What’s Missing Here

I was saddened and in shock when I heard of the shooting in Connecticut yesterday.  Someone asked me what would cause someone to commit such a heinous crime.  This person said that there must be something missing in a person’s life that would cause them to do such a thing.  I thought this was a good question and it got me thinking.

Listening to the mainstream media, we might believe that the thing missing here is tougher gun legislation.  Ironically, another perpetrator slashed 22 children with a knife in China.  Would tougher gun legislation have stopped the tragedy in China?  Should we ban knives as well as guns?  In addition, Can't cars be used to murder people?  It looks like tougher gun legislation is not what is missing here. 

As I have had some time to think about this tragedy, I have concluded that two things are missing here.  Teachers and administrators lack the resources necessary to make students safe in our schools and classrooms.  We also need to broaden the education of our students to include more than the current traditional academic curriculum.

In order to insure the safety of our schools, we need security measures that include armed security.  It is alleged that in this case, the shooting started in the administrative office and then escalated to the classroom where the children were murdered.  Trained armed security would have been able to subdue the shooter before he got to the classroom thus minimizing casualties, especially the murder of children. 

We also need to include curriculum that educates students on the sanctity of life.  In 1962 we removed prayer and the Bible from our public schools.  In essence, we removed morality from school curriculum.  Since that time we have replaced the absence of morality with secular humanism and post modernistic philosophy.  These philosophies teach that there are no absolute truths so if you believe you have been wronged; you are free to do whatever you believe is necessary to correct the situation.  In the absence of a moral compass, this might include murdering anyone that is perceived to be the cause of how someone has been wronged. 

We still do not know the particulars of the situation so this is all conjecture at this point.  However, what the alleged shooter did are the actions of someone who is troubled and believed this was his only course of action to correct the situation.  We also can observe that the administration of the school was powerless to stop or prevent the tragedy and the shootings only stopped when the shooter was taken down. 

Everyday millions of parents send their kids off to school.  Fortunately, a vast majority of them attends class and get home without any incident.  However, we can do more to insure tragedies like the one in Connecticut do not occur again.  Let us not use this tragedy to advance some anti-gun political agenda and instead learn from it and correct what went wrong.  We owe it to our children.  

Political Fighting is Not New

Many today express concern over the divisiveness of our government as if it is something new.  However, divisiveness and gridlock in government is nothing new and in fact, the founders wrote it into the U.S. Constitution with the division of power between three branches and a system of checks and balances.  We also see political infighting and scheming in the Bible in Daniel 6:1-9

Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a prince to rule over each province. 2 The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the princes and to watch out for the king's interests. 3 Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and princes. Because of his great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire. 4 Then the other administrators and princes began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling his affairs, but they couldn't find anything to criticize. He was faithful and honest and always responsible. 5 So they concluded, "Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the requirements of his religion."

6 So the administrators and princes went to the king and said, "Long live King Darius! 7 We administrators, prefects, princes, advisers, and other officials have unanimously agreed that Your Majesty should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days anyone who prays to anyone, divine or human — except to Your Majesty — will be thrown to the lions. 8 And let Your Majesty issue and sign this law so it cannot be changed, a law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked." 9 So King Darius signed the law. (NLT)

The first thing we observe in this account is that Daniel got the attention of Darius and was placed in a high position of leadership.  After proving his abilities, Daniel was promoted to a position of leadership over other administrators and princes.  This is where we begin to observe the jealously and political infighting we still observe in our politics today. 

Another observation we can make from this account is that Daniel was a man of explicable character.  Since his political enemies could not find any flaws in his character, his political enemies resorted to attacking Daniel’s faith.  Their scheme involves making it illegal for Daniel to practice his faith so they will finally have a way to arrest him. 

In today’s political climate we also observe this same scheming.  When a person of explicable character runs for office, political adversaries often begin attacking their faith.  They tout the supposed Constitutional separation of church and state as legal precedent for citing that this individual is unqualified to serve in government because of his or her faith.  The only difference in the United States political climate is that we do not throw political adversaries into an actual lion’s den but they are thrown into a political lion’s den. 

The rest of this account provides instruction on how to handle political adversaries. 

Dan 6:10-18

10 But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God. 11 The officials went together to Daniel's house and found him praying and asking for God's help. 12 So they went back to the king and reminded him about his law. "Did you not sign a law that for the next thirty days anyone who prays to anyone, divine or human — except to Your Majesty — will be thrown to the lions?"

"Yes," the king replied, "that decision stands; it is a law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked."

13 Then they told the king, "That man Daniel, one of the captives from Judah, is paying no attention to you or your law. He still prays to his God three times a day."

14 Hearing this, the king was very angry with himself for signing the law, and he tried to find a way to save Daniel. He spent the rest of the day looking for a way to get Daniel out of this predicament. 15 In the evening the men went together to the king and said, "Your Majesty knows that according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, no law that the king signs can be changed."

16 So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, "May your God, whom you worship continually, rescue you." 17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed the stone with his own royal seal and the seals of his nobles, so that no one could rescue Daniel from the lions. 18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night fasting. He refused his usual entertainment and couldn't sleep at all that night.  (NLT)

Daniel stood his ground and did not compromise his faith and principles.  Daniel knew he would be thrown into the lion’s den but he also knew his God would deliver him.  It is important for our conservative politicians today to stand their ground.  Like Daniel, they need to stand up for Godly principles and not give in even though it means being thrown into the political lion’s den.  When they do, they will be delivered from the political lion’s den and instead their political adversaries will be thrown into the political lion’s den. 

Let this be a warning to any conservatives in Congress who may be considering compromising with Democrats over the fiscal cliff negotiations.  Stand your ground and do not compromise your free market values for if you do, you will open the door to further compromise on other issues such as abortion and gay marriage.  Be like Daniel and stand your ground knowing god will deliver you from the political lion’s den.  Otherwise, we the voters will have no choice but to elect people like Daniel who will stand up for what is right.  

I Support the Separation of Sports and Politics.

We hear much about the so-called separation of church and state but this posting is not going to discuss this issue.  However, after the halftime tirade of Bob Costas I do support a separation of sports and politics. 

As you know from my previous postings, I am involved in politics.  You also know that the results of the last election were not what I wanted them to be.  Sports and music are my escapes from the ups and downs of politics.  The last thing I want to see when I tune into a football game is a sports commentator using the tragic murder suicide of someone to tout his antigun opinions. 

Mr. Belcher had many problems.  From what I have read, he had problems with pain killer addiction and alcoholism.  Yes, he used a gun to murder his girlfriend and take his own life but the gun was only a tool doing what his hands directed it to do.  The real issue to me was this man needed help and apparently was not getting it. 

One of my favorite bands is Third Day.  They are a Christian rock band and released their newest CD ironically on Election Day this year.  The title of the CD is Miracle.  The inspiration for the title song came from a story they heard from someone at one of their concerts. 

The song tells the story of a man who had lost everything in his life.  He had lost his job, home, and family and was planning to take his own live.  He drove out into the woods and planned to hook up a hose from the exhaust pipe into the car.  As he was getting ready to take his life, he turned on the radio and the Third Day song “Cry Out to Jesus” came on. 

The happy ending to the story is that he did what the song said and cried out to Jesus instead of taking his life.  God worked a miracle in this man’s life and a tragedy was averted.  I have to believe that someone at some point in this man’s life planted a seed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in this man’s life.  We do not know if anyone planted such a seed in Mr. Belcher’s life but there are valuable lessons to we can learn from this tragedy.

Jesus said in John 16:33, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."  (NLT)  Life comes with many trials.  Jesus is not telling us here that our lives will be a piece of cake even if we are believers but that when we find ourselves in the middle of a trial, He will be there to help us. 

We also have this promise in Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”  (NLT)  We as believers can rest assured that no matter how bad the trial we find ourselves in it will work out for our good as long as we continue to obey God’s calling on our lives. 

Perhaps you are going through a trial right now and you see no way out.  Perhaps you either have considered or are considering taking your own life or the life of someone you love.  I urge you to reach out for help before it’s too late.  Do as the Third Day song says, cry out to Jesus and then take the next step and find some professional help.  Find a Christian church in your community that teaches the Bible and share your situation with the pastor.  Pastors are trained and have a heart to reach out to troubled individuals with the love of Christ. 

It is my prayer that there be no more tragedies like we saw this weekend, instead I pray there are more miraculous deliverances such as the man experienced who reached out to Jesus.  

Restoring the Guardrails Missing in Public Education

A few years ago, my family and I took a vacation up to Yellowstone.  One day, we took a drive to Yellowstone Lake, which involved taking a winding mountain road that had no guardrails.  I was busy keeping the car between the lines but my wife and son told me later that there was a sheer drop off into what is called the grand canyon of Yellowstone. 

I did not need the guardrails to tell me to keep the car on the road but often we do need guardrails in our lives to keep us from going over the edge where we can be hurt or even killed.  However, in 1962 the Supreme Court effectively removed the guardrails of morality from our education system.  The results have been a society full of single mothers, millions of abortion due to unwanted pregnancies, rampant drug use, violence in our schools, and a general decaying of our society. 

By removing prayer and the Bible from public schools, we left a void in the lives of public school students.  As with any void left in our lives, these students are filling this void with illicit sex, drugs, and violent behavior.  Many of these students are now adults who vote. 

This is why in this last election we witnessed the legalization of Marijuana in many states.  We also watched the Democrat Party adopt planks in their party platform supporting abortion and even infanticide.

Absent of guardrails, our education system condones students illicit sex by providing sex education along with condoms.  Educators believe students are going to have sex anyway so they provide a condom to promote so called “safe sex”.  Now, with the legalization of marijuana, instead of students being busted for smoking cigarettes in the boy’s room, they will be busted for passing a joint. 

Is it any wonder that with these distractions, students are graduating without the basic skills of reading, writing, and basic math.  These young people could not understand the conservative message about the failure of Obama’s policies but believed Obama when he told them Romney would make abortion illegal and take away their contraceptives.

Absent of guardrails, our education system is failing students.  Instead of equipping students to succeed in the market place, it is condoning deviant behavior.  This deviant behavior is contributing to the decay of our culture.  Unless things change, we will continue to see our culture decay making it difficult, if not impossible for the conservative message to be understood.  Here are a few suggestions for restoring the guardrails in the lives of our youth

1)       Parents and grandparents have a responsibility to instill morals and values in their children.    Proverbs 22:6 Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it.  (NLT).  I encourage parents and grandparents to take the initiative here as a way to cancel out the values taught in schools.

2)      Become involved with church youth groups and encourage those already attending to invite their friends.  Older adults can also consider volunteering to coach a Little League or soccer team.

3)      Volunteer to become a mentor with Big Brothers or Big Sisters.  There are also Christian mentoring programs that target troubled youth. 

4)      Learn the culture.  I can remember as a youth thinking my parents were uncool.  Today’s youth are no different, believing older adults to not understand their culture and as such do not relate to them.  Learning their culture will help develop trust.

5)      Learn the technology.  Today’s youth communicate using texting, Twitter, and Facebook.  Become familiar with these technologies begin using them to reach out to the younger generation.

6)      Pray.  Remember, our battle is not a conventional battle fought with conventional weapons.  Prayer prepares us for the spiritual battle we are facing.

These steps will not reinstall the guardrails in public education but they will train our youths about the importance of staying on the road even though the guardrails have been removed.  

Thanksgiving and Prayer

Thanksgiving is a day when we get together with family and friends, eat some turkey along with all the other fixings, and watch some football at least until the tryptophan kicks in.  Most importantly however, it is a day in which we take a moment to slow down our hectic lives and reflect on the things for which we should be thankful.  It is also a great opportunity to reflect on things for which we should be praying.  Philippians 4:6 tells us to “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; (NKJV).  Therefore, let us take a few moments this Thanksgiving to pray for issues facing our nation and our world and things for which we should be thankful.

Hurricane Sandy may not have been as intense a storm as Hurricane Katrina but it hit a highly populated area of our country.  It also hit at high tide and collided with a winter cold front from the north.  This combination of circumstances resulted in a super storm or as some called it frankenstorm.  Many are homeless and without power this Thanksgiving season.  While many have cited the ineptitude of the government’s response to the needs of the victims of the storm, during this Thanksgiving season I want to express my gratitude to those who are helping victims by opening up their homes, providing food and warm clothing, and coming in from other states to help restore power. 

Many have also been laid off recently as companies grapple with how to survive when they have to comply with new regulations and higher taxes next year.  It seems government is not paying attention to the needs of these people and is currently considering raising taxes even higher in an attempt to reduce massive deficits.  However, I am thankful for charities and churches assisting these people by helping them with groceries, paying utility bills, or making their mortgage payments.

We also need to continue to pray for the people in Israel.  I have been to Israel and know that the citizens of Israel only want to live peacefully in the Land God granted them.  Unfortunately, Israel’s neighbors do not share their desire to live peacefully and want to kill as many innocent Jews as they can, believing they are making Allah happy.  Psalm 122:6 tells us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and promises that those that do will prosper.  Please join me in praying for the peace of Jerusalem and be thankful that the “Iron Dome” in Israel has been able to stop most of the missiles aimed at the citizens of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. 

Finally, join me in praying for our nation.  We have just gone through an extremely contentious election.  Citizens supporting the winning side are gloating while the losing side is frustrated, depressed, and angry.  I am among those on the losing side this election and have had to grapple with all of these feelings.  However, as time has passed since the election, I have come to understand that somehow the results of this election are part of God’s plan.  I may not understand why but by faith, I accept God’s will, understanding that God will take care of his people.  Romans 8:28 tells us.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

NLT

This promise only applies to those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.  We can only understand God’s purpose for our lives by making Jesus Lord of our lives.  I am thankful that making Jesus Lord of my life only requires believing Jesus died, was buried, and arose from the dead (Romans 10:9-10) and that salvation is a free gift from God because God is a gracious God (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Maybe you are experiencing uncertainty over what will happen in the next few months as our nation faces many serious issues.  I invite you to pray to receive Jesus as Lord of your life so you can have peace knowing you will have God’s help.  Pray this prayer with me.

Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned and missed the mark.  I know you died for me, was buried, and rose from the dead.  I invite you to be Lord of my life. 

If you prayed that prayer, you are now a child of God and can depend on Him to be with you through these uncertain times.  I urge you to begin reading and studying the Bible and find a good church in your community where the Bible is taught and you can associate with other believers. 

We have much to pray about this Thanksgiving season so while enjoying time with your family and good food.  Take a moment to reflect on what we have to be thankful for and pray.  

Fighting The War on Women

This past election and its aftermath have been very divisive.  Since November 6, there have been numerous allegations of cheating and voter fraud.  There is even a movement for states to leave the union all together.  Prior to the election, there was division in our country over the economy, taxes, and social issues.  In this posting, I want to look at the issue of the war on women.

During the election, Democrats accused Republicans of waging a war on woman.  This accusation started during one of the republican debates where the debate moderator asked Mitt Romney if he favored banning contraceptives.  At no time during the campaign had Mitt Romney even hinted at a desire to ban contraceptives so we must look at the undermining philosophy that would lead Democrats to claim Republicans are waging a war on women.

In his letter to the Church at Ephesus, the Apostle Paul reminded the people that their battle was not against flesh and blood, but that it was a spiritual battle against principalities and powers in high places.  To gain understanding of what Paul was speaking about, we must place his writing in the context of the situation in Ephesus at the time. 

Ephesus was a thriving center of travel and commerce but it was also a center for the worship of the Greek goddess Artemis.  Ephesus was home to one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Temple of Artemis. (1)  It was in the middle of this situation that Paul came declaring the Gospel.  The Gospel and its adherence to the one true God would have been a threat to the worship of Artemis.  We have an account showing the seriousness of this threat in Acts 19:23-41

23 But about that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way. 24 It began with Demetrius, a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis. He kept many craftsmen busy. 25 He called the craftsmen together, along with others employed in related trades, and addressed them as follows:

"Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business. 26 As you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren't gods at all. And this is happening not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province! 27 Of course, I'm not just talking about the loss of public respect for our business. I'm also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence and that Artemis — this magnificent goddess worshiped throughout the province of Asia and all around the world — will be robbed of her prestige!"

28 At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" 29 A crowd began to gather, and soon the city was filled with confusion. Everyone rushed to the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia. 30 Paul wanted to go in, but the believers wouldn't let him. 31 Some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, also sent a message to him, begging him not to risk his life by entering the amphitheater.

32 Inside, the people were all shouting, some one thing and some another. Everything was in confusion. In fact, most of them didn't even know why they were there. 33 Alexander was thrust forward by some of the Jews, who encouraged him to explain the situation. He motioned for silence and tried to speak in defense. 34 But when the crowd realized he was a Jew, they started shouting again and kept it up for two hours: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"

35 At last the mayor was able to quiet them down enough to speak. "Citizens of Ephesus," he said. "Everyone knows that Ephesus is the official guardian of the temple of the great Artemis, whose image fell down to us from heaven. 36 Since this is an indisputable fact, you shouldn't be disturbed, no matter what is said. Don't do anything rash. 37 You have brought these men here, but they have stolen nothing from the temple and have not spoken against our goddess. 38 If Demetrius and the craftsmen have a case against them, the courts are in session and the judges can take the case at once. Let them go through legal channels. 39 And if there are complaints about other matters, they can be settled in a legal assembly. 40 I am afraid we are in danger of being charged with rioting by the Roman government, since there is no cause for all this commotion. And if Rome demands an explanation, we won't know what to say." 41 Then he dismissed them, and they dispersed.

NLT

The belief in the one true God was both a philosophical and economic threat to the worshipers of Artemis in Ephesus.  However, what does that have to do with the war on women?

The feminist movement began in the 1970’s.  Its goal was raising women to an equal position with men.  Feminists wanted women to get equal pay for equal work.  They wanted women to have the same career opportunities as their male counterparts.  (2)  I presently work for a women and have no difficulty with that.  I also would be upset if I discovered my wife was passed up for a job or promotion she was qualified for in favor of an equally or lesser qualified male just because he was a male. 

However, the feminist movement soon ran into a roadblock.  Women can get pregnant and men cannot.  Women also wanted to live promiscuously like their male counterparts but needed to solve the problem of unwanted pregnancies.  To solve this dilemma, women began using contraceptives to prevent pregnancies and would have an abortion when the contraceptives failed.  (2)  Careerism and promiscuity became the religion of feminists and abortion became the holy sacrament.

Feminists see Evangelical Republicans as a threat to their religion of careerism and promiscuity and therefore, just like the early Christians in Ephesus they must be stopped.  The truth, however, is that evangelicals are not at war with women, they just understand that women are blessed with the privilege of  having children and that when a woman conceives a child, a bond between mother and child is formed.  An abortion severs this bond, which results in emotional trauma for the mother.  To cover this trauma, many women become pregnant again with an “atonement baby” and if they abort this child, they will feel the need to conceive two children to compensate.  This is a vicious emotionally damaging cycle for a woman. (2)

It is not evangelicals or republicans who are at war with women, it is women who feel they must fight people who threaten their religious belief in careerism and promiscuity who are at war.  The results of this election however have demonstrated that this battle is not one that can be won in the political battlefield.  Just as Paul instructed the Church in Ephesus that they could not win their battle against the worshipers of Artemis with conventional weapons, we can only win this battle by a change of heart in women. 

Men and many women are learning that when their career comes between them and their family, their career controls them instead of them controlling their career.  Both men and women are coming to grips with the fact that career is important but must not take the place of their role as fathers of mothers.  Women are blessed when they fulfill their God given role as mothers bring a new life into the world and must learn not to allow a career to get in the way.

Likewise, promiscuity is a damaging lifestyle.  Not only can it result in an unwanted pregnancy but also exposes both men and women to sexually transmitted diseases that are damaging to their health.  It also degrades sex to its biological component instead of a beautiful expression of love and commitment between a man and a woman as God intended it to be. 

The war on women that we now find ourselves in can only be won through teaching and mentoring men and women on how to correctly prioritize their careers as well as learning and practicing the Godly view of sex as an expression of love and commitment between a man and a woman. 

I am a conservative republican white male Christian.  I have been married to the love of my life 37 almost 38 years.  My mother was a great influence in my life, especially in establishing my faith in God.  I have a sister that is 7 years older than me whom I love dearly.  I also have worked for a woman for 18 years and find her to be a great boss.  I do not consider myself to be at war with women.

1. BiblePlaces.com. Ephesus. www.bibleplaces.com. [Online] [Cited: November 14, 2012.] http://www.bibleplaces.com/ephesus.htm.

2. Mathewes-Green, Frederica. WHAT WOMEN NEED. touchstonemag.com. [Online] touchstone, 2012. [Cited: November 14, 2012.] http://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=14-06-020-f.

Dealing with Post Election Defeat

Like many of us who fought hard this election, I was disappointed with the results of Tuesday’s election.  President Obama won reelection and the Democrats retained control of the Senate.  Republicans did retain control of the House of Representatives.  This insures continued gridlock as the Senate will block every piece of legislation coming out of the House including budgets.  Anything that is done will be through executive order, which is totally unconstitutional.  In essence, we will most likely experience a constitutional dictatorship over the next four years. 

I did not sleep much election night and as such woke up tired, which did not help with my feelings of disappointment.  However, today I heard Sammy Hagar’s song “Where Eagles Fly” and realized that this American eagle may be wounded and bleeding but it will fly again. 

As political avengers, the loss this election does not mean we are going to surrender because surrender is never an option.  The loss this election means we have to reconsider our tactics in fighting the battle to restore the American eagle to flight.  I am reminded of what the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Church in Ephesus in Ephesians 6:12

For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.

NLT

During this election we believed this was a political battle that could be won using the conventional weapons of a political war.  In reality, however, this is a battle of the heart.  We are battling against a humanist and postmodern philosophy that cannot be defeated using the usual political weapons of warfare. 

Paul goes to instruct the people of the Church at Ephesus on the weapons they will need in their arsenal Ephesians 6:13-18

13 Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared.   16 In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan.   17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere.

NLT

We now find ourselves in a different type of battle, a spiritual and philosophical battle.  As such, we need different weapons and training to win this battle for our nation.  Over the next few weeks, I will be posting instructions to this blog in on how we can prepare for this different type of battle.  I will be posting once a week instead of twice a week since the election is over unless events warrant postings that are more frequent. 

In preparation I recommend reading Mark Levin’s two books “Liberty and Tyranny” and “Ameritopia.”  I also recommend taking constitution 101 and constitution 201 offered online by Hillsdale College.  The books are now available in paperback and Mark Levin always offers his books at a discount price so more of us can afford them and read them.  The courses offered by Hillsdale College are free but they do request a donation. 

The liberty loving patriots of our nation are now in the minority.  If we are to return this nation to greatness, we must win over people who are currently in the majority.  This will involve learning how to win the spiritual and philosophical battle we are in now.  Join me as we become equipped to win and make the American eagle fly again.  

Liberation Day: November 6, 2012

Besides the election, there is another event occurring on November 6, 2012 for that is the day one of my favorite Christian rock bands is releasing their new CD.  The title of the CD is Miracle, a title I think is appropriate for what is about to occur on Tuesday.  I believe in miracles and believe we will see a miracle on Tuesday with the election of Mitt Romney as our 45^th President and we can begin liberating our nation from the statist juggernaut we have been under the last four years. 

I remember the sinking feeling I had four years ago when Obama was elected President.  I did not fall for the message of hope and change offered by candidate Obama because I knew that with Obama’s statist philosophy, he intended to change the very structure and foundations of our republic. 

Now four years later, we have seen the results of Obama’s change.  $6 trillion in additional debt, unemployment stuck at near 8%, more people dependent on food stamps than at any other time in our nation’s history, inept foreign policy that leaves American citizens vulnerable to foreign attack, and a blotted federal bureaucracy that is unable to respond to a natural disaster.  This is the legacy of change delivered by the first four years of the Obama Presidency.  On Tuesday, we the American People get to go to the polls and decide whether we want four more years of Obama’s version of hope and change or a change in direction for our nation. 

Mitt Romney has a proven record of turning organizations around from disaster.  This includes the many businesses he rescued while working for Bain Capital as well as his work turning around the Salt Lake City Olympics.  Granted, this will be Mitt Romney’s greatest turn around challenge but I believe Romney will surround himself with good people who are up to the challenge.  He demonstrated his ability to do that when he picked Paul Ryan, an expert on balancing budgets and working with the legislature. 

The polls are definitely trending in Romney’s direction so I sense the nation is ready to make a change in its chief executive.  However, I have concerns about the Senate.  67 Senate seats are not up for election this year.  Republicans hold 37 of these seats and Democrats hold 30.  Of the 33 seats up for election this year, Rasmussen expects 9 to be safely won by Republicans and 17 to be safely won by Democrats.  This leaves Democrats with a 47 to 46 seat advantage leaving 7 seats in the toss up category.  This means that Republicans must win 5 of the 7 toss up races to have a 51 to 49 majority in the Senate.  Unfortunately, Rasmussen shows the Democrat is leading in 6 of the 7 toss up states.  (1) 

The toss up states are Florida, Indiana, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.  The only one of these seven states where the Republican currently has a lead according to Rasmussen is Indiana. (1)  With Harry Reid vowing not to work with Romney, (2)  it is imperative that we give Romney a Republican Senate, otherwise any hopes of repealing Obamacare will be dashed. 

However, I do believe in miracles and will be praying that our hard work in these toss up states will result in republican victories in at least 5 of these states, relegating Harry Reid to the position of minority leader of the Senate. 

1. Rasmussen Reports. 2012 Senate Balance of Power. www.rasmussenreports.com. [Online] Rasmussen Reports. [Cited: November 3, 2012.] http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/archive/2012_senate_balance_of_power.

2. Shapiro, Ben. REID: WE WON'T WORK WITH ROMNEY. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart, November 2, 2012. [Cited: November 3, 2012.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/11/02/Harry-Reid-will-not-work-with-Romney.

Heroes, Hurricanes, and Nobody Left Behind.

It is less than one week before the election and this week has been a very active news week.  Most important is that we continue to pray and do whatever we can to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy.  What brought the immensity of this storm home to me was a picture I saw on the Drudge Report Tuesday morning showing a totally dark skyline of New York City.  Hurricane Sandy left New York, a city that never sleeps, asleep and in the dark.  I am confident that the people of New York, the people who survived 9/11, will come through this challenge as well. 

We have also been shocked this week as we discover more about the attack on our embassy in Benghazi.  After the Obama Administration told us that the attack was the result of an offensive video, we have come to know that terrorists with links to Al Qaida coordinated the attack.  There is great speculation as to why the administration would cover up the truth in this matter and I for one want to discover the truth regardless of who wins the election on November 6. 

As we have uncovered the truth of what occurred on 9/11 in Benghazi, we discovered the heroism of Tyrone Woods.  At first, the Administration told us that Mr. Woods, a retired Navy Seal, was working security at the embassy.  However, we now know that he was actually working for the CIA at a facility about a mile away from the embassy.  After hearing gunfire from the embassy, Mr. Woods requested back up so he could go in and rescue those in the embassy.  However, when he requested back up, Mr. Woods received an order to stand down. 

Ty Woods, believed that the U.S. does not leave anyone behind when we are attacked and was not about to sit there while Americans were murdered at our embassy so he disobeyed his stand down order and proceeded to rescue people in the embassy.  Unfortunately, he was unable to rescue the ambassador and two others at the embassy but he was able to rescue 30 people before sacrificing his own life.  Tyrone Woods is a true American hero in my opinion and I am sure the 30 people he rescued along with their families would agree with me. 

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, President Obama promised the people in the northeast that they would not be left behind.  Mr. President, why did you not promise the same level of help for Americans serving our country on foreign soil that were under attack? 

Americans deserve leadership that is interested in protecting all citizens, those living in our country, those serving our country on foreign soil, and those serving our country in the military.  The Benghazi attack has demonstrated President Obama’s inability, or unwillingness to provide security for Americans under attack on foreign soil.  I believe President Romney will make security for all Americans no matter where they are at a priority.  So, if you have not made up your mind yet on who to vote for in this election, I urge you to vote for Mitt Romney, a man who will not hesitate to send assistance to any American under attack whether in this country or on foreign soil.  

America Needs the Right Transformational Leader

America is going in the wrong direction and needs a transformational leader.  We need a leader who is aware of the current condition of the country and is willing to make the tough decisions needed to turn the country around.  The decision we must make on November 6 is whether we want four more years of the transformational leadership of Obama or the transformational leadership of Mitt Romney. 

In 2008, the country was seeking transformational leadership as well.  Much of the reason John McCain lost was that he was viewed by many as non –transformational or more of the same.  However, the American people made a fatal mistake by selecting a transformational leader without checking to see what kind of change he wanted to make.  This election Obama can no longer simply promise change for now we have four years of his policies to look at. 

When Obama was elected in November 2008, the unemployment rate was 6.8% and as of September 2012, it was 7.8%.  (1)  The rate when Obama took office was also 7.8% so the rate did not go up but it also did not go down.  Obama claims to have inherited the worst economy since the Great Depression and looking at the unemployment numbers, we can say that it has not improved under his watch. 

Under Obama’s watch, we have also seen a dramatic increase in people on food stamps.  As of July 2012 there were 46.7 million people on food stamps (2) (3)  up from 32 million in January 2009 when Obama took office.  (3)  We have also seen an increase in the number of people on Social Security Disability from 7,469,240 workers in February 2009 to 8,808,335 in October 2012.  (4) 

I understand that this is a lot of numbers but the numbers tell us a story.  If we are to believe Obama’s strategy to bring change in 2008 has been successful, we must conclude that the goal of the strategy was not to put people back to work but to have more people dependent on the government to take care of them.  Obama did tell Joe the Plumber that he favored the redistribution of wealth and based on these numbers it appears he has been successful.  However, I do not believe Americans were seeking this type of transformation when they elected Obama. 

Romney is also a transformational leader but unlike Obama in 2008, he does have a history as a transformational leader.  He ran Bain capital a company that took struggling companies and turned them around.  During his tenure at Bain, they were able to turn around many companies that are prominent today such as Staple and Best Buy.  Mitt Romney’s transformational leadership style was also able to rescue the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City from bankruptcy. 

As a transformational leader, Mitt Romney has a history of success.  Of course there are also failures but any effort to turn an ailing organization around runs the risk of failure.  That is the risk of being a transformational leader. 

So, this election, just like the election in 2008, the country is in need of a transformational leader.  We have the choice of Obama who now has a record that reveals the type of change he is seeking for our country; change into a European Socialist State.  Or, we can choose Mitt Romney, a successful executive with a proven track record of success turning around ailing organizations.  Mitt Romney is a transformational leader who wants to transform the United States back to the free market principles that made it great. 

I believe the choice is clear.  Do we want to continue sliding into a European Socialist State that is destined to fail like Greece or Spain, or do we want to return to what made our nation great.  Join me in returning to American greatness by voting for Romney.

1. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Databases, Tables & Calculators by Subject. data.bls.gov. [Online] United States Department of Labor Statistics. [Cited: October 27, 2012.] http://data.bls.gov/pdq/SurveyOutputServlet.

2. United States Department of Agriculture. Data & Statistics. www.fns.usda.gov. [Online] USDA. [Cited: October 27, 2012.] http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/data.htm.

3. Agriculture, United States Department of. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. fhs.usda.gov. [Online] United States Department of Agriculture, September 28, 2012. [Cited: October 27, 2012.] http://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/34snapmonthly.htm.

4. Jeffrey, Terence P. 8,803,335: Another New Record for Disability—Up 975 Per Day Under Obama. cnsnews.com. [Online] CNS News, October 25, 2012. [Cited: October 27, 2012.] http://cnsnews.com/news/article/8803335-another-new-record-disability-975-day-under-obama.

Do We Want Keep Giving People a Fish or Start Teaching People to Fish

There is an old saying “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.”  In almost every political campaign, we have one candidate who promises to give people everything they need want and another candidate who promises to get government out of the way so people can earn what they want through their hard labor.  This presidential campaign is no different. 

On the left side we have President Obama.  Even though President Obama has not provided many details of his agenda for the next four years, we can predict that agenda by looking at what he has done during his first term.  During the last four years Obama has passed Obamacare providing supposedly free healthcare for everyone, I say supposedly because nothing is free.  He promises free contraceptives for women, even women working for faith-based organizations who are against contraceptives.  He has promised affordable housing.  He has given billions to failed green energy companies who have failed.  He bailed out the United Auto Workers Union (UAW) by bailing out GM and Chrysler so they would not have to go through traditional bankruptcy and renegotiate labor contracts with the UAW.

As a candidate, Obama is a fish peddler, promising people a fish.  The only problem is that just like the old saying, once people eat the fish, in other words when the money runs out, they have to come back to the government for more.  Candidates like this have contributed to our $16 trillion in debt. 

Romney, on the other hand, is a successful executive who understands how business works and wants to provide a business environment where people have an opportunity to succeed in their jobs, careers, and business.  Instead of promising giveaways, he has a plan for lower taxes, fewer regulations, and smaller government.  Lower taxes will give people more money to spend and businesses more money to invest.  Both of these activities will contribute to economic growth because someone has to make the additional products consumers will buy and business people will not just sit on their additional capital but will invest it in business expansion resulting in more jobs that will put people back to work. 

With fewer regulations holding them back, businesses will be free to expand.  This is especially true for carbon based energy companies.  With many of the regulations removed, we will be able to begin drilling for our own oil and natural gas and begin mining our coal.  This too will put people back to work. 

Reducing the size of government will mean government will be able to balance the budget and stop increasing the size of the massive deficit we currently have.  Reducing the government debt will release money that can be loaned to business.  Businesses will use this money to create even more business expansion and jobs. 

As a successful business executive, Romney, like the fisherman in the saying, wants to teach and give others the opportunity to fish.  Romney understands that these people will be able to become self-sufficient and will not need to keep coming back to the government for additional money. 

The election is less than two weeks away.  The only sustainable path for our country is to quit handing fish out to people and begin teaching them how to fish.  This is why we must change course and elect Romney as our next president, win a Republican majority in the Senate, and increase the Republican majority in the House.  

During the remaining days before the election, we must work to support Romney and republican candidates for the Senate and House.  If you can, give to the candidates.  If you cannot give, volunteer for the campaign by knocking on doors or making calls.  You can also make sure everyone that wants a change in direction in our country gets to the polling place to vote or get them an absentee ballot. 

It is time for more fishermen in this country and fewer people with their hands out for a fish.  

The Trends are Encouraging but We Must Keep the Pressure On.

A scanning of this morning’s headlines shows some very encouraging trends.  Gallop shows Romney at 50% or above for the fifth day in a row in their poll of likely voters (1) (2).  The Real Clear Politics Electoral College Poll, which uses an average of various polls, also shows Romney has taken the important Electoral College lead (3).  In addition, polling in the important battle ground state of Ohio shows Romney only trailing by 1 point in polling that samples 8% more democrats than Republicans (4).  There are even signs the media is losing confidence in an Obama victory (5).  The Obama campaign has also had to borrow $15 million from the Bank of America, a sign the campaign’s fund raising is falling behind (6). 

I am sure these trends have many in the Obama Campaign going into panic mode with a little over two weeks left until the election.  However, Romney supporters must not become complacent for much can happen in two weeks.  Therefore, we must keep the pressure on and work hard to turn out the vote in support for Romney because are also voting for more than just our next President this election cycle. 

One of the main issues energizing the Romney base this election is the repeal of Obamacare.  We also must stop Taxmageddon, which is set up to occur on January 1, 2013 unless Congress intervenes before then.  Both of these require not only taking control of the White House, but also maintaining a Republican majority in the House of Representatives and gaining Republican control of the Senate.  Moreover, we need a strong turnout to insure Republicans gain victory in state and local governments.  Many states also have ballot propositions that will have either a positive or a negative impact on local communities.  Therefore, in order to insure sweeping reform at all levels of government, we must have a massive turnout of freedom loving, concerned citizens all across the country. 

In the 2010 mid-terms we did exactly that.  The massive turnout, spurred on by the tea party movement, not only restored Republican control of the House of Representatives but also caused many state legislatures and governorships to turn Republican.  In addition, even though the effort did make gains in the Senate it failed to take control of the Senate away from the Democrats. 

In this election, we have an opportunity to take back the White House and make additional gains in the Senate so we can achieve a Republican majority.  This will mean that President Romney can make look forward to receiving legislation to repeal Obamacare as well as legislation stopping Taxmageddon.  President Romney can then work with the Senate and House to begin balancing the budget and reducing our crippling national debt. 

The bottom line is that we can and need to insure a record turnout of conservative voters to save our country.  Many have died throughout our history to insure our freedoms and liberties.  Now it is our turn to preserve our freedoms and liberties by voting for Romney and Republicans for the House and Senate.  We also need to vote for Republicans in our state and local elections in order to maintain our freedoms and liberties there as well. 

We meet at dawn on November 6 to begin the process of changing our country.  Let’s show up in big numbers and insure a big victory. 

1. Nolte, John. **GALLUP SHOCK** ROMNEY MAINTAINS SIX POINT LEAD. breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart, October 20, 2012. [Cited: October 20, 2012.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/10/20/Gallup-Shock-Romney-Holds-Six-point-Lead.

2. Gallup . Election 2012 Likely Voters Trial Heat: Obama vs. Romney. gallup.com. [Online] Gallup Politics. [Cited: October 20, 2012.] http://www.gallup.com/poll/157817/election-2012-likely-voters-trial-heat-obama-romney.aspx.

3. Real Clear Politics. BATTLE FOR WHITE HOUSE. realclearpolitics.com. [Online] Real Clear Politics, October 20, 2012. [Cited: October 20, 2012.] http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/2012_elections_electoral_college_map.html.

4. Dulis, Ezra. PPP: WITH D+8 SAMPLE, ROMNEY DOWN ONE IN OHIO; LEADS OBAMA ON LIBYA TRUST. breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart, October 20, 2012. [Cited: October 20, 2012.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/10/20/PPP-Keeps-Obamas-Ohio-Lead-with-D-8-Sample.

5. Nolte, John. MEDIA ELITE KNOCK OBAMA FOR 'SNARKY, BELITTLING' CAMPAIGN. breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart, October 20, 2012. [Cited: Octobers 20, 2012.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/10/20/Media-Elite-Fret-Over-Obamas-Small-Campaign.

6. Washington Free Beacon Staff. Obama Campaign Borrows $15M from Bank of America. freebeacon.com. [Online] The Washington Free Beacon, October 19, 2012. [Cited: October 20, 2012.] http://freebeacon.com/obama-campaign-borrows-15m-from-bank-of-america/.

Learning Lessons From History

Third party candidates have been part of our electoral process for many elections.  However, they usually do not win but in a close election, they can have an influence.  Usually that influence is not what the supporters of the third party expected. 

When attending school, I have to admit to not understanding the need to study history.  I got good grades in history but since I did not see history’s importance, I did not take much time to think about what I learned or remember it.  However, as I got older I learned the importance of history for history is where we learn lessons that help us not to make the same mistakes others have made. 

100 years ago in 1912 our country had a hotly contested Presidential election.  The winner of that election was Woodrow Wilson.  President Wilson was an enthusiastic advocate of progressivism.  Central to progressive thought is,

The notion that society needs an intellectual elite, endowed with superior wisdom and judgment, to refashion and transform it by methodically implementing as many progressive policies as possible. The best way to facilitate such an arrangement, progressives believe, is to impose, on the society, leadership by a powerful, preferably charismatic, virtually deified strongman capable of implementing such policies quickly and without opposition. In short, progressives favor something resembling an imperial presidency.  (1)

Wilson viewed the system of checks and balances built into the Constitution as “artificial” and “antiquated.”  President Wilson was an advocate of what we call today the “Living Constitution” (1) and was quoted as saying

Justly revered as our great Constitution is, it could be stripped off and thrown aside like a garment, and the nation would still stand forth in the living vestment of flesh and sinew, warm with the heart-blood of one people, ready to recreate constitutions and laws. ... Woodrow Wilson  (2)

Wilson a former president of Princeton had transformed the University using the model of the German university.  He was a champion of Hegelianism, a thought opposed to the natural rights philosophy of the Founders of our country.  (2)  He believed the progressive philosophy that rights came from an all-powerful elite ruling class of intellectuals who understood best what people in society needed. 

During the Wilson Administration, the 16^th and 17^th amendments to the constitution were written as well as the passage of legislation creating the Federal Reserve.  These three things laid the foundation for the modern day progressive movement.  This progressive movement has brought us to the point we currently find ourselves in as a nation. 

The 16^th amendment authorized congress to create an income tax.  (3)  Since then, the income tax has become a tool progressives use to transfer wealth from the wealthy to the poor. 

The 17^th amendment took the election of U.S. Senators away from State Legislatures and gave it to the voters of each state.  (4) State Legislatures would elect Senators who would have the best interest of the preservation of states rights especially the rights of the state they were elected from.  By placing the election of Senators in the hands of the voter, they gave voters the power to elect Senators who would work in their best interest instead of the interest of the State.  This in essence opened the door for the election of a Senate interested in a centralized government instead of the interests of their states. 

The creation of the Federal Reserve took control of National Monetary policy away from the elected branches of government and placed it in the control of a board appointed by officials who may not have the best interests of the American People in mind.  According to Dr. Ken Matto, former Congressional Candidate, 6th District N.J.

The Federal Reserve was incorporated in 1914 and has been creating a completely unnecessary national debt ever since. In simple terms, the Fed creates money as debt. They create money out of thin air by nothing more than a book entry. Whenever the members of the Fed make any loans, that debt money is our money supply.  (5)

This leads us to ask an important question, how a majority of the American electorate could vote for someone so against the Constitution and the unalienable rights of U.S. Citizens.  The answer to that question is they did not.  Woodrow Wilson only carried 41.84% of the popular vote.  The remaining 58.16% of the vote was split among the Republican candidate William Taft who carried 23.17% of the vote and various other candidates representing third parties.  (6)

It is likely that a majority of the electorate in 1912 was not interested in fundamentally transforming our government from a constitutional republic into a government that supported a living constitution that could be changed at the will of whoever was in power at the time.  Most likely, the voters voting third party were unhappy with both the Democrat and Republican Party and voted for someone else.  Unfortunately, they did not get what they desired and instead gave radical progressivism a foothold in our country. 

Going forward 100 years to 2012, we once again have voters that are unhappy with Democrats and Republicans and are considering voting third party.  Granted not nearly in the numbers we observed in 1912 but in a close election they could cause key swing states to go to the Democrat or Republican without either of them carrying a majority of the popular vote. 

I urge anyone considering voting third party in this close election to look at what happened in 1912 and reconsider.  Neither Obama nor Romney is perfect but one of them will be our next president.  Unfortunately, this means we will get someone we will not agree with 100%.  The last 4 years President Obama has shown a total disregard for constitutional government.  He promised change in 2008 and has shown us that his idea of change is to fundamentally change the structure of government in this country from a country ruled by the rule of law to a country ruled by a strong centralized government. 

Romney on the other hand is interested in changing this country back to what made it great.  He sees the effects of progressivism and how it has caused or nation to accrue $16 trillion in debt.  He sees the effect of high taxation on private business and wants to reduce those taxes so businesses can expand and hire more people.  Romney also understands that our country has enemies and needs a strong national security to protect us from them. 

We will have differences with either man over the next four years but Obama has shown us that he has a total disregard for anyone who disagrees with him.  With Obama, it is his way or the highway as evidenced by his numerous executive orders.  With Romney, we have someone who is used to negotiating with the boards and stockholders of the companies he helped turn around.  I believe he will be open to listen to the voters who put him in office as well as those who voted against him. 

If you are still considering voting third party in this election, I urge you to study history, especially the history of the 1912 election and reconsider. 

1. Discoverthenetworks.org. Policies of President Woodrow Wilson. www.discoverthenetworks.org. [Online] [Cited: October 18, 2012.] http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/viewSubCategory.asp?id=1224.

2. Curry, Robert. Woodrow Wilson's Constitution. www.freerepublic.com. [Online] Free Republic, July 25, 2008. [Cited: October 18, 2012.] 2012. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051567/posts.

3. Cornell University Law School. 16th Amendment. www.law.cornell.edu. [Online] [Cited: October 18, 2012.] http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxvi.

4. —. 17th Amendment. www.law.cornell.edu. [Online] [Cited: October 18, 2012.] http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxvii.

5. Matto, R. Ken. The Federal Reserve: History of Lies, Thievery, and Deceit. www.scionofzion.com. [Online] [Cited: October 18, 2012.] http://www.scionofzion.com/federalreserve.htm.

6. uselectionatlas.org. 1912 Presidential General Election Results. 222.uselectionatlas.org. [Online] [Cited: October 18, 2012.] http://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/national.php?f=0&year=1912.

Be a Responsible Voter

Election Day is fast approaching.  I can hardly wait for the opportunity to cast my vote and end the national nightmare we are currently experiencing.  However, in this election I believe that I have to do more than just cast my vote, I have to do whatever I can to insure many others get to the polls and cast their vote to elect Mitt Romney as our next president and to give him a House and Senate he can work with. 

Now I must be honest and confess that Mitt Romney was not my choice in the Primary Election.  The reason is that Romney was not conservative enough for me.  That is why I cast my vote for Rick Santorum in the Arizona Primary.  However, I live in the real world and understand that the next President of the United States will be either President Obama or Mitt Romney.  I refuse to waste my vote on a third party candidate because my third party vote for a conservative candidate will insure the ultra-liberal Obama gains another four years.  If you are considering casting a vote in this election for a third party candidate you believe is more conservative than Mitt Romney, I want you to consider what four more years of Obama would do to our country. 

I recently concluded an eight week series on “Becoming an Informed Voter” where I discussed seven things we can expect in an Obama second term.  I concluded in that series that another four years of an Obama Administration would seriously change the entire structure of our country.  We will go from a country that honors individual freedom to a country with a huge centralized government controlling virtually every aspect of our lives. 

In many ways this has already occurred because the government now controls your light bulbs, how much water you can use per flush in your toilet, the gas mileage of our  cars, and through our progressive income tax system, how much of our hard earned money we you can keep.  Another four years of Obama will institutionalize these things making it virtually impossible for any future President to reverse them. 

We have also seen the emergence of a dependent class that is very close to having a majority in this country.  Recently the media maligned Mitt Romney for a comment he made regarding the 47% who receive payments from the Government.  I understand that many of those 47% are Social Security recipients and retired military who worked hard their entire lives contributing to the system.  The government promised these individuals their benefits when they retired and they are legitimately entitled to receive their benefits.  However, the Social Security system is destined to go broke if the government does nothing to fix it. 

Obama is interested in maintaining the status quo when it comes to Social Security, which will eventually lead to its going bankrupt.  Of course that will not occur on Obama’s watch so he could care less.  Paul Ryan has a plan to insure the solvency of the fund without jeopardizing the benefits of current, and those 55 or older.  Therefore, I do not believe Mitt Romney was referring to Social Security recipients or retired military when he talked about the 47%.

There are also many who recently became part of the 47% because of the current economic downturn.  Most of these individuals want to work and go off government subsistence but the longer they continue to be dependent on government subsistence, the more difficult it will be for them to go off it.  The solution for these people is not to extend their benefits but to create a thriving private sector that creates jobs.  We have seen four years of Obama’s economic policies that have caused nearly 23 million people to drop out of the workforce.  Romney’s economic plan will grow the private sector and create jobs for these 23 million people. 

The 47% Romney was talking about were a growing number of people in our society, content with receiving government benefits.  He was referring to the fact that these individuals will vote for candidates who promise to keep the checks coming.  Mitt Romney’s 47% comment was a warning that if we allow the job killing policies of the current administration to continue another four years, we will see that dependent class grow to over 50%.  At that point, these individuals either will gladly or reluctantly vote for candidates who will keep the benefits coming Insuring big government entitlements will continue to grow.  If we allow this to occur, our nation will become like Greece or Spain. 

I understand that the President cannot constitutionally just implement laws so if we have a Republican Senate and House, constitutionally it will not happen.  However, this President has issued over 900 executive orders that bypass Congress and the courts.  Many of these executive orders involve EPA regulations, which will cause energy prices to soar.  The only way to end these regulations is to elect a President that will reverse them.  In addition, many of Obama’s ultra-liberal policies are already in place through legislation (i.e. Obamacare) and require repeal of the legislation.  A republican controlled House and Senate can vote for repeal but we know President Obama will never sign repeal legislation into law.  Therefore, we must elect conservatives to the House and Senate and a President that will reverse Obama’s executive orders and sign legislation repealing ultra-liberal legislation. 

As November 6 approaches, I urge everyone to be responsible with his or her vote.  We may not have a perfect candidate to choose from that can win.  In fact, unless you are running for office, you probably do not have a candidate to choose from that you totally agree with.  Therefore, I urge everyone to make the responsible choice by voting for candidates that will begin reversing the ultra-liberal trend our country is currently in. 

I have confidence that my fellow political avengers will do the right thing in November and insure Republicans control the White House and both houses of Congress.  Then we can hold them accountable and begin reversing the leviathan of socialism liberals have thrown at us.