Why Do Liberals Hate Success?

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Ding Dong, the Ding Dong’s Dead.

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?

Who’s In Your Backyard??

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I’m a girly-girl. I like fashion, conservative politics and my puppies. I’m young by most standards and am still in the phase of my life where I’m “doing me”. I work hard but most days I can’t walk away from a good pair of Vera Wang boots. So you can imagine my own surprise when I became so passionate about chickens…..Yes, chickens.

Of course it all started with a very special friend named Andrew Wordes. And it certainly wasn’t just about chickens. But chickens were the start of it and chickens were the end of it. A select neighbor, and then the City of Roswell, did not want chickens on Andrews property. They said the chicks and hens were a nuisance (but a couple pigs were okay!).  They tried to enforce new ordinances, take him to court and ultimately harassed him to the brink of him taking his own life. Certainly not all cases (at least the ones we hear about) end up this way- and thank God for that. But we see it all over the state and the country. Right here in a Cobb County, a man is a facing is own battle with the county.

Residents in South Carolina, Nebraska and Rhode Island, among many others, are speaking out for the right to do as they please on their own property. A man up north was fined $5,200 for growing cucumbers in his yard and a homeowner in Orlando was given only a few days to dig up his garden because he ‘violated city codes’ on crop growing. And most outrageously, a couple was fined $1,650 for their noisy toddler in a condo complex. All were labeled ‘nuisances’.

Let’s consider a few aspects of what a nuisance is…
1.) Are chickens in your neighbors yard affecting whether you eat, sleep, breathe, work, produce, or live your life?—NO. Only roosters are loud.
2) Are chickens in your neighbors yard a health hazard? — NO. Yes, they do their dootie, but so do dogs. Most chicken owners keep their coops and backyards neat and clean. Rarely does one receive a health code violation.
3) Are chickens coops an eye sore? –NO. And if it’s in the backyard, who gives a darn?
4) Why does it bother you if someone has a garden on their property? It’s better than overgrown weeds and brush or trash and if you’re a good neighbor, you’d likely get some nice produce.
5) Does the sound of a child’s laughter really grind your behind THAT much? In the middle of the day?!?

What it comes down to is a bunch of snooty suburbanites who simply can’t handle the idea of their precious community have any characteristics of farms, whether it be animals, coops or crops. Homeowners associations are a nasty excuse for “acceptable” regulation. Why should you dictate what I do on my property? If I want to garden, I should garden. If I want to raise chickens, I should raise chickens. If I want to have a goat and play with it in the backyard of my suburban house in my Vera Wang boots while my toddler is laughing and jumping around, then I should do so. Without the intervention, permission, regulation, oversight or taxation of any level of government.

I’ll never forgive or forget what the City of Roswell did to Andrew. It was despicable and nothing short of tragic. But I’m asking you to think twice before you get your panties in a wad over what someone else is doing on their property. What happened to love thy neighbor? Why have we become this pathetic dependent on government to solve even the smallest disputes? I thought property rights were one of our very core foundations? Privacy? Freedom? At the end of the day, it may be about chickens for you…but for the person with the chickens, or the garden, or the toddler, it’s about property, protection and personal liberty. The federal government can tax us and control many of our activities, but we are most vulnerable at the local level– where no one is paying attention.

Why Needy Women Embarrass Me

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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.

Blue State of Affairs

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America has failed.

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?

Charter School Amendment: 2 VERY DIFFERENT Conservative Perspectives

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Ahh, The Charter School Amendment: the issue which has conservatives calling each other liberals, debating ’til they’re blue in the face and liberals…well…just stomping their feet, like usual. So that’s why me and my pal Tori Wester (seen above fighting during our yard sign blitz) from ToriPundit decided to present two different conservative view points on the Charter School Amendment. She voted ‘Yes’ on Amendment 1 and I will be voting No.

Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow state or local approval of public charter schools upon the request of local communities?

The Perspicacious Conservative:
As I mentioned in my Sample Ballot, I don’t condone any sort of government expansion regardless of the circumstances. That alone is reason enough to vote NO.
This amendment isn’t about the kids. It’s about government control. I would like to note that I am not as opposed to Charter schools as I am to this amendment. Sometimes, there is a need for a charter school in a district. There is a never a need for this amendment or its’ repercussions.

  • Georgia already has more than 100 charter schools in operation. There will be ZERO effect on the already operating schools whether the amendment passes or fails. If a charter is denied, there is already an appeals process in place: to the Board of Education.
  • Everyone says this is about ‘local control’ and ‘the parents’. Tell me what is local about a board appointed, NOT ELECTED, that is accountable to the Governor and his friends at the Gold Dome? This will allow states to override a denial decided by the local school board and require them to honor the charter. (I’m legitimately asking someone to tell me how this is local because I don’t understand.)
  • The denial of charters is not as common as proponents are making you think. It’s actually a rare occurrence for a charter to be denied. Revisit bullet #1.
  • 2010-11 State Department of Education report shows that 73 percent of traditional public schools in Georgia met AYP targets while only 70 percent of charter schools met those same targets. I thought Charter schools performed better? Isn’t that what this is about? Better schools?
  • I’m not one to propose more spending, but if you’re claiming students need more money, maybe you should take a look at the overall spending on education for Georgia and how it’s being distributed. Food for thought.
  • ALEC. I would encourage you to take a look at this analysis by PoliticalVine of funding, nationwide rankings and the role that ALEC plays in education around the nation. Do we really want an organization the size of ALEC intervening in our educational system and crafting our policies? I don’t.
  • Revisit the Fulton Science Academy Charter issue that caused a plethora of destruction for students, teachers and taxpayers. And what about where some charter school funding comes from? That mixes with your tax dollars. State charters are almost always managed by out of state for-profit corporations with no accountability.
  • Choice is not the issue. Parents may already choose public, private or homeschooling choices. They may choose which school district by living there, may enroll in any school within the local school system or any school in another school system, if there is room available. Another charter school or two will not significantly increase choice options.

I’m not sure anything could measure up to the ridiculousness of the TSPLOST, however, the government overstep with this comes close. It’s time to go back to the drawing board and find a different solution for the public education crisis. You can read more about Voting NO at VoteSmartGeorgia.

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ToriPundit’s Opinion

I struggled with the charter school amendment, truly I did. Having no children and never having the extreme responsibility of putting a child through school laid heavy on my heart. I had to do a LOT of research. Also, I know so many well-informed voters (whom I respect greatly) that each have very strong opinions about the amendment, both in the affirmative and the negative. I did a little social media experiment on my Twitter and Facebook to get some of my lingering questions answered. I took the arguments I was worried about and posted them, asking supporters to defend them and nay-sayers to reinforce them. I weighed everyone’s arguments and played devil’s advocate until I felt like I had a very good understanding of what is at stake with this amendment.

  • Competition, Competition, Competition. School boards, teacher unions, and local elected officials are reinforcing the status quo. Is the status quo in public education good enough? I say no. Georgia is the “black sheep” of the states in education. Let these schools have an easier route to incite competition. In doing so, you make every school better. Competition is one of the biggest feather’s in a conservative’s cap. Let’s bring that principle to the public schools system.
  • Choice: Let me make this clear… PARENT’S DESERVE A CHOICE. Refer back to bullet point one – do you want them making choices for your kids, or do you want to make the choice? Who ultimately knows what is best for his or her own child? (Hint: it begins with “p” and ends with “arents”). Yes, parent’s already have a choice of where to send their child to school, but when a school board shuts down a charter request, that choice becomes much more limited. Allow the choice. Vote for freedom.
  • It creates more government… but not really. Many (conservative) folks who oppose the amendment do so because they felt a change to Georgia’s constitution was creating more government. I was one of these people, too. That was my final reservation. While the state can now overrule the local school board, it is because of the PARENTS. The state can now intercede, but it is when the parents ASK for the help…. THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!! Individual liberty > local control. The state doesn’t want control’ the state wants parents to have control and is helping them get it.
  • Show me the money. This amendment is not a declaration of support or non-support for charter schools. Charter schools are here. At least, some are. Many, especially in rural south Georgia, are blocked from creation by local boards. Should the parents (the people whose children have to go through these schools) want a competitive alternative to the status quo public schools in place, this amendment allows the state to provide that funding

I will close with this little tidbit of wisdom from my old-man crush, Neal Boortz: “If you want Georgia schools to continue to suck, vote no.”

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The most important thing is to VOTE. I encourage you to take these facts, from both sides, and do a little of your own research to make the best decision. Which is, of course, voting NO.

My November 2012 Ballot

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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!

Subsidies: Kids, Housing, Education & Mental Illness

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I have always said that graduate school is the most difficult mental thing I’ve ever had to do. Not because it’s intellectually challenging, but because the liberal agenda is blatant and in your face it’s sickening.

Last night, my class was discussing higher education in European countries. The agenda was to discuss how education policy is crafted, how its’ funded, things of the like. The first half of the class had been on a completely different topic and the European discussion was planned for the 2nd part of class. During our break, the discussion of politics came up. I made the comment that my whole program is “one big liberal indoctrination fest” to which my teacher laughed a bit. I explained my disdain with the “gift” of a textbook during orientation titled “10 Steps to a Federal Job”. He then mocked me and “What do you expect from a program like this?” (It’s a Masters in Public Administration). I explained that placement in federal jobs is not the only scope of this program and I was disappointed with the lack of focus on the nonprofit sector (to which we’ve been offered no classes) and the local and state government levels. My teacher actually agreed.

He then asked me where I thought he was on the political spectrum, if 1 was the ‘most extreme liberal’ and 10 being the ‘most extreme conservative’. I said based on his comments in class, I would give him a 2. His response? “I’m not that moderate.” Lord. The follow-up question was of course on me and where I stand. My answer was simple: I believe in the Constitution, and I believe in the most amount of freedom with the smallest amount of government. Not one person in the class commented. I guess this is a new concept.

As we moved on to our discussion on European education, we had a student from the Netherlands discuss his educational career. He explained that he had 2 undergraduate degrees and 5 Masters degrees. Pretty fancy. Everyone was praising him and shocked by this profound concept when I asked who footed the bill of this education.”The government, of course”. The discussion carried on with talk of progressive policies, government dependency and subsidies out the wazoo. This panelist emphasized the ‘wonderfulness’ of receiving ‘stipends’ for every thing from child bearing to education to being poor or having a mental illness. He also emphasized the greatness in the inability to be wealthy. “Equality. Equality Equality.”

I could feel my blood pressure rising. Based on my breathing, I would imagine it was somewhere around 160/90. I could feel my face getting read and I was sweating. This panelist again described this socialistic nanny state with great pride when I asked what the tax rate was. “52%” in most cases. My classmates emphasized their desire to go there when my teacher interrupted and asked ‘What is your point, Jessica? If the result is the same, and you attain your goals, why does it matter if the tax rate is high?” My response again was simple. I explained that it seems to be a great concept for the Netherlands, and other socialist nations, but not for America…here we have a Constitution…” and I was again interrupted “The Netherlands has a Constitution, too!!” “Yes, but ours is based on freedom. That IS the basis and the point.” –Silence-

My teacher said “So what is the value of money in the United States, Jessica?” to which I replied “Personal accomplishment and responsibility.” He said “You nailed it.” Yes folks, that’s right. I was able to nail my own personal views. At this point I just wanted class to be over. But it wasn’t.

We carried on with the love of nanny states when finally a classmate asked, ‘Well it sounds so wonderful! What do people complain about?’ Our visitor explained that women only make up about 20% of the work force there and that they are subsidized to stay home…they encourage women in the home. He also described some inequalities and disparities amongst minorities. Socialism didn’t fix those things.

So… the truth comes out in the final minutes of class. It’s not all butterflies and rainbows. It seems as those liberal women prey on the “War on Women” here in America. Why don’t you test the waters in some other countries if it seems so fine and dandy? He also praised the healthcare system but mentioned the slowness, the inefficiencies and the lack of diverse medical care. When discussing policies and minorities, he emphasized the vast disparities and how they affect minorities on a daily basis, detailing the need for more policies to equalize all races, genders and nationalities. Hmm, seems like what they need over there is a little FREEDOM!

I’ll end on this note: My teacher looked at me and said “Why is the word progressive so bad?! What’s so wrong with progress?” Progress is not bad when we extend voting rights to every American and ensure freedoms are guaranteed to every citizen. Progress is bad when we leave our foundations of what this country was based upon. Progress is bad when open our borders or spend our way into becoming Chinese or force one to pay for another. Progress is bad when we lose sight of the Constitution. Progress is bad when we ignore the very freedoms that are protected for you, by others, and put you in a place of higher education. Progress is bad if this is what you’re doing with it.

Thank God I’ve only got 10 months to go.

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“What are you teaching the children?!”

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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

You did your best
You failed the test

Mom and Dad
We’re blaming you!

Yoga is the New Indoctrination

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So…some parents in San Diego are considering legal action because of free yoga classes offered by the school in San Diego. They are claiming two things: 1) that public resources shouldn’t be used for yoga classes and 2) that yoga is a practice of Hinduism and therefore, they are teaching religion in schools.

I will give you #1. Yoga classes are probably not the best use of public education funds when the education system is failing, we can’t afford adequate teachers and California is broke. And I am usually the first one to point out ridiculousness in the classroom and obnoxious abuses of power on behalf of teachers and school districts alike, but this one is just off the wall.

“The lessons are funded by a $533,000, three-year grant from the Jois Foundation, a nonprofit group that promotes Ashtanga yoga. Some schools began classes last month and others will begin holding them in January, at which point roughly 5,456 students will be participating.” according to The Blaze. I researched Ashtanga yoga. While it does have an Indian origin, it’s main focus is on breathing techniques and body alignments with emphasis on concentration. The school made sure to eliminate all religious forms and phrases from the class as well. This is California we’re talking about. Land of the hippies. Of course they want everyone to breathe deeply (and think slowly). This is a state full of proponents of alternative approaches to health. It’s not that outlandish.

Plenty of people practice yoga and it has nothing to do with any religious practice. Even Christians. I’ve been to plenty of yoga classes where they don’t say a word the entire class, with the exception of hello & goodbye (This is mainly because it was a hot yoga class and the temperature was roughly ~110 degrees and everyone was mostly focusing on breathing without dying).

However, the Encinitas Union School District is not attempting to brainwash your children through yoga. I NEVER give people the benefit of the doubt, but even I, as cynical as a I am, know that indoctrination is not what is happening here. Also, you ave the option to remove your child from the class. So if you don’t like it, don’t have your child participate.  Fight for appropriate use of your tax dollars on the basis of tax dollars, not indoctrination.

Conservative Brainwashing

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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.