Check out my new blog home, and read my lastest post on how we restore America's prosperity
http://www.2big2succeed.com/
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Why Seniors Can Preserve America's Greatness
Our seniors are our county’s greatest asset. The tragedy is that many young people do not see them for the treasure that they are.
Our older generation is the wisdom of our nation. They have worked, built business, immigrated from other lands, married, had kids, had grand kids and watched the world change around them. There is no greater earthly source of wisdom than experience.
To those who are in their retirement years, let me say: please speak up. We need the stories you tell and the lessons you learned. We need to know what you saw that worked, what did not work, and why. Please take the mantle of the responsibility of sharing your wisdom.
To those in their middle years, show your parents respect and your kids will respect them as well.
And to the younger generation (am I still in that group at 33?), you may think that you know, and your passion is essential for life, but make sure that you ask questions of those who have done it before you. They have learned more than a thing or two. If you don’t have a senior role model in your life, find one: an aunt or uncle, neighbor or friend of the family. We need their voice of experience.
Our seniors are so precious that I cringe at the idea of some on the far, far left that believe that lives have a monetary value, and seniors and babies are at the bottom of that list. Seniors often cost too much to keep alive and babies require many years of investment before they start producing in society. You can read all about the “Complete Lives System” here. It’s scary stuff. First of all, every human life is priceless. Second of all, the idea that a person’s value is based on their productivity is disgusting. But what happens, the authors argue, when there is a shortage of healthcare or funding for healthcare and care has to be rationed? Who do we pick to get the care?
I know, that’s just crazy “death panels” stuff, I am not saying that is what the Democrats want, only some loons.
What’s more disturbing is a college student that I saw interviewed during the education cuts protests here in Los Angeles. The student was asked what the government should cut to pay for education and he responded that the government should cut Medicare or Social Security because the seniors “had their turn” and it is the younger generation’s turn now.
Protect our seniors, they have the most to lose if the economy worsens and severe cuts must be made. We owe them the promises that were made. Younger generation, you may have to make some sacrifices to honor our commitments to our seniors. I am not counting on any of the $80,000 in SSI money I have paid over the years. I must take responsibility for my own retirement. But I can leave my children and my grandchildren a better, more free, more prosperous America, because that’s the sacrifice that the “greatest generation”, the WWII era, did for their kids and grandkids. That is a legacy: something that you leave on to future generations. Our seniors' wisdom is their legacy. Let’s make sure we inherit it.
Our older generation is the wisdom of our nation. They have worked, built business, immigrated from other lands, married, had kids, had grand kids and watched the world change around them. There is no greater earthly source of wisdom than experience.
To those who are in their retirement years, let me say: please speak up. We need the stories you tell and the lessons you learned. We need to know what you saw that worked, what did not work, and why. Please take the mantle of the responsibility of sharing your wisdom.
To those in their middle years, show your parents respect and your kids will respect them as well.
And to the younger generation (am I still in that group at 33?), you may think that you know, and your passion is essential for life, but make sure that you ask questions of those who have done it before you. They have learned more than a thing or two. If you don’t have a senior role model in your life, find one: an aunt or uncle, neighbor or friend of the family. We need their voice of experience.
Our seniors are so precious that I cringe at the idea of some on the far, far left that believe that lives have a monetary value, and seniors and babies are at the bottom of that list. Seniors often cost too much to keep alive and babies require many years of investment before they start producing in society. You can read all about the “Complete Lives System” here. It’s scary stuff. First of all, every human life is priceless. Second of all, the idea that a person’s value is based on their productivity is disgusting. But what happens, the authors argue, when there is a shortage of healthcare or funding for healthcare and care has to be rationed? Who do we pick to get the care?
I know, that’s just crazy “death panels” stuff, I am not saying that is what the Democrats want, only some loons.
What’s more disturbing is a college student that I saw interviewed during the education cuts protests here in Los Angeles. The student was asked what the government should cut to pay for education and he responded that the government should cut Medicare or Social Security because the seniors “had their turn” and it is the younger generation’s turn now.
Protect our seniors, they have the most to lose if the economy worsens and severe cuts must be made. We owe them the promises that were made. Younger generation, you may have to make some sacrifices to honor our commitments to our seniors. I am not counting on any of the $80,000 in SSI money I have paid over the years. I must take responsibility for my own retirement. But I can leave my children and my grandchildren a better, more free, more prosperous America, because that’s the sacrifice that the “greatest generation”, the WWII era, did for their kids and grandkids. That is a legacy: something that you leave on to future generations. Our seniors' wisdom is their legacy. Let’s make sure we inherit it.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
A Passion Born of Necessity
I was talking to a coworker today about the upcoming elections. "I don't really follow politics," he said. "I rarely even vote." Of course my colleague is not alone. Voter turnout is usually around 60% of those eligible to vote, and traditionally below 50% in a midterm election. Compare that to Iraq, where under threat of death, over 90% of eligible voters turned out to vote. Could it be that we don't appreciate our democracy in America?
It is amazing to me that people will follow football with a passion bordering on fanaticism and yet remain uninvolved in their elections. Not that there is anything wrong with a passion for football, fashion, or fishing, but who represents us in the White House and Congress (and, by extension, the judiciary) is the most important thing. We the People get to decide what kind of country we want to be and what kind of government we want to have. The answers to those questions will affect our liberty, our prosperity, our everyday lives and our posterity's future. Our founders embarked on a grand experiment to see if a government could be of, for and by the people. In order for that to happen, the people have to pay attention, and they have to vote.
I am not suggesting compulsory voting. Those who don't want to vote probably shouldn't vote as they are less likely to be informed on the candidates and issues. But why don't people want to vote? Are they cynical about the impact that a citizen can make?
Some of my friends may see me as overly obsessed with politics and issues. It really has become a passion of mine in the last couple years. However, it is a passion born of necessity. I would rather live in a world where I can focus on swing dancing, Ultimate Fighting, or heck, even dating, while having utmost confidence that our elected officials are free of corruption, faithful to our constitution, and looking out for their constituents above all.
The reality however is that power corrupts, our constitution is often subverted or downright scorned, and elected officials are bought and paid for special interests and big business. We the People are the only line of defense against the failure of this grand experiment. Our Declaration of Independence asserts that government gets its just powers from the consent of the governed. Don't we need to know what we are consenting to?
The reality of human history is that freedom is in a constant battle for its existence against the forces of despotism, the quest for power, and the tendency of that power to centralize. Our founders believed that all powers not expressly given to the federal government should reside with the states and the people. But they were not unaware of the challenge of maintaining that decentralized power:
"How prone all human institutions have been to decay; how subject the best-formed and most wisely organized governments have been to lose their check and totally dissolve; how difficult it has been for mankind, in all ages and countries, to preserve their dearest rights and best privileges, impelled as it were by an irresistible fate of despotism."
- James Monroe, speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention, June 10, 1788
It is not just our right to preserve liberty and the "last, best hope of the world" that is America, it is our duty.
Right after the ratification of the US Constitution a lady asked Dr. Benjamin Franklin, "Well Doctor, what have we got a republic or a monarchy" — "A republic," replied the Franklin, "if you can keep it."
- Anonymous, from Farrand's Records of the Federal Convention of 1787
It is amazing to me that people will follow football with a passion bordering on fanaticism and yet remain uninvolved in their elections. Not that there is anything wrong with a passion for football, fashion, or fishing, but who represents us in the White House and Congress (and, by extension, the judiciary) is the most important thing. We the People get to decide what kind of country we want to be and what kind of government we want to have. The answers to those questions will affect our liberty, our prosperity, our everyday lives and our posterity's future. Our founders embarked on a grand experiment to see if a government could be of, for and by the people. In order for that to happen, the people have to pay attention, and they have to vote.
I am not suggesting compulsory voting. Those who don't want to vote probably shouldn't vote as they are less likely to be informed on the candidates and issues. But why don't people want to vote? Are they cynical about the impact that a citizen can make?
Some of my friends may see me as overly obsessed with politics and issues. It really has become a passion of mine in the last couple years. However, it is a passion born of necessity. I would rather live in a world where I can focus on swing dancing, Ultimate Fighting, or heck, even dating, while having utmost confidence that our elected officials are free of corruption, faithful to our constitution, and looking out for their constituents above all.
The reality however is that power corrupts, our constitution is often subverted or downright scorned, and elected officials are bought and paid for special interests and big business. We the People are the only line of defense against the failure of this grand experiment. Our Declaration of Independence asserts that government gets its just powers from the consent of the governed. Don't we need to know what we are consenting to?
The reality of human history is that freedom is in a constant battle for its existence against the forces of despotism, the quest for power, and the tendency of that power to centralize. Our founders believed that all powers not expressly given to the federal government should reside with the states and the people. But they were not unaware of the challenge of maintaining that decentralized power:
"How prone all human institutions have been to decay; how subject the best-formed and most wisely organized governments have been to lose their check and totally dissolve; how difficult it has been for mankind, in all ages and countries, to preserve their dearest rights and best privileges, impelled as it were by an irresistible fate of despotism."
- James Monroe, speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention, June 10, 1788
It is not just our right to preserve liberty and the "last, best hope of the world" that is America, it is our duty.
Right after the ratification of the US Constitution a lady asked Dr. Benjamin Franklin, "Well Doctor, what have we got a republic or a monarchy" — "A republic," replied the Franklin, "if you can keep it."
- Anonymous, from Farrand's Records of the Federal Convention of 1787
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
I Want to Talk to Democrats. Please Help Me Understand
Sometimes I think that our country has become so polarized and so emotional in that divide that we can't even have conversations anymore about principles and, hopefully, find common ground. It's so much easier to only discuss politics with people that we know agree with us. There are opinion programs on cable news to reinforce whatever view we already hold. So we live in bubble where we only hear the echo of our own voices.
I try to watch some opposing viewpoint program at least once a week, read the progressive blog sites, etc. But even then I come away baffled. Recently I tried to engage in a dialog online on a college webite comparing Beck to Maddow. There were a lot of comments on the blog about how Glenn Beck is a hate-spewing, misogynistic, unhinged demagogue. So I tried to ask, "but why do you think that?". You can see the dialog for yourself here. I didn't really get any compelling answers. I can understand why some people don't like Beck because they disagree with his principles on how the country should be run, his ideas on what the founders wanted America to be, or his criticism of this administration or congress. I told a liberal friend of mine once that I liked Beck and he acted like I told him I was joining the KKK and in jeopardy of losing my soul. I am pretty sure he never watched Beck though. I was at Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally in DC and I saw a group of people uniting around the principles of faith, hope and charity, honor, sacrifice, and personal responsibility. Republicans do not own those principles. They are American principles. They have been the principles of great leaders and individuals around the world.
I digress though, my question isn't really about Beck, O'Reilly, Olberman or Jon Stewart. I want to find the things that unite us. And for that I need to understand what misconceptions I might have about liberals and what misconceptions they may have about conservatives. So I am going to list a few things that I think define conservatives and a few things that I think define liberals (or at least progressives, because I think that progressive policies are what many in the country are rejecting). But I want my Democrat friends to tell me what they think. Are progressives taking the Democrat party too far into progressive? Am I mistaken about what I believe defines conservatism? Many of things that I did not like about George W. Bush were the areas where I thought that he lost fidelity to conservative principles. So this is more an exercise in exploration on the "battlefield of ideas".
My conservative principles:
• We are all created equal and endowed by our creator with the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Our Rights come from God. Or said another way, they are natural rights. The government does not give us rights, they are there to make laws to protect our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If the government gives us our rights, the government can take them away.
• While we all want a safety-net to protect those that cannot help themselves, we don't want a nanny state to protect those who will not help themselves. Americans have produced more, invented more and created more wealth than any other nation because of the "American Dream". The idea that anyone willing to work hard, learn from their mistakes, and keep reaching for their dreams can make it in America.
• When entrepreneurs succeed in America their wealth creates more prosperity for others: employees, vendors, and consumer purchases, those recipients spend that money on their employees and vendors and purchases and so on and so forth. It's called trickledown economics. Wealth is not a single pie for the government to slice up and hand out. We can all bake our own pies, and keep baking. Wealth is not finite and the "bakers" create more pie for everyone, even as they keep the biggest slice for themselves as reward for their risk, work and talent.
• All citizens should be treated equally under the law
• I am responsible as an individual for my health, my happiness, my wealth.
• It is my duty to care for others who need help. Charity in America is a concept intrinsic to our values and also intrinsic to the success of our nation. How do we care for others? When the government takes our money and hands it out to those they feel deserving we lose the "charity" and move to collectivism.
Progressive principles (as I hear them expressed)
• America is not a fair and just nation. There are the oppressors in power and the oppressed working class. The elite few will make it, but often at the expense of "the working class"
• The government needs to work towards "social justice" to make the country more equal and income distribution fairer.
• The "wealthy" or upper middle class only care about their own self-interest and will not (unless forced) take care of the unfortunate or victims in society
• We have the right to health care, housing and employment. The government must make sure that we get those rights.
• America has too much of the world's wealth - more than our "fair share". We are succeeding on the backs of developing nations and destroying the planet by using more than our fair share of consumption, energy, etc.
Where am I getting it wrong? What do you think are the differences between "conservative" and "progressive"?
There is little common ground in the two philosophies above. But I am wondering whether "progressive" represents many traditional Democrats. Maybe there are Democrats out there who won't be at the "One Nation" rally in DC this weekend. The list of sponsoring organizations reads like who’s who of organized labor, environmentalists, anti war activists, socialists, and even the "Communist Party USA". You can see more about the event and its endorsements on the event website. In some cases the local unions are even making attendance compulsory. Is this who the Democrats are now?
Have we become polarized because we have become a nation of polar opposites? Where is the middle anymore? The place where we all share the same American principles, even when we sometimes disagree on the details.
I try to watch some opposing viewpoint program at least once a week, read the progressive blog sites, etc. But even then I come away baffled. Recently I tried to engage in a dialog online on a college webite comparing Beck to Maddow. There were a lot of comments on the blog about how Glenn Beck is a hate-spewing, misogynistic, unhinged demagogue. So I tried to ask, "but why do you think that?". You can see the dialog for yourself here. I didn't really get any compelling answers. I can understand why some people don't like Beck because they disagree with his principles on how the country should be run, his ideas on what the founders wanted America to be, or his criticism of this administration or congress. I told a liberal friend of mine once that I liked Beck and he acted like I told him I was joining the KKK and in jeopardy of losing my soul. I am pretty sure he never watched Beck though. I was at Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally in DC and I saw a group of people uniting around the principles of faith, hope and charity, honor, sacrifice, and personal responsibility. Republicans do not own those principles. They are American principles. They have been the principles of great leaders and individuals around the world.
I digress though, my question isn't really about Beck, O'Reilly, Olberman or Jon Stewart. I want to find the things that unite us. And for that I need to understand what misconceptions I might have about liberals and what misconceptions they may have about conservatives. So I am going to list a few things that I think define conservatives and a few things that I think define liberals (or at least progressives, because I think that progressive policies are what many in the country are rejecting). But I want my Democrat friends to tell me what they think. Are progressives taking the Democrat party too far into progressive? Am I mistaken about what I believe defines conservatism? Many of things that I did not like about George W. Bush were the areas where I thought that he lost fidelity to conservative principles. So this is more an exercise in exploration on the "battlefield of ideas".
My conservative principles:
• We are all created equal and endowed by our creator with the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Our Rights come from God. Or said another way, they are natural rights. The government does not give us rights, they are there to make laws to protect our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If the government gives us our rights, the government can take them away.
• While we all want a safety-net to protect those that cannot help themselves, we don't want a nanny state to protect those who will not help themselves. Americans have produced more, invented more and created more wealth than any other nation because of the "American Dream". The idea that anyone willing to work hard, learn from their mistakes, and keep reaching for their dreams can make it in America.
• When entrepreneurs succeed in America their wealth creates more prosperity for others: employees, vendors, and consumer purchases, those recipients spend that money on their employees and vendors and purchases and so on and so forth. It's called trickledown economics. Wealth is not a single pie for the government to slice up and hand out. We can all bake our own pies, and keep baking. Wealth is not finite and the "bakers" create more pie for everyone, even as they keep the biggest slice for themselves as reward for their risk, work and talent.
• All citizens should be treated equally under the law
• I am responsible as an individual for my health, my happiness, my wealth.
• It is my duty to care for others who need help. Charity in America is a concept intrinsic to our values and also intrinsic to the success of our nation. How do we care for others? When the government takes our money and hands it out to those they feel deserving we lose the "charity" and move to collectivism.
Progressive principles (as I hear them expressed)
• America is not a fair and just nation. There are the oppressors in power and the oppressed working class. The elite few will make it, but often at the expense of "the working class"
• The government needs to work towards "social justice" to make the country more equal and income distribution fairer.
• The "wealthy" or upper middle class only care about their own self-interest and will not (unless forced) take care of the unfortunate or victims in society
• We have the right to health care, housing and employment. The government must make sure that we get those rights.
• America has too much of the world's wealth - more than our "fair share". We are succeeding on the backs of developing nations and destroying the planet by using more than our fair share of consumption, energy, etc.
Where am I getting it wrong? What do you think are the differences between "conservative" and "progressive"?
There is little common ground in the two philosophies above. But I am wondering whether "progressive" represents many traditional Democrats. Maybe there are Democrats out there who won't be at the "One Nation" rally in DC this weekend. The list of sponsoring organizations reads like who’s who of organized labor, environmentalists, anti war activists, socialists, and even the "Communist Party USA". You can see more about the event and its endorsements on the event website. In some cases the local unions are even making attendance compulsory. Is this who the Democrats are now?
Have we become polarized because we have become a nation of polar opposites? Where is the middle anymore? The place where we all share the same American principles, even when we sometimes disagree on the details.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
The Wisdom, not the Right: What Do Building a Mosque and Burning a Koran Have in Common
The President felt compelled to comment on the mosque developers right to build a mosque at ground zero, but said that he would not comment on the wisdom of that decision. I don't think anyone questions the developers' constitutional right to build the mosque 2 blocks from where the Twin Towers fell. However, many agree that the decision is provocative and disrespectful to the emotional scars that tie that area to the Muslim extremists who took down those towers and killed thousands of innocent Americans. We are clear that those building the mosque are not the same as the Islamic fanatics who commited that horrible terrorist act. The builders of the mosque do not by their Muslim faith share the name twisted, perverted vision of Islam and Jihad that terrorists use to justify their senseless acts of violence and murder. But to claim the goal of the mosque to to foster understanding and build a bridge across faiths rings hollow when the selected site has proven to cause less unity and more emotional turmoil among New Yorkers and Americans towards Islam.
So can we all agree that the mosque is legal and permitted, but nonetheless unwise?
Likewise, I don't understand what point that this church in Florida is trying to make by burning a Koran on the anniversary of 9/11. Sure, they have the legal and constitutional right to burn the Muslim holy book. But where is the wisdom? Burning a book that is sacred to others is likewise provocative and fosters disunity. The fact that a church that is supposed to represent the love of Jesus would make a statement so antithetical to Christ's message, is even more disgusting.
There are scars and fresh wounds between Americans and Islam because it is radical Muslims perverting their religion that have targeted America, "the great Satan", for destruction. We should not hold non-radical Muslims accountable for the actions of those fanatics. And the majority of Muslims, who do not believe in the Jihad against America, should be the loudest voices in opposition to the perversion of their peaceful religion.
Both Muslims and non-Muslims can react in visceral, damaging and provocative ways that keep those wounds open and bleeding, or we can all practice a little bit more wisdom in the exercise of our constitutional freedom to build a mosque or burn the Koran - by not doing it.
So can we all agree that the mosque is legal and permitted, but nonetheless unwise?
Likewise, I don't understand what point that this church in Florida is trying to make by burning a Koran on the anniversary of 9/11. Sure, they have the legal and constitutional right to burn the Muslim holy book. But where is the wisdom? Burning a book that is sacred to others is likewise provocative and fosters disunity. The fact that a church that is supposed to represent the love of Jesus would make a statement so antithetical to Christ's message, is even more disgusting.
There are scars and fresh wounds between Americans and Islam because it is radical Muslims perverting their religion that have targeted America, "the great Satan", for destruction. We should not hold non-radical Muslims accountable for the actions of those fanatics. And the majority of Muslims, who do not believe in the Jihad against America, should be the loudest voices in opposition to the perversion of their peaceful religion.
Both Muslims and non-Muslims can react in visceral, damaging and provocative ways that keep those wounds open and bleeding, or we can all practice a little bit more wisdom in the exercise of our constitutional freedom to build a mosque or burn the Koran - by not doing it.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Me and Half a Million Friends in DC in Support of Faith, Hope and Charity
My mom and I and about 500,000 friends went to Washington DC last weekend for the "Restoring Honor" rally on the Mall.
(picture from the event to the right)
To be at the Mall in DC between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial surrounded by half a million people celebrating the greatness of America, the heroism of our men and women in uniform, the message of Martin Luther King Jr and the faith, hope and charity we strive for was an experience I have trouble putting into words . Friends of mine who wanted to attend but could not asked me to try to describe the event and what it was like to be there. I find the only word that fits is "epic".
ep•ic /ˈɛpɪk/ –adjective Also, ep•i•cal.
1. noting or pertaining to a long poetic composition, usually centered upon a hero, in which a series of great achievements or events is narrated in elevated style.
2. resembling or suggesting such poetry.
3. heroic; majestic; impressively great.
4. of unusually great size or extent.
I looked around at the crowd of families, patriots and average Americans and I felt the "faith, hope and charity" that were the themes of the event. I struggle to describe the atmosphere, except to say it was the nobility of regular people challenging themselves to be better people. It was the collective belief that America is only great if her people are great. It was Ghandi's exhortation to be the change that we want to see in the world.
Military heroes were honored for their bravery and sacrifice. Over 5 million dollars was raised for the Special Operations Warrior Fund, an organization that provides support and college tuition to children of slain special forces. Baseball great Albert Pujols was awarded the "hope" medal for the extensive time and money that he gives to charities for down syndrome. Alveda King, extolled the message of her father and uncle that it is through love and divine guidance that we bring people together. Hundreds of thousands of Americans made a pledge to restore God and honor in their own lives. Glenn Beck paraphrasing Lincoln's Gettysberg address reminded us all that it mattered not what was said that day, but what we did going forward that would be remembered. So what is it that the event asked of us?
Get back to God. Hard times are here and difficult challenges lie ahead, for us as individuals and for our country. We don't ask God to be on our side. We change as individuals and get on God's side. God's "side" is not the left side or the right side. It is the side of integrity, honor, faith, generosity and sacrifice.
Take care of your family, friends and neighbors. Lead by example by being a person of character and values, even when it is not easy, especially when it is not easy.
Fight for the founding principles that have made this country the freest, most prosperous, most generous and most ingenious nation on earth. This experiment in liberty and self-governance has been the citadel of freedom and beacon of hope to the world. Our founders all too well understood that for the principle of limited government and self-regulation to succeed, Americans have to hold themselves to the highest standards with "firm reliance on divine providence" pledging our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor to those American ideals. Those words are the closing of the Declaration of Independence, and of the declaration of the "Restoring Honor" rally.
I came out of the event inspired to make commitments towards these principles in my own life and daily interactions. I left with a new dedication to draw closer to God and His will for my life. I also found a new belief in the American people and our ability to unite around those things that all Americans revere. We should be able to join together in the answer to all our nation's ills: God, honor, faith and charity. These are not just words to inspire the spirit or paste on a campaign slogan. They are the only characteristics that will save this country from the seemingly insurmountable economic, moral and spiritual challenges that face us.
Watching the main stream media's coverage of the event was baffling. I can't think of a single theme at the event that all people along the political spectrum of good faith and love of America could not unite behind. But I am no longer disheartened by partisan politicking and disparaging of this movement. I saw a righteous movement based on the dream of MLK, the peace message of Ghandi, and the divine plan of God for America if we submit to His will. I saw represented in the multitude who attended the millions more who will hold this country together through our most difficult times.
This movement is not Democrat or Republican. This movement is George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Frederick Douglas, and Harriet Tubman. This movement is Alveda King and Albert Puljos. The heroes honored at the event seem larger than life. Those heroes are not the sum of our nation though. The sum of our nation is the dads, moms, entrepreneurs, soldiers, neighbors and volunteers that follow the path these heroes have illuminated. This movement is me. This movement is you. The greatness of America and the future of that exceptionalism is based on the actions that we take on a daily basis to walk that path so "that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." (Gettysberg Address)
It won't do it justice, by I encourage you to view videos from the event yourself. Then, if you concur, make your own pledge to faith, hope and charity.
http://www.youtube.com/results?uploaded=w&search_query=restoring+honor&search_type=videos&suggested_categories=25%2C29&uni=3
(picture from the event to the right)
To be at the Mall in DC between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial surrounded by half a million people celebrating the greatness of America, the heroism of our men and women in uniform, the message of Martin Luther King Jr and the faith, hope and charity we strive for was an experience I have trouble putting into words . Friends of mine who wanted to attend but could not asked me to try to describe the event and what it was like to be there. I find the only word that fits is "epic".
ep•ic /ˈɛpɪk/ –adjective Also, ep•i•cal.
1. noting or pertaining to a long poetic composition, usually centered upon a hero, in which a series of great achievements or events is narrated in elevated style.
2. resembling or suggesting such poetry.
3. heroic; majestic; impressively great.
4. of unusually great size or extent.
I looked around at the crowd of families, patriots and average Americans and I felt the "faith, hope and charity" that were the themes of the event. I struggle to describe the atmosphere, except to say it was the nobility of regular people challenging themselves to be better people. It was the collective belief that America is only great if her people are great. It was Ghandi's exhortation to be the change that we want to see in the world.
Military heroes were honored for their bravery and sacrifice. Over 5 million dollars was raised for the Special Operations Warrior Fund, an organization that provides support and college tuition to children of slain special forces. Baseball great Albert Pujols was awarded the "hope" medal for the extensive time and money that he gives to charities for down syndrome. Alveda King, extolled the message of her father and uncle that it is through love and divine guidance that we bring people together. Hundreds of thousands of Americans made a pledge to restore God and honor in their own lives. Glenn Beck paraphrasing Lincoln's Gettysberg address reminded us all that it mattered not what was said that day, but what we did going forward that would be remembered. So what is it that the event asked of us?
Get back to God. Hard times are here and difficult challenges lie ahead, for us as individuals and for our country. We don't ask God to be on our side. We change as individuals and get on God's side. God's "side" is not the left side or the right side. It is the side of integrity, honor, faith, generosity and sacrifice.
Take care of your family, friends and neighbors. Lead by example by being a person of character and values, even when it is not easy, especially when it is not easy.
Fight for the founding principles that have made this country the freest, most prosperous, most generous and most ingenious nation on earth. This experiment in liberty and self-governance has been the citadel of freedom and beacon of hope to the world. Our founders all too well understood that for the principle of limited government and self-regulation to succeed, Americans have to hold themselves to the highest standards with "firm reliance on divine providence" pledging our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor to those American ideals. Those words are the closing of the Declaration of Independence, and of the declaration of the "Restoring Honor" rally.
I came out of the event inspired to make commitments towards these principles in my own life and daily interactions. I left with a new dedication to draw closer to God and His will for my life. I also found a new belief in the American people and our ability to unite around those things that all Americans revere. We should be able to join together in the answer to all our nation's ills: God, honor, faith and charity. These are not just words to inspire the spirit or paste on a campaign slogan. They are the only characteristics that will save this country from the seemingly insurmountable economic, moral and spiritual challenges that face us.
Watching the main stream media's coverage of the event was baffling. I can't think of a single theme at the event that all people along the political spectrum of good faith and love of America could not unite behind. But I am no longer disheartened by partisan politicking and disparaging of this movement. I saw a righteous movement based on the dream of MLK, the peace message of Ghandi, and the divine plan of God for America if we submit to His will. I saw represented in the multitude who attended the millions more who will hold this country together through our most difficult times.
This movement is not Democrat or Republican. This movement is George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Frederick Douglas, and Harriet Tubman. This movement is Alveda King and Albert Puljos. The heroes honored at the event seem larger than life. Those heroes are not the sum of our nation though. The sum of our nation is the dads, moms, entrepreneurs, soldiers, neighbors and volunteers that follow the path these heroes have illuminated. This movement is me. This movement is you. The greatness of America and the future of that exceptionalism is based on the actions that we take on a daily basis to walk that path so "that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." (Gettysberg Address)
It won't do it justice, by I encourage you to view videos from the event yourself. Then, if you concur, make your own pledge to faith, hope and charity.
http://www.youtube.com/results?uploaded=w&search_query=restoring+honor&search_type=videos&suggested_categories=25%2C29&uni=3
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Thank God the Government is there is there to Help Us Eat Better; Too Bad We Have to Pay for It.
I was just surfing the news before bed and I ran across a story that demonstrates in a few hundred words exactly what is wrong with the policies of our current elected leaders.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/19/feds-try-stimulate-healthy-eating-produce-incentive-cash/
The gist of it is that the U.S. Agriculture Department is spending 20 million of tax payer dollars on a 7,500 person pilot program to provide a 30% subsidy to poor people who buy fruits and vegetables.
Let that sink in.
Our country is so far in debt that our kids will probably have to work 3 days of the week just to pay their taxes on the income that they get to keep for working the other 2 days. Irregardless, the all-knowing, all-meddling federal government thinks it wise to spend money we don't have on fruit subsidies for food stamp recipients.
The proponents argue that bad food is cheap and good food is expensive, so the reason so many poor people are fat is because the healthy food is too expensive for them to afford.
Uh huh. You can get a chicken breast and a fruit cup at Jack-in-the-Box for the same price as a burger and fries. Yesterday my step dad bought whole cantaloupes at the store for $0.49 each.
It is more challenging to eat healthy on a budget. I know that to be true. It is also irrelevant. Lots of things are more challenging when you are poor then when you are well-off. That's a big part of the incentive to earn more money.
Next week perhaps we will read an article that the government wants us to subsidize gym memberships for those who can't afford them. It's the same logic.
What about the kids? The Super Nanny government wants to know. How about this crazy idea? Let's pretend that the parents are responsible for their kids. It's a wacky idea, I know, this personal responsibility thing. Especially since we read recently that food stamp cards (they're like ATM cards) were being used at casino ATMs. There are a lot of slot machines with fruit on them...
Let me save the government 20 million of our money: this pilot is not going to work. I guess that money is spent already though.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/19/feds-try-stimulate-healthy-eating-produce-incentive-cash/
The gist of it is that the U.S. Agriculture Department is spending 20 million of tax payer dollars on a 7,500 person pilot program to provide a 30% subsidy to poor people who buy fruits and vegetables.
Let that sink in.
Our country is so far in debt that our kids will probably have to work 3 days of the week just to pay their taxes on the income that they get to keep for working the other 2 days. Irregardless, the all-knowing, all-meddling federal government thinks it wise to spend money we don't have on fruit subsidies for food stamp recipients.
The proponents argue that bad food is cheap and good food is expensive, so the reason so many poor people are fat is because the healthy food is too expensive for them to afford.
Uh huh. You can get a chicken breast and a fruit cup at Jack-in-the-Box for the same price as a burger and fries. Yesterday my step dad bought whole cantaloupes at the store for $0.49 each.
It is more challenging to eat healthy on a budget. I know that to be true. It is also irrelevant. Lots of things are more challenging when you are poor then when you are well-off. That's a big part of the incentive to earn more money.
Next week perhaps we will read an article that the government wants us to subsidize gym memberships for those who can't afford them. It's the same logic.
What about the kids? The Super Nanny government wants to know. How about this crazy idea? Let's pretend that the parents are responsible for their kids. It's a wacky idea, I know, this personal responsibility thing. Especially since we read recently that food stamp cards (they're like ATM cards) were being used at casino ATMs. There are a lot of slot machines with fruit on them...
Let me save the government 20 million of our money: this pilot is not going to work. I guess that money is spent already though.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
