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.”

Happy (belated) Birthday, George Washington!

Today we honor what has now come to be called "President's Day." I remember as a child being told that this holiday celebrated BOTH Washington and Lincoln's birthdays. I did a little research—funny what happens when you question the status quo. Not so—it was supposed to celebrate the founder of our country—then congress got involved—things changed, misconceptions "stuck" in the minds of the American people—you do know that if you just keep repeating the lie, it becomes true, right? And now we have the watered down President's Day which has come to mean everything from "split the difference between Lincoln and Washington's birthday" day, and "all Presidents you like" day, to "it's a good day to go skiing" day!

No matter how you celebrate today, as I venture out this year to re-educate myself and our children on the true history of our founding fathers, I realize more and more just how important George Washington was and how much better off we would be if people had continued to pass down our country's founding history through an effective game of "Telephone" to subsequent generations. Instead, around 1970, we began learning a watered down version of history that was rapidly replaced by revisionist (if not eliminatist—is that a word?) history from about 1983 on.

I don't know much about George Washington except that he was a reluctant public servant who served with honor in both war and politics and then refused to stay, voluntarily passing the torch. I do know that he and the founders would have never have wanted the government to earn a $71,000 average salary, twice the average of a private citizen's salary. They also would not have created nor endorsed the public welfare programs which, disguised as "compassion" have seized liberty from free Americans over the past century. These very programs have turned Americans against each other, creating class and race warfare and creating a culture war that thankfully, many now recognize. We have gone from empowered to entitled in less than 200 years.

May those of us who remember the feeling of American pride we used to feel in our youth, reflect on this day and keep it in mind as we go forward to restore our congress to "we the people" this fall. Those who believe this movement isn't real deserve the tyranny they are going to get unless they wake up and join us. The founding fathers were so wise and had such foresight, they knew what to watch out for. Yes, they were wise "old, white men"—I think they were over 40 too—that's for Meghan McCain.

American history books are flying off the shelves and sites at Amazon, Borders and Barnes and Noble. I'll be reading A Patriots History of the U.S. when it's in stock, The Federalist Papers and anything else I can get my hands on regarding America's founding—still awake, still engaged and still unashamed to wish our most revered founding father, George Washington, a very Happy (belated) Birthday!

A Centennial for Boy Scouts of America

"Mom, do we have to get up?," were the first words my husband and I heard this morning as we rousted our four boys out of bed on their "sleep-in day" to prepare for a historic visit to the capitol. One mug of coffee, four chocolate Zone bars, six warm jackets and a loaded wagon later, we were off to the Report to State and Scout Parade commemorating the 100th Year Anniversary of Scouting.

At 7:30am, we crested the Congress Street bridge where we became part of a huge crowd making last minute adjustments to floats which were three deep and the entire length of the bridge. For the non-Austinite, this is the famous "bat bridge" that the Mexican free-tail bats emerge from on their nightly mosquito hunt. To see the pink granite capitol from the center of a roped-off Congress Street was a sight to behold. In keeping with one of the scout tenents to help other people, when our eldest son could not locate his Boy Scout Troop, Pack 280 (the cub pack) welcomed him on board their float. Our younger cub proudly took his spot on a hay bale in the back of the truck reserved for his Pack 101 of Dripping Springs, Texas.

Earlier this week, I had picked up the book On My Honor, written by Governor Perry. I'm really glad I had this book with me today. We read some of it on the way down and it was fortuitous that I got to know our Governor a little more in reading about his experiences in Scouting. This event ended up not only being a great day for scouts but also validated why it is we came to Texas from California in the first place. (I'll get to that a little bit later!)

The parade was a sea of fidgeting boys with crooked lines, untucked shirts, flanking paper maché and plastic floats. The streets brimmed with enthusiasm as the boys eagerly waved with the same enthusiasm to a spotted family member and supportive stranger alike. There were a couple of outstanding floats—namely the Space Shuttle and the winding bicycle in the shape of a snake, which followed the flapping Austin Bat float! (Keep Austin Weird!) The boys chanted, clapped, and a couple of floats had some pretty accomplished musicians as the parade rolled down the street. We even met a 1942 Eagle Scout who came out to see the festivities and got to shake his hand. Today's event was an unashamed slice of Americana that you rarely see anymore.

Perhaps one of the most interesting things this was the lack of publicity given to this event. It wasn't discussed on KVUE news as we prepared to leave. And it wasn't mentioned on 98.9, Austin's talk radio station either. There was no professional announcer during the event. There were no radio stations or television crews that we saw—unless of course they came earlier than we did. There were still photographers everywhere though lining the street. The Austin American Statesman was, in fact, ON the parade route. It will be interesting to see where the story appears in tomorrow's newspaper. If you detect sarcasm, you're right! In Austin, I doubt the boy scouts will make the front page.

This brings me to Governor Perry's book. I brought it with me in the oft chance that I might get to meet the Governor and have it signed. That didn't happen. However, we had the wonderful opportunity to sit in the House of Representatives and view the entire Report to State ceremony with Governor Perry in attendance. 19 Councils, each that represent a number of counties, spoke addressed the state to account for the impact that the scouts have on local communities all across the state. Far from just a statistical report, there were stories of bravery, life saving, fighting hunger, and even repairing areas damaged by Hurricane Ike. The BSA isn't just some club, it's an organization that truly seeks to teach young boys to become men and to make their country a better place to live in. To watch these young boys and young woman (who represented a council near El Paso) step up to the podium and address the podium was humbling.

Perhaps most impressive, though, was Governor Perry himself. I knew nothing of this man when we moved to Texas. What I did know was this. We CAME to Texas because of a California that had become unrecognizable. Two years after moving here, California went bankrupt but many still living there just can't (or won't) see it and keep electing people who are ruining the state. When people say that Texas is the new California, we silently whisper "we hope not." Texas is a state that is working. Texas doesn't have potholes, doesn't tax your income, supports home-schoolers (in fact it is the friendliest home school state in the union), is attracting more and more companies with its business friendly laws and if you can find litter on the streets here, let me know. Thanks to the campaign "Don't Mess with Texas" started by the legendary advertising firm GSD&M, which is right across from the flagship Whole Foods in downtown Austin, this city is vibrant, hopeful, friendly and FREE.

This brings me back to Governor Perry's book. I did not know that Governor Perry was an Eagle Scout. He achieved this rank at the age of 14. His son, Griffin, is an Eagle Scout as well. Perry is the longest serving Governor in Texas, now running for another term. He wrote this book basically in defense of scouting, as it has been under attack since 1976. I remember being 11 years old and hearing that a girl wanted to join the "Boy Scouts." I'm proof that the left was getting to me. Back then, I said "yeah, why not?" Why should there be any club eliminating girls?" It led to boys football teams having the same ridiculous discrimination suits and we all know how it has manifested. Here we are. Nanny nation!

Luckily as I got older and a little wiser, I was able to see the divisive nature of the "let's have everything be fair and equitable" movement. It divided America and led to the situation we have today. I haven't finished his book but in the first few pages, I can see it is going to join my overflowing bookshelf as one of my new favorite books. My boys will be reading this as we head to our nation's capitol later this year. This is most certainly the year to teach them U.S. History.

I can't end this post without making a few comments on the Governor's race which is in full swing. I believe that leaders should almost be reluctant to serve. However, in light of the way Texas is working, I can't help but support Governor Perry as he runs again. Truth be told, I was quite disappointed in his "performance" at the first debate. He didn't seem passionate about running and only in the race to prevent big Washington, D.C. republican Kay Bailey Hutchison from taking over. I can't say if this is his only motivation to stay in office. But I am confident that Hutchison is not a true conservative and I don't like her tactics. Deborah Medina, the "tea party" republican really resonates with me on pure policy and straightforward answers—however, as a previous Perot voter, the last thing I want to do is vote for a candidate that ensures Hutchison wins. Until we have a better system, unfortunately, it's a two party choice.

Yes, I don't agree with the toll roads and the eminant domain issue that many Austinites find fault with in Governor Perry's policies. I'm not sure where I stand on his endorsement of vaccines for young girls to guard against HPV as I don't have enough information. But any government intrusion into personal decisions on how to raise children is usually not supported by me. However, I don't admire leaders based one or two decisions that I find fault with. The fact IS that Texas is doing something right! It is still (with few exceptions) a state where you don't feel the heavy hand of government intruding in your daily life.

To wrap up what has once again become another long post, Perry's speech today was flawlessly and emotionally delivered. In the culture war Americans are now aware of and engaged in fighting, he successfully illustrated how the ACLU's continuing attacks on our common core values, and the rise of moral relativism is threatening America's future. I commend him for having the courage to say so. I also commend him for admitting that leaders like himself are fallible and human but that he tries to live by the Scout motto every day.

I now believe we have the right Governor in office at the right time in Texas history. His message was clear. Scouting values are the essence of America. A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. Ross Perot's foreword in the book states "Think what a greater country we would have if everyone lived the principles of Scouting every day. We would all be prepared, do our best to do our duty to God and Country, help other people at all times; and keep ourselves physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight." If anyone can find fault with a parent teaching their children those things, then our problems in this country are far larger than we are willing to admit.

Happy 100th Birthday Boy Scouts of America and thank you U.S. Supreme Court for recognizing the rights of the Scouts to operate with their values unaltered and intact.