It's Dawn in America—Morning comes in 2012!

Here I sit with a glass of red wine (which is most certainly not the same thing as marijuana), my de-laminating MacBook, and Glenn Beck. Fresh off a 26 day Founding of America tour in August/September with our 4 children, and having endured all of 2010 with NO income save it for family support, selling off things in garage sales and on Craig's list and Ebay, we ARE the very Americans that MSNBC loves to hate.

We are BROKE, hopeless and fighting for our life. We are in our mid-40s with four young children with every debt paid off—not settled— and just this house, which has lost over $150,000 of its value in the past 3 and a half years (thank you, Barney Frank), which I have tried repeatedly to refinance "can't prove income" and then modify as a last resort—I'm on attempt 4, 6 or 8—I can't remember because I've been on the phone SO much with our mortgage holder and have had to provide documentation that they either lost or said they didn't receive SO many times, my head is spinning. Still, on election day, November 2nd, we have NO answer. We have paid our mortgage on time EVERY month. We are NOT late. And there is NO help for us.

This summer, I took one of those "underemployed" jobs you hear about—you know, the ones you're supposed to take to "do the right thing." I, with an MBA and entrepreneurial degree, began delivering pizzas. For 4 months of work, I earned less than $2,000. But I didnt' go on welfare. If you're wondering how I afforded the U.S. History trip, that came from selling ANY valuables, furnishings, books, dvds and other clutter I could find in a $1,400 garage sale. Sounds like a luxurious trip, eh? No, by the kindness of our friends across the country, we were able to travel and stay with them and only use motels/hotels twice on our journey. It is a trip my children (and we) will never forget. And it was one that I was bound and determined to do THIS year—while we were still healthy, still an intact family and still had at least a glimmer of hope left that things would get better.

Today is the day. I have sat back and watched the sparring, the maligning, the insults. I have been unfriended on Facebook for stating my views while tolerating the intolerant views of others. I have become unafraid to tell my neighbors to vote, to hand out constitutions, to re-learn and challenge the docents, the curators from Mt. Vernon and Monticello, to guides in Boston, to rangers in Philadelphia to answer my difficult and probing questions on the accuracy of our history represented on their tours and in their museums. Yet, still I watch as the media calls me and my fellow American voters "stupid" or the last acceptable word "old."

Before I close out this blog today and watch tonight's election results with my husband and four boys, I want to cite an article I found two days ago. As if the names we were called weren't enough during the course of the past year and a half, this writer, Robert W. Stock, states that "The Tea Party Skews Old." If you see this writer's picture, it is even more vexing—he looks to be, um, well, old himself! Without posting the article here, he basically states that most members of the tea party are white and old, and uses that as a reason to discredit them—of course, he then asserts that it is their "age" that makes them closed minded, racist, sexist and that they are afraid of change. But it is really interesting that at the end of the blog, there is no statistic given for how many of these "old, white" voters helped elect Barack Obama in 2008. Instead, the blog states that "the totals for white voters 65 and older were right in line with the votes of white voters in other age groups except the youngest. The old white voters were no more—and no less—prejudiced, in their voting at least, than younger generations."

So, are you confused? I'm not. Old, white people elected President Obama. And those same people, because they were smart enough to see that he wasn't who they thought he was, have rejected him overwhelmingly as has most of this nation. Once again, the far left progressives just cannot figure out WHO the tea party is. And that is because the tea party is NOT a party. It is a movement. It is a random association of like minded individuals who are united over a common cause. The tolerant left who now not only hates me for being a non pot smoking, highly educated mother of 4 who wishes to be HOME with her children to both raise AND educate them on one income, hates me for voting to get government OUT OF THE WAY so capitalism as defined by our founders, is restored to this country. They say I'm "backwards," "old fashioned," "afraid of change." Please—I'm not 83. I'm in my prime but I FEEL like I'm 83 because of what THEY have done to my country. They hate me for educating my own children, using incandescent lightbulbs, mowing my lawn, buying the occasional Happy Meal, shopping at Walmart so my children are clothed and fed for less because we have LESS to work with, taking a shower once a week (yea, I'm a mother of 4) with good water flow and now they also want to take away the "property tax" deduction because it "costs Congress 1.3 billion dollars." Excuse me? That money isn't theirs. It is mine. And they can't have it. So for tonight, America is saying to Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and a host of 2nd string progressives that we are TIRED of working for YOU. We don't have a perfect roster of candidates to replace you right now. But that isn't the issue. The issue is to begin where we are and finish the job in 2012 when America will be restored to the people or go the way of Rome!

Don't sit there. This is dawn in America! If you want to make it 'till the morning, get off the couch and vote!

Qualified, Schmolified!

This is for every journalist, pundit, talk show host who routinely asks in their predictably condescending tone, is Sarah Palin qualified to be president? I'd like to remind Americans of the following.

The qualifications to be president of the United States are (U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 1),

1. Natural born citizen

2. 35 years old

(not to mention a best selling author, courageous "quitter" who gave up her position as governor to intentionally support and get OTHERS elected through her new found status as a champion of conservative causes—carpe diem—governor of the largest state in our union with a 70% approval rating BEFORE anyone knew who she was and certainly before the media descended on Wasilla and tried everything in their arsenal to discredit her family, her speaking style, her hairstyle, her wardrobe, her lifestyle, her college education, her character, her record and her credibility.)

There is one very important "qualification" to be president in my book that is more important than grades in school, an impressive vocabulary, a law degree, and a pedigree family and that is leadership. Sarah Palin (I know it's hard to remember) didn't SEEK fame. It came to her. She seized the moment and used her new position to have an effect on American government. She is a modern day hero. She gave up elected power to help others make a difference as a private citizen. So to watch the media constantly berate her and ask at the same time, "is Sarah Palin qualified to be president?" is ludicrous. Perhaps someone should show them the Ronald Reagan campaign coverage. I'm pretty sure someone thought that Ronald Reagan's only qualification to be president was starring in "Bedtime for Bonzo."

As a woman, you probably presume that I must be infatuated with Sarah Palin and that she can do "no wrong" and of course, you must presume I agree with EVERYTHING that she believes and supports. Not so. I look at the whole and am never a one issue voter. That being said, I would love to see a woman president in my lifetime but not just any woman. A conservative woman. A woman who would actually invite regular Americans to the white house for dinner, one that would actually cook there from time to time and who just might fire the chef because they were too expensive, and one who might decide that turning the White House pond "green" for St. Patricks Day was a frivolous expense. If that president turns out to be Palin or someone like her, male OR female, then America might truly be restored to her people and governed by a true public servant.

Remember in November, Mr. Smith!

Oh please! I woke up at 5:30am to watch Norah O'Donnell discuss how "Sarah Palin won't go on any other networks but Fox" and went on to say that Fox (they're favorite punching bag) is "manipulating" and swaying the vote in the country. Because it can't possibly be because intelligent and well read (not "dumb") Americans have followed Fox BECAUSE they SEE with their own eyes and hear with their own ears how CNN and MSNBC spin stories and tell 1/2 truths about everyone from politicians to the public to assert their liberal and progressive points of view. Even Joe Scarborough, the ONLY person on Morning Joe I actually enjoy, got into the act and belittled Christine O'Donnell and Sharon Angle as "unfit" for office. And that was all before my morning coffee.

I am now at the point where I am laughing instead of trembling. I am now watching the "Norah O'Donnells" and the "Keith Olbermanns" and the "Aaron Sorkins" and the "Oliver Stones" and all of the other pundits, guests, commentators—oh, and don't get me started on Eliot Spitzer. Have we forgotten the prostitution thing? I mean, really. Is THIS the best they've got on CNN to go up against Bill O'Reilly? Really?

So tonight's blog centers around my aggravation about the hysteria over "campaign contributions" and the mystery surrounding the sudden success of outsider candidates that Americans are supporting. Apparently, these educated people just can't figure out that we are indeed FED UP with big government and are going to, YIKES!, actually vote out the incumbants in BOTH parties and put "real" "old fashioned" people, who are flawed and continue to fight the machine anyway–from Linda McMahon to Christine O'Donnell. It couldn't just be because we DO get it, could it? No, of course not. It couldn't be because every day Americans are sending in donations in droves to corporations and private PACS to HELP candidates, could it? Someone needs to remind these people that corporations and companies are full of what? Oh yeah, PEOPLE! As in "we the people." I don't care WHO is giving the money to help get these candidates elected. I am smart enough to make my OWN decisions. I LISTEN to what the candidates say and I watch them on interviews—and if you're a journalist, you know that an interview isn't supposed to COST money. So you think I'm voting for candidates because of their billboards or ads or pamphlets stuck on my door or those annoying robo-calls? Have you heard the words "out of touch" lately? We (the people) are NOT out of touch. The left and their media are.

I, for one, could care less, WHO contributes to EITHER side's campaign. We live in a capitalist society. It is laughable that when the left has George Soros and Warren Buffet, the Clinton empire, Charlie Rangel (remember all of the congress people who have BECOME millionaires on OUR tax dollars), and Bill Gates, are we really worried about "corporate contributions" tainting our elections? I think I'd rather worry about voter fraud—as in illegal immigrants voting (remember Acorn?). I'd rather worry about the Union's corrupt influence. I'd rather worry about our veterans getting their absentee ballots on time. And if anyone thinks that "thinking" Americans now trust the failing U.S. Post Office to deliver ballots fairly and equitably, then I suggest you have your own "smart" head examined.

After tonight's interview about "campaign disclosure" and her promise that Harry Reid will be in charge of the Senate, I just cannot wait to see Penny Lee eat crow. Her interviews on the O'Reilly Factor along with the fast talking and full of it, dazzle you with his shiny smile, Mark Lamont Hill double speak, double standards, ethical quagmires that require a rewind button to unravel due to so many tongue tied knots of reason, just keep us Americans engaged, excited and emboldened.

Last year, we tea partiers were called fringe, extreme and crazy. Today, I routinely see pundits and broadcasters actually USE the term "tea baggers" freely and without shame as a proper title for this grass roots swelling of Americans, such as myself and my family, who began in complete uncertainty asserting our views and feelings that something was amiss in America.

It's funny to now see these same people suddenly saying that "the polls show Americans are fed up with BOTH parties." Gee, Norah, isn't that what WE the "astroturf" tea partiers SAID last year on April 15th? Oh, that's right, you weren't covering the events. There were only a "few hundred" there.

I've got news for CNN and MSNBC and Joy Behar and Bill Maher and all of you. I WATCH. I READ. I educate my own young. I am married for 20 years and I haven't cheated with a prostitute. I haven't ever taken an illegal drug in my life. I do not work for a pharmaceutical company nor a corporation. I don't have health care because I can't afford it. My husband has been unemployed for 10 months (this time) and we have NO retirement because, rather than go on welfare, we are determined to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and FIGHT for the American Dream.

I cannot wait for this election. While it won't solve OUR problems personally, to see Americans give Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer, Maxine Waters, Harry Reid, Charlie Rangel, and all of the other corrupt robber baron public "takers" that have told US to eat cake while they robbed me, my husband and my children of their American dream while allowing illegal immigrants to have free babies, and get on welfare in this nation and have created a class of entitlement minded Americans to dumb us down—through the public school "we know better than you" education system on how to parent, how to limit ones use of any energy or resources while YOU use ALL of the luxuries by taking OUR money, your days are numbered.

My hope, having had to deliver pizzas and make cupcakes this year while trying to stay above water and about to take another job while I STILL educate my kids, is that YOU will know what it is like to be UNDEREMPLOYED.

The greatest days for America lie ahead. I know my family and I are NOT alone. I know that people like me are eliminating ALL debt. I know people like me are listening to Dave Ramsey and finally getting SMART about money. I know he's right too—because "experts" hate Dave Ramsey. But the "people" love him. I can't wait to have a 0 fico score and never have to go to a bank or loan officer again for money. We will very soon have a middle class again. This government (along with many before them) has tried to kill us off to create their utopian entitlement society but right now, in many homes across the nation, I FEEL a genuine spirit of defiance, of a fight, of a silent war to take back our property, secure a future for our children, and re-learn our own history to make sure it is not obliterated or worse, forgotten. There is a return to learning about our founders and who they REALLY were, not some revisionist historian's "assumption" about what they believed. We are the biggest threat to progressives. We are the true Americans for progress. Progress to recapture the American Dream and its spirit, to restore and cherish those American traditions that made this nation great. We have absolute respect for our communities and give local support. We don't ask for the limelight. We don't ask for press coverage. We have love and admiration for immigrants, yes, but those who fight and do everything they can to become LEGAL and affirmed citizens of America, who learn our traditions and customs and, most importantly, the language that we speak, read and write. We love people of all orientations, religions and practices as long as they do not seek to harm us in a "collective" way, putting into practice a socalist agenda in the name of the "greater good" which is intended to trample individual rights. We are a mix of conservatives, moderates, and libertarians. We want power restored to the people and a decentralized government—not anarchy.

America—it's a little over two weeks until these mid-term elections. It is YOUR duty to get off the couch, drive to a polling place and VOTE. It is YOUR duty to ignore the ads, the pundits, the rhetoric and the disgusting character assassinations. It is YOUR duty to understand that NO ONE is perfect. We have to work with what we have.

In that spirit, I am supporting Rick Perry for Governor? Why? Because given the alternative, there is no choice but Rick Perry, unless you want Obama in boots running Texas. And I, for one, having left California for Texas, can spot the better choice, even if it isn't the optimum choice. Rick Perry supported the tea party from day one. He isn't perfect (toll roads). He is an Eagle Scout. That is saying something in my book. I have seen him speak personally—away from the media—on behalf of the scouts. I moved to Texas because it is a fiscally sound state. He has been good for Texas. If there were a "new" fresh choice who wasn't a "truther, " they would have had my vote. Americans, we MUST think before we vote.

If someone does say what party they are on their sign, go find out WHAT they stand for—don't assume red means Republican and Blue means democrat. And don't assume that either title means ANYTHING. Listen to what they say, but more importantly, watch what they DO. If they have a record and they are an incumbant, get informed NOW. If they are new, watch what the incumbant does to them in their ads. The more scared the incumbant, the more likely I am to support the new person.

And lastly, go watch Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. It will clear up everything!

From Golden State to Golden Haze—Or is it Daze?

I was unfriended today on Facebook. I know, you’ve been there. Today, I once again tried to counter another political diatribe from the left, state an alternative position to the same folks who publish never ending attacks on the tea party, ridicule powerful female political leaders, and of course, everyone’s usual favorite whipping network Fox News, which my past friend and his faithful followers love to call “Faux News.” That must have come from Keith Olbermann. They also like to call names. Favorite words I have been called indirectly or directly from this side when addressing just the ISSUES, are a “right wing nutjob,” “ignorant,” “uninformed,” “racist,” “bubble headed blonde,” “homophobe,” “comedienne” and of course, the all enduring “corporate and insurance company loving Republican.” Editors Note: I have no health insurance and I’m not employed by a corporation. I should be so lucky. Someone does need to remind these “progressives” who are for progress, except when, of course, it involves Sam Walton, that corporations were once mom and pop and grew because they were successful and able to hire more—you guessed it—people! And those people HIRE more people, create jobs, provide 401(k)s and if not overtaxed, create wealth in America and donate money to charity too. But now I’m sounding far too reasonable so I’ll stop.

On Facebook, I mostly confine my dine and dash visits to esoteric banter surrounding my day. Occasionally, I put out something cryptic (which those in the “know” will understand and others will wonder about). I have recently even published some photos of my creative work. On a serious note though, Facebook has been my only outlet sometimes to scream out in pain when a phonecall isn’t possible. Once again, it is always interesting who responds and who posts about their grand lobster dinner or vacation as another life is crumbling on the previous line. A lot of people would rather use social media to talk about how “great” their life is” while never commenting on anything too “heavy” unless, of course, it involves them. And then again, if you only get on once in a while, people are offended that you haven't responded. Everyone makes assumptions on Facebook. It is a grand experiment and, I love every moment there—the good, the bad and the ugly. I LOVE to communicate. And I am unafraid to do so.

So this dear friend, who writes an amazing amount of hateful comments regarding anything remotely conservative, often posts videos from his favorite network “MSNBC” and/or my other favorite The Huffington Post. I don’t think his biggest worry should be what Sarah Palin is reading or how authentic Glenn Beck may be. (I have yet to see any network counter the facts that Beck puts out by the way). Maybe that's why so many showed up on the D.C. mall on 8/28. Can't wait to see who Colbert and Stewart pull in. I think someone needs to tell my friend that the only people who still cling to MSNBC can’t handle the truth, which is why that network spends all of its time giving Fox News even more publicity with its “worst person of the week” feature with hysterically unflattering photos —predictably, always conservatives or pundits from Fox News. Perhaps someone should tell MSNBC that it might be driving more and more dumb people to Fox News. We wouldn’t want that, would we? Doh!

In his last post talking about the glorification of legalizing pot in California (my home state), I decided to challenge him by asserting that I was sad to see the marijuana signs all over Los Angeles the last time I visited. I mentioned that I didn’t want California to become Amsterdam and it was beginning to look a bit like Bladerunner. I didn’t call him a name. I just made my point as I always do, to counter his exhuberance over the Colbert/Prop #19 fervor. I even mentioned personal experience with the sign sightings. He denied any existed so I went to a link and posted it urging him to check it out. I was sincere. I hear they have cracked down on this practice but believe me, when I went there in May, they were everywhere. It's really easy to SEE things when you've stepped away from them. Remember Mary Poppins? "Sometimes people can't see past the end of their own nose?" Since moving to Texas, I have visited California nine times and every time I go back, I see the decline of western civilization. I feel the potholes more, see the traffic more, see the yellow air more, see the rude drivers more and, yep, see a lot of self absorption that I was told we had, but didn't see when I lived there because it was my only experience. He accused conservatives of being “ethnocentric” in his post. Now I know this once again refers to the “racist” issue. But I consider people who are this thin skinned about their own cultural issues while they lash out at others, the true ethnocentrics.

They want to believe that their viewpoint is superior to others and that they are living an ideal life as their city and their economy crumbles around them. They want their children in private school and dine at the finest restaurants while they want YOU to limit your showers, use less power and drive smaller cars. They travel first class. They cut in line. They get free swag but decry the unfairness of life for the "little people." They would never let their children near drugs but want to legalize them for yours. In many cases, the average Californian's mindset is that life just doesn’t exist anywhere else. I know. I am a native. I observed this attitude my whole life. New Yorkers hated California but tolerated it. Californians thought all southerner's were racist—thanks public education system. And midwesterners were boring. When I was a tour guide at Universal Studios, one of our trainers constantly emphasized that we taylor our spiel so the "Iowa" guest could understand us. It's funny now that I spend a lot of time these days arguing with people who weren’t even born in California, who want to marginalize me for MY views on my own state. I think I have earned the right to express my perspective—especially when the intent is to motivate others to get angry enough about it too so they will fix it instead of bury their heads in the sand. I also wonder if I were writing about California while still LIVING there, if I would be called a “California basher” or a modern day “Paul Revere.”

It’s hard to say. Here’s what I DO know. There are three types of Californians as I see it today. 1. Progressives—I’m talking the hardcore Haight/Ashbury, Cloward and Piven, dope smoking hippies who never grew up. This is the group that the democrat legislature is now wooing with the pot vote in order not to lose their seats this November–wake up and smell the hash! 2. The fingers in their ears saying “la la la la la” Californian who is so busy holding down a job, putting their kid in a lottery system for a charter school and enduring the 4 hour daily commute that you cannot blame them for self medicating with Dancing with the Stars and The Kardashians at night. Someone needs to let these people know that they must disconnect from the matrix and can no longer ignore the crumbling walls of Rome around them. 3. Finally, there is the “waiting for Superman” Californian, native or not, who has watched their state slip from the Golden State into a Golden haze but doesn’t really believe that they can make a difference. After all, every time they vote, the courts overturn their will and call them names in the process. It's not easy being a Californian today.

Barbara Boxer and Maxine Waters must go. California, do you really want Jerry Brown (Linda Ronstadt’s ex) to be your governor? Really, California. The nation’s future is in your hands. You were the 5^th largest economy when I left. Now, you’re 7^th. Your schools are teaching English as a second language and want all children to believe that illegal immigration is a-okay. I hope you don't believe that year round school is the solution as Arnie Duncan would have you believe. If you think your kids are endoctrinated now, just wait until the family has little or no influence over what they children are taught. The state will be happy to educate them to be "green citizens of tomorrow" so they can tell their parents "who don't know what they know" (thank you Al Gore) how many garbage bags they can use and what lightbulbs to buy." Please remember in November that your current governor (yeah, I voted for him) wanted to sell state landmarks to make money. He’s not a true conservative. We were all fleeced.

You don’t have “perfect” leaders running in this November race either. But they're all you've got. You MUST choose the ones with the most cost conscious conservative values possible regardless of their personal quirks and once and for all oust these corrupt politicians who have kept their own backsides warm, their pockets lined with your money, and who just cannot take enough from you as you serve them, for years! And remember that no Californian should ever call Barbara Boxer, ma’am. It is much too honorable a title for this senator. Remember Nancy Pelosi just a few weeks ago? She said that unemployment benefits were the best stimulous for job creation. Nancy Pelosi is worth 50 million dollars. Now, if this doesn’t give you hope that if someone this dumb can grow up to be speaker of the house, then surely, Californians are capable of saving their state. Send Nancy Pelosi back to San Francisco. Keep Gavin Newsome at home. If you want to call someone a racist, call out Maxine Waters, who on national television, used the word “tea bagger” repeatedly to talk about the tea party movement and mentions color every time she is in front of a camera. And never forget Nancy Pelosi’s giant gavel and “astroturf” comments in the infancy of the emerging grass roots movement that has so threatened Washington, D.C., that an angry and frustrated electorate are considered threats to national security. Can you see what is happening?

It is time for Mr. Smith to go to Washington—or at least to Sacramento. If you believe the sun rises and sets in your Golden State, then put your money where your mouth is and get involved. It MUST begin in California and work all the way across this great country. So as I ponder being unfriended over my friend’s offense that I saw a lot of marijuana signs in California that saddened me as “California bashing,” I say this. I didn’t leave California. California left me. I SAW where it was going. I was waiting for Superman to fix it too. I wasn’t that Superman. I hope someone there will step up and save this state. So please don’t hate when someone has the courage to point out the flaws of California, not because they hate the STATE but because they hate what the statists have DONE to it. My intent in anything I write about California is to squeeze some Visine into the bloodshot eyes of the dazed and confused public so they’ll wake up in time to clear the air. The politicians and progressives are blowing smoke up your behind. If Californans keep electing the same corrupt leaders (I use that term loosely) to rule in Sacramento, then Californians will not only get the government they deserve, but they just might finally need that marijuana for medicinal purposes. And between you and me, I think it’s exactly what this government wants. A medicated public is easier to manipulate. After all, there’s a reason it’s called dope.

Christmas in July!

I've neglected my blog. When I began in earnest a few months ago, I couldn't keep my hands off the keyboard. I experienced swells of inspiration that interrupted my daily routine—heck, I don't even have a routine—they just interrupted the heavily distracted "mom, can you get me this and that" responsibilities of my day and I was disciplined enough to heed their call. Life can change on a dime.

Today is July 3rd and I want to write about the 4th. And I will. But first, a story that will weave as always and then come back to the point. The hero in the story is my dad. He was supposed to come visit last Christmas and then, as life would cruelly intervene, he received the news that none of us could comprehend. After a toothache wouldn't heal, it was discovered that he had a rare form of cancer. This diagnosis occurred the first week in October just after he and my mom had finally committed to come and had booked their flight.

The blow was crushing on every level. There was the immediate shock, then sadness and anger towards this dread disease getting in the way of us finally having two weeks together (my parents have never spent two weeks with me). Then, there was the realization that "this was it." There wouldn't BE a next time, another Christmas together. It was the fear of this loss of the future that might not ever be. It sucked the joy out of last Christmas as we travelled there for the "last" this and that before his surgery. After he survived that, we came home to our own problems—mainly the new and ongoing saga of my husband ending up jobless AND owed 1/5 of his annual salary for 2009 by a company that "ran out of venture capital" and neglected to tell him as he continued to work there out of state at the beginning of 2010—you can see I have a lot to write about. But that is for another day.

I have experienced some loss and pain in my life, more than some and much less than others. In trying to have a family, I lost four of those little "human becomings" and each one presented me with a slap upside the head that felt like a robber had seized an unfulfilled dream, stolen a future that would never be. There is an emptiness that comes from this type of loss that cannot be described. It has to be experienced to be understood. When I look back on some of the sadness and struggles I've had in my life, it has been an unwelcome blessing. I never would have developed the empathy I have for others would it not have been for them. And, though I have always appreciated life more than most that I see—meaning that I do stop to smell the roses—literally—my husband and kids have seen me do it.

Today I am stopping to smell the roses again. It is 6:30am and everyone is asleep. I felt that familiar overwhelming urge to write. No interruptions today. I'm about to ice two cakes for some customers in my new found part time career as The Cupcake Queen. One will be an American flag cake for my neighbor; the other, a little luau themed hibiscus "smash" cake for a little girl's first birthday. Both celebrate a beginning, a hope, a remembrance. In a few minutes, my husband and eldest son will wake up. They will then dutifully post the American Flag in front yards all over our neighborhood to honor our flag and the 4th of July. My son has been doing this for the past several months for all national holidays. He also posts the flags at the entrance to our subdivision outside of Austin, Texas. I'm proud of him. He reminds me of someone—my dad. I only wish my former boy scout dad could be here this morning to join him.

But not to worry. Dad will only be about five hours too late. I'll take that. Because after a few more glorious hours of anticipation, a long awaited dream will finally come true. My dad, ten months after being diagnosed with a cancer that we thought would take him within a few months, will be here with us for a week. I've had his room ready for two years. It is stocked with robes, slippers, teapot, towels, and photos of him and mom are everywhere. Our home smells like the Grand Floridian on the day of our honeymoon—yes, you'd have to have been there to know! Our family will be complete today. Tomorrow, we celebrate America. Today, I celebrate my dad! You might say it's Christmas in July!

Let them eat cake?

It's funny how a blog can seemingly be about one thing and a topic can crop up that seemingly does not relate. Like this sudden collection of cakes on my "no tread thread." What on earth do they have to do with anything?

Let me connect some buttercream dots! Years ago, when I was in high school, my "dream" was to be an entertainer. I grew up watching Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, and my favorite dancer was Vera Ellen (White Christmas–oh, that nerve tap!). I, of course, also loved Danny Kaye who looked so much like my grandfather and was just as silly. When I entered college, there wasn't a major for me so I chose Psychology with a Dance minor and rapidly switched to Radio-TV-Film which was the "hard to get into" department at my school. I figured that if I got into television production, perhaps I could work my way around and yet still have that "safe, fall back position behind the scenes if things didn't work out."

During this time, musicals weren't in vogue, Donny and Marie were passé and there was no American Idol. I don't even think the Gong Show was on anymore. It was a virtual vacuum of theatrical culture (even before we sunk into the much higher brow "reality series" format (jest) in my world at the time. I quickly gave up on my dreams of being that multi-talented singing, dancing, acting "star" and eventually did work in the television and post production world.

But, here's the rub. When I was in high school, I went to a job counselor, who gave me a test of what I "should be" when I graduated. The test said I should be an "interior designer," a vocation which I dismissed as nonsense, laughed off and quickly forgot. I don't remember if "baker" was on that list of the three top professions. But all these years later, this is what I've learned. Who you are at 8 or 9, is probably who you are meant to be. When I was young, I didn't play with Barbie dolls as much as I designed elaborate HOMES for them with stacked books and gauzy curtains. I remember creating fascinating scenarios of what they would DO in those homes.

During my early childhood, I wrote plays and I made stuff and sold it at school. I once baked and painted at least 50 clay pins in shapes including milkshakes with striped straws, french fries, cherry pies, even a tap shoe—you may not remember this but pins were VERY popular during this time and many young kids wore them as accessories. I sold them for a dollar or so each. Later, I learned to crochet from my great grandmother and made holiday bell pins, ice skate pins—you name it—I sold it! I was a born marketer and entrepreneur and didn't know it.

My parents didn't identify this in me. They didn't educate me on what they saw. They were young. They did the sensible thing, got jobs and to this day are in the same field. My mother has worked for the same company since the age of 19. She is so accustomed to the golden handcuffs, that she has zero tolerance for uncertainty and has lived her life in constant fear of losing her job all of my childhood and into my adult years. I, too, became fearful and sacrificed my BIG dreams in search of the "safe job" that would be more "secure." But as it turned out, my generation did not have the same chances of finding lifelong employment with one company that my parents' generation did. I wish someone had coached me to be in business for myself when I was 20 instead of at 40.

So what of all this baking? As a young girl, being raised in the 70s and 80s, I was literally conditioned and led to BELIEVE that girls were the "same" as boys and needed to have the same "opportunities" as boys and that we were in a "war" of "equal rights" with boys. This was so emblazoned in me that I vowed if I ever had kids, I would NEVER stop working. In fact, I never even thought of BEING a mother or enjoyed being around young children (no contempt; I just didn't fawn over babies the way some of my female counterparts did) until I was already married and suddenly my maternal desire just kicked in. I remember liking Home Economics and learning to cook and sew but it wasn't "cool" to like this class if you were a girl. It was "predictable," "pedestrian," and "old fashioned." You were supposed to "want" to do woodshop and athletics—which I did not enjoy at all.

And so while I actually "liked" baking, making things with my own hands and designing beautiful environments in which to live, I looked for a "job" instead of a career that I would love for life. I dismissed the fact that I could love a domestic career in interior design. This relates completely to the social agenda of the public school's primary agenda to socialize girls to "not be feminine" and instead aspire to be more like "men." In my day (yep, I'm old), girls and boys have been conditioned to be the "same" on some education expert's slow road to hell paved with good intentions. Boys are now "not allowed to be boys" in school—i.e. run, play tag, play chase, get skinned knees and certainly not raise their voices. And girls are supposed to love math, engineering, science and all of those fields once not "encouraged" in girls in the dark ages of my generation—funny, I thought it was the generation before mine that was in the dark ages. May you live long enough to learn that you just don't know what you don't know.

I once read that Colonel Sanders didn't create Kentucky Fried Chicken until he was in his 70s. In the past week, at the age of 44, I have found myself almost locked in the kitchen making cupcake after cupcake and ultimately, a custom fairy princess cake that I took on for an excited and supportive client—simply by just DOING and teaching myself what I had a passion for but never got paid or professionally trained to do. It wasn't even that intentional. I just started "doing it."

The same goes for my unofficial "interior design" passion. My home looks like a million bucks but it is all design on a dime. I wouldn't know a designer label piece of furniture if you showed me but I can make $5,000 look like $20,000 any day of the week and I NEVER pay retail—except for a really good cupcake book! Because it is effortless and intuitive for me, I don't generally think my gifts for design, baking and organization (yep, I've got that gene too) are "marketable" skills because they are EASY for me. But as I get older and more people gently encourage me and say "you missed your calling," I realize that I am more like my grandmother and great grandmother than I ever realized and rather than run away in fear, I am running to my kitchen, my garden and my Ballard catalogs. I'm loving every domestic minute. I've got 4 boys (5 if you count my husband) and I let them eat cake (as long as I'm the one baking it!)

Drop off the Cupcakes and no one gets hurt!

Sit back and fasten your seatbelts everyone. I'm back! Six weeks ago, I turned off the tube, put the books down and had to take care of some personal business that kept me from truly "caring" about the world imploding—as mine was imploding instead. Not that it's resolved, but it is under control for the moment. So I wondered if the inspiration to write would hit again and IF I would write at all on the topic of this blog, which is centered around the trampling of American liberty from every angle. My inspiration came today. Life never fails to present situations where I can either lie down and take it or stand up and fight. As a bullied teen, I can tell you that NOTHING gets my ire up like being bullied by a policy-packing, fake law citing bureaucrat.

As many of you who follow my blog or just "know me" know, I am the mother of four boys, ages 12, 8, 5 and recently turned 4. I, who attended private school for elementary education (and had a wonderful experience) and public school for middle school (and had a dreadful experience) and public high school (and had a mixed but mostly favorable experience) have become a home schooling mother in the past year. To prove to anyone who would write me off as an "uneducated nutjob," I put myself through graduate school at the Marshall School of Business at U.S.C. at a personal cost of $50,000, bought my own BMW convertible while there at the age of 28, have a an M.B.A. with an emphasis in marketing and entrepreneurial leadership and have never had student debt. I have also worked in some capacity since the age of 15—up until I began home schooling full time. Okay, credentials out of the way. If someone had told me I would be home schooling my children when I gave birth 12 years ago, I would have said they said they were nucking futs—I've never used that euphemism but hopefully the implications are that no one who knows me would have EVER seen this coming.

That being said, I still keep my toes in the public school system with my kindergartner—mostly because I don't think I could take on home schooling for the first year, three out of my four children, without jumping into an empty Austin lake. I naively told one of my very wise mentors in the home schooling world that I didn't think a child could be "screwed up" too badly in kindergarten and was okay with him learning to "walk the line" as long as it ended before they knocked his critical thinking skills and creativity out of him. (Last week, I met a home schooling mom who begged to differ—she told me her son learned to steal in kindergarten.)

Alas, I was willing to walk in both worlds. I was willing to still have "hope" that my beautiful neighborhood public school STILL had the "Texas" handle on common sense so long ago lost in my former state of California. After all, kindergartners were still allowed to dress up for Halloween here—(well they were until this past year), and I could still bring in homemade cupcakes for his birthday—(well, the homemade part is still okay). I could visit my child with the cupcakes for his birthday, set them out and even get a photo of my child with the cupcake. (Dare I mention that recently, parents did all of the above and read a story to the class—especially if it involved donating the birthday child's book to the public school?) Apparently, this is okay for some parents. But today, even though I was just bringing the cupcakes TO the classroom, it wasn't okay for ME. Let me explain.

My son's birthday is in the summer so his teacher decided to celebrate all summer birthdays in these last two weeks of school—the kids are doing so much work this week between class parties every other day (yes, that's sarcasm). I was given the date of May 26th to participate in this "unbirthday." Did I mention I have four children? Um, I have had much personal experience with the birthday protocols, rules, expectations, time limitations and any nuance you can think of surrounding "celebrations" in schools—which is precisely why I ONLY brought the cupcakes, no milk, no birthday plates, no goody bags—just the cupcakes, napkins and a camera for a quick snapshot to document the moment. The point was to be PRESENT with my son. It was important to HIM that I be there today. The school had other plans for me.

So there I am in the lobby this morning with my cupcakes all ready to go. Did I mention they were Cookie Monster? My son was so proud that he had personally stuffed the mini Chips-Ahoy cookies into his mouth as I decorated them with eyeballs and blue hair. They were red velvet too—truly, they were a sight to behold but I digress! Warning, run on sentence ahead—After the line of parents waiting for their approved badges to be printed after showing their driver's licenses to the administrative staff who KNOW them but are still "required by policy" to "check" their legitimacy to be present for the very teacher conferences they were invited to, I had waited about 10 minutes. So, I approached the front desk to inquire of the Vice Principal when my son's teacher's class had recess so I could deliver the cupcakes to the classroom and set them out for the kids to have upon their return.

At this time, without flinching, the Vice Principal said these words to me. "Mrs. Kirschner, you are not permitted to deliver cupcakes to the classroom per Texas state law which prohibits birthday parties. If you do, we will lose our funding." She went on to add that "Parents just leave them here and we take them for you." At this moment, what I WANTED to say was "show me the law." But what I said instead, to avoid conflict, was a feeble attempt at reason—like, "I'm not here for a birthday party; it's just a snack since he won't be here in the summer." And of course, I cited several examples of having "broken the law" in the past, having brought in cupcakes for every occasion one can think of during public school hours. She would have none of it and swiftly sent me on my way, taking my cupcake container like the Wicked Witch of the West took Toto. I calmly and respectfully walked out of the front office burning to get to the bottom of this "new law" that, with the Obama administration, I wouldn't have been surprised had passed, but had NOT heard of at all—I guess it could have passed while I was learning to read at home (more sarcasm).

I went home and found NOTHING in the Texas school law on bringing in cupcakes or treats for birthdays. However, I did find "Lauren's Law" which specifically SUPPORTED a parent's and/or grandparent's right to bring in foods that fall outside the nutritional guidelines on any birthdays or celebrations for their child. It stated that no school shall make policy that conflicts with that right.

I wrote back immediately to the principal and to my son's teacher. I requested that the teacher please take pictures of my son since I was not "allowed" to be there pursuant to a new "law" that I was waiting to get clarification on from the front office. My son's teacher did not write back. Teachers know not to challenge policy. The principal did not call and I spent the whole day waiting for a response either by phone or email. I called once mid-day and left a message too.

No call, no response. What came just an hour or so before school ended (and obviously by then, I had MISSED the occasion with my son) was a pat little paragraph from the Principal, quoting SquareMeals.com which uses lots of fancy acronyms to tell you what TYPES of foods are not allowed in public schools along with a nice little policy statement of "no more than 3 celebrations" being held during a school year. Did I miss something? That is policy, not law! And remember that little part in Lauren's Law, which is all about the parent's role in providing their child with an acknowledgement of a special day? Since I was simply bringing the "cupcakes" DURING snacktime, I wasn't even interfering or interrupting class instruction time.

It is now 6:37pm central Texas time. I have not been contacted by phone from either the principal or the vp. In light of the many grievances I have witnessed parents go through when they challenge the public schools on anything, I expect I will be told that "I must have misunderstood something." Here is what I have to say tonight. Whenever my or any other child commits ANY grievance against the school, whether it be a tardy, an absence, a playground altercation, I have to explain myself. I have to prove who I am to get into the school, to take my child out of school, to pick him up from school. I get paperwork requiring me to sign, affirm and acknowledge MY responsibility in any mishap.

So, in keeping with school policy since the public school technically works for ME, I am requiring that they be held accountable for causing me to miss a special day in my child's life, and further, for misrepresenting and falsely citing a Texas law that does not exist, for quoting a policy which is not consistently upheld, enforced nor reasonable, as stated in Lauren's Law, does not supercede my rights as a parent. Further, as it is a mere five days before "school's out for summer," I believe I am owed an apology for the proposterous timing of a pompous peacock puffing out her policy packed chest and thinking that I would quietly sulk away in patronized defeat.

Finally, I challenge anyone reading this blog to ask yourself how I might have been treated if I were in a business suit, having obviously taken a 1/2 day off work to come be with my child to honor his birthday "moment." I know the answer to this question. I look the part of a "stay at home" mom, wearing simple jeans, and a t-shirt, hair usually in a clip. I look like I've got "all the time in the world." We (stay-at-homes) get a lot of empty "lip service" about how noble we are, but are truly the last group in America that are a prime target for belittling, intimidation and bullying by an out of control school system that believes they know "better than us." They are wrong.

Moms rule, stupid policies drool and I'm too cool for public school!

Editor's Note: It is important for me to note that I am not a typical "public school hating" home schooler. I am an advocate for education and common sense. I am a concerned parent's best ally and stand beside anyone, public school parent or not, who recognizes and resists the ever increasing policies that are enacted in the school's (not our children's) best interest, separate them from and/or diminish the role of the parent and/or encourage a parent to defer to the expertise of the statist. With that, I hope my comments above do not offend. I recognize that most Americans do not feel that they could capably home school their child, cannot afford private school, didn't get the vouchers they wanted and are "stuck" trying to find the "best" public schools that they can. Progressives have masterfully manipulated parents into believing "they are not qualified to teach their own children" by design and by the ever growing power of the school boards and PTA to decide for our children what is best for them. I hope this changes but for now, I will remain vigilant in looking out for what is in my child's best interest. He is not a number. He is as individual as I am and in America (at least for now), the right of the individual still trumps the tyranny of the socialist collective. Period.

The Face of the Tea Party and Civil War II

I’ve said to myself, but not here until today, that we are going to have a civil war in this country.

I believe the shot heard ‘round the world came on the Monday after health"care" passed. Americans—including those who innocently trusted and believed that our president’s campaign promise to “fundamentally change America” meant that the “old” way of doing business, hiding things from the people, having lobbyists make policy, spending exhorbitant amounts of money and taxing unfairly and corruption—believed that things were going to change for the better. It was all so carefully packaged in a man who looked like the perfect candidate. The election of this dynamic handsome, married, young father of two who just happened to be black and was voted in not because of the color of his skin but because of his extraordinairy power to use the English language to at one time say exactly what he was going to do but make it look to the average American like it was all so moderate, was brilliantly executed. I did not vote for this president. But my no vote for him had nothing to do with the color of his skin. My no vote came from paying close attention to what he said along with his voting record and, for me, cemented in is relationships, of which there were far too many, to ever make me believe that he was the best choice for our country. I didn’t feel John McCain, was the best choice either. But as usual, when faced with only two choices in recent years, you go with the one that will do less harm to the country.

Before President Obama began systematically dismantling our republic a little more than one year ago, I held my children out of school on election day. I had no idea what was coming. But I accepted that if this is what the American people wanted, let’s give him a shot. And, regardless of disagreeing with his policies, I watched the entire inauguration with my children to show them the only good thing that I could say about the day. I told them, that with the election of this first black president, there will be no way that anyone can ever call America a racist nation. He was overwhelmingly elected by the American people. Of course, I was wrong—not about the legitimacy of his election. I was wrong that racism would end in America.

Americans can argue what taxing unfairly is and we can argue what things NEED to be kept from the public to protect our national security—such as our military strategy, but any American this week, who cannot now see what our president meant to do to our country, is not colorblind, they are just blind.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American hero. If I were alive during his time, I would have joined hands and walked with those who supported him. I would have not eaten in a restaurant that didn’t allow a fellow American to join me in. I wouldn’t’ have taken a segregated bus. I have spent my whole life being respectful to people of all colors, all faiths, all beliefs, even when they differ from mine. However, when they differ from mine, I have asked “why?” Sometimes they can explain. Sometimes, they can’t. And sometimes, they just don’t respond at all. Today, when I ask or challenge anyone, I am called every name in the book. I never could have imagined that half a century later, the very beneficiaries of the civil rights movement would turn their ire towards people who believed in and who supported its original mission. People like me.

I never imagined in our “colorblind” society that it would be my family who would be fighting for the same civil rights Martin Luther King, Jr. championed. And worse, as we were fighting for them, be called the names from all of the groups I sought to uplift, help, support and respect my entire life.

I am a caucasion, blonde haired, blue eyed, married mother of four young boys. Recently, on Facebook, I came across one of my former entertainment industry associates, whom I admired, promoted, championed, praised, adored, respected and revered. He happens to look like me. Actually, he resembles and sounds like Anderson Cooper but without the white hair. I hadn’t seen his posts in quite a while. I gave up responding last year when I, as a brand new Facebook member, dared to get involved in a discussion about the town hall meetings and Joe Lieberman, etc. Within minutes, my comments were drawn and quartered and I was called the same tired names that pass as proper language in every circle but mine.

I folded and just began to take the safe route and talk about my son’s latest pair of shoes or talk about what movie I had just seen. After many months went on and I saw more and more discussions, I began to argue with facts again. Each time, I was usually the only voice of dissention. I was labeled a name caller for using political terms to label policy while their name calling focused on a presumed party, color of my skin, or worse a sexual practice I must engage in for having these views.

As I reflect on this tumultuous time we are living in, I see so clearly now what is going to happen in America. I can’t believe I’m going to say this. I can hear them calling me a white supremacist already—and by “they” I do not mean people of color. I mean they as the radicals of all colors, including mine, who seek to extinguish me, my family and my culture forever.

Because of the color of my skin, what I have to say about what is happening to my country is meritless, I have no civil rights. I have to prove every day that I am NOT a racist, NOT a homophobe, NOT a radical. Look at what the media does to the tea party? They show the overweight men and women with the oversized t-shirts and black socks. They show the handmade signs, with crudely written (and often misspelled) exclamations—which by the way should be used as proof of grass roots to counter Nancy Pelosi’s despicable “astroturf” slur. Most of these patriots, whether they be silly looking, dressed like Paul Revere, have bad hair or be sitting in a fold up chair, holding a constitution, are American patriots. They DO look like me, my mom and dad, But it isn’t the point. It shouldn’t MATTER what color any American’s skin is who seeks to have their voice heard. We are supposed to be living in the afterglow of Martin Luthur King’s dream . We are, in fact, living in a culturally divided nightmare. And it has been brought on by those who protest the loudes—the far left, who wants to “care” for the “meek” as long as the meek don’t say “NO” to the handouts.

It is one year after the historic tea party movement began. This movement continues to grow as more and more Americans see where our country is headed. Our first black president was duly elected by a majority of ALL Americans. The problem is, he wasn’t the RIGHT president for America. Perhaps our next president will be both conservative AND black. I don’t need to wonder how that victory would be celebrated. We all know. He would be labeled another pejorative term by the far left. They’ve called Oprah Winfrey, Colin Powell, Condoleeza Rice and others the same name.

My argument prior to today when someone called the tea party “an all white group” would be to knee jerk defend against it. I have come to realize BECAUSE of what the left has done, that I was indoctrinated into becoming an apologist for the color of my own skin from the time I entered grade school until now. As a true colorblind American, I don’t count how many of each KIND of human beings are outraged at what is happening in our country. I’m just glad they’re outraged.

This disgusting assault on my culture, my race and my American heritage is not what Martin Luthur King wanted. The progressives on facebook today in my friends lists who have comment after comment applauded that literally CALL for me (meaning anyone in the tea party or who is conservative) to be killed, and at the same time talks about how violent I am is evil.

To close this topic today, I want to go on record with a very sincere statement. I watch Glenn Beck almost daily. I wish I had every one of his broadcasts on dvd. They are a history lesson and I am so thankful that he is alive to be the Paul Revere of broadcasting. He is a modern day hero to me. He has helped wake people up to what is happening with facts, data, history lessons, documentaries and whenever he can, the very words for all of us to SEE uttered and used by those who work in and around our government., and most notably, the White House. People who don’t watch Glenn Beck don’t have the faintest idea who he is and how brave he is. The burden he must be under in doing what he does every day is tremendous. I cannot imagine being so articulate and passionate with so little anger day in and day out with what he must go through off the air, May I not hear the words “fairness doctrine” ever again. God bless Glenn Beck and keep him safe so he may continue to remind us who we are.

And to my president. Barack Obama. I did not vote for you. But I do not hate you. You are an intelligent, handsome, well spoken, unflappable man with an unbelievable smile. You have a beautiful wife, a loving mother in law and two beautiful daughters. You are an example to the black community of fidelity and good parenting from everything I have seen. I commend you for all of these things. The first lady, regardless of her views, has also exhibited grace and dignity in office. I believe you are both sincere. But as an American, I also believe that through your own actions and because of those who have influenced you and continue to surround you, that your views are the antithesis of American ideals and that your desire is to erode and eventually extinguish the constitution upon which our nation was founded. It makes me extremely sad for I was filled with hope too. I was hoping that you might do what the majority of people who elected you thought you would do—change Washington—not the country. You will be an important part of American history. You will be remembered but it won’t be for the healthcare bill. You will be remembered as the president who took America too far left and became the very catalyst for our need to restore the republic and drastically reform the government. I sincerely wish that you and your family are safe from harm. My fear is that those who want to harm you will come not from the right as the far left media would like to perpetuate but actually from the left who feel you haven’t gone far enough. Editors Note: As I publish this blog today, MSNBC, Rachel Maddow, in an extensive promo campaign that seeks to compare the tea party movement to Timothy McVeigh, is airing this week on April 19th—it is just one example in a long line of disgusting attempts to frighten peaceful, liberty loving, fiscally conservative people into staying inside and shutting up. It will fail.

Finally, I know that it is the desire of the far left in this country to either incite and or orchestrate someone on the right to commit an act of violence. This would discredit the angry electorate and create the very “crisis” government needs to push for total control of America. And for that, my prayers are with the people. Don’t fall for it. Don’t do it. Think of Martin Luthur King, Jr. Think of Abraham Lincoln. Think of Ghandi. Weather permitting, I will attend my 2^nd tea party demonstration today on the capitol steps in Austin, Texas. I am proud to attend with my husband and children as we watch freedom loving people get off of the couch, and stand up to the endless bullying we have faced since the silent, tolerant majority said loudly “Enough” and “Don’t tread on me!”

The Awakening

Having been absent from blog and broadcast media for a few weeks, I am grateful for the inspiration to write today. After a bout with insomnia this past week, and futile attempts to bring on drowsiness (instead of outrage) while flipping through various media sources on computer and cathode ray screen, I am still awake, but strangely not fatigued.

Today, as I dropped my son off at kindergarten, I pondered a few things in the quiet solitude of the morning. This time, when three out of our four children are still asleep and the grey skies above provided a calming and contemplative mood, I contemplated this.

The more I live, the more I learn, the less I know, and the more I wish I had more time to learn!

A couple of years ago, having uprooted our family from one state to another and living in complete uncertainty, we followed Oprah Winfrey’s book recommendation and read with great understanding and resonance, Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth. We also took the 10 week course she pioneered on Skype, which was groundbreaking at the time. Without going too “deep” into the mind of Eckhart Tolle, we both loved this book.

I don’t think Oprah Winfrey would agree with the kind of awakening we are experiencing now. But there is certainly not only an awakening of the spirit but also of the very depth of soul, which lay so dormant in so many of us for so long. My once mute voice now literally cries out to be free again. It is a palpable shout of “let freedom ring!” I remember well, the wonderful analogy Eckhart Tolle shared of two ducks in the water. They have a squabble and they flap their wings ferociously and then settle back down to continue swimming in the water. He used this analogy to show that with “presence” we can disagree and separate the person from the problem and not malign them in the process–for they “know not what they do.”

When I think of what I see on television in regards to Americans, who in growing number are reconnecting to the idea of what America IS, I think of this story. The tea party movement is perhaps one of the most pure examples of the duck story. It isn’t a monolithic group. It isn’t a group at all. It is a random and synchronous awakening of a spirit that flies in formation, yes, but does not seek to eliminate any bird. United on a direction, but with diverse ideas on how to get there, the more they flap their wings, the more hunters below try to single them out and pick them off one by one.

As we go forward, the flaps will get louder and louder and the other birds will peck, pluck and bite. But if we remain present, calm and resolute, perhaps one day we will all swim together again in a pristine pool without getting caught in the weeds.

From Log Cabin to Muddy Waters

I hope that anyone paying attention appreciates this little diddy.


Abraham Lincoln was a poor, motherless (at the age of 9) grandson of a murdered (by an Indian—excuse me “native American”) grandfather and the son of a father who raised himself. Lincoln received no formal education and taught himself through books. Oh the unfairness of life! By all accounts, Lincoln shouldn’t have survived. There was no free healthcare, no compulsory school, no parents to love him through his development from child into a man and no national Honor society scholarship (which is now going to be awarded on the basis of economic status OVER scholarly achievement). Someone from CPS should have rescued him. He was such a victim. This is just one example of the mindless drivel Lincoln was able to write with a substandard home school education.


Fellow-citizens, we cannot escape history. We of this Congress and this administration, will be remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal significance, or insignificance, can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial through which we pass, will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation. We say we are for the Union. The world will not forget that we say this. We know how to save the Union. The world knows we do know how to save it. We -- even we here -- hold the power, and bear the responsibility. In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free -- honorable alike in what we give, and what we preserve. We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth. Other means may succeed; this could not fail. The way is plain, peaceful, generous, just -- a way which, if followed, the world will forever applaud, and God must forever bless.


Oh, but those scholarly people in Washington, D. C. today! So noble, so evolved, so civilized, so full of honor. Just look at how far we’ve come—from Reagan not removing his jacket in the Oval office to Clinton removing his pants. From a government designed to have its powers lended by us to a government who seizes power from us. And from brief stays in office to now employ for decades (inexplicably) by Californians, a representative like Maxine Waters who said some very interesting things just three days ago.


I don't remember the show and I don't remember the exact quote. What I remember is this. Waters wore a patriotic robin's egg blue jacket over a black silk shirt. With the capitol steps behind her, aided by an ever willing MSNBC anchor, she decried the racist, homophobic epithets hurled at our dignified congressional representatives as an aggregious assault on our honorable public servants.


And then, this “dignified” pillar of moral propriety used the words “Tea Baggers” to attribute the blame to the Tea Party movement. There was no follow up question challenging Ms. Waters language. (Kids, this is a really good time to major in journalism!)


I wonder, I just wonder, what would Lincoln say?


I also wonder this. Having had to turn off the television today as the stories and myths grow so predictably surrounding the most grass roots group in America in modern day history, I have become almost this cynical. I would like to pose a question to the media. But first, some facts.


Our current government is staffed and surrounded with, not only radicals, but corruption—Barney Frank (who still has a job despite bankrupting Fannie Mae), Chris Dodd (but at least he’s leaving), Tim Geitner (who can’t compute his taxes but may now control the entire U.S. economy), Charlie Rangel (tax fraud), Nancy Pelosi (fraud on every level from her accusations of the CIA to “we need to pass the bill to know what’s in it” to her “let them eat cake” stroll through the protestors to show them her power), ACORN, SEIU, Jeremiah Wright, William Ayers, Van Jones (self-avowed communist) Anita “I most often turn to Mao” Dunn, Valerie Jarrett (Van Jones watcher and admirer) and Eric Holder, who in my view, is dangerous to our country in ways that we will sustain for years to come because of his belief that America is, "for the most part, a nation of cowards." And then there are David Axelrod and Rom Emmanuel. No words needed to qualify their many attributes. The American people know their tactics.


Here’s the question. Is it conceivable that with all of the above people surrounding our president that our president, “who always has a plan” instructed anyone to pay off some poor SEIU or former ACORN schlubs to get to the front of the line where the cameras were to scream comments out to set up the tea party? As I write this (and as I have shut off the television, I'm going with what I've seen SO FAR). I see a lot of video from a congressman's POV. But I see no footage or interviews of the witnesses of these perpetrators who have caused two of the three major news channels to perpetuate as truth a sudden pattern exclusively on the RIGHT to react to last weekend's vote with violence.

In the day of video cell phones, where is the audio or video? Where are the interviews right after it happened of bystanders who were next to these people? After all, the cameras were there, right? Having been to the first (modern day) tea party in San Antonio, Texas on April 15th 2009, I am certain that if someone would have done this then, the deafening boos and shouts to “shut up” would have overpowered anyone who did this. So I'm just sayin'—where are the interviews of those in the crowd who WITNESSED what happened?


As for the brick with a note being hurled through a window with “conservative” quotes scrawled on a piece of paper, is it not conceivable that the same thing COULD be happening in this type of ditch and run attack? If you want to discredit a movement, just write a note that neatly packages that it's a crazy RIGHT wing radical, right? It all seems so Murder She Wrote. Again, NOT saying it CAN'T happen but I want to know MORE.


And here is the third thing which I have not heard anyone suggest—of course I thought of this after I wrote this blog yesterday afternoon and then awoke in the middle of the night kicking myself for not mentioning it before I hit the "publish" button—what IF these attacks are actually being perpetrated by the far LEFT who believes the bill didn't go far ENOUGH? Has anyone pondered this possibility?


The above is all so cynical but we are living in times where we are not being told the truth on any level in our government and for the most part, our media. To me, this all smacks of a political distortion to distract the American people from keeping their eye on the ball.


Here is what I’m saying before anyone labels me a conspiracy theorist or apologist for kooks! I do NOT believe that there are NOT random kooks who attend and infiltrate ANY good group. I do not condone violence of any kind. The crazies exist on the bell curve of the human behavior spectrum. However, the recent fervor of "threats" without substantial proof that automatically assumes that it is exclusively from the RIGHT warrants some sort of investigation. The sudden overnight wall to wall coverage immediately after THIS vote vexes me.


Ronald Reagan (a conservative!) was the president in my lifetime who was actually almost assassinated. President Bush received constant death threats, impeachment threats and calls for imprisonment for war crimes for almost his entire presidency. I received a Chinese Menu Christmas card one year insulting President Bush from a former, well known producer friends who I once viewed as a mentor—it just made my heart sink. The media NEVER gave so much of actual death threats, protests and parades the coverage a few nasty phonecalls and stupid people hurling WORDS, not bombs are getting. Where is the investigative reporting? Joe “the plumber,” upon innocently being thrust into an impromptu encounter with candidate Obama, was investigated and maligned by the media as to whether he was even a plumber simply for illustrating that President Obama was a wealth redistribution advocate because of Obama’s OWN answer to his question.


Fair and balanced means that if the media is going to investigate an innocent American citizen, then I expect an investigation into these "allegedly" crazy people who hurl rocks and shout at congressmen. The camera’s POV ONLY showed the congressman’s reaction and NOT the person who did it that he was pointing his finger at. It also didn’t show any protestors “booing” which is inconceivable to me, knowing FIRST HAND what the tea party stands for. So WHO are they? Show me. What groups do these random hecklers and hurlers really belong to and how did they find themselves at the front of the line at this particular tea party march? It's too convenient for me to just buy it. Isn’t that a fair question? At the same time, if these people are for real and growing in number, then a responsible journalist needs to get to the bottom of it. As proponents of free speech rights, shouldn't the media seek to protect the free speech of expose these people so we can prevent them from dragging down a a patriotic, pro America group? I don't see it, but in my lifetime, I have certainly seen the media do the same for those who are against the country.


Journlism is dead in America. Corruption is alive and well. Americans have a right to know the WHOLE truth and as Paul Harvey always said—“the rest of the story.”

Where is Paul Revere when we need him?

"The Marxists are coming! The Marxists are coming!" These words are in my head today as I struggle to even put into words what I am feeling.

I just took a much needed break from the land of broadcast and blog and returned to the artificial land of idealism—Walt Disney World—which, along with Disneyland—has always provided comfort from the outside world, locked cynicism in a high tower and inspired this American to believe in the dream of a better tomorrow. Walt Disney's dream is embedded in my soul and lives in me, my husband and our children—I'm not talking about mouse ears, souvineer pins and overpriced plush toys. I'm talking about the true vision of the man who first dreamed that it was possible for the American family to take their children to a place that was clean, beautiful and safe—a respite from they daily rigors of life—all inspired by the desire to take his two girls on a train ride around a park. I'll write a separate blog on how even THAT has changed 55 years later). But today in the magical lands of Disney, you can still walk on a litter and graffiti free Main St. You can be sure your children won't encounter people wearing tee-shirts that say F&@k Me and you can experience spectacular gardens, outstanding street performers and fireworks that rival any Independence Day celebration in America. Best of all, you can escape to this place every day of the year.

It is intentional that I took this trip at this time. I turned off the radio, refused to look at the papers, and kept the hotel room television off as well for the entire duration of this trip. The date of March 18th was kept at the forefront of my mind–both because it is my best friend's birthday—and also because that was to be the day that Nancy Pelosi promised that the still writhing socialist healthcare lie would be forced onto..., er um, passed for the benefit of the American people.

I turned on the television as I unpacked last night, switching (as I always do), between Fox, CNN, MSNBC and CSPAN. I should have brought my popcorn with me. One has to wonder why President Obama picked Sunday evening–a time when most American families (at least those who are left) are home having dinner, preparing for the week ahead, to toss our fragile, struggling, almost bankrupt country from the still shining city on the hill with a sliver of hope to a socialist, entitlement nation overnight. His words echo in my ear—"with the passage of this bill, a stone is laid in the foundation of the American Dream." My words? "With the passage of this bill, our congress pounds the final nail into the coffin of American liberty."

I think I know who most Americans are. I am going to turn 45 this June. I began life as a hopeful child who believed I could be anything I wanted to be. Because of my mother's work, my parents put me in Pinecrest (a nondenominational private school) in Woodland Hills, California. I could read to as high a level as I could comprehend. I could play for hours, not minutes, on a playground. I changed classrooms, had excellent teachers, small classrooms and passionate teachers of all subjects. I attended school with elites but I was never one of them. My family lived in Simi Valley. I went to school with Maria Crenna, daughter of Richard Crenna. My friends parents all lived in Calabasas, Encino/Tarzana (south of the Blvd., of course.) I felt the pain of "not having money" like the television kids. These were early lessons in where I fit in society. But it never discouraged me. I befriended the "misfits" in school, once asking the ONLY overweight kid, "Gerardo", to dance with me. We decorated jack-o-lanterns, celebrated all of the holidays with great vigor, including Christmas. There was no sex education in kindergarten, no red ribbon week for anti-drug education—because neither existed in elementary school at that time. Can you imagine it? During the Vietnam years—no sex and no drugs at school. I taught a Japanese exchange student English, while she taught me Japanese. Her name was Sakiko Nakasawa. I have never forgotten her. All of these were experiences I still remember today. I even got a ping pong paddle on the backside for saying a bad word on the playground by school principal, Mrs. White. And guess what? CPS never came knocking on her door, I never ended up a criminal and in fact, NEVER got into trouble again at school.

Due to economics and the threat of bussing (see a pattern here California?), my parents put me in public school in junior high. I went from having a positive school experience to being full of anxiety and fear in 3 short years. I spent these 3 years being slammed up against lockers by girls who smoked pot and thought I was a "snob" and a "priss" because I did not. I got criticized for my shorts, my wardrobe, my hair, that I loved to sing and act (at the time I was taking 3 dance classes a week and planned to become a dancer). I was once chased in a field by a car full of junior high girls threatening to kill me. I had to run into the sales office of a model home to escape them.

Both of my parents worked outside the home. I walked a mile or more (alone) to school every morning. And I did it in complete and total fear each day—not from a child abduction but from the kids who attended the school with me. I was the quintessential "latchkey" kid. It was the lonliest and scariest time of my life. My parents decided to put me in public school when Ventura County wasn't going to be a part of the bussing system–again, the first signs of the "social justice" entitlement to take kids from good homes and send them to dangerous schools and send the 'disadvantaged' kids to the 'good' schools. I didn't understand it. It sounded so "fair," so right but in my gut, it also seemed wrong. Being blonde haired and blue eyed though, my parents told me never to discuss it. I didn't. The entitlement society was taking shape as I grew up. It was evidenced in the way I was treated by girls who perceived that I was "rich" simply because I had come from a private school. I didn't see it that way at the time but looking back now, the drums were softly beginning to beat in the early 70's in my America. Rodney Allen Rippee was singing about hot dogs. Helen Reddy was singing Delta Dawn. David Cassidy was a heartthrob and we could watch television every day without ever coming across any content that would disturb a child. My favorite PSA series was Schoolhouse Rock. ABC was the "family" network.

At that time, we still had to win races to get blue ribbons. We had to audition for plays to get the best role. Parents were NOT in the schools parking in their "best volunteer" spot. There were no fences around the schools. There were no "bring your i.d. to pick up your children" requirements. There were no helicopter moms. I don't even remember having major homework in junior high at all. Afternoons were the property of the American teenager. I spent those afternoons delivering papers on my skateboard hitched to my best friend, David's, bike, building forts and riding in the fields across from my home until the streetlights came on. Parents were NOT outside watching. We kids learned everything on the streets of the neighborhood. There were no fistfights, no gangs. We lived on a corner on a busy street. Not one of us got hit by a car. People watched out for each other. Kids were responsible for their own safety. We lived, we played, we learned, we grew, we skinned our knees, grabbed a band-aid and went out for another couple of hours. It was a great time. There was no graffiti on the 118 Freeway or in the "Valley." Cruising still occured safely on Van Nuys Blvd.

In high school, some of the bullies matured. Some persisted but with my braces off, a new confidence emerged. I had worked all summer practicing herke jumps, writing cheers and wanting so badly to be mascot of my school so I would be "popular" and couldn't possibly be beaten up anymore. I prevailed. In my sophmore year, I became the Pioneer Mascot. I designed my "Pocahontas" outfit made of a leather like fabric with tan fringe. I wore leather lace up boots, carried a Disney rifle and wore a real raccoon skin cap—now Disney sells cotton ones. PETA got to Disney some time ago. I wonder when "Where the Red Fern Grows" will be banned reading for our youth. I don't know who ever decided that pirates chased plates of food instead of women but the classic Pirates of the Caribbean ride changed to accommodate someone who was offended. Guns disappeared from Tom Sawyer's island's fort—they still exist at WDW though. But I digress.

Looking back, the 80s were the probably the happiest decade of my life. I didn't know they were when I lived through them. But now, in listening to the music and recalling when I voted for my first president at the age of 20, Ronald Reagan, we were living in hopeful, inspired times. I belonged to every school club that would have me–choir, madrigals, cheer, leadership, and my favorite—ski club! Yes, we actually took skil trips in high school—can you imagine the liability risk? These were the true days of hope when there were no trial lawyers to speak of except for "Larry H. Parker." Personal responsibility reigned. If you dreamed it, you did it. We all worked as soon as we could get a work permit. We pulled weeds. We did chores. If you worked hard to earn a trip, you went. If you cut class, you didn't graduate. I got out of school knowing "a lot" was two words. Though many of my teachers were probably progressives, they didn't try to indoctrinate me—at least I don't think they did. I never succumbed to peer pressure and that included being influenced by those with a title. If there actions betrayed their title, I went with their actions. I must mention teacher Bruce Kanagai. He wasn't actually ever my school teacher. My friend, David Schmidt, had him for photography. But Bruce was my Shotokan Karate sensei for a short time and everyone who met him was inspired by him. Mr. Kanagai didn't know the word "failure." He was a hero to so many of his students. Every year, he went to Hawaii with a student group. I never got to go with him. But here is the very cool thing. When someone influences you and there is mutual respect, they and you both remember. For those of you who watch Survivor, he was the 2nd to last "Survivor" a few seasons back. I didn't know this because we don't watch much television—but my mom and dad did. They remembered him too. So it was with great luck that in visiting my parents last spring, I happened to run into him. He sat with me and the boys, gave me a couple of signed photos from the show and regaled me of his many adventures—this man has lived the fullest life of anyone I know. And he is not only my Facebook friend now but writes every once in a while to let me know my principles are in line with his and that my recollections are not off the mark as the present times make me feel they are. Coming from him, this means the world to me.

My best friend reminded me recently that fate stepped in during our high school choir trip to Washington D.C. in 1982/83. Our award winning choir was travelling from Baltimore to Williamsburg and Washington to compete and perform in my senior year. We were slated to sing for President Reagan and he was shot during our trip so we sang on the capitol steps instead. I had not remembered the timing of that event. What I do remember is agreeing with the gun control fervor that followed—thank goodness if you live long enough, you can un-school yourself to find out the facts about what gun control really does—it makes crime go up! Counter intuitive, I know! The facts went against everything I was taught. But it's true! To know now that I had the chance to be in Reagan's presence (an opportunity that I wouldn't have fully grasped as honorable at the tender age of 17), makes me sad today. Several years and two kids later, I would be at Hotel Bel-Air celebrating my 14th wedding anniversary when Nancy Reagan walked by with secret service in tow. Pregnant with my third child, I resolved to give my third son Reagan's name.

I signed the guest book at the Reagan Library a couple of months after seeing Mrs. Reagan. President Reagan had passed just two months before the birth of that son and I did fulfill my promise. Tate Reagan Kirschner was born on August 29, 2004. This was during the time when President Bush was being accused of war crimes, stupidity, hating black people, causing 9/11 and, oh yeah, stealing the election from John Kerry. But Clinton was just impeached for having sex. Do you remember that time? Clinton defined what "is" is, we ignored Colonel Ollie North's warning about Osama Bin Laden—the progressives were too busy filling our television screens with opinions on his secretary's hairdo and surmising whether or not they had an affair while trying to villify Reagan and call him "incompetent" and, oh yeah, feeble minded. Then there was Anita Hand and Clarence Thomas–the pubic hair on the Coca-Cola can? I was so young and naíve. I believed that it "must be true." No one would go to court and face that much scrutiny over a lie perpetuated by the far left that just couldn't stomach that a black man could actually be conservative. Does any of this sound familiar? We've come a long way, baby!

When are Americans going to comprehend what has happened? I was taught never to use pjorative language and I did not. Look at the hip hop culture we have today where nothing is off limits—and I don't mean controlled by the government but that people don't have any self control or sense of decorum. The products of the gang culture are now the very people at the American Music Awards. It's just so surreal to me. I was taught never to get angry; to be a "lady."

When I see myself in this blog use words like "Socialism" and "Marxism" I am uncomfortable. I was so indoctrinated NOT to offend anyone, I am always afraid that people won't "like" me. I am sincere in my views and believe in the freedom of everyone to express themselves but, YES, I don't want our country to be destroyed by those who seek to dismantle what our country is literally founded upon. That is where I have drawn my line in the sand. I'm sure this is why some of my friends, in seeing me write about these things for the first time, perceive as me MOVING right, when in fact, it is simply Einstein's theory of relativity at work–the more the left moves left, the more the center right is pushed to react in the opposite direction to guard against it.

I was taught to be colorblind while programs, entitlements and laws were put into effect to do exactly the opposite of what was intended-to create a race and cultural divide that has completely paralyzed rational Americans from feeling that they can comment on an issue on the merits of the issue. Anyone who looks like me who does is called a racist or worse.

I know my blogs often wander. I know they go off on tangents. That is because I connect the dots in my life to what is happening in our country and they are so inextricably but messily linked. But the threads, like my words and recollections, wander in many directions that all lead to the same place. It is all so simple to see how it all unraveled over my present lifetime.

Because it is on my mind as my husband and so many in our neighborhood are out of work for months (even more than a year) now, another government program— affirmative action is on my mind. It was designed to (does this sound familar?) give ALL people "access" to jobs. I remember my mom excitedly telling me it was going to help me. Don't worry; my mom woke up years later too! Sure, it was necessary to "open the minds" of the very unbalanced employers to include more women and minorities in the workforce back in the 60s. I can't disagree there. There was common sense there. But, as with any great idea on the road to hell paved with good intentions, the left made it a federal mandate, (google it, it's there) meaning that long after human behavior changed and it no longer served us, we couldn't get rid of it. Now, instead of affirmative action being a door opener, it has become a roadblock to my "conservative, married, straight, non drug using, highly educated, rennaissance man" husband being able to find a job after he walks through a quagmire of elimination rounds JUST to get an interview.

Why? Because it's only okay to be blatantly racist when considering a middle-aged white guy who is married with children living in suburbia. If you are a black, (excuse me "African-American," transgender, bi-sexual of Indian descent who speaks both Farsi and Arabic, you've got an excellent chance of getting the job—and if you just raced across the border last week and can't produce a social security card, you're a shoe in! (Note: my tongue is firmly in cheek here). But the truth is that over time, the federal government has encroached more and more (yes, sometimes with GOOD intentions) on our liberties which start out okay and then go horribly wrong.

We're not allowed to FEEL articulate these things. But I don't like the idea of a hiring police officer sitting in the office counting off how many star bellied sneeches walk through the door to substitute for common sense, a great referral and the chance for an excellent networker to secure a great position. There is just too much red tape. Everything feels like a barrier. For all of the social networking, I feel more isolated than ever before in many ways. People are afraid to stand for something, say what they really feel and hide behind policy and political correctness to the point that people don't even seem to know WHERE they stand anymore.

The way our country is headed with every tradition being cast aside, I foresee an Olympics someday where pairs skating means pairs of girls and pairs of boys. It may seem ridiculous to the 3 of you left in America who can see along with me what is happening but we have gone far over the cliffs of equity right back to inequity. The "slippery slope" isn't even attached to the mountain. There simply is no foundation, no compass, no steadfast and true traditions NOT under attack in America today. Just wait until a genetically engineered baby comes out of a man—oh, I can hardly wait to see the Supreme Court's ruling on what consitutes a family then.

People on the left profess constantly to think of others in need but their actions—like rudely talking on cell phones at restaurants or even checking out with that "underpaid and socially disadvantaged discount clerk" in public, never even looking them in the eye, is hypocritical. Almost no one sends a handwritten invitation, card or thank you note anymore. And conversations on Facebook have been reduced to safe, small talk. We are living in constant fear that our very "human"ness will be "found out" and used against us in employment, relationships, loans, or God forbid, a future run for public office. So, are we truly free? No. Big brother is always watching. But hey, at least the internet is still free—let's see what President Obama does with that one. I'm sure it's on his list after Cap and Tax into oblivion—oh, and then the inheritance tax (50%)

Has anyone in America wondered after all of the rich leave America and all of the middle class lose their jobs because of it, WHO is going to pay for this great "equalization?" There is no MIDDLE class without the rich and the poor— and the more entitlements you create, the more POOR the nation becomes, the more dependent, the more desperate. Look at history. The percentages of poor Americans have NOT gone down. Throwing more money at the schools isn't improving them. And that rationing of the "no longer useful engines" with the larger plan our president has in store for America is a fact. It is inevitable. I don't know why so many Americans of my generation can't see it. This is real and it is indeed happening HERE. Our founders warned against it. Are you listening? Snap out of it!

I know what you're thinking. Natalie, what the hell does this blog have to do with the healthcare bill? Everything. Americans must wake up and they must toughen up. I am awake and have been for about 5 years-right about the time I decided we would have to leave California to raise our children with any sense of a future for them. But even here in Texas, where there is still a shred of common sense, the drums of socialism and communism are beating down the doors of liberty. Entitlement expectations are all around us. People don't even KNOW that they have been brainwashed into this way of thinking. It is SO sad to see. Our country is no longer a free republic. I went to use my credit card the other day-from Wells Fargo. It didn't work. Why? Because there were charges on it in Florida—the exotic location of my vacation three states away—in the SAME country. I asked them if I was no longer permitted to leave the state for a vacation. They said "you must call us when you leave—for your own protection." My "nationalized" bank now requires me to tell THEM my whereabouts.

Should I pile on some more liberty busting truths for you? I must insure my vehicle so that when I am hit by an uninsured motorist, (as I have been every time) I can pay for THEIR car to be fixed. However, if I cannot produce my own insurance card, I lose my license. My kids grew up receiving ribbons at swim team just for showing up—luckily our current swim team doesn't do it. Schools (again not in my district as far as I know) use "purple" ink. But the schools now teach character traits (because they don't trust that we can teach our own children). It's all designed to equalize them–"think about your actions and words and how they affect others." Duh. Logical. But it goes further. While this all seems so benign and so "fair", beneath it are the tenets of socialization. As Brad Byrd said in The Incredibles, "when everyone is super, no one will be." We are living in a watered down, entitlement, welfare society of the easily offended where everyone is "special;" and we cannot classify something as we see it for fear of being labeled intolerant, racist, homophobic or stupid. And then there are the trial lawyers—but that's a whole other topic.

We need a Paul Revere. We need someone who is brave enough to warn Americans that the socialists and communists are not only coming, they are here. They have accomplished their greatest goal—most of which I believe has skyrocketed since the 60s. In my lifetime, from Woodstock to Washington, they have incrementally infiltrated our government, our schools, our banks, our parenting styles, our transportation choices, land ownership, our churches and ultimately our homes. Government is rapidly legislating our very way of life, restricting our parental freedoms and infringing upon virtually every aspect of how we live from what we eat to what we drive to what we keep, use and give. I hope every American reading this realizes that those who seek power by equalizing the masses never plan to equalize themselves.

Those in congress who passed this bill have bankrupted America. They had nothing to lose. They will GET their healthcare, their money, their security for THEIR lifetime. Nancy Pelosi will continue to get her plastic surgery without a "luxury" tax. They, like many of my wealthy friends, have corporations set up to shelter THEIR money. Sure, they don't believe it, but they will pay in November (unless Americans with their short memories believe their larger tax refund is the gift that will keep on giving) but our country may never recover from this tragedy. This president will be remembered sadly, not because he was the first black president, but because he was the president who succeeded in doing exactly what communists and socialists teach—to gain power you must rip the people apart from the inside. He succeeded in doing just that. FDR kicked it into high gear but Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, President Obama and all of his czars—Cass Sunstein, Van Jones, Bill Ayers, SEIU, the ACORN brothers, Valerie Jarrett, Jeremiah Wright, Malcolm X–whom he models his speech pattern and body language after—they all helped him finish the job.

Now it is up to every American citizen who understands our history and what is at stake to get off the tube, stop deluding yourselves that there is any merit to the media constantly stating that some racist tea party heckler yelled at a congressman—show me the tape, show me the signs. We know what's happening. GET involved, get engaged and help restore our country before it is too late. To those who say this is hyperbole, go talk to a Canadian. Go talk to a Brit. Talk to me. I don't have health insurance because I cannot afford it! I pay through the nose for my children's well check visits which aren't even covered by insurance anyway—well now they will be. Isn't that how the drug dealer gets you hooked? They give you the drugs for free first. I don't have flatscreen televisions either—as the poverty stricken American does—2 on average—or a Blackberry or an IPhone. My cars are old and paid off. We are trying to refinance to a 15 year loan. We know that WE are responsible for our future. We aren't on the government dole and we are suffering. My husband's company just stopped paying him in December because they ran out of money—yeah, life sucks for us but we're still resolved to figure out a way to rise above it all. We kept our pre-budgetted discount trip to Disney with some friends and stayed in two motels on the way home that none of our wealthy friends would dream of frequenting.

To my wealthy friends who all supported this president, I hope you understand that you will never FEEL the sting of excessive taxation because you have the POWER to hide your money while they take what little we have left. To those who voted for hope and change, may this be a lesson to you to sober up with a lot of good books on our nation's history. To my children, you will learn the true history of America this year when we travel to its birthplace. Gosh, I wonder if Williamsburg still covers history or if that too has been revised but—we will figure out a way to make this happen.

As I have said before, 2010 is a very good year to die. There is no inheritance tax! Many senior citizens may take that option this year to pass all of their good investment choices on already taxed money to their children before anyone realizes what has just happened. It is not lost on me that today, the media boasted about the large 10% increase in tax refunds coming to Americans because of the stimulus–do you realize that this is by design? The money you're getting back was YOURS to begin with. You gave it to them and now they are giving it to OTHERS—most of whom didn't pay to begin with! Illegal immigrants now not only receive free education but also a tax refund on taxes they don't pay along with free healthcare. Perhaps I should become a non-citizen so I can have the same benefits.

Yes, America, a civil war is occurring but it will be fought differently this time. Go talk to someone who immigrated LEGALLY to this country after living under communist rule. You will never see one of these people standing behind President Obama in a labcoat. In driving back from Florida yesterday, I was heartened to see a large billboard that said "Can you hear us congress? We're coming for you. Vote the liberals out in 2010." Let's hope so.

In case you're thinking after reading this that I am an intolerant right wing racist—and let's throw in white supremicist for bringing up affirmative action, you'd be wrong. I took a political test recently to see "who I am" really on the political spectrum and discovered that my values are conservative libertarian—exactly what our Founders were. I value tradition but don't really care what you do in your home as long as it doesn't affect MY way of life, my home and/or tread on my liberty.

I am proud to have retained the values of our founding fathers through the twists and turns of the past 45 years. To those who call me anything different, take the test yourself. If it is communism and socialism you seek, why do you stay here? You are FREE to move to a communist or socialist country. If I hated America, that's what I would do. To the celebrities who have mansions in France but make their millions HERE in America? You're a bunch of hypocrites. And to those who think America is evil and spout this hatred on Facebook everyday where I and millions of others read it through gritted teeth and remain (for the most part) silent, try it in Iran and see what happens to you there.

This American has been stepped on enough. I'm disgusted with the fraud in our federal government and am hoping that there is just ONE person of principle somewhere, maybe on the Supreme Court who might have the courage to decide this bill (in its current form) is in fact unconstitutional and against the very philosophy America was founded upon. I plan to be in Washington, D.C. on August 28th at the Lincoln Memorial for the Restore America event. It is time for every American citizen who recognizes where we are headed and that we need to get back on the rails of liberty to stand together and state loudly—"don't tread on me!" Maybe, just maybe, if Paul Revere were alive today, that is what we'd hear loudly being shouted on horseback throughout this land of the now divided States of America.

Editor's Note: This blog was edited and reduced seven times. I apologize for the length and if I have offended anyone with the direct language. I am usually a very diplomatic person. But as a am a private citizen with no need to spin, I write this blog as a snapshot of where I am "right now" in my life. With that, I remind you that this blog is my opportunity to call it as I see it and see if history proves out that I was right. I hope I am wrong!