It's 11PM Eastern on election night and as I write this, Mr. Obama has won the election. My home state of Pennsylvania has gone strongly to him and my home county, previously a strong Republican stronghold has once again voted for a very liberal Democrat for Congress as well as voting for Mr. Obama. Some are calling this election the end of Republicanism. What this should be viewed as is the end of the neo-conservative wing of the Republican party.
What happened to cause this change in our country? Many will blame President Bush and he needs to take a large part of the blame. His swing to the left, large government programs and the constant barrage of the Left against him helped make him impotent over the past 3-4 years. His inability to communicate with the American people allowed his enemies to destroy his presidency.
The failure of ongoing programs such as forcing banks to give loans  and mortgages they know will not be paid and so many give aways we can't even count, continue to rip at the fabric of our economy. His takeover of some banks and ongoing "bailouts" of companies by the government has continued us down the path of socialism.
The Republican majorities several years ago forgot why we sent them there. Many of us on the Right thought we needed to show a special "compassion" by passing laws that were really the signs of liberalism. Large subisdies for medicine, ethanol and many other social agenda items have served to lead us to the brink of financial collapse.
Somehow the American people think by increasing taxes on small business and the people who are already paying 60% of the taxes will bring the country back. We have demonized our most productive citizens. The Left's social programs aim to take the wealth of the top producers in our society and dole it out to those who have not been as productive. This used to be called thievery. Now we call it "fair".
For a view of what could occur, I would recommend reading Ayn Rand's 'Atlas Shrugged'. This is a book many of us should have read long ago. It should also be required reading in every high school and college. It describes how easily capitalism can be destroyed by the unproductive of society.
We will best help those in need by rebuilding business, creating jobs, stopping the agendas of those who want to destroy business. Getting someone a job will help the country far more than handing them $500 or $1,000. Politicians love give-aways. Everyone likes the guy who hands out cash. The problem is the money has to come from someone else. It's a net loss to the economy.
Capitalism is at a precarious position. Our once strong military-industrial complex is collapsing around us. Those of us on the Right must move back to Reagan conservatism. We need to find ways to strengthen our businesses despite the expected slashes at their profits. We must work together to return to the strength of our country and our movement, the Judeo-Christian work ethic. We need new innovation rather than just take from the rich. Let us pray that as our government changes, we can protect our nation from the worst tendencies of those that feel rather than think. Let's show the country the right way to reform and bring our country back to greatness. May God have mercy on us and guide us.

These are quotes by Will Durant. After my son was assigned to discuss the first quote, I felt that posting more of his thinking would be valuable to others.

A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself within. The essential causes of Rome's decline lay in her people, her morals, her class struggle, her failing trade, her bureaucratic despotism, her stifling taxes, her consuming wars.
A statesman cannot afford to be a moralist.

As soon as liberty is complete it dies in anarchy.

Bankers know that history is inflationary and that money is the last thing a wise man will hoard.

Civilization begins with order, grows with liberty and dies with chaos.

Civilization exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice.

Civilization is the order and freedom is promoting cultural activity.

Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.

Education is the transmission of civilization.

Every form of government tends to perish by excess of its basic principle.

Every science begins as philosophy and ends as art.

Every vice was once a virtue, and may become respectable again, just as hatred becomes respectable in wartime.

History is mostly guessing; the rest is prejudice.

I am not against hasty marriages, where a mutual flame is fanned by an adequate income.

If man asks for many laws it is only because he is sure that his neighbor needs them; privately he is an unphilosophical anarchist, and thinks laws in his own case superfluous.

In my youth I stressed freedom, and in my old age I stress order. I have made the great discovery that liberty is a product of order.

Inquiry is fatal to certainty.

It may be true that you can't fool all the people all the time, but you can fool enough of them to rule a large country.

Knowledge is the eye of desire and can become the pilot of the soul.

Man became free when he recognized that he was subject to law.

Moral codes adjust themselves to environmental conditions.

Most of us spend too much time on the last twenty-four hours and too little on the last six thousand years.

Nature has never read the Declaration of Independence. It continues to make us unequal.

One of the lessons of history is that nothing is often a good thing to do and always a clever thing to say.

Our knowledge is a receding mirage in an expanding desert of ignorance.

Science gives us knowledge, but only philosophy can give us wisdom.

Sixty years ago I knew everything; now I know nothing; education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.

The ego is willing but the machine cannot go on. It's the last thing a man will admit, that his mind ages.

The family is the nucleus of civilization.

The love we have in our youth is superficial compared to the love that an old man has for his old wife.

The most interesting thing in the world is another human being who wonders, suffers and raises the questions that have bothered him to the last day of his life, knowing he will never get the answers.

The political machine triumphs because it is a united minority acting against a divided majority.

The trouble with most people is that they think with their hopes or fears or wishes rather than with their minds.

There have been only 268 of the past 3,421 years free of war.

There is nothing in socialism that a little age or a little money will not cure.

Tired mothers find that spanking takes less time than reasoning and penetrates sooner to the seat of the memory.

To say nothing, especially when speaking, is half the art of diplomacy.

To speak ill of others is a dishonest way of praising ourselves. Nothing is often a good thing to say, and always a clever thing to say.

Truth always originates in a minority of one, and every custom begins as a broken precedent.

We Americans are the best informed people on earth as to the events of the last twenty-four hours; we are the not the best informed as the events of the last sixty centuries.

We are living in the excesses of freedom. Just take a look at 42nd Street an Broadway.

When liberty becomes license, dictatorship is near.

Woe to him who teaches men faster than they can learn.

Quoted from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/w/will_durant.html

Basic Rights? Mr. Obama seems to think we should be adopting the following... (some words changed to protect the guilty)

Chapter 7: THE BASIC RIGHTS, FREEDOMS, AND DUTIES OF CITIZENS OF THE COUNTRY
 
Article 39. Citizens of the Country enjoy in full the social, economic, political and personal rights and freedoms proclaimed and guaranteed by the Constitution of the Country and by our other laws. The system ensures enlargement of the rights and freedoms of citizens and continuous improvement of their living standards as social, economic, and cultural development programmes are fulfilled.
 Enjoyment by citizens of their rights and freedoms must not be to the detriment of the interests of society or the state, or infringe the rights of other citizens.
 
Article 40. Citizens of the Country have the right to work (that is, to guaranteed employment and pay in accordance with the quantity and quality of their work, and not below the state-established minimum), including the right to choose their trade or profession, type of job and work in accordance with their inclinations, abilities, training and education, with due account of the needs of society.
 This right is ensured by the economic system, steady growth of the productive forces, free vocational and professional training, improvement of skills, training in new trades or professions, and development of the systems of vocational guidance and job placement.
 
Article 41. Citizens of the Country have the right to rest and leisure.
This right is ensured by the establishment of a working week not exceeding 41 hours, for workers and other employees, a shorter working day in a number of trades and industries, and shorter hours for night work; by the provision of paid annual holidays, weekly days of rest, extension of the network of cultural, educational, and health-building institutions, and the development on a mass scale of sport, physical culture, and camping and tourism; by the provision of neighborhood recreational facilities, and of other opportunities for rational use of free time.
 The length of farmers’ working and leisure time is established by their farm co-op.
 
Article 42. Citizens of the Country have the right to health protection.
 This right is ensured by free, qualified medical care provided by state health institutions; by extension of the network of therapeutic and health-building institutions; by the development and improvement of safety and hygiene in industry; by carrying out broad prophylactic measures; by measures to improve the environment; by special care for the health of the rising generation, including prohibition of child labour, excluding the work done by children as part of the school curriculum; and by developing research to prevent and reduce the incidence of disease and ensure citizens a long and active life.
 
Article 43. Citizens of the Country have the right to maintenance in old age, in sickness, and in the event of complete or partial disability or loss of the breadwinner.
 The right is guaranteed by social insurance of workers and other employees and collective farmers; by allowances for temporary disability; by the provision by the state or by farms of retirement pensions, disability pensions, and pensions for loss of the breadwinner; by providing employment for the partially disabled; by care for the elderly and the disabled; and by other forms of social security.
 
Article 44. Citizens of the Country have the rights to housing.
 This right is ensured by the development and upkeep of state and socially-owned housing; by assistance for co-operative and individual house building; by fair distribution, under public control, of the housing that becomes available through fulfillment of the programme of building well-appointed dwellings, and by low rents and low charges for utility services.
Citizens of the Country shall take good care of the housing allocated to them.
 
Article 45. Citizens of the Country have the right to education.
 This right is ensured by free provision of all forms of education, by the institution of universal, compulsory secondary education, and broad development of vocational, specialised secondary, and higher education, in which instruction is oriented toward practical activity and production; by the development of extramural, correspondence and evening courses, by the provision of state scholarships and grants and privileges for students; by the free issue of school textbooks; by the opportunity to attend a school where teaching is in the native language; and by the provision of facilities for self-education.
 
Article 46. Citizens of the Country have the right to enjoy cultural benefits.
 This rights is ensured by broad access to the cultural treasures of their own land and of the world that are preserved in state and other public collections; by the development and fair distribution of cultural and educational institutions throughout the country; by developing television and radio broadcasting and the publishing of books, newspapers and periodicals, and by extending the free library service; and by expanding cultural exchanges with other countries.
 
Article 47. Citizens of the Country, in accordance with the aims of our society, are guaranteed freedom of scientific, technical, and artistic work. This freedom is ensured by broadening scientific research, encouraging invention and innovation, and developing literature and the arts. The state provides the necessary material conditions for this and support for voluntary societies and unions of workers in the arts, organises introduction of inventions and innovations in production and other spheres of activity.
 The rights of authors, inventors and innovators are protected by the state.
 
Article 48. Citizens of the Country have the right to take part in the management and administration of state and public affairs and in the discussion and adoption of laws and measures of All-Union and local significance.
 This right is ensured by the opportunity to vote and to be elected to The Legislature and other elective state bodies, to take part in nationwide discussions and referendums, in people's control, in the work of state bodies, public organisations, and local community groups, and in meetings at places of work or residence.
 
Article 49. Every citizen of the Country has the right to submit proposals to state bodies and public organisations for improving their activity, and to criticise shortcomings in their work.
 Officials are obliged, within established time-limits, to examine citizens' proposals and requests, to reply to them, and to take appropriate action.
 Persecution for criticism is prohibited. Persons guilty of such persecution shall be called to account.
 
Article 50. In accordance with the interests of the people and in order to strengthen and develop the system, citizens of the Country are guaranteed freedom of speech, of the press, and of assembly, meetings, street processions and demonstrations.
 Exercise of these political freedoms is ensured by putting public buildings, streets and squares at the disposal of the working people and their organisations, by broad dissemination of information, and by the opportunity to use the press, television, and radio.
 
Article 51. In accordance with the aims of building a fair society, citizens of the Country have the right to associate in public organisations that promote their political activity and initiative and satisfaction of their various interests.
 Public organisations are guaranteed conditions for successfully performing the functions defined in their rules.
 
Article 52. Citizens of the Country are guaranteed freedom of conscience, that is, the right to profess or not to profess any religion, and to conduct religious worship or atheistic propaganda. Incitement of hostility or hatred on religious grounds is prohibited.
 In the Country, the church is separated from the state, and the school from the church.
 
Article 53. The family enjoys the protection of the state.
 Marriage is based on the free consent of the woman and the man; the spouses are completely equal in their family relations.
 The state helps the family by providing and developing a broad system of childcare institutions, by organising and improving communal services and public catering, by paying grants on the birth of a child, by providing children's allowances and benefits for large families, and other forms of family allowances and assistance.
 
Article 54. Citizens of the Country are guaranteed inviolability of the person. No one may be arrested except by a court decision or on the warrant of a procurator.
 
Article 55. Citizens of the Country are guaranteed inviolability of the home. No one may, without lawful grounds, enter a home against the will of those residing in it.
 
Article 56. The privacy of citizens, and of their correspondence, telephone conversations, and telegraphic communications is protected by law.
 
Article 57. Respect for the individual and protection of the rights and freedoms of citizens are the duty of all state bodies, public organisations, and officials.  Citizens of the Country have the right to protection by the courts against encroachments on their honour and reputation, life and health, and personal freedom and property.
 
Article 58. Citizens of the Country have the right to lodge a complaint against the actions of officials, state bodies and public bodies. Complaints shall be examined according to the procedure and within the time-limit established by law.
 Actions by officials that contravene the law or exceed their powers, and infringe the rights of citizens, may be appealed against in a court in the manner prescribed by law.
 Citizens of the Country have the right to compensation for damage resulting from unlawful actions by state organisations and public organisations, or by officials in the performance of their duties.
 
Article 59. Citizens' exercise of their rights and freedoms is inseparable from the performance of their duties and obligations.
 Citizens of the Country are obliged to observe the Constitution of the Country and other laws, comply with the standards of conduct, and uphold the honour and dignity of the Country's citizenship.
 
Article 60. It is the duty of, and matter of honour for, every able-bodied citizen of the Country to work conscientiously in his chosen, socially useful occupation, and strictly to observe labour discipline. Evasion of socially useful work is incompatible with the principles of society.
 
Article 61. Citizens of the Country are obliged to preserve and protect property. It is the duty of a citizen of the Country to combat misappropriation and squandering of state and socially-owned property and to make thrifty use of the people's wealth.
 Persons encroaching in any way on property shall be punished according to the law.
 
Article 62. Citizens of the Country are obliged to safeguard the interests of the Nation, and to enhance its power and prestige.
 Defence of the Country is the sacred duty of every citizen of the Country. Betrayal of the Country is the gravest of crimes against the people.
 
Article 63. Military service in the ranks of the Armed Forces of the Country is an honorable duty of our citizens.
 
Article 64. It is the duty of every citizen of the Country to respect the national dignity of other citizens, and to strengthen friendship of the nations and nationalities of the multinational states within our country.
 
Article 65. A citizen of the Country is obliged to respect the rights and lawful interests of other persons, to be uncompromising toward anti-social behaviour, and to help maintain public order.
 
Article 66. Citizens of the Country are obliged to concern themselves with the upbringing of children, to train them for socially useful work, and to raise them as worthy members of society. Children are obliged to care for their parents and help them.
 
Article 67. Citizens of the Country are obliged to protect nature and conserve its riches.
 
Article 68. Concern for the preservation of historical monuments and other cultural values is a duty and obligation of citizens of the Country.

Article 69. It is the internationalist duty of citizens of the Country to promote friendship and co-operation with peoples of other lands and help maintain and strengthen world peace.

If you haven't guessed by now, this is a slightly modified version of Chapter 7 of the 1977 Constitution of the USSR. Welcome to the new Socialist Society.

PS: the translation of "Working class" in Russian is 'Proletariat'

It's looking like the American Socialist Society, better known as the Democratic Party, has just about made its decision. They are choosing the most left wing member of the Senate to carry their banner. Viva Comrade Obama! A recent mailing I received in PA copied the classic pose of Che and Lenin.
Most of us thought we defeated Communism in 1989. Since then, we've seen the rise of socialism throughout the Democratic Party. The constant hammering about "free" healthcare, welfare and other income redistributions continue to invade our way of life. The elite try to make the decisions for everyone, assuming they know what is best for every American. Control of every facet of life is their final goal...and it's the goal of communist rule (whatever name the A.S.S. party wants to put on it).
They seek to force everyone to rely on the government for their needs, remove all weapons from the common man, and force us to accept anything they say as the Truth. Those of us that remember Stalin and Khrushchev, Ho Chi Min and Mao have seen what these kinds of policies lead to. I pray that we can stop this encroachment before it's too late.

In the 60's and early 70's, I was influenced by the liberals of the time, JFK, John Kerry and the socialist, anti-Americans agendas of the day. I even voted for Eugene McCarthy. In the mid 70's, I picked up a magazine called National Review and was stunned. Here, in print was a repudiation of everything I thought was right. I immediately subscribed to the magazine and learned not only HOW i was wrong, but WHY I was wrong. Bill Buckley was the mind and soul of my conversion to conservative thought. He spoke to my intellect and made me see the reality of the world instead of the theorist view of the world. The evils done in the name of "The Good of the People" sprang from Mr. Buckley's words (and sent me scurrying to the dictionary on a regular basis).
I became a devotee of Mr. Buckley his magazine, books and columns. I learned how to respond to those who would turn our world into a socialist gulag, where money was "adjusted" from the working man's purse, thought was limited and anyone who believed in capitalism and the American Way was evil.
Mr. Buckley never wavered from his view of the world and gave us all hope that we could make not only the US, but the whole world a better, safer place for all people. We saw the results of his thinking culminate in President Reagan's election and the Reagan Revolution.
Mr. Buckley will be sorely missed by people throughout the world, but especially the Conservative Movement he started.
Mr. Buckley, may you rest in peace in the arms of the Lord.

First of all, Happy New Year to everyone. I hope God richly blessed you over the past year and continues to bless you in this year.
What can we expect in this election year? We will see about 5,000 commercial telling us why some political candidate is the worst person ever in existence. But some of those people will go on to lead this great nation. I hope every one of us, no matter the outcome of the elections this year. supports those elected by our fellow citizens.
Let's get back to the heart of what makes our nation great, a citizenship that understands not only our rights, but our responsibilities to our nation, our state and our community.
If you don't already, Volunteer to help in your community. Be a coach, a scout leader, a mentor. These are the things that will help our country stay strong. If you're a parent, teach your kids about what makes us strong as a country. Fight against those things which seek to destroy our way of life. In other words, don't stand on the sidelines.
Get out and support the people you think will continue to support the American Way of Life.
As President Bush's term in office comes to an end, help your elected officials know what you expect from them. And welcome to a fresh year in the greatest nation in the world.

That's it. After yesterday's vote to add a massive additional "benefit" to children's health care and Hillary's recent suggestion to give a $5,000 birth bond, I have decided that I can no longer refer to the party of Clinton, B. Hussein, Reid and Kennedy as the Democratic Party. It's new name is the American Socialist Society, or its acronym A… S… S. This massive new set of entitlements will bankrupt the economic engine that drives America. Where are these billions of dollars coming from? A Birth Bond? Who is paying for it? Where is this flow of money?
There is only one place it could be, and that is those who have worked hard to move up in the world. In other words, it will come from our pockets.

What would be the cost per person of handing out $5,000 for each new birth? How big would that bureaucracy be? A quick guess… it would probably cost three times the cost of the bond over its life to monitor for investment, fraud and distribution. So, let's see… the US currently has a birthrate of 14.16 births per 1,000 per year. That would be about 4.2 million births per year...times $15,000 per birth… oops my calculator doesn't go that high. Every Year. This is pure socialist redistribution of wealth.
So, welcome to the new world of politics where it's the GOP vs the A… S… S.

Pick your box.

Let me pick a couple of my boxes

Male

Married

2 kids

Over50

White

Graduate degree

Employed

Scout leader

Elder in my church

By giving you those descriptions, you have probably used boxes to form an opinion of me. Some people call them stereotypes.

People who are regular readers of townhall.com would probably say, I'm probably a typical American, working to take care of my family, supporting my community and contributing to society.

 But those of the left would be using other boxes…

A few come to mind…

Scout leader? Church? Must be a pedophile or a pervert.

White? Male? He's a hater. A racist. Wants to keep women down. Probably spews hate speech.

Graduate degree? Employed? He must be rich and stealing from someone. He is trying to avoid taxes. He hates the poor. We need to tax him more so the government can help the poor he wants to keep down.

Married? He hates homosexuals and wants to oppress them.

2 Kids? He wants to take away a woman's right to her own body.

You get the idea. So what do all these boxes have in common?

Each of the conservative views is a positive view of a good citizen, whereas each of the liberal views is a negative view. According to the liberal world view, each needs laws and governance to control the possibility that I may fall into the expected category. How many people who are in each of my liberal boxes actually ARE what the liberals think? It doesn’t matter. Even if there is one person that meets the criteria, there needs to be a way to check and to control.

Liberals create categories in order to control citizens. Every time a new classification is created, freedom is lost. Whether it be hyphenated Americans, check boxes for skin color or sexual orientation (something that wasn’t even discussed until the past two decades), boxes take away basic freedoms. Some boxes are used to add punishment, e.g., 'hate crimes'. Some are used to redistribute possessions. And ALL are used to divide our country.

In our world of polls based on demographics, this slide is inevitable.

It's time for our lawmakers to stop looking at boxes, and look at the positives that our individual achievements can accomplish. Stop trying to use diversity as a way to pass laws and divide. Yes we are all different, but bottom line, we are Americans. E Pluribus Unum.

  ¹Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. ² As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.

 ³They said to each other, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. ⁴ Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth."

 ⁵ But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. ⁶ The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. ⁷ Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other."

 ⁸ So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.    ⁹ That is why it was called Babel —because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth. (Genesis 11:1-9, NIV)

 

We are witnessing the destruction of Western civilization. As the European continent continues to bring in more guest workers, they are experiencing the loss of their culture and heritage. The Western, Christian concepts of freedoms and tolerance are only valid with an overriding sense of social responsibility. Western society and democracy only work if each and every citizen is willing to participate in taking the responsibilities of civilization to heart.

The new standard is "Don't talk about the (insert here… Turks, Blacks, Indians, etc) because they may get upset and riot. Don't force them to speak OUR language. Don't insist if they live in OUR country, to learn and respect OUR ways. Their ways are as good as ours. Who are we to judge?

 

All cultures are NOT created equally.

 

The national borders always controlled the diversity of Europe. The culture of Germany is significantly different from the culture of Italy, but within each country, there was homogenization and knowledge that the citizen must respect and support his own country.

Because of wealth and loss of religious faith, however, the core principles of the countries are beginning to collapse. Add to this the unwillingness of the affluent to do "menial" work and the influx of outsiders to do the work.

What does this have to do with the US? Growing up in a German immigrant household, I learned very early that I was expected to learn about the United States, Pennsylvania and I was to embrace my family's new home. I was to become an American. I wasn't becoming a German-American, or a European-American; it was just American.

In school, we learned the meaning of the nation's motto, E Pluribus Unum… One Out of Many. We learned about the many early settlers, coming in and being accepted as a part of the New Land. It was required for EVERY student to learn about our historical traditions and modern civics.

Pennsylvania was known to be the most diverse of all the new colonies, accepting all manners of religions (although most were denominations within Christianity) and people. Differences were put aside in most cases for the good of the colony. They were diverse, but they came together in common cause – Freedom.

During and after the War of Independence, the colonies put aside their differences for the American Cause. – Freedom. In a speech to the House of Representatives in 1858, Abraham Lincoln said the following, "… A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved -- I do not expect the house to fall -- but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other. …" (http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/house.htm)

As wave after wave of immigrants came to this country in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, each arrival understood that they needed to take the yoke of America on their shoulders and join their fellow citizens in the perpetuation of "The American Dream" – Freedom.

In the 1960s, a change occurred. It started slowly and initially with good intentions. Blacks were being discriminated against purely for the color of their skin, so well-meaning people suggested they need to get certain advantages to make them economically equal with the rest of American society. We began "affirmative action" programs, a government mandated distinction based on a group.

Then came the Feminist movement. They sought to use another biological characteristic to create an additional "minority" group entitled to special privileges. Quickly behind this, many more people began to characterize themselves, not by the appellation "American", but by a hyphenated version of American; the beginning of our Tower of Babel.

So where are we now? The diversity movement continues to classify people by their groups. As they spout platitudes about diversity and avoiding stereotypes, they automatically use characteristics and stereotypes of groups for classifications. For example, it is still assumed that because someone has darker skin, they are in need of additional help in securing school entrances, loans and jobs. Fat people cannot stop themselves from eating, so we need to legislate against unhealthy food, and so on.

Each classification brings on the ability of government to control another group and another part of life, removing… Freedom.

Hate crimes add additional penalties based on your group. White-on-black crime is deemed worse than black-on-black crime. Saying the wrong word about homosexuals in a joke can get an 81-year-old man who has raised millions to help kids with muscular Dystrophy in trouble. More was said about Ann Coulter's use of a word, which I'm not even allowed to use here, than about how John Edwards' trickery and bad science caused good doctors to lose their practices.

To survive, our society needed to stop this flow to diversity. Stop the use of other languages in general use. Force new immigrants (legal or illegal) either to accept our ways of life, or to return to their homeland. Otherwise, the "Huddled Masses Yearning to be Free" will never know Freedom.

It's been awhile since I've posted to my blog. There are many reasons, but the most significant is the changes brought about by the last US election.
With the Democrats coming into power, I've felt disappointed by my fellow citizens resolve to stop evil in this world.
I've thought about what caused the changes... Foremost, it seems to be the non-stop torrent of bad news coming from the media on all sides. Maybe we need an attitude adjustment. It's time to add something else to the Fear ,Uncertainty and Doubt (FUD) that spews from every news outlet.
I know I'm not the first to say this, but the bigger issue is how to we change it.
Let's look at some bad news and see how we can change it for the good of the country. In Philadelphia, there have been well over 200 murders so far this year. Who has perpetrated most of these murders? Young men in gangs. So what's the good news?
There is an organization that is making a difference in the lives of young men. It's called the Boy Scouts. Yes, I know they are not new, but let's take a look at some recent developments with the Scouts.
In May, the Cradle of Liberty Council (Philadelphia, PA and suburbs) held Jambo 2007, a jamboree for Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. Over 8,000 people participated, including a troop from St. Edmond's Home, a school for severely disabled kids.
Now let's think about what most people would expect with that many young men get together in one place. Fights? Violence? Mayhem? NO!
This jamboree featured over 60 sponsors, including most of the areas sports teams, corporate and government sponsors. Events included rock climbing, obstacle courses, home building, a trebuchet, archery range, crafts, and a variety of demonstrations.
In the evening, a hot air balloon demonstration filled the skies.  The boys were then treated to  musical groups, the last of which was a band formed by a local Army Reserve. The band finished their set with "I'm Proud to be an American" and the boys spontaneously started a chant.... USA USA USA...  It was thrilling.
The finale of the night was a fireworks display rivaling those seen at Disney World. The guys all went back to their tents and had a great sleep in the cool evening. the following morning, the troops packed up, each cleaning its area and trying to clean something additional to return the area to its normal state.
I also just got back from Resica Falls Scout Reservation, having been up there with my son's scout troop. Our guys, ages 12 to 16, had a great time, but more importantly, they have begun to learn how to be self reliant men. They learn to respect our country and our world, being true conservationists, not the pseudo conservation of Live Earth. They learned how to cook and live in the outdoors. How to take care of themselves in the wild, watching for insects and what to do if they get lost. Several guys finished Swimming, Lifesaving, Emergency Preparedness and First Aid merit badges, preparing them for days when they will need to assist someone. Some worked on Ecology badges, studying animals and plants and understanding how nature works.
The change in the youngest boys becomes apparent by the middle of the week. Boys that were once scared to leave home get the confidence that will let them become men.
So, where was all this reported? Nowhere. When I returned home from the Jambo, we checked the news, assuming that a gathering of 8,000 kids might be on TV. Not a word on any of the 4 major stations in Philadelphia. Nothing in the papers. Nothing on the radio. It was as if it didn't happen.
What was being reported was the escalating murder rate and that the City of Philadelphia continues to try to evict the Boy Scouts from their Philadelphia headquarters because the Scouts have rules about not allowing avowed homosexual men to be leaders. Instead of supporting an organization that could help stop murders, they prefer to bankrupt them with legal fees and toss them out of the city.
I won't delve deeper into that situation, because this is supposed to be about GOOD news, not the bad. Just remember that there are thousands of volunteers out there trying to make a difference. Be sure to let people know this is still, as Bill Bennett's book says, "America: The Last Best Hope".

This is the 3rd posting from my old blog. I'm moving those items I believe are still significant.

Dr. King had a dream... (originally posted 1/17/06)

Much is made in this country about the Rev. Dr. Matin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech. Somehow, the meaning of his dream has been usurped by those who want to use it for political gain.
Let's look at the real words of Dr. King's speech...
"...I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor's lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. (My italic emphasis)
So where do we stand with these dreams? Back in the 1960's, government tried to placate those of color who were poor with "The Great Society". These programs accomplished just the opposite of what was needed. The poorest among us have been turned into unmarried mothers with fathers who cannot live with them for fear of losing the meager sustanance our country provides these people. Those of color who have made it out of the worst, have some black leaders trying to tell them they have abandoned others of color. Yet they have achieved what Dr. King desired.. a place where they are looked upon for the content of their character, not the color of their skin.
Because of those who demand "Equality", the color of someone's skin rather than the content of their character has become the determining factor in more, not less, decisions. We have a greater divide than ever because of those who did not understand what Dr. King wanted.
He was looking for skin color to be just that, a different pigmentation, not the determining factor of a person's life. The wedges driven between those of color and those of lighter skin tone have created greater, not less resentment on both sides.
We need to look to his statement later in the speech to see what is needed to really make his dream happen. Here is the missing piece...
and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together As we come together with our eyes on the Lord, skin color differences disappear. Men and women of color will stand beside men and women of lighter skin praising God. When this happens, the issues of race will disappear.
As a conservative, I desire nothing more than seeing those of color reach the "American Dream" and Dr. King's dreams. Let's support bringing the poor into the workplace by creating more jobs, not force them to live in fear of the government's largesse being taken from them. Only then can they be free.

The American Serviceman (originally posted (12/5/05)

Who is the American serviceman and why does he join the military? Is he the poor man or woman that sees the Military as a way out? There are some of those to be sure, but the majority of serviceman are the boy next door. He went to an average school, got average grades and lives in an average town. According to the Heritage Foundation, they are more affulent and come from middle and upper middle class families.
In a recent blog posting, Tucker Carlson, the host of MSNBC's "The Situation", tried to give some reasons for why these men join the service. He said, "So if enlistees aren't driven to the military by poverty and hopelessness, why do they join? For the adventure, maybe. Possibly for the experience. Maybe even because they believe in the cause." Mr. Carlson missed the most common and most important reason that these brave men join the Service. They join, not because the believe in "the cause", but because they believe in America and freedom. They are men that understand that our freedom has a price. They are willing to pay that price for the rest of us. Those of the WWII generation understood that price. As John F. Kennedy once said we must "pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty."
The brave men and women in our Military knew this when they joined the Armed Forces. They are not looking for "our pity for their suffering" as Mr. Carlson puts it. They are looking for us to back their fight against injustice, and those who would take freedom from Americans or anyone else in the world. "Supporting the Troops" is a cliche that is being thrown back and forth like a hot potato, but supporting our troops mean to understand the reasons they were willing to go fight and, in some cases, die for our freedom.

slam, France and Barbra Streisand (originally posted 11/10/05)

Liberty and responsibility are inseparable (originally posted 10/26/05)

"Liberty not only means that the individual has both the opportunity and the burden of choice; it also means that he must bear the consequences of his actions... Liberty and responsibility are inseparable." (From "The Constitution of Liberty" (1960))Friedrich von Hayek

von Hayek has expressed in these few sentences the key to democracy. Citizens of a democracy must be willing to face the consquences of their actions if they wish to have liberty. You cannot be free without it. If the government tells you they will provide everything you need, what is your motivation to participate in the provision of your own sustanance? What then occurs to the society? When everyone recieves all they need without responsibility, they will not participate fully in its provision. This is the basic flaw of socialism and communism. If people are free to do as they want, they will not work to the best of their ability. They will need to be forced by government to work, losing the liberties of choice.
When one has responsibility for their survival, they will work to the utmost to provide what they feel they need. (See Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs ).
Only a careful balance between liberty and responsibility can make people truly free.
Several years ago, when my daughter was in middle school, the principal used to tell the kids, "Everything has a consquence". If you study and work hard, you will be better prepared to succeed. If you goof off and spend all your time at the local hangout, you are preparing to fail. If you hit someone, you will be punished. If you speak badly about someone, people will react.
We are often told about supposed 'rights' that people think exist... the 'right' to health care, the 'right' to housing. These are not rights. These are things that people receive when they have been responsible enough to work to the best of their abilities to achieve.
The Founders were very careful in the wording of the Constitution. We are not told that we have the right to life, liberty and happiness, we are told we have the right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Happiness is a result of responsibilty and liberty.

Whose Government is it? (originally posted 4/6/06)

Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania was a guest this morning on the Michael Smerconish show, a Philadelphia based talk show. When asked about his pending immigration legislation, the senator made 2 comments that expressed how he and some of his colleagues see illegal aliens. Sen. Specter said that "The people have the right to petition their government." (my emphasis) This is not THEIR government! Aliens, legal or illegal do not have a say in the governance of this country. They are citizens of other countries. If they wish to petition the United States government, they have embassies for that purpose. They don't have the right to vote. They are NOT constituents of the local representatives. Senator Specter is not THEIR representative in Congress, he is MINE!
Does Mr. Specter think these people are already someone's constituents? He exposed his mindset that these people are potential votes to keep him in power.

He also stated that we cannot arrest all these people because it will cost too much money. The amount he gave was about $25,000 per person.
What will it cost to provide training, teaching and to give health care to all these people if they are given citizen or legal alien status? I guarantee it will be far more than $25,000 per person. What will be the cost of all the new people flooding across the border each day?
I pray that this "future constituent" mindset will be overcome by respect for the law of the land. At the rate they are entering, we will be their constituents before long. Welcome to the Socialist State of Nuevo Latino.

An Open Letter to Congress about Immigration (originally posted 3/29/06)

An Open Letter to Congress,

This country has a motto, E Pluribus Unum; From Many, One. This occurs when people accept the complete American Dream with all its responsibilities as well as its privileges.

As the son of LEGAL immigrants, I fully understand the desire of people to come to our great nation. My father and mother worked hard to make a good life for themselves, my sister and me in this great nation of opportunity. The key is that they came in legally and from Day 1 were respectful of American Law. They understood that to reap the rewards of this country, they needed to adapt to the American culture. They knew they needed to learn English from the start, they needed to pay taxes and they needed to educate their children in the greatness of this nation. They needed to respect the American Way of Life. They were not looking to be hyphenated Americans, they wanted to be American.

The time has come for Congress to stop pandering to illegal immigrant pressure groups and stand up for the laws of our nation. Illegal immigration HAS to be stopped and those who are here illegally need to be returned to their homelands. Many of the illegal immigrants (please don't call them undocumented) have no desire to learn English. They have no desire to pay for our schools and roads and military and our many other services through participation in taxation. They want our jobs and our privileges without participating in the cost and responsibilities that come with them. They use the security nets that our society has built to take care of our own people. These people do not seek the American Dream, they seek the American Handout. This is not an issue of "diversity". This is an issue of survival of our country.

There is a cost to this immigration. The Southwest has become overwhelmed with poor immigrants. Gangs have entered and terrorized or citizens. Our border guards are under attack. Our own unemployed lose the opportunity to do the jobs that these illegal immigrants are taking because they will do them without paying taxes. Employers feel that they need to hire these people under the table to compete, eroding the tax bases of these states.

If people do not assimilate into the "American Dream", the dream will be just that, a dream. It is only in accepting our way of life that America's "Grand Experiment" will survive. We already have great strife occurring because of the lack of responsibility to the United States. As more people come, the strains will be even greater. We have seen the issues that occur over language, morals and religion in 20th Century Europe. They same can and will occur here if the American Dream as we know it dies.

As the demonstrations this past weekend showed, some of these people want nothing less than the takeover of the Southwest of our country. Don't tell me that they are a "small minority". This is a movement that has taken hold in the Mexican community. The Aztlan movement states that the Southwest and California was "stolen" from Mexico in the 19th Century, and it should be returned to Mexican rule. There was even a banner at the LA demonstrations that read "THIS IS STOLEN LAND". One of the candidates in the recent California gubernatorial elections, Cruz Bustamante, is a supporter of this movement. When will it stop?

Congressmen are the only ones that have the power to end this destruction of the American Dream. Simply accepting illegals into the country will not address the underlying issue. The illegals have no faith in the American Dream. They have not been told that to remain, they must support and defend the American Way of Life with all their hearts and souls. They have not been taught the responsibilities that create the opportunities. They must spilt from the old country and accept that to make their lives better, they must participate in our land "Of the People". Only if these issues are addressed, can the destruction that is occurring in the Southwest be stopped. Think carefully where you should stand on this issue. Will this Congress be the ones that rule over the collapse of the American Dream?

He that giveth, taketh (originally posted 2/1/06)

How often have you heard someone say, "The Congress wants to give more to the rich and take away money (or some service) from the poor"? Or a business's tax break is the government giving more money to that business (usually for some vague, nefarious reason). The government isn't "giving money" to these people, they are no longer taking it from them to give to somebody else.

Without the rich and the businesses, THE GOVERNMENT HAS NO MONEY!!!! Nada , none, zero, zilch. The government programs don't exist without these people working their tails off to receive gain. All government programs, including the military, don't happen without the people's contributions. We saw what happened in the USSR when the government pretended to have all the money and handed it out to whoever they wanted to. The government collapsed.
Liberals (and some others) seem to think all money belongs to the government and by the government's grace, they let individuals or companies keep some of it. This is how the Communists think. In a capitalistic society like ours, the person or company that earned the money gets to keep it. We as a people have thrived because government was kept out of our pockets.
Stop begging your government for handouts. You do not have a right to health care. You do not have a right to live off welfare because you would rather go to the local bar every night. You do not have a right to get child care from the government because you don't have a husband for your illegitimate child. You do not have a right to stop paying for your kids because you left their mother, thinking that the government will take care of them.

If you continue to take from those who earn capital and give it to others, those who earn it will
a) find a way to hide their gains (black/gray markets)
b) stop trying so hard to create new and more products and services because there is no value in it for them.
... and there won't be any left for you and the government to take!
This means they won't spend that money so others can make their money. It's common sense.
Let's stop portraying those who create new businesses, work their tails off and risk everything to make more money. The government doesn't have a right to our money. It's only by our votes that they can take it.
The rich and the businesses are the ones that let the rest of us work and live comfortably in , as Michael Medved puts it, "this greatest nation on God's green earth".

I used to post on another well known site and decided to bring some of my old posts that i consider relevant onto this site. Over the next few days, I will be posting a few of those here. To see all my older posts, you can go to http://pittdaddy.blogspot.com/

The First Amendment Revisted, Part 1 (originally published 10/8/05)

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

Let's look at this amazing statement and what it means to the American way of life. The very first statement in the Amendments, that were designed to speak about our rights, was that Congress can't pass a law to establish a religion or, and this is key, prohibit the free excercise of religion.
What does that mean? I know I don't see any statment about a separation of church and state in that statement. It just says Congress can't establish a State religion or stop us from worshiping. It also limits the statement to CONGRESS, not the states! The states are given the ability to speak of God; as the framers understood that there is a place for God in the public arena.
Does it say anything about Ten Commandment displays in State government centers? NO Does it say anything about using the words "Under God" in public statements? NO Do we at any time use the names Jesus or YHWH or Allah or Vishnu or any other establishment? NO.
Use of the word God does NOT establish any religion over another. How about the atheists? Their religion is belief in man as God, which is what they are trying (and in some cases succeeding) in establishing. So for them it would mean "Under man." What's wrong with that? The real reason they fear the word God, is that deep inside, they KNOW He is real, but they want to be Him.
It's time for our society to get back to what it does best. Allow people the freedom to find God, and in our everyday lives, allow God's presence to announced everywhere. We are free to speak about Him in any public setting.

Next time... How the freedom of speech clause is being usurped.

The First Amendment Revisited, Part 2 (originally published 10/9/05)

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

In a previous post I talked about the establishment of religion clause. Nowhere in this clause does it comment on the "separation of church and state". That statement was from the writings of Thomas Jefferson, and his personal opinion, not the Constitution signed by and agreed to by the 13 colonies and their representatives. For more information about Jefferson's views, I would recommend the book "Adams vs Jefferson: The Tumultuous Election of 1800 (Pivotal Moments in American History)" by John Ferling.
Let's now look at the next clause, the "freedom of speech" clause. Growing up I was always taught, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me". Now we know that names do hurt emotionally, but the real meaning was if someone has an opinion about you that is wrong or cruel, that is their issue, not yours. Somehow in the past 20-25 years, we have twisted this around. These days if anyone is "offended" by speech or "dissed" by someone, people think a crime has been committed. IT HASN"T!!!
Read the Constitution. It doesn't say anything about political speech only. It doesn't say you can't call me a "Kraut" (which I heard from time to time growing up) or "Whitie" or "Hater" or "@#$@# Christian" or any other name. Other than inciting a riot, we have the RIGHT to say whatever we want. Those who oppose us have the RIGHT to say whatever they want.
Some are complaining about things that are said and written that disagree with current liberal philosophies of race and social standing and religion and homosexuality. We have the RIGHT, given to us by the Constitution of the United States, to say what we want. If someone wants to call me evil because I state that, according to the Bible, God says homosexuality is sin, they also have that right. But I haven't committed a crime and neither have they. By the way, that statement does not come with the caveat "Not that there is anything wrong with it"... There is something wrong with homosexuality and it should once again be illegal.
The concept of "Hate Crimes" seems good on paper, but now it is being used to stop discourse within our society about what is right and wrong. Not everything in this society revolves around race and sex.
Part of living in a free society is to have responsibility for your words and actions. If your words and actions are not acceptable within our society, you should expect to have people call you on the carpet for it. This is how a free society works.

I just wanted to post a quotation from John Adams in a letter to his wife Abigail. He is talking about the Declaration of Independence, on the day before it was made public.
The quotation comes from today's quote for the day from the PatriotPost.com. If you do not already subscribe to this great site, you should do so today. It's a constant reminder of the struggles of our founding fathers.
For those who have never done so, I would also recommend coming to Philadelphia to see Indepence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Valley Forge, Brandywine Battlefield and the many other historical sites where our founding fathers walked and died for our freedoms.
Here's the quotation:
"The Patriot Post
Founders' Quote Daily

"It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of thi