The fight that is going in Washington within the Republican Party over whether to defund Obamacare through the continuing resolution to fund the government is heating up. The Conservatives led by Senators Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, Marco Rubio, and Rand Paul are trying to strike a real blow to this disastrous law. While the moderates led by Senators John McCain, Tom Coburn, Richard Burr, and Lindsey Graham are scared to shut down the government and risk political defeat. In other words they would like to keep talking the talk, but when it comes time to do something substantive they save their political rear ends.
The outcome of this battle could not only determine the fate of our nation's future, it will also decide the direction of the Republican Party. The choice is simple. Will the Republicans Party, and it's establishment join the conservatives and fight for our freedoms, or will they be democrat lite style party? That question will decide if the Republican Party will either be a viable party or whether a third party option is the only way for conservatives to advance the agenda of freedom and liberty.
I have always been a republican, but lately I am beginning to feel that conservative ideals and principles are not a priority of the leadership. The establishment wants to talk the language of the Tea Party and conservatives, but when it gets down to brass tacks they run for the hills. The truth is conservatives have had to fight the GOP establishment from the beginning. Whether it was fighting to get Barry Goldwater to be the GOP nominee in 1964 over the liberal Nelson Rockefeller, or the 1976 primary battle between the conservative Ronald Reagan and the liberal Gerald Ford, conservatism has always had to fight the establishment. Supposedly we are on the same side. I no longer believe that. The line has been drawn.
On one side you have the Liberals, and moderate republicans who all crave one thing, power. On the other side you have conservatives, Tea Partiers, libertarians, and many others who want to reduce the role of government and live under our Constitution in freedom. There is no in between. Either you want to defend freedom and advance the cause of liberty or you want to advance the power of the state. Those who are moderate or who are in between are by their complacency advancing the agenda of the liberals and statists.
This battle can be the turning point for the Republican Party in one of two ways. If the GOP will unite behind these conservative senator's efforts to defund Obamacare and not waver, then it could be our version of the Battle of Cowpens. The Battle of Cowpens was a Revolutionary War battle that was won by the Continental Army. The battle is considered to be a crucial turnaround in the battle against Britain. If Republicans hold and decide to stand up for freedom no matter what, than I believe it will turn the tide and lead to future victories in the battle for freedom.
If the GOP establishment wins and the party continues down the path of surrender and compromise, then it will be our Battle of Waterloo. I don't have to explain what that means. It will be the end of the GOP as a viable option for conservatives. If we lose this fight, then I believe the discussion of a third party should be considered seriously. Many say that this kind of talk is crazy or extreme. I think that actually doing something different and trying to save our country is more reasonable and sane than those that advocate the same activities while expecting a different result. The last time I checked that was the definition of insanity. Let's hope that the GOP leadership will finally stop the insanity of compromise and surrender and actually fight for our conservative values for a change.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Why being pro-life is still important
Many people across the United States for the last thirty years or more have been hearing the debate of abortion. Many republicans and even many Americans are wondering is it time to ease up and maybe stop talking about abortion. The reality is that unless a complete miracle happens, the Supreme Court will never overturn Roe vs Wade. The options going forward are these. We can try to pass a constitutional amendment at the Federal level and try to have it ratified by the states. The next option would be to fight abortion on the state level, like the legislation recently passed out of the Texas and North Carolina Legislatures. These state laws are not taking away the "right" to an abortion but rather regulating it and making it harder to do. I favor the latter approach because it is easier to accomplish and can be accomplished in a quicker manner than the former method. Regardless of the tactics we choose, there will always be an increasing drumbeat, of liberals and moderates alike, to drop the pro-life agenda from the Republican Party. Some say that in this day in time with issues going on in the world and in our nation with the economy and our national debt, that abortion is a side show and a losing issue to run on. I could not disagree more.
"We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" These words were written by Thomas Jefferson in our Declaration of Independence. This document was a statement that laid the foundation for the kind of government that our Constitution would form. It would be a government that realized that man has certain rights that no man or government shall infringe on. The first of these "unalienable" rights was Life. Government's job is to protect life. Government's job is not to condone or allow the whims or desires of some to trump the God given rights that everyone who has ever lived deserves and is entitled.
The purpose of our government should be to protect life. Whether that life is in it's first moments, at conception, to the moment that the individual takes it's last breath. The only time that a life should be ended prematurely is when an individual decides to murder an innocent human being. Then the state should execute swift justice upon the person who is convicted by a jury of their peers, and only after the convicted has been given equal justice under the law.
The Supreme Court in 1973, in the Roe v Wade decision, held that a human being had the protection under the 14th amendment, to terminate another human being legally. This was one of the most egregious and disgusting blows dealt to the rights of human beings in the annals of history. Millions upon millions of babies, since that awful decision, have perished. If you have ever read the 14th amendment, you will see that there is no "right" to an abortion in the amendment. The seven liberal justices on the court proceeded to, under the due process clause, write in our government charter the "right" to kill another human life. It is a blot on our nation's conscience and character that can never be purged.
If the same government that has condoned and allowed the murder of millions of babies is allowed to go unchallenged, then what is to stop them from instituting "death panels" in the new health care law. Where does it end. The sanctity of life should be protected by government. End of story. If we do not have a government that can do this, than that government is well on it's way to a totalitarian state if it isn't there already.
Liberty, our founding documents and principles should never be forsaken, The fight to protect the "unalienable" right to life should never be surrendered. With all our might and all our strength we should fight for our rights. Those rights are not given by government, but by Almighty God. The same energy that we conservatives and libertarians devote to the second amendment should be devoted to the fight to save the unborn. If there ever was a fight worth fighting it is fight to preserve and protect the right to life. If that right is not worth fighting for than all other rights are worthless. If we give up on this, than we have lost, not only our party, but our nation.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Stop the gravy train!
I don't know how many times I have heard a politicians of both parties talk about how grants are "free money". It not only shows the naivete of many of those who hold positions of authority, it also shows the avarice and greed that permeates our government. Everyone seems to be conservative until you try to deny them a piece of the pie. Many in our party are fiscally conservative, unless it's a library with their name on it or a grant to their cronies back home. Then many of the "conservatives" turn into liberals in a skinny minute.
Government has no money of it's own. Any money that government gets is from you the people. So if you ever hear someone say that it is "free money" or government money, you just cut them off and tell them that it is your money not theirs. Whenever you hear about these grants, many times it is your tax dollars that has been passed up the chain to Washington or Raleigh. Then that money is distributed back down again, many times acting as political favors and voter payoffs. It would astound us to know the amount of money from North Carolina tax payers that has been sent to buy votes in California or elsewhere. It would be hilarious if it wasn't so unethical.
I have no problem with paying taxes to receive services, like a military, infrastructure, education, and so forth. I do have a problem with government being involved in so many facets of my life that they take yours and my hard earned dollars and then redistribute it to whomever they wish like it's a game of monopoly. We need to keep as much of our money from government as possible. When we do give it up, that money needs to be primarily at the local and state levels.
Why not have a government, limited in scope, that only needed enough money to do what our constitution says it should do, and then leave the rest to the states and to the local governments. Sounds too simple I guess. The sad thing is that it seems like no one wants to be the first to say no. Many politicians say that they agree with the above statements and are against ear marks and redistribution, but as long as the system keeps going they are going to use it.
What we need is some patriots to stand up and say that the redistribution of tax dollars from the bureaucrats in Washington needs to stop. We need to pay only what was is necessary to our federal government, what it takes to fulfill their Constitutional role and nothing else. In keeping with the 10th amendment, we need to keep all powers at the state level not spelled out to the federal government. That means not only can we shrink the scope of our federal government, we could also shrink the financial burden as well.
I think it is so sad that our Constitution is the only charter our government has for existing, yet if you mention it you are looked at like you are speaking gibberish. Regardless of the perceptions of liberals and elites, we must never forsake those great principles and laws. We must, as conservatives, explain these precepts, and defend them at all costs. We can start by ending the gravy train. America is buried, if you'll allow me to coin the phrase, in grants tomb. We are buried under a mountain of debt and we don't need to be. I think it's time for a revival or a resurrection if you will. It starts today with working at the local level to get local candidates in office who share these values. It continues at the state and federal levels with electing officials who want to limit their power instead of increase it. Let's get going!
Government has no money of it's own. Any money that government gets is from you the people. So if you ever hear someone say that it is "free money" or government money, you just cut them off and tell them that it is your money not theirs. Whenever you hear about these grants, many times it is your tax dollars that has been passed up the chain to Washington or Raleigh. Then that money is distributed back down again, many times acting as political favors and voter payoffs. It would astound us to know the amount of money from North Carolina tax payers that has been sent to buy votes in California or elsewhere. It would be hilarious if it wasn't so unethical.
I have no problem with paying taxes to receive services, like a military, infrastructure, education, and so forth. I do have a problem with government being involved in so many facets of my life that they take yours and my hard earned dollars and then redistribute it to whomever they wish like it's a game of monopoly. We need to keep as much of our money from government as possible. When we do give it up, that money needs to be primarily at the local and state levels.
Why not have a government, limited in scope, that only needed enough money to do what our constitution says it should do, and then leave the rest to the states and to the local governments. Sounds too simple I guess. The sad thing is that it seems like no one wants to be the first to say no. Many politicians say that they agree with the above statements and are against ear marks and redistribution, but as long as the system keeps going they are going to use it.
What we need is some patriots to stand up and say that the redistribution of tax dollars from the bureaucrats in Washington needs to stop. We need to pay only what was is necessary to our federal government, what it takes to fulfill their Constitutional role and nothing else. In keeping with the 10th amendment, we need to keep all powers at the state level not spelled out to the federal government. That means not only can we shrink the scope of our federal government, we could also shrink the financial burden as well.
I think it is so sad that our Constitution is the only charter our government has for existing, yet if you mention it you are looked at like you are speaking gibberish. Regardless of the perceptions of liberals and elites, we must never forsake those great principles and laws. We must, as conservatives, explain these precepts, and defend them at all costs. We can start by ending the gravy train. America is buried, if you'll allow me to coin the phrase, in grants tomb. We are buried under a mountain of debt and we don't need to be. I think it's time for a revival or a resurrection if you will. It starts today with working at the local level to get local candidates in office who share these values. It continues at the state and federal levels with electing officials who want to limit their power instead of increase it. Let's get going!
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Education- The Forgotten Battlefield
Over the last election cycles, conservatives have realized the fact that the we are losing our once solid majority. I would argue that John McCain and Mitt Romney are hardly our strongest voices. Regardless, America seems to be turning more to the left or at least liberal ideas are becoming more accepted. The question of why, cannot be answered by a poll or a study. The answer can be answered in one word, education.
For years education has been a issue dominated by the liberal left. They claim they are on the side of teachers and students. They claim that they want to build up our public schools, in contrast to those mean Republicans who want to turn everything to private schools. Sadly, we have just let the stereotyping proceed without objection. The liberals have established a stronghold on academia in most of our universities and schools. They have taken over the curriculum's and centralized control in Washington. The end result of these actions is that our children for generations have been taught liberal theories and ideology. These children have grown up and are now voting. We see the fruit of our liberal education system. For too long the education system has been ignored. That needs to change.
Conservatives have a real vision for our education system. It starts with giving the control of our education system back to the states and local school boards. I think it's funny that liberals abhor what they call "trickle down economics", yet their education policies are "trickle down education". It makes no sense to send our tax dollars to Washington when we can keep those dollars here locally. Government works best when it is closest to the people.
This decentralization approach will not only give the power back to the people, it will also save millions of your hard earned dollars. Imagine the money we could save by eliminating the Department of Education. Imagine all the savings we could gain by eliminating the overhead of the Washington bureaucracy. That sounds good doesn't it? Not only does localization give more freedom to you the parents and students, it will save millions of dollars. In these times of deficits and debt, this is not only a moral solution, but a economical one as well.
Then the states need to let the majority of the education decisions be made by local schools boards.I would much rather have the parents making the decisions at the local level then a bureaucrat in Washington or Raleigh. That leads to the next thing that needs to change. Parents need to be more involved in their children's education. We as parents should not hand our children off to the state and expect them to do our job. We should not only be able to choose where we send our child to school, but we should also make sure we have a say in what they are taught. One of the great problems is that parents have been sidelined. The state has replaced the parents and sadly the parents have let it happen. We as citizens need to demand more of ourselves. If we abdicate our parental and social responsibilities, the government will fill the void, and we know what the end of that is.
The strategy has to be broad. We need conservatives in Washington who will not be swayed by the powerful education lobby. The Department of Education needs to be abolished. Once that is done then we will need Governors and State legislators who will give the necessary power to the school boards. Then we will need conservatives elected to our local school board. Local school boards can then let the parents have a say in the curriculum. Local school boards can eliminate the waste of too much bureaucracy and make sure the money gets to the teachers, their assistants, and the classrooms. This process will take time, which is why today this strategy needs to be enacted now. Our future as a nation depends on it. It is not too late. Conservatives must get back in the fight on our own terms on education. The strategy is simple.
1. Localization.
2. Less money to bureaucrats, more money to teachers and classrooms.
3. More parental involvement in curriculum and standards.
4. Accountability through school choice.
5. Schools should teach, not indoctrinate.
The platform is simple and effective. The task is great, but anything worth doing always is. If we want to turn the tide, we need to get back to the forgotten battlefield.
For years education has been a issue dominated by the liberal left. They claim they are on the side of teachers and students. They claim that they want to build up our public schools, in contrast to those mean Republicans who want to turn everything to private schools. Sadly, we have just let the stereotyping proceed without objection. The liberals have established a stronghold on academia in most of our universities and schools. They have taken over the curriculum's and centralized control in Washington. The end result of these actions is that our children for generations have been taught liberal theories and ideology. These children have grown up and are now voting. We see the fruit of our liberal education system. For too long the education system has been ignored. That needs to change.
Conservatives have a real vision for our education system. It starts with giving the control of our education system back to the states and local school boards. I think it's funny that liberals abhor what they call "trickle down economics", yet their education policies are "trickle down education". It makes no sense to send our tax dollars to Washington when we can keep those dollars here locally. Government works best when it is closest to the people.
This decentralization approach will not only give the power back to the people, it will also save millions of your hard earned dollars. Imagine the money we could save by eliminating the Department of Education. Imagine all the savings we could gain by eliminating the overhead of the Washington bureaucracy. That sounds good doesn't it? Not only does localization give more freedom to you the parents and students, it will save millions of dollars. In these times of deficits and debt, this is not only a moral solution, but a economical one as well.
Then the states need to let the majority of the education decisions be made by local schools boards.I would much rather have the parents making the decisions at the local level then a bureaucrat in Washington or Raleigh. That leads to the next thing that needs to change. Parents need to be more involved in their children's education. We as parents should not hand our children off to the state and expect them to do our job. We should not only be able to choose where we send our child to school, but we should also make sure we have a say in what they are taught. One of the great problems is that parents have been sidelined. The state has replaced the parents and sadly the parents have let it happen. We as citizens need to demand more of ourselves. If we abdicate our parental and social responsibilities, the government will fill the void, and we know what the end of that is.
The strategy has to be broad. We need conservatives in Washington who will not be swayed by the powerful education lobby. The Department of Education needs to be abolished. Once that is done then we will need Governors and State legislators who will give the necessary power to the school boards. Then we will need conservatives elected to our local school board. Local school boards can then let the parents have a say in the curriculum. Local school boards can eliminate the waste of too much bureaucracy and make sure the money gets to the teachers, their assistants, and the classrooms. This process will take time, which is why today this strategy needs to be enacted now. Our future as a nation depends on it. It is not too late. Conservatives must get back in the fight on our own terms on education. The strategy is simple.
1. Localization.
2. Less money to bureaucrats, more money to teachers and classrooms.
3. More parental involvement in curriculum and standards.
4. Accountability through school choice.
5. Schools should teach, not indoctrinate.
The platform is simple and effective. The task is great, but anything worth doing always is. If we want to turn the tide, we need to get back to the forgotten battlefield.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Time to Choose.
Many conservatives are leery of Speaker Thom Tillis and his run for the Senate. There a host of reasons, ranging from his connections to Richard Morgan, his strong arm tactics in the legislature, and his willingness to let conservative principles get watered down. Tillis is a middle of the road Republican who will probably be another Richard Burr. What that means is that we will have a Senator that we agree with most of the time, but every now and again he'll vote in a way that will make us pull our hair out. Is that what we need? I don't think so. Like Richard Burr and his vote on the Don't ask, don't tell legislation.
I do not argue the fact that Tillis would be a better deal than Kay Hagan. I do argue that if we are going to replace a liberal, than why not replace them with someone who is conservative. Why replace Hagan, if all we are going to get in her place is an establishment republican who will defend the status quo. What we need in Washington is not moderation or lukewarmness. What we need in this dark hour is a bold choice. Someone who will fight the special interests, cut spending, reduce taxes, and fight for our constitutional rights. Now more than ever, we do not need to settle. At the end of the day we should support the winner of this US Senate Primary, but until that day comes we should look at all of the options.
One of those options for consideration is a man by the name of Greg Bannon. I will not waste your time with details. You can go to his website at the bottom of this page and read for yourself what kind of man he is. All I am saying is that we should not close our minds to the possibility of considering someone who is outside the establishment.
Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, and Jim DeMint are examples of great senators who are outside the political establishment. They turned out good. They were able to win even when the establishment in the GOP and the media had declared they did not stand a chance. Now is the time to research and study. I know it seems like there is a lot of time between now and May 2014, but time flies. We need to find the best conservative candidate and fight as hard as we can. I believe that Greg Bannon could be that person. According to the latest PPP poll, Bannon actually polls better than Tillis against Kay Hagan. Now it is only by one point and Hagan leads by a wide margin, but there is a lot of time. This poll shows that regardless of the choice it will be a uphill battle and we need to be ready. I believe that a conservative like Greg Bannon would fare better than Tillis. I do know that Tillis is not the conservative choice. If you want the status quo and more of the same frustration we have seen out of the establishment GOP than go ahead and support Tillis. If you want a true conservative, than at least research Greg Bannon. Now more than ever we need true conservatives. Now is not the time to settle. Either we can choose a conservative or vote for another RINO like Lindsey Graham, John McCain, and the list goes on. It's up to you.
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Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Amnesty is not Reform
Immigration reform continues to dominate the headlines. You can hardly turn on your radio, TV, or web browser without seeing something about immigration. On the one side you have the left. The lefties want open borders and flat out amnesty. This position will not only satisfy the aim of many on the left to see the number of people on social programs skyrocket, but also will benefit the left politically. It is just common sense. Many of the individuals who are here illegally would benefit from the programs that liberals hold and promote so dear. The Democratic party is basically buying votes and this is another chapter in the Liberal playbook. It has been used by the Democratic party since President Franklin Roosevelt cemented the different factions of the democratic party, paid for by the tax payer, with his New Deal. Democrats, led by President Obama, are now reliving the glory days of the New Deal, with their own version. This began with the healthcare takeover. I refuse to use reform, since reform conjures up images of improvement. The democratic agenda is an unashamed and unabashed acceptance of communist and totalitarian principles. The great sadness is that many people will vote for these principles under the guise of compassion, fairness, and moderation. Nothing could be further than the truth. If the liberal democrats get there way we will have no borders, and any chance of national relevance for the opposition, aka conservatives, will be gone.
Sadly, many Republicans are buying into the myth that we can have immigration reform without enforcement. Senator Marco Rubio has become the spokesman for the liberals and moderate republicans. Senator Rubio insists that this is not amnesty. Don't you believe a word of it. We can't trust this government and we can not trust this administration. We have seen the promises of the 1986 Simpson-Rizzoli Act only to see our laws ignored and millions of illegal aliens coming into our country. Republicans in the US House must send a clear message. Enforcement of our laws and border. Once that is done we can talk about the reform of our actual immigration process.
Republicans foolishly believe that if they put their stamp on amnesty then they will benefit from the voting power of the largest minority group. Studies show that after a Republican president, Reagan, and a Republican senator, Simpson, passed amnesty in 1986, Republicans share of the Latino vote has decreased not increased. I am not saying that Republicans should pass legislation based on political motivations. I believe that this bill is wrong and immoral and complete waste of time. However, I know how politicians think. Getting elected is always on there minds regardless of party. This is why the republicans are thinking about this. What I am saying is that even putting this bill in the political context, it still doesn't make sense.
In these times we need to not lay down our values and principles. Rather, we need to embrace the values of our Constitution and our conservative principles. If we do not we will not achieve political victory. If we compromise with the liberals on this issue, we will be a minority party for the duration. You can count on it. Call your congressional representative and let them know that we do not want amnesty.
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