Yesterday, upon leaving Colorado, I had the pleasure of experiencing the TSA at it’s finest. I found myself in the line with the new full-body scanners. With a few extra minutes to spare, I decided to “opt-out” of the radiation and “opt-in” for a pat-down. I’ve flown a handful of times since the scanners were implemented but have somehow managed to avoid them. Not so lucky today…
I removed my shoes, my jacket, my jewelry and loaded everything onto the x-ray belt. When the agent realized that I was not going to go through the scanner, he shouted, “WE NEED A PAT DOWN ON 2!” as surrounding people turned to watch. Um…sorry that I’m not interested in the guy literally 3-feet away sneaking a peek of what’s under all my clothing. I waited patiently but inquired about my things that had now exited onto the other side of the x-ray belt. The TSA agent stated, “This is my checkpoint and I cannot leave my mark. There are cameras everywhere, your stuff will be fine.” Ah- yes, your mark. Please don’t leave it. Naturally, I was irritated and started the usual huffing and puffing and swaying from side to side with my arms crossed. Eventually he literally breaches security and has me come through to the other side without any x-ray machine, scanner or pat down. I could bolt, but I don’t. The agent tells me to ‘stay right here and don’t move’ while they continued to search for a female agent. I guess I was allowed on the other side of the barrier so I could keep a closer eye on my belongings.
Eventually a woman about 50 appeared with blue gloves and waved me over. She collected my things and I walked barefoot (disgusting) across the floor. She asked if I had everything and then gave me a brief speech that went a bit like this: “You understand that the machines you opt-ed out of are not harmful. You still have the option to return to the machine. If not, I will use a gloved-hand starting at your head and down to your toes. I will use the back of my hand, bracing my self on your hip, while checking between your legs and on your behind. I will also brace myself on your hip while I feel around your bra with the back of my hand. You have the option to do this in private. Do you understand?”
While I began to fully understand the grossness of the pat down to come, my nervousness came out in laughter. (Mostly because I couldn’t imagine going into a private room- that seems MORE inappropriate! Let all these folks be witnesses.) The agent offered my patient mom a seat (which she of course declined) and began what seemed like one of those 5-minute-mall massages. She flattened my hair (which irritated me) and then talked about Plexiglas (she wanted to know if I knew that you could see through it) and some article she read about the lack of dangers of the TSA scanners. Really, lady? She also asked if it ‘opt-out’ often and why- none of your darn business. It ended abruptly after about 3 minutes and she stepped to the side to wipe her gloves with some special paper. She told me to wait because she was checking my clothing for radioactive and explosive residue. She joked about how to say those two words with the agent next to us the entire time she was ‘processing’. She then said, “You’re good to go!” and walked away.
After gathering all of my things, my mom and I giggled and conversed about the lack of professionalism and the obnoxious scene they create in an effort to humiliate people who opt out of the scanner.
I walked away feeling a little violated, in need of some hairspray and as a new member of the “no-fly” list.
Recently, Stevie Wonder cancelled a planned concert for an organization that works to raise money for the Israeli military. He was to play for Friends of the Israeli Defense Force on December 6th but backed out after pressure from the UN claiming that someone with such a title should not support the Israeli Army. (This is just days after the United Nations overwhelmingly voted to recognize Palestine as state, and a few months after our own Prez denied talks with Netanyahu)
Mr. Wonder released the following statement, “I am respectfully withdrawing my participation from this year’s event to avoid the appearance of partiality…As a Messenger of Peace, I am and have always been against war, any war, any where. In consistently keeping with my spirit of giving, I will make a personal contribution to organizations that support Israeli and Palestinian children with disabilities.”
Mr. Wonder…you state that you’re against war. Please tell me more about why supporting a benefit for a force that is simply protecting its own people is war.
This nonsense, coupled with some recent Facebook shenanigans, compelled me to create a timeline of events regarding the Conflict with Israel & Palestine.
Note* The term “Palestinian” is fairly new relative to history and fabricated.
The ‘land in question’ has been conquered and re-conquered many of times but belonged to the Israelites dating back to 1250 BC. In 586 BC, the Jews were exiled by the Babylonians and waited 70 years to return to rebuild their Temple after it had been destroyed. Then a bunch of Greek stuff happened (that I’m not well-versed on) but Judea, the Jewish state in the Roman province of Palestine was established in 63 BC after another conquering.
Somewhere around 120 AD, Jews were initially allowed to return to Jerusalem after more Temples had been destroyed, but – after another Jewish revolt in 133 – the city was completely destroyed and its people banished and sold into slavery.
Some 500 years pass and the region is ruled by those of Muslim faith until the fall of the Ottoman empire in the 1900’s.
1897: Zionism emerges, primarily in response to anti-Semitic beliefs in Europe. Roughly 65,000 people of Jewish faith resided peacefully alongside Muslims for the next 20 years.
1917: Balfour Declaration: Britain aims to create a home for the Jewish people in a new area called Palestine.
1920’s– Violence erupts as the Jewish population rises to 11%. It surges when, in 1929, 133 Jews were killed by Palestinians and 110 Palestinians died at the hands of the British police (NOT JEWS)
1937 Finally in the late 1930’, Secretary of State for India, Lord Peel, recommends partitioning the land into a Jewish state and an Arab one. Both side rejected this suggestion.
1947: Britain forfeits power and hands it over to the UN. The Jews now consist of roughly 33% of the population. They were also dealing with a significant displacement of Jews following World War II and the Holocaust.
The UN set up a special committee which recommended splitting the territory into separate Jewish and Palestinian states. Palestinian representatives, known as the Arab Higher Committee, rejected the proposal; their counterparts in the Jewish Agency accepted it.
The partition plan gave 56.47% of Palestine to the Jewish state and 43.53% to the Arab state, with an international enclave around Jerusalem. The plan was never implemented, even though a UN vote supported it.
1948: (May 15th) The State of Israel is proclaimed. The next day, five Arab armies from Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq immediately invaded Israel but were resisted, and the Israeli army crushed pockets of confrontation.
1967– A year of war on all fronts, Israel eventually expanded their territory. The Arabs, displeased fled to Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. This also marks the shift in UN support for Israel.
1968– Yasser Arafat Fatah-backed forces inflicted significant casualties on Israelis in Jordan.
1972: 11 Israeli athletes are killed at the Olympics
1973– Still mad about 1967, Egypt & Syria launched major forces against Israel on Yom Kippur. Israel made gains in this war as well, but eventually re-released them. Egypt and Syria jointly lost an estimated 8,500 soldiers in the fighting, while Israel lost about 6,000.
1974: Harold Saunders,(U.S. State Department Official) acknowledged for the first time that “the legitimate interests of the Palestinian Arabs must be taken into account in the negotiating of an Arab-Israeli peace”. This was after Arafat made an appearance at the UN referencing his “olive branch and his freedom-fighter gun.”
1977: First Arab leader recognizes Israel, Egypt’s Anwar Sadat. Fellow Arab nations boycotted Egypt for negotiating peace with Israel.
1982: After an attempted assassination of an Israeli ambassador, Israel invaded Lebanon. This was in response to the perpetuated violence of Hezbollah.
Mid-1980’s: Israel faces Palestinian uprising which result in Palestinian deaths. Some news outlets will attempt to convince the world that this is a fault of Israel, however, this was a result of Palestinian violence in addition to general boycotts, graffiti, barricades and stone-throwing demonstrations.
After this incident, PLO decided they DID want to negotiate a two-state plan, but Israel declined.
The Palestinians (PLO) supported Iraq during the Gulf War and alienated a significant base of people. Early 1990’s: PLO again is in a vulnerable position (still from supporting Iraq) and attempts to reconcile with Israel. During the Oslo Peace Process, PLO agreed to recognize Israel as a state if they de-occupied current Palestinian territory. Negotiations culminated to a Declaration of Principles.
Peace didn’t last long. After a year of Palestinian recognition, dozens of Israeli’s were killed by Palestinian militants. Oslo II was signed, granting 72% of territory to Israel, 21% under joint occupation and 7% under Palestinian control.
1996– Hamas begins to gain strength and carries out dozens of suicide bombings against Israelis.
Early 2000’s– Israel continues assassinating Palestinian militants, air strikes and incursions into Palestinian self-rule areas. Palestinian militants stepped up suicide bomb attacks in Israeli cities.
2004: After 3 bombings in August and September and abundant Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli towns, Israel launched a major and bloody incursion into northern Gaza.
The last 8 years has consisted of perpetual violence against Israelis as they continue their attempt to barricade and block Palestinian violence and control. Even so recently as November, Hamas violated ceasefires and continued sending rockets into Israel.
————————————————————-
There is a consistent pattern of Jewish persecution (I don’t think I really need to name specific events, as anyone aware of the last 100 years could pin point my references). And just recently in Hungary, the parliament called for Jews to be registered on lists as threats to national security. Since when is this kind of behavior okay?
I stand with Israel and the people of Jewish faith.
*I’d like to note that until the current administration, the United States has been an avid ally of the Israel and a strong supporter of their peace, safety and freedom. Presidential statements include…
JFK—“Israel was not created in order to disappear—Israel will endure and flourish. It is the child of hope and home of the brave. It can neither be broken by adversity nor demoralized by success. It carries the shield of democracy and it honors the sword of freedom.”
Jimmy Carter—“We have a special relationship with Israel. It’s absolutely crucial that no one in our country or around the world ever doubt that our number one commitment in the Middle East is to protect the right of Israel to exist, to exist permanently, and to exist in peace. It’s a special relationship.”
Bill Clinton—“Our relationship would never vary from its allegiance to the shared values, the shared religious heritage, the shared democratic politics which have made the relationship between the United States and Israel a special—even on occasion a wonderful—relationship.”
Bush II—“Israel is a small country that has lived under threat throughout its existence. At the first meeting of my National Security Council, I told them a top foreign policy priority is the safety and security of Israel. My Administration will be steadfast in supporting Israel against terrorism.and violence, and in seeking the peace for which all Israelis pray.”
So that group that hates Israel, and people of Jewish faith….there’s a name for them. We call them anti-Semites. And the ACLU would say it’s a hate crime.
This morning on CBS Sunday Morning, Bill Flanagan of MTV did a segment on the death of the Twinkie. (You can see the full clip here). These 3-minute commentaries leave me yelling, shouting and throwing things at the television almost every Sunday morning. The intensity of the ’tilt’ to the left is beyond my comprehension. Here is a small excerpt of the commentary:
“Is it possible in this noble Constitutional republic…corporate interests intent on breaking every last union have stooped so low as to cancel production of the Hostess Twinkie, the Devil Dog, and the Reindeer? Has Capitalism sunk this far? Will the President bail out Hostess as he did General Motors?…Who is the heartless corporate CEO who pulled the plug…”
At least he got the first sentence right…”Constitutional republic”…that we are. Aside from that, it really got me thinking…why do liberals hate success so much…but not celebrities?
Every where you turn, there is a shaming for success. Liberals hate pretty much all wealthy white men. They are blamed for most of the issues concerning American right now. They have stigmatized the “1%” because they have worked hard…and often times play hard. But why the disconnect?
Someone posted a picture of a Twinkie funeral on my Facebook page with the caption “The Truth Will Come Out. Unions: Hostess CEO received 300% raise before bankruptcy. Labor blasts ‘myth’ that union strike killed Twinkies” Then, in a back and forth, came to this: Somewhere, someone, decided that it’s not okay to be successful. Someone decided that it’s wrong for a CEO to make more money than a blue collar worker. Someone decided that we need unions to constantly challenge executives because they earn more. Someone decided that it’s not okay to have more money than someone else …but ONLY on the basis that they also don’t have that same large amount of money. And what’s more interesting is that they don’t want to be equal on a high earning scale, they want everyone to be equal on a low-earning scale. They want upper middle class and upper class people to be yanked down to their level.
But why are liberals so angry? It can’t be because conservatives don’t share their earnings. They do. It’s called a donation. (Here is the definition, since many liberals don’t understand the difference between a tax and a donation) There have been several articles describing the charitable giving on behalf of conservatives and it’s a known fact that liberals prefer the oh-so-trustworthy, ever-so great-at-handling-cash government to redistribute funds as opposed to nonprofits. In fact, research says wealthy AND red states are much more likely to donate to charity. Even the Huffington Post tried to twist conservative giving by unsuccessfully trying to claim that donations to churches don’t count. So what of it? If they’re sharing –just not with the government- why do liberals hate success? And why do they give a pass to the entertainment industry?
And why do they give a pass to the entertainment industry? Why don’t they go after their ‘own’? Take a look at someone of the wealthiest liberals:
Bill Gates $54 billion
Larry Ellison of Oracle $$27 billion
Michael Bloomberg $18 billion
Jeff Bezos of Amazon $12.6 billion
Anne Cox Chambers of Cox Enterprises $12.5 billion
George Soros- $14 billion
Barack Obama
Bill & Hilary Clinton
Not to mention the plethora of celebrities that endorsed the Democrat platform during the last election: 50 Cent, Lady Gaga, Ellen Degeneres, Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Vanessa Williams, Reese Witherspoon, Bill Cosby…here is the list of HUNDREDS of them.
Someone, please tell me why. Why are liberals shaming success? And why are they so forgetful of all the ‘success’ on their side when they’re criticizing and degrading successful conservatives? Who do they think is paying for all their dependency and entitlement programs? Why is it okay for Bill Cosby to rake in millions but not a CEO?
I am so gosh darn tired of hearing about contraception I could just vomit. “Women need contraception to be equal.” “Women need contraception to get a good job. ” “Women need contraception to be free.” “Contraception keeps women from suffering in the working world.” “Stop the War on Women!” It was a driving topic in the election. Sandra Fluke. Lena Dunham. Now the UN has come out with a statement (joy!) declaring the need for globalized contraception. The US offers 22% of UN funding so not only do I have to pay for someones birth control here in the United States under ObamaCare, I now have to pay for the globalized initiative to send contraceptives around the world. The statement from the UN claims that making it difficult to access birth control is an infringement on women’s rights………………..
What did women do before the government gave everything out? Hell, What did women do before contraception was invented? ( I don’t actually want the answers to these questions because it’s a societal thing, and the evolution is sad.) The results of sex are not new and $10/month is not outrageous. Birth control is not mandatory preventative care. (And to be perfectly honest, synthetic hormones and chemicals aren’t really that good for you any way- but that’s a whole different rant.) Also, please don’t tell me that it’s cheaper for taxpayers to pay for birth control than it is to pay for a child. The government shouldn’t be doing that either.
Let’s get a grip and focus. I respect the right to do whatever you please in your own bedroom, whether it be moral or not. I’m not judging. But seriously, for the love of Pete…stop telling the government to stay out of your bedroom and uterus, and then demand them to pay for the insurance to cover the lady parts. That’s called hypocrisy and I’m tired of it. We’ve got more important things to worry about.
I’m not talking about why I think the Republican party is broken and I’m not talking about why I don’t think Mitt Romney was the BEST candidate. I’m also not talking about why I can’t stand a lot of liberals. It is all irrelevant at this point. (Well, actually, it’s not. But for the sake of this post it is.) I’m talking about the fact that we are so far from our roots that we are truly almost unrecognizable.
I took some heat on my Facebook page (surprise!) the other night because I said, “My heart is aching for my country. I don’t understand how people can be so stupid. My respect for anyone who identifies as a liberal dwindles daily- regardless of the outcome.” But 24 hours and several arguments later, I still stand by my words.
The truth of the matter is…Liberals & Moderates: I’m judging your actions and your thought process. Please…do show me in the Constitution where you are awarded birth control, health care, phones, housing arrangements, abortions, higher education, cars, anything!….where it says we should have legislation like the PATRIOT Act, the NDAA, No Child Left Behind and ObamaCare. SHOW ME. I’ve read it several times. I still can’t find that in there.
Conservatives lost the election to social issues. Liberals encouraged women to vote with their lady parts and for “revenge” while Republicans allowed the election to focus on Big Bird, Binders and Bill Clinton recommendations. The fact that voters were driven by body parts and social ideas is perplexing. I’m not okay with it. I don’t know why our elections aren’t more focused on the Constitution. Even taxes were twisted into class warfare talk and demographics when, in reality, a tax is a tax is a tax regardless of who is paying it. Do you think we had the Revolutionary War, Constitutional Conventions and people dying for our country so you could have free things at the expense of others? Absolutely not. Our Constitution sets us aside from other countries because we have the freedom to excel as far and as high as we so please. We have the freedom to speak, pray, associate, carry a gun, and most importantly, to question our government. We have protections from the Federal government through our states. Why is no one talking about this? I’m sure our Founders fought for this country 1) based on their strong faith in God and 2) their strong belief in personal responsibility.
Someone from class told me I was an “outlier” because I am a staunch Constitutionalist and respect what our forefathers laid out for us. This person told me that I am “so far from everyone else that I shouldn’t be on the political spectrum” and that I am a “1 on a scale to 10”. Really, sir? I beg to differ. I believe in everything that we started with…all the way back in 1776. I liked what America stood for. So wouldn’t that make YOU the outlier? All you 4-10 people. The people who have “progressed” so far from our foundations? [I’ll say that 2’s and 3’s are okay because , in my metaphor, they are likely the number which extended the right to vote to all races and women.]
But I am bewildered by the idea of attaining anything for “free”. You know things don’t just jump into existence…You know SOMEONE has to pay for those free things, right? In a lot of places, when something is taken from one and given to another, it is called theft. Why do you think it’s okay for you to have some of mine just because you have less? I don’t steal you’re free time because I have less while working so hard to support you. The only thing the Constitution guarantees ALL of us is freedom (different variations of course, but certainly no entitlements.)
We are so lost. My generation has become such a group of leeches who think everything should be handed to them. They don’t even know the first 10 amendments. How un-American and unacceptable.
I cried for my country last night. I cried because if we are this unrecognizable now…where will we be in 2016? Will we remember what freedom feels like?
I know many of you have already voted, so for some this may not apply, but here are my voting suggestions for Tuesday. Everyone is very focused on the Presidential race–as they should be– but it’s important to research your local and state candidates as well. Feel free to comment or e-mail theperspicaciousconservative@gmail.com with any other questions. I skipped candidates who had no opposition.
FOR PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER (to succeed Chuck Eaton)
-I am voting to keep Chuck Eaton (R). Chuck Eaton is the only candidate who reached out to me during the primary and the general election. Personal interactions matters, folks.
FOR PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER (to succeed Stan Wise)
-I am voting for David Staples. He is the Libertarian candidate and I support him not only because of beliefs but also because Stan Wise had complete disregard for informing voters during both the primary and the general election by refusing to show up for debates or participate in forums. I’d like to see him voted out.
FOR U.S. REPRESENTATIVE IN THE 5TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT:
While I no longer live in the 5th district, I am so happy to see a Republican with more conservative leanings running against (too)-long-time-incumbent John Lewis. For that reason, I would suggest voting for Howard Stopeck. {I would like to thank John Lewis for for voting “No” to the NDAA in 2011, though. It’s one of the few things I can say he has done correctly in representing the American people}.
FOR U.S. REPRESENTATIVE IN THE 6TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT:
I grew up in the 6th district and have many family and friends who still reside there. I would select Tom Price, even though he voted in favor of the NDAA. Unless you are a proponent of the ‘write-in’ option, your other choice is a Democrat by the name of Jeff Kazanow. I know nothing about him so I can’t recommend him. I can still muster support of Tom Price because of his adamant fight against Obamacare and push for repeal. (And, I like his wife, Betty, who was a supporter of Andrew Wordes)
FOR U.S. REPRESENTATIVE IN THE 11TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
I was recently added to the 11th district so my choice is Phil Gingrey. I did not support him in the primary, however, it’s important to vote red.
FOR STATE SENATOR FROM THE 6TH DISTRICT
I am voting for Hunter Hill. I could not, would not, should not support Doug Stoner under any circumstance most importantly because of his support of the TSPLOST. I would like to congratulate both candidates on sending the largest number of mail outs in one election cycle. I often times received more than one from the same candidate on the same day. (For future reference, I think that diminishes effectiveness.) But Go Hunter!
FOR STATE SENATOR FROM THE 56TH DISTRICT
If you’re reading this blog, you know what I think. Next.
FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE 54TH DISTRICT
I am voting for Edward Lindsey. He is my current State Rep and while I disagree with him on the Charter School amendment, he has done a great job representing the people of Buckhead and Sandy Springs. I also had the opportunity to work with him during the 2012 Legislative Session and I can say he is truly a good person.
AMENDMENT 1 NO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Under no circumstance, in no context, for any reason, do I support the expansion of government. The Charter School Amendment isn’t about the kids. It’s about government and oversight. If this amendment passes, a state board will be allowed to override the decision of a local school district to deny a Charter. In that situation, a local school board will have to deal with the ramifications of a new school that they once denied. What kind of environment do you think THAT will make for the kids? You can read more about why you should oppose the Charter School amendment here and here. AMENDMENT 2 Yes. I like outsourcing and privatizing things when using tax funds.
ROSWELL BOND REFERENDUM NO!!!!! If you live in Roswell, you need to open your darn eyes and look at what’s happening to your city. Your government is corrupt beyond measure. Please please please vote no on this bond referendum. The City has already allotted for it in their 2013 FY budget because they are going bankrupt. This is NOT the solution. There are several different pages you can read about the bond and other corrupt activities linked to this bond. Vote NO and the move to Alpharetta.
There is a lot I’d like to say about Cobb, but I will refrain. If you live there, Phil Daniell is running in the 41st House District and needs your support, as does long-time great representative Sam Teasley in the 38th.
There are a couple things I’d like to note. I helped my boyfriend with his Absentee ballot from Florida. I was FLOORED by the steps the state took to protect citizens from Federal initiatives AND how much was put to citizen vote. I’d really like to see more of that in Georgia. (We do a pretty good job– we did defeat the TSPLOST)
But like I always say…Do your duty, shake your booty and get out and vote!
Alright. So over the weekend, the Obama campaign released an ad titled “The Future Children Project” where children (surprise!) sing the story of what will happen should Romney be elected…it basically details a dark and dreary life of oil-filled seas, vicious homophobia, a lack of educational spending and a place where the uninsured die.
Some of the lyrics are bit difficult to understand so they are below, however, I’d like to note that this is one of the sickest ads that I have seen in a long time. First and foremost, I find it disturbing that people actually believe Barack Obama, or any human, is the all-encompassing solution to these issues (of course, liberals will just say “4 years wasn’t enough time!– boo hoo hoo). But I’m also disturbed by the unity and the obvious indoctrination of children in an attempt to tug at the heart strings of undecided voters. Can you think of other instances of young indoctrination? Maybe a dictatorship, as in, the Nazi regime? Or maybe the photos we see from North Korea? I also can’t grasp how any ‘forward-thinking’ parent would justify this against their own values. I thought liberals were about ‘free-thinking’? For once, I’m at a loss for words…
Imagine an America
Where strip mines are fun and free
Where gays can be fixed
And sick people just die
And oil fills the sea
We don’t have to pay for freeways!
Our schools are good enough
Give us endless wars
On foreign shores
And lots of Chinese stuff
We’re the children of the future
American through and through
But something happened to our country
And we’re kinda blaming you
We haven’t killed all the polar bears
But it’s not for lack of trying
The Earth is cracked
Big Bird is sacked
And the atmosphere is frying
Congress went home early
They did their best we know
You can’t cut spending
With elections pending
Unless it’s welfare dough
We’re the children of the future
American through and through
But something happened to our country
And we’re kinda blaming you
Find a park that is still open
And take a breath of poison air
They foreclosed your place
To build a weapon in space
But you can write off your au pair
It’s a little awkward to tell you
But you left us holding the bag
When we look around
The place is all dumbed down
And the long term’s kind of a drag
We’re the children of the future
American through and through
But something happened to our country
And yeah, we’re blaming you
Someone recently told my mom that I am that way I am because she brainwashed me while she was raising me. My lovely mother, who has received criticism about my politicking on more than one occasion :-), laughed it off…as did I since I tend to be even more ‘right-leaning’ than she is. Said person who described my childhood of going to church to learn moral values as ‘brainwashing’ is of course a liberal, and one lacking any faith as well.
This got me thinking. How do parental political beliefs relate to those of their children? Naturally, I took to Facebook and asked 50 of my friends the following questions (49 people across different age groups answered, 35 conservatives or libertarians and 14 liberals (simply because I have more conservative friends!) 1) Are your parents affiliated with the same political party as you? 42 of 49 friends say they vote the same way their parents vote. 2) Would you say that your parents influenced your direction in the political arena? Very influential? Moderately? Not at all/established your own opinion with no influence at all. 36 of 49 friends said their parents influenced their direction in the political arena and added comments to their response (see below) 3) If you’re a parent, what are your plans with your own children? Force it down their throats…moderate direction based on other values…no help at all? 35 of 49 do, or plan to discuss political choices with their children. Please include any other pertinent comments.
A few notes about my friendly experiment: Almost everyone who answered that their parents had influence on their political choice was a conservative. But they all included notes like “It tied into my upbringing with religion and morals” or “Politics was never forced, but understood because I was raised in a family of ‘you make it for yourself”.
Some other more extensive comments included: “I am a parent. My goal is to provide teaching moments. I want my child, a gifted child… to think . . . for himself.” (conservative) “We don’t tell them how to vote, but we certainly let them know how we vote. We try to instill strongly the importance of voting in EVERY election, primaries and general. I sit here trying to say “I don’t care if they vote for Obama and the Democrats, as long as they vote.” But the truth is I would care. I’m not sure I would try to talk them out of it, but I’d be thinking “Sheesh, where did I go wrong with you people?” (conservative)
and my favorite: “No kids {yet}, but my kids will be brought up to interact with the world in a way similar to my interactions with it. I’ll teach them about grace, love, and peace. I’ll teach them about prioritizing simple reliance on Christ and prioritizing the well-being of the tired, poor, and hungry, especially children. I’ll teach them about the work ethic espoused in the new testament. I’ll teach them about love. I guess that aligns with moderate direction based on other values. That’s how I arrived at my particular set of conservative values.”
Now back to my mom. I tried to think of one instance where she told me something about politics, something about how the world should be, ANYTHING about a social or fiscal issue and how that “has to be”. I could think of none. (I did, however, recall my 3rd grade vote for Ross Perot in our mock-presidential election. I was the only one who voted for him and THAT was absolutely 100% from the chatter I heard at home :-)) But when I think about my upbringing, I think about going to church and learning about God, CHARITY, tithing, hard work, prayer and faith. I think about my single mom who worked her ass off to take care of me with no help from anyone and I remember being able to recognize her hard work, even as a little girl. That’s just how it was and you didn’t take help from anyone, especially not the government. Heck, I didn’t even know the government offered ‘help’! I remember learning what a tax was and knowing, without being told, that it was not a good thing.
So you see, conservatives don’t brainwash their children. They teach them about morals, ethics, faith and freedom. They lead their day to day activities with conviction and faith, so it comes naturally. My mom didn’t force any beliefs on me. She never sat me down and said ‘Our family votes Republican and so will you!” The Bible taught me to be pro-life. The Bible taught me about loving my neighbor and respecting others. The Constitution taught me to respect a whole other set of beliefs and guidelines. But these are legitimate morals that dictate our daily actions. I took a lot of heat when I posted Paul Ryan’s quote about his faith driving his every action. By who, you ask? Take a guess. But it’s true. Faith and morals drive us and if we aren’t raised with any, we end up as grumpy, system-draining redistributionists with no drive. Assess your liberal friends, if you have any left.
And a simple note, the ‘official’ definition of brainwashing is “(verb) To make (someone) adopt radically different beliefs by using systematic and often forcible pressure”. Seems to me the only place this is taking place is in the classroom.
In between giggling and snickering, Vice President Biden managed to get a few memorable one-liners in:
“That’s a bunch of malarkey!”
“I don’t understand what my friend is saying!”
“We did not know they wanted more security”
“Incredible!”
“It’s not my position to reveal classified information but we are confident we could deal a serious blow to the Iranians” (no pun intended?)
“This is a bunch of stuff!!”
“FACTS MATTER!”
“Let’s take a look at the facts. Lets’ look where we were in office. …$1.6 trillion in wealth lost. WE knew we had to rescue the middle class, we rescued GM, we moved in and helped people refinance their homes”
“I’ve had it up to HERE with this notion that 47%…its about time they took some responsibility”
“Just get out of the way!”
”Any letter you send me, I’ll entertain”
“We saved $716 billion dollars”
“Who do you believe?!”
“That’s not what they said!!”
“LOOK!”
“Use your common sense. Who do you trust?!”
“We want to extend the tax cut for…permanently!”
“They’re holding hostage the middle class tax cut”
“Just let taxes expire!”
“97% of small businesses make less than $250,000/year”
NEXT Sentence
“96% of small businesses make less than $250,000/year”
“We don’t cut it.” (The American people agree.)
“Let me tell you what my friend said…”
“I’ve been through the whole country- mostly in a helicopter”
“We are leaving!”
“You are in a country that is heavily populated” (Are there countries that are not?)
“None has to pay for contraception”
“Keep an eye on the Supreme Court”
“I hope I’ll get equal time”
“My whole life has been dedicated to leveling the playing field”
“We inherited a God-awful circumstance. People are in trouble.”
“Honey, it’s gonna be okay!”
——————————————————————————————————
If something happens to Obama, this is what you’re left with.
Have you ever thought about how incredibly exhausting it is to argue with a liberal? Besides the name-calling and the lack of logical reasoning, sometimes their irrationality can make it feel like you are the crazy one. But that’s simply not true. First, you have to strike the word ‘liberal’. The official definition of liberal is “Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded, lacking moral restraint.” While the ‘lacking moral restraint’ is correct, a more appropriate term is ‘progressive‘ (a very thorough definition). So, here are a few reasons why just listening to a progressive will make you go cuckoo.
10. They will tell you that everyone should be more tolerant, just not of God or Christianity.
Tolerance is defined as ‘a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward opinions and practices that differ from one’s own.’ Ever been called a racist (see #7) or a bigot by a progressive? Their mantra is ‘tolerance with exceptions’. If you’re white or male or Christian, you are scum. In the 1960s, the atheists and the ACLU combined to convince the Supreme Court to ban both formal prayer and Bible reading from the public education process, then they took the 10 Commandments out of Courthouses while attacking the US Dollar and the Pledge of Allegiance. War on Women? How about the War on God.
9. They will tell you that you should join a union.
Yes, we see how well that worked out for GM, Chrysler, the Chicago Public School Children and Wisconsin. John Hawkins outlines why unions are bad for America here but he says they damage entire industries (true), they ruin public education (double-true), unions cost taxpayers billions (yes, also true), they are anti-democratic (couldn’t be truer) and they are bankrupting cities and states (yep, true too). Some also say that unions lead to unemployment. Instead of demanding collective bargaining rights, why don’t you try working hard, receiving raises and promotions because you earned them and have some personal responsibility. You may find out that you’re more reliable anyways.
8. They will tell you that corporations aren’t people.
And that is true. But who creates a corporation? Who runs a corporation? Who invests in a corporation? Who PROFITS from a corporation? Who gets in trouble when something goes wrong? That’s right, people do all of those things! So why should you tax a group of people different than one individual person? Please distinguish, my progressive counterparts. Back. Up. Your. Statements.
7. They will tell you that the Republican party is only rich, old, white men.
Allen West, Marco Rubio, Sarah Palin, Artur Davis, Nikki Haley, Clarence Thomas, Renee Armore, Janice Rogers Brown, Keith Butler, Jan Brewer, Herman Cain, Michele Bachman, James Weldon Johnson, Martin Luther King, Sr., Colin Powell, Condoleeza Rice, Susanna Martinez, Mary Fallin, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowksi, Olympia Snowe. Shall I continue on?
How can progressives claim this is so when they are represented by people like Harry Reid, (formerly) TED KENNEDY, Bill Clinton, Mike Beebe, Jerry Brown and Andrew Cuomo (to name a few)? Instead of r-i-c-h, o-l-d, w-h-i-t-e, it should say h-y-p-o-c-r-i-t-e!
6. They will tell you that we should just open the borders and welcome everyone with open arms and a smile.
Please tell me what happens when you illegally cross the border of another country? Israel, Mexico, Iran? Russia? Canada? Shall we revisit the case of the hikers in Iran? Give me a break. Our current debt is over $16 trillion. Do we need to be responsible for more handout recipients? The short answer is ‘no’. If it’s that important to come to the United States, do so legally. There is not a valid argument that states otherwise.
5. They will tell you that there is a War on Women.
Abortion. Equal pay. Working outside the home. Progressives will try anything to say the GOP tactic is to keep women barefoot in the kitchen with a baby and a submissive attitude. Think again. Republican women are powerful, too. They just don’t wear pant suits.
4. They will tell you that gun control will make our communities safer. First things first: there should be NO restrictions on a 2nd amendment right guaranteed by the Constitution. But, since our government seems to be hell bent on ensuring we have as few rights as possible, let’s review why gun control won’t help. If someone shoots at me, I’m shooting back. If ‘legal’ gun owners are forced to surrender their guns, they will be sitting ducks for the ‘illegal’ gun owners. There will still be a black market for guns. It’s very simple and people have the right to protect themselves. Progressives just don’t think so. Georgia Tech campus ring a bell?
3. They will tell you that we can tax our way out of debt…and we must tax the rich the most!
They’ve got to share! Correct? NO. According to Mary Katherine Ham’s article in the Daily Caller, “The grand total of the combined net worth of every single one of America’s billionaires is roughly $1.3 trillion. It does indeed sound like a “ton of cash” until one considers that the 2011 deficit alone is $1.6 trillion. So, if the government were to simply confiscate the entire net worth of all of America’s billionaires, we’d still be $300 billion short of making up this year’s deficit.” And what about the notion that 60% of collected taxes come from the top 5%? This goes back to number 8. Yes, it’s true that some wealthy people are taxed at a lower rate, but they also pay taxes as a corporation, on investments and other earnings. They contribute significantly to our economy and the government black hole. Paul Ryan told Hardball in 2011, ‘several small businesses file as individuals. Small businesses are the largest source of employment in our country. If we taxed the “wealthy” any more, these companies would have to lay more people off and stop hiring. This would be disastrous for the middle class in our country.’ Need I say more?
2. They will tell you that Obamacare is not a tax increase.
This one is my favorite. Especially since the Supreme Court just ruled in June that it is, in fact, a tax. Oopsie daisy…now what do they say? It’ll save money in the long run. Everyone needs health care. WAKE UP, FOLKS. Healthcare and health insurance are two very different things. No one is owed anything in this world. All of this is besides the point because this is something people are being forced to pay in an effort to redistribute to those in need. That is a tax. (a tax is a sum of money demanded by a government for its support or for specific facilities or services, levied upon incomes, property, sales, etc.) Ding ding. We have a winner. $788 billion isn’t going to just ‘appear’.
Another fun point to this argument is the notion that insurance companies support Obamacare. How about this whistle blower illustrating how much was spent lobbying AGAINST the healthcare bill. No private company wants this. Consider today’s news with Darden and employee hour cutbacks.
And the number one reason you can’t talk to a liberal… 1. They will tell you that George W. Bush is responsible for everything wrong in the world.
I will call a spade a spade. George W. did a lot of things wrong. A lot. I won’t get into specifics because this blog isn’t about him. It’s about what he didn’t do. He did not create the housing crisis single-handedly, he did not ring up more debt than all other previous presidents combined, he didn’t kill our soldiers and for the-love-of-pete, he did not make Hurricane Katrina happen.
So there you have it. Anytime you hear any of the above 10 phrases, it’s best to just walk away. Because you won’t win.
The Perspicacious Conservative 