Texaspatriot's Weblog

Can we work together?

texaspatriot — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:46:06 +0000

Sometimes you have to work to put aside your political, philosophical and social differences with people to realize you can work together. And, wow, you might actually like the person you disagree with!

The following was in response to a blog written by a very good friend of mine. It seems the harder we work, the more forces come into play to try to divide us, and I mean all of us, and keep us from working together in any situation.

We don’t have to agree on everything – we just need to work together on the things we CAN agree on. And from there, start making positive changes. You can read the blog at http://edeneducation.blogspot.com/.

One of the things that makes Under the Hood Cafe great is that you don’t have to agree on political philosophy or agree on how to fix all the evils of the world. Under the Hood focuses on helping individuals cope with their reality as it is.

See, here’s the problem. No matter how we feel about the current status quo, it IS the status quo. And you have to figure out how you can make changes for the better.

Idealistically, it would be great if we could start with a clean slate and have a metamorphosis of the human spirit into something that is more egalitarian, fair, high-minded and peaceful.

The problem is, life isn’t like that. There are a lot of things that I agree with Bobby on, and a lot of things I don’t. I admire the dedication with which he applies himself to his ideals and beliefs.

One of the things that makes all of us individuals is the right to think and believe what we want. Whether we want to come to those thoughts and beliefs logically, impulsively, or whatever feels good at the moment – it doesn’t really matter. It is what we believe.

There are a lot of things that I can’t agree with the larger anti-war movement because I believe the basis of some of the arguments are just flawed. Doesn’t make it right or wrong, just makes it different.

First off, I disagree with calling it an “anti-war” movement. Why not focus on the positive and call it “pro-peace”? If it’s all about love and harmony, why not focus on the positive, rather than the negative?

Why are we so quick to jump on the negative in any situation? Kind of sad really.

I’ve certainly come to the conclusion over the past few years that there is no “left/right” dichotomy – especially that practiced by the politicians and mainstream media. It’s a big game, a show. It’s used to continue to divide us from each other. It’s easier to hate someone because of a label – we don’t have to delve into who they are, or why they believe what they do.

I don’t have to agree with someone on everything to know when something is worth working together on. Do I agree with the political and social philosophy of everyone that volunteers to work at Under the Hood or some other organization/cause I believe to be worth my time and effort? No – I don’t. But it doesn’t stop me from working with them and hopefully become a friend that you can respectfully disagree with on the philosophy of politics, but agree with me that we can work together and still like each other.

To me, the biggest obstacle we face is not fighting the powers that be, it’s in finding the common ground we can agree on. From there we can take a step forward into a world where it’s better for all of us.

“Divide and Conquer” works because it’s the truth. So, can we set aside some differences to work united on the things we can agree on? Because frankly, we need some victories.

Do Developers Own Pflugerville’s City Council?

texaspatriot — Tue, 12 May 2009 03:51:05 +0000

Nestled in the heart of Texas, just North of Austin, there’s a little town called Pflugerville. It would seem that corrupt city politics doesn’t overlook even a place like this…. at least no where there’s money for developers to be made.

It’s a fairly well known fact that the Austin City Council is populated by developers, much to the dismay of Austinites trying to hold on to some of the things that make their city unique and one of the best places in the country to live. Sure, you do need to grow and develop as a city, but do we have to lose the charm as well?

Well, it seems this is an all too familiar story in Pflugerville as well, only maybe not so well publicized. Today the financial reports for the Victor Gonzalez/Erica Grignon race came out today and one thing that was glaringly obvious – Victor Gonzalez is owned by the developers as well. Just go down the list of the donors to his campaign, as compared to Mrs. Grignon.

For example, Tim and Barth Timmerman donated a total of $750. Timmerman Investments just happens to be the company that’s developing the land around Wal-Mart. Steve Durhman of the Durhman and Bassett Realty Group also threw in $250. These numbers may seem small, considering some of the money raised for other campaigns – but out of a total $3575 raised for the entire campaign, they take on a whole new meaning.

And what about the big donor? The one that donated $2000 of the $3575 raised? None other than Rhett Dawson of RMD Development. One quick google searched turned up this little gem taken from the minutes of the Pflugerville City Council meeting:

C. 1.) Executive Session item: Consultation with legal counsel concerning New Sweden Wastewater and Development Agreements. 2.) Open Session item: Discussion with respect to New Sweden Wastewater and Development Agreements. Mr. Buesing stated that Mr. Dawson has come forward and visited with them on a new way of doing the development agreement. Rhett Dawson, of RMD, stated that the proposal that he has offered is conceptual at this point and that he wanted to see if it is something that the Council may want to consider. He stated that it would mean purchasing assets of 973 now. He stated that he has given Mr. Buesing a very draft proposal that Eco Systems provided. He stated that Eco Systems would build and own and lease to the City for a 30-year period. He stated that he thinks it needs more work and could be made very attractive. He stated that this would be in lieu of having the City sell bonds to build the plant. He stated that the City is not collecting impact fees under the current agreement, and he is proposing that the City could collect full impact fees. He stated that there is not a whole lot on the table for them this evening, but he would like to receive some direction. He indicated that he is going to meet with Mr. Buesing again tomorrow. Mr. Wood stated that there is risk with this and that he does not think that they have all of the facts that they need to consider it at this point. He stated that he thinks Mr. Dawson should continue to work with the City Manager. Mr. Dawson indicated he would work with Mr. Buesing over the next few weeks. Mr. Gladney stated he would like to see some proposed contract language before he offers any comments.

How is development bad? Well, it’s not necessarily. What is bad is a City Council that represents the developers to the detriment of the people living in the City.

What about the recent complaint about a private fund-raiser that ended up constituting a quorum of City Council Members. If true and it seems likely that it is, Victor has violated the law, as well as the trust of the people of Pflugerville. Here’s hoping that the candidate who will represent the people of the city before the developers wins. Good luck, Erica. Pflugerville needs people like you on City Council. Maybe a voice of reason on the side of the people of your pfair City will help even out the playing field. Or at least make sure the people of the City are aware of how they are being sold out for the profit of a few.

Sheeple of a different shepherd?

texaspatriot — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:31:45 +0000

So, recently it has come to my attention that there are stages to waking up. Ok – let me clarify, there are more stages to waking up than I was originally aware of. What was that about the rabbit hole? Just how deep does it go?

I’ve been lucky enough to have a radio show for the past few months that have provided me with a platform in addition to blogging for my opinions, ideas, etc….

But, as with every organization or movement, there are factions within factions. You have the party paradigm, the NWO/Liberty paradigm, and within those movements, there are even more factions.

So… here is the question, at what point do you know everything you need to know? I think obviously you can’t ever know everything, but you can learn something from all of it.

So, have you gone from being a sheeple following the mass media instructions handed down from on high (or the Whitehouse, which could be construed as the lowest of the low given the current occupancy) to being sheeple following a “patriot” leader? Are you going to continue to blindly accept what you are told?

Here’s the final stage of waking up – critical thinking. If you can take in all the information you are getting from all sources and reason out YOUR position for yourself, then you have truly woken up. You’ve broken out of the group think indoctrinated into our culture at large. Let’s hope more people are able to break free from the double-think and double-speak.

Now we have Obama-on-high in the Whitehouse, and the masses of sheep were to be expected, but fortunately for us, many people realize that he’s not the answer to all our prayers. Indeed, he may just be the worst thing that’s ever happened to the country. He espouses the same rhetoric as Bush, and Clinton, and Bush Sr, and the list goes on and on. Jon Stewart did a fantastic job the other day of pointing this particular thing out – same speech, different day.

The question remains however, for those who consider themselves “awake”, whoever your new “leader” is – are you just sheeple of a different shepherd? Or have you taken that next step?

Flu Vaccine Propaganda going strong…

texaspatriot — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:47:23 +0000

I was surfing the net today looking at news articles and came across this link on MSNBC.com. It’s a pictoral history of all the deaths from flu viruses through the centuries.

It seems that we’re being prepared for a flu epidemic. It seems every year for the last several years we’ve been warned, “This is the year! Get your shots! Oh no! We don’t have enough vaccines!”

It does make one wonder just why so much propaganda?

Looking ahead….

texaspatriot — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:32:31 +0000

It’s been a very long election season for all of us. I first want to thank every one of you for all of you time, effort, blood, sweat and tears.

It would be very easy to become discouraged today. I will admit I was not the happiest of campers this morning when I woke up. But I’ve had a little time to reflect on everything that’s happened in the last year and a half, and I have to say I am far from disheartened by what I have seen.

It’s easy to dwell on losses, forget the positive in the negatives so forcefully put in our face last night and this morning. And, you know what? It’s okay to be mad, to be angry, to be a little down.

But, once you’ve done that, I ask you to think of the following things:

1. Just try to count how many people you have met in the last 18 months who share your political views. I can’t count them all. Almost every time I step out of my house now, I run into someone I’ve met in the past year. I’m continually meeting new people who are dissatisfied with how things are going and want to learn more. I’m always writing down web addresses and other information for people.

2. How many of those people do you count as friends? How many of them have been truer friends to you in the past 18 months than all the friends you had in years prior? I have found so many people that I know would be willing to help out on a moment’s notice.

3. How many things have you learned about the world and politics and how it all works? We understand the primaries, how they work, why it’s important to vote, even if it’s in protest. How to work a polling place, how to canvass, and how sometimes all it takes is just going and doing something. Even if you do it wrong the first time. It’s always better to try and fail and learn something, than to sit back and do nothing.

4. How important education is, and how hard it is to do sometimes. But then someone new “gets it”, and you start the process again.

5. I believe every one of us, no matter how discouraged we are some days, have a burning desire, a need, to do something about what we now know. Haven’t you felt this yourself? Do you look at your friends and family and know that you must continue because you know things that others do not?

I consider myself a much more enriched person now than I was 18 months ago. My life, while it has it’s ups and downs and certainly some new stresses, is more rewarding and full than I could have imagined 18 months ago. And, no matter what happens, I can say that I am doing something meaningful with my life. That I did not give up when things did not go my way. That I stand by my friends and family, even when sometimes they don’t understand why I do the things I do. I do all of this because I believe with all my heart, that we are not meant to live as slaves. I believe we are meant to be self-determining human beings, able to live our lives to the fullest potential possible, and in so doing, enrich the lives of those we love around us. I believe we are meant to think, to laugh, to love, to grow and be willing to take what’s given to us and make it better for ourselves and the people around us. We cannot sit idly by and watch as the world around us changes for the worse. And I know, that when the time comes, the people that I have met in the last 18 months will stand firm against the encroaching tide of tyranny. And that we will fight until the end, because in good conscience we cannot do anything else.

Now is the time to catch our breath, fill our reserves and start the next battle, because the war is not over. One thing I have certainly learned in the last year – we are FAR more effective locally than nationally. We know what the overall agenda is, and we must face the fact that we cannot fight everyone’s battles for them. But we can certainly fight our own, and we are obligated to. What exactly that’s going to be next, I don’t know for sure.

I encourage every one of us to stay active, stay informed and aware and stay in touch. Join other liberty minded groups – TAGTexas.org is just one of many. Network. That is where my time and effort is going to go. We cannot play partisan politics. We must be willing to find the people who agree on our issues and work with them to build coalitions. This is how we can get things done, right here in central Texas. When we stop it here, we stand as a beacon to other people around the country and the world as a testament to the will of a people who stand for Liberty, Freedom and Justice.

I look forward to continuing to work with you all. I hope that each of you will find the resolve and courage to keep fighting, because I know it is in each of you.

Nothing is worth having that you didn’t have to work for.

In Liberty and Love,
Nancy

Another perspective on socialized medicine… or, fun with numbers

texaspatriot — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:38:25 +0000

Some of you would probably be right in viewing the following email as confrontational, maybe a little in your face. All I have to say is that I’m angry. I’m angry people are willing to settle for the lesser of two evils. I’m angry that my country is a fascist state with a government bent on looting our wealth out from under us while we all sit complacently by. Some days I think Americans are just too damn nice for their own good. Where is the willingness to stand up and fight?

http://hotair.com/archives/2008/10/23/video-zo-on-health-care-energy-taxes-pretty-much-everything/

When talking about “willingness” to pay more in taxes, it’s lucky you have the choice to decide that. I have another option, however, for all those “willing to pay more in taxes”. It’s called charity. Most people cannot pay more in taxes. Most people can’t afford the taxes they already have.

With the recent bailout, I did some minor math. $1 Trillion / 300 million people = $3333.33 for every man, woman and child in the country. At 3% interest over 30 years – that’s roughly $10800 per person. Now multiply that by our current national debt (and don’t forget, that bailout is going to pay bonuses and trips for executives, aren’t they lucky?) at 10,530,893,033,778.21 (source: http://www.treasurydirect.gov/NP/BPDLogin?application=np) and you get well, 10800 x10.5 = $113, 400 for everyone in the country. Now, this doesn’t include any future entitlements from Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc….. and I do believe a lot of baby boomers are hitting retirement age these days. That number is sure to go up from there.

Illinois, for example, has a minimum income tax rate of 3%. That’s only $3000 for every $100,000 earned. The Federal Minimum income tax is 10%. Oops, for $100,000 per year, that’s 28%. So, let’s work with the median household income in America, $44,389 (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United_States wikipedia not being my favorite source for anything). That tax bracket is 25% for the IRS, 3% for the State of Illinois. (I love that Texas doesn’t have a slave tax, er, I mean an income tax.)

Federal: 11097.25
State: $1331.67
Your payments on the national debt per person: $478.10 per month or $5737

Now, you have $26,223.08 left to live on. Oh, wait? There’s two of you in the household? Make that $20486.08. That’s $1707.17 per month. Got a $100,000 mtge? Looking at $800-900 per month there, depending on your Real Estate taxes… oh, look, another tax.

So, now add in sales tax 7.5% on just about everything you buy, gas tax, parking meters, and a gazillion other taxes we have to pay. Telephone usage tax, anyone? Think a big inheritance might help you out in the future? How about the death tax?

Obviously, these aren’t completely accurate numbers and yes, I know there will be other tax money from corporations that will help pay… but wait, where does that money come from? Hmmm….

No wonder personal debt is skyrocketing in the US.

The answers to our problems as a nation are not more taxes. It’s less. It’s personal responsibility. It’s less foreign intervention, it’s stopping the Federal Reserve System of thieves, it’s returning to Constitutional law. I don’t have all the answers, but I can sure as hell tell you that neither do Obama or McCain. Their answers are more wars and more taxes… all which end up profiting the bankers, and drive our country further into slavery.

If a tax on labor is just, you don’t own your labor, the state does. If you don’t own your labor, you are a slave, no matter how gilded your cage is.

“None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.“
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I, for one, cannot sit quietly by and watch everything our families have fought and died for go to hell. Are you really willing to acquiesce without a fight? To roll over and continue to take the drivel that’s handed down by the Masters on high? What happened to the ideals of freedom and liberty?

We cannot make changes through a Presidential popularity contest. But we can in our own backyard.

If Obama gets in, he’s going to start taking away your guns. You better be ready. Just ask the Tsutsi’s in Rwanda how that worked out for them. Oh wait, that’s right, they were killed in a mass genocide because they couldn’t defend themselves. How about the Jews in Hitler’s Germany? Oh, right, an awful lot of them died too. If you think for one second the same thing can’t happen here if we allow ourselves to be disarmed, you are kidding yourself.

Both Obama and Biden are members of the CFR. You can see their status as members listed on this page: http://www.cfr.org/campaign2008/meetings.html

One of the CFR’s stated goals is the reduction of the Earth’s population to 500 million people. Try googling Rockefeller or Kissinger and depopulation.

Just for fun, a list of taxes in Illinois:

Below is a list of State and Local Taxes that are located in the Location-driven Tax Rate Finder

State Imposed

Sales Tax/Use Tax
Automobile Renting Taxes
Telecommunication Taxes

Local Imposed

Business District Retailers’ Occupation Tax
Chicago Soft Drink Tax
County Motor Fuel
DuPage Water Commission Taxes
Home Rule and Non-home Rule Sales and Use Taxes
Local Automobile Renting Occupation and Use Taxes
Mass Transit District Taxes
Metro-East Park and Recreation District Tax
Metropolitan Pier and Exhibition Authority Tax
Rental Housing Support State Surcharge
Special county Retailers’ Occupation Tax for Public Safety or Transportation
Simplified Municipal Telecommunication Tax

Below is a list of State and Local Taxes that are located in the Non-location-driven Tax Finder (State-wide Fixed Rates)

State Imposed

- Aircraft Use Tax
- Bingo/Charitable Games/Pull Tabs and Jar Games Tax and License Fees
- Business Income Tax
- Cigarette Tax/Cigarette Use Tax
- Coin-operated Amusement Device and Redemption Machine Tax
- Dry-Cleaning Solvent Tax and License Fees
- Electricity Distribution and Invested Capital Tax
- Electricity Excise Tax
- Energy Assistance Changes and Renewable Energy Charges
- Environmental Impact Fee
- Gas Revenue Tax/Gas Use Tax
- Hotel Operator’s Tax
- Individual Income Tax
- Liquor Gallonage Tax
- Motor Fuel Tax/Motor Fuel Use Tax
- Oil and Gas Production
- Personal Property Tax Replacement Income Tax
- Qualified Solid Waste Energy Facility
- Racing Privilege Tax
- Real Estate Transfer Tax
- Riverboat Gambling and License Fees
- Telecommunications Infrastructure Maintenance Fee
- Tire User Fee
- Tobacco Products Tax
- Underground Storage
- Vehicle Use Tax
- Watercraft Use Tax
- Withholding (Payroll) Tax

Local Imposed

Illinois Sports Facilities Hotel Tax
Metropolitan Pier and Exhibition Authority Tax (Hotel)
Municipal Hotel Tax

Frustration over the Obama vs. McCain Debate

texaspatriot — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 20:24:58 +0000

I love my family. They are truly wonderful people. Thoughtful, generous and kind. Some of them are “awake” and some are not. I got truly frustrated in reading a thread of emails going back and forth regarding the merits of McCain vs. Obama and wrote this in reply:

Good points both, but you’re missing the main point. There is absolutely no difference between the two. They will both continue to sell us out to the bankers.

We do not change who is in government. We vote the same people in year after year.

We do not change who is in the bureaucracy and they hand down regulation upon regulations.

We do not care that our elections have been stolen and continue to be stolen, so even IF you wanted to vote for change now, you couldn’t anyway.

We do not change that the current two party system is a farce – that the debate is not over what is right and wrong, but how much we spend.

We do not demand accountability of our representatives in Congress or even City Hall.

We do not demand a Constitutional Government that would abolish the Federal Reserve System and go back to a sound money supply. Ben Bernanke admitted in a speech at the 90th birthday party for Milton Friedman that the Federal Reserve caused the Great Depression through their actions. Go here for the link.

We do not look in the mirror and recognize that it is the apathy and personal indulgence of generations that has cost us a free country.

Welcome to Fascism. It’s here.

People say they are willing to pay more in taxes for services. That’s great, because that’s what we are getting. Never mind that most people can’t even afford to pay for food AND gas and have to choose between the two. The Parties play on the fact that most people want to help their neighbors, but it’s awfully convenient to just have it taken out of the paycheck and then we can go on with our lives without having to get our hands dirty. It is not the place of the government to provide for care for us – it is our responsibility to care for each other. But you can’t do that if you are working two jobs and sometimes three to make ends meet and the government keeps sucking up YOUR money like they have a right to it. Which they most assuredly do not. If you do not have the right to keep what you earn, you do not own your labor. If you don’t own your labor, you are a slave. You might be lucky enough to have golden chains, but they are still chains.

It doesn’t matter one bit which party gets into office. They are both bought and paid for by the same people. You will get exactly what the elitists in charge of the government and the banking systems want you to get. Which is the short end of the stick and them holding all the assets.

According to the Army Times, we will have our first deployment on US soil in the history of our country starting October 1st. Welcome to Martial Law.

As I’m writing this, the financial bailout agreement has been reached. THERE IS NO MONEY TO PAY FOR THIS. The dollar will continue to fall like crazy until it’s worthless. I hope that all of you have taken the time to at least fill your pantries.

And what do we have at the end of the day? A continued play put on for the benefit of the masses in which we are presented with bad choice A (barack obama) or equally bad choice B (john mccain). There was no substance in ANY of the debates I heard within the Democratic or Republican parties. It was all just we have to beat the other side. Why not just have a football game and get it over with? It would certainly cost less, have the same outcome (disaster for you and me) and be done in an afternoon. At least then, you’d get the attention of the apathetic masses.

The definition of Fascism: a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.

“Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power” – Benito Mussolini

Psychopaths manipulate the feelings of moral people in order to achieve their goals. It doesn’t matter who gets hurt in the end, as long as the goal is achieved.
Sam Adams reportedly told some British sympathizers:

If you love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home and leave us in peace. We seek not your council, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.

Just how far have we come from our roots that we now talk about voting for the lesser of two evils? That we are willing to hand over our hard won freedom for despotism and martial law? That we would willingly sell our children’s children’s children into slavery? Shame on all of us for letting it come to this.

After the Rally for the Republic

texaspatriot — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:38:09 +0000

Well, my cohost and I are back from a long week spent traveling to and from Minneapolis. I did my blogging this week on our show blog – LibertyCafe.wordpress.com – if you would like to check it out. I was also invited to do some live blogging with unitedliberty.org.

It was fun, we got to meet some interesting people and do some networking. I got mixed reactions from the people there, however. One person told me that when the invitations went out for the leadership summit – Chicago had people invited that haven’t done anything since Super Tuesday – and those people who have been working hard ever since got ignored.

I had another person tell me that all the organizational efforts of the Texas Delegation culminated in a meeting on some bleachers for a picture after a concert. Where, evidently, elections were held for the new leadership inside the Campaign for Liberty. (I have since found that this was the leadership to represent the Texas delegation to the rally…)

Overall, I think it was a good opportunity to network, but it was a distraction. I truly appreciate the fact I was able to be there and cover it on the blog, and work with unitedliberty.org for the live blogging event. However, top down is not going to win our country back. The focus must be fixed on local elections and issues.

I just heard Jim Stutsman – who is running in SD 25 – true-blue Ron Paul supporter – got passed over for endorsement by the Liberty PAC in favor of a Neo-con. In what Liberty-minded person’s world does that make sense? So… Jim is running as a Libertarian – and the Liberty PAC endorsed the Republican. it just furthers my belief that in order to be most effective, we need to be non-partisan. So when we DO have a good candidate that isn’t a Republican, we do not have the “Party pressure” to endorse the party candidate.

All in all, the things that I really enjoyed – seeing Aimee Allen perform, listening to the speeches, hanging out with a lot of other Ron Paul people, was cool – but does it really further our goal of taking back our country? If they are going to do a top-down organization, which seems to be the point of the Campaign for LIberty – then a direction was needed for the people there to follow. If you are going to have an organization led by a few – then those few need to tell people what to do.

What was Education Reform – Now “THE ANSWER TO ALMOST ALL GOVERNMENT PROBLEMS!”

texaspatriot — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 04:16:57 +0000

I was going back through my drafts and realized I hadn’t posted this blog last weekend while I was at the Defending the Dream Summit. Sorry for the late posting, but it was such a good little blog, I had to put it out there! – Nancy

It’s after lunch and a morning of speakers. Some speeches were good, some were bad. I’m sitting with Katie and getting ready for the Education Reform Session to begin.

I decided not to go to the Map to Victory: How the Right Can Win Online session because I would be hard pressed not to ask why they let their dominance online slip through their fingers with the candidacy of Ron Paul?

My little epiphany of the afternoon is the following: (do you hear the trumpets blaring?)

The answer to almost all government problems is taking back personal responsibility.

People are well intentioned – we need to just change a little here and a little there – and everything will work out in the end.

But with a system that is broken on so many levels, band aids aren’t going to cut it.

It all comes back to personal responsibility – that is “growing up” – as I like to call it. Seems kind of snide when you read it, but in all seriousness, growing up is what a lot of Americans never have to do.

I remember a conversation I had a few years back with a client. We usually talked politics and current events, and this was really no departure from the norm. My contention is that most people never feel the need to take responsibility for their actions – or, more importantly, their inactions either. One thing I heard brought up over and over again is how we need to have stricter laws to “protect the children”. Well, ain’t that just dandy! It’s all okay if it’s for the children! What ever happened to parental responsibility? Internet controls and censorship, reading materials, tv shows – last time I checked, none of these things are so out of the control of the parents that they cannot be simply turned off.

Call it harsh if you like, but it’s really not my problem that you don’t want to spend any time with your kids talking, playing games, or whatever it is you want to do as a family. Just because you are relying on these things to entertain with no supervision, does not mean you have the right to censor what I want to watch. Not that I actually watch TV. I sold mine actually.

Anyway – back to the whole personal responsibility thing. If people were to actually take responsibility for their lack of involvement in local government, communities, etc, we wouldn’t be in the predicament we are today. In my not so humble opinion – the Americans of the last few generations have been seriously lax in their duty to keep the government in check. I find it ironic the generation that wanted peace and to be free is now the generation spending us into oblivion and carrying on wars throughout the world. When does it end?

If we were responsible, we’d be taking care of each other out of personal time and resources, not just handing money over to the government so someone else will take care of the problem and then average Joe American can get on with his football game watching afternoon. We’ve taken the onus off of the average person to be responsible and look out for his neighbor and handed it over to an entity – the government – that has no compassion.

So, to grow up means to take responsibility. We dont’ encourage anyone anymore to face the consequences of their actions. And until we can do that as a country, we’re never going to be able to fix the mess we are in.

Beyond the Neo-Con Posturing At the Defending The Dream Summit

texaspatriot — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:46:59 +0000

Admittedly, I have been a bit hard on the neoconservative warmongers here at the Summit. I do have to give the organization serious props though, for some of the work they do.

Not every organization is perfect, but many of the people here are committed to reducing taxes, reducing the burden of the taxpayer, and recognizing local achievements in politics. We had a training session yesterday on protesting property taxes with The Honorable Cheryl Johnson. This is one lady I would be PROUD to vote for! She had handouts, information and knew her stuff! She offers training classes on the most effective ways to protest your taxes and where the power really lies. She’s the Galveston County Tax Assessor Collector. I highly recommend checking out her training if you can! She is a true champion on the people.

I do believe there are more people here than just the “Ron Paul” crowd interested in limited government. This is a good thing.