Merry Christmas to all

Merry Christmas to everyone, may everyone come to know what Christmas really means.

"16 "For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world that He might judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Anyone who believes in Him is not judged, but anyone who does not believe is already judged, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God."

John 3:16-18 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Simple Fixes

The end of career politicians, or the politician that is constantly in ‘election’ mode;

Term limits for ALL elective offices.

 

If you don’t want religion in public view, keep the politicians and all political movements out of church.

It’s America Stupid

Politics in America is a mess, and the two predominate parties are worried.  The Democratic Party is busy attacking the Republican Party but the big worry is the ‘tea party’ movement.  The same is true for the Republican Party.  Republicans are doing the usual Democrat bashing but they are perplexed by the ‘tea party’ movement.  What is really amazing is that the ‘tea party’ is not a political party, there is no head of the party, no national committee.  However, people being called the ‘tea party’ candidate are turning primary elections on their ear.  Established political candidates are being tossed out for people that have no previous political experience.  Why is this?

Call them the the ‘tea party’, tea baggers, crazies, or American Citizens they all represent what the majority of the population of the United States of America is feeling.  We are angry, angry at the ‘ivory towers of power’ in the capitals of this nation.  Election cycle after cycle the same thing happens, promises of better things are issued by career politicians and citizens eager for a better way buy the best promise and elect another politician espousing that they are the best for the job.  Now they are in office and that better way never comes to reality, why?

Now we pull off the rose colored glasses.  Take any politician and remove that initial after their names.  Once you remove the designation of Democrat, Republican, or Independent what do you have?  A politician. One of the definitions on ‘Dictionary.Com’ for politician reads this way;

a seeker or holder of public office, who is more concerned about winning favor or retaining power than about maintaining principles.

Why are the same names always getting into office?  Because that is their job.  Great pay, great benefits, great retirement,  A successful politician has nothing to worry about.  Keep John Q. Public believing the lies and stay in office.  Well John Q. Public is waking up and seeing the political elite for what they are, power hungry, lying and those that really do not care about the public until the election cycle comes around again.  The people of the United States are not as dumb as the political and media elite think they are.  They see the government is out of control.  They see that there are only two solutions to the economic mess, spend till bankruptcy or stop spending period.  They are recognizing that politicians don’t care about they people they are suppose to represent.  Why this movement to straighten things out from the people of America?  They know that they are the real power in America.  They know politicians can not get into office unless we put them there.  The politicians only hope is to discredit this movement to take back America so those who still believe them will continue to vote for them.

The Politician has one problem, the citizens that have actually read and learned about why there is a nation named the United States of America. A nation of the people, by the people and for the people.  Citizens of the USA know from history that it is politicians that cause governments to fail not the people and they want to make sure this nation does not fail.  How to keep a nation from failing? Remove the politicians that are causing the problem.  Just as in colonial times it is the powers in the ruling seats that have created the ‘tea party movement’ and that movement is making them nervous. 

So what is the message the people are saying to politicians?  ‘It’s America Stupid!’  This is my country and you are not going to ruin it anymore.  I have learned from history, I have read the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence and I know that ‘We the People’ are the power in America not the politician and we are going to remove you if you don’t get your act together and do the job we gave you to do.

Politics, Religion, and good taste..

Tomorrow is September 11th, ten years after the attacks on the United States by radical believers that their belief is that America is evil.  Here in the United States while most are trying to remember the innocent that have fallen and to honor their memories, all media is awash with two items that if carried through will cause more damage to the healing of America.

Both issues are not legal issues, under law both groups have the absolute right to carry out their plans.  Is it a good idea?  Arguments both for and against each issue are good and valid.  But what about the greater good?

Is stepping all over the feelings and beliefs of another a good idea?  Not if you wish to promote healing and good relations.  Both issues if carried through could result in more hate, more anger, and even more actions that will further harm everyone connected to this issue. 

I urge all parties involved to think and re-think all intended actions.  Think about all possible actions and repercussions.   Think about the greater good.  What is best for all, not just a few.  We do not need more hate.  What we all need is more compassion, more kindness, and more love.

“Tolerance”, a method to destroy Christianity?

We hear the word and we are told this is the way we need to be.  Tolerance, according to Dictionary.com it means;

1.

a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one's own; freedom from bigotry.

2.

a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward opinions and practices that differ from one's own.

 

Those who say that we must be more tolerant take it further to tell us that we must set aside our beliefs and give way the the beliefs of others.  For Christians this could mean committing an unforgiveable sin, to turn away from our Savior and allow beliefs that are against the teachings of Christ to take front stage in everything that happens in our country.  In the name of tolerance, God has been removed from many areas of public life.  The celebration of the birth of Jesus is being redefined into a secular ideal.  Public prayer for Christians is becoming a crime in a nation founded by Christians under the promise of no religious persecution.

Where would our churches be if Steven, the first Christian martyr, (Book of Acts chapters 6 and 7) had stood before his accusers and denied his faith to save his own life.  Christians today need to be asked, ‘would you do the same?’ 

Today many Christians seem content to sit back and let Christ be wiped from public view.  No longer can you say ‘Merry Christmas’ with risking scorn from ‘tolerant’ people.  Christ has almost been removed from Christmas.  God’s Laws, the Ten Commandments, are no longer welcome in places they have stood for years.

To be truly tolerant you respect the beliefs of others but you do not have to replace your own beliefs with theirs.  Jesus was tolerant of others but through His words and how He lived he taught others the Godly way to live.  He taught, eat, walked, and healed Hebrew and Gentile alike.  He corrected intolerant behavior of His Disciples’.  He taught the way to God, and corrected the path from God.  This is how Christian Missions work today. They go to other areas, often hostile to Christianity, and teach, support, feed, and bring medical aid to those who need it.  If the people they help are interested in the Missionaries system of faith they are taught about Christ.

This also needs to be mentioned, Christianity itself is being torn apart in the name of ‘Tolerance’.  Factions of Christianity are endorsing lifestyles and practices that are contrary to the Word of God.  For years many have been advocating the admittance of those who flaunt their hedonistic lifestyles in the face of God to the point of admitting them to that of clergy and lay-clergy.  God must be grieved about this.

People if you are going to be ‘tolerant’ be truly tolerant, respect the opinions of others but do not turn away from what you know to be true.  Tolerance is not as many use it, to replace the beliefs of others.  In my opinion the United States of America has been one of if not the most tolerant nation on earth.  If you think that is wrong, go preach the Gospel in the middle east or far east, and now even in some parts of Europe.  Sadly, intolerance of Christian preaching and prayer is growing at a rapid pace now here in the USA.  Are we Christians going to allow ourselves to be swept back in to the closed hidden rooms of the very first churches of the first century? 

Be ever watchful, my friends, that the word and cause of ‘tolerance’ is not high jacked and used to create intolerance for those who follow the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Are you angry with the latest US Supreme Court Decision? You shouldn’t be.

The April 20, 2010 decision of the United States vs. Stevens has a quite a few people up in arms. People are upset claiming the the decision supports animal cruelty.  The public of the USA should read the opinion, I am not a lawyer but I get it.  They are not in support of animal cruelty the are however in support of the US Constitution.

The majority opinion was not that the subject of these videos are covered under the first amendment but rather that the law attempting to make these videos illegal was too broad in its definition.  In other words many videos that are legal to make and sell could come under attack with the law that was struck down.  The Outdoor Channel that show numerous hunting and fishing shows on a daily basis could be a target under this law.

The Justices of the US Supreme Court in my opinion were doing their job, up holding the constitution  of the United States.  I am sure that personally the Justices find dog fighting videos offensive as the majority of Americans do, but their job is and always will be to up hold the Constitution and to operate as the third link in the checks and balances of our government.  With out the US Supreme Court think of all the laws that we might have that violate the God given rights that we all enjoy.  The men and women that make up the US Supreme Court are human and are not above making mistakes, however as long as they keep the constitution first and politics last they will have my support.

The cost of Kathy Dahlkemper's vote

Those living in or near the 3rd Congressional district of Pennsylvania now know the cost of Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper's (D- PA3) vote. The SEIU is running all kinds of adds praising her vote for the health care bill.
The Representative's office reported as almost an after thought that both her Erie, PA and Washington DC offices are receiving threats but the Congresswoman doesn't think they came from anyone in her district.

ENOUGH!

Hasn’t anyone grown tired of all the crud flowing out of Washington DC?  Depending on where you get your news they are either in support of it or screaming about it.  But the one thing that really chaps my hide is the people in which the government gets its power are not doing anything about it.  Oh sure there are 9/12 groups and tea party groups, but what about your every day run of the mill citizen?  There is a lot of complaining but no action.  Oh the Glenn Beck’s, Hannity’s and Limbaugh's of the country are all saying what we should do.  In my local area, the paper doesn’t even cover the events in Washington DC on a regular basis.  We have to get most of our topical, current political news off the internet.  The same is true for state politics as well.

I my self have written all of my elected officials to voice my concerns and opinions.  The funny thing is that of the two senators from my state only one is responding to correspondents (probably because he is up for re-election) but his responses are completely on sided and dismissive of my concerns.

Now all of Washington DC is in an uproar over the ‘reconciliation’ event taken place this week.  I say that all those that support the ‘reconciliation’ need to be replaced.  If such important issues such as Education and Health Care are passed through the ‘back door’ and not brought out into the light of day and passed Constitutionally and proper then all those who back this action need to be replaced.  They have all sworn to uphold the Constitution and defend it, but what they are doing now is destroying it.  When does their actions become treasonous towards the country?

Make no mistake these times are a turning point in our country.  These are the times that will define whether we will affirm the Constitution of our country or through it out.  Most people in the younger generation do not know that our country was first a confederation of states until the Constitution was drafted and ratified defining the ‘United STATES of America’.  The founding fathers had a vision of what our country should be and what it shouldn’t be.  Even if you don’t read the ‘Declaration of Independence’ or the ‘Constitution of the United States of America’, the name of our country should define what type of government we have.  The UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, would tell those who see it that this country is a group of self governing states united under a single banner.  The Constitution spells this out.  Any republic draws its power from those who give consent to be governed.  Maybe you missed this line from the movie ‘Gladiator’ commenting on the real power of the Roman Republic, the real power was defined as being in the mob(the population) and as long as the mob was appeased the government could continue.  The truth is any form of government only exists as long as the ‘mob’ consents its existence.  We enjoy the freedoms that our country has stood for the last two hundred thirty four years, but those we have elected into office to represent us have lost their way.  It is time to remind them who their bosses really are!

Where are the patriots?  Where are the Patrick Henry’s of our day?  Where are the Washington’s, the Franklin’s, the Adams’, and the Jefferson’s?   The power behind the USA is its people not its politicians.  The power of our country is in the individual vote (ours) not in the elected office.  The ‘politicians’ want us to be dependant on them and not on ourselves or the generosity of our neighbors next door or the local community.  The ‘politicians’ in power want to wipe out the core values that we each hold true in our hearts and have them replaced with faith in flawed, imperfect man.  Stand up and be heard.  Don’t let it be up to the next guy.  They next guy doesn’t have your best interest in mind, only theirs.  This country was founded by people that were self-reliant and self-sustaining who did not look for handouts, especially from government.  The occasional hand ups were given out but usually by the local community and not government.  People relied on the local community and local church which was the community and people that needed the help became self-sufficient and repaid the help that the received.  The current group running the federal government want us to rely solely on them and not each other as we have in the past.  The want rid of God in our lives, they want rid of our faith, they want rid of our history, they want us to become minds animals to follow with out question. 

They want to take our money in the form of taxes only to ration it back to us to be spent the way they want it to be spent.  They want to take our individuality because once that is gone they can tell us what to think and what to do with our lives.  If we want that then their are several places in the world to go live.  Not here!  The power of the USA is in the individual and their beliefs, their values, and their sense of self-worth. 

The truth is that it is going to come down to you, are you going to let some politician that does not even know you tell you what you need and when you need it? 

Oh America

Oh America, where have you gone?

It would seem that the innocence of childhood is over, and adolescence is here.

Your ideology has changed, or has it?

The ideals of your youth are being changed by influences that are alien to your birth.

The hope for change that gave birth to your has now been high jacked by those who want to reinvent your principles.

Now hope and change is the mantra for those who wish to collect all the money and redistribute the wealth.

Hard work and ingenuity are no longer rewarded, they wish to take the fruits of your labor and give to those who would just watch you work.

We gather again under the banners of Gadsen and Culpepper, and we are again branded as crazies, whackos, terrorists, and the like, but we still stand for the meaning of the banners we wave.

Your adolescence erupted during troubled times, and your people were led astray down a progressive path.

Instead of hard working neighbors banding together to aid one another we were lead to believe that the government could do better.

We are being led back to a time before you were born, to expect everything from those who take away from us.

Your adolescence led us to where many expected another to deal with you troubles instead of self reliance.

Oh America, please listen.

There are those that are trying to lead  you to your adulthood, to bring you back to your roots and the bedrock of your founding.

Do not listen to those who say we need to reinvent ourselves.  There is nothing wrong with the solid foundation upon which you were built.

Those bending your ear now build upon sand.  Sand is not a foundation to build upon.

Ignore the Kerry’s, Obama’s, Reid’s and Pelosi’s.  Restrain them in a chair, gag them and let “Joe the Plumber” give the lecture.

Listen instead to Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, and Adams.  They left what is trying to be brought back, they lived it and sought to bring about the change that you were.

Oh America, times will be tough and times will be good.  Do not throw away what you are in favor of what you stood against.

In your adulthood you will see the truth of your childhood and the deception put upon you in your adolescence.

Oh America, be strong now and stand firm, do not be changed from your roots for it is your roots that will keep you standing.

This Just In!!!

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has just identified herself as a person with common ground and ideas with the Tea Party.  Wasn’t she the one who spend a lot of energy and press putting the tea party movement down?

 

Get a Grip Nancy!

A perfect example for change.

It was much anticipated, long awaited, and it was a golden example as to why the system is broken.  President Obama and the elite Senators from Capitol Hill assembled and spouted off about health care.  Everyone was spouting their party position and criticizing the other.  Neither party feels that the American public is capable of determining their own needs or running their own lives.  We do not have Republicans nor Democrats anymore, just degrees of progressivism. 

These political parties and their platforms are really misleading as they each have changed their stance on issues based on how many votes they can get.  Democrats use to be anti-civil rights until President Kennedy and the Republicans were for it.  When Kennedy turned the Democratic party the Republicans also flopped to pick up the votes lost in the south by the Democrats.  There were many other examples through out history of the kind of ‘change’.  For those who were absent that day in American History class, or the ones that suffer because of the political correctness way of teaching history today, here are some sites to read about the history of political parties in the US; http://everything2.com/title/Evolution+of+American+political+parties+from+the+Revolution+to+the+Reconstruction, http://www.edgate.com/elections/inactive/the_parties/ .

With the growth of the tea party movement the population is telling those elected officials that they have it all wrong.  The problem is that the politicians seem to have gone deaf.  It is time for all those that cast votes to send a message that can not be ignored.  If you are legally eligible to vote you need to cast a vote to remove those deaf, self-serving politicians out of office and replace them with people that have a clue and can get our country back on track.  Mr.. Obama ran on a ticket of change, but now that he is in office their isn’t really much different between him and the others in Washington DC.  We need real change.  We need safe guards against the biggest industry in America today, the political industry with all its’ dynasties.  The re-establishment of term limits for those in congress is essential for the continued survival of our nation.  The longer these people are in office the more they forget about us and focus on themselves only.  They are paid way too much to sell us down the river, time to go for them.

Read up people, get informed, stand up for yourselves, and get a grip.

Libertarians take over the CPAC 2010

Glenn Beck, a Libertarian gives the Saturday night keynote address at the 2010 CPAC meeting.  Ron Paul, a Libertarian in Republican clothing is the lead candidate in the CPAC 2010 straw poll.

People are so fed up with the progressive actions taking over Washington DC and the country that it would seem that everyone is running to the extreme opposite direction, Libertarianism.  Do not know what a Libertarian is?  Here are some links to do your own research; www.lp.org, www.libertarianism.com.

From what I take away from the information that I have read, Libertarianism is as much a threat to the American way of life as progressivism.  Read up and be informed before you give your support and more important your vote to anyone.

Ideas to help America

Instead of making all those on Social Security and Medicare pay for the mismanagement in Washington D.C., why not cut the pay of all elected officials and freeze the pay scale for all bureaucrats?

Why the United States of America?

Why is there a United States of America? It did not exist 234 years ago, many other nations did. Much of what is now the Eastern States of the US were nothing more than colonies of England. Why isn’t still part of the British Empire? 
People were tired of an over-bearing centralized government that thought more about collecting money from the people than it did about the people.  The government cared not for the citizens and it didn’t want to hear from the people.  233 years ago the government was more important than the people and the people were tired of it.
Below is a copy of the Congressional Draft of the Declaration of Independence with all strike outs and additions.  I retrieved this from the internet and reposted it in hopes that you would read it and gain an understanding for why people are upset today as they were 233 years ago.  It is not a Democratic thing nor a Republican thing it was an American thing! Please read it and make up your own mind about what is important to you and your family.
Another note; if one would look up the political party of the third President of the USA they would see Democratic – Republican.  It would seem that both parties today came from the same place.

 

Just when can a President be blamed for influence on the economy?

It is true that when a new President takes office it is always in January of the new year and it may take a month or two for official policy to get rolling.  The fact of the matter is that America does pay attention to what is taking place during the campaigns and what promises are made, and when the election takes place people in business and in the investment world start to take measures to brace for up and coming policy changes that may affect they business.  So, Mr. President, you began to influence the economy on November 5th 2008 not February 2009.

My take on the State of the Union Speech.

While I only caught the highlights after the speech, I was able the get the tone and meaning of the speech.  I did think that it was hilarious that Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi seemed to be struggling to pay attention to the President during his speech.  Pelosi was even receiving notes being passed to her during the State of the Union Speech. 

Anyway, while I listened to sound bites and comments over the speech I couldn’t help but think that in the eyes of our illustrious President, everyone is at fault for everything except him.  He is sounding like a bad broken record blaming the previous administration for his problems.  The republicans, some democrats, and now the Supreme Court are to blame for errors in this country.  The more I listened the more I heard; ‘the country is ok but it isn’t, we will freeze spending but only after we spend more of it, the things that are wrong are the your fault not mine.  I want the country to go in this direction so just sit down, shut up and let it happen. I know recent votes have gone against me but voters don’t really matter, Congress is only useful when they do what I tell them.  You just keep believing all those promises that I made during the campaign and I will keep breaking them. Lobbyists are banned from influencing government except for those that are in my administration.’

It seems to me that Americans need to take America back, and relieve this president of duty before their is no more America.  He has said that he only wants to be a really good one term president anyway.  Good or not lets make sure that it is only one term.

Some change.

Closed door, late night, sweetheart deals for major lobbying interests designed to save them money and cost us more, some change.  Business as usual in Washington DC.  Yes that is right America, there is no real change.  Despite all the promises and rhetoric during campaigns no politician will buck the system.  Money talks and as long the politician who needs the money for less than honest campaigns to stay in office wants to stay in office they will listen to money.  Labor Unions, some of which have been connected to the President, have just dealt a horrible blow to the American public.  In negotiating their sweetheart deal in a late night session with the White House and Congressional Leadership have saved themselves sixty billion dollars.  Who will make up the difference?  Well if you do not belong to one of these sweetheart unions you will.  But here is another thought,  the union operations themselves have saved the money but if the cost is going to be made up in taxes to the public the the union membership will see the cost come out of their paychecks while union officials pat themselves on the bank for negotiating this deal.

My understanding of economics and politics is not school taught other than the few classes I took in high school and college is real time life experience, trying to survive the day to day living.  I am sickened that the political elite have lost touch with the American people.  What is worse is the American people who blindly follow these politicians and believe lie after lie.  These politicians do not know you, they do not know what is best for you or your family because they don’t live your life.  Except at election time they do not have to worry about loosing their jobs and even if they are voted out they maintain a pension and health benefits paid by the American taxpayer.  Politicians vote in their own pay raises and benefits packages with out approval from anyone.  This is not right.  The people that believe that any or all politicians know what is best for even one American other than themselves are fools!  The real power in American politics resides with each individual citizen and the politicians know this.  But the American citizen continuously relinquishes this power to the chosen few who have so little respect for the average citizen.  Those who do not vote in elections because they feel that it is futile, nothing will change are idiots.  Those who vote on candidates with no real grasp on the issues and vote just on the tradition of family or party loyalty, or even popularity are just plain morons.

People educate yourselves on the issues because it all affects us, if not immediately then eventually at some point in our lives.  Educate your families and your children on the real strength of America, what it means and what it stands for.  Those in power are afraid of the masses, because the masses have the power and we are the masses.  It was the masses that broke from England and founded this country.  A handful of military officers and a mass of untrained volunteers defeated one of the most powerful military powers of the time to form this country.  It was the masses that revolted in France, in Russia, and in many other countries throughout history in the world.  These masses brought about the change that they did because they were the real power not the chosen few.  The masses have the power and it is NOT a gun, it is NOT violence,  it is the voting ballot and the number of the masses.  The American government is set up on a series of checks and balances and the most import check is the American people and their power in the voting booth.

If you are worried about providing for your families or even just yourselves, get involved.  If you are worried about your future or the future of your children, get involved.  If you are tired of out of touch politicians, get involved.  If you want the government out of your pocket, out of your day to day life – get involved.  Getting involved does not necessarily mean to run for office or even volunteering for campaigns.  It means to educate yourselves about what is going on, pay attention, and register your opinion in the voting booth on election day.  It means contact your elected official and let them know how you feel about things.  If they get enough people contacting them then they have to listen and they know it.  And by all means, if you have children make sure their education includes the proper teaching on American history and what their role in our country is.

Maybe its time to rethink things.

I have been watching all the events going on in the US recently and it has crossed my mind that the USA has been labeled as lazy, decadent, and to into frivolous things.  We have never paid much attention to this as these comments have come from our enemies for years, even decades.  Watching all these events and listening to all the complaining about those events I have began to wonder if our enemies saw something in us we refused to see. 

We are supposed to be a free society where the individual can thrive and pursue a good life under the liberty from over powering government influence.  The immigrants from Europe that founded this country desired this as they wanted to be free of persecution in religion and have the ability to own property of their own.  To make money, to save money and experience a life where you can make your own life.  We started as groups of local communities, living and existing with each other, lending a hand whenever our neighbor needed it.  These communities where on their own as they were thousands of miles away from any governing authority.  These realized that while a limited government was necessary more could be accomplished at the local community.  It was a new and novel idea, that the people could govern themselves and did not need a ruling class to make every decision for them to the extent of owning all the land and letting the people live on that land as long as they worked on it.  Under the new philosophy of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness a new nation was born.

Just over one hundred years ago a new philosophy was emerging, it was called progressivism.  In a nut shell this new idea was for the government to provide for the needs of the people and replace the individual as the provider for the individual’s needs.  Progressivism wanted to reorder the government to a strong central federal government and alleviate the local governments and the individual of the burden providing for their own needs.  The problem with this is that it is a one hundred eighty degree turn from the fundamentals that the USA was built on.  Many currently in national elected office today are in one degree or another followers of this progressive movement.  At the core of this movement is the idea that the few(the ruling class) know more about what the many(the governed) need than the many do.  I suggest what many also believe, that the politicians in office have no idea what we need they only want to be in office because that is where the power is.  Well let me clarify that.  They know what we need and while the campaign to get elected is going on they will identify those needs and identify with those needs.  Once in office it is to hell with the people until the next election.

This brings me back to my original thought, the American public is lazy.  We go through our lives not paying attention to what is going on in government at any level.  We only become polarized around issues that seem to draw the majority of attention, whatever the news media wishes to keep in front of the American public by keeping it on the air.  Most will fall under the banner of any cause that their favorite celebrity champions, misguided or not.  Here is a question, is that celebrity being compensated for the TV ad that gets you to follow their ‘cause’?  History and social studies in schools of all levels are becoming watered down.  Actual history is but a blip in a text book while they seem to be more in-depth on subjects like Oprah.  Survey study after survey study proves that the average American knows squat about the country they live in.  Much like anything else politics any more is only a popularity contest where we are convinced to vote for the most popular rather than the most qualified.  More over this country has become a nation of people who honestly believe that the country owes them a living rather than earning that living for themselves!  I know, I see it every day! Everywhere!  Is there no personal pride anymore?!  Americans should be proud and be knowledgeable about who we are as a nation and our roots.  Why is there only national pride when we are attacked or in the wake of some natural disaster?  Civic pride is also non existent.

I hope that I have stirred some thought.  If you are angry or offended, prove me wrong!  Maybe, just maybe some will read this will get involved in their country and local community.