It's to the WE of the you and me Thing

Dear America,

Darling,

you and i are more 

than you and i because 

It's we.

e.e. cummings

exactly

the story of U.S...it isn't always as rosey posey as a love poem

can I get an amen?

the whole is complicated, and yet so beautiful if only we step back a wee bit.

And just like that, this girl is finding her common phrase of "wee bit" becoming something brand new; another dimension gets tossed into play, and faster than you and me and the we put together can say hike, we grow.  We expand to meet the day. with whatever it takes.

Although i didn't watch the Thursday Night Football game, it pleases me to hear of the news that both sides stood for the anthem.   Both sides stood for the anthem. hip hip hooray

perhaps WE are moving in the right direction once more.

As Arnold Ahlert, Beating the Left at It's Own Game (yesterday @ The Patriot Post), points out:

"A Remington Research Group survey reveals that 64% of Americans believe NFL players should stand and respect the National Anthem. And ratings are down another 11% compared to 2016. Thus, despite every effort by the media to frame the argument as one of racism and police brutality, Trump has successfully reframed the argument as one of respect and patriotism. In doing so, he has revealed that the decades-long progressive assumption they could always frame The Narrative to their advantage is no longer a given."

A genuine, love struck, patriotism is the WE factor that wins the day.

Being more interested in the whole,
becomes so much more than the need/agenda/propaganda/identity politics
of the individual or fraction holding the megaphone.

And besides -- if WE want to make comparisons....yes, 233 African-American men have lost their lives at the hands of police.  Never mind that it was during a crime, or after making a threat to life and limb of an officer; never mind that the truth is, the 'hands up, don't shoot' meme was based on a lie.  No, no.  Let's just make fact to fact comparisons, shall WE?

In 2016, yes, 233 African Americans died in a police officer related death.

AND in 2016 -- 466 WHITE people lost their lives in a police officer related death.  DOUBLE!

 Now -- with two eyes open wide -- GO to THIS database and pick the WE apart all the live long day, see the  whole truth.

The whole truth still stinks -- yes.  Indeed it does.

963 people died in police shootings, in the year of our Lord, 2016. 963.

233, black; 466 white; these numbers spell out a certain, and rather absolute, and highly relate-able set of circumstances that WE should not ignore....right, Colin?

Here's another point by the good Arnold Ahlert:  According to statistics of the same year, 2016 --
 "a staggering 7,881 black Americans were murdered [including children!] — mostly by their fellow black Americans."

Here's another one:

"Police brutality? In 2015, a police officer was 18.5 times more likely to be killed by a black male than an unarmed black male killed by a police officer. And in the last 10 years, black males have comprised 42% of all cop-killers, despite representing only 6% of the nation’s population."

And when it comes to killing our own babies --- of all death by legal abortion stats in the year 2016, 40% are African-American babies. [Striking, considering this demographic is only 13% of the general population]

The truth hurts, doesn't it lefties.

Too bad, so sad.

The police brutality numbers do not align with your agenda -- no way, no shape, no form, no matter what you say.  The total WE, in the US, is so much MORE than what you would like us all to believe.

Now, it is interesting looking at the WE factor coming up the ranks in America; simply suggesting another look at the millennials...

I am somewhat encouraged, actually.  For overall, when answering questions upon the subject pertaining to obtaining the American Dream --  the millennials of today rank these issues in the following order of importance:

1.  Economy
2. Terrorism and Security
3. Debt and Spending
4. Race Issues
5. Gun Control
6. Healthcare

[WE might as well just leave Healthcare out of the conversation entirely for this group; clearly under the influence of Yerba Mate,  the spirit of their youth is understandably well established and going strong...teehee]

Anywho, they do not see the race issues being race issues, for they are living in a pretty wide range of race being in their immediate and really real world...their peer groups, their schools, their neighborhoods, their favorite dining places, their sports, their music, their loves xoxo....etc.  They have all grown up in a WE that is, and forever will be, a cornucopia of backgrounds and race and spirit.

These millennials have already traveled so much of the world already.

These millennials have a spirit of WE naturally flowing through their veins.

They drink up the entire world in shameless solidarity.

It's beautiful, right?

Oh to the WE coming up in the next generation; not to dismiss the fact that there is much to learn from each other, as the old and the new learn to blend into the new WE of the new US.

The study also finds something rather astounding, in consideration of just who has the greatest, natural, country pride:  white millennials are only at about 40% -- while Blacks reach a full 50% (and yes, this study is separating the groups as White, Black, Hispanic, Asian). 

Hmm, just thinking outside the Ivy League; wonder if the cultural denigration of white people -- especially through progressive teachings favoring an UNFAVORABLE light of white people in history, in America, has had any effect?   Yes.  that was a rhetorical question.  White people may as well not get out of bed in the morning, right, radicals and leftist professors far and wide?  Or maybe, it's the Paine effect of, "[W]hat we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly"   Either way, WE digress.  bigly

Oh I just hope the new WE gets it all together.

Oh I just hope the new WE goes big in every way -- the economy, terrorism and security, and debt and spending should be our highest priority; everything else will fall into place, take formation, naturally and effectively and lovingly, if we treat each other with care and compassion...because that is JUST and precisely WHO WE ARE, as Americans.  WE ARE FAMOUS FOR IT!

THIS mandate of good character and integrity for all simply goes out to ALL of US of the WE -- one race doesn't have to be or do more than another; it's called an equal opportunity duty come one, come all.  And yes, it is a duty.

It is not a one sided thing, but multi-faceted.  Every single one of us must do our part to bring the more lovely, the more kind, the more forgiving, the more time, the more patience, the more pause, the more golden rules, the more tolerance, the more free speech, the more opinion, and then, and only then, the more stronger WE all will be, ultimately.


For the first time in many days, this girl is feeling optimistic.  Is it because all of the football players stood on the sidelines while the national anthem played, all arm in arm?  To  be honest, probably not.  Although their actions are worthy of praise and support, my happier heart is probably a combination of a couple things:  the unifying spirit, by choice, made by the players, added to the choice being made inside me.

Happiness and optimism is a choice as much as it is a result of our efforts and dreams.  WE can do anything with the right spirit in mind; anything.

Of course, it may be a fleeting feeling; it may come and go, and come back again.  Things are never constant, everything changes.  Seasons come and seasons go; people change; and thank God WE have the ability to change, right?

WE have the ability to become better people with every breath we take; and if you are one to continue to choose the side that just makes noise, rebels and riots -- make each other bleed and ache, in the physical or the in the emotional, in the natural or in the make-believe --  then you are not part of the WE who truly wants to be a WE.

Division produced by the rogue and the radical do not have the honor of keeping the power!

Let me repeat:  DIVISION produced by the rogue and the radical do not have the honor of keeping the power!  Not in America.  Not in America.

Thank God we have a God we can lean on in times like these.  For these are the days that try a girl's soul.  No, no, that's not how it goes.  Let me try that again:

"THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated”

Thank you, Thomas Paine.  Thank you.

"IT IS dearness only that gives every thing its value."  so true, so true

Today -- this day -- all I can do is feel for the WE of US.  It is this dearness, this nearness of heart and soul, that I wish to keep close to me all the day through.

We must ask ourselves, what do WE hold dear...what do WE wish to value...and come together on these things in principle and on purpose.

WE are so much bigger than the mini me, the  i of the two, the separate 300 million souls of the whole.  If all of us make each day count, considering what is at stake for the whole -- we will win the day all together.  For  you and i are more than this...

INDIVISIBLE is where it's at --  be it yesterday, or today, or tomorrow.

Make it a Good Day, G

It's a Pledge of Allegiance Thing

Dear America,

"Society in every state is a blessing, but government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one; when we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries by a government, which we might expect in a country without government, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer...For were the impulses of conscience clear, uniform, and irresistibly obeyed, man would need no other lawgiver; but that not being the case, he finds it necessary to surrender up a part of his property to furnish the means for the protection of the rest; and this he is induced to do by the same prudence which in every other case advises him out of two evils to choose the least."

Thomas Paine, Common Sense

published in January of 1776, Common Sense is credited for instilling the spirit of independence into the hearts and minds of an oppressed community -- the American colonists.

I just love the line, "[F]or were the impulses of conscience clear, uniform, and irresistibly obeyed, man would need no other lawgiver; but that not being the case...."

We have NFL players taking a knee during the national anthem precisely for such cause.

Humanity -- in every gender, race, creed, and astrological sign -- is human.  We err.

We err as a community; we err as individuals; we err as a nation; we err as a school board; we err as a football player; we err as a spectator; we err as a journalist; we err as a blogger and just a girl; we err as a president; we err as a church and as a state.  We err as a police officer in the line of duty and we err as members of a community whenever a crime is committed and/or a threat to life and limb is made.

Do we really need a rule to tell us what is the right thing to do?

Isn't there something inside us all that allows us to stop and listen to our heart -- be it an intuition, a feeling, a heeding of conscience, that ultimately steers us in making each and every choice we make all the live long day?

This kneeling thing -- the impulse to disrespect the spirit of unity and show of patriotism -- is seen as being either a revolting gesture against country, or a political stance with the strength and the will to tackle its leftist agenda, leaving no opposition standing.  Either way, it is an obscene crime against the solidarity and security of a nation.

And to think, the NFL Rule Book has rules on the improper use of language and gesture and behavior unfitting of a football player all through the game...a lot of them, too.

And to consider, according to the rules, both teams must be on the field ten minutes before the start of every game, quickly running up to the coin toss....which should come right about three minutes before the start of every game -- while the presenting of the colors to the national anthem is done during the official start.  The anthem is officially part of the official game.  Taking the proper gesture should be self-explanatory to every American citizen, and especially to the players taking the field under such pomp and circumstance and pageantry and production.

Common sense, alone, is sufficient to argue that upon this turf is of no time or place for divisive politics to usurp the moment for which she stands; for the purpose of the moment is to bring good sportsmanship, good character, and good gestures all together with certain, common intentions:  offering a peaceful salute to who we are as a nation.

How often did President Obama opine the words -- 'that is not who we are' -- and making a cut up the middle, immediately return the phrase to who we are, as a country, as Americans?   Let me tell you, it was often (as this girl continues the struggle to get him out of her head).

But why did he do that?  Because as humans, as Americans, sometimes a reminder as to who we are is needed; and not only needed -- it needs to be heeded, after certain postures seeded and individual ownership deeded, and with great courage greeted, genuinely and dutifully with each new day.

It takes work.  It takes reminders.  It takes second chances, and patience.  It takes forgiveness of the wrongful choices which have come before us -- choices made by other humans, of which we have no part, nor ever wish to have a part, if only by being a student of history and of life itself,  as we accept the past for what it is and what it teaches us, as we venture forward with great hope and every effort to make and meet the future a better place for us all.

Arms linked and all.

The thing is AMERICA is bigger than our differences of opinion, our divisive politics, and even the mainstream media (teehee).    America is bigger than Colin Kaepernick (no shock jock there); it is bigger than the owners and the coaches and the players and the stadiums full of spectators and Fox Sports and ESPN and NBC all together; roll them all up into a ball and let America have a go -- and just watch her kick that thing from here to kingdom come without so much as drop of sweat.

Hilarious, isn't it?  That the weekend game in London met with our players taking a knee during America's anthem, and yet they stood for God Save the Queen!   They take a stand for  England?  They stood for the commonwealth credited for the creation and operation of pure oppression in the masterminding of the slave trade -- and not for the country that spent a hundred years and a war trying to abolish it?  Know your history, boys; know your history.

Is America without fault?  No, she isn't.

But what is America, generation after generation?  How many people have come through her halls of justice and injustice, large and small?   Isn't she more than the choices people have made; isn't she bigger than that?  Or perhaps, better still --  is she, in fact, the culmination of the choices made -- year over year -- whether good, bad or indifferent?

America is a spirit -- an idea birthed 241 years ago -- coming from an age that defied oppression in every way, and in turn, becoming an exception to all other nations of the world, to date, in that time and place.  With firm reliance on Divine Providence, our humble founders fought for the creation of America, as they mutually pledged to each other: "our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor" when signing the Declaration of Independence.

Sigh.
Indeed.

Common Sense was written to stir up the impulses to revolutionize the colonies, becoming more oppressed under the rule of England with each new day.  Something had to be done.

Indeed.

America is a spirit expressing in each moment of the day.  Day after day.

In no small way, Thomas Paine was instrumental in creating change; and our founders took the ball and ran with it.

And while we have talked often about this subject many a day,  suffice it to say, that without rules in society, chaos would surely ensue.  Why?  Because we are human...from the imperfect and the grotesque to the bold  and the beautiful.

We have rules -- some even unspoken.

We have rules -- whether it be on the road, in church, in the classroom, in congress, while playing a game of football or Monopoly.  Rules assist in the keeping of order.  Otherwise, there would be disorder.

At the end of the day --  and at the beginning of every football game -- there is an unspoken rule to heed to the order of reverence to country.   And football players know exactly what they do when they kneel; it is pure disruption of the rules in play, whether it is written in the rule book or not.  It's as if these players are choosing to take a knee that they know equates to an act as obscene as calling America a foul name, as repulsive as making an offensive gesture in crude revelry.

 [Kind a like this.  Of course, Beckham is a big boy and makes his own choices, but is that Beckham really being his very best on display?]

But make no mistake.  The kneel:  IT IS a political stance they take.  IT IS a political, ideological, and fundamental transformation of AMERICA that they seek, taking as many casualties as needed -- even if its the entire NFL and every Sunday from the Harvest Moon through the dark of winter.  And for better or worse, the outcome could prove revolutionary; only time will tell. 

Welcome to the new world; an age when common non-sense reigns.

As we sit and make history, all choices we make now are relevant and in play.

“The man who refuses to judge, who neither agrees nor disagrees, who declares that there are no absolutes and believes that he escapes responsibility, is the man responsible for all the blood that is now spilled in the world. Reality is an absolute, existence is an absolute, a speck of dust is an absolute and so is a human life. Whether you live or die is an absolute. Whether you have a piece of bread or not, is an absolute. Whether you eat your bread or see it vanish into a looter's stomach, is an absolute.

There are two sides to every issue: one side is right and the other is wrong, but the middle is always evil. The man who is wrong still retains some respect for truth, if only by accepting the responsibility of choice. But the man in the middle is the knave who blanks out the truth in order to pretend that no choice or values exist, who is willing to sit out the course of any battle, willing to cash in on the blood of the innocent or to crawl on his belly to the guilty, who dispenses justice by condemning both the robber and the robbed to jail, who solves conflicts by ordering the thinker and the fool to meet each other halfway. In any compromise between food and poison, it is only death that can win. In any compromise between good and evil, it is only evil that can profit. In that transfusion of blood which drains the good to feed the evil, the compromise is the transmitting rubber tube.”
― Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

absolutely.

My loyalties are to America -- what is best for the whole.

I pledge allegiance 

to the flag,

of the United States of America,

and to the Republic for which it stands,

one Nation, under God,

indivisible,

with liberty and justice for all.

INDIVISIBLE is absolute.

Perhaps, if we were all angels, rules would prove unnecessary; laws would not be needed, let alone cry out to be heeded, that which precepts are regularly seeded, and individually deeded, into the hearts and minds of decent and good countrymen.  But that not being the case...We must remind each other how a nation of good character prevails; how a nation proves strong when indivisible, in person and in spirit, with both sides locked and aligned.

Make it a GOOD DAY, G!

It's No Time Like the Present Thing

Dear America,

"Those who expect to reap 

the blessings of freedom must, 

like men, 

undergo the fatigue 

of supporting it."  

Thomas Paine

I love that part, "like men."

And to think, it's so sexist, isn't it!...Oh the shame.  Oh the crime. Oh Thomas Paine -- I love you, man.

And Oh how I dream of a time gone by when men were men and women were women and nobody was confused about anything.  I know -- thump on the head to me.   Whatever.

Yesterday -- Veteran's Day -- I spent the better part of a morning surrounded by MEN, veterans, real men, with their service to America dating back twenty...fifty, sixty, seventy years...and many of them were seated with their wives of twenty...forty, fifty, sixty years right next to them.  It was a beautiful thing, let me tell you.

About a dozen boys of the Camp Pendleton Young Marines stood at attention throughout the entire forty-five minute program -- which took great skill, considering less than six feet in front of them, the "half-time show" featured a dance troupe from the local school, Santa Fe Christian, tapping out a fine boogie woogie number (of course, accompanied by the school band)  -- to a classic, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B."   

The girls were good!   And almost better than The Andrews Sisters...

Giving high marks on costume -- dressed in red satin and gloves -- the modern day ensemble takes home a decent honorable mention.  But the trophy, that goes to the sisters simply on points for originality and, for something that I like to call --  setting the bar; and certainly not to discount the many years of service in the business of keeping the morale up for our boys.   Hoo rah.

The thing is, we know what "better" is. It's a cut above.  

Take  Jeb Bush, at Tuesday night's debate -- he failed to make something of his campaign.  He failed to stand out and hit a higher bar.  He may have done better than expected, in the eyes of some, but better isn't always enough, is it.   (Not a question.)

Now Ted Cruz did better than Jeb;  he left his mark in the hearts and minds of those listening.

Marco Rubio did better than Jeb, and quite possibly even better than Cruz; he left his mark in the hearts and minds of those listening.

But like most things in life -- it's subjective.

I'm sure for some people, what Thomas Paine said, might be offensive.  Take it out of context, take it out of the 1700's and thrust it into the year 2015 and we have immediate controversy.  But let's not quibble, shall we. 

"Those who expect to reap 

the blessings of freedom must, 

like men, 

undergo the fatigue 

of supporting it."  

I was shocked to read news out of Colorado Springs this morning -- it centers around a lawsuit from a group of women IN the police force who objected to the physical ability test each year.  And now -- long story short (and fat) -- when it comes to the men and women in uniform in the Spring's area and racing to the rescue of citizens in need, nobody will be required to stay "physically fit." [At least, until such time it's been argued back and forth through the legal channels.]

Seriously?

Why wouldn't a woman -- especially a woman currently in police uniform --  insist on staying fit, on their own, for their own benefit, for the betterment of both community and her own life itself?  Talk about a life and death situation that naturally raises the bar --  demanding the call for being better than the average joe a personal standard in the every day!   Holy super girl, this might be such an occasion.

But let's consider for a moment how women got here.    Women have cried discrimination for decades -- fighting tooth and french manicured nail, long and hard, to make gains in male dominated careers, be it local police forces or one of our honorable armed forces...including now in combat zones...and this is where we take it?  Griping under the fatigue of the demands of being in what is, for all intents and purposes, a man's domain?  Are you kidding me?

Shut up.

Shut up.

Shut up.

Dig deep, put down the doughnut, get back in shape, and shut up.

Did I mention you stupid girls need to shut up?

Enough said.

Now for the betterment of this day, this blog, my wish is to do a one-eighty and get back to d'boys in uniform.  Here you go:

"It is the Veteran"

It is the Veteran, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the Veteran, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the Veteran, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the Veteran, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble.
It is the Veteran, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the Veteran, not the politician, who has given us the right to vote.
It is the Veteran, who salutes the Flag,
It is the Veteran, who serves under the Flag,
To be buried by the flag,
So the protester can burn the flag. 

[that's a really good link! don't miss it]

 Author: Anonymous

...The guest speaker at my local Veterans Day service, Lt. Col. Scott Hall (a very handsome Fighter Pilot!), offered these words in his closing.  

It's something that I like to call perspective.  [And surely within "It is a Veteran," a lesson, or two, lives for the wayward student body re-organizers of  Missou and Yale...and we'll have to save that for another day...]

"Those who expect to reap 

the blessings of freedom must, 

like men, 

undergo the fatigue 

of supporting it."  

According to the stats:  19.3 million veterans in U.S. in 2014, with 1.6 million of them listed as female (but do we really know anymore?)...  And talk about physically fit -- most often, the cream of the crop, all of them; Bergdahl aside, it's a group of men and women who act with honor and courage and strength better than most of us upon any given day.  

Which brings me to this:

it would be an understatement to say, there is     no     time    like    the present.  Think about it.

But this is where I must leave it for one day.

Make it a Good Day, G

It's Pure Wretchedness in the House Thing

Dear America,

"Whatever the form

or Constitution of Government

may be,

it ought to have no other object

 than the general happiness. 

When instead of this

it operates to create and increase

wretchedness,

in any of the parts of society,

it is on a wrong system

 and reformation is necessary." 

Thomas Paine, Rights of Man

oh my, it's like I feel so close to my government right now; whatever could it be?

Six degrees of separation...naught.

Try one.

Old Thomas must be muttering to himself -- if not screaming it across the heavens -- 'for the love of Pete, what the hell is going on down there?'

indeed.

And Verizon -- look at you -- what, pray tell, does this administration have on you, that you would just bend over and comply?    Like what's this about... "U.S. is secretly collecting records of Verizon calls?"   Guess not so much of a secret now? 

Just getting so creeped out by my own government...ew. ew. ew.

You know, my first intention this morning was to come in here all bright-eyed and shiny tail and talk about the cozy relationships within the administration; and I still might get to some of those.  But honestly --  with this news that fell upon us --  I feel like America has just been broadsided with a two by four by three hundred million,  horridly immobilizing, gut check.  WTF?  Why? Why would they be needing to do this?   And what ever happened to the very idea of having proper cause first?

Gosh:  DNA without probable cause, check.  IRS targeting the content of our prayers, check.   Justice Department secretly obtaining AP phone records, check.   Fox News Journalist, James Rosen -- extending out to his parents -- having his phone records secretly seized by DOJ, check.  IRS telling Pro-Life organization not to protest Planned Parenthood, check. 

And talk about degrees of separation, or shall we say, less separation:  how about that Stephanie Cutter being in meetings with the former IRS Chief, Douglas Shulman, during the time the IRS was specifically targeting conservative groups.  GO HERE...it's just one link, one degree, just one flash of light away from deep background on the subject.

While speaking of Shulman -- while bearing in mind my initial target of attack this morning -- did you know that his wife, Susan Anderson, actively engaged in the Occupy Wall Street movement?   Oh yes she did, yes she did; and she made no secret about it whatsoever, plastering pictures all over her facebook page, see.

[G note: Don't you just love how the Left seems to mess with our heads...More often than naught, leftist couples seem to gravitate to keeping their marriages a secret -- in  a manner of speaking, that is ---  clinging to the maiden name and such, keeping us guessing, wondering, having to sleuth it out on our own to see who's intimately connected to who, inside and out.  Fascinating stuff.  If you play with this frequently, it begins to get easier and quite addictive, kinda like Sudoku-socialist-who's-who for dummies.]  

Here's another one degree matrimonial combination to love and admire:  Samantha Power and Cass Sunstein.   Cass, former Information/Regulatory Czar, is responsible for every nudge and shove we feel these days, especially evident by the expensive, intrusive health care and energy related reforms. As co-author of an excellent explanation of how human behavior works, moves, reacts, and overreacts, from the first degree to the last, secretly sinister can't be understood any better.   Allow me to NUDGE you a wee bit in this direction for more on the book, care of Benjamin Friedman of the NY Times...just because, oh yes, "there is such a thing as common sense — and thank goodness for that."  ew.

Sunstein's dear wife, Samantha, is slated to take over the vacancy of Susan Rice, as the United Nations Ambassador -- that is, if she makes it through confirmation.  [Susan Rice is taking over for Tom Donilan, who is quitting his post as the National Security Director]  

So anywho, here's some shallow background just for starters; it's simply one degree of separation taking you to The Jewish Press. 

[And if you are smitten to go one degree in the same direction for more, Chris Stirewalt, Fox News, writes a splendid piece, here...I just love this part:  "[But] again, why nominate someone to be your closest intelligence adviser who is most famous for putting forward bad intelligence?" ]

Let's take a minute to duly note how the nuptials go round within the administration, courtesy of The Jewish Press:  "Both Donilon and Power are part of the “clubhouse” atmosphere in the Obama administration. Donilon’s wife Cathy Russell was a former chief of staff to Jill Biden and is the State Department’s ambassador at large for global women’s issues." 

[again, note the one degree of separation, in name only, with the dynamic duo of Russell/Donilon...just sayin']

But back to Power, as in Samantha Power -- she was one of Obama's key foreign policy aides while on the campaign trail, fighting against the Hillary machine, when she failed to use common sense to address a few campaign challenges.  Marking Hillary as "a monster" -- her trusted position lived just long enough to regret that.   But in case you want more, head to the Scotsman, here.

So what else, what else has been sneaky, and closely held under the radar, if not, behind the curtain and sometimes even under the sheets? 

Well, there is the Lois Lerner (IRS "whistleblower") and her husband Michael R. Miles -- partner in law firm, Sutherland Asbill & Brennan -- one degree from The Daily Caller tells us, "[T]he 400-attorney firm hosted an organizing meeting at its Atlanta office for people interested in helping with voter registration for the Obama re-election campaign." 

And meandering through that maze, we also find --  "[L]ongtime Sutherland partner David Adelman, the former Democratic minority whip of the Georgia state senate, serves as ambassador to the Republic of Singapore in the Obama administration."   

It's just so cozy in that White House, isn't it?

Of course, corrupt connections like this don't just happen within the boundaries of the big White House; Congress gets into the fun, too.  As if you didn't already know that...

Let's go to one of California's very own, Dianne Feinstein.   She is married to Richard Blume.  [see, sneaky theory works in theory and in real life once again....]    Well, all kinds of crony capitalism deals are going on in this world and they don't even try to hide or deny it anymore...what between bridge contracts, high speed rail deals, special financing, postal office sell-off and leasing, there is not one public sector, between the two of them, that they don't have their slimy, sleazy, blissfully depraved hands.  And look at me -- not even going to waste my time to offer you up some proof.  Come and get me.

And just before I go -- let me throw out one more oldie, but goodie, starry-eyed love connection within:  Anita Dunn and Robert Bauer.   [what?.... doink, der it is, doink, der it is]   "Secret" sources are linking Robert Bauer to the broad brushstroke targeting conservatives, link to Investor's Business Daily for full scoop, here. 

But just in case you don't, some notes from the crib for you:

"But as the Wall Street Journal's Kimberly Strassel reminds us, Obama's 2008 campaign was demanding the Justice Department criminally prosecute conservative groups with 501(c)4 tax-exempt status. Then, last year, President Obama's re-election campaign "targeted private citizens who had donated to Romney groups.

The chief operative? Longtime Democratic Party lawyer Robert Bauer, general counsel for Obama's presidential campaigns, White House general counsel during Obama's first term, Democratic National Committee general counsel, and the Democrats' counsel in President Bill Clinton's Senate impeachment trial. And, not least, husband of Democratic political strategist Anita Dunn, White House communications director in Obama's first term, and now an MSNBC contributor.

When you've got a legal Rottweiler like Bauer setting the cutthroat example to one and all within the Obama administration regarding the wishes of the president, does anyone really think he — or others in the administration — needed marching orders when it comes to the government's attitude toward opponents of Obama's ideology who were seeking tax-exempt status?

exactly.

Piggy-backing a wee bit upon yesterday, the foot soldiers are marching -- from down the altar, through the Rose Garden, and gallivanting on through the halls of the people's house  [some don't even bother to wear clothes anymore].

And suffice it to say, it's getting messy, ugly, and absolutely wretched.  [kiss kiss Tommy Paine]

Now look at me, one degree away from one-hell-of-a self-served headache.

 
Make it a Good Day, G

Foot Note:

Okay, so these guys aren't married, but they are family -- brothers to be exact:
Meet Ben and David Rhodes, joined together in an unholy alliance -- maybe, rumored to be anyway--  here.

Other foot dropping:

Lindsey, as in Graham, you need your head examined.   UGH.

It's a Bottom's Up Thing

Dear America,

"As government expands, liberty contracts."

the country is top heavy...and not because of what you think.

It's not because of the top 2%, or even the top 10% of all wage earners -- who just so happen to pay 71% of all federal tax revenue.

Nope.  Keep the change.

It's because we, the people, have allowed our government to grow exponentially -- stealing our liberty every step of the way -- and eroding the very foundation in which we stand.

Clearly, we are top heavy.   And we all know what happens when that happens, right?

 The THIRD city to go down in the state of California -- San Bernardino -- knows exactly what I am talking about.  Can you say pension overload?  Can you say exorbitant salaries?  Can you say unconscionable entitlements?   Can you say twenty years of nobody watching just what 'they' do?

Just who holds sweet liberty now?

America was designed to build our liberty from the bottom up -- one citizen at a time, from generation to generation, and never breaking the code of honor and integrity which binds.

But as we are witnessing today, this very notion of the bottom being part and parcel of our nation's unfaltering, unwavering foundation and being of principal and values and the rule of law has simply grown non-existent.

Instead of building upon the elements proven to withstand the test of time -- living honestly and morally sound, investing in years of hard work and a good education, being of exceptional character as best we can -- the bottom has simply decided to check out, leaving all duty and responsibility for someone else's shoes to fill and essentially leaving a huge, massive, uncharacteristic, un-American, void.

Just who jumps in to fill the void?

oooh which reminds me of another good video to cue on GTV (it's a replay, but who's counting anything right?) --



We are entering a new phase in America -- it seems to be some rendition of a mob rule, masked by a highly corrupt rule of law maligning with unscrupulous representatives who have usurped all power of our Constitution.

The mob at the bottom is totally okay with this; for this topsy-turvy view of being a productive, integral, responsible, accountable citizen has been replaced with a brand new mindset -- some kind of compilation of a junkie on entitlement steroids and an Occupier who simply wants to stick it to the man.

Now this girl is certainly no engineer, but me thinks a country -- a Republic -- can only keep it's balance for just so long.

It all comes down to a few things:   the weaknesses of human nature --  the inherent faults of inferior construction and lousy materials -- along with an ignorant (yet sometimes blatant) trampling of the blueprints.

Thanks to a gift from my papa, I receive a newsletter, Access to Energy, each month.  It's published by a science/tech guy running for Congress up in Oregon, Dr. Arthur B. Robinson.  It's really good stuff.  Anywho,
he includes an essay simply entitled "Democracy" and shares this thought --

"The real issue is whether or not we can convince the majority to elect a Congress that will return to government under the Constitution -- wherein the powers of the majority are placed below individual human rights.  Will the majority realize that their rights are no safer than those of the minority?  Will the custom and culture of our Republic and common sense prevail?"

And adding one more thing under a heading of "Stark Raving Mad" -- Robinson laments upon the thought of what Thomas Paine would think if he were here today and makes this observation (and totally like a mad scientist, too):

"That it is not common sense that the 99% and the 1% would permit the 0.001% to set them against each other and thereby enslave the entire 99.9%.  To do this would be "stark raving mad."

Exactly.

If the mob at the bottom was really using it's head, they would see this.

They would see that they are in the midst of eroding not only their own liberty, but the liberties of other people that they will never even exchange 'hellos'... 

[cue the light bulb above my head]  Because that's just it; we are not a nation of skyscrapers and corporations.  We are a nation of people.  People needing people, as G quickly digresses into cheesy...

Producers needing consumers; consumers needing producers, to buy all the many things they want or need or must have -- and requiring a real job to pay for all of it.  Given previous conversations, it's the fairest exchange of all when allowed to operate freely, openly, honestly between all the parties involved.

And yet the hard reality remains to be seen --  the only thing the government produces is a world of debt built in the middle of nowhere wasting trillions of dollars propped up by fiat money and paper pushers of bureaucracy.  Every job the government produces, every new government entitlement, every empty government building, every wasted government stimulus, every dollar printed like monopoly money costs us money! 

While the mob at the bottom just wants more of it.  The Republic is seemingly being outnumbered and outwitted right before our eyes.  weird.

Dr. Arthur Robinson notes in the very same issue a steel deficiency -- sharing new stats that the Chinese produce 46% of world's steel, while the U.S., merely 6%.  6%!  that is a whopping 6%.  [Andy Carnegie must be shaking his head right along side Tommy boy]

But we'll have to save that conversation for another day.

Bottoms up.

Make it a Good Day, G

Dear America,

We are so very sensitive these days.

Having awakened to extremism in journalism and correspondent candidness in action, I am feeling the shock waves roll through my body, while shuddering in disbelief of where we linger in political correctness...it just keeps coming.

Apparently, Juan Williams, has been fired from NPR for an off the cuff comment he made with Bill O'Reilly, comments that "undermine his credibility."

He's been with NPR for years!  He is well read and an established author himself.  He speaks of civil rights, the abhorrence of racial profiling, holding to the rights of all Americans with compassion and common sense, sometimes drifting into personal bias, but most often, he is level headed and balanced in waging his opinions -- welcoming the discussion of both sides of an issue.

I don't subscribe to everything he says, but naturally, right, as we have lived very different lives --  for starters, me being just a girl and Juan being all boy...me, leaning right, and Juan, veering left...but as Americans, I feel quite certain we relate on many levels at the heart.

So at issue, is Juan's natural concern when he said this:

"But when I get on the plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous."

First and foremost, if you watched the whole thing, this wasn't the prevailing message from Juan, and he projected a greater concern to the bigger picture than anything else -- but now, you wouldn't know that, by NPR's response.

This conversation happened following O'Reilly's blunt blurt out on The View, when he simply said that we were attacked "by Muslims" on 9/11...of course, what ensued, was as we have well covered over the last several days, an embarrassment of ignorance raging from Whoopie and Joy, to the point of taking their surly, loud mouths of incivility off the stage -- they just walked off in the middle of the show.

At the heart of the matter, was the fact that Muslims did commit the crimes and punishment on 9/11-- all in the name of Allah.  Bill noted that fact out loud without sugar coating; because he is cool like that -- and unfortunately, it's true!

The destruction of 9/11 was done by Muslims, and only Muslims. They, this special little band of Islamic extremists, acted according to an age old radicalized, religious, Islamic tenet of Jihad on Americans, simply because we are home to the Western Culture, we stand for the Judea-Christian beliefs and foundation, we live under the rule of law based upon individual freedom and liberty, and go against the beliefs of the growing fundamental Muslim extremist view in every way.  This is the bad element who attacked America -- Muslims, in the name of Allah and motivated purely by religious rage.

Anyone who knows Bill, knows that this is the element he was referring to.

Anyone who knows Juan, knows that this is the fringe layer of thought back behind seeing Muslims in "uniform," in the burqa, in the wrap, under the cover of Islam.

But it wasn't just about what Juan said, was it?  NPR fell to the threat and pressure of CAIR, an organization claiming to have America's best interests at heart when moderating the conversation between Arabs and Americans;  but if you take the time to tiptoe through the tulips, peep through the poppies, there is a reality of inherent bias within that should shake us up a bit.

And because we are so nice about it, because we are so accepting and so trusting, we, as a nation, are being surrounded by organizations who have polished up on the Saul Alinsky's, Rules for Radicals, without blinking an eye; the fundamental goal to change America is happening from the inside out -- sometimes quietly, sometimes on attack, but in every way making inroads and putting the America we know and love in flux. 

What should worry us, is the level of power to alter our world, overnight; the very ulterior motive that lives and breathes within, under the cover of darkness, acting like the rest of us, changes the face of this organization in a flash -- and we should be afraid; when NPR fires someone simply on the measure of pressure from such a questionable source, along with the clear and present danger of total absence of any benefit of the doubt for a correspondent undeserving of such action, a seasoned journalist and commentator with years of experience and a open heart, a rushing wave of unbridled fear should hit you, too.

For an era that was supposed to bring us together, under the naivete of high expectations of a young gun president who aimed to make all things right side up again, we seem to be going backwards -- things seem worse than ever before.

Or, is this just the natural culmination of our fears over the years?  Or, are we at the cusp of deeper realizations and understanding of who we are and what truths we wish to hold onto, as a nation?

But, besides the heightened security risks which we now live with and make wide accommodations for daily, our heightened sensitivities is off the charts, mounting to unreasonable levels; and right now, today, the side of political correctness is winning, and that is not a good thing.

The thing is, what happened to Juan should never happen in America (feeling like I am channeling Barbara Walters there for a second); we have a right to speak our mind and express ourselves, whether we like it or not; whether it breeds fear or love, in good times or bad, in sickness and in health, in richer or poorer, this freedom is fundamental to who we are.

Question, where is the President in this?  How come he hasn't jumped into the fray on behalf of Free Speech everywhere, or for Juan-- as an African-American and one of his own liberal faithful-- or on simply the premise and purpose and agenda of National Public Radio, in and of itself  -- where is he on this? Or, is this just a case where the Muslim in him wins out, flat out?   This isn't crazy town speaking, this is just fact,  taking into account of his heritage, as in the kind of Dreams from My Father, sort of thing. 

And look, he's jumped in on lesser counts, like the Massachusetts Professor/OfficerGate, why not now...he jumped into the Breitbart Media meets Shirley Sherrod case, why not now?  where are you Mr. President, jump in, the water's fine.

 I feel ill, just completely ill.

I need to lay down.
But before I go:

"it is not in numbers but in unity, that our great strength lies..."

Thomas Paine

The odds may seem against us now, in an age where appropriate response and censured commentary dictates the whole; we have risen to the cause before, and I have every faith it can happen again.

And to think, I woke up thinking I would be squawking about the Queen, having to cut back on crumpets to the tune of 14%; the austerity factor getting cut off at the knees by whole lot of audacity, huh...funny.

Make it a Good Day, G

Fox News should bring Juan on full-time somewhere, maybe something like..Juan's World...and we're smiling already...

one more thing, with regard to the liberal left media who seems to be going to bat for Juan in droves against NPR -- hmmmmmm, wonder what they would say if Sarah said it? if O'Reilly said it?  would Fox News fire a commentator for making such an observation -- evidently not, as Juan is still on, still speaking, and now commenting on his comment "undermining all credibility."

Dear America,

"The Almighty hath implanted in us these inextinguishable feelings of good and wise purposes.  They are the guardians of our hearts.  They distinguish us from the herd of common animals.  The social compact would dissolve, and justice be extirpated the earth, or have only a casual existence were we callous to the touches of affection.  The robber and the murderer, would often escape unpunished, did not the injuries which our tempers sustain, provoke us into justice.

O ye that love mankind!  Ye that dare oppose, not only the tyranny, but the tyrant, stand forth!  Every spot of the old world is overrun with oppression.  Freedom hath been hunted round the globe.  Asia, and Africa, have long expelled her.  Europe regards her like a stranger, and England hath given her warning to depart.  O! receive the fugitive, and prepare in time an asylum for mankind."

Thomas Paine, Common Sense

Only in America did it become actually possible for all men to prosper, freely and liberated under the rule of law, unencumbered by the ties to working under "the man", and give full creative license to become anything your heart desires.

It seems easily forgotten, doesn't it; America got here through struggle and strife, a great loss of life, coming from the position "did not the injuries which our tempers sustain, provoke us into justice."

But with what is going on now, in America of all places, all I can think of is how things here must be taking up quite the conversation up there in heaven. As we turn our laws inside out, at times even reaching the travesty of full extirpation altogether, America is losing it.  For all the common sense from which we stand today,  rebellion is leading the way once more. And for what, because some people do not want to do the right thing? 

If only We the People could sustain the memory of our original intent, remembering the original sins of a tyrannical past which anchored our humble roots.

From The 5000 Year Leap,

"As we have seen, The American Founding Fathers would have agreed with Aristotle rather than Plato.  Part of this was due to the fact that the Founders looked upon law differently than Plato.  Instead of treating law as merely a code of negative restraints and prohibitions, they considered law to be a system of positive rules by which they could be assured of enjoying rights and the protection of themselves, their families, and their property.  In other words, law was a positive good rather than a necessary evil [to preserve and enlarge freedom]."

There is no freedom in a society racked and sacked with lawlessness -- it prohibits all action, all commerce, all good and all peace of mind necessary to prosper.  (Arizona case in point)

In this moment I am tickled by a little bit of advice from Ann Landers; I have had it cut out and on my fridge ever since my girl was three (while she is thirteen going on thirty today). 

Dear Ann Landers:
I'm a sixteen year old girl who is a nervous wreck from getting yelled at.  All I hear from morning till night is: "stop smoking.  Get off the phone.  Hang up your clothes.  Do your homework.  Clean up your room."  How can I get them off my back?
-- sick of parents

Dear Sick:
Stop smoking.  Get off the phone. Hang up your clothes. Do your homework, and clean up your room.

Has anyone else but me noticed how the more we "evolve", the more restricted this land is our land has become; our laws and regulation are changing, upturning our very foundation right out from under us.  They are changing to meet the demands of a new age -- a new age alright -- the age of wanton disregard of our individual duty and obligation to be of good citizenry.  The irony really, for this new age of social justice is prohibiting our very ability to come together as Americans -- extinguishing one of the core principles of maintaining our freedom, a limited government!

Because some people have no clue, or care, in keeping to our individual duties as citizens, we have returned nearly full circle to the land of the restrained, restricted, regulated and oppressed; an outcome tilling a perverted twist on the separation of the wheat from the chaff, if you ask me.

The community organized factions keep breaking us apart, don't they. And then again, maybe not:

"Islam condemns terrorism unreservedly and totally," Naseem Mahdi said yesterday, adding it is "the duty and responsibility of all Muslims living in the US to be loyal to the flag and to be law-abiding citizens."

Amen to that, Naseem!

If you are here, in America, then someone a long time ago or yesterday, took the distinct action of becoming a citizen of America -- or at the very least we assume then you are visiting lawfully, and politely, respective of the individual duty to uphold our laws and expectations to the fullest extent under the law while here.

Is that really asking too much?

I believe Naseem is spot on. 

This is AMERICA for God's sakes; defined by the melting pot, characterized by immigrants from around the globe coming to America in search of a better life from our birth!  No other country offers as much for so little!  All America has every really asked is that you bring something of value to the bounty already here!  The open door immigration policy advocates all are welcome -- that anyone who comes, must come with the intent to become a fully integrated, responsible, compassionate American citizen, and honor her through and through.

All people being fully capable -- no matter what faith -- recognizing that each and every one of us is the embodiment of the very nature from which all things are made;  the Founders looked to our inherent birthright from a God we call by many names, in various forms of rites and rituals, supplying us with everything we ever truly need.  Even an unbeliever must find faith in something -- if only this faith is found solely in themselves.

The thing is, it is good that we find ourselves grappling with who we are, as Americans today.  This is a good thing, as Martha would say (not Washington, the other one).

But let us not also realize, that the more we splinter off into our separate issues, divided by make believe rhetoric and false assumptions, the more we will fail each other and this country as a whole.  The reality is, we're becoming so divided and partisan, we will eventually get to the point where each and every citizen will feel disenchanted and disenfranchised for something -- ultimately, all of us will be discriminated against for one reason or another, and around and around we will go with discontent.

This is surely not the intention of the original intent.

Look at the Tea Party groups -- immediately disgraced and riddled with derogatory name calling, equating them to tea baggers instead -- or as white Nazi extremists.  Both President Clinton and Nancy Pelosi have come out acclaiming the gravity and seriousness of the spoken word, basically causing us to take heed and be careful with what we say to each other.  And yet, the peaceful protest of a group unhappy with current government, taxation without representation -- a road we've clearly been down before -- gets attacked --viciously targeting personal character, ideology and position.

So hey, if we are in fact getting to a point where discrimination happens to everyone, doesn't this redistribution of discrimination make actual discrimination obsolete?  Wouldn't we all be back on equal footing?  Yes, warped I am, I am..but it was Bernie Goldberg who said a couple days ago, "I don't see anyone complaining about affirmative action, that's racial profiling'"...but we digress. 

In a weird way, we would be back to every man for himself; every pet peeve and issue would be hung out on the line for all the world to see -- no longer would our magnificence be what attracts people of every nation to our shore -- no longer would our enterprising spirit and ingenuity to create new things hold a special place -- what would gather the attention of our neighbors and make for tabloid fodder would be the airing of our dirty laundry -- instead of just bucking up and doing the right thing right from the start.

Ooooh and where have I heard that before?

Our Founders cultivated the American soil for prosperity and advancement by affirming a faith in every man for himself tied to our Creator, providing the necessary natural law to coexist in order to feed the American soul to not only grow, but thrive.

Every man for himself, indeed; all citizens living peacefully and dutifully under the same law -- to be, do and have to the precise level our hard earned efforts received (whether it is an hourly wage, Wall Street bonus, Software giant billions or Hollywood millions, and everything in between).

Naseem is so right, Ann Landers is so right, Aristotle, Paine and our Founders are so right!

We the People are all Americans.  And as such, as the evolution of our days spent in revolution fall fast behind us, what must be resurrected and restored is the original responsibility to be of good cheer and to make good citizens in order to save the future.  Self-reliance and self-government protects the common man, uplifting every limitation through sheer determination and conviction, proven the years over, to create avenues of unprecedented prosperity -- no matter how rich or how poor your daddy.

This is not a time for dissent. 
This is not a time for factions.
Unless of course you are on the side for ALL AMERICANS one and all, from the immigration policy set forth, way back when, encapsulated in HR1776 -- you know the one, the people's House Resolution in the year of our Lord Seventeen Seventy Six  -- connected, united and created by the grace of God, to reunite for the common cause promoting the liberal distribution of our founding principles.

And for today, the greatest of these seems to be found in our Declaration of Independence declaring our unalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness -- our commitment to love our neighbors as ourselves, united in the spirit of the one, true, American voice, goes hand in hand.

Our true freedom is not free -- nor is it guaranteed at this rate; there is a price -- it not only takes work and our undying obligation to do our part, but a people's lasting independence depends on it.

Oh yes, and speaking of dependents,  let's raise them well:  may they stop smoking, get off the phone, hang up their clothes, do homework and clean up their room. With any luck, they will raise their children to do the same -- not for the sake of running a tyrannical household, like I can hear some of you say -- but for the sake of raising our children right, responsible, rooted adults.

Making the promise to themselves and future generations that they, too, remember the temper from which they came and grow up big and strong and fully capable of being like every other man unto himself --  in the community of others that is -- without destroying it for the rest of us; without creating one more reason to legislate another law; without adding one more restriction to what otherwise should be a free, loving, nurturing place we all like to call home.

And even for those of us who consider themselves "all grown up" already, may we recognize the blessings AND THE DUTY to live in America -- as AMERICANS -- not Hispanic-Americans, not African-Americans, not Muslim-Americans -- but as AMERICANS. 

Nobody really likes keeping our room clean and picking up after ourselves, but come Sunday dinner, we all have reason to rejoice as one big happy family -- anything less, is simply being un American.

Make it a Good Day, G