Thanks from We the People to our Military Families

From Vicki:

I haven't written since Thanksgiving mainly because there are so many things going on it has been difficult to select any specific topic.

Today I am thankful for our military families. They choose to serve without mandary requirement; they volunteer. It is so amazing to me that these Americans, like our humble founding fathers, are willing to give their lives to protect the freedoms of all of us. Many put themselves in harm's way every day for our liberty. Many leave dear families behind to stay strong and continue on while they are in harm's way. God bless them.

We are not worthy of their allegiance just because we are Americans.

We are fortunate because we are Americans.

My uncle was a 23-year retired Marine who served in WWII and the Korean War. His sacrifices were great. My grandparents, mother, and aunt gave up the most when their son and brother was serving, yet they understood we must always win the fight for freedom. I remember my uncle fondly and with great respect.

If we allow our elected representatives to misuse, overstep, and ignore our precious Constitution, we are the ones to blame. If we allow these same representatives to forget they are elected to serve, we are to blame. If we allow our government to give strength to those who want to do us harm by not providing enough support for our military, we are to blame.

We have the voice and the vote. We have to speak.

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!

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.

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.

---------

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.

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.