It's Just Another Day When Crazy is Mightier than the Sword Thing

Dear America,

happy wednesday, everyone.

[i know, i know...it's not really, so call me crazy for picking daisies; these are some heavy, heart-wrenching days]

Now, the holidays can be an emotional time of year under normal circumstances; add a small town tragedy that makes absolutely no sense in the world, we begin to twirl in place like a spinning top venturing it's way to the table's edge. plop.

News coming out of Newtown continues on a solemn trajectory, each day building upon the last, as we bury our babies and loved ones. It's an unimaginable task forced upon the families and community.

However, there is some welcome news.   We have become more aware of the details leading up to the Sandy Hook attack. It turns out -- bearing in mind what we discussed just yesterday --  Adam's mama did know.  She was shouldering the burden of committing her own son, and in the midst of getting the lawful authority to do so.   This very reality facing the family is believed to be the catalyst to set off the horrific chain of events. 

[Of course, how on earth Adam was able to commandeer the guns from the household, we may never know.]

But this new knowledge, learning of the depth of awareness inside the Lanza home, should give us pause.   This parent died in the process of doing all the right things, God rest her soul.  Can you just imagine what she is thinking about right now, in heaven?   Just the thought of it --  'my son, being responsible for something so incredibly awful.'     And, not to be overlooked,  there is still the father and brother and extended family remaining to pick up the pieces.  

The thing is, it is comforting to know that she recognized Adam's problems; she was well aware that his issues had reached a level that she could no longer handle on her own.   That is good news.  That means the family was working through it to the best of their abilities.  How can we ask anything more? 

[Of course, how on earth Adam was able to commandeer the guns from the household, we may never know.]

You know, there was another shooting -- in a Clackamas, Oregon shopping mall -- in this same week (Dec.11).  Three people were killed.  Come to find out, a second man, Nick Meli -- just a guy, lawfully able to carry a concealed weapon -- was at the mall at the same time.  When the shooting broke out, he went to the scene.  He was going to take a shot at the masked gunman, but realized there was a possibility, if he missed, that he might hit an innocent person; so he didn't shoot.  He just kept the gunman in his sights.   It is said that the shooter, then fully aware he wasn't the only gun in town, turned the gun on himself.   For the full story, go here.

But isn't that amazing.   Another gun on the scene stopped the violence.


In other news, did you know, crazy people are not lawfully able to obtain, let alone carry, a weapon in the state of California; and having said that,  neither are felons or anyone under even a routine court ordered restraining order?    And yet, somehow, some way, and many times over, these people still find a way to get a gun.

How?

Because even though the majority of us follow the law, go through the proper channels to arm ourselves legally and properly, if we so desire -- a minority of the population doesn't operate under the same rules. 

The street still caters to the underworld.  
And this reality will never go away. 

We can amend, rewrite, add...all the gun laws in the world...but this just guarantees the underworld to not only stay the same, it gives permission and plenty of room for this undermining sub-culture to get worse, expand, even prosper off of our ignorance.   Lawlessness will have the upper hand, the more the law abiding gives the right of way to the corrupt. [this theory works with regards to Congress, too]

America is at a tipping point. 

and sure, it is a phrase overused these days... shoot me.

we are spinning out of control in every way.

we are spinning, twirling, fluttering about, atop a fiscal cliff, a mountain of debt, on the precipice of cultural decay with enough emotional and spiritual dysfunction to light up the dinner table for centuries to come.

we are all crazy to put up with this nonsense.  [and how ironic, considering we made this crazy town in the first place]

America is at a tipping point...which way will we go?

It's time to straighten up and fly right, even if it sends this top right off the edge; let's take the fall together and land wherever we may land; hopefully, with any luck, that looks a lot like each of us ending up on our own two feet  -- or, just maybe,  growing a pair of wings.

And yet, this girl is still so unsettled...  
As a mama, as an American, let us be reminded of the weight of the world to walk in another's shoes -- Adam Lanza could have belonged to any one of us just as much as little Charlotte Bacon. 

Let's quickly move into a higher realm of contemplation.    John Adams wrote:

"I always consider the settlement of America with reverence and wonder, as the opening of a grand scene and design in Providence for the illumination of the ignorant, and the emancipation of the slavish part of mankind all over the earth."

And from Alexander Hamilton:

"It has been frequently remarked that it seems to have been reserved to the people of this country, by their conduct and example, to decide the important question, whether societies of men are capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on accident and force."

That is some strong stuff, considering all that we are spinning around, to and fro, these days. The universe of our 'woe' is growing exponentially faster, and mightier, than the expansion of our good... just sayin'.

good self-government
walking hand in hand with good [limited] government --
this is the only way to guarantee real liberty.

What is crazy:  that our government today would never have us believe it could be this simple. 

Make it a Good Day, G

It's Just What Happens When We Let Ourselves Go Thing

Dear America,

you know what I'm thinking this morning...I'm thinking much of what we are witnessing today, experiencing today, enduring today, stems from having let ourselves go in America.

Initially this thought came from an unexpected candid remark of a remarkable and conservative and beautiful woman, my mom.   But that's what happens, right?  Something takes root inside us, we marinate on it for a little while, and just when we begin to think we have totally let it go, escaping  all recollection, it rebounds off the back of our mind like a boomerang.  bing.

It takes great effort, and good energy, to keep something alive, to stay in relationship, to uphold the integrity and strength of any given thing.

It's not like we can buy a home and expect it to maintain itself.

It's not like we can buy a plant and expect it to water itself.

It's not like we can bear a child and expect the darned thing to raise it's self [as a mom, I feel privileged to say things like that in an endearing way, of course.]

It's not like we can be in a marriage and expect it to nourish itself.

And we could go on and on....but will keep it to just one more:

It's not like we can live in America and expect it to honor itself, all on it's own, without every single one of us doing our duty to protect and defend and most importantly, understand, what this great land is all about.

The ideals set forth by our founders required all generations that follow to actually follow!  And they knew -- because they also recognized the weaknesses of being human -- that it would be a constant challenge; "If men were angels, no government would be necessary.  If angels were to govern men, neither external controls on government would be necessary."  (James Madison, the Federalist Papers)

The founders counted upon the nation to maintain the integrity of  the Republic by recreating an informed, educated, virtuous, and morally upright citizenry.   As Madison said:

"Is there no virtue among us? If there is not, we are in a wretched situation.  No theoretical checks, no form of government, can render us secure.  To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue in the people, is a chimerical idea.  If there be sufficient virtue and intelligence in the community, it will be exercised in the selection of these men; so that we do not depend upon their virtue, or put confidence in our rulers, but in the people who are to choose them."

Compounding this notion with a thought from Thomas Jefferson :  "Virtue is not hereditary."

Meaning, we have to work at it -- collectively and individually, we must learn and develop and maintain and dare I say, even nourish! our own virtuous life in the every day.   For if we were to let ourselves go, then "no form of government can render us secure."

In The 5000 Year Leap, the author, W. Cleon Skousen, spends a great deal of time on our nation's foundation; I'm inclined to say 'America's foundation' is the red thread throughout the entire book.  Everything seems to bounce back to the firm, structurally sound, reliance on good self-government in order to create a good, foundation-ally and functionally enlightened Republic to last the generations.

Not only do we in America no longer teach the ways and means of a virtuous life - - we neither model it, speak it, or defend it....in the collective, that is....generally speaking, of course.

We can't even talk about living by our virtues (and that especially goes for all the time our children spend in the public school  domain) -- unless of course, we wish to be quickly labeled a fanatic, an extremist, a religious zealot.

Indeed, "a wretched situation" may be upon us.

The aim of our founders was an emphasis on creating an enlightened electorate in every stretch of the imagination, in order to keep this republic whole.

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.

...a crusade against ignorance; establish and improve the law for education the common people.  Let our people know that the people alone can protect us against these evils [of misgovernment]."

...all in for more Jefferson, all the time.

It takes work --  it takes effort -- it takes energy, to maintain a free people in a republic; we cannot expect it to grow and nourish itself.

The wretched thing is, we seem to be more disenchanted these days to do the work; or, we expect other people to do the work for us.  And now, it appears, to even utter so much as one word about it, we might as well have committed an act of violence against all humanity.

Take for example Bobby Jindal, yesterday....

Oh wait... first, it all started with this -- Mitt Romney, to supporters on a recent conference call:

“In each case they were very generous in what they gave to those groups,” Mr. Romney said.

 “With regards to the young people, for instance, a forgiveness of college loan interest, was a big gift,” he said. “Free contraceptives were very big with young college-aged women. And then, finally, Obamacare also made a difference for them, because as you know, anybody now 26 years of age and younger was now going to be part of their parents’ plan, and that was a big gift to young people. They turned out in large numbers, a larger share in this election even than in 2008.”

Romney said Obama followed what he called the “old playbook” of seeking votes from specific interest groups, “especially the African-American community, the Hispanic community and young people,” the New York Times said. “In each case they were very generous in what they gave to those groups,” Romney said.

continue reading here.

Mitt was only calling attention to a reality created by, and for,  the political life-force of progressives (we can't even call them liberals anymore).

But just how did Jindal -- aka one of his own -- respond?

"I think that's absolutely wrong," Jindal said. "We have got to stop dividing the American voters. We need to go after 100 percent of the votes, not 53 percent. We need to go after every single vote. ... So I absolutely reject that notion, that description. I think it's absolutely wrong. I don't think that represents where we are as a party, where we're going as a party. That has got to be one of the most fundamental takeaways from this election."

continue reading here.

With all due respect, dear Bobby, the GOP is NOT the party doing the wooing and the dividing; that civic infidelity honor goes to the progressives.  And it isn't anything new, by the way; they have been working this demographic bombardment for a century.  How about we talk about that, Jindal?

For the Left, for the typical progressive, this kind of divide and conquer is so fundamental to their trickery and tactics, apparently, for some of us, it goes unnoticed, as if totally acceptable -- as if the Left holds a special clearance, some kind of politically-warped exception to the rule,  to systematically, unilaterally  (and oh so clandestine) be allowed to go there.

The problem is NOT in the governor going there.  The problem is that we, the Right, behave as if we are afraid to go there.

Earth to the new reality, and to the so-called new demographics we must compete against, and to the republican establishment that wishes it were bigger, brighter, bolder just like the democrats -- find some balls, juevos rancheros, cajones, before speaking up in public.  [yeah, and I don't even care if I spelled any of that wrong]

It is US - -conservatives in general, the masses in particular, and the liberals in droves -- who seem to have let ourselves go.

We have let ourselves go -- virtually without a fight for what I can see -- to those just waiting to pounce and take advantage of the unimaginable evolution of a certain wretched situation amongst us!

One of my favorites from Samuel Adams:

"The Utopian schemes of leveling [re-distribution of the wealth] and a community of goods [central ownership of the means of production and distribution], are as visionary and impractical as those which vest all property in the Crown.  [These ideas] are arbitrary, despotic, and, in our government, unconstitutional."

Perhaps Mitt stopped just shy of calling our new, cool governance "unconstitutional" -- but why not?

It is true, Bobby.

It is as true today, as it was in yesterday, in yesteryear.

[These ideas -- our Nation's Ideals]  Just because we have stopped teaching it, leading with it, modeling it in every way, doesn't make it any more unreal or untrue in the real world.

we've let our Truth go, America...

that is just the sad, sad truth.

But make no mistake:  Our Truth about Good Governance is not the problem; it is not the evil one. Our truth about maintaining Good Governance is by the Grace of God what has protected us, united us, and enriched us in every possible way....until quite possibly now... clearly stuck, aimlessly, it would seem,  in a wretched situation.

Contrary to popular belief -- or is it just a wave of modern day mainstream propaganda -- our ideals truly do work for every one, equally under the law, in true free form.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the foundation -- unless of course, you consider how humanity has perverted, corrupted, abridged, defiled, and defied our most precious principles, virtues, and Constitution, bringing it's very integrity into question and, ultimately, ripe for utter ruin.

other than that, let's keep on keepin' on, right?

Make it a Good Day, G

It's a Twitter Twit Thing

Dear America,

so how many times in the last twenty four hours are you reminded of a running GEICO commercial?

..."do people use Smart Phones to do Dumb Things?"
happens every day, doesn't it.

what started out as "a joke" according to Weiner, turned into ten days of withholding the truth and nothing but the untruth, so help me God.  What began as a little white lie and a hack job upon the Twitter account of a member of our fine House of Representatives, morphed into "I've done things I deeply regret"..."It was me doing a dumb thing and lying about it"...."I hope people can see it for what it really is, a deeply regrettable mistake"..."I haven't told the truth"... one after another, the not so fine gentleman from New York bared all (no pun to the no-longer-alleged crime intended).

And what did we learn in the end (at least, in the immediate hour after the nearly full hour press conference):  that it is perfectly alright to tell a lie in Washington -- and here's the ba-dump-ba -- when you are embarrassed.  Apparently, even the oath of office covers you under such dire circumstances.  And!  No longer shall you be expected to immediately resign (like everyone else caught with his pants down).


And when does the indecent exposure congressman cling to keeping his character intact?  when faced with addressing a crowd of journalists with inquiring minds -- When asked how he would explain the salacious communications between the women (admitting to having 6 online "relationships" over the last three years), he said he wasn't comfortable "characterizing our exchanges" out of respect for the bevy of six of one, half dozen of another, lot.

Even though just about a week ago he "emphatically" denied the charges against him when sitting down with Bret Baier (taking time out of his busy day to meet with the media from inside his congressional office, by the way)  -- yesterday he most emphatically declared, "I haven't told the truth" and "I am not resigning" in the same breath.

I give him a week.

nuff said.

No -- scratch that -- it's not enough.  Let's go to something Juan Williams said in responding to Weinergate last night: "he took a terrible beating today" ... as if, that is enough -- standing before a firing line of journalists is enough of a beating -- according to Juan -- to hold him perfectly accountable... in taking full responsibility for his actions; and totally caving upon any notion that he should resign over this (like Juan has said in the past)....


Interesting to note this exchange that took place just a few months ago (including an eery premonition by Noelle).

I should mention, this was found on MediaMatters -- the uber-leftist outfit, who upon this day back in February, wanted to use Juan's skewering of Sean Hannity for their "gotcha" moment of the day.   What do you have to say now, Juan?  Mister "I was going to skewer you, Sean...if this had been a democrat,  this would have been you're lead story..." with a few yuckity yucks in between... And then to have Noelle chime in with a warning to Juan just seconds later, "don't gloat in it...never know what is coming down the pipe a couple of months from now [um Juan]..."

I would bet my life Juan received a call from Noelle yesterday -- all she would really have to do is send a picture message: via her 4G, of course, just a picture of a pipe, with the caption, "you are here."

Now, nuff said.

Nope.   Hold up.  I do believe I have one more drop stuck in the pipe that needs to get out...can anyone say double standard?  hypocrites?  or how about this, just what is up with the water in New York?  They say it is the reason for the best bagels on earth, but really, this is the third man down in, what, a year?  And sure, coming from the opposite coast line, and only a couple weeks out from another scandalous political fall from grace (if the Governator ever really had any), I am not one to talk.

And you know what else...coming fresh off of an evening watching a real life scum bag in motion on The Bachelorette last night -- me thinks I am falling back into another episode of  'jaded G' right quick (you would only get that if you read me last week).

Can you even believe that Bentley?  Ew.  Ew.  Ew. and more EW.

But then, I look at Ashley and think, oh my goodness -- she is just so naive and stupid; falling for the one guy that came in with all the warning lights on full blast...even after getting a text message (from a "well meaning" friend) suggesting any reciprocation from him would be insincere... and after coming complete with enough red, white and blue flags to ward off the British even -- but nooooooooooo, she didn't pay no mind to any of it... all logic and common sense went right out the door as soon as he flashed his baby blues...

she just went right on believing everyone else is wrong about him...
and just look at him anyway...
he is just so cute...
he is saying all the right things...
how in the world could he do me wrong... 
I told myself to be open this time around....
this time I promised myself to let myself go...
I think I can do this...
I think he is sincere...
but ooooh, I don't really know for sure....
oh what to do, what to do....
aw, I'm going to let myself fall...
I love him so much already...
when it feels so right, how could I be wrong about him...

or something like that.  how am I to really know what went on inside her head.

And now -- in the weird, wild way that only a G spin can turnabout -- only in America does this seem to lend good reason for our reason to being here in the first place.

America became the shining beacon on the hill because we managed to find a way to capture all the lessons of the fallen man and roll it into one Republic; our founders recognized certain truths, and created an entire government revolving around good character, sound principles proven over the ages, and tried and true universal values.  America would not work, and be blessed, any other way.

The day we stop growing the good, is the day we die as a society, as a leader in the free world, as the one and only purveyor of freedom, liberty and justice for all.

There was a good reason being good became so vitally important at our birth.  and yesterday, highlights merely one aspect.

sure.  as people, as humans, we are far from perfection.  Which is why, our founders directed us down a path making our Creator (call it whatever you want, even Big Bang, or BB for short, if that is what rocks your world) our king; humanity would always fail us.  The intentions were clear right from the start -- if our rights and freedoms were to come from a place Not of This World, we would revere That, centering ourselves around That and not man.

Because why?
Because men fail.

We would not become a place that places all of our hopes and dreams upon the good graces of those in power, of privilege, those who claim to have the kind of character and inclination to lend us some kind of temporal salvation while here on earth and follow like a herd of sheep; for all our hopes and dreams would rest upon Something Greater than ourselves.

For most, that would mean Eternal Salvation takes precedence over the temporal -- the so called collective salvation, is replaced by one's own personal relationship with God; and building a life from our own connection to That which we call by many names, and honor It by just as many different ways, we create a life from self-reliance -- shown the way by the likes of Emerson, for one.  We create a life, doing the works of good -- shown the way by the Bible, for another.  We try to master being as good at being human as we possibly can and are forgiven when we fail (that is, if you believe in That sort of Thing). And then, most important, we gather ourselves together to build a government with cornerstones built solely upon the steadfast principles, the universal values, and the unalienable rights ENDOWED by our CREATOR, and having been proven over all time.

we certainly cannot accomplish this (Good Government) when divided by special interests, or discriminating agendas.

we certainly cannot accomplish this (Good Government) when we desert our One Nation Under God foundation.

we certainly cannot accomplish this (Good Government) when we put our trust in man over Truth.

we certainly cannot accomplish this (Good Government) skewering opposition, instead of melting into One.

we certainly cannot accomplish this (Good Government) when losing our scruples, marbles, and all credibility in a nano second, losing any sense and sensibility in a twitter-twit minute.

Speaking of which, Scott Rasmussen, a political pollster for decades, lays out the political environment like this:"the American people don't want to be governed from the left, the right, or the center. They want to govern themselves."  Good Government under Good Self-Rule (under your God of choice) is the way America was intended to be.

and we're back to  'do people use Smart Phones to do Dumb Things'...

Whatever happened to telling the truth and living by the Truth? for that might be the one thing that if we all tried to do a wee bit better at doing, might save us...myself very much included in that.

Insert Footnote here: One more thing you can always count on, when G points fingers, she is always looking in the mirror asking the question 'how you doin?' (and if you say it like a new yawker it is more fun)  Even though I consider myself "pretty good" when character standards get exchanged -- truth is, none of us are perfect creatures, right.

So it is a crying shame what had to happen yesterday. a crying shame for us all.


nuff said.


Make it a Good Day, G

don't forget to click on DEAR AMERICA  above, for your song!  One of G's favorites by Robert Palmer...oh mercy mercy me...things aren't what they used to be...


Last Word (really): how about this tidbit of twitter twit trivia -- Bill Clinton officiated over Weiner's wedding...does that not say it all, or what? funny stuff.

Dear America,

One of the books checked out of the NY library currently staking claim to an apparent oversight of the first President of the United States, and hefty fine if in fact they were seeking such, is titled the "Law of Nations" by Emmerich de Vattel, 1758.

Take a gander through the pages of this remarkable collection of political thought and ideology, and be amazed at the brilliance of understanding human nature, natural law, and the rule of man all wrapped up into one juicy specimen for the encouragement and proliferation of all mankind via good government.

I stumbled upon a literary monument to de Vattel, giving literary license to read the complete set, easily allowing access to whatever topic seeks your fancy -- suffice it to say, it is well worth your time.

I wasn't sure what to view first, but something caught my eye about half way down the first page:

Under Book I Chapter 11 --
The Second Object of a Good Government;
To Procure the True Happiness of the Nation

Section 116:
The Nation may hence discover the intention of it's rulers --
"It is an incontestable truth, that the virtues of the citizens constitute the most happy dispositions that can be desired by a just and wise government...render the great and the common people virtuous, their views pure and upright, and you may rest assured that they solely aim at the great end of good government, the happiness and glory of the nation. 

BUT if they corrupt the morals of the people, spread a taste for luxuries, effeminaces, a rage of licentious pleasures, if they stimulate the higher orders to a ruinous pomp & extravagance -- beware, citizens! beware of those corruptors!  they only aim at purchasing slaves in order to exercise over them an arbitrary sway."

I read the opinion recently that the underlying belief amongst most Americans is a sense of being "unsure" about our government today.  But my sense is that we are quite the contrary --  we are more like quite sure.

We know at the very core of our being, at our most sincerest point of conviction, the bigger the government the harder we fall. We are quite sure that we cannot trust the government, as we are unsure of it's proclivities and intentions to drain the common people of all their wealth and worth.

But the thing is, how soothing to know that the thoughts of de Vattel and the acts of good government, espoused by a myriad of apostles of natural law and passed down through the ages, were at one time in the hands of good old George!

And the second thing of course, is how freaky true!

Lost is our sense of living a virtuous  life, and by good example we need to look no further than our own television, our window to the world and for all the world to see.

Without the George's of the world watching carefully over us, and doing right by their own personal pledge to serve and create good government, we can find solace in realizing that perhaps the value of this nation's second greatest generation is happening right now; that America's future rests firmly and completely in our hands, right here and right now.

And surely as many of us believe Divine Providence lights our way forward, some might say in as little as just a few steps ahead of us, rest assured the life and times of today's challenges in restoring good government to it's rightful place is already done in the eyes of God.  All we must do is take back the helm, resume course, and sail into calmer seas by virtue of the return to good character and a virtuous people.

It must be a conscious decision -- while surely a deliberate act such as this is not for the faint of heart; unfortunately, what it asks of us is an undeniable faith to forgo the "luxuries, effeminaces, a rage of licentious pleasures" for a time, in order to restore what really matters in our pursuit of happiness -- and that surely being the very foundation of our nation's freedom and liberty by living the principles set forth at our birth.

A good government that would naturally recognize the importance of keeping it's people at liberty to have and be and do what it wishes, relies actually on a government willing to step out of the way, to relinquish it's power, and extinguish it's own natural tendencies towards greed and corruption; in other words, the nation relies on this good government to set the example for it's people above all else, or else.

Most of us are quite sure that this government of ours is no longer good.

Most of us are quite sure of the discipline it will require of us, of the citizenry to correct it's course -- yet in this moment, unsure, if in fact, we have what it takes as a whole.

If this is any sign as to what lies ahead in wait, how about that family who is allowing their two children to be unschooled recently seen on ABC News -- just one example of degenerate parents creating degenerate children, advocating the next generation of dysfunction and entitlement on the horizon...

we no longer need to go to school, or even be home schooled -- but actually NO schooled!  The kids sit around and eat donuts (for their diet is a freedom of choice), watch TV (for what they put in is solely up to them) and otherwise attend to nothing unless they want to -- no chores, no field trips of higher learning, no books required or responsibilities of any kind.

We can only hope, that one day, these kids wake up and get an urge to go to the library -- perhaps check out a book entitled "Law of Nations" and actually sit down with the television off and read it -- the entire collection if possible (if they can sit still long enough) -- matter of fact, as long as they give us their word to read it of course, they could even pull a George and keep it!  Keep it in good faith, as the state's gift to you in order to combat future juvenile delinquency; just one way a bad government could keep on giving that may eventually do some good...

Or better yet, how about we take out every history book and social studies course, and immediately redirect the curriculum to one book -- the  "Law of Nations"; it may take twelve years of study, but by my projections (with the CBO yet to report), if we start out sometime around kindergarten, we just might have half a chance to teach something good and meaningful and timeless to our kids (the next leaders of our free world, if we survive that long).

Make it a Good Day, G

In the after- thought, equally interesting is the reporting about George's long overdue book...the focal point on the astronomical late fees captured much of the interest, as much of the media seemed to find the story, the human interest, simply in that. 

What if...
what if...
what if someone took a moment in their newscast and read aloud excerpts of the content of the crime?  what if?  Wouldn't content meet corruption and justly rule the day...pure and upright would the real story enlighten.