the world.

The I.R.S. is doing what?

Here we go again, the IRS is digging into the membership records of the American Legion and other veterans groups.  They are requiring individual posts to show their membership records and any documentation of individual members.  This information is obtained through the individual vets DD214 document that defines his service duties during his or her time in service.  If this doesn’t scare you it surely should.  By identifying individuals with certain service related talents the government has a list of who to take out first in case of revolution or any cause for Martial Law.  This comes from an administration who wants to create a special force responsible to the President alone bypassing Congress or any other safe guards in our Constitution. 

You better wake up people, you may be happy for all the government assistance you are receiving now but when it comes to someone else deciding your Healthcare, your free speech or even what you eat you may find it’s to late to change the direction.  When those working get tired of supporting those who don’t and decide to join the legion of relaxation specialists the money will soon run out.  During a period when more money is being printed than earned, inflation will bring down the last bastion of capitalism in what we know as America.  Martial law will follow and this will decide our fate.

If I just sound like a doomster to you, try to understand the following;  The government gets its money from the people, it has no other means of support.  When there are fewer people earning than there are receiving the pot runs dry.  When the pot runs dry either they print more money or raise taxes on those few who are still earning.  When they print more money inflation begins to grow, we saw how that worked that in Germany during the war when a loaf of bread cost thousands of Marks and again during the Carter administration here in America when interest rates shot to 20% for homes.  When you over tax the worker you get less and less productivity as they work longer for the government then they do for their families. 

Whether you are a Democrat, Republican or Independent this will have an effect on you and your family.  Think first as an American rather than as a party member.  Think first as an American rather than as an ethnic identity.  Think first as an American rather than as a liberal, conservative or libertarian.  We have to be of one voice if we are to turn around this move to make our Constitution irrelevant.  This can be turned around but not in our present political atmosphere.  The war between our right and left wing of the government is destroying what we have left.  The right says the middle is too much compromise and the left says the middle is unattainable.  Both have set battle lines that will have little effect on them just on us the citizens. 

When the term harmonics is used it usually means things are lined up to make one single sound that resonates throughout the system.  In the past we at times have always had some sort of harmonics in our government and things moved fairly smoothly.  There has always been and will always be differences in ideology but simple men and women are able to come together and set a single tone that has kept this country humming the same tune.  Today we have a bunch of Narcissists from all parties who are more worried about their legacy and being re elected than our American culture.  Only you and I can do this, it has to come from the people in mass.  Demand a working system from the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of government or we as Americans are going to turn the whole system upside down and start over.   

The disaster of the great society

First I’d like to discuss racism,  I truly believe that every man, woman, and child regardless of color, race or creed deserve the same opportunities for a good life.  I believe that a person earns that right through his or her actions not because it is legislated.  Out of guilt this country has almost destroyed that opportunity for blacks in America.  Never in the history of America has one group of people been so abused.  For decades we have tried to make up for a concept that came here from Europe along with our new emigrants in the 1600’s.  For decades we have been mislabeled as slavers because of the actions of a few.  We have made several generations totally dependent on government by continuing policies of apology and appeasement.  Let me make what I’m saying very clear.  Yes America was a slave country but it is equally important to remember that is was basically white Americans who fought through the bloodiest war in our history to abolished slavery.  Very few Americans actually owned slaves and the majority of Americans fought to destroy the practice.  It’s time to allow this entire race of people to assimilate into American society as complete citizens.  The Great Society approach has failed as you cannot legislate ethics and work habits on one hand and offer free  cookies and milk with the other.  We have generations of the same families living in government housing, eating government supplied food while paying them to have children without any means to support them.  It amazes me that so many great ones have been able to escape the government pandering and become extremely valuable members of our society while others have failed to take advantage of the education programs and opportunities offered to get them off on the right foot. 

The good doers of the liberal establishment with their hand out approach rather than offering a hand up have smothered any opportunity for many to have the capacity to survive in the real world by making it easier to take advantage of the system than to build on their own accomplishments.  Welfare, Aid to dependent children, food stamps and government housing is meant to be used as a hand up not a hand out.  The programs have become so bloated with things like free cell phones that it will take another two generations to break the cycle of dependency once and for all.  It’s time to stop the abuse and give these people a real chance to become productive useful citizens by enforcing child protective laws and requiring parents to take responsibility for the education and the actions of their children.  Fathers and mothers whether married or not should be required by law to be equally responsible for their children.  By offering real incentives for people to get off the system through job incentive for business we can rebuild their confidence in themselves and in America .  The idea that generations of some families have made a living off these programs rather than actively looking for work is obscene to most working Americans.  Blaming the establishment is easy looking in a mirror and deciding that the problem is right there in front of them is much harder.  Listen to the language on the street and wonder why your child can’t find work in the real world.  Look at the professional athletes many who find themselves unable to cope with success and end up back in the streets where they came from.  Education must be applied not taken for granted,  a child that goes to school yet fails to learn is the fault of the parents in most cases not the teacher.  A child who learns and applies themselves by studying hard and making good decisions is going to be a success.  The self proclaimed cool ones may stay cool in their own eyes but will always be the guy or girl on the street while the educated climb the ladder of success.   

The racism I see in this country is in the divisive rhetoric used by those who benefit from turmoil, Jesse Jackson,  Al Sharpton and others who prey on the emotions of the weak and downtrodden of America.  Racism is blaming everyone but themselves for their misery.  No I don’t consider myself a racist I detest the very thought of a any child being brought up in a world without hope basically being abandoned by their parents to be raised on the streets.  America will never be solid again until we learn that racism is wrong from whatever side it comes from.  Who can honestly say they do not profile, black white red or yellow each of us have to learn to trust rather than be suspicious, but that trust has to be earned not legislated.

That’s just my opinion     

Happy 4th of July

A very happy 4th of July to all Americans, this short video explains what our freedom is really all about. http://www.youtube.com/embed/rKsW6c_CgFY?feature=player_detailpage

Just my opinion

Each of us in our own way have a conscience that ultimately controls our thoughts and deeds.  When an entity like the media in general allows politics to supersede their conscience.  Turning away from obvious errors in judgment made by the present administration because of liberal bias is unforgivable.  Our country was founded on a concept of a series of freedoms one of which is freedom of the press.  By having an independent press, one unencumbered by political pressure or bias is one of our rights.  Over the years we have allowed progressive liberal ideology to permeate our schools and universities and go unchecked for the last two decades.  We are seeing the result of that bias in our news media on a daily basis.  From the failure of the media to report substantially on the Benghazi fiasco before the election to the IRS scandal that obviously comes as a result of prompting from the highest echelon of the administration and its supporters.  When Nixonites broke into the Watergate Hotel the media was relentless to the point of impeachment.  When Bush 41 made the mistake of utters the words "no new taxes" the media was all over it costing him his reelection.  When Bush 43 made the infamous statement while landing on the aircraft carrier "the war is over" it was like kids in a candy store as they stumbled all over the news with the story after the first uprising in Iraq.  How many items have they overlooked from the lips of Obama;

Transparency for one, Gitmo, the Benghazi outright lie about the video from the Secretary of State, our U.N. Ambassador and the President himself, the bowing to the King of Saudi Arabia,  the whisper to Medvedev in Russia when he thought the mic was off,  the VP Biden whispering in his ear that this was a big f...... deal.  Need I go on?  I could spend an hour listing negatives that have gone un-reported by the major media centers.  We have as a result over a 50% under informed population, a population that votes and cancels out the vote of the truly informed.  How about the Holder mis-speak as they call it in Washington regarding the charging of a reporter and subsequent phone tapping and email scanning. How about the gun running program that no one has really answered for?  From promising the most transparent government in our history to one of the shadiest is a big leap one that is going totally un reported by the big three.

Just my opinion     

Just a few thought's

What is the result of some of the legislation put upon us in the last few years?  Starting with Obama –care where we now have over 20,000 pages of regulations to try to understand.  Where in the end we will have just as many people uninsured as before it started.  I guess it makes sense, the people who don’t work for a living will have free health care and those that do work won’t be able to afford their premiums.  For the average business it will be a real headache just trying to make sense of the new regulations.  Many will trim their workforce by reducing hours to under 32 to avoid the additional insurance costs.  This is not a greedy move by employers it’s a matter of survival for many.  For the last few years many companies have just been hanging on and adding the additional cost with the health care bill will be their demise.

Once again the Republican Party is trying to self destruct.  The fight over emigration is just one example.  Something has to be done about the situation and rather than work out a solution that is the best for the country, politics is once again rearing its ugly head.  The Dem’s aren’t any better, they feel they have the upper hand and are trying to shove their agenda down everyone’s throat.  Just like Obama-care they want to be everything to everybody and are running us into a giant crevice that is so deep we can never climb out of it.  In all actuality we have 7 active party’s here in America; The Democrats, the Republicans, the Independents, the Libertarians, the Liberals, the Communists and the Conservatives.  The Republicans have been divided by the Conservatives, the Libertarians and the Rino’s.  The Democrats have solidified with the Liberals, the Independents and in many cases the Communists leaving the old blue collar Dems without a party to associate with.     

I never thought that I would live to see the day when Welfare would be an acceptable way of life to so many Americans.  The idea behind these safety net programs was basically to give people an arm up when they were in distress; it was never intended to be a way of life.  There are generations of families who have been on assistance for years. Section 8 housing, aid to dependent children, welfare, food stamps, free medical these are just to a few of the programs available.  Not a bad living for someone who doesn’t want to work.  The problem is that we have finally reached the point where just as many people are on some type of assistance as there are people working.  In 1776 Alexander Tyler a professor at the University of Edinborough made this statement: “"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.”   Sounds like we have finally reached that point, what’s next besides bankruptcy and another great depression? 

What set me off today is the Presidents declared war on coal.  In my estimation he is just trying to divert attention from the ongoing catastrophes surrounding his administration.  Mining has been one of the backbones of our industrial might in America with coal mining near the top and rather than try to develop a cleaner method of using coal saving thousands of jobs he once again turns to politics in an attempt to rally his left wing base.  Please, no more Solyndra’s or Chinese solar plants Mr. President, spend the people’s money on developing our own natural resources and creating new jobs and saving the few we still have.  

That’s my opinion,

Did we sleep through D-Day?

June 6^th D-Day passed without much fanfare yet I can guaranty you that every person who ever served in the military has considered what those kids went through on that day.  I remember a friend of mine now long past who was there in that 1^st wave on the beaches of Normandy.  He told me that what got him through it all was that he was more afraid of his Sergeant than the Germans.  That single invasion in Normandy included over 1,000,000 Allies, 700,000 Germans, over 8,000 artillery pieces, 2,500 Allied bombers, 1,700 fighters, 820 German fighters and bombers.  In that attack 2700 Brits, 946, Canadians and 6603 Americans paid the final price for our freedom.  It is estimated that between 4000 and 9000 Germans died.  Another 12,000 American and British Airmen were killed and 200 planes were lost in preparation for this battle.  By the end of the Battle of Normandy over 425,000 total were killed or wounded.

As time passes it seems we take these statistics for granted and don’t equate them with the terrible toll it took to achieve victory.  Can you possibly imagine the unimaginable fear that drove these men as they waded through the bodies of guys they trained with in many cases good friends floating in the surf only to get to the shore and face withering fire from the cliffs above?  Can you even consider the bravery it took to climb down those cargo nets and into the landing craft knowing that it was taking you to Hell.  I’ve been told by more than one survivor of that battle that the only words heard on those craft were that of the Lords Prayer.

It’s gross I know to even think about things like this but we must remember what it cost to maintain freedom.  Once forgotten things tend to be repeated and God help us if that’s the future.  They call those men and woman who fought to preserve our lifestyle in World War II The Greatest Generation, They for the most part not only went through the Great Depression in the 20’s and 30’s but went on after the war to build the greatest, strongest nation ever conceived.  Those who died that day should remain in our memory as long as America exists, they were true heroes of the 1^st degree.  The price they paid should not be in vain but be a constant reminder of our heritage.

They are still there in Normandy on guard, prepared to remind us of the tragedy of war in 77 different cemeteries 9,386 Americans, 17,769 British, 5,002 Canadians, 650 Poles along with 77,866 Germans.  They battle no more as they rest in peace with the knowledge that because of them we are free to live or lives in a Democratic and Free Society.

That’s all I got, won’t you join me in a silent prayer    

Be a true hero

 If statistics don’t lie, about 33,000 Americans will die in traffic accidents this year, out of this atrocious number very few will have decided ahead of time to donate their organs.  The question is, WHY?  They surely don’t need them anymore and they can and will save lives.  I know it’s a hard subject for the loved ones who have to make these arrangements at a time they are still finding it hard to believe, when all they want is for a miracle to happen and their son, daughter, wife or husband to reappear but in reality it’s a time to make their death a positive for a deserving recipient.  The tragedy of an accidental death has the potential of bringing life to several others who are destined to die way before their time.  I know this is a morbid subject and one that you never want to be forced to consider but think of it as the final tribute to a loved one that their untimely death brought life to many.  Be a true hero make sure everyone knows that you want to donate your organs if the unthinkable happens.  God will give you everything you’ll need when you meet him in Heaven.  

Think about it someone will love you for it.

Memorial Day, what's it all about?

Memorial Day is the most intense holiday we have.  I say that because just stop and think what it’s all about.  Young men and women just like the ones you see every day at the mall or on the street laughing and enjoying life have unselfishly given theirs so that we can go on enjoying ours.  Few of you given the choice would be willing to lay down your life just so others you don’t even know can live theirs in freedom?  Having been raised in the forties and fifties I know quite a few who made that ultimate sacrifice, they were just like you, happy go lucky kids they loved life, enjoyed family and most of all they wanted to live just as bad as you do right now.  When I hear the words Memorial Day it sends a chill up my back that so many think it’s just another day to relax and have a beer.  I’m not saying that you should curl up and cry but before you go have that relaxing day and drink a few beers all I ask is that you say a special thank you for those who helped make it possible.  I just wish we could do more just to let them know how much they were appreciated.  Thank goodness we have a God that will do that for us, I know they will always have eternal life by his side.

God bless those who have made the ultimate sacrifice

Who's running things?

 Our judicial system has been consistent for the last few years, consistently bad.  This latest fiasco with Jody Arias is just the frosting on the cake.  What needs to be done to convince some people of guilt, the participants of the jury all submitted to questions prior to being installed on the jury one of which was the death penalty question. (Could they sentence someone to the death penalty). They all answered in the affirmative that they could convict if the case was proven.  Let see, admittedly she shot him, cut his throat ear to ear and stabbed him 27 times and then took pictures and left him there in a pool of blood for his friends to find him.  Gee, guilty or not guilty, how could any member of the jury who told the truth going into this hearing about the question of the death penalty find not enough evidence to sentence her to the ultimate?  I guess when we have a government that can’t seem to find the guts to tell the truth it spreads to the populace.  Attorney General Holder our chief law enforcement officer seems to have memory problems, our leader President Obama answers questions that weren’t asked just to skirt the actual question.  Our Secretary of State can’t find the courage to tell us what happened in Benghazi, the head of the IRS compliance division takes the 5^th and the head of the IRS finds himself in a complete fog and knows nothing like Sgt Schultz of Stalig 13. 

Who’s running things?  Is everyone just acting on their own without having to report to anyone?  Why would the Justice Department charge a well known and respected reporter as an accomplice and as a flight risk in a leak case?  Intimidation is why and that is the worst case you can have, when the people cannot get the truth because reporters are being intimidated is exactly why our fore fathers added the 1^st amendment.  Without a free press we have no checks and balances in our land.  When government feels it can make up its own rules without consequence we the people are the ones who lose.  Whether you are a republican, democrat or independent you have to be worried when we find that either the whole political arm of our government bold faced liars or they are just too damn incompetent to do their jobs.  Even the staunchest liberal has to be concerned and should be able to see right through this charade. 

We used to hold our elected officials to a higher standard, even in the case of Watergate where some bumbling idiots that worked for Nixon’s campaign tried to steal information from the democratic committee’s office brought down a sitting President.  Now we have at least 3 or 4 things that make Watergate look like a kids prank and nobody knows anything.  The Presidents chief counsel and his chief advisor admittedly knew about the IRS scandal and we are expected to believe that neither one told the President for months.  Several democrat congressmen are even on record asking the IRS to checkout these groups during the presidential campaign.  During the Benghazi attack no one knows where the President was that night, he wasn’t in the situation room where it would be expected he would be.  We know however he was in Las Vegas for a campaign stop the next day.  

God help us people we all can’t be that dumb, something is wrong and we are letting it slide by like it’s nothing.  

Tragedy brings us together

Our thoughts and prayers are certainly with the people of Oklahoma this week.  We many times wonder  how God can allow such carnage among so many innocents.  I was always taught that God tested our faith constantly and when something like this happens he takes those who perish into his arms and gives them eternal life in heaven.  The real sufferers are those that are left behind to deal with the tremendous hurt.  We people on this continent of North America are subject to many potential catastrophes. The west coast and Alaska are subject to massive earthquakes and in some cases the possibility of volcanic activity.  The Heartland has its tornado alley, the south its hurricane and tornado potential.  The east coast has been hit with terrible storms causing chaos and costly damage to the infra structure of the entire area.  In each case the people of America have stood by ready to help.  It does not matter the politics of the people involved, the American people will stand with the people of Oklahoma as they rebuild their lives.  This will be a real test for FEMA as they are still reeling from hurricane Sandy.  There is an opportunity to learn from this and any tragedy as specialists in construction will be pouring over the wreckage to develop new and stronger methods for home construction in the tornado prone areas. 

Why not community shelters in prone areas where when we have a 10 to 15 minute warning the people could go to.  This could be at park or any green space in the area.  It would not be an expensive project if they would do away with the red tape and union interference and allow the counties and residents to work together to build it.  Many lives were saved in London during WWII by having bomb shelters that were accessible to the public.   The tornado's may never come through again but just knowing that there was shelter available would be a blessing.  All schools in tornado prone areas should be built with a subterranean shelter offset from the school large enough to house the students and teachers; equipped with water, first aid stores, blankets and enough M.R.E.  meals to see them through a 48 hr period.  Each should have a propane generator piped to the outside large enough to support lighting and supplying outside air and a port-a-potty wouldn’t hurt.  This could be constructed under the playground in an area that would not be potentially covered by massive debris.  

In the past we had Air Raid Wardens whose responsibility it was to organize and control shelters.  These were selected by the community.  It could be a similar post in the case of tornado shelters as someone has to be responsible for the distribution of food etc. 

If these sounds too expensive just ask the parent of child lost during this storm and they will tell you they would do anything to undo what has happened.

I just want to say God Bless America, we are a unique society that is always ready to come together for each other regardless any of differences in our backgrounds, religion or political belief when tragedy strikes.  

That’s my opinion, what’s yours today?

When is a cover up a lie?

I have been listening to the Congressional hearings on the IRS scandal this AM, much to the chagrin of most who listened all it was is a back and forth of condemnation and praise by the Congressmen based on party lines.  The witness's are also very adept at having memory problems and much like Obama's answer about when was the Whitehouse's notified regarding this problem, each answer was carefully crafted and non committal.  When asked for the name of who was responsible for the IRS in this Miller the acting head of the IRS said he couldn't recall. When asked if anyone in the Whitehouse had been given information on this situation before it hit the press, Obama simply said the until it was in the press he didn't know anything about the IG report.  That wasn't the question was it?  To me it is clear when a person knows the answer to a question and they answer by skirting the issue using semantics it is a sure sign of guilty participation.  Our country needs a fair and balanced government, what we have is a totally political environment in Washington that will never be able to solve our tremendous problems.  When a person is elected to a National or State office they need to forget their political affiliation and play with honesty and integrity on the peoples team.  The clout held by these very few in power has led to a corrupt system that is continually whitewashing important details regarding our safety and our lives in general. 

I condemn both Democrats and Republicans for doing the chicken dance around pertinent questions.  When you can tell it's strictly a party line issue you can't help but feel like we as "The People" are being cheated.  The truth is the truth and any deference to party affiliation is like telling us the voter that we don't matter.  I am ashamed for these people that will lie to cover up a problem, haven't they heard that the cover up is worse than the problem in the end?  I can respect a mistake, I can understand a misunderstanding but I can't fathom a liar who hides behind semantics to avoid an honest attempt to get at the truth.

Our goal and the goal of our legislators should be to use moral judgment in these situations and have no regard for party affiliation what so ever.  How refreshing would it be to have legislation based on fact not how will this affect me in the next election.  It could start by making sure our elected officials live by the same laws they make for the rest of us. 

That's what I've got today, how about you?