Being Paul Revere: Defeat ObamaCare II

Remember what I said in the Defeat ObamaCare piece?

We can still win this fight!
Friends, we are part of the American internet/information Revolution!Use your voice to “reduce public support for the bill” by outing the Devil in the details. It’s a Trojan Horse they don’t want us to see. The good news is that we do. There's still time to sound the alarm!
Been to a Tea Party this year?

Okay. Now: Be Paul Revere.

Look what I found in my email just now...

A message to all members of Team Sarah

Our Team Sarah Health Care Review Board is busy reading Reid's 2074 pg bill. We need all hands on deck to help tweet findings. Please go to 'Twitter Fans For Sarah' for list of findings to tweet.

Come on Twitter Storm Group, Let's Storm Twitter With Findings!!

http://www.teamsarah.org/group/twitterfansforsarah/forum

Visit Twitter Fans For Sarah at:

http://www.teamsarah.org/groups/group/show?id=2330231%3AGroup%3A1277019&xg_source=msg_mes_group

Visit Team Sarah at: http://www.teamsarah.org

Cool, Huh?

Looks like others are moving from Teaparty to Paul Revere too...

If you use Twitter, join us. Be sure to tweet to hashtag groups (#gop #tcot #tlot #politics #liberals #hannity #maddow #rnc #dnc, etc., etc. ) to be sure your tweets are reaching the most people.

Go get em!

~~~

Contessa Brewer & John Zeigler: Smackdown

I wasn't gonna do it...But after reading & commenting on Bob's blog today, I realized it had to be done:


(Hat tip to Bluepit for the video.)

Some on the blogwaves doubt if discussions about the Letterman 'controversy' are politically honest or socially productive. I find this video entirely politically honest & unquestionably socially productive! Finally.

~~~

Miranda said it: The War's Over!

Congratulations everybody! No more security worries, no more hyper-vigilance. Start waving your flags; let’s have a huge ticker-tape parade!! THE WAR ON TERROR IS OVER!!!

Mr. Obama has declared it, so it must happen! What…you didn’t hear? On Wed. June 10th, Mr. Obama’s Justice Department “quietly ordered FBI agents to read Miranda rights to high value detainees captured and held at U.S. detention facilities in Afghanistan.”

Mr. Terrorist,who just planted a roadside bomb that killed 12 soldiers, who has just planned a massive plot on American power grid systems, who just abducted an Israeli journalist & beheaded him for Al Qaeda’s next video…

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at government expense."

What? You don’t understand? It’s not a war anymore – for us anyway. You’ll be housed, fed, clothed until your tri-lingual attorney gets his US Govt. $$ & travels to see you. You’re no longer our enemy…

What? I’m still YOUR enemy? Now, now, settle down…We like to say you were misguided into a life of crime. You’re a product of your environment, see?

No. We’re not going to extract information from you to save millions of American lives. We’re not gonna “take you out!” We’re not gonna even detain you! Don’t let what you’ve heard scare you…

Oh, you mean this? At minute 1:58 when Obama smirked @ Gov. Palin’s accusation, “Mr. Obama is less interested in protecting you from terrorists than reading them their rights.”
Ha! Ha! Joke, joke…that sure was funny…

…and then @ minute 2:58, “My position has always been clear. If you’ve got a terrorist, take ‘em out; take ‘em out. Anybody who was involved in 9-11, take ‘em out..” Just forget all that.

Oh. I know he said it again two months after his inauguration, “Now, do these folks deserve miranda rights? Do they deserve to be treated like a shoplifter down the block? Of course not.”

I know…Mr. Bush “considered counter-terrorism operations an intelligence or military issue, not a law enforcement one…But, under Obama's new ‘global justice’ plan, the goal is to ensure that all suspected terrorists can be tried in a U.S. or foreign court of law.”

Does anybody else know about this? Not yet. They sure will think it’s terrific, though. The “Obama administration has never informed Congress of the Miranda policy.”

So, just sit back & relax. No waterboarding for you, no telling us your secret hideouts.

What? You’d like to call you friends & give the signal for your next attack? I guess so…Everybody is entitled to one phone call. I’ll be right back. Want me to get you some coffee, too?

~~

Friends, Mr. Obama made a big joke of Mrs. Palin’s warning that US Miranda rights would be offered to our enemy, that his priority would be mirandizing ‘criminals’ rather than securing our nation from TERRORISTS! He scoffed, smirked & drank in the adoring crowd as he joked @ Mrs. Palin’s expense.

Now, no less than 10 months later, after scoffing at the suggestion again in February, he secretly gives the order to FBI & CIA, "Read them their rights…"

Their rights? Rights conveyed upon citizens of our country under the US Constitution? Rights to TERRORISTS, with whom we are at WAR?? Who’d rather blow us ALL up than see the sunrise again?

We were in a war for the survival of our Nation. We were in the fight for our very lives. Now it’s just another episode of CSI.

It's all such a joke, friends. This time, it seems, the joke is on us.

~~~

Feminists: Listen, for once...

Janine, the “uber-cool” Leftist activist has just made me cranky. (Sorry, Bluepit, I watched the posted video again.)

Really, friends, women like HER are the reason I started this blog. Jim said in last post's comments, “I think you’re confusing J.Garf. with someone who matters.” That’s just it. We can no longer afford to believe that women like her don’t matter. She & her kinswomen have been the sole voice at the mic. on Women's Issues for decades, & our society’s children have taken a sad turn downward (see Mustang's post) as a result.

In my humble opinion, the downward slide began with women like J. Garf., trying to eradicate the necessity of Manhood from our culture. Does anyone remember Gloria Steinem’s quote, “A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle…”? It was all downhill for kids-who-need-fathers after that, & Hollywood, et. al was only so happy to perpetuate the concentric circles of such a notion.

Wait. Do you hear the shrieking? Is it coming from the video below? or from my TV? I can hear it, “She just said that women should be needy & dependent, & should be ruled by men!!!” Oh please, Janine, Gloria, Whoopi, Joy, Barbara, Oprah -- grow up… I said no such thing & meant no such inference. (And, no Janine, I’m not suffering “Stockholm Syndrome”, oh Wise One of the psychiatric community.) LISTEN, for once, to women like me!

As I've said before ,Sarah Palin’s candidacy brought for the "first time ever on the national stage – a woman who represents me. She's not an angry woman trying to be a man; not a woman who claims to champion my views, but who is so far out of step w/ me that she may as well be on Pluto.

She is a woman who loves & respects her man, loves her children, loves being a mother. She is not afraid to be smart & savvy, but won't beat you about-the-head-neck-&-face w/ it. She is unapologetically committed to her faith, & she is conservative politically... She gives me real hope that conservative women now have a voice in the Women's Conversation of our time; that the left no longer has a monopoly on "issues that women care about." She is a role model for thousands of women - who now see & know that you don't have to be abrasive & shrill in order to be tough & strong."

And the culprits above are scared out of their pumps (or combat boots), because they’re starting to sense the shift away from their monopoly:

"That's why they've been trying to kill her (Palin) voice, kill her reputation, kill her credibility - literally kill it, before (shhhhhh!) any other women get the Big Idea that the feminist agenda has challengers...The media part of it has been beastly, and yes, quite personal. Because when the media tear her apart, they're tearing apart women like me. "

And Jim, I will have it no longer. I will not allow Ms. Garf. to speak without being challenged. I believe that little-by-little, women like me are coming out of the shadows (just ask Melonie, Z, BetteJo, Cristina, Mary, Frasypoo, Conservative Women, Terri, Sandy, etc., etc.) who now have the same idea. You see, we’re starting to not feel so small anymore. We’re starting to Get Some Big Ideas.

~~~

And just one more thing. Thank you, thank you, friends for such an interesting & challenging string of comments these past several days. It has been delightful & even exciting to see the enthusiasm pouring onto the blogs. Thanks so much for stopping here to share yours!

~~~

Community Reinvestment Act - revisited

Did you ever have to revisit a thing that seems like old news ? I hate to put y’all through this, but I can’t help it…

Perusing a dear follower’s blog, I found a provocative piece (here’s hoping a link will draw her some traffic!). After enunciating my response on her comment form, & hitting ‘publish’, my comment frustrated by controls that only allow input from ‘members’ – which I am not, unfortunately. Not being one to let sleeping dogs lie, I’m bringing my ‘comment’ back home, to share with whoever traipses across this path. (Lucky you, & here goes…)

Oh dear, oh dear…Friend, you must get a hold of yourself!

Breathe. Just breathe...
You say, ‘Move on & let Obama do what he has to do to get this country back in shape. Back to the shape it was in before Bush got his hands on it. You conservatives that can't stand the truth, get out of the kitchen.’

Dear friend, you then iterated the tired accusation, ‘We inherited a trillion dollar deficit and a depression from Bush and the Republicans…’

It’s true we’re in a pickle, & there’s plenty of blame to go around. But, if folks would stop yelling talking points long enough to think about where the crisis started, they may find its roots tapping back to 1977 (only a few years after you & I were born). It started with the CARTER Admin. & the Community Reinvestment Act - a warm & fuzzy social program designed to get more lower income families into home ownership. Fair enough.

But then, in 1993 the CLINTON Admin. ‘substantially revised’ the program to force mortgage lenders to give loans to even more high risk buyers (i.e., people who couldn't afford it) under threat of FEDERAL PENALTY :

“In a more aggressive pursuit of "social justice,"
the Clinton administration revised the CRA in April 1995 to mandate that banks
pass lending tests in "underserved" communities and suffer tough new sanctions
for failing to make enough loans there.
According to the language of the new
Clinton regs, banks that used "innovative or flexible lending practices" to
address the credit needs of low-income borrowers passed the test. Banks with
poor CRA ratings were hit with stiff fines and blocked from expanding their
operations. Soon, "flexible" lending became the norm, and banks used subprime
loans, which charge higher interest rates, to cover the added risk.
But it
wasn't enough. So Clinton ordered HUD to pressure Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to
buy the higher-risk loans from private banks and lenders, while adopting the
same "flexible" credit standards.

Etc., etc., etc.

In other words, the Fed. Govt. (Clinton) forced private businesses - free markets - to make BAD decisions, or risk being pinched out of business.

• Vehicles Fannie & Freddie grew by leaps & bounds in the '90s (Clinton), until the situation was such a risk to our economy that President BUSH in 2001 issued a firm warning for Congress to clean it up. Congress did nothing.
  


• President BUSH warned again in Spring/Fall of 2003. Congress did nothing.
  


• What's more, Congressional Democrats Barney Frank, Chuck Schumer, et.al, mocked the President Bush for claiming ‘the sky was falling’, insisting that Fannie & Freddie were just fine. Legislation for increased regulation of these vehicles was blocked by these Democratic leaders.
  


• In Feb. 2005, Fed. Chairman Greenspan urged that if BUSH’s warnings were not heeded, "we are placing the total financial system of the future at a substantial risk." Congress did nothing.
  


• In April 2005, Greenspan said, "If we fail to strengthen [regulation] then we increase possibility of insolvency and crisis." DEMOCRAT Chuck Schumer countered the warning, defending the loan vehicles. Congress did nothing.
  


• May 25, 2006, JOHN McCAIN co-sponsored a bill to increase regulation of Fan & Fred. Not even one Democrat voted for the bill in committee. SENATOR OBAMA DID NOT VOTE. HE DID NOTHING. (Oh, sorry. He must have been busy, out campaigning for Hope.) The Bill died. Congress did nothing.

In a 9-26-08 article , Kurt Schulzke commented, "Yesterday's soft & cuddly gov't program is today's financial chainsaw massacre." And, "far from...free-market dysfunction, today's mortgage mess is a classic case of socialistic gov't intervention gone awry."

With access to a different ‘truth’ before you, dear blogging friend, it seems that the “loser” you call Mrs. Palin called the 'Do-nothing Congress' exactly right. They did NOTHING except stifle each other as this volcano boiled toward eruption. And as for "Ronnie Raygun's song & dance” about 'Government being the problem'… Well, he just about hit the nail on the head, now didn't he?

Here we find ourselves, through myriad twists & turns, in a real financial sling. And what’s the current Administration’s answer to the fiasco that GOVERNMENT caused? Why, more Government, of course!!

We’re sliding down the muddy, slimy, slippery slope into a pit called Socialism, where Government declares itself more entitled to direct people’s money, businesses & lives than the people themselves.

Newsflash folks: Socialism isn't what allowed America to rise to her current place in the world. A free market system (among other factors) did. Forcing Socialism on a Capitalist system will not work. Absolving people of personal responsibility (on any level - private or corporate) will not create a better society. It will create a culture of dependency & learned helplessness, leading to collective weakness, frustration, & ultimately collective failure. (Just look @ Fannie & Freddie.)

I, for one, am not game for collective failure. You may be wondering, am I hoping for the failure of The One whose agenda will lead us to just that? In the words of one who really gives me something to HOPE for , “You Betcha!”

~~~

For such a time as this...

Hi friends~

I started this blog because of Sarah Palin. Not because she's a smart, lovely woman who had a meteoric rise in politics. Rather, that she gave me hope that the voices of millions of conservative women (including mine) would finally be heard on women's issues. She gave me hope that conservative women could now join in the Women's Conversation of our time, & that the Left would no longer monopolize "issues that women care about." Get the Big Idea sprang forth - for better or worse - & then big ideas began to build. At the risk of sounding quirky (again...) I believe that God continued to whisper through "Read My Lipstick", "The Big Ben Silent Minute"& other small incidents.

Then, remember a few weeks back, when I found myself at a loss for words? I have continued find myself at a loss for words in recent weeks, not really knowing where this is going...where the proverbial ball of this-season-in-my-life is rolling. I know God has a perfect plan, but I'm a little fuzzy on the particulars lately, & that gets a little uncomfortable from time to time. (Can anyone relate?)

Here's the thing about trusting God, the notion that He has designed each of us for this generation, for this very time in history, for His purpose: I get it with my head (& occasionally I really get it), but when the details get blurred by life, trusting can take on a certain gritting of the soul. It's in these times that I find myself surprised by the tenderness of God's voice (like in the Dec. piece). Sometimes I find myself waiting, only to learn that "being still & knowing, staying & resting" is the point. And even if I don't see clearly, God is there; always moving & working toward His purpose for my life. And - if I pay attention & listen - I just may catch a vapor of His Spirit passing over me.

One such vapor passed me two days ago. I've had a desire to be in a study, & I've certainly been seeking God's purpose. On the "upcoming studies" table @ church, the Esther: It's Tough Being a Woman study nearly leaped off the table into my arms. I know Esther's story: a woman who had a destiny; & even when she seemed powerless, God used her toward a profound purpose.

I signed up immediately. If anyone can teach about purpose, it's Esther! This was God's gift to me, & I know the Word will speak about living "for such a time as this."
Here's the promo video:

Beth Moore's Esther, Web Promo from LifeWay on Vimeo.

God is continuing to work, friends, in the seen & unseen. I know it. We all are here "for such a time as this." We all have a voice & God intends to use it!

~~~

Roll Call.

My friend Tanya has kept me informed, updating me with a Reuters News service article, “Palin Effigy Removed from US Home After Protests.”

It’s gratifying to know that there has been sufficient pressure that Mr. Morrisette removed his display, but not before others were incited into countering with ugly displays of their own. Mr. Morrisette’s comment exhibits his complete ignorance of human nature (or maybe his keen understanding),

“There was a huge mob scene. The whole thing became a life of its own.” (Was he surprised or gleeful? We can’t know for sure…)

Still, I find puzzling the statement of the Mayor’s spokesman, “He had made his point and it was becoming counter-productive."

I wonder just what, exactly, was Mr. Morrisette’s point…? And which part was counter-productive: his point or the public outcry? Devoid of direct answers, I’ve drawn my own conclusions & I’m actually glad for the clarity this episode has rendered. I’m glad I know who in the Media Elite is willing to set aside bias, & stand up against such a spectacle. And I also know who is apparently willing to remain silent, hoping they might not be exposed, hoping we, the unsophisticates, might not notice.

I’m glad. Because they have been exposed; we have noticed, and I think we're all quietly taking names.

~~~

Paradigm shift.

It finally comes to this, & it is serious. Some find it terribly disturbing. Some are laughing, smirking, & cheering it on.

As we sit here at our computers, viewing this screen, a life-size representation of Sarah Heath Palin hangs from a noose in the eaves of Chad Morrisette’s house in West Hollywood, CA. This kind of display is very, very dangerous, friends. It speaks to the character of those who erected it, yes, but that’s not all. It’s getting national attention, and sinking into the collective consciousness of our nation.

Yes, recent death threats against Senator Obama were vile, & the offenders are right where they belong – in jail. The authorities in whom we place our public trust are handling the threats justly; the public would not have it if they didn’t. And yet, the public is watching Mr. Morrisette & draws the only conclusion it can. While threatening Mr. Obama is a crime, this murderous display against Mrs. Palin is okay. It is tolerable. It is an acceptable paradigm of soft violence toward her, and women.

As we watch, we’re getting the point. A threat against Barack Obama is being dispensed with swiftly, as it should. Yet, Sarah Heath Palin’s likeness still hangs from the rafters in that West Hollywood house. The perpetrator gets interviews & his voice echoes through our living rooms. His freedom crows in the face of human decency, & remains unchecked by legal authority.

Have you ever wondered what a perpetrator of violence against women does, psychologically, in order to carry out an assault? It’s a mental trick called objectification. It allows the mind to dehumanize the victim in order to shed inhibitions, short-circuit normal human empathy & compassion, so that a violent act can be perpetrated. (Ever see Silence of the Lambs? The weirdo with the girl in his basement? That’s objectification.)

I suggest that Mr. Morrisette’s display, whether he intends it or not, plays the same psychological trick with our collective minds. It objectifies Governor Palin so that psychological violence can be perpetrated against her. As the nation looks on, she is an object, & can be psychologically shredded, strangled, & left twisting in the wind. And the worst of it, friends? The very worst is what it does to our culture’s view of the humanity of women. It's suggesting that we as women can be objectified, made public targets for ridicule & humiliation, & that there is no recourse. Not one ounce of legal or criminal remedy is available for this viperous display. So, down it sinks, into our new understanding of how we view women in our culture.

Can we not draw the inferences here, friends? Do we not understand the implications for women? Can't a woman be strong, have opinions that go against the grain of group-think, and be allowed to survive? Can't a woman hold traditionalist views & join in the public discussion without being shredded & strangled, as if she’s some rag-doll Halloween joke? Is Sarah Heath Palin not a mother? A wife? A beloved daughter? Is she not a human being? (Nor am I?)

Where, dear friends, are Women’s Advocates? Where are the feminist legal challenges, demanding 'hate crimes legislation' to make Mr. Morrisette’s actions punishable by law? Where is Arianna Huffington, Katie Couric, Oprah Winfrey? Where is Mrs. Obama – herself a legal mind & a minority twice over – demanding legal remedy for this display? Madonna? Sandra Bernhardt? (Oh, I forgot, they already led the charge …)

I’ll tell you where they are. They’re standing on the ticket line, & they’ve sold themselves out. They’re so ravenous in their shortsighted political hunger, they don’t even know that they’ve become the aggressors. Their silence makes them complicit in setting up this paradigm of soft violence against women. About the psychological violence heaped on Governor Palin, you can almost hear them whispering, “Going around talking like she does, acting like she does…She was asking for it...” They have now become the perpetrators that they revile. (Am I wrong here? I'm willing to say so, if I am. Have I missed the public feminist outcry?)

Funny, when Gov. Palin was first nominated, she was accused by the Left of setting women back because of her stances on ‘women’s issues’. Most of the culprits above piled right on. They had the national floor, & their accusation was validated by an all-too-eager media.

I may be a lone voice in the wilderness in this lowly blog, but I’m making an accusation of my own. If women are being set back, if women are being oppressed, it’s now because of standard Feminists. In their silence, they are reinforcing this paradigm of soft violence against women who’re not in their lock step. The Left rests their accusation on a balky, slanted opinion that they own ‘women’s issues’. Upon what evidence does my accusation rest? It’s not mere opinion. It’s in plain view, hanging from the eaves of a West Hollywood house, and in the silence that swirls around it, causing it to twist ever so gently in the wind.

~~~

Women who care about women, it’s time for a paradigm shift. We must do better than this.

~~~

Big Ideas building...

In Primary Perspectives , one of the stated objectives of this blog was to speak my thoughts & to allow other women’s voices to be heard, in hopes that we might discover some big ideas in the process. So far, we’ve heard from one older friend, one group of seeming strangers , & now from one of the “Sarah Palins” in my life. Sandy has been following this blog, & has a few big ideas of her own. She & I have had political discussions for years, & come at the issues from different perspectives (she’s the wicked-smart CPA & I’m the counselor/writer). Her voice adds texture here, & I know that she has taken exquisite care to examine the issues she presents. I’m glad she’s joining our conversation. Here's what she has to say:

Last night I was invited by an acquaintance from church to a "Cookout for Change". I told a close friend about it & she wondered why I would be invited to such an event, when I feel as I do about Barack Obama. I thought about it, & I guess it's because this person I see at church & at the pool & at the Harris Teeter doesn't know how I feel about Barack Obama. She's just trying the spread the word about what she believes. I applaud that. She has inspired me to do the same!

I am sending this e-mail to you not because I necessarily know that you are Republican or Conservative, but because I know you are thoughtful intelligent citizens. You may not agree with my opinions, but I hope you will at least give respectful attention to the three issues most important to me. I think every American should think long & hard about at least these three things before they vote in a couple of weeks.

1. Spreading the wealth. We are in tough times. But we've had it really good for a long, long time. Economic prosperity always has, & always will, wax & wane. We can't just hand our country over to the socialists at the first bump in the road. In the second debate, Obama said that McCain’s plan takes tax money “out of the system”. (That statement tells you what system Obama believes in – not the American free enterprise system.)

Granted, no matter whom we elect, the next few years may be leaner for all of us than to what we are accustomed. Obama wants to immediately repeal the Bush tax cuts & raise taxes on families earning over $250,000 per year. That figure sounds like a lot, but that threshold is way too low for a national definition of "rich". People in major metropolitan areas know this all too well.

Why should you care about this if you make less than $250,000 per year? First of all, don't automatically assume that you aren't affected. Take a look at your old tax returns & see if the Bush tax cuts helped you or not. I bet they did, & you're about to lose that benefit. Secondly, isn't there a point that tax rates are so high it just becomes confiscation? Obama's plan will set the highest marginal federal tax rate at 39.6%! And that is just federal income tax - it doesn't include the 15% FICA/FUTA taxes, state income taxes (which here in NC are around 10%), capital gains taxes which can be as high as 28%, property taxes, gas taxes, sales taxes... What's going to be left to put into the economy after all these taxes?!?

Even if you aren't rich, & it doesn't hurt you personally for the rich to be punitively taxed, it just isn't right. It kills the American dream. Why work hard to achieve success if the government is going to steal your hard earned money & redistribute to others? 38% of the American public pays no income tax at all (yet under Obama's plan, that 38% will be getting a 'tax cut' - huh?). What both parties need to do is move those people into the realms of productivity. Our society is in big trouble when there are more takers than givers, & we are getting perilously close.

Sure, the Republican Party hasn't done anything to help these people & that's a mistake. But the big issue is that the Democratic party has a vested interest in keeping these people ‘down’, b/c they all vote Democratic.

Rick Martinez of the Raleigh News & Observer has a great article about just this. He cites a study done by William Galston (former adviser to President Clinton & scholar at the liberal-leaning Brookings Institution). His findings state three simple things that individuals must do to break the cycle of poverty. What are the three things? In Mr. Martinez’ words, “Basically, all that's required is to finish high school, wait until at least age 20 to get married & not have a child out of wedlock. Now how hard is that?”

The Democratic Party courts the votes of the disadvantaged by saying they are the only party that cares, & by throwing entitlement money at these poor people. But they have done nothing in the past 40 years to address the root of the problem (a la Martinez). If the Democrats care so much, why don't they? I fear the truth in Alexis de Tocqueville’s observation in the mid-19th century that, “The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money”.

2. Legislation from the bench. Watch this clip of the final debate (listen carefully to the closing words), if you want to hear it directly from Obama's mouth. The American system of governance was carefully crafted by our founding fathers to protect the citizenry from the tyrannies of corrupt government. They fought & won a bloody war of revolution to establish this great nation upon these brilliant principles, which have served us unbelievably well for over 230 years.

What I am talking about is the system of checks and balances provided by the three separate branches of government (legislative, executive, and judicial). Assigning legislative rights to the judicial branch of government is dangerous & unconstitutional. Think what this means to us - in some instances one UNELECTED person (a federal judge) can use his/her judgment to change the laws of our nation. This is already happening at an alarming rate. We should not allow someone who views the judiciary this way (Barack Obama) to nominate our Supreme Court justices. These people are appointed for LIFE, & the effects of who sits on the court will be imposed upon us all for the next 50 years. This is not about abortion. This is about the sacredness of the Constitution of the United States of America.

3. National Security. Every time I go to a public event I am thankful that despite all his faults & mistakes, George Bush has kept me safe. All over the world, terrorists have been plotting how to kill us & still we've been safe since 9/11. I trust John McCain with the security of the United States. He has fought for our freedom, loves this country, & is dedicated to its continued achievement above all else, including his own personal success. Obama has no experience in foreign affairs & is stunningly ignorant. Prime example, his statement regarding the Russian invasion of Georgia - "We should continue to push for a United Nations Security Council Resolution calling for an immediate end to the violence." Even I knew that Russia is a permanent member, with veto rights, of the UN Security Council. Ridiculous.

Sure we're all tired of hearing about it, but B.O. has had long associations with people like Jeremiah Right & William Ayers. Shameful. At the very least it shows a stunning lack of judgment & character. (There's a reason every mother tells her children to be careful who you choose as your friends.)

And for some reason, the media has made it absolute taboo to bring up his name. They imply that anyone who would do so is a hateful bigot. I am not a bigot. But I have a problem with the man's name. He is named Barack Hussein Obama because his father was Muslim. And technically, that shouldn't matter. But we are in a war with Muslim extremists. They repeatedly state their aims of killing Americans every chance they get & destroying our free society. And so, yes, before anyone votes for this man to be the next President of the United States of America, they absolutely should at least consider the possibility that this individual might not have the best interests of the nation in his heart. I pray that's not the case, but I just can't be sure.

So if you are thinking of voting for Obama, please be sure you consider these things. Don't take my word for it. Research the issues yourself & be careful not to use partisan sources of information. Don't vote for him because it's what all the young or intellectual people are doing, or because he's more eloquent than John McCain. Search your soul then cast your vote.

And if you support John McCain, which I know most of you do, don't give up yet. The media is trying to fool us into thinking it's all over. Be sure you vote. Be positive. Remind every Conservative you know that they must vote. Offer your elderly neighbor a ride to the polls. And in these last few weeks, show that you are proud to support John McCain. Put a sign in your yard, a magnet on your car, and a pin on your lapel. And I strongly urge you to write down why YOU must vote for McCain & share it with your address book. Think big. I am sending this e-mail to contacts is NC, SC, GA, VA, WV, NY, IN, IL, AZ, CA, HI, MD, FL, TX. You can do it too. It takes a few minutes, but the very future of our nation is at stake.

Thanks Sandy.
~~~

Just Fun

Okay, so we knew it would come to this. Pictures from the Rally :)

Elizabeth Dole at Latham Stadium @ Elon University, the host of the Sarah Palin rally. She opened for Hank Williams, Jr. who opened for our Headliner...

The Headliner herself addresses the crowd of upwards of 15,000 people! Note the button being worn by the woman wearing white, over Gov. Palin's right shoulder. "Read My Lipstick!"

According to Nancy Midgett, a University employee, the school was seriously surprised by the crowds. They sent Ms. Midgett out on reconnaissance when parking shortage became a concern...

My take-away on the day?

First, don't believe the media...trying to convince you that you're isolated in your convictions. There are literally thousands (dare I say millions?) of people who believe, quite fervently, in conservative principles.

Second, don't believe the media...The people at Republican rallies are kind, patient (sitting in the sun for 3-4 hours, making new friends, playing cards & waiting politely in long lines for water), family-minded, patriotic people, who want the best for their country. The only crass & ugly words hurled were from left-wing protesters outside the stadium, & one inside who was later hauled to jail (Oh, you didn't see it on the news? Didn't think so.)

And third, don't believe the media...there were mothers, fathers, grandparents, babies, children, professionals, hippies, & (gasp!) hordes of college students!! (Apparently, they slipped out of the thick grasp of the left-wing camp & came running to freedom in droves...)

Oh, and didn't I mention already that Sarah was GREAT?

~~~

"Read My Lipstick"

Oh my goodness. May I please tell you about my day yesterday? It started in the hair salon, where my friend Mark & I were talking about “Get the Big Idea”. I explained the theme I’ve been wrestling with, & Mark’s eyes lit up. He proceeded to tell me that a group of women he knows have started an operation to energize women to ‘stand up & be counted in the culture war of our country’ (sounding familiar?). Their operation has a catchy name. It’s called “Read My Lipstick” (any bells ringing now?).

As it happened, I was leaving the salon to travel with my Mom to Elon University to the Sarah Palin rally (yippee!! More on that later…). Before I left, Mark handed me a small grocery bag full of small campaign-like buttons. The buttons had the name of their operation in attractive, catchy graphics & their web address in small print.

So off I go to the Rally, where I happily distribute my cache of buttons to delighted women (& even some men). Within 30 minutes, my little bag was empty. The Rally was super, as you know I’d say. (But it really was; very exciting!) When I returned home, I pulled off my button & went to the website scrolled on the bottom. “Read My Lipstick” is an organized movement, friends. I was almost astounded at what I saw. The press release on this site expresses the same theme that has been on my heart, & captures the essence of the original inspiration for “Get the Big Idea”.

I’m almost astounded that the themes are so clear & common, yet arising independently. I can still scarcely believe how yesterday’s events played out: the trip to the salon coinciding with the Rally, the buttons that ‘happened’ to be on-hand, & the crossover of themes. These seemingly serendipitous events have borne substance that feeds my spirit. It’s like the galvanizing encouragement of hearing voices floating across the wind, when you fear you’re stranded in the valley. It’s the hope that spurs your search for them, the joy of recognizing their language as your own, & the assurance that settles deep in your soul when you find that you are, indeed, not alone.

I’ll be keeping up with "Read My Lipstick" as it develops, & I invite you to do the same. Be encouraged, friends. We’re not stranded in the valley. There are voices floating across the wind. Listen.

~~~

Women against women.

I’m getting a little ruffled, & I’ll tell you why. It’s the women-against-women thing that's swirling around us. Women are attacking-to-destroy Sarah Palin. She’s conservative & she places human life above human choice. She doesn’t follow the feminist manifesto & they don’t like it. In my mind, it’s not about partisan politics; it’s about Feminist Politics.

Let’s ask, “Who are these women, & why are they doing this to one they should presumably champion? Why is it that they claim to speak for women, & yet so viciously tear this one down?”

It seems the answer lies in compliance, acquiescence & power. When they have no challenger, the women about whom I speak demand that we all be tolerant, that we love peace, be sensitive & take care of “the children.” (Sure Madonna, adopt beautiful African children who don’t have choices of how to live – how lovely. But what about children who are being ‘eliminated’ on our own continent – before they have a choice to live?)

Then, a woman emerges who challenges their singular oratory. She comes onto their national stage & they rage & foam & spew vitriol. It’s not just that they don’t want to share. (Really now, weren’t we taught to share in Kindergarten?) It’s real seething venom. Have you seen it? (Quick - search Youtube. I won’t link them to my page.) Nice. Yes, & how very loving & tolerant & sensitive of them to whip up their crowds into a fresh lather of rancid antipathy. How pleasant. How peaceful. (You, too, Sandra Bernhardt.)

And then there’s the print media (even Canadians are complying - now that’s obedience!), cartoon media (featuring Governor Palin being punched, etc.), & the regular ol’ TV media. They’re crafty about it, though; splicing interviews, photographing legs from behind in bald attempts at sexual objectification. I could go on… Where is Barbara Walters & Whoopie Goldberg to decry this shameless sexism? When do Arianna, et. al, come rushing to defend of one of their own? What’s that I hear? Static…?

Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero. Not a peep. They rant for years at the injustice men have imposed upon women (& sometimes rightly they rant). Yet they fail to see their own injustice is far more dangerous. I wonder what Susan B. Anthony & Sojourner Truth would think of this women-against-women campaign? Those women knew hardship & fought the uphill fight. I’m grateful for what their untiring efforts have afforded us (even when it means a woman with whom I disagree gets a solid shot in Presidential politics). But Hillary isn’t on the scene right now, Sarah Palin is. She’s in a historic position, having benefited from past efforts also. To my thinking, she is uplifting women’s status around the world, & it is to our country’s great credit that she does.

What’s that Madonna? Sandra? Doesn’t Sarah also have the right to claim her place on the stage? She’s a woman, right? Oh. Yes, but she’s not compliant; she hasn’t acquiesced. She’s a woman who is stealing your thunder (read: power). Therefore, even though she’s a woman, she doesn’t count. Because for women-against-women, XX chromosomes only count when they lean to the Left.

~~~

Primary Perspectives

“I admit it! I’m a conservative republican evangelical Christian – unashamedly so…”

Such was my ‘coming out’ to some precious liberal friends recently. This, my official debut, came after doing a bit of personal inventory with the changing political winds at my face. Later, I reiterated my proclamation to some of my closest friends (who were probably thinking, “This is news?”), just because it felt so good to say. These aren’t words that I would have so emphatically written or said before. But now, somehow candor is essential. It's time to speak some things.

It started with a discussion that led into a bit of politico-speak wherein the Governor of Alaska & the Republican nominee for Vice President, Sarah Palin, was being derided. I listened with interest, but didn’t tip my hand, and later left the conversation with gnawing unfinished business. After I screwed up my courage, because there is no coming back from such things, I composed a crisp email, detailing my ‘outage’ to the original conversants, who I trusted enough to not deride me too. Below is a bit of what I wrote them that next day:

Girls, I know we're coming from different places, but let me tell you what she represents to me...Sarah Palin is a woman who - for the first time ever on the national stage - represents me. She's not an angry woman trying to be a man; not a woman who claims to champion my views, but who is so far out of step w/ me that she may as well be on Pluto. She is a woman who loves & respects her man, loves her children, loves being a mother. She is not afraid to be smart & savvy, but won't beat you about-the-head-neck-&-face w/ it. She is unapologetically committed to her faith, & she is conservative politically...

So, why start a web log over this? Because I was watching the day her candidacy was announced - and was absolutely stunned. An eerie déjà vu draped itself over my shoulders, and I felt like I was looking in a mirror. Finally - a real woman (who could actually be me), with the potential of being Vice President of the country. A real woman who cares about the things I do - not someone who screams far-left hyperfeminist propaganda & then swears she's speaking for me.

Why write here & now? Because I’ve been writing for some time with a sense of discovery and anticipation, and with a notion that perhaps I have something to say. And because that day, I experienced a shift in perspective.

I'm not sure who'll win this thing, but the pundits are right. Governor Palin’s candidacy is a 'game-changer,’ -- for me, anyway. Primarily, she gives me real hope that conservative women now have a voice in the Women's Conversation of our time; that the left no longer has a monopoly on "issues that women care about." She is a role model for thousands of women - who now see & know that you don't have to be abrasive & shrill in order to be tough & strong.

That's why they've been trying to kill her voice, kill her reputation, kill her credibility - literally kill it, before (shhhhhh!) any other women get the Big Idea that the feminist agenda has challengers...The media part of it has been beastly, and yes, quite personal. Because when the media tear her apart, they're tearing apart women like me.

So, there you go. Many thanks to Governor Palin for the shift in perspective. And thanks to the other Sarah Palins in my life, some who’ve helped me chart a course since before I have memory. Thanks to those who abrade my conscience, encourage my struggles, cheer my victories, and give me opportunities to serve in kind. You’re helping me live fully, helping me hone our voice and perhaps discover some big ideas.

~~~