What has extreme Leftism done well? How has it affected education, art, science, religion, or society in general? Not to mention government .... which is a whole other post. Or maybe I should ask, where has it NOT done damage?
Too many of our universities un-teach the morals and values instilled by parents, at an exorbitantly inflated price, causing back-breaking debt. Art, which includes movies, has been degraded to include pornography, vulgarity, and immorality, under the misused excuse of Free Speech. Science has been lowered to accept theories as facts, which are then used to strangle businesses and jobs. Religion is often mocked and dismissed as irrelevant, or pressured to re-write age-old values and truths to fit the new social norm.
Leftism has hurt families in that it rewards irresponsible behavior with government handouts. Hence we have generations of children being born into single-parent households, with no father in sight, who then grow up in poverty and repeat the cycle.
But there is one thing extreme Leftism does very well. So well, it's almost unstoppable. It is a master at smearing the Right.
It has so skillfully marketed such a pack of lies about the Right, that it's breathtaking. A few examples:
Conservatism is racist. There is not a hint of logic in this, yet millions believe it. If the Right criticizes someone in government who is black, they most certainly will be accused of racism. Yet the Left ignores the many conservative-leaning black people who are adored by the Right ..... as in Herman Cain, Clarence Thomas, Condie Rice, Alan West, Mia Love, to name a few.
Conservatism does not care. Oh really? Who gives more to charity? Republicans. Who donates more time through volunteering? Republicans. Who joins the military, putting their lives in danger, to fight for the freedom of another? Mostly Republicans. Who would LOVE to be let loose to build their businesses and provide jobs??? Republicans.
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/generous-states-charities-lean-republican/story?id=17030246#.UK1N7BxC_UI http://www.gallup.com/poll/118684/military-veterans-ages-tend-republican.aspx
http://clearwater.patch.com/articles/whos-more-geneours-republicans-or-democrats
http://www.debt.org/faqs/americans-in-debt/economic-demographics-republicans/
The Right is anti-immigration. Wrong again. The Right is anti-ILLEGAL-immigration. We LOVE immigrants who follow the rules. We LOVE immigrants who come here and assimilate. We are ALL descendants of such immigrants. How can we reward someone who broke the law by coming here illegally, then expect someone else to not do the same? Why have immigration laws, if they can be side-stepped?
The Right hates (fill in the blank) .... Homosexuals. The poor. Hispanics. Victims. Women. The elderly. Animals. Trees. You name it. This is one of their biggest lies. Yet the Left has done tremendous damage to minorities. They have perpetuated the victim mentality and the resentment and entitlement attitude that follows. They ignore the generations of people of every minority who came to this country and made it through hard work and sacrifice .... motivated by the freedom of being allowed to keep what they earned .... and without the "benevolent" hand of government. They have twisted values and morals that have existed throughout the ages that we feel are vital for the survival and well-being of individuals, as well as the human race. And they create fear that, for example, .... the Right will heartlessly throw grandmothers off cliffs, kill people with cancer, ....... and enslave woman by supposedly taking away their birth control, and telling them they are better off married before getting pregnant and that innocent unborn children deserve life.
The extreme Left has mastered the ability of besmirching the Right, through smoke screens and the complete disregard for, or twisting of, facts. And we, on the Right, run around trying to clear our reputations, waving that all-too-trampled banner called TRUTH, and arguing the same arguments over .... and over .... and over.
But what else can we do?
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Even if it wasn't true .....
We, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have been heard to say -- we know the Church is true. What we mean by that is .... we know, and/or have faith that the gospel, as taught in the Church, is true. And by THAT we mean it honestly has the correct formula for returning to God, AKA our Father in Heaven, and, in some sense, live with him forever. That is the bottom line. I have believed this all my life, with no intention of ever changing my opinion.
But, and admittedly we've ALL had this thought, WHAT IF I learned from some indisputable source ...... that it isn't the true religion? What would I do?
Well, if I was smart, I'd stay. I'd remain a member. Why? Look at its people.
The people generally are happier and just plain nicer. Generally, marriages and families are stronger. (To save time, let's just go ahead and apply the term "generally" to all these statements.) I particularly appreciate how my religion affects men. They seem to rise to a higher quality. They are strong, loyal, and hard-working, yet at the same time, more gentle and respectful. There is added humility and selflessness that you don't usually see in the rest of the world. Crudeness, expressed in language and behavior, is rare. I don't know if I'm making my point clear, but there is a difference and when it's not there, I notice.
LDS people are taught honesty and morality (the type our grandparents took for granted). In other words, they're taught to walk the walk and they do it. Of course we're all on different levels of achieving total command of our own weaknesses, but there's an element of effort towards being one's best, in the people of my church.
I'd be foolish to leave something that has steered me safely past many of life's potholes. Even if the doctrine, which cannot be proven by science, is not real as I believe it to be ... one cannot dispute the better quality of life of its devout members. That .... IS measurable. And in my opinion, the alternative is NOT attractive.
Even if it wasn't "true" ..... it DOES motivate and inspire goodness. And it allows me to mingle with people who manifest that goodness.
Which, to me, says it IS true. Because it DOES work and the choices and actions of its people, including my own, are the results. Therefore, staying put is NOT something I keep in question.
Can you blame me?
But, and admittedly we've ALL had this thought, WHAT IF I learned from some indisputable source ...... that it isn't the true religion? What would I do?
Well, if I was smart, I'd stay. I'd remain a member. Why? Look at its people.
The people generally are happier and just plain nicer. Generally, marriages and families are stronger. (To save time, let's just go ahead and apply the term "generally" to all these statements.) I particularly appreciate how my religion affects men. They seem to rise to a higher quality. They are strong, loyal, and hard-working, yet at the same time, more gentle and respectful. There is added humility and selflessness that you don't usually see in the rest of the world. Crudeness, expressed in language and behavior, is rare. I don't know if I'm making my point clear, but there is a difference and when it's not there, I notice.
LDS people are taught honesty and morality (the type our grandparents took for granted). In other words, they're taught to walk the walk and they do it. Of course we're all on different levels of achieving total command of our own weaknesses, but there's an element of effort towards being one's best, in the people of my church.
I'd be foolish to leave something that has steered me safely past many of life's potholes. Even if the doctrine, which cannot be proven by science, is not real as I believe it to be ... one cannot dispute the better quality of life of its devout members. That .... IS measurable. And in my opinion, the alternative is NOT attractive.
Even if it wasn't "true" ..... it DOES motivate and inspire goodness. And it allows me to mingle with people who manifest that goodness.
Which, to me, says it IS true. Because it DOES work and the choices and actions of its people, including my own, are the results. Therefore, staying put is NOT something I keep in question.
Can you blame me?
Thursday, November 8, 2012
If you voted for Barack Obama .....
...... would you please answer a few simple questions?
1. Have you been following the 9/11 Benghazi attack when four Americans, including our ambassador, were killed? If not, why not?
2. Do you understand the timeline of the attack including the conflicting explanations by members of the administration that followed? You can read the detailed timeline here.
3. Why did the administration claim (numerous times and for several weeks) the attackers were a random mob, enraged by a youtube video, when they KNEW ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, that it was not true?
4. Vice President Biden said in his debate, that he and the president DID NOT KNOW that the Libyan consulate had repeatedly requested additional security prior to and including the morning of 9/11, and this security had been DENIED. This contradicts what others have said, including members of U.S. Intelligence, and also contradicts standard procedure. There had been several warning attacks on the consulate and danger was growing at an alarming rate ..... yet he said they didn't know?? Can you explain that?
5. President Obama continues to insist they are working to get to the bottom of it, and says he will give us the facts as they get them. So why were they so quick to send out the false story about the video? This story was repeated by numerous members of the Obama administration, including Hillary Clinton, Jay Carney, and Susan Rice. What happened to waiting for the facts THEN?
6. Why does he evade questions? Watch this .... if this isn't evasion, then what is?
IF YOU VOTED FOR BARACK OBAMA, did you ASK any of these questions? Did you even wonder? Four people, who were in Libya on government assignments, requested help for weeks prior to the attack. (The British and the Red Cross had already pulled out of Libya, due to mounting danger.) Then on 9/11, a date that should surprise no one ..... they were killed in a pre-meditated terrorist attack. This was witnessed in real time, via a camera-equipped drone, by officials here in the U.S.
"They stood, and they watched, and our people died," former CIA commander Gary Berntsen told CBS News.
DOES THIS MATTER? .........
HELLO? ... are you out there? Can ONE of the millions who voted for him, answer me?
Because our president will not.
1. Have you been following the 9/11 Benghazi attack when four Americans, including our ambassador, were killed? If not, why not?
2. Do you understand the timeline of the attack including the conflicting explanations by members of the administration that followed? You can read the detailed timeline here.
3. Why did the administration claim (numerous times and for several weeks) the attackers were a random mob, enraged by a youtube video, when they KNEW ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, that it was not true?
4. Vice President Biden said in his debate, that he and the president DID NOT KNOW that the Libyan consulate had repeatedly requested additional security prior to and including the morning of 9/11, and this security had been DENIED. This contradicts what others have said, including members of U.S. Intelligence, and also contradicts standard procedure. There had been several warning attacks on the consulate and danger was growing at an alarming rate ..... yet he said they didn't know?? Can you explain that?
5. President Obama continues to insist they are working to get to the bottom of it, and says he will give us the facts as they get them. So why were they so quick to send out the false story about the video? This story was repeated by numerous members of the Obama administration, including Hillary Clinton, Jay Carney, and Susan Rice. What happened to waiting for the facts THEN?
6. Why does he evade questions? Watch this .... if this isn't evasion, then what is?
IF YOU VOTED FOR BARACK OBAMA, did you ASK any of these questions? Did you even wonder? Four people, who were in Libya on government assignments, requested help for weeks prior to the attack. (The British and the Red Cross had already pulled out of Libya, due to mounting danger.) Then on 9/11, a date that should surprise no one ..... they were killed in a pre-meditated terrorist attack. This was witnessed in real time, via a camera-equipped drone, by officials here in the U.S.
"They stood, and they watched, and our people died," former CIA commander Gary Berntsen told CBS News.
DOES THIS MATTER? .........
HELLO? ... are you out there? Can ONE of the millions who voted for him, answer me?
Because our president will not.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Picking up the pieces
Lots of emotions. Disappointment, disillusionment, sadness, worry ..... to name a few. Losing is crap. We cannot simply bid good luck to all those who voted for more debt and Socialism, as they sit triumphantly on the deck of the Titanic, headed towards the iceberg. We must stay on the boat with them, clinging to the railings for dear life.
But we have life jackets called the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And there are enough life jackets on board for all who accept them. This is the shining light in the storm. This is our real hope. As Ezra Benson, former president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Secretary of Agriculture in the Eisenhower administration, warned ... "The Constitution will be saved, but not in Washington." His sobering words:
"It is imperative that American citizens become alerted and informed regarding the threat to our welfare, happiness, and freedom. No American is worthy of citizenship in this great land, who refuses to take an active interest in these important matters."
Then let's BALANCE that with the encouraging words of Gordon Hinckley, also a former president of the same church:
"The gospel means 'good news.' The message of the Lord is one of hope and salvation. The voice of the Lord is a voice of glad tidings. The work of the Lord is a work of glorious and certain reward. I do not suggest that you simply put on rose-colored glasses to make the world look rosy. I ask, rather, that you look above and beyond the negative, the critical, the cynical, the doubtful, to the positive.
Said the Lord in a dark and troubled hour to those he loved, 'Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid' (John 14:27)."
So let's turn these defeating emotions around. Don't forget that we ARE on the winning team! Resolve yet again, to stay focused on the light. In the end, it does not matter as much who or what kind of person lives in the White House.
It really matters what kind of person lives in my house. And in your house.
But we have life jackets called the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And there are enough life jackets on board for all who accept them. This is the shining light in the storm. This is our real hope. As Ezra Benson, former president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Secretary of Agriculture in the Eisenhower administration, warned ... "The Constitution will be saved, but not in Washington." His sobering words:
"It is imperative that American citizens become alerted and informed regarding the threat to our welfare, happiness, and freedom. No American is worthy of citizenship in this great land, who refuses to take an active interest in these important matters."
Then let's BALANCE that with the encouraging words of Gordon Hinckley, also a former president of the same church:
"The gospel means 'good news.' The message of the Lord is one of hope and salvation. The voice of the Lord is a voice of glad tidings. The work of the Lord is a work of glorious and certain reward. I do not suggest that you simply put on rose-colored glasses to make the world look rosy. I ask, rather, that you look above and beyond the negative, the critical, the cynical, the doubtful, to the positive.
Said the Lord in a dark and troubled hour to those he loved, 'Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid' (John 14:27)."
So let's turn these defeating emotions around. Don't forget that we ARE on the winning team! Resolve yet again, to stay focused on the light. In the end, it does not matter as much who or what kind of person lives in the White House.
It really matters what kind of person lives in my house. And in your house.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Obama's Plan
President Obama has just released a booklet titled, "The New Patriotism". In this booklet, complete with some flattering photos of him showing his constant and all-knowing concern for his adoring fans Americans, there are ten sections: Economy, Manufacturing, Energy, Small Businesses, Education, Tax Plan, Health Care, Retirement and Moving America Forward. This is his plan for American, if we kindly elect him for another four years.
Here are a few snippets (in red) and, of course, my thoughts.
Here are a few snippets (in red) and, of course, my thoughts.
President Obama’s policies have helped manufacturing rebound, creating nearly 500,000 jobs in the last 31 months.
We own a small manufacturing business. I have no idea what policies this is talking about. As far as the increase in jobs, it all depends on private vs government jobs, the timing, and a lot of other tedious factors which, if I listed them all, you and I would both collapse in boredom. Just know that numbers and stats are easily skewed to make any argument look good.
Obama will strengthen our schools by recruiting 100,000 math and science teachers, training 2 million workers for real jobs at community colleges, and cutting tuition growth in half.
How will he pay for this? Did you know that whenever the government subsidizes something, its cost will go up? This includes education. The rate of increase of college tuitions has far exceeded the rate of inflation.
By eliminating special loopholes and tax breaks that benefit big business and the wealthiest – as part of a balanced deficit reduction plan that also cuts spending we can’t afford – we can grow our economy without burdening our children and grandchildren with debt.
Isn't this exactly what Gov. Romney proposed, which Obama criticized for its lack of specifics .... ie. what loopholes?
President Obama has put forward a specific, balanced plan of spending cuts and revenue increases providing more than $4 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade, without ending guaranteed benefits in Medicare or slashing Social Security.
In 2008, candidate Obama promised to cut the deficit, which feeds the national debt, in half. As we all know, the debt has now topped 16 trillion. So cutting 4 trillion from the deficit over the next decade, doesn't even bring the debt down to the 2008 level.
"I said I would cut taxes for small businesses - who are the drivers and engines of growth - and we've cut them 18 times.
"I said I would cut taxes for small businesses - who are the drivers and engines of growth - and we've cut them 18 times.
Again, as a small business owner, we are wondering about those 18 tax cuts.
Upon taking office, President Obama inherited the largest deficit in history,
largely caused by putting the costs of two wars on a credit card.
President Obama would commit half of the money saved from responsibly
ending wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to reducing the deficit and the other
half to putting Americans back to work rebuilding roads, bridges, runways,
and schools here in the United States.
If the cost of the wars was put on a "credit card", then with the end of those wars, how is it that we now have money to spend? There is no money! Doesn't this mean that all those roads, bridges, runways, and schools must ALSO go on that credit card? This is the same rationalization I use when I return a $20 sweater to the store, then use that credit to buy a $20 pair of jeans, and then say that the jeans were free.
President Obama's plan keeps middle-class tax cuts in place and reduces the deficit by finall asking millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share.
The top 1 percent of income earners paid 38.7% of income taxes in 2009, and the top 20 percent paid 94.1%. This means that 80 percent of the population pay only 5.9% of the nation's income tax. Is THAT fair? (If only Steve Jobs had given his money to the government to spend on Solyndra, or the Volt, or entitlement programs, .... instead of building Apple and creating all those darn jobs.)
"Asking a billionaire to pay at least as much as his secretary in taxes? Most Americans would call that common sense."
This statement is misleading and our president knows it. It is the classic apples and oranges comparison. It does not explain the difference between income tax and capital gains tax.
Income is what we receive in our paychecks. Capital gains is what we earn by investing our savings. Those investments -- or in other words -- loans to others for starting new businesses, building homes, or other ventures ..... create jobs. The returns we receive by investing our savings are capital gains. If the tax on those returns goes up, money gained from investing goes down and as a result, we are more motivated to just stuff our savings into our mattresses .... so to speak. Therefore, less money will be circulating and available for lending and growth.
Remember, all savings came from money that was previously earned and taxed as income. Raising the capital gains tax discourages job growth. Comparing the billionaire's income tax to the secretary's income tax, the billionaire pays a much higher rate. Comparing the billionaire's capital gains with the secretary's capital gains, the tax rate is the same.
His statement above, is comparing the billionaire's capital gains tax (apples) to the secretary's income tax (oranges).
Apparently Obama does not want us to understand this. Maybe this is because the truth does not help his argument.
If you vote for Barack Obama, you are voting for his plan. You really ought to read it.
P.S. Please excuse the screwy font -- spacing, size, etc. "Blogger" (the site) and I don't always get along.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Oh Joe ..... Really?
Vice President Joe Biden, who "always says what he means", offered the following in his low meant-to-invoke-drama tone, in the debate with Congressman Paul Ryan:
"My religion defines who I am, and I’ve been a practicing Catholic my whole life. And has particularly informed my social doctrine. The Catholic social doctrine talks about taking care of those who — who can’t take care of themselves, people who need help."
Really? The Bidens reported an income of $349,000 in 2009. Yet during the previous ten years, according to ABC News, they averaged only $369 annually in charitable donations. We're talking of an average of barely over .1%. Curiously, that amount did jump up in 2011. But I'm sure that had nothing to do with public image .....
He also said, regarding his church's stand on abortion, "I refuse to impose it on equally devout Christians and Muslims and Jews, and I just refuse to impose that on others" ....
Yet, he believes in imposing his socialist views of wealth redistribution on others ...... others who don't believe that government dependency is healthy .... and who give a HECK of a lot more than .1% to charity ..... even when no one is looking.
Does the word .... hypocrite .... come to mind?
Friday, October 12, 2012
Mature VS Boorish
The VP debate. I'm still recovering. Not from disappointment ... but from indignation at more rudeness than I have ever seen before, in a national debate. All substance, no matter from whom, was lost on Vice President Biden's ridiculous behavior. Who could focus on what was said, while being assaulted by constant smirks, Cheshire-cat grins, interruptions, disrespectful laughs, and eye-rolling that went on and on and on. I've seen more maturity in 12 year olds.
Maybe some people are used to this. I'm certainly not.
Last weekend I attended our church's semi-annual General Conference in Salt Lake City. We walked past scruffy street protestors with their signs and sidewalk sermons. Apparently they frequent the entrances of Temple Square, hoping to dissuade anyone they can from the Mormon "cult". I have to wonder if they have a clue as to the contrast between them, and what we received that day in the conference sessions. The conference speakers were reverent, dignified, humble, sincere, uplifting, and inspiring. Not to mention, groomed and dressed in a manner respectful to God's spirit. The feeling inside was worlds apart from that of the men who toted signs outside on the sidewalk.
Back to the debate -- again, the contrast was stark. Paul Ryan kept his cool and spoke calmly. He knew his facts and tried to voice them in between Joe Biden's interruptions and verbal elbowing. By the end when Biden finally lowered his tone, it was too late for me. I was done with his circus act. For me, who is used to quiet maturity in public speakers, as in that conference session in Salt Lake, he was beyond offensive.
Maybe, if your church exposes you to a lot of pulpit-pounding, you found Biden's energy invigorating. My religion does not. So maybe my reaction to the debate is just a matter of perspective. Either way, I was appalled and embarrassed to call this man my vice president.
Maybe some people are used to this. I'm certainly not.
Last weekend I attended our church's semi-annual General Conference in Salt Lake City. We walked past scruffy street protestors with their signs and sidewalk sermons. Apparently they frequent the entrances of Temple Square, hoping to dissuade anyone they can from the Mormon "cult". I have to wonder if they have a clue as to the contrast between them, and what we received that day in the conference sessions. The conference speakers were reverent, dignified, humble, sincere, uplifting, and inspiring. Not to mention, groomed and dressed in a manner respectful to God's spirit. The feeling inside was worlds apart from that of the men who toted signs outside on the sidewalk.
Back to the debate -- again, the contrast was stark. Paul Ryan kept his cool and spoke calmly. He knew his facts and tried to voice them in between Joe Biden's interruptions and verbal elbowing. By the end when Biden finally lowered his tone, it was too late for me. I was done with his circus act. For me, who is used to quiet maturity in public speakers, as in that conference session in Salt Lake, he was beyond offensive.
Maybe, if your church exposes you to a lot of pulpit-pounding, you found Biden's energy invigorating. My religion does not. So maybe my reaction to the debate is just a matter of perspective. Either way, I was appalled and embarrassed to call this man my vice president.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
"Thou shalt not bear false witness..." Exodus 20:16
Two things:
First -- During the 2008 campaign, it drove me crazy how the Left ignored Obama's obvious side-stepping about his relationship with Reverend Jeremiah Wright. He described Wright as a close friend, a mentor, his pastor of 20 years, who performed the Obama's wedding, and baptized their daughters. No one with a functioning brain would believe that he did not fully know of Wright's anti-America and racist views.
According to Wikipedia: "Obama stated that he was aware of Pastor Wright's controversial comments, and had personally heard 'remarks that could be considered controversial' in Wright's church, but denied having heard the particular inflammatory statements that were widely televised during the campaign. Obama was specifically asked by (talk show host) Bill O'Reilly, if Reverend Wright had said white people were bad, to which Obama replied 'no.' In his book 'Dreams from my Father', Obama had quoted Reverend Wright as saying in a sermon 'It's this world, where cruise ships throw away more food in a day than most residents of Port-au-Prince see in a year, where White folks' greed runs a world in need.'" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremiah_Wright_controversy
Second -- In 2007, then Senator Obama gave a speech castigating the administration, for its neglect of the Hurricane Katrina victims. He talked about the Stafford Act which is that the local community is to contribute 10% of the relief funds that it receives from the national government. In both cases of 9/11 and Hurricane Andrew, that 10% requirement was waived. Obama loudly railed on the government, insinuating that for New Orleans, the Stafford Act had not been waived.
First -- During the 2008 campaign, it drove me crazy how the Left ignored Obama's obvious side-stepping about his relationship with Reverend Jeremiah Wright. He described Wright as a close friend, a mentor, his pastor of 20 years, who performed the Obama's wedding, and baptized their daughters. No one with a functioning brain would believe that he did not fully know of Wright's anti-America and racist views.
According to Wikipedia: "Obama stated that he was aware of Pastor Wright's controversial comments, and had personally heard 'remarks that could be considered controversial' in Wright's church, but denied having heard the particular inflammatory statements that were widely televised during the campaign. Obama was specifically asked by (talk show host) Bill O'Reilly, if Reverend Wright had said white people were bad, to which Obama replied 'no.' In his book 'Dreams from my Father', Obama had quoted Reverend Wright as saying in a sermon 'It's this world, where cruise ships throw away more food in a day than most residents of Port-au-Prince see in a year, where White folks' greed runs a world in need.'" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremiah_Wright_controversy
Second -- In 2007, then Senator Obama gave a speech castigating the administration, for its neglect of the Hurricane Katrina victims. He talked about the Stafford Act which is that the local community is to contribute 10% of the relief funds that it receives from the national government. In both cases of 9/11 and Hurricane Andrew, that 10% requirement was waived. Obama loudly railed on the government, insinuating that for New Orleans, the Stafford Act had not been waived.
From the 2007 speech: “When Hurricane Andrew struck in Florida, people said, ‘Look at this devastation. We don’t expect you to come up with your own money here. Here’s the money to rebuild. We’re not going to wait for you to scratch it together, because you’re part of the American family,’” Obama said. "What's happening down in New Orleans? Where's your dollar? Where's your Stafford Act money?"
However, Obama does not mention that two weeks prior to his speech, HE WAS AMONG 14 OTHER SENATORS WHO VOTED AGAINST WAIVING THE STAFFORD ACT FOR THE KATRINA VICTIMS. Nor does he mention that more money was sent to rebuild New Orleans, than for 9/11 and Hurricane Andrew, combined.
It could be said, in Obama's defense, that he was against the legislation to which the Stafford Act waiver was attached. That legislation was about sending more money to our troops in Iraq and Senator Obama was openly against that war. Obama knew the legislation would pass and the money would be sent to the Katrina victims, so he was safe to make his anti-Iraq-war statement via his vote.
However, there is NO excuse for his speech, directed to an audience of black clergymen. His speech was meant to heighten division and resentment. He knew Congress had waived the act. He knew money had been sent to help the victims, with more money to come. He KNEW he was deceiving those ministers, who would then take his false message back to their congregations.
And he knew Jeremiah Wright.
(From the Sean Hannity show.)
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
We are followers of Jesus Christ
According to this article, phone calls have been going out to voters in Ohio, asking the question: "How can you support a 'Mormon' who does not believe in Jesus Christ?" The calls came from a group called "Catholics for Obama".
The misconception that Mormons don't believe in Jesus Christ has been circulating for too long. It is incorrect and it stops here.
As you see in the sidebar of this blog, the true name of the Mormon religion is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The very title of this religion bears the name of him whom we believe authored and leads it. A summary of our doctrine known as the Articles of Faith, starts with, "We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in his Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost."
After numerous online discussions with Christians who are anything but willing to share the Christian title with those of my faith -- just as we are unwilling to share a title with fundamentalists who currently practice polygamy ..... I understand some of their reasoning. They believe a person is saved once they accept Christ into their hearts, thus making them a Christian. Christianity, to them, means they have been saved. Mormons, they say, have NOT been saved and therefore, cannot be Christians. They say our "version" of Jesus Christ is not accurate, or in other words, we believe in the wrong Jesus.
Please understand ... we believe in the ONLY Jesus Christ of the Bible. The one who was born of Mary, who cleansed the temple, who called to Peter, James, and John to follow him. Who walked on water and fed the 5,000 on a few loaves of bread and fishes. Who was betrayed by Judas, nailed to a cross, and died for the sins of this world. Who died for me ... and for you. He is our Redeemer, Savior, and Advocate. We pray to God the Father, in the name of Christ. He is the literal Son of God and only through him and his atoning grace, can I return to my Father in Heaven. If you know of another Jesus, please let me know.
In the Book of Mormon -- another testament of Jesus Christ -- it says, "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." (2nd Nephi 25:26)
Do we believe in Jesus Christ?
Absolutely we do.
The misconception that Mormons don't believe in Jesus Christ has been circulating for too long. It is incorrect and it stops here.
As you see in the sidebar of this blog, the true name of the Mormon religion is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The very title of this religion bears the name of him whom we believe authored and leads it. A summary of our doctrine known as the Articles of Faith, starts with, "We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in his Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost."
After numerous online discussions with Christians who are anything but willing to share the Christian title with those of my faith -- just as we are unwilling to share a title with fundamentalists who currently practice polygamy ..... I understand some of their reasoning. They believe a person is saved once they accept Christ into their hearts, thus making them a Christian. Christianity, to them, means they have been saved. Mormons, they say, have NOT been saved and therefore, cannot be Christians. They say our "version" of Jesus Christ is not accurate, or in other words, we believe in the wrong Jesus.
Please understand ... we believe in the ONLY Jesus Christ of the Bible. The one who was born of Mary, who cleansed the temple, who called to Peter, James, and John to follow him. Who walked on water and fed the 5,000 on a few loaves of bread and fishes. Who was betrayed by Judas, nailed to a cross, and died for the sins of this world. Who died for me ... and for you. He is our Redeemer, Savior, and Advocate. We pray to God the Father, in the name of Christ. He is the literal Son of God and only through him and his atoning grace, can I return to my Father in Heaven. If you know of another Jesus, please let me know.
In the Book of Mormon -- another testament of Jesus Christ -- it says, "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." (2nd Nephi 25:26)
Do we believe in Jesus Christ?
Absolutely we do.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Randy Newman, I thought I had a friend in you.
Who doesn't love this song?
Well, sad to say, Mr. Newman is not my friend. Here is one of his recent pieces of satire: (Printed lyrics below.)
“I’m Dreaming” Lyrics
George Washington was a white man
Adams and Jefferson too
Abe Lincoln was a white man, probably
And William McKinley the whitest of them all
Was shot down by an immigrant in Buffalo
And a star fell out of heaven
I’m dreaming of a white President
Just like the ones we’ve always had
A real live white man
Who knows the score
How to handle money or start a war
Wouldn’t even have to tell me what we were fighting for
He’d be the right man
If he were a
I’m dreaming of a white President
Someone whom we can understand
Someone who knows where we’re coming from
And that the law of the jungle is not the law of this land
In deepest darkest Africa nineteen three
A little boy says, “Daddy, I just discovered relativity.
A big eclipse is coming
And I’ll prove it. Wait and see!”
“You better eclipse yourself outta here, son
And find yourself a tree
There’s a lion in the front yard
And he knows he won’t catch me.”
How many little Albert Einsteins
Cut down in their prime?
How many little Ronald Reagans
Gobbled up before their time?
I don’t believe in evolution
But it does occur to me,
What if little William Howard Taft had to face a lion
Or God forbid, climb a tree?
Where would this country be?
I’m dreaming of a white President
Buh buh buh buh
‘Cause things have never been this bad
So he won’t run the hundred in ten seconds flat
So he won’t have a pretty jump shot
Or be an Olympic acrobat
So he won’t know much about global warming
Is that really where you’re at?
He won’t be the brightest, perhaps
But he’ll be the whitest
And I’ll vote for that
Whiter than this?
Yes
Whiter than this?
Yes
Whiter than this?
Yes
Whiter than this?
Oh yeah
*****************************
If you disagree with a president with a failing record because of his policies of increasing socialistic government, who happens to be black .... well then it MUST be because of his skin color! His record CAN'T be the problem!
(Note: You might notice, if you watch the video, that -- along with the pictures of Reagan, Bush, Ford, Nixon, etc. -- shots of Carter and Clinton, both white presidents, were not included. I wonder why.)
Long post made short .... Ask any conservative Republican this question:
Which would you prefer -- nine conservative black Supreme Court justices, or nine liberal white justices?
Their overwhelming answer, which says it all, would be the bottom line.
And Mr. Newman, along with Leftist America, doesn't get it .... Or he doesn't want to get it. I'm not sure which. Either way, a tremendous talent is wasted on perpetuating a lie.
And that was MY bottom line.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
The Speech They Think Won Them the Election
I watched as much of the Democratic National Convention as I could stand and in the process, nearly drove off all my facebook friends with my rants. The potential blogging material that came from it, could fill volumes. I don't really know how much of it I have time to address. But I'll start with the speech of former president, Bill Clinton.
Note: Although he smartly stayed away from the topic of women's rights, that theme was covered repeatedly by other speakers at the DNC. Bill Clinton deeply hurt the two women closest to him. And he hurt a much too young female White House aide. And a number of other women have stepped forward with claims of his unwanted advances, one claiming rape. Not all of these other claims were pursued legally, yet common sense says when there's smoke time after time after time, there generally is fire. Add to that, he is a documented liar, and was impeached because of perjury.
Now to his speech, which is overly long, so I'll just draw out some quotes. His words are in blue.
We Democrats, we think the country works better with a
strong middle class, with real opportunities for poor folks to
work their way into it, with a relentless focus on the future,
with business and government actually working together to
promote growth and broadly shared prosperity. You see, we
believe that ``We're all in this together'' is a far better
philosophy than ``You're on your own.''
Is he saying that Republicans don't care about others? That we only care about ourselves? It's well known that Republicans donate more money, time, and service to charities. Look at Republican Representative Michelle Bachman, for example. She and her husband cared for 23 foster children. Read the speeches given at the RNC about Mitt Romney's selfless service to others. Does that hold to what Mr. Clinton implies?
Now, there's something I've noticed lately. You probably
have, too. And it's this. Maybe just because I grew up in a
different time, but though I often disagree with Republicans, I
actually never learned to hate them the way the far right that
now controls their party seems to hate our president and a lot
of other Democrats.
Is he kidding?? Remember the hatred towards George Bush? "Bush lied, people died!" He was mocked, derided, scorned, and vilified by the Left.
One of the main reasons we ought to re-elect President
Obama is that he is still committed to constructive cooperation.
Upon hearing those words, I can imagine the looks on the faces of the Republican members of Congress who submitted ideas and proposals which were never used. Phone calls to the White House which were never returned. Deals taking place late at night or behind closed doors. The Health Care Bill, which is the biggest piece of legislation in recent history, happened with very little Republican input allowed. It was ramrodded through while Democrats had control of both the White House and Congress. Even the outraged voice of the people didn't deter them. Remember the town hall meetings? Congressmen were reluctant to go home and face the wrath of their constituents.
In Tampa, the Republican argument against the president's
re- election was actually pretty simple, pretty snappy. It went
something like this: ``We left him a total mess. He hasn't
cleaned it up fast enough, so fire him and put us back in.''
Here's an interesting exercise: Try googling "Bill Clinton and deregulation". There is a lot of opinion out there that during the last part of his administration, he enacted some legislation that loosened up some banking laws (that were put in place after the crash of 1929) and the business of underwriting loans sprang to life. This gave birth to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and Sen. Barney Frank's assertions right before the collapse, that all was well. Now I don't understand it all very well, so I recommend doing the google exercise and see what you find.
Look at his (Obama's) record. Look at his record. Look at his
record.
Yes, let's.
They want to cut taxes for high-income Americans even more
than President Bush did. They want to get rid of those pesky
financial regulations designed to prevent another crash and
prohibit federal bailouts.
The truth: Republicans want to simplify the tax code and lower taxes for everyone. But obviously, for those who pay NO income taxes, their rate cannot go any lower. And does he mean to get rid of pesky financial regulations, like HE did?
And they want to make enormous cuts in the rest of budget,
especially programs that help the middle class and poor
children.
Classic Leftism: Scare people with lies and exaggerations about the Right. Look at what some Republican governors have done in their states. They loosened the grip of public unions and reduced costly pensions and employee benefits --- allowing them to KEEP the services/programs. Remember the cries of the teachers' unions when threatened with budget cuts? "It'll hurt the children!!" they cried. Instead, by making the changes I just mentioned, no teachers were fired, and the children were unaffected.
Now -- but he has -- he has laid the foundations
for a new, modern, successful economy of shared prosperity. And
if you will renew the president's contract, you will feel it.
You will feel it.
.
AKA ...... socialism.
I believe it because President Obama's approach embodies the
values, the ideas, and the direction America has to take to
build a 21st-century version of the American dream, a nation of
shared opportunities, shared responsibilities, shared
prosperity, a shared sense of community.
"Shared": Code word for some people paying a higher (and continually rising) bill for those that pay nothing. With the number of people paying the bill, shrinking --- and the number of people who pay nothing, growing. It's simply not sustainable.
During this period -- during this period, more than 500,000
manufacturing jobs have been created under President Obama.
That's the first time manufacturing jobs have increased sincethe 1990s.
"Obama has claimed an increase of some 500,000 manufacturing jobs over the past 29 months. But this is cherry picking by the president. From the beginning of Obama's term 3 1/2 years ago, manufacturing jobs have declined by more than 500,000, according to the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Manufacturing jobs have been on a steady decline for nearly two decades."speech-article-1.1154028#ixzz25tfzAEz
First, individuals and businesses have already gotten more
than $1 billion in refunds from insurance companies because the
new law requires 80 percent to 85 percent of your premium to go
to your health care, not profits or promotion.
Have you seen a refund or a decrease in health insurance cost? Me neither.
Romney's plan is "going to end Medicare as we know it."
Do you really believe this? Do you really believe that Romney/Ryan plans to "push granny off the cliff", as the ads tells us? That's absolutely insane!! Again, the ONE thing that the Left does BRILLIANTLY, is to demonize the Right. Everything else they touch becomes damaged. Their message is: Vote for us because the Right are MONSTERS WHO WANT TO HURT YOU! It's so ridiculous it's almost funny! Go here for the other side.
Now let's talk about the debt. Today, interest rates are
low, lower than the rate of inflation. People are practically
paying us to borrow money, to hold their money for them. But it
will become a big problem when the economy grows and interest
rates start to rise. We've got to deal with this big long-term
debt problem or it will deal with us. It'll gobble up a bigger
and bigger percentage of the federal budget we'd rather spend on
education and health care and science and technology. It --
we've got to deal with it.
Now, what has the president done? He has offered a
reasonable plan of $4 trillion in debt reduction over a decade,
with $2.5 trillion coming from -- for every $2.5 trillion inspending cuts, he raises a dollar in new revenues, 2.5 to 1.
Feb. 13, 2009, from the White House: “Today I’m pledging to cut the deficit we inherited in half by the end of my first term in office. This will not be easy. It will require us to make difficult decisions and face challenges we’ve long neglected. But I refuse to leave our children with a debt that they cannot repay — and that means taking responsibility right now, in this administration, for getting our spending under control.”
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/02/obamas-broken-deficit-promise/
Obama inherited a deficit of 1.3 trillion. As of 2011, it has remained about the same. The deficit is the difference between what the government takes in, and what it spends. It is what grows the debt. And we all know that the national debt has doubled since he took office. Therefore, if he failed to do as he promised when he was first elected, WHY should we elect him again?
President Obama's plan cuts the debt, honors our values,
brightens the future of our children, our families, and our nation. It's a heck of a lot better. It passes the arithmetic
test and, far more important, it passes the values test.
Note: Although he smartly stayed away from the topic of women's rights, that theme was covered repeatedly by other speakers at the DNC. Bill Clinton deeply hurt the two women closest to him. And he hurt a much too young female White House aide. And a number of other women have stepped forward with claims of his unwanted advances, one claiming rape. Not all of these other claims were pursued legally, yet common sense says when there's smoke time after time after time, there generally is fire. Add to that, he is a documented liar, and was impeached because of perjury.
Now to his speech, which is overly long, so I'll just draw out some quotes. His words are in blue.
We Democrats, we think the country works better with a
strong middle class, with real opportunities for poor folks to
work their way into it, with a relentless focus on the future,
with business and government actually working together to
promote growth and broadly shared prosperity. You see, we
believe that ``We're all in this together'' is a far better
philosophy than ``You're on your own.''
Is he saying that Republicans don't care about others? That we only care about ourselves? It's well known that Republicans donate more money, time, and service to charities. Look at Republican Representative Michelle Bachman, for example. She and her husband cared for 23 foster children. Read the speeches given at the RNC about Mitt Romney's selfless service to others. Does that hold to what Mr. Clinton implies?
Now, there's something I've noticed lately. You probably
have, too. And it's this. Maybe just because I grew up in a
different time, but though I often disagree with Republicans, I
actually never learned to hate them the way the far right that
now controls their party seems to hate our president and a lot
of other Democrats.
Is he kidding?? Remember the hatred towards George Bush? "Bush lied, people died!" He was mocked, derided, scorned, and vilified by the Left.
One of the main reasons we ought to re-elect President
Obama is that he is still committed to constructive cooperation.
Upon hearing those words, I can imagine the looks on the faces of the Republican members of Congress who submitted ideas and proposals which were never used. Phone calls to the White House which were never returned. Deals taking place late at night or behind closed doors. The Health Care Bill, which is the biggest piece of legislation in recent history, happened with very little Republican input allowed. It was ramrodded through while Democrats had control of both the White House and Congress. Even the outraged voice of the people didn't deter them. Remember the town hall meetings? Congressmen were reluctant to go home and face the wrath of their constituents.
In Tampa, the Republican argument against the president's
re- election was actually pretty simple, pretty snappy. It went
something like this: ``We left him a total mess. He hasn't
cleaned it up fast enough, so fire him and put us back in.''
Here's an interesting exercise: Try googling "Bill Clinton and deregulation". There is a lot of opinion out there that during the last part of his administration, he enacted some legislation that loosened up some banking laws (that were put in place after the crash of 1929) and the business of underwriting loans sprang to life. This gave birth to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and Sen. Barney Frank's assertions right before the collapse, that all was well. Now I don't understand it all very well, so I recommend doing the google exercise and see what you find.
Look at his (Obama's) record. Look at his record. Look at his
record.
Yes, let's.
They want to cut taxes for high-income Americans even more
than President Bush did. They want to get rid of those pesky
financial regulations designed to prevent another crash and
prohibit federal bailouts.
The truth: Republicans want to simplify the tax code and lower taxes for everyone. But obviously, for those who pay NO income taxes, their rate cannot go any lower. And does he mean to get rid of pesky financial regulations, like HE did?
And they want to make enormous cuts in the rest of budget,
especially programs that help the middle class and poor
children.
Classic Leftism: Scare people with lies and exaggerations about the Right. Look at what some Republican governors have done in their states. They loosened the grip of public unions and reduced costly pensions and employee benefits --- allowing them to KEEP the services/programs. Remember the cries of the teachers' unions when threatened with budget cuts? "It'll hurt the children!!" they cried. Instead, by making the changes I just mentioned, no teachers were fired, and the children were unaffected.
Now -- but he has -- he has laid the foundations
for a new, modern, successful economy of shared prosperity. And
if you will renew the president's contract, you will feel it.
You will feel it.
.
AKA ...... socialism.
I believe it because President Obama's approach embodies the
values, the ideas, and the direction America has to take to
build a 21st-century version of the American dream, a nation of
shared opportunities, shared responsibilities, shared
prosperity, a shared sense of community.
"Shared": Code word for some people paying a higher (and continually rising) bill for those that pay nothing. With the number of people paying the bill, shrinking --- and the number of people who pay nothing, growing. It's simply not sustainable.
During this period -- during this period, more than 500,000
manufacturing jobs have been created under President Obama.
That's the first time manufacturing jobs have increased sincethe 1990s.
"Obama has claimed an increase of some 500,000 manufacturing jobs over the past 29 months. But this is cherry picking by the president. From the beginning of Obama's term 3 1/2 years ago, manufacturing jobs have declined by more than 500,000, according to the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Manufacturing jobs have been on a steady decline for nearly two decades."speech-article-1.1154028#ixzz25tfzAEz
First, individuals and businesses have already gotten more
than $1 billion in refunds from insurance companies because the
new law requires 80 percent to 85 percent of your premium to go
to your health care, not profits or promotion.
Have you seen a refund or a decrease in health insurance cost? Me neither.
Romney's plan is "going to end Medicare as we know it."
Do you really believe this? Do you really believe that Romney/Ryan plans to "push granny off the cliff", as the ads tells us? That's absolutely insane!! Again, the ONE thing that the Left does BRILLIANTLY, is to demonize the Right. Everything else they touch becomes damaged. Their message is: Vote for us because the Right are MONSTERS WHO WANT TO HURT YOU! It's so ridiculous it's almost funny! Go here for the other side.
Now let's talk about the debt. Today, interest rates are
low, lower than the rate of inflation. People are practically
paying us to borrow money, to hold their money for them. But it
will become a big problem when the economy grows and interest
rates start to rise. We've got to deal with this big long-term
debt problem or it will deal with us. It'll gobble up a bigger
and bigger percentage of the federal budget we'd rather spend on
education and health care and science and technology. It --
we've got to deal with it.
Now, what has the president done? He has offered a
reasonable plan of $4 trillion in debt reduction over a decade,
with $2.5 trillion coming from -- for every $2.5 trillion inspending cuts, he raises a dollar in new revenues, 2.5 to 1.
Feb. 13, 2009, from the White House: “Today I’m pledging to cut the deficit we inherited in half by the end of my first term in office. This will not be easy. It will require us to make difficult decisions and face challenges we’ve long neglected. But I refuse to leave our children with a debt that they cannot repay — and that means taking responsibility right now, in this administration, for getting our spending under control.”
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/02/obamas-broken-deficit-promise/
Obama inherited a deficit of 1.3 trillion. As of 2011, it has remained about the same. The deficit is the difference between what the government takes in, and what it spends. It is what grows the debt. And we all know that the national debt has doubled since he took office. Therefore, if he failed to do as he promised when he was first elected, WHY should we elect him again?
President Obama's plan cuts the debt, honors our values,
brightens the future of our children, our families, and our nation. It's a heck of a lot better. It passes the arithmetic
test and, far more important, it passes the values test.
GIVE ME A BREAK.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)