In the 1970's, my Dad taught me about activism. Dad spent 35 years as a reporter for Newsday on Long Island. In those days, reporters actually looked at the various facets of the news and reported their observations. Most of you remember that, eh?
Dad spent years on the night shift, and years writing obituaries. When my fifth grade teacher asked me what my Dad did for a living, I answered, "He writes obituaries at Newsday." The teacher laughed at me, quite loud, with a sarcastic tone. Jeez, I guess I said the wrong thing.
Later, as a teenager pawing through my Dad's dresser drawer, I found a medal in a velvet case. "What's this Dad?" "That's a Pulitzer Prize." "Why do you have this, Dad?" Turns out he'd won the damn thing as one of a group of reporters who wrote a series called "The Heroin Trail." (You can google it.) He wasn't the star reporter, but he wasn't writing obituaries anymore either. And if I hadn't found it in his dresser drawer, I wonder whether he would have ever told me that he had it. But I digress.
The Long Island Lighting Company (LILCO) built the Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant near the tip of Long Island. And Dad had a problem with that. That problem was called "no viable evacuation plan". There was no way that Long Island could possibly be safely evacuated in a timely manner if there were a nuclear accident. Dad was very involved with a No Nukes protest group. He even went to jail once during a peaceful demonstration. Newsday had to publish a disclaimer that his activities did not represent the opinion of the newspaper. I don't remember much of it, until the vivid description of Dad standing up at a hearing with blown-up photographs of the Long Island Expressway (LIE) during rush hour. He told them that if the LIE couldn't maintain reasonable traffic flow for much of a normal day, how on earth would it work if all the panicked citizens were leaving hurriedly at the same time during a nuclear meltdown? That moment was the beginning of the end of the Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant. LILCO sold the power plant to the state for $1.00. That's the last I ever heard about Shoreham.
Dad's activism seemed quite normal to me. He was a reporter, a dad, a little league umpire, an athlete, and a no-nukes activist.
Thirty years later, I became an activist after a relatively unpleasant and life-changing experience. (You can scroll down and read a tiny piece of it titled "The Illegal Alien Attack".) My forte seems to be getting voters psyched to participate in the activist and election processes. Everywhere I go, I meet people who are ready to register to vote, ready to start calling their legislators, ready to subscribe to my newsletter. I've met these people at the gardening store, at singing practice, at church, at the supermarket, in parades, in parking lots, while driving (!) and at the dry cleaner. I meet them on Facebook and Twitter. Strangers contact me via email and telephone. I ask them questions and give them ideas. We figure out how they'll fit in to the political process. I introduce them to people and organizations, and then I set them loose. When they return, they bring their friends, and I get those people launched into activism too.
Today I was chatting with Dad, and I mentioned the Obama administration. I usually have to be tentative on this topic, because this topic makes him really angry. But today Dad was a little bit calmer. I suggested to him that he put it on his calendar, every Monday, to contact his Senators and his Congressman. Ask them to vote "no" on some appalling piece of legislation that he'd read about over the weekend. And he said "okay"! My Dad is a creature of habit. He started exercising as a boy and never stopped. Golden Gloves boxing, baseball, weight lifting, running, karate, horseback riding. He currently ice skates three times per week. When my Dad says that he'll make those phone calls on Mondays, I know that he'll make those calls until he dies.
Thanks Dad. For everything.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
"Breastfeeding Needs to Be Part of Healthcare Reform?!"
My wonderful conservative friend Charcie and I send emails back and forth lamenting the idiotic crap that passes for politics and ideas these days. (Charcie is a lady--she didn't say "crap"; I said "crap".) So she sends me a reference to a progressive moms blog, to an article by Melissa Bartick, MD, MSc and Marsha Walker, RN. The article is entitled "Breastfeeding Needs to Be Part of Healthcare Reform." I about blew a gasket! Here's the response which I almost added to her blog, but then realized, why not add it to my blog, where someone will actually read it.
What kind of woman doesn't know about breastfeeding? Honestly, there aren't enough real problems in this world, you need to be creating one? I've met many, many, many people in my life, and NEVER have I run across some moronic woman who didn't know that breastfeeding was a way of feeding her baby. Jeez, Louise, find a real problem.
So now we're supposed to search for these people who must be living in a cave, yet with formula and bottles (how does that work?) and waste more of MY TAXPAYER DOLLARS introducing them to their breasts!
Thanks. Needed to vent.
What kind of woman doesn't know about breastfeeding? Honestly, there aren't enough real problems in this world, you need to be creating one? I've met many, many, many people in my life, and NEVER have I run across some moronic woman who didn't know that breastfeeding was a way of feeding her baby. Jeez, Louise, find a real problem.
So now we're supposed to search for these people who must be living in a cave, yet with formula and bottles (how does that work?) and waste more of MY TAXPAYER DOLLARS introducing them to their breasts!
Thanks. Needed to vent.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Ask Your U.S. Legislators to Vote "No" on Cap and Trade
Cap and Trade (H.R. 2454) is a corporate tax on carbon emissions based on the politically-motivated concept of man-made global warming. It's the largest tax increase in U.S. history. Businesses which don't have lots of extra money lying around will be forced to raise their product prices and cut their budgets to pay the tax. These budget cuts will include job losses. "Cap-and-trade has such a detrimental effect on employment in the U.S. that the Act contains a special section to provide a three-year package of unemployment benefits to workers who lose their jobs as a result of its implementation," writes Jeffrey Huff.
Everyone you know who lives on a tight budget will suffer. The Heritage Foundation estimates that the average U.S. household's energy expenses will rise $1500 per year if the Cap and Trade bill is enacted. Not only will their energy expenses rise, but the costs of every product the family purchases will go up because the businesses that make the products will have increased expenses due to the Carbon Tax.
Democrat leaders say that Cap and Trade will not affect the little guy. Logic tells us that Cap and Trade will hurt the little guy more dramatically than it hurts everybody else.
According to American Future Fund, Cap and Trade "raises taxes, kills jobs and will lead to more government intrusion."
The good news: Even though this bill passed a House Committee last week, there are some Democrat legislators who are not inclined to go along with this tax scheme. Public outcry can influence the House vote and the Senate vote. Some of them know that man-made global warming is a farce, others know that their constituents will face massive job layoffs, and others are imagining Aunt Marge and Uncle Fred not being able to pay their bills.
Take action! Contact your U.S. Representative and Senators. Ask them to vote "no" on Cap & Trade. You can call, fax, email, or sign this petition. If you already phoned these folks, please do so again. If enacted, Cap and Trade will be a disaster for families and for our economy.
U.S. Senator Mark Udall (D-CO)
U.S. Capitol office 202-224-5941 or toll-free 1-877-768-3255
Denver office 303-650-7820
e-mail Senator_Mark_Udall@markudall.senate.gov
U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO)
U.S. Capitol office 202-224-5852
702 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510
Colorado office 303-455-7600
e-mail senator_bennet@bennet.senate.gov
U.S. Representative Mike Coffman. (R-CO, District 6)
U.S. Capitol office 202-225-7882
All U.S. Senators’ e-mail addresses http://www.surrogacy.com/legals/senators.html. U.S. Capitol switchboard 202-224-3121
Take additional action! Call your closest friend/relative on a fixed income, and talk to them about their food, energy & product prices going up. Encourage them to contact their Congressman and Senators. Google their Senators' phone numbers first, so you're ready to walk your loved one through this process. These phone calls are very simple, but they can be intimidating to someone who's never done this before.
Take even more action! Forward this to people on your email list who are motivated to make the calls: business people, scientists, conservative voters, workers from struggling companies and people on fixed incomes.
Everyone you know who lives on a tight budget will suffer. The Heritage Foundation estimates that the average U.S. household's energy expenses will rise $1500 per year if the Cap and Trade bill is enacted. Not only will their energy expenses rise, but the costs of every product the family purchases will go up because the businesses that make the products will have increased expenses due to the Carbon Tax.
Democrat leaders say that Cap and Trade will not affect the little guy. Logic tells us that Cap and Trade will hurt the little guy more dramatically than it hurts everybody else.
According to American Future Fund, Cap and Trade "raises taxes, kills jobs and will lead to more government intrusion."
The good news: Even though this bill passed a House Committee last week, there are some Democrat legislators who are not inclined to go along with this tax scheme. Public outcry can influence the House vote and the Senate vote. Some of them know that man-made global warming is a farce, others know that their constituents will face massive job layoffs, and others are imagining Aunt Marge and Uncle Fred not being able to pay their bills.
Take action! Contact your U.S. Representative and Senators. Ask them to vote "no" on Cap & Trade. You can call, fax, email, or sign this petition. If you already phoned these folks, please do so again. If enacted, Cap and Trade will be a disaster for families and for our economy.
U.S. Senator Mark Udall (D-CO)
U.S. Capitol office 202-224-5941 or toll-free 1-877-768-3255
Denver office 303-650-7820
e-mail Senator_Mark_Udall@markudall.senate.gov
U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO)
U.S. Capitol office 202-224-5852
702 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510
Colorado office 303-455-7600
e-mail senator_bennet@bennet.senate.gov
U.S. Representative Mike Coffman. (R-CO, District 6)
U.S. Capitol office 202-225-7882
All U.S. Senators’ e-mail addresses http://www.surrogacy.com/legals/senators.html. U.S. Capitol switchboard 202-224-3121
Take additional action! Call your closest friend/relative on a fixed income, and talk to them about their food, energy & product prices going up. Encourage them to contact their Congressman and Senators. Google their Senators' phone numbers first, so you're ready to walk your loved one through this process. These phone calls are very simple, but they can be intimidating to someone who's never done this before.
Take even more action! Forward this to people on your email list who are motivated to make the calls: business people, scientists, conservative voters, workers from struggling companies and people on fixed incomes.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Do People Choose Their Political Party Based on Abortion Views?
Last night I held a political party in my home, and chatted with my friend Cheryl after everyone had left. Cheryl was expressing frustration that it seemed as if people chose their political parties based on abortion views, and how absurb that seemed in light of other big issues such as economic policy and national security.
We then analyzed where she got that impression from, and where pro-life, moderate pro-choice, and pro-abortion voters stand on the political spectrum.
First, it's pretty clear to me that the mainstream media (MSM) conveys that the Left is pro-choice and the Right is pro-life. They also convey the idea that the pro-choicers are reasonable and the pro-lifers are wackos. But what does reality look like? The following observations are based on my extensive experience talking to politics-oriented voters, churchgoers and regular people over the last three decades, easily several thousand people after two sales careers and my current voter activism.
There are large amounts of pro-life voters on both the Democrat and Republican sides of the political spectrum. Look no further than the Catholic vote, many of whom are traditionally pro-union Democrats. Most Catholics are outwardly pro-life, yet there seem to be just as many who vote Democrat as vote Republican. (I'm sure that there are also non-Catholic pro-life Democrat voters; they're less easy to pinpoint, though.) And we know that a high percentage of pro-life voters are also on the conservative right. So with the pro-life contingent, you clearly can't make assumptions on how they vote.
Now let's look at the moderate pro-choice voters. First of all, who are these people and what motivates them? Some of them are women who've had abortions. They mostly regret those decisions, but either want that door open for future women who find themselves in a difficult situation, or they're often too uncomfortable with the idea of telling other people that they can't have an abortion after these voters have had one themselves. There's also a large contingent of moderate pro-choice voters who are religious. I meet them all the time. They absolutely would never have an abortion, yet the idea of the government telling people what they can and cannot do in the area of abortion is abhorrent to them.
Lastly, we have the pro-abortion voters. These are people who have no qualms about having abortions, often use abortion as birth control, often suggest abortion to other people who've gotten unexpectedly pregnant and to people who've received a pre-natal birth defect diagnosis, favor abortion for sex-selection and selective reduction, and there are even some who find the idea of mothering comparable to slavery and therefore truly espouse abortion. There are also pro-abortioners who actually promote abortions amongst certain groups, either for population control reasons, racist reasons, or classism reasons. I've known of these opinions, but I never actually meet these people. Pro-abortioners vote almost exclusively Democrat. I literally can't remember ever meeting a pro-abortion Republican.
So we have pro-lifers on the Left and Right, moderate pro-choicers on the Left and Right, and pro-abortioners on the Left. And the MSM is on the Left. Which would help explain why the message we constantly hear is that pro-lifers are wackos who are running the Right into the ground. The MSM has no motivation to explore this topic or portray it realistically, because they stand firmly in the pro-abortion camp. I would therefore caution voters not to take their cues about abortion and politics from the MSM, because the information is skewed and not realistic.
In closing, I'd like to remind people that our opinions often change slowly over the years, or suddenly after a profound experience. Even if voting pro-life were my number one political passsion, I would never omit moderate pro-choice voters from my political activities, because I know that with many people, abortion views change over time. I would always hold out the hope that by being kind and loving and responsible and helpful, I could help others see that the door was open for change, and there's no one on the other side waiting to yell "hypocrite"!
* * *
As a constructive reminder, I'd like to point out that any pregnant woman who wanted to give her baby up for adoption could walk into any church in America and immediately find multiple families who would take that baby. Any race. Any sex. Any disability. Just talk to the pastor, and he'll get the word out to the congregation.
If you think for a moment that Americans wouldn't adopt another one million babies per year in a heartbeat, you're dead wrong and living in a society of single, non-religious people. Because everybody who knows and socializes with couples and church people knows all about infertility, adoption, and the generosity of the heart.
We then analyzed where she got that impression from, and where pro-life, moderate pro-choice, and pro-abortion voters stand on the political spectrum.
First, it's pretty clear to me that the mainstream media (MSM) conveys that the Left is pro-choice and the Right is pro-life. They also convey the idea that the pro-choicers are reasonable and the pro-lifers are wackos. But what does reality look like? The following observations are based on my extensive experience talking to politics-oriented voters, churchgoers and regular people over the last three decades, easily several thousand people after two sales careers and my current voter activism.
There are large amounts of pro-life voters on both the Democrat and Republican sides of the political spectrum. Look no further than the Catholic vote, many of whom are traditionally pro-union Democrats. Most Catholics are outwardly pro-life, yet there seem to be just as many who vote Democrat as vote Republican. (I'm sure that there are also non-Catholic pro-life Democrat voters; they're less easy to pinpoint, though.) And we know that a high percentage of pro-life voters are also on the conservative right. So with the pro-life contingent, you clearly can't make assumptions on how they vote.
Now let's look at the moderate pro-choice voters. First of all, who are these people and what motivates them? Some of them are women who've had abortions. They mostly regret those decisions, but either want that door open for future women who find themselves in a difficult situation, or they're often too uncomfortable with the idea of telling other people that they can't have an abortion after these voters have had one themselves. There's also a large contingent of moderate pro-choice voters who are religious. I meet them all the time. They absolutely would never have an abortion, yet the idea of the government telling people what they can and cannot do in the area of abortion is abhorrent to them.
Lastly, we have the pro-abortion voters. These are people who have no qualms about having abortions, often use abortion as birth control, often suggest abortion to other people who've gotten unexpectedly pregnant and to people who've received a pre-natal birth defect diagnosis, favor abortion for sex-selection and selective reduction, and there are even some who find the idea of mothering comparable to slavery and therefore truly espouse abortion. There are also pro-abortioners who actually promote abortions amongst certain groups, either for population control reasons, racist reasons, or classism reasons. I've known of these opinions, but I never actually meet these people. Pro-abortioners vote almost exclusively Democrat. I literally can't remember ever meeting a pro-abortion Republican.
So we have pro-lifers on the Left and Right, moderate pro-choicers on the Left and Right, and pro-abortioners on the Left. And the MSM is on the Left. Which would help explain why the message we constantly hear is that pro-lifers are wackos who are running the Right into the ground. The MSM has no motivation to explore this topic or portray it realistically, because they stand firmly in the pro-abortion camp. I would therefore caution voters not to take their cues about abortion and politics from the MSM, because the information is skewed and not realistic.
In closing, I'd like to remind people that our opinions often change slowly over the years, or suddenly after a profound experience. Even if voting pro-life were my number one political passsion, I would never omit moderate pro-choice voters from my political activities, because I know that with many people, abortion views change over time. I would always hold out the hope that by being kind and loving and responsible and helpful, I could help others see that the door was open for change, and there's no one on the other side waiting to yell "hypocrite"!
* * *
As a constructive reminder, I'd like to point out that any pregnant woman who wanted to give her baby up for adoption could walk into any church in America and immediately find multiple families who would take that baby. Any race. Any sex. Any disability. Just talk to the pastor, and he'll get the word out to the congregation.
If you think for a moment that Americans wouldn't adopt another one million babies per year in a heartbeat, you're dead wrong and living in a society of single, non-religious people. Because everybody who knows and socializes with couples and church people knows all about infertility, adoption, and the generosity of the heart.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
What Is An Activist?
Colorado State Senator Ted Harvey recently stated, “The successes we have seen this legislative session were only because of the hard work of conservatives at the grassroots level. Thank you for your help: none of our victories this year would have been possible without your commitment. Citizen activism on this level has never happened before, and it has transformed this legislative body.”
An activist is a citizen who's ready to get up off his/her couch and share responsibility for the direction our country is taking. Based solely on the political activities of my most recent newsletter subscribers, here’s a description of the ways in which some of our citizens are getting more involved. (The names are invented but the people are real.)
Anne is a homeschool mom who campaigned for John McCain. She’s open to new ideas. I’m hoping that she’ll volunteer to help elect a conservative school board this fall.
Brad is an avid campaigner who encourages his friends to get involved too.
Corinne attends events such as candidate rallies and the Tea Party at the Capitol.
David writes opinion pieces for newspapers and blogs.
Evie calls legislators in Washington and urges them to vote “no” on bad legislation.
Frank is a businessman who’s wondering what happened to his country?!
Greta is very busy organizing an upcoming election campaign.
Horace is watching the future of his social security checks disappear, and has decided to get active with conservatives, because they’re the fiscally responsible people.
Inez is outraged at our country’s march toward socialism.
Jamal is full of ideas to keep Douglas County RED.
Kerri is a dependable Republican who will work on elections, projects and events.
Lou is a businessman who forwards political news to conservative friends.
Mary doesn’t want our country’s new $65 trillion debt to be paid for by her daughter.
Nolan is prepared to run for office in his district and take back the Colorado legislature.
Olivia is a mom and a businesswoman who’s fed up with the Democrat regime. She will run for school board or volunteer with that effort, as needed.
Peter is wondering how the City of Castle Pines North is funding its fiscal obligations with an insufficient tax base.
Quinn is a businesswoman chock full of activism ideas and sharing them with everyone!
Randall is ready to get his feet wet in politics.
Serena wants to come to our party and meet other conservatives!
Thomas is an elected official who wants to help us elect more conservatives, which will make his job more effective.
Ursula supervises Get Out The Vote efforts in her precinct.
Please contact me to explore ways in which you, too, can help our country return to a Judeo-Christian, liberty-loving society which thrives on capitalism and voluntary charity. I'm full of ideas. Let's match your talents and interests with an issue or a candidate that could benefit from your involvement!
An activist is a citizen who's ready to get up off his/her couch and share responsibility for the direction our country is taking. Based solely on the political activities of my most recent newsletter subscribers, here’s a description of the ways in which some of our citizens are getting more involved. (The names are invented but the people are real.)
Anne is a homeschool mom who campaigned for John McCain. She’s open to new ideas. I’m hoping that she’ll volunteer to help elect a conservative school board this fall.
Brad is an avid campaigner who encourages his friends to get involved too.
Corinne attends events such as candidate rallies and the Tea Party at the Capitol.
David writes opinion pieces for newspapers and blogs.
Evie calls legislators in Washington and urges them to vote “no” on bad legislation.
Frank is a businessman who’s wondering what happened to his country?!
Greta is very busy organizing an upcoming election campaign.
Horace is watching the future of his social security checks disappear, and has decided to get active with conservatives, because they’re the fiscally responsible people.
Inez is outraged at our country’s march toward socialism.
Jamal is full of ideas to keep Douglas County RED.
Kerri is a dependable Republican who will work on elections, projects and events.
Lou is a businessman who forwards political news to conservative friends.
Mary doesn’t want our country’s new $65 trillion debt to be paid for by her daughter.
Nolan is prepared to run for office in his district and take back the Colorado legislature.
Olivia is a mom and a businesswoman who’s fed up with the Democrat regime. She will run for school board or volunteer with that effort, as needed.
Peter is wondering how the City of Castle Pines North is funding its fiscal obligations with an insufficient tax base.
Quinn is a businesswoman chock full of activism ideas and sharing them with everyone!
Randall is ready to get his feet wet in politics.
Serena wants to come to our party and meet other conservatives!
Thomas is an elected official who wants to help us elect more conservatives, which will make his job more effective.
Ursula supervises Get Out The Vote efforts in her precinct.
Please contact me to explore ways in which you, too, can help our country return to a Judeo-Christian, liberty-loving society which thrives on capitalism and voluntary charity. I'm full of ideas. Let's match your talents and interests with an issue or a candidate that could benefit from your involvement!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Whence Cometh the Tea Parties?
As a person who was intimately involved in the Tea Party movement from the first day of Rick Santelli's famous rant in February, I'm chagrined at the false statements I continue to read and hear in the media about this phenomenon. (Here's Rick's rant: http://tinyurl.com/c4kwy7.)
The Tea Party movement began when CNBC media-guy Rick Santelli announced in frustration that we should have a Boston Tea Party. He was outraged at the recent succession of government spending, TARP, bailouts, and the then-current concept that taxpayers would help save irresponsible homeowners from pending foreclosure. Millions of us had been talking to each other about this for weeks leading up to Rick's rant, so nothing he said came as a surprise to us, but we were certainly stunned that any conservative point of view would ever be portrayed via the MSM.
Most conservatives are, by definition, financially responsible, and many of us have supported financially irresponsible relatives, from time to time, or year-in year-out. Additionally, conservatives tend to be one of the biggest givers to charity, if you analyze us as a statistical group. (Read more in the book by Arthur C. Brooks, "Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism". Incidentally, this book was researched and written by a staunch Democrat who was not expecting the research results which stared him baldly in the face.)
Conservatives understand very well the nature of hard work and its rewards, financial responsibility and thrift, charity and the general character failings of many (not ALL) charitable recipients which lead to their poverty in the first place. As a person who grew up in poverty, lacking proper food, clothing and medical care, I can attest that much of this type of life-style is self-induced. My mother had money for cigarettes and alcohol and babysitters and bars every day, yet we'd consistently run out of heating oil during New York winters. And it was a mere decision not to repeat that lifestyle that gave me the wherewithall to climb out of that hole. I simply got educated, worked hard, got promoted, minimized common expenses (like vacations), and eventually had a decent salary and savings. What's more, I never once believed that this was not achievable, because this is America, and that's what we do here. It was simply my turn to do it!
Back to the Tea Parties...these events were commonly compared to tax protests, because the Boston Tea Party was a tax protest, and because the event took place on Tax Day, April 15, thus the name National Tax Day Tea Parties. But these events weren't simply about taxes--they were entirely about fiscal responsibility. There has been $65,000,000,000,000. in new spending thus far with the Obama administration. That's "trillion dollars". That's more government spending than all of the previous American presidential regimes COMBINED. And obviously, the U.S. government does not "have money". It gets money by either taxing it from its citizens or by borrowing it (to be repaid in the future via taxation of its citizens). So yes, this is about taxes, but it's also about a much bigger picture of horrendous financial irresponsibility, something which conservatives are so careful not to do with their personal finances nor with their business finances. When we see our President and his minions incurring debt like this, we're stunned at their stupidity. If WE know that this kind of debt will wreck our country in myriad ways, why don't they know it too? The answer is, they know it. They're doing it on purpose. From the Obama administation's point of view, this is about power, and they're willing to toss aside our country to achieve that power. (Think about it: nobody actually sat around in a meeting and decided that incurring $65 trillion dollars in new debt would be a good idea. This is elementary. And anyone who reads that statement and disagrees with me is frankly delusional.)
The Tea Parties were not organized by politicians nor famous political leaders. The Tea Parties were organized online and in house meetings by conservative grassroots voters-turned-activists, largely those on Twitter. Anyone who doubts this could easily select random conservatives on Twitter, read their postings going back to February, and see that we'd been talking about this and planning these events for 8 weeks leading up to April 15. Citizen activists. No more, no less.
While it may be true that some legislators, Republican party leaders, and talk show hosts jumped on the Tea Party bandwagon and helped publicize the Tea Parties, they were rarely involved in the planning, and frequently denied the opportunity to speak at the events. It was important for the grassroots voters to welcome conservatives from all political parties to these events (yes, there are even conservative Democrats!), and we knew that heavy Republican sponsorship and presence at these events would make Democrats, Independents, and Libertarians feel less welcome.
Lastly, I want to say with excitement and pride that there were at least 17 cities and towns in Colorado which hosted National Tax Day Tea Parties! As one of the grassroots voters who participated in getting the word out, I was thrilled to see more and more locations on the Colorado Tea Party map. You guys did a great job, and I'm very proud of you!
The Tea Party movement began when CNBC media-guy Rick Santelli announced in frustration that we should have a Boston Tea Party. He was outraged at the recent succession of government spending, TARP, bailouts, and the then-current concept that taxpayers would help save irresponsible homeowners from pending foreclosure. Millions of us had been talking to each other about this for weeks leading up to Rick's rant, so nothing he said came as a surprise to us, but we were certainly stunned that any conservative point of view would ever be portrayed via the MSM.
Most conservatives are, by definition, financially responsible, and many of us have supported financially irresponsible relatives, from time to time, or year-in year-out. Additionally, conservatives tend to be one of the biggest givers to charity, if you analyze us as a statistical group. (Read more in the book by Arthur C. Brooks, "Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism". Incidentally, this book was researched and written by a staunch Democrat who was not expecting the research results which stared him baldly in the face.)
Conservatives understand very well the nature of hard work and its rewards, financial responsibility and thrift, charity and the general character failings of many (not ALL) charitable recipients which lead to their poverty in the first place. As a person who grew up in poverty, lacking proper food, clothing and medical care, I can attest that much of this type of life-style is self-induced. My mother had money for cigarettes and alcohol and babysitters and bars every day, yet we'd consistently run out of heating oil during New York winters. And it was a mere decision not to repeat that lifestyle that gave me the wherewithall to climb out of that hole. I simply got educated, worked hard, got promoted, minimized common expenses (like vacations), and eventually had a decent salary and savings. What's more, I never once believed that this was not achievable, because this is America, and that's what we do here. It was simply my turn to do it!
Back to the Tea Parties...these events were commonly compared to tax protests, because the Boston Tea Party was a tax protest, and because the event took place on Tax Day, April 15, thus the name National Tax Day Tea Parties. But these events weren't simply about taxes--they were entirely about fiscal responsibility. There has been $65,000,000,000,000. in new spending thus far with the Obama administration. That's "trillion dollars". That's more government spending than all of the previous American presidential regimes COMBINED. And obviously, the U.S. government does not "have money". It gets money by either taxing it from its citizens or by borrowing it (to be repaid in the future via taxation of its citizens). So yes, this is about taxes, but it's also about a much bigger picture of horrendous financial irresponsibility, something which conservatives are so careful not to do with their personal finances nor with their business finances. When we see our President and his minions incurring debt like this, we're stunned at their stupidity. If WE know that this kind of debt will wreck our country in myriad ways, why don't they know it too? The answer is, they know it. They're doing it on purpose. From the Obama administation's point of view, this is about power, and they're willing to toss aside our country to achieve that power. (Think about it: nobody actually sat around in a meeting and decided that incurring $65 trillion dollars in new debt would be a good idea. This is elementary. And anyone who reads that statement and disagrees with me is frankly delusional.)
The Tea Parties were not organized by politicians nor famous political leaders. The Tea Parties were organized online and in house meetings by conservative grassroots voters-turned-activists, largely those on Twitter. Anyone who doubts this could easily select random conservatives on Twitter, read their postings going back to February, and see that we'd been talking about this and planning these events for 8 weeks leading up to April 15. Citizen activists. No more, no less.
While it may be true that some legislators, Republican party leaders, and talk show hosts jumped on the Tea Party bandwagon and helped publicize the Tea Parties, they were rarely involved in the planning, and frequently denied the opportunity to speak at the events. It was important for the grassroots voters to welcome conservatives from all political parties to these events (yes, there are even conservative Democrats!), and we knew that heavy Republican sponsorship and presence at these events would make Democrats, Independents, and Libertarians feel less welcome.
Lastly, I want to say with excitement and pride that there were at least 17 cities and towns in Colorado which hosted National Tax Day Tea Parties! As one of the grassroots voters who participated in getting the word out, I was thrilled to see more and more locations on the Colorado Tea Party map. You guys did a great job, and I'm very proud of you!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Activist Alert: Federal Hate Crimes Bill S. 909
**** What’s This Bill About?
This bill is primarily about crimes based on sexual orientation. “Shawn D. Akers, policy analyst with Liberty Counsel, said, ‘The proposal…would create new federal penalties against those whose ‘victims’ were chosen based on an ‘actual or perceived…sexual orientation, gender identity. This 'Pedophilia Protection Act,' a 'hate crimes' bill, is based on the representation that there's an epidemic of crimes based on bias and prejudice. It turns out there are fewer crimes now than there were 10 years ago.’
According to the FBI, in 2007 “there were only 242 crimes against a person's sexual orientation that could be considered "violent." And, twenty-seven of these bias crimes were directed against heterosexuals! The FBI statistics do not indicate how many of these "violent hate crimes" were committed by homosexuals against other homosexuals - or what provoked the violence.” from Right Side News http://tinyurl.com/q9lwbt
He said he fought in committee and in the House, where it was approved 249-175, to correct some of the failings, including his repeated requests for definitions in the bill for terms such as ‘sexual orientation.’
Majority Democrats refused, he said. He said that leaves the definition up to a standard definition in the medical field, which includes hundreds of ‘philias’ and ‘isms’ and would be protected.
…if an exhibitionist flashes a woman, and she responds by slapping him with her purse, he has probably committed a misdemeanor while she has committed a federal felony hate crime.”
Read the rest of this World Net Daily article here: http://tinyurl.com/p9ajt4
House Democrats voted FOR covering pedophiles as a protected group under the Hate Crimes bill, and they voted AGAIST covering military veterans as a protected group under the Hate Crimes bill.
**** What Are The Possible Problems?
It is possible that religious leaders could be charged with Hate Crimes if they publicly discuss homosexuality. (see the World Net Daily article)
This legislation potentially violates the Fourteenth, First and Tenth Amendments to the constitution. (see the World Net Daily article)
District Attorney offices might level Hate Crime charges against people who have committed other crimes so as to receive Federal funds for any Hate Crimes which they prosecute. Read about it here: http://tinyurl.com/pvxfpx .
Under this law, crime victims within “protected groups” would likely receive priority attention and Federal funding vs. crime victims in “non-protected groups”.
**** Take Action
This bill already passed the House vote as H.R. #1913. The Senate bill number is S. 909 and debate begins Tuesday May 12. Contact your U.S. Senators and the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee immediately. Ask them to oppose S. 909, the Federal Hate Crimes bill. This website lists committee members: http://judiciary.senate.gov/about/members.cfm. Click on their names to get their personal websites, email forms and phone numbers.
Sign the petition: www.frcaction.org Click on this headline in the center left side of the page: "Hate Crimes Legislatoin to Silence You".
Forward this Activist Alert to your conservative friends who are watching the America they know and love slip away into faded memories.
Forward this Activist Alert to your religious leader, who might choose to share it with his/her email list.
Thank you very much for your attention and activism. One phone call is better than none. Ten legislative contacts over the course of the next few days would be fantastic. May God bless your efforts!
This bill is primarily about crimes based on sexual orientation. “Shawn D. Akers, policy analyst with Liberty Counsel, said, ‘The proposal…would create new federal penalties against those whose ‘victims’ were chosen based on an ‘actual or perceived…sexual orientation, gender identity. This 'Pedophilia Protection Act,' a 'hate crimes' bill, is based on the representation that there's an epidemic of crimes based on bias and prejudice. It turns out there are fewer crimes now than there were 10 years ago.’
According to the FBI, in 2007 “there were only 242 crimes against a person's sexual orientation that could be considered "violent." And, twenty-seven of these bias crimes were directed against heterosexuals! The FBI statistics do not indicate how many of these "violent hate crimes" were committed by homosexuals against other homosexuals - or what provoked the violence.” from Right Side News http://tinyurl.com/q9lwbt
He said he fought in committee and in the House, where it was approved 249-175, to correct some of the failings, including his repeated requests for definitions in the bill for terms such as ‘sexual orientation.’
Majority Democrats refused, he said. He said that leaves the definition up to a standard definition in the medical field, which includes hundreds of ‘philias’ and ‘isms’ and would be protected.
…if an exhibitionist flashes a woman, and she responds by slapping him with her purse, he has probably committed a misdemeanor while she has committed a federal felony hate crime.”
Read the rest of this World Net Daily article here: http://tinyurl.com/p9ajt4
House Democrats voted FOR covering pedophiles as a protected group under the Hate Crimes bill, and they voted AGAIST covering military veterans as a protected group under the Hate Crimes bill.
**** What Are The Possible Problems?
It is possible that religious leaders could be charged with Hate Crimes if they publicly discuss homosexuality. (see the World Net Daily article)
This legislation potentially violates the Fourteenth, First and Tenth Amendments to the constitution. (see the World Net Daily article)
District Attorney offices might level Hate Crime charges against people who have committed other crimes so as to receive Federal funds for any Hate Crimes which they prosecute. Read about it here: http://tinyurl.com/pvxfpx .
Under this law, crime victims within “protected groups” would likely receive priority attention and Federal funding vs. crime victims in “non-protected groups”.
**** Take Action
This bill already passed the House vote as H.R. #1913. The Senate bill number is S. 909 and debate begins Tuesday May 12. Contact your U.S. Senators and the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee immediately. Ask them to oppose S. 909, the Federal Hate Crimes bill. This website lists committee members: http://judiciary.senate.gov/about/members.cfm. Click on their names to get their personal websites, email forms and phone numbers.
Sign the petition: www.frcaction.org Click on this headline in the center left side of the page: "Hate Crimes Legislatoin to Silence You".
Forward this Activist Alert to your conservative friends who are watching the America they know and love slip away into faded memories.
Forward this Activist Alert to your religious leader, who might choose to share it with his/her email list.
Thank you very much for your attention and activism. One phone call is better than none. Ten legislative contacts over the course of the next few days would be fantastic. May God bless your efforts!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Hate Crimes Bill Changes to S. 909
The bill number is now changed from H.R. 1913 to S.909, also known as 'The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act.' -- Crista Huff, May 9, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
H.R. 1913 -- Federal Hate Crimes Bill
The Senate Judiciary Committee is about to consider H.R. 1913, the purpose of which is to provide Federal assistance to States, local jurisdictions, and Indian tribes to prosecute hate crimes, and for other purposes. (This is commonly referred to as the Hate Crimes bill.)
Please contact Senators on the Judiciary Committee and ask them to vote "no" on the Hate Crimes bill. All crimes are hate crimes. To put it simply, if this bill becomes law, any white heterosexual person who commits a crime now runs the risk of being accused of "hate" in addition to the charges filed against him/her with regard to the arrest. It is far less likely that a non-white or a non-heterosexual person will be accused of "hate".
I am a white heterosexual woman who has been attacked by "ethnic" criminals twice in my life. No District Attorney is going to accuse my attackers of a hate crime. But if I commit the same crime, it is likely that I will have extra, severe charges leveled against me -- charges that are relatively unprovable, yet equally difficult and expensive to fight. One of the motivating factors for the hate crime charges is that Federal funds are provided when a hate crime is prosecuted. The District Attorney's office will be motivated to add "hate" as one of the criminal charges in order to receive Federal funds.
Take action! Contact committee members and ask them to vote "no" on the Hate Crimes legislation. Tell them that all crimes are hate crimes, and that this legislation discriminates against white heterosexuals. The members are listed here: http://judiciary.senate.gov/about/members.cfm .
Take additional action! Contact your state's U.S. Senators with the same request.
* * * *
Whatever happened to the young men who attacked me? The two "ethnic" men who robbed me at gunpoint went to jail for THREE MONTHS. The group of "ethnic" illegal aliens who threatened me and damaged my property WERE NOT ARRESTED by Douglas County Sheriffs. The ringleader of that group turned out to have been previously arrested 11 times on 39 charges during his long-term visit to Colorado. Those criminal charges included manufacturing and selling drugs, four DUIs, multiple assaults, and more.
Please contact Senators on the Judiciary Committee and ask them to vote "no" on the Hate Crimes bill. All crimes are hate crimes. To put it simply, if this bill becomes law, any white heterosexual person who commits a crime now runs the risk of being accused of "hate" in addition to the charges filed against him/her with regard to the arrest. It is far less likely that a non-white or a non-heterosexual person will be accused of "hate".
I am a white heterosexual woman who has been attacked by "ethnic" criminals twice in my life. No District Attorney is going to accuse my attackers of a hate crime. But if I commit the same crime, it is likely that I will have extra, severe charges leveled against me -- charges that are relatively unprovable, yet equally difficult and expensive to fight. One of the motivating factors for the hate crime charges is that Federal funds are provided when a hate crime is prosecuted. The District Attorney's office will be motivated to add "hate" as one of the criminal charges in order to receive Federal funds.
Take action! Contact committee members and ask them to vote "no" on the Hate Crimes legislation. Tell them that all crimes are hate crimes, and that this legislation discriminates against white heterosexuals. The members are listed here: http://judiciary.senate.gov/about/members.cfm .
Take additional action! Contact your state's U.S. Senators with the same request.
* * * *
Whatever happened to the young men who attacked me? The two "ethnic" men who robbed me at gunpoint went to jail for THREE MONTHS. The group of "ethnic" illegal aliens who threatened me and damaged my property WERE NOT ARRESTED by Douglas County Sheriffs. The ringleader of that group turned out to have been previously arrested 11 times on 39 charges during his long-term visit to Colorado. Those criminal charges included manufacturing and selling drugs, four DUIs, multiple assaults, and more.
Colorado Taxpayer Transparency Act
"HB-1288 creates an online database--easily accessible by the general public--to detail how the government is spending the taxpayers' money," reports Colorado Senate News. The full Senate is set to vote on this bill early in the week of May 4.
Take action! Despite the Democrat majority in the CO legislature, this bill has a chance of passing due to bi-partisan support. Please contact Democrat Senators over the weekend and urge them to vote "yes" on HB-1288! Their contact info can be found here: www.tinyurl.com/b53geb
Take further action! You have at least one friend who would also be willing to contact Senators to support HB-1288. Please ask them to do so. Thank you!
Take action! Despite the Democrat majority in the CO legislature, this bill has a chance of passing due to bi-partisan support. Please contact Democrat Senators over the weekend and urge them to vote "yes" on HB-1288! Their contact info can be found here: www.tinyurl.com/b53geb
Take further action! You have at least one friend who would also be willing to contact Senators to support HB-1288. Please ask them to do so. Thank you!
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