Truth, Justice and the American Way
In the title of my blog, you know exactly what you are going to get. This isn’t a news site, or an educational reference blog. Though I would like to be, I am not a journalist. I am exactly what the title says, a middle-aged housewife opining on the state of the world today. Nevertheless, I try to be truthful in what I have to say, to back up my opinions with facts whenever possible. It’s not enough to just be opinionated, I need to be at least somewhat educated about the things I post about. I think there is power in the truth, and right now in this country it is in very short supply.
One thing the left does with expert precision is distort the truth. Very rarely do we catch them in an outright lie or fabrication. Instead they selectively edit, use half-truths, and provocative headlines to manipulate the facts to support their narrative. They repeat inflammatory talking points over and over, until the naive and uneducated believe them as fact. This is what we have come to expect from the Leftists, unfortunately many of us on the Right have been playing the same game.
Memes like this circulate regularly on social media sites. It distorts the truth. While President Trump has indeed donated his first quarter 2018 salary to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, he did not designate it to go rebuilding military cemeteries. “So what?” You might ask. “The spirit of the statement was true, what does it matter if the details are a little off”. It matters because the truth is the most powerful tool we have. In this era of, academic indoctrination,”fake news”, politically correct “double speak”, and even the manipulation of algorithms to effectively censor conservative viewpoints, the truth matters more than ever. As Conservatives and especially as Christians, we have a responsibility to evaluate what we post and share carefully. To the best of your ability, vet the websites you use, to make sure they are factual and trustworthy. Remember if the post or meme elicits a strong emotional response, whether you agree with it, or it makes you angry, the creator of it might just be trying to manipulate you.
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Who Are These People?
These days I’m finding it hard to recognize my fellow conservatives. Conservatism used to be about free markets, a strong national defense, secure borders, a low tax burden, and limiting governmental control of our daily lives. We believed that The Constitution was the law of the land and was to be taken literally. It was not a “living document” to be interpreted at whim by the situational ethics of the day. We recognized that government was necessary and its purpose was to preserve the natural rights endowed upon all mankind, and enumerated in The Bill of Rights.
After suffering though the years of national degradation that Progressivism had burdened us with, we finally had a chance to step into the light. Out of all the potential presidential candidates, one knew the Constitution inside out, was well versed in foreign affairs, was articulate, inspiring, and an accomplished debater. His values were conservative values, and he had the courage to stand up for them. It seemed that Conservatism finally had a bold leader and the choice for President was clear. Then came Donald Trump.
I get the anger and frustration over Washington’s indifference to the will of the voters. I completely understand how Conservatives feel betrayed by the GOP. It seems that the majority of our representatives from all levels of government are only working for their own self-interests. What I don’t get is how any true Conservative can think that Donald Trump is the answer. He is a crony capitalist who has supported whatever politician he can get the most use out of, Democrat or Republican. His business ethics are questionable. His ventures have met with bankruptcy four times. His supporters know these undisputable facts, and have publicly stated, “they don’t care”. Trump is arrogant and petulant. His supporters know this, and still “they don’t care”. When asked why they support Trump, his followers almost always say, “he’s not afraid to say what he thinks”. That is certainly true. Trump has shot his mouth off and had to walk back his comments time and again, and still his supporters don’t care. As if unrestrained outspokenness is the only qualification for the leader of the free world. Trump’s supporters believe any explanation for his statements and behavior, no matter how embarrassing that behavior, or how well documented. These same people also believe any negative about Ted Cruz, no matter how obscure or questionable the website from where it originated. They consider the tabloids to be a trusted news source. They defend Trump with the fervent, mindless, zeal of cult followers. The belligerent reactions, to hecklers and protesters at Trump rallies, seems more in place at an Occupy Protest, than a Tea Party rally. Conservatives used to have more class than that.
Progressivism, Socialism and their big brother Communism, used to be the enemies of Conservatism. Now, thanks to the “Trump Train”, the only enemy of Conservatism seems to be the Republican Establishment. And to those who believe in Trump, anyone who isn’t a Trump supporter or a Democrat is an Establishment Republican. As much as I hate to say it, I agree with Hillary, “America has always been great, what it needs is to be made whole again”. Of course Hillary or (G-d forbid) Bernie are not the people to restore our nation, but true Conservatives cannot do it either, if they are being encouraged by the Trump Campaign to fight among themselves, and split into two parties.
For me, and many other Conservatives “dump Trump” isn’t about preserving the Republican Party. I couldn’t care a flying fig what happens to the GOP. “Dump Trump” is about preserving our nation. Those of you, who are still on the fence, trying to decide between Trump and Cruz, ask yourself why you are still on the fence. You probably want to support Trump, after all it seems a majority of Conservatives do, but that little voice deep down inside says that something about this guy just doesn’t add up. Listen to that voice, the fate of our country might very well depend on it.
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What’s In a Name?
Homophobe, Islamaphobe, intolerant, racist, bigot, woman-hater, backward, ignorant, redneck, cracker. If you are a white, Christian, Conservative, you have probably been called at least one of those words, or something worse. Here’s a word for those who are quick to throw out the aforementioned terms, hypocrite.
I don’t know about you, but I am getting weary with being told what I think and how I feel from people who have no idea who I am or what I stand for. People who are content to be told by the entertainment industry what to think, not how to think. People who are too quick to believe what they are told, by a media more concerned with pushing a social agenda, than seeking the truth.
I watch everyday, on the news, on the web, and I am astonished that people blame racism, and bigotry in all its forms when they are faced with the consequences of their behaviors. Common sense and civility have been driven from the public square, and I shake my head and wonder, at what point did the Bill of Rights, specifically the First Amendment, become so twisted and perverted that it is now the instrument by which I am stripped of the very rights it was meant to preserve?
Conservatism has always been about protecting the rights of the individual. Every individual, no matter what your personal philosophy. In spite of the picture painted of us, Conservatism is about compassion and compromise, within a framework of self-determination and personal responsibility. It is clear now however, that the Progressive movement, in spite of the narrative pushed for it, is not about compromise, it is about control.
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Let’s Get Fired Up
Saw this video on Chicks On the Right. When will those in the government learn that they work for us. There are those who understand what this country was founded on and will not stand by and let our Constitution be trampled.
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On My Honor
This coming May the Boy Scouts of America will make a decision on whether or not to allow gay people into the organization. As a scout parent, I have very mixed feelings about this issue. For more that one hundred years the organization has fulfilled a need that may be greater now than ever before. As our society increasingly seeks to emasculate the male gender, young men need a place where “boys can be boys” while still learning the foundations of integrity taught by the Scouting program. The values enumerated in the Boy Scout Law, trustworthiness, loyalty, helpfulness, friendship, courtesy, kindness, obedience, cheerfulness, thriftiness, bravery, cleanliness, and reverence are values that are sorely needed in all aspects of today’s world. From the White House, to the board room, to the schools, and the media, our society is yearning for men (and women) who will place personal integrity above their own needs for power and glory and wealth. The kind of men Scouting creates, and yet, this same society has sought on several occasions to tear down the tenets of Scouting as outdated or discriminatory. This is a dark place for the organization to be in. The issues are complex and weighty, and there is no solution that won’t hurt the program in some way.
The safety of the boys is the most important consideration in this issue. The idea that allowing gay leaders would somehow lead to an increase in sexual abuse is based more on emotion than fact. Homosexuality, and Pedophilia come from two different mindsets. I would expect any leader, regardless of his or her sexual orientation to keep their private lives, private. Just as it would be inappropriate for a man and a woman married or not to engage in sexual behavior during a Scout function, so would it be for a gay couple. Because the standards of behavior for adult leaders are well established and could apply to any sexual orientation, removing leaders who violate the rules could be accomplished without valid accusations of discrimination.
Allowing gay boys into the organization is more problematic. Navigating the hormonal seas of adolescence is difficult for any teenager. Add in an immature frontal cortex, the judgement center of the brain, and you have a recipe for all sorts of bad decisions. That is why coed groups such as Venturing, have strict rules of behavior. Many of those same rules could be used in a mixed group of gay and heterosexual boys, but it would be impossible to segregate tenting and bathing without discriminating against the gay Scouts. To be fair, there are already gay boys within the ranks who are engaging in camping and other Scouting activities alongside their fellow Scouts without any problem. But this could be attributed to a boy’s trying to hide his homosexuality from the other Scouts. If homosexuality is an acceptable behavior, would gay boys continue to be discreet about it? Regardless of your stance on the issue, this is something that has to be considered and appropriate rules put in place. Other wise it could lead to an incident that could be emotionally devastating to all boys involved.
The solution that the BSA seems to be favoring is to leave the decision up to the local units, based on the criteria of their chartering organizations. This will leave individual troops vulnerable to lawsuits if they choose to exclude gay members. As long as the National Organization is will to offset the legal costs to these troops it may be the best alternative. Solving the problem at a local level will make it possible for gay boys to form their own troops if there are none available.
No matter what decision the National Organization makes, it faces an uncertain future. If they decide to allow gay persons, they will lose the backing of the churches where so many troops are chartered. Many Scouting families, attracted by the emphasis on moral behavior, will leave in droves, possibly crippling the Scouting movement. If they do not allow gays, the organization will face an exodus of members sympathetic to the gay cause. They will also face legal pressures from outside groups who opposed any organization with Christian ties. Sadly, this is a battle the Boys Scouts of America should not have to face. The Supreme Court ruled in 2000 that the BSA had the right as a private organization to establish its own policies regarding who it allows to join. The state of California is proposing a law, SB323, that will strip the BSA and other organizations that exclude, gays, atheists, and others based on their religion, gender, or sexual identity, of their tax exempt status. This will essentially prevent these organizations from being able to operate in that state. This is wrong. It is not the place of any government, local, state or federal, to remove an organization’s Constitutional rights, in order to promote a social agenda. Indeed it should be society that will ultimately decide whether the BSA is still relevant in today’s world, and it will be society that will pay the price should it decide that the BSA is not.
Related articles
- Coalition: Keep Sex & Politics Out of Boy Scouts (radio.foxnews.com)
- http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/04/10/calif-tax-bill-seeks-to-punish-boy-scouts-for-gay-ban-targets-unfortunate-discriminatory-and-outdated-practices/
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For the Want of Reagan
Vote (Photo credit: Vaguely Artistic)
The other day I was watching TV with my daughter when a commercial from one of Mitt Romney‘s Super Pacs came on. She sat shaking her head then stated. “I don’t like Mitt Romney”. This started a discussion on the comparison of the negativity of political campaigns. Her rather discouraging reply was, “don’t get me wrong, I don’t like Obama either. I don’t think either candidate is any good. I makes me not even want to bother voting.” This is her first time getting to vote in a Presidential election and she’s already so disgusted by the campaign crap that she’s just done with it all. I felt so disappointed for her, and so afraid for our future. I can still remember the pride I felt the first time I got to vote. Even after four years of Ronald Reagan, we could still feel the hopelessness of the demoralizing presidency of Jimmy Carter. Proud once again to call ourselves Americans, we young rural Texans were going to make sure we didn’t go there again. I was excited about going to that tin shed out behind the Old Rock Church, to mark my poster sized ballot and put it into the lock-box. I felt as though I were really making a difference. Not in any election since, have I felt that way.
No longer do we have the pleasure of electing a hero who will bravely lead our country to a place of honor and respect in the world. Now we have to settle for trying to discern who will do the least amount of damage. Gone are the grand designs for peace and prosperity, boldly put forth by men like President Reagan. We are left with mud-slinging salesmen and morally bankrupt hypocrites. We no longer go to the polls to elect a leader, we go instead to choose between the lesser of two evils. No wonder, that our young adults are so disillusioned.
Right now the America that has become the most prosperous nation on earth, the country the rest of the world looked up to as an example of leadership, and decency is in grave danger of perishing. Sitting in the Oval Office is a man whose personal philosophy is the polar opposite of that of our Founding Fathers. Someone who has no real understanding of an American culture, and no respect for the “separation of powers” established by our Constitution. Through deceit and subterfuge he bypasses the “checks and balances” of our system of government in order to push through his own agenda. A vision of America where those who live by their own hard work and ingenuity have to share the fruits of their labors with those who choose to do nothing. Where charity and compassion are no longer the way that men of integrity separate themselves from the lazy and selfish, but are government mandates instead. Where peace is bought by placating our enemies and abandoning our allies.
This may be the most critical election in our nation’s history. Made even more so by those who have been beguiled by Obama’s charismatic presence, into believing that his vision for America really will make their lives better. Those individuals are lost to us. Our only hope is to convince those who are undecided and especially those who feel that their vote doesn’t matter that an absent vote is the same as a vote for Obama. The only way to save our nation is for everyone who is tired of “politics as usual” to understand the disaster that four more years of Obama will bring. Mitt Romney needs your vote. The country needs your vote. Even if the choices aren’t great.
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The War on Wives
A Tribute to Housewives (Photo credit: Richard Loyal French)
The liberal feminist movement has long had an arrogant disdain for stay at home moms. Though they try to pretend otherwise, the truth slipped out in Hilary Rosen‘s remarks, and now the Democrats have to do “damage control”. If you listen carefully to the disingenuous apologies, you will hear the true agenda of the feminist movement. It’s not necessarily motherhood that they despise, it’s wifedom, and in their eyes the epitome of subservience is the “stay at home mom”.
Liberal feminists simply do not think it is possible in this “enlightened age” for an intelligent, woman to find fulfillment in caring for a husband and children and managing a household. They think that women who choose this lifestyle must suffer from low self esteems or are brainwashed by some sort of patriarchal cult. Because they see men as nothing more than abusive, condescending sperm donors, they celebrate motherhood by elevating single moms to heroic status. Especially women who choose to raise children without a husband. Now don’t get me wrong here, I’m not criticizing single mothers, or trivializing the incredible juggling act that they have to perform on a daily basis.
Liberal feminism has created a culture in which women do not just have a choice of having a career and a family they are obligated to. Women are expected to live up to a “super woman” ideal that just isn’t realistic. The result is that today’s women live with an overwhelming burden of exhaustion and guilt. There are many women who would rather stay at home with their children but because of economic and or social pressures feel they can’t. Unless you have a part-time job at a school, there are no jobs where you can be home when your kids are. When you are at work, you feel guilty that you are not home with your kids. If you have to take care of a sick child, you feel guilty about not fulfilling your work obligations. If you call a friend or relative to tend to your sick child so you can be at work you feel like a terrible mom. If you choose not to work and stay home you feel guilty every time your husband works overtime to make ends meet, or you feel guilty when you have to tell your kids no because you can’t afford it.
The real “war on women” isn’t being waged by conservatives, it’s being waged by those liberal feminists and their supporters who claim to represent all women. All women except those who put their families first that is.
Observations and Opinions of a Middle Aged Housewife 