Just Another American Patriot

Welcome to America

2010-05-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

Arizona's new immigration law, which mirrors federal law, has gotten plenty of negative media and has stirred some interesting discussions on Facebook, in the blogs, and amongst friends. This morning I emailed my niece a link (http://projects.latimes.com/mexico-drug-war/#/its-a-war) which describes the lawlessness that has become prevalent in Mexico and is spilling over our borders. We exchanged a few comments back and forth, and she finally wrote:

"You know what, I'm more or less a live and let live type of person for the most part, Mexicans, Blacks, Whites, Homos whatever (I admit I have difficulty lumping the muslims in there though). People are what they are and can be whatever they want to be as far sexual identity but really it is my belief that they should just all assimilate, speak English, get a job, be a contributory member of society, don't whine about inequality and fairness or lack of it, don't force their viewpoints on others. They don't need their own clubs. The problem is they all want to be in the good ol' USA but they want to foist all of their "crap" on us. If you're going to live in America do it legally, contribute, live the dream and speak English, leave the burqa at home, become an American, melt in the pot or get out. We shouldn't need to change our way of life for people coming to our country to accommodate their ways and beliefs, etc. You don't go to someone else's house and rearrange their furniture, they shouldn't either."

In this day of weighing all our words and often our very thoughts against the political correctness of our time before speaking them, her words are boldly and refreshingly frank. I couldn't have said it better.

The Patrick Henry Caucus

2010-03-16T19:42:00.001-07:00

Check out this video about Utah's "Patrick Henry Caucus". You can find their website at www.thepatrickhenrycaucus.org

What PC is doing to our children and grandchildren

2010-01-12T08:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, a friend was telling about a situation with her 16 year old daughter who badly wants her own cell phone. The mom had put two requirements this girl would have to meet before she could get one. These were simple enough conditions, things any 16 year old should have been doing without a bribe. One was that she would have to be turning in every homework assignment without exception (no grade requirements, even), and the other was that she would keep her room clean. For some reason, the daughter was having trouble accomplishing these basic tasks. Still, the daughter blamed her mom that she could not have a cell phone. The mom was mean and unfair. The mother said her daughter seemed to have no concept of actions and consequences, or that she (the daughter) was the master of her own fate.

I thought about this briefly, and realized that the concept of "consequences" has been un-taught in our schools. No one is allowed to fail, and great accomplishments by students aren't given the recognition they should be. Everyone must be "equal". Our team sports, at least in the younger grades, publish the same misconceived trashy lies. Every team gets a trophy. All players get trophies. Exceptional teams and players are not spotlighted, for fear someone else's feelings might be hurt because they weren't noticed. Even though they did not excel. This concept of "everyone is the same" insidiously teaches our children that there are no consequences for what they do. Responsibility for one's own success or failure is erased by these policies, and the lesson learned spills over into other segments of these kids' lives. What they want, and what their friends have, should just be given to them, regardless of what they do or don't do.

Fortunately, we still have some say in our own homes and families. At least for now. It's up to parents to teach these important concepts, that we can and should achieve all that we strive for, that actions do in fact have consequences in life whether the PC Police say they do or not. But we must teach our children. They will not learn this important lesson in their schools or activities.

Promises vs. Reality

2009-12-23T13:48:00.001-08:00

The President has repeatedly made promises of "bipartisanship", "transparency", and "open doors", but has yet to live up to those promises when it comes to legislation that is potentially life-changing for the citizens of this country. I'm one of those "American people (who) don't want the future of their health care being decided behind closed doors..."

I wonder how our Democrat friends would feel if this shoe were on the other foot. Does fairness matter to them, or only getting what they want, regardless of the consequences to others? I haven't talked to a single conservative who does not agree that we desperately need health care reform. Not one. But the Democrats only want health care reform done their way. No bi-partisanship there. The really sad thing is that so many of those who are blindly insisting this bill must pass are in serious denial about what it is going to do to even their own healthcare options, and financial situation. And if they do know but continue to push for it, that is even more tragic.

So what are the Democrats hiding that necessitates this process to be held behind closed doors without the input of representation of the other half of the country? I want to know. Before the bill is passed. If he really is the president of the whole country and not just a select few, then what does Obama have to hide?

The following article says it better than I can:

Boehner to President Obama: Keep Your Promises of Transparency in Health Care Negotiations
GOP Leader: “The American people don’t want the future of their health care being decided behind closed doors by three liberal Washington Democrats.”
Washington, Dec 23 -

WASHINGTON, DC – House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement in response to news reports that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will hammer out a final government takeover of health care bill behind closed doors with President Obama:

“The American people don’t want the future of their health care being decided behind closed doors by three liberal Washington Democrats.

“Instead of keeping his campaign promises of transparency, President Obama has allowed Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid to operate in secret and play ‘let’s make a deal’ with one-sixth of our economy. It’s just wrong to shut taxpayers out and then spend their hard-earned money on payoffs, kickbacks, and sweetheart deals to jam through this monstrosity.

“Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) has introduced a resolution (H.Res. 847) demanding that any health care negotiations be opened up to the public, and Democrats should join Republicans in supporting it. Given all that's at stake, including whether taxpayer dollars will be used to fund abortions, the American people are right to demand an open and honest discussion of the consequences of this government takeover of health care. That’s what Republicans are fighting for.”

Click here for the rest of the article

Uncle Sam, MD by Dr. Fred Shessel

2009-12-23T06:44:00.000-08:00

Uncle Sam, MD
By Dr. Fred Shessel
December 23, 2009

As a doctor, I know that the most important thing in quality healthcare is my relationship to you, the patient. You are a unique individual, not disease entity. I must tailor my diagnosis and treatment to your particular needs rather than simply assign you to a disease category. Because none of you are exactly alike, there is an art as well as a science to medicine.

Tragically, the so-called healthcare reform legislation currently before Congress will make it impossible for me to do my best for you. Both the House and the Senate Bills will firmly insert a Washington bureaucrat between you and me. The House legislation creates a National Health Care Board whose mandate is to reduce your care to a cost-benefit analysis. It also establishes a Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research that is designed to slow the development of new medications and technologies in order to reduce costs. The Senate Bill gives sweeping powers to the Secretary of HHS to delineate the appropriate treatment for any given diagnosis. In all of these cases, non-doctors who have no relationship to you at all will determine your care.

Read the rest of the article here

FYI

2009-12-21T13:11:00.000-08:00

If you've come here from link from my posting on your personal (i.e., non-political) blog, just want you to know I also write a personal blog and will give that link to personal friends if you'll email me. Just trying to protect my extended family's privacy by generally using this ID on blogspot.

How to get their attention...

2009-12-07T11:55:00.000-08:00

Facebook is a wonderful networking tool. It has also turned out for me to be a way to get the attention of my senator. I am not a rude person and try to be careful to keep my frustration reigned in when I comment on others' Facebook pages whether or not I agree with them. But I think some things have to be said, some of them openly. So I've joined the Facebook pages of my senators.

Once I felt very strongly about an issue but felt it best to contact one of my senators "behind the scenes" in a private message, which I did. It got no response, but I wasn't surprised. He is a busy man. But, like others, I also made public comments to some of his posts. I disagreed with him on several issues along the way but not obnoxiously. Or at least not as blatantly and rudely as others do (though that does not excuse any impoliteness on my part).

Imagine my surprise when I received this private message from the good senator:

Pam,

Thanks for all your posts on my Facebook site. I always enjoy hearing what you have to say.

I can't help but notice that every time you post you only have negative things to say about me. I'm trying my best to represent all (of our state's citizens) and I understand we are not always going to agree on every issue, but certainly there must be sometimes when I do things you believe are good.

Many days, when I do things I know you would normally approve of from most other representatives, I am surprised to find your daily vicious attack or underhanded jab at me once again. I continue to try and do what is right in absolutely everything I do. Perhaps you would be willing to post something nice or complimentary once in awhile.

It's up to you, but I was hopeful there would be a time you would actually like something I'm doing. I'm trying hard to please you.

Just a thought. I hope you're well.

(he signed his first name)

Ok, I have to say, I don't think I made any "vicious attacks" though I would have to admit to some "underhanded jabs". I was surprised that he wrote to me, and admit to feeling his chastisement, as polite as it was.

Here is my reply to him:

Dear Senator ( ),

I thank you for your kind note, and observation of the tone of my posts. I apologize for my public rudeness, but the private contacts I’ve made have been ignored. I have been writing, emailing and calling your office for a few years now. The responses I have gotten (when I received any) have always been a figurative pat on the head with a patronizing tone of “Now, now, thanks for writing but I know better than you.” I understand you have many, many years of service in the Senate, and I acknowledge the time and hard work with which you have served (our state), and thank you. But you have been there so long that I fear you do not see what has happened slowly up to this time, and now very rapidly as we reach the possible end of our Republic as we have known it. Trust me, Senator, I am not the only angry person in (our state). I am one of very many. If I can help you see what is happening before your very eyes, then perhaps you’ll find it in your heart to forgive my rudeness. And now that I have gotten your attention, I will no longer oppose you on your Facebook page.

Senator, I realize that you represent hundreds of thousands of people, of which I am only one. But your first obligation as a senator is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States so that we ALL may continue to enjoy the freedoms that are built into it and guaranteed by it.

Do you really understand why so many Republicans/Conservatives are showing up at Tea Parties and other political rallies these days? It’s not just the individual issues that are being protested (socialized medicine, the horrendous spending of the federal government, etc), it is what these bills as a whole will do to our freedoms. You may not believe this Senator, but Barack Obama is taking steps to totally dismantle our free republic. If you look at the big picture, at the steps he has already taken and at the ones coming at you so fast and furious that you can’t keep up with them, and if you look past that to see what will happen at the end of his road, it is the total collapse of our economic system. There is no compromising with these people. They mean to turn us into a socialist nation or worse with rampantly growing government control over every single facet of our lives – what we drive, what we eat, what doctors we can see, whether we can vote privately against a union in our workplace, whether we can afford to arm ourselves after the horrendous taxes they plan to slap on the ownership of guns and/or ammunition through some backdoor regulation. Can’t you see it, Senator?

I know you were doing the gentlemanly thing when you voted to confirm Cass Sunstein. In the old days (just a few years ago), I would have found no fault in that. But the people you are up against now are not gentlemanly. They are deceivers of the worst kind. They are sly and clever, and good, kind people such as yourself either can’t see that, or think you can do business as usual and all will be well. I think those days are past, Senator. You must quit compromising with those who wish to surrender our national sovereignty through clever regulation and treaties made through the United Nations – not thru the correct channels where you and others would have the opportunity to stop them, but through regulation within existing government departments by people like Cass Sunstein who have no authority to make these changes.

Joe Biden may very well be your friend. (Note: My post which elicited the Senator's message to me was regarding his being praised by the VP as one of the easiest Republicans to work with. I replied "Obviously VP Biden thinks of you as someone on their team. If that's the case, Senator, you're not on my team.) I believe in his heart he believes that the political philosophy he follows and promotes is the right one. He is undoubtedly a good person. But the agenda he is supporting through this president goes against everything you and I believe in and fought for and have promised to continue fighting for. I know you mean well, too, Senator. But you have gotten too close to the problem to see it.

Please step back and take a look at the big picture. Consider what all of this spending is doing to our country. You know in your heart it can’t go on. Consider the damage men like Cass Sunstein can do to us through regulation without the oversight of Congress, notwithstanding their “promises” not to. Please stop compromising away the precious few liberties that are still somewhat intact. These people are not making changes openly, but rather in cover of darkness. They’re keeping you so busy with 1000+ page bills that you cannot possibly read in the time they give you, that you can’t see what they are planning and scheming and carrying out behind the scenes.

I apologize for my rudeness, and I will no longer leave such messages on your Facebook. Believe it or not, it is not my nature to be unkind. I am so frightened for our country, and so frustrated at the seeming ignorance of those who serve in Congress that I don’t know what I can do to help stop the wave of socialism or worse that is threatening to destroy us. I've tried polite, respectful letters and email. They didn't seem to get through.

Respectfully,
(my name and city)

Here are a few quotes that you are probably familiar with:

I have been preaching against Communism for twenty years. I still warn you against it, and I tell you that we are drifting toward it more rapidly now than some of us understand, and I tell you that when Communism comes, the ownership of things which are necessary to feed your families is going to be taken away from us. I tell you freedom of speech will go, freedom of the press will go, and freedom of religion will go. I have warned you against propaganda and hate. We are in the midst of the greatest exhibition of propaganda that the world has ever seen. Just do not believe all you read or hear. THE ELECT ARE BEING DECIEVED.
- Pres. J. Reuben Clark – CR Oct 1941

No greater immediate responsibility rests upon members of the Church, than to protect the freedom vouchsafed by the Constitution of the United States.
- Pres. David O. McKay – CR April 1965

Our struggle is freedom versus socialism. The amount of freedom depends on the amount of socialism. America was built on the principles of self-reliance, individual action, voluntary charity, faith in God, and in themselves. Today these principles are not dominant in the life of the people. Too many Americans believe it is the responsibility of the government to take care of their every need. The government cannot give anything to the people that it does not first take from the people.
- Ezra Taft Benson – Four Pillars of a Moral Nation

You cannot fully live the gospel without working to save freedom and the Constitution, and to stop Communism.
- Ezra Taft Benson – CR Oct 1966

I would like to point out here to anyone of a different political persuasion than I, that this good man whom I respect personally, is a member of the same party to which I belong. I'm an "equal opportunity" complainer. I detest what George W. Bush and others of both political parties did to put us in the situation that we find ourselves in today. I think any of our public servants who has strayed from doing what is good for our country based on Constitutional principles needs to be called out and held accountable. At this juncture of our country's history, it is imperative that as good citizens we put party loyalties aside, consider the basic principles upon which this nation was founded (i.e. our Constitution), study out what is happening today that is counter to those principles by listening to varied news sources, and then do what we can to bring our local, state and federal government back in line with those principles.

It has been over six weeks since this exchange took place between the Senator and myself. He has not responded to what I wrote, but I hope that he received my message in the spirit it was intended. I'm not a rude person, but there are some things that need to be said to the people who represent us.

This seems so obvious....

2009-11-20T22:42:00.000-08:00

...but it must not be.

"You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You
cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence. You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves." Abraham Lincoln

Question

2009-11-20T08:31:00.000-08:00

I'm truly puzzled. Are there a huge number of people in this country who support a socialist government here, or do they really not realize what is happening with all the legislation that is being proposed and passed? If they knew where this is leading us, would they object? Do you think they understand? I know many are in denial and think what we are trying to tell them is just politics as usual, but if they really understood, would they continue to support all this president does?

I would honestly appreciate your thoughts and input on this subject -- any exchanges you've had with Democrat, Liberal or Independent friends that clarify what they're thinking. Or, if you know of anyone who has changed positions, why they did, what was their turning point?

2009-11-08T16:38:00.000-08:00

About a week ago, my sister Kathie sent out an email to several friends with information about the health care bill and what it will mean to us if it is passed. There were some on this email list who Kathie knew were likely to be for the bill, but fortunately she sent her email to them anyway -- after all, it's not the like-minded people who need convincing, but rather those who are uninformed about what lies hidden in the bill.

Not long after, Kathie received a response from one friend who believes this bill is the right way to solve our country's health care issues. It follows below, in white text. Interspersed in red italic text is the reply Kathie sent back to her.

Hi Kathie,

Congress has excellent health care paid for by their employers, us. They do not pay for it but they will deny the employers, us, the same care they receive. Why should private employers pay for coverage for the people who work for them and again for the congress? If you watch the news you will realize that more We still will not receive the same care and coverage as Congress has if this bill is passed. Nor will they have the coverage that we will have under the bill because they won't lower themselves to the conditions that the government healthcare bill (all 2000 pages of it) will provide us. and more employers are dropping health care as being too expensive. There will be no competition between government health care coverage and private coverage because government with its unlimited supply of money from us, the taxpayers, and their printing presses, will always be able to make premiums lower than private insurance companies. Dropping the premium prices to where private insurance companies cannot afford to compete will put private insurance companies out of business. The government also will set the standard for prices for care and procedures, medications and medical devices (which are they are doing thru medicare now) and doctors will not be able to afford to do business at the rates set. That is the reason that so many doctors now do not accept Medicare patients, or only a limited number of them. However, I believe that with the current plan, doctors will not be allowed to "opt out." They'll be forced to accept patients at the reimbursement rate offered by the government healthcare plan. Don't you understand that private industry can always provide a service more cheaply than government can? Large companies are at a disadvantage on the global market due to the fact that all other first world countries have national health care. Yes, other countries have national health care, but it is always substandard to ours, no matter what Michael Moore says. Why else are people from England and Canada coming to our country for healthcare for serious disease or surgery that is readily accessible here? I hope you are reading the accounts of people who are having to wait months for tests we can get here within days. Their employers do not have to figure that cost into their prices. Ultimately we are all paying more taxes, and that affects the prices of goods and services as much as the cost of the healthcare policies companies pay. We the taxpayers will always bear the burden of cost, regardless of where government or business tries to hide it. They then flood the American market with their cheaper products. Jobs are being out sourced to other nations at an alarming rate. And this will only increase as it costs our domestic companies more in taxes to pay for the "free" healthcare the government is promoting -- actually nowhere does it say "free". The truth is that working people will be paying higher premiums to help cover the cost of the "underprivileged." Take a look at the "underprivileged" in this country. They have cell phones, flat screen TV's, subsidized housing, free breakfasts and lunches, ad infinitum. No one in this country really goes without health care. They just walk into an emergency room. Then add the benefits of being an illegal immigrant. We the taxpayers, through the generosity of our Congress, foot the bills for them also instead of sending them back where they came from. Where does it stop? At what point does it stop making sense to work because you are footing the bill for masses of people who won't work? My neighbor has had a cleaning business for years, and she tells me that she can't get blacks to work for her. I've cleaned for others. I don't understand how someone who needs money can afford to turn down employment. American companies say they cannot compete. Unemployment goes up. Young people fall into poverty at an alarming rate for the cheaper labor. If you read a reliable source for who is without health insurance, you will find that many are young adults who choose to spend their money on things other than insurance -- their choice in a free country. They lack coverage because they choose not to buy it. Under the new plan, they will either buy it or be fined an amount probably comparable to what it would have cost them to purchase the insurance. And I could be wrong here, but I think the bill also gives the IRS the right to collect this "fine".
Insurance companies decide if and when you can have surgery and\or other treatment. Now the GOVERNMENT will make the decisions, and there is no recourse -- who do you turn to when the government says "no" to that expensive treatment because it doesn't guarantee you a cure or you're too old or unproductive to spend the money on? They will have a panel to decide what is "cost effective" treatment based on a formula they devise. The details of this are not spelled out in detail in the bill, but rather creates a panel to "study" and set the standards. They also decide where you have it and who provides it. Again the government will now be holding the pursestrings and will be deciding for you. Maybe not a big issue if you're 25 and healthy, but for those of us are retirement age and not too many years ahead of us, it is a scary proposition. Meanwhile their CEO's are given multi-million dollars pay checks and golden parachutes if they fail to make a large enough profit for the stock holders. You can choose not to buy any product whose company pay policies you object to. And what is wrong with this in a free country? Every person in this country is born into it with the same opportunities. CEO's got where they are through their own efforts. Maybe not all of us are CEO material, but we all have the opportunity to work hard and be rewarded for our efforts. In this the richest country in the world no one should be denied basic health care in order to allow someone else to live an opulant lifestyle. This country IS the richest nation in the world because of CAPITALISM. With the policies this administration is rushing to put into place, not just healthcare but also cap and trade and others, we will become a socialist nation. There will be no incentive to work hard and produce because of the "spreading the wealth". Really, would you work hard and make sacrifices if you were going to be paid exactly what the slacker next to you will be paid? I don't think so. What makes you think that after the government takes money from the richest of the rich, it won't be taking more money from you too? No one should lose their home, car etc., because they are ill. No one should have their insurance capped or cut off when they get sick. If you are really sick and unable to work you are laid off and you then loose your insurance. Cobra doesn't help because if you are unemployed you can't pay the full cost of the insurance. This happens all the time. It is time something is done about it. I agree that serious reforms are very much needed. But this bill is more than simply health care reform -- it's a means to control you and many facets of your life which you cannot begin to realize until you try to read and digest almost 2000 pages of convoluted legal-speak that makes reference to other legislation, the IRS, etc. Honestly. The bill is online. Try to read it. Tell me how anyone in good conscience can vote for a bill they haven't read in its entirety. And tell me where it guarantees that you will receive whatever treatment you choose or you need. You won't be able to because there are no such guarantees in this bill.

Many other suggestions have been made (including a petition that would bind our lawmakers to signing up for this healthcare program, but none have agreed to that, nor will they. They, our Congress, will become the new elites in place of the corporate CEO's whose earnings you resent.) Tort reform -- ridiculous lawsuits -- are a huge part of the cost of our current health care. But every attempt to make necessary changes to the process to seek redress for medical damages, has been blown out of the water by Congress because most of them are lawyers and profit from the laws they create. Another option that would help to increase competition and bring down prices would be to loosen the restrictions on insurance companies enabling them to compete across state lines. That possibility has also been denied by the Democrats. Ask yourself why. What do they have to lose? What is the REAL agenda here? I guarantee you that healthcare is not the primary agenda. It is merely the means of building a huge government bureaucracy that will insert itself in our lives in ways we can't begin to comprehend. Where are these congress people obtaining their financing? Chances are they are paid by the health insurance and pharmasudical lobbies. Look them up. You are probably right, there is plenty of graft in the congress, both houses and in both parties, and that should be addressed as well. That is a separate issue and won't be resolved in the slightest by this bill. If anything, 2000 pages of legislation will make way for more opportunites for fraud and corruption.
I'm sorry to disagree with these people but I think we can do better, much better. If this great country is to survive we must. Linda, we as a country will survive, but if this legislation passes, you will not recognize the country you grew up in. Your choices will become very narrow as the government decides what is best for everyone, not just with regard to your healthcare, but in virtually every facet of your life. Prepare yourself for a shock.

Here are links to some additional reading. You may or may not agree, but you owe it to yourself to understand both sides of an issue:

http://www.heritage.org/LeadershipForAmerica/health-care.cfm Many additional articles and resources

http://www.gopusa.com/news/2009/october/1030_health_business1.shtml This one shows the wheeling and dealing done behind the scenes.

http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf Here's the actual bill. Take a peek. Good luck. I heard the other day that the bill that created the federal highway system was 36 pages long. Not that a highway system and healthcare are comparable, but the concept of keeping bills readable and understandable by an average person is pertinent.

**************************

Now this bill has passed in the House of Representatives by a mere two votes. It still must be reviewed and voted on by our Senators before returning to the House for their final vote and then to the President to be signed into law. If we don't stop it in the Senate, it will become law. Please, please email and call your own senators and others each and every day until it is defeated. Much is at stake, far beyond who does or does not get some semblance of health care. Ask your friends, family and neighbors to do the same.

A Young Woman's Message to the World

2009-09-14T19:24:00.000-07:00

Allie was a little girl growing up in our neighborhood in Gaithersburg Maryland when we lived there several years ago. I knew her family casually, but did not know them well. I recently met Allie here in Utah as we volunteered for the same political campaign, a candidate we both believe will help to get things right in Washington.

Allie's brother, James, was born with an undiagnosed condition which has affected him and his family for all of his life. I think James would be in his late 20's or early 30's now. He recently fell from his wheelchair, broke his hip, and has suffered subsequent complications, in addition to the multiple problems that he lives with each day.

With her permission, I'm sharing this "Message to the World" that Allie posted on her Facebook page yesterday because I believe people like Allie know better than I what works for people in her family's situation. I hope you'll read it with your heart and feel moved to do something to make a difference for good in our country. If not us, then who? If not now, then when?

My Message to the World

Allie Winegar Duzett

As many of you know, my brother is very probably in the act of dying. And so, I feel a need to write an overall message to the world. But first, a recap of his issues:

- broken hip, which has been replaced but which reduces his mobility by about 100%
- pancreatitis, potentially incurable
- possible stroke
- cranial cancer
- rectum 1200% the normal size, last seen almost puncturing his lungs
- distended bowel
- atrophied esophagus
- muscular dystrophy
- missing gallbladder (yeah... awkward. just discovered this one today.)
- seizures every 2-5 minutes (grande mal, tonic, and all the other kinds too)
- possible cirrhosis of the liver
- potential osteoporosis
- bent spine (I know this has an official term, but I don't remember it--his spine is shaped to his recliner)

In addition, he is unable to talk; he has never been able to talk; he cannot communicate in any way; he does not respond to pain; and he requires diapers.

His overall condition is undiagnosed; we describe it as an undiagnosed chronic degenerative metabolic condition, essentially meaning that 1) we don't know what's overall wrong with him; 2) as time goes on, it gets worse; and 3) the overall condition has something to do with the inability to process nutrients.

People ask what they can do to help. My husband was asking what he could do to help earlier tonight, and I thought of something.

The obvious one is to pray. Right now, we're just praying for him to go peacefully. I invite you to join us in our supplications.

But the not-so-obvious one is to wake up--politically.

I know a lot of you probably think I'm crazy. My politics are unconventional for this age, and I am very passionate about them. But I want you to know that everything I do regarding domestic politics has its root in my brother, and everything I do regarding foreign policy has been influenced by my years living overseas with my grandfather, a former official for the United Nations.

My brother has taught me so much about life. About freedom: he has none. He can't choose anything in the world. He has taught me kindness, compassion; he has taught me to realize that just as people would never know that I have dealt with this grief every day of my life, I would never know how other people suffer every day. He taught me that we all have secret pains, secret sorrows that break us and break against us until we are either broken or strong. He has taught me what it means to have strength, and to fight back.

In the practical world, he has taught me that the government is largely incompetent. That they are the last people you should ever go to to solve a problem. The inspectors that come so frequently to observe our care of James--they are absolutely incompetent. We tell them James cannot speak, or sign, or communicate in any way and he never has been able to, and yet they insist on asking him all the moronic questions anyway. They WILL have these conversations with him, dang it! A normal person would be satisfied with the fact that James has never had a bedsore in his life. A typical government inspector probably doesn't even know what that would indicate.

I could tell you about the time we tried to sign him up for Medicaid, and they wouldn't let him until he'd signed up for the Selective Service. Yes, my 100% dysfunctional brother had to be enlisted in the Selective Service to gain access to the money his own parents paid in taxes to help the handicapped. Retarded? Yes.

I could tell you about how my parents had to start charging my brother rent to live with them, because otherwise the government wouldn't let them keep their own money to support their son.

Or I could tell you about how growing up, we never had much money, because so much of it went to James. I could tell you about wearing mostly hand-me-downs from other people, and about living on iceberg lettuce and cereal, and growing up in a neighborhood where every last soul picked on me and my little brother constantly, because we were white.

I could tell you about how even now, my parents each work multiple jobs, and while they make lots of money, most of it just gets siphoned back into James. We have a big house, but we got it at a discount because the previous owners took pity on us since it was the only house in the entire Village with the right floor plan for my brother's continued survival. The house is for him. We make a lot of money that goes right back into care for James--his medicines, his insurance, his babysitters, his schools, his therapy, the house we had to buy for him, our freakishly high water bills every month from having to wash every linen he owns practically every day without fail--but the government doesn't care. We are still taxed at obscene levels, because apparently we are "rich." Because the government doesn't give a damn about actual reality; it's all about the redistribution of wealth, to take from the "rich" to give to those "more deserving."

Please. Find me someone more deserving than my family. Find me someone more deserving than my family. I have been providing full personal care for my OLDER brother since I was eight years old--that was when I learned to use the gastric tube. I began changing his diapers when I was twelve. I cared for him every day after school every single day of high school. I have carried him in my arms; I have picked him up off the floor, despite the fact that until recently he's been bigger than me. Even now we are just the same size, although he's gotten pretty skinny. I have helped to plan his funeral multiple times. I have written music for it. My parents have worked 2+ jobs each just to keep our family afloat ever since I can remember. We're better off now than we ever have been financially, but that doesn't change the past, or the potential future. If the liberals of America get their way, my family will be screwed indefinitely.

And I will tell you why: because currently, our political climate is determined by the outliers--but only one set of them. You always hear about the welfare queens, the single mommies who were too selfish to marry before having kids; you hear about white-on-black racism and families too poor to afford health care because the parents never married, or they didn't graduate from high school, or they're too drunk and addicted to whatever to get a freaking job. Don't you feel sorry for those people? Don't you just want to steal from the rich and give to the poor to make their lives easier? The lives of those poor unwitting victims of that awful capitalism?

Here's who you don't hear about: the families that make a lot of money but who siphon all that money into medical care for their extremely handicapped children. The families who work hard and get their money taken away to pay for other people's illegitimate children. The families who struggle to make ends meet, and when they succeed, their "excess" is taken away for "the greater good."

And you don't hear about the racism so prominent in the black communities. I grew up thinking that people were just different shades of brown--lightish brown and darkish brown. It wasn't until kindergarten that I got my first taste of racism: when other kids parents' wouldn't let their children play with me because of the color of my skin. I tell you, the only time I've ever seen white-on-black racism was in Europe--never in America. Ever. But I've been the victim of the opposite since I was four years old.

I was an outlier in high school. People with high IQs are not really catered to in the public school system. I was bored in every class I ever took--in my life--and when I tried to graduate early every official known to man tried to stop me--because they needed my test scores. My guidance counselor sunk to the level of attempting to set me up with cute boys so I would stay. And yet, when I took night school to get my last English credit, I was surrounded by people who could barely read--who were all graduating early because the school wanted to help these poor losers get a head start on life.

My family is an outlier, too. We are just as much outliers as the welfare queens and the crack babies. But no one is standing up for us. We are outliers because we are honest; we are hard workers; we are smart and we sacrifice and prioritize. We plan ahead. We don't believe in taking advantage of others. And so, we are taken advantage of by the government and every self-righteous lib out there. I always say--I don't have a problem with people being Democrats; my grandparents have been Democrats. There are many good people who are registered Democrats. I have no problem with my own self voting Democrat. The problem is liberalism. I could vote for a Dem, but not for a lib. The problem is when other people think they know what's best for America, because they think they are just soooooo compassionate and smart, they know better than anyone else what's best for Americans. And that is the attitude that makes up liberalism.

Well, how about this? How about making the government butt out of "equalization" of the economy, so people like my family can actually take a breath for once? The redistribution of wealth is killing us, and I don't care if you think promiscuous minorities are more worthy of our money than we are. You need to tune into reality, because these "progressive" policies are tearing down the people who should be encouraged most to succeed.

And who are you to say that my family deserves to succeed less than the family of crack addicts who chose to sleep around and spend recklessly and all the rest? Who are you to decide who should keep MY money?

The fact is, no matter what, some people will suffer. Under a capitalist system, people suffer because of their choices. Under a socialist system, people also suffer because of their choices. The difference is that under a capitalist system, people suffer when they make stupid choices. When they decide to sleep around, they pay for it by dealing with the consequences out of their own pocket. When they decide to fail out of school, they pay for it by not being able to get jobs to support themselves. On the other hand, capitalism rewards people naturally for being smart, for working hard, and for trying.

Under a socialist system, those who produce, who try, who work, are exploited for the gain of society's losers. People are punished for working hard; they are punished for trying to succeed. In the short term, the morons who waste their lives with TV and addiction benefit, and in the long term, no one benefits, because eventually the producers just give up. Eventually, Atlas shrugs--and when he does, the world rolls right off his shoulders to shatter on the floor of the universe.

Right now, we are living in a partially-socialist system that is already taking its toll on millions. Here is your choice: you can choose to go all the way with either system. You can choose one that rewards producers and lets those who fail, fail; or you can choose a system that rewards failures and taxes to death those who produce. It is YOUR CHOICE. It is all up to you.

And I will tell you, the lives of people like my brother are in your hands. The lives of my parents are in your hands. My mother has stressed herself into Hashimoto's disease from working so hard to care for my brother under these political conditions. She could literally die from it at any time, if she forgets to take her medication. Never thought I'd see the day that my mother might die before my older brother. And my father has developed degenerative disc disease from it all--from working so hard to keep my brother well and healthy and taken care of. They are good people who work hard to honestly pay for their son's medical care. They work all day, and half the night, and spend the rest of their time caring for their son. Will you really turn around, and knowing all this, seriously vote for yet another tax-and-spend liberal Democrat whose only goal is to blindly tax the "rich" without even considering that the so-called "rich" are people too, with problems of their own?

This is my message to the world. Grow up. If you've never cared about politics before, start caring. This is your future. The crap going on in Washington is your future. Right now, debt and corruption is the future we're all looking at, and if we get it, it will be YOUR FAULT. Don't give me any crap about how you don't have time to get involved, or it's too hard to learn the history of how we got here, or it's too tough to keep up with current events. You have time for what you make time for and people's lives and livelihoods are at stake. Do you not get this? What kills me is when my best friends say they care about me, and about my brother, and then don't even bother to lift a finger when major legislation goes through that would seriously further damage our already foul situation. EARTH TO EVERYONE: LAWS MATTER! LAWS AFFECT PEOPLE! LAWS AFFECT MY DYING BROTHER, YOUR DYING GRANDMA, YOUR FUTURE CHILDREN AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU! And the fact is, either you care, or you don't. If you care, you're the one marching in the TEA Parties, emailing your congresspeople and talking to your friends about this stuff. If you don't care, you're the one making pathetic excuses not to get involved or informed.

Those who don't care are the fence-sitters, the ones the Bible says God will spew out of His mouth in disgust. Sucks, huh? And if you don't believe in the Bible, believe in this: you are the one we will all look down on when either side wins. Because the strong take sides and fight. The pathetic sit and make excuses.

Here is a fact: it doesn't matter what side of the aisle you're on--if you knew what was actually going on in Washington, you would be outraged. You would be ashamed. You would be embarrassed for your votes. I know good people who have liberal views--and all good people know that corruption is wrong. Hi. We are operating under a grossly corrupt political system and no one can seriously deny that. Everyone should care about that. And furthermore, we should all care enough about that to take a stand for it. So here are the real questions--

Who are you?

What do you believe?

Do you believe in freedom, or do you believe in government control?

Do you believe people should deal with the consequences of their actions, or do you believe that it's society's job to prevent anyone from dealing with their own foul mistakes?

Do you believe that people know what's best for themselves and their own families, or do you think the government actually knows what's best for you and yours?

Have you seriously researched every aspect of the issues at hand? Have you bothered to look at the other side of the stories?

The fact is, either you're fighting for your freedom, or you're not. Either you're fighting for the rights of the handicapped, or you're not. Either you're standing up for truth, or you're not. So where are you? What are you even doing?

Where you will stand when it comes to my brother?

And you know, if this post is too controversial for you, I invite you to please unfriend me. I don't need fairweather friends attacking me on a stupid networking site while my brother dies.

If you'd like to know more about what it was like to grow up in my particular situation, let me know--I've been working on a memoir and it would be great to see how many people would be interested in reading it. I hope it doesn't make me a narcissist to think that perhaps the world could gain a thing or two from learning about the things I've lived through.

And in the meantime, please ponder these things. Open your mind a little. Today, millions of Americans participated in the making of history with our 9/12 March on Washington. Where were you?

If you were among them, I commend you. And if you were not, I beg you to please choose today. Take a side and fight. For as it's written in Ephesians, "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Things are going on today that you should know about--and if you don't, it's because you are choosing to remain in the dark. The information is there and waiting for you to find it. There are things you can do today to make a difference. So where do you stand?

Happy Independence Day!

2009-07-04T08:05:00.000-07:00

I was at the starting line for the 5K Freedom Run, part of Provo's annual Freedom Festival. Events for this festival begin in January, but then gear up in a big way for the week long celebration of Freedom that ends with the grand finale, the Stadium of Fire, a huge fireworks display with lots of music and entertainment. The host once again this year is Glenn Beck, and the top billed entertainment will be the Jonas Brothers.

I was also at the finish line of the 5K run, but must confess to taking a shortcut between. I was not there to run, but to take pictures and to support my candidate for U.S. Senate from Utah in 2010, Cherilyn Eagar.

Here she is: Ready for the race -- and for the 5K run.

Here's Cherilyn's husband, Randy, also ready for the race, and the 5K run.

Earlier this morning, the Hot Air Balloon launch provided this backdrop for the day's festivities which also includes a parade.

Here's my friend, Julie. Doesn't she look happy and fresh? She's always happy and fresh. And fun.

Interesting people...

Cherilyn and Randy cross the finish line.

Julie, too. It should be noted, the last leg of this run was uphill.

This is when I will run...

(when pigs fly)

So, let's celebrate our wonderful country today (and every day). Let's go to our parades, Tea Parties, and backyard barbecues. But when day is done, let us fall on our knees and thank our Heavenly Father for the blessings we enjoy in this magnificient country.

And when we awake each day, let's once again give thanks, roll up our sleeves, and engage ourselves in the business of preserving the freedoms we enjoy as individuals and as a nation by taking part in the political process.

God Bless America, and thank Him for this wondrous blessing which it is.

Government of Laws, High Principle and Lofty Ideal

2009-06-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

From yesterday's post:

"I am an American because I believe in a government of laws and not of men, and in national allegiance to high principle and lofty ideal instead of to a personal sovereign." -- J. Reuben Clark

I've been thinking about this today. What a difference there is between striving to live according to "laws, high principle and lofty ideal" and being at the mercy of leaders who, at their own whims, would lead blind followers around by their noses.

Principles never change. People change. If as a nation we make decisions and laws based on proper principles, then we will not go wrong. We will remain free and strong. If we put our "hope" in any human being, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment at best; tragedy, or worse.

In the news just this week was Mark Sanford, governor of South Carolina. A good man, a true fiscal and social conservative. Someone who we needed to lead out with these principles in these times. But he has fallen from grace. He made some very poor personal choices and has drastically altered the course of his life, like it or not. He is a sad disappointment to countless people, not the least of whom are his family and close friends. In this instance, the change was a personal one, not one that directly will affect the nation as a whole, other than we lose a man who could have been a great leader. Men are human; they make mistakes, sometimes very serious ones. Sometimes their mistakes affect only themselves and the people closest to them, but other times, their choices will affect nations.

Another example of change: Obama. He campaigned on change. We surely need it as a nation. We need to change the way Washington works -- the graft, the deceit, the self-serving politicians. Yes, there are many things that need to be changed. But I don't think changing the very principles and foundations of the country is what most voters had in mind. Our core national values and principles are sound. I doubt very few voters had or have any idea where Obama's vision of "change" will take our country. Some still don't care -- they love the man, they love his empty words and lofty deceitful rhetoric. They can't see that his words and actions are not the same. They will follow him, like a herd of lemmings, to the edge and beyond.

Our Founding Fathers carefully constructed our government in a way that best protects and preserves our personal and national freedom. The closer we strive to base our laws on the Constitution and personally live moral lives, the safer our country is from tyranny. Putting our faith in any man leaves our nation vulnerable to his whims. The rule of (righteous) law, unwavering unbendable law, and man's striving to live lofty ideals will not lead us into the abyss. A corrupt sovereign will.

Why I am an American

2009-06-27T20:09:00.000-07:00

by J. Reuben Clark

I am an American because I believe in a government of laws and not of men, and in national allegiance to high principle and lofty ideal instead of to a personal sovereign.

I am an American because I believe in a government with three distinct, separate branches, each mutually independent of the other, with no power of delegation or appropriation of rights or powers by any one to or from any other.

I am an American because I believe that government must derive its "just powers from the consent of the governed" and that branches of government and officers shall have such powers and such only as shall be given by the people; because I believe that the assumption by branches of government or by officers of rights or powers not specifically conferred upon them is usurpation; and because impeachement or other trial lies against an officer who so usurps rights or powers not specifically conferred.

I am an American because I believe in the greatest possible measure of self-government and because I believe in a federal system of government which keeps local affairs in the hands of local governments.

I am an American because I believe in a bill of rights which places wholly beyond the reach of lawful government certain matters affecting "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," and specifically the right of freedom of conscience and worship, the right of free speech and a free press, the right peaceably to assemble and petition government, and the right to gain and hold property without molestation except by due process of law.

I am an American because under our form of government the people of the United States have made a progress never before made by any other people in the world in an equal time during the whole period of recorded history.

I am an American because standards of life and of living of the entire American people are far beyond those enjoyed by any other people in any other part of the world, either now or at any other time, which is a living testimony and evidence of the kindly beneficence of our free institutions.

I am an American because this Nation has no scheme or plan of conquest, because it has a respect for the rights of other peoples and of other nations, because it promotes justice and honor in the relationships of nations, because it loves the ways of peace as against war, as shown by the repeated peaceful adjustment of its own international disputes, because it has conquered the land greed which so afflicts the nations of the world, as demonstrated in Cuba and the Philippines.

I am an American because my country abolished slavery after it had become deep-rooted and because men still are free to work, and are secure in the enjoyment of the products of their labor.

I am an American because I firmly and earnestly believe that our Constitution is an inspired document designed by our Maker to set up a government which would make sure and secure the rights set forth in the Bill of Rights, and particularly the right of freedom of conscience and worship.

I am an American because I believe that the destinty of America is to be the abiding place of liberty and free institutions, and that its own practice and enjoyment of these blessings shall be to the world a beacon light wich shall radiate its influence by peaceful means to the uttermost parts of the world, to the uplifting of all humanity.

--Reprint from Congressional Record, June 11, 1940.

Rally Against ABC and Nationalized Healthcare

2009-06-25T18:11:00.000-07:00

The following pictures were taken at last night's rally in front of the ABC building in Salt Lake City. About 250 people came out to protest ABC's one-sided reporting of the President's proposed nationalized healthcare plan.

Our current senators and representatives were back in Washington preparing for the upcoming votes on Cap and Trade and Card Check, but they arranged for assistants from their local offices to read their messages about the ills of socialized medicine and the pitfalls of the President's plan to the quietly protesting crowd. The highlight of the evening was the broadcast of an address that then-actor Ronald Reagan gave in 1961 or 1962 declaring government sponsored healthcare as a giant step toward socialism, and a serious threat to our country. His message was eerily applicable to our situation today.

Dave Hansen, Chairman of the Utah GOP, with Cherilyn Bacon Eagar, conservative candidate for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Robert Bennett

Larry Jensen, protester

Chris Herrod, Utah House Rep from District 62, also one of the originators of The Patrick Henry Caucus

Thanks to David Kirkham and Brian Halladay for organizing this important event!

On Tyranny

2009-06-25T15:37:00.000-07:00

"Now, in the last years, we in America have gone a long distance towards the adoption of the Roman concepts, and the abuses against property rights and human freedom and liberties which are possible under that system. And let me say here and now, that in the whole history of the human race, from Adam until now, Tyranny has never come to live with any people with a placard on his breast bearing his name. He always comes in deep disguise, sometimes proclaiming an endowment of freedom, sometimes promising help to the unfortunate and downtrodden, not by creating something for those who do not have, but by robbing those who have. But Tyranny is always a wolf in sheep's clothing, and he always ends by devouring the whole flock, saving none."

J. Reuben Clark
"Inroads upon the Constitution by the Roman Law"
Stand Fast by our Constitution, Deseret Book Company, Salt Lake City, 1962, pp.4-5.

2009-06-14T08:03:00.000-07:00

"We face a war to the death, a gigantic worldwide struggle. We must face it, enter it, take part in it. In fact, we are all taking part in the struggle, whether we will or not. Upon its final issue, liberty lives or dies."

--- J. Reuben Clark
1944

It's Official

2009-06-11T21:07:00.000-07:00

Cherilyn Bacon Eagar has formally announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Robert Bennett of Utah. Wrapping up a relatively brief exploratory period, today she spoke with a gathering of friends and other interested citizens and a few media at a local Marie Callendar's restaurant to share her decision to run, and her reasons for doing so.

On April 15 I attended the Tea Party held at the Federal Building in Salt Lake City. One of the speakers at this event was a woman whom I did not recognize, and I missed hearing her introduction. But as I listened to her words, I was moved.

A month later, I attended a rally at the Capitol Building in Salt Lake which marked the official formation of The Patrick Henry Caucus, a group of Utah legislators who will be working with other state legislators all over the country to apply 10th Amendment principles to reinforce States' Rights. This time, I heard the announcement of the speaker I had heard at the Tea Party the month before: Cherilyn Bacon Eagar. I still didn't know who she was, and I assumed she may be a Utah legislator who was there to support her peers in the formation of the Patrick Henry Caucus. Again, I was moved my her words, but even more, I was moved by her passion and sincerity. This is a woman who was not spewing empty political rhetoric. This woman was speaking from her heart.

I went home and looked her up on Facebook, and learned that she is not a politician. She is a small business owner who has been politically active in a variety of worthwhile causes and campaigns since the 1970's. I was impressed with her resume.

Many months ago, after having written countless emails to Sen. Bob Bennett regarding a variety of issues and more recently unhappily following his involvement in much of the financial undoing of our country, I decided I would not vote for Senator Bennett in the upcoming 2010 election. The problem was, who would I vote for? What other candidates would come forward, if any.

The first who declared in the same race was someone I briefly considered then dismissed. He was "more of the same". Been there, done that. Change for chance sake is futile. No, I would be watching for someone I knew would be willing to make hard choices and buck the system if need be.

After hearing Cherilyn speak at the Patrick Henry Caucus, I thought: she's the one! She's exactly the person we need in the Senate! The problem was, she wasn't a candidate. I sent her a message through Facebook and asked if she had ever considered running for the U.S. Senate. She wrote back that she really hadn't, but that recently several others had approached her as I had and she was going to be forming a committee to explore the possibility. I told her if she ran, she could count on my support with her campaign.

Today I was excited to be present as she made it official: Cherilyn Eagar is the latest candidate in what will be an interesting race for the U.S. Senate in Utah. As I have gotten to know her since our first Facebook exchange, I am more convinced that not only is she the person Utahns need to represent our state's interests and well as our country's interests in the Senate, she can win this election.

Gird up Your Loins

2009-06-09T20:10:00.000-07:00

I was young, and easily intimidated. I ran down the hallway into the women's restroom and exploded into the tears I had held back. Mac, a short Napoleon-complexed salesman co-worker, had once again bullied me and brought me to the edge of my ability to endure. A minute later Irma charged through the door. Irma was the boss's secretary, older, wiser, and fearless. After offering a few pointed but now forgotten words about Mac, she said to me, "Don't feel bad, Pam, get mad."

Tonight I received an email from my niece that contained an open letter written by a retired official of Proctor and Gamble to President Obama, which the New York Times had declined to publish, but which has circulated on the internet. The letter was a series of one-sentence paragraphs that start "You scare me because...", listing all of the headline items of the past four months, all the things that have made me sick and sad and horrified, that rendered me first to head-shaking, then hand-wringing. I wasn't standing in the restroom crying, but in my head I could hear Irma chiding me, "Don't feel bad, Pam, get mad."

Obama does not scare me. He angers me. He's quick to blame anyone and anything for what is wrong in our country -- except himself, of course -- saying that he "inherited" this mess, but as Rush pointed out today, what Obama inherited was a free, Christian nation, a country governed by the rule of law and not by the whims of man. He is quickly turning our country into a socialist dictatorship.

So if you are still in the head-shaking or hand-wringing mode, it's time to gird up your loins and prepare to fight for your country. If not us, then who?

The Last Fight

2009-06-07T18:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I received an email from Cherilyn Eagar, who I am supporting in her bid for the U.S. Senate seat, to replace Sen. Robert Bennett in 2010. She forwarded the following comment from one of the other volunteers who is helping out with her campaign.

Dennis wrote:

It is my prayer that this fast day provides all of us involved with this movement the inspiration necessary to accomplish the task before us. It is more than one campaign or one issue. It is the beginning of the last fight.

That last line, "It is the beginning of the last fight", was particularly poignant. A few weeks ago a friend who is involved and knowledgeable in government, and whom I greatly respect, said almost exactly those words. I had felt them in my heart before either man spoke them. I had hoped for comfort and reassurance that "all is well" but I know better.

Still, there is hope. People are waking up. After all, it is pretty hard to sleep through the nationalization of our banks and large segments of our private business, the unprecedented seizure of power by the executive branch of our federal government and delegated to others without more than a hint of resistance from the legislative branch, extravagant and unrestrained government spending in the name of "stimulus", and unspeakable debt being heaped upon our heads and those of at least two future generations.

These things are happening at break-neck speed, which has left many shaking their heads or wringing their hands. To be honest, I've done my share of both. I've also written letters to my senators, Orrin Hatch and Robert Bennett, both R-UT, who don't listen to their constituents -- and to my Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), who fortunately gets it and does listen. I've shared appropriate news articles with friends and relatives, I've attended Tea Parties, participated in online political forums, and sent money to conservative candidates. I've learned that head-shaking and hand-wringing offer no consolation. Even the letter writing, Tea Party protesting, and news sharing offer limited comfort.

Where I have found a measure of purpose and greater hope has been in finding a candidate I believe in, and spending as much time as I can in supporting her. The only real say I have in the federal government is through representatives with proper principles and some backbone. I will do all that I can to put such representatives into office. They ultimately are the ones who will be fighting on the front lines in the Last Fight for our freedom and and our country as we know it.

The Patrick Henry Caucus

2009-05-15T20:13:00.000-07:00

"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

On March 23, 1775, with hostilities between Americans and British troops breaking out in New England, Patrick Henry stood in a packed St. John's Church in Richmond, Virginia, and made a fiery argument to the Second Virginia Convention that the time had come for the colonies to gather their strength and commit themselves to action. His ringing words will remind us that freedom must be defended:

Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs, and hugging the delusive phantom of Hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot?...The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat, but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged, their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable -- and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come!

It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, peace, peace -- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death! (1)

While our country is not at war in the way Patrick Henry and his friends were at the time he rallied his countrymen with this speech, our country and our freedoms are in jeopardy as they were then. The words ring true --- Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs, and hugging the delusive phantom of Hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot?

Are we among the vigilant, the active, the brave?

To this end, five state Congressmen from Utah, Keith Grover, Chris Herrod, Stephen Sandstrom, Ken Sumsion, and Carl Wimmer, have formed the Patrick Henry Caucus as a means of challenging our federal government in its current massive drive to subjugate the states and enslave "we the people". Hundreds of thousands of concerned citizens the country over have held massive "Tea Party" demonstrations in protest over the past few months. Many have been writing their legislators regularly, but still feel impotent to fight the good fight -- to do something more, not from lack of desire, but from lack of knowing the means by which this threat to our Constitution and our very way of life can be successfully engaged. The Patrick Henry Caucus will use the tenth amendment to the Constitution as a means of reclaiming our state's sovereignty and limiting the power the federal government is attempting to exert over us. These modern day Patriots have issued a Call to Action.

Please visit their website, and get involved to the extent you are able. If you do not live in Utah, please bring this information to the attention of your state representative. Texas, Montana, and a few other states have already begun similar legislative action. The more states who do, the better our chances of success.

Click on this link for The Patrick Henry Caucus.

______________
(1) Bennett, William J. and John T.E. Cribb, The American Patriot's Almanac (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2008), p.92.

.

Little American

2009-05-12T12:51:00.001-07:00

When Carter was here a few days ago, he found an American flag that I had bought a few weeks ago to use at the Tea Parties I attended.

He asked, "What's the name of this flag, Grandma?"

I was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"What's its name?" he asked again.

I still didn't understand what he wanted to know "Well, it's an American flag."

"But what's its name?"

"United States? Is that what you mean?"

Haltingly he began in a hushed tone, "...of America ... Republic.. which it stands...." He was shyly looking down at the floor, flag in hand.

"What did you say?" I couldn't have heard that right. It sounded like...

"...Nation... under God...." he said quietly.

Almost apologetically, with a hint of a smile on his face, he finished, "...inavisible...liberty...justice for all."

My four year old grandson had just said the Pledge of Allegiance in the most reverent spirit I have ever heard it recited.

Cloward-Piven

2009-05-07T12:32:00.000-07:00

If you have not read of the Cloward-Piven strategy, or if it has not occurred to you that as citizens we are being manipulated from the highest offices in our country, then this article is a "must read" for you. Read and decide for yourselves.

American Thinker
May 5, 2009
Cloward-Piven Crisis Care
by Jeannie DeAngelis

The fear of a swine flu pandemic may be a crisis too good for President Obama to waste in his quest to take over national health care. Chaos is becoming a commodity for an ideologically driven Obama Administration, which appears to depend on crisis to promote policy initiatives.

Barack Obama has shown himself proficient at utilizing negative circumstances as tactical policy initiators and seems to benefit politically by"...discovering opportunity in the midst of great crisis."

- snip -

Cloward-Piven instructed activists that if a crisis did not exist, promote or manufacture one by exaggerating a benign or unthreatening predicament. In doing so, contrived commotion would serve as a tool to convince the masses of their urgent need for rescue. In order to achieve the ultimate goal, students were encouraged to stress the social system to the breaking point, which would quash capitalism and institute socialism through a massive infusion of government intervention.

- snip -

In the same way it sought to undermine economic and social issues, the Cloward-Piven strategy functionally applies to the worldwide flu crisis to benefit health care reform. Obama has the power to compel the present system to provide every American with precautionary care. For instance, in anticipation of a global pandemic, "...a seed stock of a vaccine against the swine flu, which could be pushed into production should the number of cases jump significantly." Long lines of American citizens, lined up for hours, waiting to be vaccinated and eager to do whatever is necessary to assure the safety of their children is custom made for an Obama-type policy initiation.

Read the rest of the article HERE.

******************

There's so much more to glean from this informative and eye-opening article. The Cloward-Piven strategy has been applied to almost everything that the current administration has dealt with in its first hundred plus days. This article shows how the administration is using it to push it's socialized medicine agenda into being.

There is something you can do -- you can contact your senators and your representative in congress and let them know how you feel about socialized or nationalized health. Do it now. This is going to be run through the legislative process as fast and furious as everything else has been since the current president took office. If he gives us time to consider what he's doing, he knows it won't pass the smell test with you or with me. Don't wait. Send those emails now and send them often. See the button on the side bar of this website for an easy way to do it.

Did you know.....

2009-04-29T09:42:00.000-07:00

...that Arlen Spector (R-PA) has changed his party affiliation and is now a Democrat? This may not sound newsworthy if you haven't been following what is happening in Congress, but it tips the balance of power in our country completely into the hands of a party who has no respect for life, no respect for the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman, no sense of fiscal responsibility, and no hesitation to take our country straight into socialism. They now have a filibusterproof majority.

If you haven't been in the habit of writing your congressman and your senators, now is the time to start. On the side of this page, you'll find a link to "Write to Congress". I hope you'll check it out -- the site it leads to makes contacting them very easy, and even provides suggested wording for your emails regarding various important issues.

More now than ever, we have to prepare for some really tough times ahead.

Here's an article that is not about Arlen Specter but about the financial difficulties our country is in.

M E R I D I A N M A G A Z I N E

A Dangerous First 100 Days
By Stephen M. Studdert

This week President Barrack Obama marks his first 100 days in office. Never in my experience as a White House advisor or since have I witnessed such a torrid pace of monumental policy change. Cloaked in economic stimulus language, the astonishing breadth and depth of policy transformation and government intervention into the private economy is nothing short of staggering.

(portion of article cut here)

As a nation, with zeal and haste we are building just such a house – one of unwise and unrestrained federal debt – a house with no foundation that ultimately cannot stand.

With our national house being built on sand, more than ever each of us has a duty, to ourselves and to our families, to be informed. We need this economic information – no matter how serious and troubling it may be. And serious and troubling it is! (emphasis mine)

The grinding daily news unceasingly bombards our senses with gloomy information, and for most of us we end up with feelings of distress, worry, and even fear. It makes me not want to read or watch any news reports.

(more cut)

As we follow the Brethren and listen carefully and heed their inspired counsel, we like the Apostle Paul can say “ We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair .” (2 Corinthians 4:8).

The rest of the article here

They Knew

2009-04-28T15:18:00.000-07:00

Who "they" are, is uncertain, but people in high places who could have prevented panic in the streets of New York when Air Force One and two accompanying fighter jets buzzed Ground Zero and the Statue of Liberty yesterday afternoon, did not.Instead, they cowered under threats of federal sanctions from some unidentified "someone" even higher.

Their lack of courage to do the right thing leaves me incredulous, but here's the frosting on this bitter cake: the president expects to get to the bottom of this ---in two or three weeks. It will take him two or three weeks to find out whose brainchild this imbecilic "mission" was?! It didn't take him that long to push his sinfully huge "stimulus" bill through the congress.

I realize this is probably one of the least important news stories of the day. With each of our freedoms quickly eroding faster than ice cubes in the Sahara, surely there are other issues more noteworthy. But this one broke my heart on a more personal level for the terrified New Yorkers who ran from their workplaces with flashbacks of 9-11 reeling in their heads. How callous, how uncaring, how thoughtless every single person in the chain of command who suggested, approved, allowed, took part in, and remained quiet about this blunder!

More here:
FAA Memo: Feds Knew NYC Flyover Would Cause Panic
Threatened Federal Sanctions Against NYPD, Secret Service, FBI & Mayor's Office If Secret Ever Got Out

Neither rain, nor snow...

2009-04-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

...kept thousands of Utahns from the Tea Parties in our state. The sleeping giant no longer slumbers.

The noontime Salt Lake Tea Party had about twelve hundred people attending. Provo had more, though I'll wait for the news to suggest a number. There were also Tea Parties in Layton, St. George, Vernal, and a few other Utah towns. Jason Chaffetz and Rob Bishop, U.S. Congressional Representatives from Utah; Mark Shurtleff, Utah Attorney General, and Chris Herrod, Utah House Representative from the 62nd District, were the few political speakers, and each was limited to just three or four minutes. All stayed on task regarding the economy and governmental intrusion and did not use the platform for campaigning. Provo Tea Party organizer David Kirkham, owner of Provo Motor Sports, included citizen speakers and walked through the crowd asking people why they came. Their replies often drew applause and cheers.

Here's what the Deseret News had to say:

By Arthur Raymond

Deseret News

Published: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 7:36 p.m. MDT

Linda Nelson would do most anything for her children. On Wednesday, that included driving from Lindon to Salt Lake City and braving freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall to join a loud and large tax-day "tea party."

Nelson joined more than 1,200 other Utahns who called for tax relief and reduced federal spending because she is worried that decisions now being made by the federal government will unfairly burden her five children.

"As my kids come out of college, I can't imagine the taxes that they'll be responsible for," Nelson said. Government leaders "are not asking our generation to pay for this. They're going into debt that will take decades to pay off."

Nelson also was bothered by government involvement in private business, citing the forced resignation of General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner as a move that should "never be allowed to happen."

The sign she held over her head at the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building — "Debt is the problem, More debt is not the solution" — was popular, eliciting honks and waves from passing cars.

Speeches by Utah Republican congressmen Jason Chaffetz and Rob Bishop and state Attorney General Mark Shurtleff were popular, too, as they roundly criticized the federal stimulus package, financial bailouts and the growing budget deficit as missteps by the Obama administration and members of Congress — sentiments greeted with loud cheers by a crowd Salt Lake City police estimated at 1,200 to 1,500.

More

Salt Lake Tea Party held at noon at the Federal Building.

Provo Tea Party pictures

Click on this link to read what the Herald had to say about the Tea Parties.

The hours I spent at the Salt Lake City and Provo Tea Parties was time well spent. Since before the election I have been concerned about the direction our country has been heading, and the recent economic and other policy decisions by our current President and Congress have deepened that concern. The scriptures and the Church that I belong to teach us to live providently, and we do not run up massive debt to leave to our children. It is incomprehensible to me that the government has no qualms about conducting its business this way. It isn't a single administration or one party who is at fault, but rather the Federal Government in general. For example, not a single member of Congress read the huge omnibus spending bill which they recently passed. Who among us would vote for something that would impact so many people without reading it?

If we connect the dots, we can't help seeing what is coming if the direction of government doesn't make a sharp turn very soon. Government spending is just the tip of the iceberg. It is a means to an end, the mechanism for completely transforming our country into something which will not come close to what was envisioned by our Founding Fathers and laid securely in place by our Constitution.

I have been sending emails to my elected officials for some time. Attending these Tea Parties was just the next logical step to helping my voice be heard. It was comforting to know that I'm not alone in my concern for our country. I was surrounded by a thousand people at each of these events who feels much like I do, and I know there are thousands more in our neighborhoods. The theme of both of these Tea Parties was the need for each of us to be vigilant and to get actively involved in the political process. I will. Will you?

TEA*, Anyone?

2009-04-13T20:36:00.000-07:00

In a day and a half, in hundreds of big cities, small towns, and everywhere in between, coast to coast in the United States of America, civic-minded citizens are gathering in a show of unity possibly not seen in this country in my lifetime.This second round of Tea Parties promises to be substantial despite the lack of interest from the MSM. In their arrogance, the liberal media are likely thinking if they don't acknowledge us, we will go away.

Not I. I am not going away. Rain or snow or sunshine, I will be there for the two Tea Parties I have already commited to on Wednesday, and to as many more as I can possibly attend in the future.

We must continue to hold these peaceful demonstrations until our elected representatives listen to us. Until they understand that unless they do listen to us, it is unlikely they will be re-elected. Until they understand that the level of government spending is not only not acceptable, it is obscene. Until they understand government has no business meddling in the private enterprise of its citizens. Until they remember and keep the Oath of Office to which they swore with God as their witness.

If you haven't already planned to attend a Tea Party, there is still time. Go to http://www.taxdayteaparty.com/ to find one in your area. If you have time, make a poster expressing your feelings about what is happening in our government to take with you. If you don't have time to make a poster, go anyway. Mingle with like-minded citizens and see that you are not alone.

Just go and do it.

*taxed enough already

Easter 2009

2009-04-12T10:35:00.000-07:00

In this time of economic and political turmoil, and perhaps difficulties and challenges in our own families, when the world seems topsy-turvy, we surely need an iron rod to hold fast to.

In faith, let us daily turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, through whose mercy and atonement we all have a sure hope for peace in our lives and in the world to come. As we turn in humility and gratitude to pondering what He has done for us, we will be renewed and comforted.

He lives. He loves each one of us and knows us individually. He knows our joys and our sorrows and He will never leave us. That we all may remain anchored in Him is my prayer.

May you have a blessed Easter.

Just when I think I've heard everything...

2009-04-08T13:13:00.000-07:00

...the next news item leaves me dumbfounded.

Here's the latest headline that has me shaking my head:

"Obama Looks at Climate Engineering"
Here are the first few paragraphs, and a link to the article. If this doesn't give you pause for thought, you're a better person than I.

From Breitbart.com
Apr 8 10:55 AM US/Eastern
By SETH BORENSTEIN
AP Science Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - The president's new science adviser said Wednesday that global warming is so dire, the Obama administration is discussing radical technologies to cool Earth's air.

John Holdren told The Associated Press in his first interview since being confirmed last month that the idea of geoengineering the climate is being discussed. One such extreme option includes shooting pollution particles into the upper atmosphere to reflect the sun's rays. Holdren said such an experimental measure would only be used as a last resort.

"It's got to be looked at," he said. "We don't have the luxury of taking any approach off the table."

More here

I have to be honest. The first thought that occurred to me was he really does think he's god, doesn't he. And the second thought was, putting our country trillions of dollars into debt and destroying it with a socialist agenda isn't enough for him, now he wants to destroy the whole world by messing with our climate!

This latest gem has caused me to seriously question his mental health.

He did it!

2009-04-06T22:46:00.001-07:00

The phone didn't ring by 3:00, and I knew Brody was out of school at 2:30. I tried to call him, but there was no answer. I tried Gayle's cell phone, no answer. The suspense was killing me. Just a few moments later, the phone rang.

"Grandma, I missed it by one word."

Grandma groans. "Oh, Brody, I'm so sorry."

"Just kiddin'. I did it." I could see his impish grin.

Relief! We had spent the past two days, and an hour before school this morning working on the last part of this project.

I'm just so doggone proud of my grandson, I could pop a button.

Today in school, Brody recited the Gettysburg Address and an abbreviated portion of the Declaration of Independence as the final two items to pass off to earn The Great American Challenge from his teacher. Today was the last opportunity he would have. It was do or die.

Before the school year even began last summer, Brody's teacher visited him and each of the rest of her students to get to know them and to present them with the first item of this challenge: before the first day of school, she expected them to memorize all 50 states and their capitals, correctly spelled, in alphabetical order, and be able to locate them on a map. On our road trip to Michigan, we drilled and drilled, and by the time we got home a few weeks later, he was well on the way to knowing them.

The first week of school, his teacher presented the class with the rest of the Challenge. They would have until April 15 to memorize the additional six items and recite to the class:

1) Star Spangled Banner
2) Preamble to the Constitution
3) all 44 Presidents, in order
4) Pledge of Allegiance (written, with 100% spelling and punctuation)
5) Gettysburg Address (up to 8 assists)
6) An abbreviated version of the Declaration of Independence (up to 8 assists)

Brody mentioned to me this morning that Ms. Louw had told the class that only two or three students each year meet the challenge. He only knew of one other classmate that was close, a boy who had already tried twice to pass off the presidents as his last challenge, and today would be his third and last attempt. (Yes, he finally did it too!)

Brody had passed off all but these last two items, and then last week realized with spring break, he would have to memorize and recite them both today, since Monday was the only day their class took time for this project. Between a heavy homework load, and a demanding soccer schedule, Saturday was the first opportunity he had to buckle down to study them. I offered to help. He gratefully accepted. He spent hours reading, reciting, re-reading, and writing. I bribed him with chocolate chip cookies that I promised would nourish his overworked brain. We laughed together. He teased me. I told him more than he wanted to know about the Gettysburg Address and the Declaration. He listened patiently with glassy eyes while other things were probably rolling around in his mind. But he listened. And he worked so hard.

And today, he did it.

Congratulations, Brody! You're my Great American Grandson.

I'm Doing it for Them

2009-04-02T19:48:00.000-07:00

I'm doing it for myself too, but ultimately it's our children and grandchildren who will bear the burden that our federal government is strapping onto our backs. Not just the financial burden, but even more importantly, the smothering weight of an oppressive, intrusive government.

I'm not an activist. I could have been. The 60's was the decade of my youth. I watched the world go crazy all around me then -- civil rights demonstrations, war protesters, Kent State, and more -- and had no interest in participating. Live and let live was my philosophy.

But here I am a few years later, ok, many years later, and enough is enough. On March 6, I threw my home made sign into the back of my car and drove to Salt Lake City to take part in a Tea Party (see blog entry below for that date). You know, it really felt right. It was a peaceful gathering, not an angry mob. Well, yes, those who took part are angry, as am I, but one can state his or her opinions in a respectful way.

So on April 15, I'll be ready with a new sign, and will participate in two Tea Parties:

City: Salt Lake City
When: April 15, 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Where: Federal Building Plaza, 125 South State Street
Contact: EMAIL
Phone: Phone: 801-814-8963 (Adam)

AND

City: Provo
When: April 15, 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Where: Old Utah County Court House, University and Center Streets

There's another in SL that I cannot attend:

City: Salt Lake City
When: April 15, 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Where: US Post Office Salt Lake City, 1795 W 2100 S
Contact: EMAIL
Phone: 801.377.8224 (David)

To find a Tea Party in your area, check this link:

Tax Day Tea Parties

I realize that meeting with a group of like minded people and carrying signs displaying my opinion of the disgraceful lack of integrity of our government is only a very small part of what I can and must do.

As I type this, my 11 year old grandson called to ask me about the judicial branch of government because he had misplaced his pocket Constitution. I've been helping him to earn his All American Challenge at school, memorizing states and their capitals, the presidents in order, the Pledge of Allegiance, The Star Spangled Banner, the Preamble to the Constitution, the Gettysburg Address and an abbreviated version of the Declaration of Independence. Fortunately we live in the most conservative county of the most conservative state in the union, and we are blessed with schools that have not been quite as contaminated with liberal indoctrination as those in other states by the NEA and their state counterparts (please don't let the word get out!) My grandson's teacher places great emphasis on American history, and for that I am most grateful. Last summer when this grandson traveled with my husband and me on vacation, we talked often about the then-upcoming presidential election and the candidates and issues. He knows of my love for our country and as much as is possible for an 11 year old, he knows of the importance of protecting and defending our Constitution. Teaching our children and grandchildren about the origins of our country and helping them to understand their role in maintaining our freedom is probably our most important duty as citzens.

On April 15, I'm participating in two Tea Parties. For my grandchildren. So they will know that we all have a voice in our government, if we choose to express it. And they will know that I am doing my best to protect the blessings of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for them.

March 31, 2009

2009-03-31T22:01:00.000-07:00

I've thought about keeping a list of news headlines each day. In my journal. For posterity. These are surely historic times. Unfortunately, the headlines are not good news. They are the record of the dismantling of our glorious republic by a government bent on destroying it. The news each day is almost unbelievable to me. Each time I read one event that I cannot get my mind around, I think surely this is not happening -- not in the United States And then the next news event -- often the same day -- makes me physically ill. I wish I were able to see a positive outcome, but for now, it's not coming. What I do have is my faith, that God is in His heaven, and all is right with the world. Even when it seems so wrong. He's in charge, and our nation's future will work out the way it is supposed to. We're all learning and growing in these challenging times, and some day we will understand.

An educated woman's point of view

2009-03-30T14:53:00.000-07:00

I was sent the text from this article in an email today. I've tracked it down to a website and encourage you to click on the link below. The author is Associate Professor of Sociology at Illinois State University and continuing Visiting Scholar at Stanford University 's Hoover Institution. She is Associate Professor of Sociology at Illinois State University and continuing Visiting Scholar at Stanford University 's Hoover Institution. She is a member of the American Sociological Association and the American Philosophical Association.

Dr. Wortham has published numerous articles on the implications of individual rights for civil rights policy, and is currently writing a book on theories of social and cultural marginality. She has also published articles on the significance of multiculturalism and Afrocentricism in education, the politics of victimization and the social and political impact of political correctness.

No He Can't

by Anne Wortham
November 6, 2008

Fellow Americans,

Please know: I am black; I grew up in the segregated South. I did not vote for Barack Obama; I wrote in Ron Paul’s name as my choice for president. Most importantly, I am not race conscious. I do not require a black president to know that I am a person of worth, and that life is worth living. I do not require a black president to love the ideal of America.

(snip)

You have elected not an individual who is qualified to be president, but a black man who, like the pragmatist Franklin Roosevelt, promises to – Do Something! You now have someone who has picked up the baton of Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society. But you have also foolishly traded your freedom and mine – what little there is left – for the chance to feel good. There is nothing in me that can share your happy obliviousness.

Emphasis mine

More Here
Please follow this link to read the entire article.

Here's What Cap and Trade will do to Your Electricity Bill

2009-03-28T07:53:00.000-07:00

Have you wondered what the President's proposed "Cap and Trade" will do to your electricity bill? (Cap and Trade is part of the current Budget legislation being considered in Congress right now.) Here's some information that I received in an email last night from my Representative in Congress, Jason Chaffetz. I apologize that the Table didn't transfer intact, so I've just included the annual cost increase per capita.

March 27, 2009

Dear *****,

Data released on March 26 by the House Committee on Ways and Means demonstrates that every state in the Union - and every American - will be hit hard by a new and highly regressive "Cap and Trade" tax.

The President's recently-released budget imposes a $3.01 billion tax on Utahns. On a per capita basis, each Utahn will be hit with $1,115.47 in new taxes on their electricity bill alone (Table 1). Families will be hit even harder. The data show this new tax will increase the average Utah family's (3.08 people/household) annual electricity bill by $3,435.65 or by nearly $290 per month. While other energy costs are low as a result of the recession, all energy costs will increase as the Administration increases the velocity of its frontal assault on American energy security.

At a recent congressional hearing on energy consumption I asked Mr. Howard Gruenspecht, an expert witness from the Energy Information Agency (EIA), a non-partisan federal agency dealing with energy issues, what percent of Americans consume some form of energy. He replied: "All of them." Further, I asked him what percent of Americans would be impacted by a cap and trade tax. His answer: "Probably all of them."

Since everyone in America consumes energy, then everyone in America will suffer the consequences of the Obama Administration's foolhardy proposal to regulate climate change through so-called "Cap and Trade (Tax)" policies. The Administration's proposal will not only further cripple the economy, it will impose a crushing energy consumption tax on every man, woman, and child in the United States.

With so many individuals already living on the margins, this massive new tax increase will destroy our hope of recovering from the current recession. The financial security of all Americans will be jeopardized if this tax is enacted. Now is not the time to increase taxes, nor is this the way. Despite the President's assurances that 95 percent of Americans will not see their taxes increase by one dime, the numbers clearly show his plan will actually increase taxes on 100 percent of Americans.

Table 1:

Annual Increase in Electricity Costs
(based on the Stern Review's recommended carbon price of $85 per ton)

State Increase in Electricity Costs per Capita

Alabama $1,528.26

Alaska $535.49

Arizona $671.57

Arkansas $784.69

California $126.45

Colorado $702.81

Connecticut $280.19

Delaware $22.79

Dist of Col $977.30

Florida $604.40

Georgia $783.26

Hawaii $595.87

Idaho $74.42

Illinois $664.04

Indiana $1,627.46

Iowa $1,138.23

Kansas $1,141.84

Kentucky $1,798.23

Louisiana $1,100.39

Maine $455.69

Maryland $502.82

Massachusetts $350.82

Michigan $668.94

Minnesota $633.04

Mississippi $727.35

Missouri $1,147.83

Montana $1,717.63

Nebraska $1,052.30

Nevada $848.45

New Hampshire $527.51

New Jersey $206.60

New Mexico $1,402.42

New York $263.61

North Carolina $699.46

North Dakota $4,350.56

Ohio $975.60

Oklahoma $1,200.68

Oregon $201.08

Pennsylvania $865.23

Rhode Island $210.51

South Carolina $775.41

South Dakota $348.80

Tennessee $819.00

Texas $903.78

Utah $1,115.47

Vermont $1.93

Virginia $521.97

Washington $193.47

West Virginia $3,972.29

Wisconsin $815.11

Wyoming $7,249.54

Source: Committee on Ways & Means Republican Staff analysis

Sincerely,
Jason Chaffetz

Member of Congress

Marina's Story

2009-03-26T08:39:00.001-07:00

I wrote the following entry over a year ago for my family blog. Seems this is a good place to share it as well.

*********************************************

Marina came to work with me in a small office back East in the mid-1980's. She was young, perhaps 20, short brown curls framing her cherubic face. She spoke with a very slight accent. Marina was a Russian Jew who had moved to the United States with her family-- father, mother, and a brother-- about a year before. She told me her story. Her father felt it was time for them to leave Russia. Knowing they would not be granted permission to leave, they made plans to "visit" her uncle in Israel. They took only what they would need for such a trip, leaving behind treasured family mementos and all other personal possessions, knowing that taking even such things as family pictures would arouse the suspicion of authorities and would likely jeopardize their plans. They did go to Israel, but spent only the time necessary to get visas to come to America. They left behind their former lives, family, friends and all but two weeks worth of clothing to come here. I was in awe.

I was also impressed with Marina's ability to speak and understand English. She had taken English in her Russian school, but said that most of her language skills had come as a result of signing up for classes at the local community college there in Maryland. Wasn't it hard, I asked her, to take classes having only a very basic understanding of our language. Well, yes, she said, it was, but she caught on quickly. And she was getting good grades, despite this handicap. Each new revelation about what she had been through amazed me further.

I asked her what some of the things were that she enjoyed here that she didn't have in Russia.

Gum.

Gum?

Yes, gum.

Didn't you have gum in Russia?

No.

Why not?

Well, the government didn't think it was necessary.

Strange, I thought. Something that I wouldn't even think of as significant, this girl thought was a treat. And what's up with that -- the government didn't think it was necessary?

What has been the hardest thing to get used to in the United States, I asked her.

The freedom, she replied without hesitation.

She went on to explain that her father had taken a job in another community when they first arrived here. After a short time, he realized that the job was not a good match for him. He wanted to change jobs. In Russia, she explained, they had little, if any, choice where they worked or where they lived. If they wanted to change jobs, they applied to the government which, if it decided was a valid request, would find the individual a new job and different living arrangements if the job was in a different area. Here, her father had to apply to various companies, go for interviews, decide which job to take, find a new place to live when he accepted a position with a large company in our area, make arrangements to move his family, and follow through. It was a daunting process to one who had never experienced this way of doing things.

I don't remember the rest of our conversation on these lines. I do know the things I've just written gave me much reason for thought and consideration for a long time.

Seeing my country through the eyes of Marina had been enlightening, somewhat a paradigm shift, so to speak. The things I take for granted each day, without thought, were novel for her. Something as simple as a piece of gum. But the real eye-opener for me was that freedom, so natural to my family and all (U.S.) Americans, was challenging for her family. They had to learn how to live in a free society.

I lost track of Marina when one of us left the company we had worked for. But over the years I have thought of her many times, usually as I think about what I sometimes take for granted as a citizen of this unique country we live in.

A few years after the USSR dissolved and the people of the individual countries struggled to transition from their communist form of goverment to something more like democracies in which the free market has a place, I thought of Marina. Her former countrymen didn't know how to live in a system where they had choices to make. For many generations, the government had taken care of their basic needs and they didn't have the luxury of thinking beyond that. All of a sudden, the "system" changed, and they had the opportunity to create, to innovate, to strive, to work and to think for themselves. I know this is over-simplified. There were many issues which affected the people of the USSR in their individual countries during this transition. But hearing of the difficulties these countries had after the breakup of Soviet Union, I thought back to the things Marina had told me -- how difficult it was to adjust to having the freedom to do for oneself -- and it seemed to me that the newly free people of the USSR were also learning that hard lesson.

Fast forward. September 11, 2001: the World Trade Center buildings fall at the hands of terrorists who are acting out their disdain for us, for our way of life, for our capitalistic and democratic government. Wait, you say. What does this have to do with Marina? Well, generally, nothing directly. But please stay with me here.

A little bit of my story

Until this time, I had been only obliquely interested in news and politics. Yes, I listened to the evening news. Yes, I read the newspapers. I voted. I considered myself a good citizen. I remember a pollster calling me in the early 1970's with questions about the then-current political atmosphere in our country -- these were the days of Vietnam, Watergate scandal, and Roe vs. Wade. One of the pollster's questions was "How much influence do you feel that you have on these issues?" On a scale of one to ten, I probably selected "one". I honestly felt I had little or no influence on what was happening in the whole scheme of politics and important issues in our country. I was about 25 years old at the time. I had just had a baby, and my life revolved around taking care of her. While I recognized that these other things were important, I didn't feel there was a thing I could do that would make a difference. Even my single meager vote in any election seemed meaningless.

On September 11, 2001, I went to the computer to check email before I left to tend my grandchildren for the day. I saw the report of the first plane crashing into the WTC. My immediate thought was that some pilot made a wrong turn over New York City. I turned on the television for a more thorough report. A few moments later, the second plane hit. My heart sank. I knew immediately this was no accident. With the rest of America, I was glued to the television for the remainder of that day, and for many more after that. This event began my new relationship with the news and my interest in what is going on in the world.

I've only been blogging for a short time. I've read many blogs, most of them the work of women approximately the age that I was in the mid-1970's. I may be "old" in their (your) eyes, and I understand your lives are filled with all the same things my life was at your age. But I hope you will keep reading because I have learned some really important things that I would like to share.

Marina's lesson is -- when we are not "allowed" to take care of ourselves and be responsible, we forget how to be responsible. We become complacent. We become willing to let others do things for us that we, being endowed by our Creator with the freedom to act for ourselves, should be doing. We relinquish our freedom to that entity (be it an individual or a government), and in the process, we become subservient to that entity which is "taking care" of us. We become enslaved.

Aunty Mary's story

My great-Aunty Mary lived to be 101 years old. After she married at the age of 27, she became a homemaker and did not work outside of their home after that, despite never having children. My great uncle worked for an engineering firm and made decent wages. They put money into savings for their retirement (no 401-K's in those days). When the time came, he retired and they lived well within their means on Social Security. Uncle Gordon passed away in 1981; Aunty Mary lived another 21 years. She continued to receive social security benefits but she also had her "nest-egg" to provide a safety-net for unexpected emergencies

Aunty Mary's emergency came when she was 99 years old. She was still living in a second story apartment by herself, extremely self sufficient. In fact, she shoveled snow for her landlord until she was into her 90's, and planted flowers in the back yard until she was 99. On Christmas Eve when she was 99, she fell from a stepladder in her kitchen and broke her hip. With the loving encouragement of our family, she went -- figuratively speaking, but almost not figuratively -- kicking and screaming into a wonderful assisted living home operated by the Masons.

I took her to the home to see it, to meet the people who ran it and the staff who would be helping her. She was concerned about the expense, and what would happen when her savings ran out, although she certainly didn't expect to live long enough for that to happen. They assured her she would be cared for regardless of her financial situation. She did not have to pay them anything "up front". Almost two years later, she beat the actuarial odds, and outlived her savings. She was absolutely horrified that she would be living "on charity". That almost killed her. A few months later, she fell again, and died as a result of a broken hip.

I have to add here that the people of the Masonic organization treated each person in that community with dignity and respect. None of the other residents ever knew Aunty Mary's financial situation, and of course, she did not know theirs either. I have the highest regard for the Masons, though neither I nor any of my immediate family have had membership in their organizations.

Self-sufficiency has been ingrained in me by the example of my family. Not just Aunty Mary, but all of my family.

Why am I telling you this?

As I've watched and pondered the politics of our country, I see that many people feel that the government is there to "take care" of us. In the name of "compassion", many feel that the government is the instrument through which "poor people" should be helped -- i.e., given money, health care, housing, whatever else they "need". I, too, believe there are many people who genuinely need help, and that I have a moral obligation to help them. But there are many ways to do that, that don't put a government bureaucracy in the position of being the caretaker.

Families come first. We should take care of our own. Churches and charities also provide assistance to members who are in need. The church to which I belong teaches provident living, and also provides assistance to those in need while offering them the opportunity to serve others. The basic premise of church welfare is and should be to help people help themselves. Giving someone something for nothing is not helpful, with very few exceptions.

I'm not eloquent, and I don't have an advanced education in economics, politics, government, or social order. But I am a thinking person, and I've given much thought to what I have heard in the news and have seen happening to our country over several decades. We're losing our freedom. It's that simple. And if today's generation of young adults doesn't give some serious thought to the things that are happening around them, and consider the ultimate consequences, and then get involved, their children will be like Marina. But they will have nowhere to go.

While the boiling frog allegory has no basis in reality, it paints the picture that what we would never buy into in one giant leap, we may accept one tiny step at a time until it is too late to extricate ourselves from the mess we've landed in.

Here's what you can do

We don't have time to wait for this generation to finish raising their children before they open their eyes to what is happening to our country. The time is now. The person to make a difference is you, and me. The way to do it is to listen to the news and commentary -- a variety of it from many sources. I've linked a few good websites that offer other individuals' viewpoints. You won't agree with everyone you listen to or read. But you will begin to see a pattern. You'll begin to understand why I am writing this blog entry.

Vote. But not unless you really understand what or who it is that you're voting for. Don't be like another woman I worked with who voted for Bill Clinton because -- and this is a direct quote -- "He's soooooo cute!" You only have to listen to the "man in the street" type of interviews on the Glenn Beck program or Jay Leno to see how really uninformed a large percentage of the population is about our government.

Find out who your representatives are in Congress, then hold their feet to the fire on important issues. Make sure they know who you are. It really doesn't take too much time to zip off an email or letter to them. Yours added to many others who do the same does influence them. I've seen it happen. See the links to contact Congress on the side of this blog.

Set an example and teach your children. Teach them to respect their country, its flag, and its leaders. Peaceful, respectful disagreement is part of the process. Dissing our country is not. There's a right way and a wrong way to get things done. Be part of the right way.

Encourage your friends to get involved.

If you love the life you're living, please take time to consider these things carefully. What Marina gained by coming to the United States we stand to lose if we continue to give up our freedom by putting the government in charge of the details of our lives. They'll take the money we've worked hard for and give it to people who are capable of doing the same, but who just don't want to and are using government-provided loopholes to avoid it. They'll make laws to tell you how to raise your children, and if you don't obey those laws, they will take your children from you.

Think about it.

Tax Day Tea Parties in Utah

2009-03-09T09:06:00.001-07:00

Concerned citizens are planning Tea Parties all over the state of Utah for Tax Day, April 15. If you are interested in helping to plan or coordinate one in your area, please leave me a message here, or email me at pwarren627@comcast.net

I'm looking forward to meeting you.

Pam Warren
Provo, UT

Salt Lake City Tea Party - March 6, 2009

2009-03-07T10:43:00.000-08:00

Citizens from as far away as Price (roughly 120 miles from SL) began gathering on the west steps of the Utah Capitol building in Salt Lake City about 11 o'clock Friday morning. By noon we had a nice gathering of people who had come to peacefully declare their concern for the current economic conditions and the accelerated spending programs this new administration in Washington is putting in place.

The organizer of this Tea Party is David Kirkham, a small businessman of Kirkham Motor Sports in Provo. David, like many of us who participated today, had never taken part in any kind of demonstration before this one, but having done business in a socialist country, knows firsthand of the danger our country is now in, and this was his way to sound the alarm. He did a great job of putting this event together, and I thank him for taking the time and making the effort to do so. Standing together with like-minded citizens was invigorating and motivating. Although our little group in and of itself may not move the mighty mountain in Washington, I sincerely believe we will play an important part. Each American has a say, and needs only to take a stand and make his voice heard to make a difference.

At noon, we moved inside the building where a podium had been set up for our use. David addressed us (please read his message at www.davidkirkham.blogspot.com), as did Chris Herrod, Utah State Representative of the 62nd Legislative District in Provo, and three others. They each confirmed our belief that the federal government is doing great harm to our country by its massive spending and borrowing and encouraged us to continue to petition our legislators to oppose the path the president and congress is currently pursuing.

Media covered this small event, and I understand we were a blip on the local evening news.

Another round of Tea Parties around the country has been scheduled for April 15. Watch for one near you.

Here's a link to the local newspapers about the event:

Deseret News

S L Tribune

And here's a link to David Kirkham's speech.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp1CgR7moW8

David Kirkham, the organizer of this Tea Party

David Kirkham introducing Rep. Herrod

Chris Herrod, Utah State Representative, 62nd Legislative District (Provo)