We the people are so blessed

From Vicki:

It's been a busy weekend. I've had many thoughts about blogs and will get to them soon.

Last Friday evening, Tom and I made the trek to Bristol, Virginia to meet Glenn Beck. We were among more than 600 who wanted to see up close and personal if this real Glenn Beck was the one we knew from radio and television. Yep, he was. He was there to promote and sign his latest book, The Christmas Sweater, a tear-jerking, Kleenex-box-emptying novel based on his life. My family members will enjoy this--shh! Don't want to give away anything.

Glenn gave a brief little talk and we shared a heartfelt tear fest about the change that is happening in our United States and how, if the Fairness Doctrine is put back into play (or they sneak in the back door with the localism rules for radio), he won't be there to speak out on behalf of we the people.

We have to be our voice and keep our Constitution from losing its underpinnings. I feel these being knocked out one by one with the bail outs of all troubled companies....capitalism needs to be shored up. I pray we can continue with the free enterprise that made our country the economic and democratic model for the world. I read today that people living in the EU realize how fortunate we've been and how socialistic modeling just doesn't work in the long run.

Back to the Glenn Beck tour: Tom and I were #231 and #232 because Tom made the hour drive up that morning to secure our places in line. We were in front of Glenn within about 15 minutes---he is a speedy one when it comes to signing. Right before we walked away, I impulsively reached over and gave him a big hug. [Southern people do that spontaneously. Not much about me shocks Tom anymore.] I whispered in Glenn's ear that we were the Tom and Vicki of the pitchfork lapel pin...the ones who had probably annoyed and bugged him for a while! There was an aha! moment, then he said the pins are great. I don't know where he gets his energy---I think he runs on adrenaline most of the time. He was in five cities from Tennessee to south Florida on Saturday!

It's late and I'm heading for home tomorrow for Thanksgiving with my wonderful family. Tom has learned that, while there is an overwhelming crowd, the food is always good and the people are always loving, friendly, and welcoming. After all, it's the Jessiehouse family and we're eating the best of the best recipes from the Jessiehouse, Georgia cookbook. I'll write more on that later.


By the way, if you haven't taken the time to read Old Faithful's comment to the November 20 post, please do. Thanks to him and his son for serving in our military. We are free to enjoy this Thanksgiving because of those two and many others like them.

Say thanks when you see someone in uniform. Treat them to lunch if they're in line in front of you at Mickey D's. They are God's special messengers to protect and keep this wonderful country safe. We should be ever so appreciative.

Have a safe and happy holiday weekend. And, if you are in Georgia, please make sure you vote for Saxby Chambliss. I'm for the filibuster and don't feel that either party should have a filibuster-proof Senate. It limits our freedoms. We need Saxby to ensure that doesn't happen.

The many voices of we the people

From Vicki:

Sometimes I feel my voice is so weak and strained, the message being clear but not clear enough, not fresh enough, too trite and overworked. More than a few times in my life have I been told my writing isn't quite good enough---not an easy thing to hear. Yet I keep writing and creating. And I still will, though my spirit is deflated. Maybe I will learn...one of these days.

As I tried to come up with something pithy, original, different, and interesting for the topic, all that came to mind was a bunch of quotes by writers about writing. Here they are:

Writing comes more easily if you have something to say. ~Sholem Asch

To me, the greatest pleasure of writing is not what it's about, but the inner music the words make. ~Truman Capote, McCall's, November 1967

Words - so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

One must be drenched in words, literally soaked in them, to have the right ones form themselves into the proper pattern at the right moment. ~Hart Crane

He that uses many words for the explaining any subject doth, like the cuttlefish, hide himself for the most part in his own ink. ~John Ray

Mine may be a weak voice tonight. It is still a voice for I am part of we the people with all of the generous First Amendment rights and freedoms and responsibilities. God willing, we the people will continue to speak with our loud, soft, weak, meek, polite, brusque voices. These United States have always been a melting pot of peoples with all manner of voices.

Say a prayer for our soldiers who have volunteered their lives for the express mission of keeping ours free and safe.

Congress met in D.C.for the first time 208 years ago today; Why was the Preamble of the Constitution written?

From Vicki:

On November 17, 1800, Congress met in Washington, D.C. for the first time. Commemorate the day by reading your Constitution. Oh, and I came along 154 years later on the same date! Thanks, Mom and Dad :)

The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

This is a beautifully brief, yet powerful explanation for the Constitution. It reminds me of the basic questions to be answered in any news story: who, what, when, where, and why. The founding fathers knew this document for a new country was not for the elite or by the elite. This was for the people and created by we the people, not merely for that period of time, for the future as well.

Our liberties hinge on this document. What a huge responsibility we have to protect these precious freedoms established for us in the 18th century. As a family's history is passed down from generation to generation, so we must pass our American history forward by word of mouth, writing, and living it if we are to maintain our democratic republic as was envisioned then.

I should make a list of the thoughts I have for this blog and try to get to them as they feel right. The military, inheritance, posterity, freedom, prejudice, family, and many more...Mark Twain said one of the best legacies we can leave is our writing. Of course, Mark Twain and others have a lot to say about authors' works as well! For that very reason, I don't even pretend to be an author!

Take time today to pray for our military families, especially those who will be apart during Thanksgiving next week. We have so much to be thankful for.

God Bless America!

Which will it take? A slight or strong wind to truly test our Constitution?

From Vicki:

I have a couple of Bradford pear trees in my yard on my neighbor's side of my driveway. These trees shot up quickly over the past decade and are absolutely gorgeous in the spring. But my neighbors had me concerned: they remembered how fragile a Bradford pear can be, for they had one that split during a wind storm.

Tom trimmed off some branches a couple of years ago to help relieve the top-heaviness. Still I worried about a strong wind ripping through the trees so I had them topped this past summer. Within a couple of weeks we had one of those fast-moving micro bursts. A neighbor three doors down lost a very large Bradford pear that split right down the middle. I was so thankful to have taken preventative measures. I've since paid particular attention to the beautiful pears with their fall colors, especially the ones that have the beginning of a split among the leggy limbs.

Tree topping is frowned upon. I understand this. My Bradford pears looked like newly-shaven poodles. There was very little green left after the landscaper went into the center of the trees and pruned from the inside out, precisely at the place where the trees would split. These were ugly [understatement ugly!] trees for a couple of months until the leaves came back. They are still in that awkward middle school stage. I have high hopes for next spring.

Tonight I heard Glenn Beck talking about our Constitution. He indicated it was at a fragile place where it could split in two unless we the people say, "No! We won't allow that to happen!"

Sometimes repairs need to be made to strengthen or shore up the foundations. It's like opening a wound. There's nothing pretty about it, yet it has to be opened carefully so it heals the right way.

Are we at that place with our United States Constitution? My son said, "George Washington is probably looking down on us and asking, 'what have you done with my country?'" He's got a point. What have we done? Or, better yet, have we been complacent and what haven't we done?

We really do take our country for granted. Until there is a ground swell of emotional Americans who take up the cause to keep our Constitution as the foundation...

God blessed us with these United States. We need to protect and respect what we've been given. Prayers, mighty prayers, can help a crumbling foundation or a fragile tree that is trying to split apart. God can heal our nation if we'll allow Him.

God Bless America!

Cynthia Dunbar and First Amendment Rights

From Vicki:

Tom is to blame for my mania, my voracious need to read all of the articles listed on Lucianne.com each day. When we first started dating three years ago, he asked if I kept up with current events. I told him at a moderate level. Later, he told me that he wondered just how much was a moderate level. What I didn't explain was the every-four-year frenzied-level. I think he's figured it out.

I was going to post about my uncle and the military today and I still might. In the meantime, I read this article on Lucianne.com about a lawyer in Texas who wrote an opinion column and posted it on the Christian Worldview Network website. She was simply exercising her first amendment rights. She is a believer in our United States Constitution.

The title line is a link to the article I read about Cynthia. The following excerpt from her opinion column was at the bottom of the Star-Telegram article. I felt it worthy of sharing. If we don't speak up now, we might not be able to speak up later. The most wonderful thing about our Constitution: the freedoms we enjoy, not to denigrate others, but to be individuals and express our feelings. God bless Cynthia for her stance and her work to educate others about this United States.

Cynthia Dunbar’s comments

Excerpts from her Nov. 2 post on the Christian Worldview Network Web site. The column has been removed.

Can we truly even imagine an America under an Obama Administration? I sincerely believe that an Obama Administration would ultimately mean one thing . . . the end of America as we know her. First, I cannot understand how we can potentially elect a man who most likely has violated the Constitution in his very attempt to serve as Commander in Chief. "No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President," U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 1."
If Obama were a natural born citizen who never lost his citizenship through his adoption while living in Indonesia, then why does he obstinately refuse to present valid documentation? The fact that a Federal Court judge did nothing should not surprise any of us. After all, we know all too well the attack this great Country undergoes on a daily basis from our own militant leftist Judicial Branch. Can you imagine how much worse this will get with Obama Appointees?

There is one glimmer of hope in all of this. . . . If in fact Obama is not constitutionally eligible to be president, this is not something he can ever cure. His election, his swearing in and oath of office, his service of three days, three months, three years does not ever truly convey to him the authority of President of the United States. It is void at its inception and, as such, is open to a valid legal attack at any time.

So we can imagine the blatant disregard for our Constitution, but what other threats does an Obama administration pose? We have been clearly warned by his running mate, Joe Biden, that America will suffer some form of attack within the first six months of Obama’s administration. However, unlike Joe, I do not believe this "attack" will be a test of Obama’s mettle. Rather, I perceive it will be a planned effort by those with whom Obama truly sympathizes to take down the America that is threat to tyranny. What nobody seems to be discussing is the fact that if such an attack takes place, what about Martial Law? What happens to expand executive power when a state of civil disorder is declared?

A link to Cynthia's website is on the left side of the blog if you want to read more about her and her beliefs.

If you haven't done so this week, thank someone who is or has served in our United States military. You'll feel good and so will that honorable and respectful freedom fighter whose smile you will remember.

God Bless America!

Government history used to bore me. What was I thinking?

From Vicki:

One of my favorite Ronald Reagan quotes on why we need limited government: “the nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’”

Until the past quarter century, I really wasn't very interested in government history because it seemed boring. It is anything but! Now, I'm learning just as much as I can lest I contribute to history [negatively] repeating itself. As I read the genealogy books written by my mom, I have a more vivid picture of my forefathers in their periods of history. I thank her for being interested in and actually preserving our family's history. It is one small piece of the beautiful quilt of the United States of America and its people.

Back to government history: None of the opinion columns and news shows can effectively illustrate what was in the hearts and minds of our founding fathers. We weren't there. We have no concept of living under the rule of a country an ocean away, a country with no understanding of what the people in the colonies were up against just trying to survive. And, you know what? I don't think we ever want to be in that position.

Freedom was hard won. Freedom was not taken for granted. Freedom was governance of the people, by the people, and for the people. Our founding fathers may not have considered themselves brilliant with their thoughts and writings; these were frustrated individuals who needed independence to do what was best for themselves and their families.

I do know this: God had a hand in guiding these rogues who chose freedom. They understood quite well how too much government can actually be a hindrance to a talented, hardworking body of individuals.

We need to keep we the people in our government. We need to keep God in our pledge of allegiance to this free United States of America. When those two basic ideals are threatened, we are priming the country for negative world history to repeat itself. When the government feels we can no longer help ourselves without its help, we need to go back to our Constitution; we need to read it and live it or chance losing it.

I thank President George W. Bush for being a prayerful president who has worked diligently to keep our soil free from another 9-11 for seven years. I thank God for positioning George W. Bush at that place at that time.

It was one of the most difficult periods for any of us in our United States of America, especially the generation born after WWII. It took leadership to live up to our Constitution and face up to those who don't like our US of A.

Say what you want about President Bush; in my book, regardless of how he handled the business of our economy or anything else in the realm of the presidential job description, he'll always be a hero who stood up for our country's freedom. He'll always be a president who teared up at the loss of American life because he and their families understood the [ofttimes terrible] cost of freedom. I will miss him, the imperfect human being he is, as are all of us. We haven't walked a mile in his mocassins, so we can't know just how much he's done for all of us. God bless his family as he moves into the private sector.

And God Bless America, the land of the free and the home of the brave!

We the people...shouldn't give advice to the new prez?

From Vicki:

After participating in a Veteran's Day Scrabble tournament in North Carolina this past weekend, I realized I hadn't written for the blog in a week! Yesterday was Veteran's Day. I thought about my Uncle C.J., a young 17-year-old, newly-enlisted United States Marine whose first overseas trip was to Guadalcanal at the beginning of WWII. He went up through the ranks, becoming a sergeant and a leader, but he was still my grandmother's little boy, her firstborn, even after he retired 23 years later.

All of somebody's little boys and girls are doing the most important work for the United States of America: they are protecting our precious freedom. They've been doing it for many, many years. God has given them the courage and principles to understand just how special their work is. Thank you to our veterans and our current and retired service personnel for protecting we the people. And another thanks to Senator John McCain for his service to our country. He is a constant reminder of someone who understands our freedoms and doesn't take them for granted. We should pray and give thanks to God for all of them, all the time.

This morning, instead of to the buzz of an alarm, I awoke to a voice coming from my radio: the local talk radio mavin, Hallorin Hilton Hill, had written a letter to the president-elect of the United States and wanted listeners' opinions. He congratulated the president-elect and said many positive things, in addition to reminding him that he has the weight of many, many expectations on his shoulders. It was positive reinforcement with a few suggestions. After hearing it a couple of times, that was my take. He read it on air, then took calls asking if the listeners would send it or shred it.

The letter was respectful and honest, yet this talk show host received calls from listeners who questioned why he felt it was his responsibility to tell the incoming president how to do his job! They didn't listen to the congratulatory part or any substance of the letter; they simply responded to the notion of the letter.

My question: since when has our president, elected by we the people, become so elevated in his position that he is beyond listening to we the people? Wasn't he elected to serve this country to the best of his ability, based on our well-written, time-tested United States Constitution? This is absolutely amazing! Too many people out there (minus about 55 million) believe this president-elect is absolutely beyond reproach in his perfection. And that was part of Hallorin's letter--high expectations. Certainly we need to pray for our president and leaders of our great country, and remind them we're out here.

When/if the day comes when our President of the United States of America fails to remember who elected him, who protects him and the rest of us, and why we are a democratic republic, then God bless and help him. That's when we the people need to quickly pick up our metaphorical torches and pitchforks and take back our union! We should always be on alert for this.

Don't forget: the president has been elected by us, and God gave us an important job as the most free country on this earth. Our founding fathers followed the call of God and wrote a document for a Christian nation. We should always remember and be thankful for this. I've just added a link (left side of the screen) to the United States Constitution. This is a very good web site for reading portions of and the entire Constitution. There's even a child-friendly link.

God Bless America!

It's not 9-12 all over again

From Vicki:

I listen to Glenn Beck almost every day, and hope this Fairness Doctrine doesn't resurface because many of us will lose our favorite talk radio shows. I don't think the surprises are over yet. I just hope our precious Constitution stands strong in the face of this change. As Rush Limbaugh said today, "Obama says we have a long way to go yet. Just where are we going?"

Back on topic: Glenn consistently suggests we should all remember the feeling we had on 9-12: that spirit of patriotism, that feeling of sobering reality of lives lost in a heinous attack against us on our soil, and how helpless and angry we felt that life was not regarded. We wore United States flag pins, flew flags outside our homes, and had flag banners on our cars. We were as patriotic as I can ever remember, probably since WWII, though I've only been told about that.

It hasn't been 9-12 for me. Yes, I still feel patriotic and have always been that way.

I don't consider myself a sore loser when it comes to politics and elections. Sure, I was very supportive of George H.W. Bush in the 1992 election and was sad when he didn't pull through. Until yesterday, that was the only election I'd voted in where my candidate didn't win. My daughter called this morning to talk about it. She said this is her third presidential election and the first where her candidate didn't win. She isn't a sore loser, either.

I guess what I feel is deflated.

I have read the issues and articles and listened to the majority of the media articulate their support for Obama rather than McCain (both words and actions spoke loudly). The direction of the Democrats is definitely not my choice; apparently, it wasn't the choice of 55 million of us who spoke yesterday. If you've paid attention to politics and watched the world around us, you understand that socialism, i.e., spreading the wealth, just simply doesn't work. Entitlements, welfare, bigger government, and lack of fairness for all of we the people is not a democratic republic or reflective of capitalism.

There are a lot of generous people in this United States of America. We don't have to be told to help our fellow Americans or those less fortunate around the world. We just do it because it is ingrained in we the people. And we certainly don't need the government to institute policies to tax people who have worked hard for the benefit of others. Believe me, we will help our fellow Americans as we have done since our founding. We really don't need this kind of change. We need to empower the people to do more good for others. If 55 million of us get it, then it must be an okay concept.

The election is over. We're down to the perfunctory electoral college vote to make it official. I don't understand why, until it is official, the president-elect and a lame-duck congress are starting to plan our future tomorrow. Funny how they worked so hard back in September to get that economic stimulus package ready to be signed before the election. Funny how they enjoyed blaming President Bush for this mess. Don't get me started!!

And now, they want to go ahead and make more decisions, start generating legislation packages, prior to the change-over in January. For some reason, I don't remember this happening before. What is the big rush? The stimulus package already passed! Congress, take a rest and leave we the people to recover from that before you throw something else at us.

President-elect Obama was not my choice for the next president. John McCain was. And Sarah Palin absolutely, hands-down, was my choice for whatever office she's asked to take. She and John, class acts in the "it would be an honor to serve our country." I do hope and pray for our new president, that he will take this seriously and will truly feel the weight of service settle on his shoulders.

Sometimes you don't understand how to do the right thing until you're faced with the decision. George W. Bush has been a fine leader. His communication skills with we the people weren't the best, but he has kept us from being attacked on our soil since 9-11. Not on his watch. Thank you, Mr. President. You remind me of people who ask their doctors, "well, who is the best surgeon/specialist for my condition?" And the response, "Dr. ___ is the best in his/her field, but the bedside manner is missing/atrocious." Yep, I think Mr. President has been wonderful in doing the right thing on the foreign front even if his fireside manner with us has been lacking.

I do appreciate President and Laura Bush's service to our country for the past eight years. President-elect Obama will soon discover it won't be a cake walk.

God Bless America.

God, Please Control the Passions of the Moment

From Vicki:

It's Election Day, November 4, 2008. It's the one day, every four years, where citizens of this blessed United States of America have the right, privilege, and responsibility to vote for the one who will serve us as the leader of our free, Constitution-based Christian country.

Joe Lieberman was just on Glenn Beck a few minutes ago. He was talking about the filibuster and how necessary it is to have a democratic nation. He cited a quote about the filibuster stopping the passions of the moment votes so Congress could really think about what they were voting for and why. There are some really good-guy Joes out there supporting John McCain, and it's no wonder why.

Tom and I went to the Tri-Cities airport in Blountville, Tennessee, yesterday morning to show our support for John McCain and Sarah Palin. We likened it to going to a college or high school football game but better: we were all rooting for the same team!

For three hours, we stood in a hangar among war veterans, current military personnel, Christian bikers, home schoolers and their parents, people who had taken time from work, plus Virginia and Tennessee state politicians who knew this was their last opportunity to be in front of a mass of like-thinkers before the election today.

We McCain supporters participated in prayer, saluting our flag, singing the national anthem, saying The Lord's Prayer, singing God Bless America, and knowing we were in the best country in the world because we are free to do all of these, gathered in a public place. We are the people of these United States of America! God bless our founding fathers and their principles!

When the press started rushing through with their cameras and open laptops, we knew the Straight Talk plane was approaching. It was great to see Fred Thompson, Lamar Alexander, Bob Corker, Tom Ridge, Joe Lieberman, and many others shaking hands and smiling. Rallies are held to ramp up the support and adrenaline. I could see why the Democrat rallies garner such enthusiasm. Many supporters gathered together do cause a swell of emotion.

The Republicans, Independents, and Democrats who were there to support John McCain's presidential campaign were a happy lot of people. All ages, all income levels, all free to speak their/our minds. There also was a little jitter of fear detected, fear that something would alter the outcome of this election to undermine our Constitution and we the people. Rather than allowing that fear to consume us, we chose to rally around the positive. We chose to pray and be supportive of any outcome endorsed by God because He ultimately knows what's best.

John and Cindy McCain are first rate, gracious people who genuinely appear to love the United States. Tom noted that Senator McCain's suit didn't fit well around his shoulders because his arms and shoulders truly looked like they had been beaten and broken. It's not as noticeable on television or in photos as it is in person. John McCain has been a true patriot all of his life. That is noticeable even more in person.

It is humbling to see this senator stand before a group of supporters and thank us for giving him the opportunity to serve us!! He has already served us well, and wants to keep doing it. We are blessed to have this man on the side of our United States of America and its freedoms. He knows what freedom really means. He's lived without it.

Please be prayerful today that God will lead the voters in this important election, that He will help guide them in the passion of the moment before they push that vote button.

God Bless America!

Country First; God before Country; Prayer Works

From Vicki:

My Mom sent me an email forward about the 2008 election. As of late, we tend to be passing lots of these back and forth, trying to verify the validity of those in question, and reading in utter disbelief some of the ones that aren't in question.

This particular email cited 2 Samuel, Chapter 5, when David had just become the king of Israel and the Philistines waged war against him. And Isaiah 61 was in another paragraph. We the people, one nation under God, should read these words and listen to God's instructions to David. When something seems impossible, it doesn't always have to be.

The United States of America was founded on Christian principles by prayerful people. There are still plenty of us in the United States today. When we hear the little sound that tells us to pray then and there, to pray hard for God to show us mercy in this upcoming election, we should listen and drop to our knees in prayer and thanksgiving for what we already have. We should then pray for God to keep our blessed country a special place in this world. We should pray for Him to provide the best choice on Tuesday as the leader of our great country. Prayer helps when something seems impossible.

I do believe John McCain and Sarah Palin love our country and will serve we the people to the utmost of their abilities. Would you be willing to die for your country? John McCain has already answered that question. He's not perfect, but who is? He loves the United States of America and we've already seen him serve it with honor and respect. Country First. That's enough for me.

I want the free "stuff" and have already voted for it!

From Vicki:

I was listening to Glenn Beck this morning and he mentioned people voting for the candidate who offered the free stuff. (this is paraphrasing.) He played an audio of a woman in Florida who had just been to an Obama rally. She was excited beyond belief because of all Obama wants to do for her.

Well, I'm here to admit: I've already voted and it was for the free stuff. You betcha! No, not for free gas for my car or a free mortgage or free groceries. That can be purchased today.

What I voted for was purchased 200 years ago with the courage, strength, and lives of our founding fathers. And all of that free stuff I voted for has been free to me all my life: it's the free stuff we have in our great Constitution, thanks to those who cared enough and were forward thinking enough to write a document that has transcended the generations. Many of us take it for granted, though we still care about this free stuff and do not want to have a United States that is not representative of these freedoms. God gave those founding fathers such wisdom to want a Christian nation, a democratic republic.

When you vote, think about voting for the free stuff to keep it free, because it hasn't always been that way. McCain-Palin 2008. They love our country and are eager to serve we the people.

Just ask Glenn Beck about the Constitution. He's been a we the people supporter for a long time.

Were McCain ads aired only in battleground states?

From Vicki:

I was just talking with my daughter about That One's infomercial that aired last night and asked if she noticed the "bookend" commercials for McCain. She didn't pay attention--I think they flipped off the television immediately after the infomercial. But, duh! It just hit me! Betcha McCain only ran those spots in the battleground states because his campaign doesn't have as many resources to run national spots when they don't need them.

Sometimes, when I talk it out with myself, I come to reason and conclusions.

Please continue to pray for the freedom of this country and for a responsible leader to take the helm as Commander-in-Chief in January 2009. Our votes will matter.

Did anyone see the ads for McCain tonight? I didn't.

From Vicki, who thanks the new readers who have commented on the blog!!

I just called Tom to vent a bit. I was watching Fox News at 6:00 tonight when they were talking about the Obama 30-minute infomercial to be airing on NBC, CBS, Fox, MSNBC, Univision, and another station or two at 8:00 p.m. EDT. The anchor said the McCain campaign had purchased airtime to run a 30-second commercial before and another after the infomercial; in other words, these would be "bookend" commercials---the first thing you'd see and the last thing you'd see. Good strategy.

But, I didn't see a McCain ad on the front end. And, on the back end, I flipped from NBC to CBS to Fox within a matter of seconds and they were all already into their regular programming!! I never saw a McCain ad on any of the three. Were they hidden or will the McCain campaign get a ratings report for October saying "Sorry, your ads were pre-empted on October 29 so you'll get a rebate or we'll run them later."??????

Did anyone see the McCain campaign ads this evening?

Please keep praying and passing the word around about why McCain-Palin is the better choice to lead and serve our country. Thank you.

My grandmother was an early woman voter

From Vicki:

The nineteenth amendment giving women the right to vote was ratified in 1920. My maternal grandmother married in 1923. My Mom is a genealogist and remembers this story about her parents:

Daddy thought he had the prerogative of telling Mama how to vote. She said she would vote for whom she pleased....when she went in the voting booth, he kicked the door down. I am sure that must have been quite a spectacle.... They decided after this episode that politics would not be an important factor in their lives.

How fabulous to know a story from my grandmother who was part of the early history of women's voting! She was a strong, gentle, and wise woman who grew up in the South. She worked hard all her life and never asked for a handout. She was always the one who helped everyone else, through her words and actions. I tell you, she would be appalled at politics today, and she would still exercise her right to vote the way she pleased!

Your vote is a right, responsibility, and privilege. Pray about it and use it to help maintain the United States as a Christian nation with capitalism as its economic base.

Vote November 4 for McCain-Palin.

The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World

From Vicki:

From the above link, the inscription on the base of the Statue of Liberty that has been on Bedloe's Island since 1886:

An inscription on the base of the statue says:

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me;
I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

Millions who aspired to be free from Europe's "storied pomp" of governmental control, would reach to the land of the free. Later in 1924, the island became a government owned national park, coinciding with the year when immigration became greatly restricted with the Immigration Act.

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Why is America called the land of the free and the home of the brave? Because our founding fathers made it so with their break from England, their Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution of these United States. It took brave, independent thinkers who were ready to make their own decisions without government interference. They wanted to make decisions about what was best for them!! They wanted to be a Christian nation, yet not be told by the government how and where to worship. They wanted a government of the people, for the people, and by the people. Nowhere is it stated that the government has to deliver anything to the people. The people wanted the freedom to do it themselves.

That was then. This is now. The burning question: Do we still want to be the land of the free? If so, then we need to be the home of the brave and vote responsibly to keep our United States a free nation based on Christian values and capitalism...and elected officials who serve and represent the best interests of we the people.

God show us mercy during this 2008 presidential election. Remind us of the past, the bloodshed over this very freedom, the strong men and women who stood up for their beliefs. Help us to remember our basic beliefs and why we live in this grand country. Help us to look forward to a better future for our children than what we could face on November 5 if we support someone who doesn't believe in capitalism and smaller government.

God, please help us to have the freedom and right to say the things we want on November 5 and beyond. You have given us a most remarkable country. Help us to respect what You have done for us. Keep us strong in the coming days. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This 2008 election season brings new meaning to the founding fathers' hard work to secure these for us.

Yes, I have already voted for McCain-Palin. These two are willing to lead with honor and responsibility. They are willing to serve we the people to the best of their abilities. They are earning our respect with their stance for freedom. They deserve our support and vote on November 4 if we are to be responsible with this bountiful land called these United States, created for us more than 200 years ago.

Where are We The People?

From Vicki, who feels she is the lone reader of her own blog:

I want to do something, anything, to help the McCain-Palin effort. Sometimes I feel there are so many complacent people who are angry, scared, concerned, etc., about where this United States is heading. It doesn't feel like it did even five years ago.

The mainstream media wants to decide this election for us by skewing and skewering---they want us to think it's all buttoned up and we should stay home, not exercising our right, responsibility, and privilege to cast our one vote. I've known the majority of the media was liberal for a long time; however, I have never seen such a sabotage effort against one party. Democracy? Do they not understand unbiased reporting?

It's not good to start every sentence with "I", yet this stream-of-consciousness diatribe demands it today. I wore my McCain-Palin lapel pin (a tiny little rectangle, for pete's sake) and a liberal friend said, "Wow! I can't believe you are wearing that in public!" Why not? Why should I be afraid to advertise my candidates? I've done it since I was six years old with my Goldwater-Miller button from my Dad. Is it not PC to have freedom of expression any more?

I sit here and I'm angry, scared, and concerned. I've done what I could---I voted, I promoted, but I'm just one voice. What happened to all the voices who feel the same? We are way beyond coffee klatch conversations about politics. We have one week to convince, remind, explain, etc., what is going to happen in this country if one party controls the executive and legislative and judicial branches. We have to wake people up!!

Our economy needs help. Our economy can be boosted by lower taxes, free enterprise, more entrepreneurial opportunities (successes and failures are a part of this, so deal with it), and smaller government. It's just that simple, yet mighty complex.

I do pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all. We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, need to take back our union!!

Take a minute to sing the Star-Spangled Banner. Think about the words. Think about the good fight our founding fathers fought for our freedom. If you do that and pray to our God (because we are a Christian nation), we might just have a chance to hold up our republic as it was formed. Re-form? No, re-claim.

Whew! That was a therapeutic vent! I invite reasonable and passionate comments, and do listen to other points of view.

Freedom of Speech/The Constitution

From Vicki:

In conjunction with Sheepdogs4onevote.org, I have produced some talking point handouts in PDF format. The link is in the title. Feel free to print outas many copies of these handouts as you need. Pass them on to friends in the swing states so they'll have them, also.

We have 1 vote and less than 2 weeks!!

We The People Tees

From Vicki:

I just designed a new t-shirt that's for sale at Cafe Press. The link is the title to this post. Here's the copy for the t-shirt:

If you think Socialism is a party, you're right.
We the People say NO to the invite.
Vote responsibly.
Our Founding Fathers would approve this message.

Less than two weeks until the election. Every vote will count. Take it seriously!

We need to take up our pitchforks and take back our Union!

From Vicki

A couple of months ago, Tom and I had a limited quantity of these little pitchfork lapel pins produced. One of the most conservative television and radio talk show hosts had been talking about the Constitution and how we needed to get out our pitchforks and torches and take back our country. So folks began sending him real pitchforks. We sent him the lapel pin, which he wore faithfully for a while.

Just this week, another conservative television host talked about real Americans taking up their pitchforks and heading to Washington. People realize our basic beliefs and those of our founding fathers are in serious jeopardy. It is time for We the People to take back our Union!

Your one vote is precious. Pray about it and use it wisely. It's a privilege not afforded to enough people in our world. God will use us if we'll just let him.

In case you are interested, the title is a link to our pitchfork lapel pin website. We'd love to hear what you think about it. Share your passion about our Constitution and why this document has stayed the course even if the politicians haven't. We are the most blessed country on earth! Thank you, God!

Sheepdogs4onevote

From Vicki

I was listening to talk radio yesterday afternoon and heard about a meeting to take place last night. This lady, Ann, said she received a direct message from God to do something to help our country during this upcoming election. I went to the meeting and was amazed to find about 35 people who were of like mind, worried about the future of our republic and concerned we hadn't learned from the past. The election is in two weeks. Ann plans to have caravans with signage going to the swing states of Ohio, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, etc., to carry information about voting and the candidates. Reaching young people with the message about the two platforms in an easy-to-read, quickly explained format is the key.

Ann's new web page link is listed above. She got her idea from William Bennett's speech about sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. The sheep need the sheepdogs to protect them from the predator wolves, so sheepdogs must have a vicious instinct but a compassionate one, also.

I was inspired by this lady. I had wondered what on earth I could do in the state of Tennessee to help affect the votes in those swing states. Now I know. I can help with my God-given talents to produce some interesting, to-the-point handouts about our wonderful country and how we need to protect our freedom.

As I learned in Sunday School years ago (and my Mom happened to be my teacher that year), I can't hide my talents in a drawer and expect them not to grow stagnant. They need to be used and used well.

How can we show compassion as conservatives?

From Vicki
In response to the last post, my daughter commented with the following:

How can we show compassion as conservatives? Sometimes it seems like the only way you can be understood as having a heart or caring about the welfare of others is if you believe that the government should share your money with those who are less fortunate. Why do people so easily buy into the idea that the government is the best mechanism for compassion, or the only mechanism for that matter? We can speak with our wallets without the government being involved. I believe that advocating for government policies you believe in (with regards to improving welfare here or internationally) is important, but we can also make a difference without waiting for the government to act. We can give to charities that we believe in today. People who donate to causes they support should be considered as, or more compassionate that those who merely talk about how a government institution should do that work.

October 17, 2008 6:42 AM

Joe knows what's best for Joe! plus My lesson on capitalism for my son after casting his first presidential ballot!

From Vicki

Joe knows what's best for Joe!

After the final 2008 presidential debate last night, Joe the plumber became a household phrase. As the press likes to say, he put a face to entrepreneurs wanting to own their own small businesses. Joe asked a legitimate question about being taxed at a higher rate if he owns a successful business.

It's not fair for Joe and it's not fair for anyone who aspires to do well through hard and smart work. What is the incentive if you know you will have to give the government more money? Entrepreneurs are risk-takers with capital they have raised, earned, or borrowed, and it is their personal responsibility to be successful. The government should applaud rather than penalize this good behavior. Read any preschool teachers' guidebook. That's what you'll find!

Casting your first presidential ballot should almost be a spiritual experience...and definitely a patriotic one. Our founding fathers gave us this amazing opportunity!!

My son and I participated in early voting today. Afterwards, I stressed what a privilege it is to live in a free country and have the right to vote, that we must never take it for granted. Then I asked if he knew what socialism is---he knew about communism from civics class in high school. I had just learned that a group of college students was queried for a definition of socialism and they had no clue.

Here's how I explained it to my son:

Say you work hard and make a lot of money and I sit around not wanting to work, but need to be supported somehow. The government says to you, "Gee, you have made a lot more money than you need, but look at her over there. We're going to charge you more taxes so we can help her out." It's called redistribution of wealth and is a Marxist principle.

His immediate reaction: That's not fair, that's not right!

I said, "Well, son, that is socialism. Capitalism is the opposite and gives hard workers the freedom to choose how much wealth they want to accumulate and what they want to do with it. They are free to hire more people and to give of their resources to their churches or other charities who help people who can't work. When given a choice, capitalism is always the better option."

I later asked him if he knew how freedom felt. He said he did. Then I posed, "Well, maybe that's not the question. Maybe it's 'Aren't we glad we don't know how it feels not to have freedom?'"

Footnote: When my son was around six years old and had to ride in the back seat, he endured many conversations on the way home from school, especially when he'd done something he shouldn't have. One day I asked him what was the absolute worst punishment for his transgression. Without hesitation, he said, "A long conversation in the car with you."!! I think he still feels that way; however, we do connect on politics and religion.

How has the media portrayed the candidates in 2008?

From Vicki:

I graduated from journalism school before it was called the college of communications. Journalism 101---the very first and most important rule---the media should be unbiased when reporting the news, unless it is a true opinion column or commentary. I have been so disappointed in the majority of the media for sensationalizing in the headlines to get viewership and readership, which is the main objective. Ratings and readers. It is tinged with yellow. What do you think about how objective or biased the media has been regarding the 2008 presidential campaign? Are we getting facts or opinions or just what?

How has the presidential campaign affected your view of the Constitution?

From Vicki:

Americans are basically good. We want to believe everyone is like us. Sadly, it ain't so. Our Constitution was written carefully and prayerfully by people who wanted the freedom to have a say in their government, taxes, and the general running of their country. That's our country, the United States of America. Do you think people remember this when they have the privilege of voting for president? Do you think they think about who is running and whether or not the candidates actually believe in and want to abide by our founding fathers' principles? Let us hear from you.