Fumbling Farouk bungles bomb!

They keep saying it is not a matter of 'IF' but a matter of 'WHEN'.

They say this bomb was advanced, undetectable, showing the bad guys are adapting to literally stay under the radar; then they indicate it is some amateurish incendiary device.

They say the Detroit Dud was on his way to a conference on Islam in Detroit; but he tried to explode a plane upon landing.

They say he was 'suspected' as having ties with Al Quada; he was on some 'watch' list but they forgot to watch him? He had permission to come to Detroit.

They called this an ATTEMPTED act of terror; those on the plane directly involved in retrospect seem far more terrorized than less.

They have suggested links to the same imam that 'MAY' have been killed in Yemen a few days back that was also now known to have given the order to the Army Psycho who terrorized Ft. Hood a couple of months back, STILL not being called an act of TERROR though, once again, clearly people were terrorized.

"They" .. who would 'they' be? Well, 'they' are the ones charged with our safety, both here and in the skies. Yet, it is clear that even 8 years later we clearly have a muddled system of information. Oh, he is on a watch list but wow how embarrassing that would have been to acknowledge had his plan been successful. Let's not rest on our laurels. Let's not take solace in his ineptitude in this instance. Let's hold the same people responsible for knowing he was on watch list and yet somehow managed to give him permission to arrive in our country. His own FATHER reported him, for goodness sake! Weeks ago!!! And he is on a flight to Detroit HOW?

So lately:

Army Doctor murders military and civilian personnel in an act of terrorism on a military base.
2 people crash a 'dinner party' where the President was a guest.
Delta's Detroit landing was safe, DESPITE the watch listed passenger

...and this is just what we know about. Yes, we all know it is just a matter of time. But, why is it the 'authorities' are concerned the American public may be complacent when in fact it's the ones in charge who are the culprits of complacency.

I agree, we must be mindful that "THEY" have no doubt foiled more than we are aware of and have managed to hover our safety somewhere between fair to good, but, it is clear the bad guys are looking to exploit our vulnerabilities. I hope this incident with Firecracker Farouk doesn't catapult the traveler into yet another series of TSA prohibitions. We have Reid the Ridiculous to thank for having to take our shoes off; We have to buy little travel sized containers of tooth paste, mouth wash and deodorant and stick them in a plastic bag in order to freshen up on the plane after a long flight. So what is this going to cause us to do? Pass through some 'Total Recall' XRAY machine exposing us all to harm? It is time the precautions are taken on the part of US Intel -- especially when you have someone's father force feeding you information about the son's radical activities!

The American Public should stay vigilant but it seems not only of suspicious behavior. Perhaps they should be equally suspicious of those whose behavior is not up to safety standards...like letting party crashers come and go with impunity and a watch listed man board a US BOUND FLIGHT! with US passengers! It is time to pink slip the civil servants who are creating holes for potential deadly consequences to exploit!

From Bondage to Bondage

Today on Glenn Beck's show he discussed the thoughts contained in the concepts here.

I went online to seek out this same set of thoughts Glenn used to find out the origin and background of the statements. There is a certainty on the internet that some version of this was credited to a few different people. But this particular set of statements in this order I found in its entirety in a Snope's expose. The expose' was not about the statements contained so much as the email under discussion's extrapolation from the sentiment. I thought how about filling in the blanks...what if we each look over the single sentences and answer where in our lives we believe each of these statements became true.

I am not sure if the first two statements have application to a specific time. In my life, I can point to a couple of waves of spiritual freedoms and my life began mid 20th century. However, from Courage to Abundance, I believe that began its assent after the Korean War. It was the last war for a full decade America was involved in and right after that time America and by extension, many nations, began to experience 'abundance'.

From the abundance, complacency. I remember in the 1970's a joke that circulated as a commentary on just how complacent American's had drifted to. The abundance hit a snag in the 70's with a break down of our confidence with the initialization of OPEC's pricing and oil rationing. The economy tanked.

The mid 80's we rebounded and this time we wound up moving from complacency to apathy. A new generation growing up with technology, Hollywood, double income families and less and less 'family' time; a transference of authority over the family from the family to educators and social professionals. The 80's wound up defining all sorts of 'ism's' arising as people manifest behavioral actions which became alarming.

In the 90's we wound up moving from apathy to dependence! Co-dependence, inter-dependence explanations for people's behavior. Independence became a 'bad' notion. If you are independent you are not a Team player, you are not sensitive to the fragility of the universe which manifests 'inter-dependence' on a monumental level. If you express an independent, non conformist opinion, you are considered rebellious, stubborn, and bigoted. Yet, was it not 'independence' that dominated the 'cause' of the founding fathers who founded our LIBERTY through the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE? Were they not diligent in moving America of the day, the 13 colonies, from Bondage to Spiritual Faith.

If we follow the logic of the sentiment above, where are we, in your opinion? How close are we to the final condition, "From dependence back to bondage"? Perhaps closer than you think. We are not completely dependent yet. We still have government health care and everything that is inherent in the various bills they are coalescing into 'free health care'. We still have Cap and Tax, we still have attacks upon the various FREEDOMS we are so dependent upon, SPEECH! If our speech is squelched so is our right to our own religious beliefs and press and the right to stand up for our family, property, beliefs, ourselves!

I believe we teeter dangerously close to the edge of the precipice leading only to bondage if we do not move back to courage and liberty! With a reassertion of liberty and courage we will realize abundance. Abundance -- not necessarily of a material nature. Abundance may be freedom to SPEAK your mind; speak up for another or for a cause you believe in, or simply to hold an unpopular opinion and not be censured for it. Abundance of freedoms from being labeled because you hold a strong opinion, for instance, in civility, in appropriate deportment as allowed by our Constitution.

Liberty has been fanned back to life after smoldering for the past 3 decades. Liberty is manifesting itself in the courage of many Americans who have donned the unpleasant but patriotic notion of confronting their elected officials inquiring of them why they do not respect their constituency. Courage manifesting itself in people like the couple who went on the road at their own peril to expose the truth about some employees working for ACORN, on our tax dollars! With this demonstration of courage and liberty comes more pressure from the government to squelch the 'discontent'. The administration has moved from calling you and I names for our stand for liberty to calling anyone who reports the notions being moved forward -- in some intention to transform the country -- 'the opposition'. Color me an opposer if transforming my country to anything -- other than what it was transformed to in 1791 -- is the goal!

FROM COURAGE TO LIBERTY; will you join the movement back from dependence to INDEPENDENCE? to LIBERTY? Away from BONDAGE? Step back to independence; step away from the edge of the precipice with bondage as ground zero.

That's my opinion. What's yours?

Small Victory for Freedom

Hawaii County's Human Services Committee took the first step in preserving our constitutional freedoms yesterday during an historic vote on Resolution 237-09. The Resolution's stated purpose: "...Urging Hawai'i State and Federal Legislators to amend vaccine laws to the right of medical, religious and philosophical exemption from mandated vaccine programs."


What a laudable leadership step this resolution proves to be. Residents from Kona, Waimea and Hilo were present to testify before the Committee in support of the approval of Resolution 237-09. After considerable discussion, where the only point of divergence between council members was the absence of testimony from an opposing view, the committee voted to approve the resolution 7 votes yes, 1 vote no. The resolution now passes to the full Council for discussion and consideration with more testimony pending. This resolution is tentatively expected to make it to the October 21st Agenda.

The core point of the Resolution is 'choice'. Choice which comes from the exercise of 'freedom'. Freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution! Our Declaration of INDEPENDENCE says the following: "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..."

Thus, the premise of this Resolution is wholly based on the guarantee of our freedoms as expressed prolifically in our Bill of Rights, our Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution! Authority for the audacity of this Resolution comes from our Declaration of Independence' opening paragraph: "When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation." With this said, the Resolution stands as testimony to the world the folks of Hawaii County expressly resolve to maintain those freedoms which include right to decide whether or not to accept the immunization currently offered for H1N1.

And so Hawaii County's Human Services Committee has declared the cause which impels them to separate themselves from the strong plausibility of a 'mandated' inoculation program currently being hotly debated on a national level. CBS News writes: "This raises an obvious and important question: Under what circumstances can government officials order mandatory vaccination? And could the general public be ordered to roll up their sleeves for injections, even if there might be side effects beyond a sore arm or mild fever? The concern in New York also comes as skepticism of vaccination in general seems to be on the rise. "

Councilwoman Naeole's staff did an outstanding job in seeking out the information they needed and arming themselves with the knowledge that would be defensible and in creating the resolution. Councilwoman Naeole further proved a novel leader in this instance in supporting her staff for their outstanding devotion to this topic.

Councilman Greenwell remained ever focused on the primary issue this resolution exposes and addresses: the 'right' and 'freedom' of Americans to 'choose' if they wish to receive the inoculation, or to opt out for any reason.

Resolutions usually bear no particular legislative weight other than to put on the record the consensus of a group or legislative body. Yet, in this world of 'political gain' as the dominant underlying motivation for nearly all things done on a governmental level, THIS RESOLUTION manifests a clear apolitical impulse prone only in the direction of continuing a freedom based personal choice.

The medical arguments are no less important and bear considerable contemplation, but the underlying issue is the 'freedom' to choose to accept or reject the medical rationale for such a mandate.

Plaudits to the Human Services Committee, to Councilwoman Naeole and her staff and to Councilman Greenwell for maintaining and providing clarity in articulation time and time again, marshaling a positive vote for a positive resolution in the presence of a grateful constituency!

That's my opinion! What's yours?

Crash of Entitlement!

Drudge Report leads today with this huge headline: THE EGO HAS LANDED
WORLD REJECTS OBAMA: CHICAGO OUT IN FIRST ROUND
Newt Gingrich writes this: newtgingrich Somehow charm and oratory dont seem to work in foreign affirs but historians have warned that foreign policy is different than campaigning
Breitbarts lead is this:http://www.breitbart.tv/pandemonium-in-the-broadcast-center-chicago-loses-olympics-bid/

And so you have it, the crash of entitlement. We through everything at the bid for Chicago both big "O"'s Oprah and Obama and still it wasn't enough.

Meanwhile back at home a reality check seems to be in order. 43 troops lost their lives in September, a full month after a request was submitted to give support to the Afghanistan war front by the very General appointed to bring this one in as a done deal! And did you hear? John Kerry wants Obama to take some time to think over his strategy, perhaps weeks. Wow, talk about support.

Last month marked another anniversary of the observance of POW-MIA day. Nice write up here: www.vfwpost3830.com

Unemployment is still going off the richter scale.

Americans are reeling from the reality that their strong protests against an over reaching government has fallen on deaf ears. That the push for health care reform should step back and take some time to review the many concerns.

But we could spend beaucoup bucks to make a bid for Chicago as the the 2016 site of the Olympics. Spare no expense.

For so many reasons I am grateful this has happened. It is a form of censure to America that even when we foisted the 'One' upon them they opted to work as an independent committee and not be swayed by some sense of entitlement.

And score one for the folks who believe merit and not cronyism should be the final basis for a decision. The President and his team have let down a lot of people back in his home town but it is not for lacking any nerve to spend money that belongs to the people to be used for National Security. Not bringing home the gold somehow seems quite fitting for a country who is subsidizing itself on monopoly money!

Now that the fun is over Mr. President, how about our troops in Afghanistan? Did you ever entertain the idea of stopping by and saying 'howzit'? Or, how about, 'You're next on my plate'? Gee, using tax payer dollars to bolster our troop's morality, troops from all over the US and not just Chicago, what a novel idea. "O"ops!

Obama-lympics!

Let me see, the number of American's out of work is what? The number of American's wanting an accounting from the White House on the proposed Health Care Reform is how many? The number of military in Afghanistan needing back up and support will be addressed, when? Taxes must go up, why?


The President himself is leaving on a jet plane for Copenhagen for a 'day' to try and win the Olympic games for Chicago! A day. How many hundreds of thousands of tax dollars are going to be spent to 'sell Chicago as the 2016' site? This has to do with the day to day business of running the country, HOW?

Sure, if Chicago picks up the games there will be much money being funneled into the area with lots of people working in everything related to the Olympics. But what about the rest of the nation? What do taxpayers in Indiana get because the Olympics come to town.

What happened to the 'hard work' and 'sacrifice' Obama talked of on the campaign trail. Perhaps he meant the military, our soldiers, would be the 'hardworking' 'sacrificing' ones. Of course they understand there is more pressing business their Commander in Chief simply must take care of, THE OLYMPICS! Surely the folks in uniform stuck in harm's way understand if their Chief must postpone serious discussion and decisions on their welfare and needs while he and the wife jet off to Copenhagen for the day, on the taxpayers dime!

The world is upside down. Leadership has left the building. Self interest and self promotion have replaced a united sense of kinship, that pride in our country that used to bind us all. Of course, President Eisenhower would jet off to Denmark for the day and leave his soldiers hanging out there at war.

When the Olympics are over and it is time Obama pay the piper, what will it be? What will he promise the folks who make the decision to get them to choose Chicago? Time will tell. In the meantime, while Copenhagen has the President's full attention, our men and women in uniform are still paying the ultimate price and while they likely do not give the 'news' any mind, if they did, do you think they'd be okay with their boss off scoring the Olympics instead of here, hunkered down with the top military brass, trying to negotiate a positive resolution to this Afghan war? NO! But hey, not to worry, the other "O", Bin Laden, is still hard at work. He's able to threaten Europe for supporting the US in Afghanistan and praise his god all the while.

But we might get the Olympics! Surely such frivolity is justifiable and worthy. I bet those folks out in the San Joaquin Valley, where their lives have been turned to dust, literally, fully understand the President has no time to deal with their issues, he has an Olympic Game to secure for Chicago. Hey, but at least the folks there will eat well, even if the rest of the nation doesn't because the folks in the San Joaquin Valley cannot grow the crops to feed us.

Dude! What are you thinking? With so much 'life and death' at stake why are you spending tax dollars to fly to Copenhagen to try and move the folks to vote for Chicago? If you feel compelled to blow the bucks why not take it and hand it out to people who need it? Even if you wanted to do that in Chicago surely there are no to low income people who need a few dollars. How many people could you feed with the money you will be spending to go over? How much will Chicago spend to make over their city for a couple of weeks of games? And people are losing their jobs, their homes, their families. They must know how wonderful their world will be, how Obama's concern for them will rock their world when he leads out the Parade at the Olympics! He will probably carry the torch right to the stadium! We can all be so proud! Hopefully the collective sound of the stomachs of those hungry, out of work and home, will not drowned out the celebration of the Olympics.

No shame. None whatsoever. "Let them eat cake" right?

Ramping Up For Fall On The HILL!

Summer is behind us, though the 'Town Hall Meeting' are still happening; and though the Tea Party Express is making its way across the country towards 9/12 at DC.

The President's aggressive agenda has begun to reflect 'pause' while the majority regroup and reagendize their goals.

Our vigilance is all the more dire as behind the scenes issues like FREEDOM OF SPEECH and PRESS are being quietly removed from our country's historic landscape of inalienable rights. Healthcare reform, aka, Health Insurance Reform, aka, Obamacare, aka Teddy-Care, will be interesting to watch as the 'death panels' discussion, that embarrassing VA directive to discuss end of life care which doesn't seem to be going away, and the volatile 'Public Option' or 'government option' is in...no wait, it's out...no wait,it's in...all make their way through various committee discussions. Then, today, it is announced Barbara Boxer and John Kerry are putting off their 'Cap and Trade' rendition to the end of September for a slew of reasons.

The end of the month the President heads off on another foreign trip, another opportunity to apologise, only this time perhaps he should, to China, for the way in which he has carelessly opted to spend their monies!

Americans should not view the 9/12 Tea Parties as the culmination of a busy summer and head into malaise as the fall and winter seasons begin to arrive. We cannot be any less vigilant in watching bills and exposing the deeds of those who would alter our country from the United States of America to the United Socialist America!

The last 300 years of our history falls directly on our shoulders to protect. We must be as driven to covet our freedoms as those who have given their all before us. We must keep the LIGHT OF TRUTH shining brilliantly on the underhanded and devious plans of those who would hijack our nation from the Capitol steps! We must expose everything. Give the new FCC CZAR a run for his money and let him know we will not easily bow to becoming a Chavez look alike where media is concerned.

Please mark your calendars every single day to find some thing to talk about with your families, friends and work associates to keep AMERICA ALIVE and FREE!!!

Health Care Discussion & Public Virtue

Today while observing the politicians who occupy our television and various other devices streaming news through the eyes of the media commentator, one might find themselves caught up in the opinions of the favored commentator, perhaps identifying with their perspective, at least in principle. Are we perhaps doing ourselves an injustice by assuming the opinions of our favorite news sources without truly looking behind the scene to understand motive and intent?

What is virtue? A desired quality; an asset; a good value; high merit/caliber and goodness. When we look at public figures and we assess their performance do we see their good value, high merit and caliber, their goodness? Is it important for our elected officials to have and demonstrate virtue? One of the architects of our republic, Benjamin Franklin, held this idea: “"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters." Also, from the first president, “Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder. “ –George Washington

Today we are exposed to news reports of elected officials who either sold out their virtue for a dollar or they never possessed it and were caught fully exposed in their unethical character. The understatement above by George Washington then becomes all the more relative. Yet, conversely, we have some who hold virtue an honor and speak out in defense of it. Of late, Backman, Palin, Issa, and Conryn to name a couple. It is not that we are void of Virtuous leadership it is that we are overwhelmed by the shameful.

We arrive now at the threshold of an incredible time for liberty’s survival. If Franklin’s assessment is correct, ‘only virtuous people are capable of freedom’, where does this leave Liberty and you? Our country is being ripped apart from those who would march Liberty way out to sea from her home on the Hudson River and out of our lives as Americans vs those who hold Patrick Henry’s words as a mantra: “Give me liberty or give me death!”

We have been eye witnesses to the struggle for Liberty these past few weeks during the passionate discussion regarding health care and the proposal before the public being considered in the Congressional portion of the legislative branch. Public Virtue dictates honest debate on real issues that may lay dormant in HR 3200. Recently, Mike Leavitt referenced the health bill as ‘essentially a series of headlines and aspirations.’ [commences at 4:30 seconds] Please pay special attention to the ‘process’ of fleshing in the details of the outline which is HR 3200 as discussed. How can debate proceed when generalities populate the document, said generalities having ignited such a blaze? Wouldn’t Public Virtue involve what is best for the whole of the Republic not merely the elected officials; especially those who make no bones about their vocation? Going back to Washington’s comments regarding virtue vs highest bidder, is it any wonder the folks who have gone out on the hot August days to vent their thoughts and concerns with their elected officials [or their AARP representatives], do not recognize the leadership’s reticence to actually discuss issues as a Public Good? Or, Public Virtue?

The President has already taken his stand, there will be health care reform in 2009! And to that demonstrative dictate perhaps the question should be reiterated, “Why the rush on this bill when it took 6 months to choose a dog?” CAVEAT: Don’t know that it took that long but certainly it was in the news for a long time.

Would it not be in the majority’s best interest to truly hash out the health care plan that works to serve America’s already notable heath care industry?

Senator McCaskill made the following points during her town hall in Hillsboro, MO:

1. No bill has been voted on

2. The Senate will not be voting on the HR 3200

Since no bill has been voted on, how about they return to the drawing table and rework the bills they are entertaining for vote and have it reflect or at least assuage the concerns of the many VIRTUOUS Americans who came out and continue to show up at the meetings. Public Virtue, again, what is good for the country not for the individual, especially if that individual stands to gain from the loss of liberty and health care standards which are the envy of many western nations!

A challenge goes forth from this blog: Instead of trying to beat some partisan clock to win a victory as a feather in your legacy cap with the passage of such an unpopular bill; instead of rushing through this process just for the sake of ‘getting her done’, how about you step back and work at this with the long view!? So what if you don’t get the credit for the whole deal, if you at least get it going down a reasonable road that will be far more important and virtuous.

One last question: Where is it ordered, sanctioned, authorized or mandated that our government provide health care? That is a personal issue. In the early days it was between the practitioner and the patient. Entrepreneurial spirit initiated a bit of capital market trade when they sponsored health insurance. It is private business. The Social Security Act introduced the Medicare component which insinuated the government into the health care industry. There are many ways which have been suggested to create competition between private industry without the government looming over the whole health care system to its potential detriment. We all admit something has to give, and there is no doubt private insurance will need to be the biggest giver, but there has to be a far better way to innovate than to burden all of America with a national health care system. Apart from all of the philosophical discussion on the rights and wrongs of the form of government that leads to, the idea what was to be LIMITED GOVERNMENT now has carved out the potential to come in and hobble our freedoms on so many levels with this sort of health care is over kill!

Here is a clue: If you just went back to trying to fix Medicare? The 90Billion dollars lost to fraud would be a great place to start funding the physicians the fees they require that will encourage them to accept Medicare. It may be naïve but if doing nothing means absolute collapse for the entire system it may well be in everyone’s best interest to sit down and really work out a solution the Medicare folks can live with and the doctors and health care industry can support. The rest of the folks, those on private insurance they need to work through their power to purchase to motivate the private sector and those without, more and more companies are offering limited health care which will cover the big ticket items at least. Those industries have regulators to make sure they are offering real coverage for real health care needs.

Employing people to write health care who give access to a certain age group while exercising an actuarial attitude towards other age groups on either end of the ‘life’ spectrum will not for a long time fly with Americans. They are not ready for selective survival determined by a committee. They are not close to acceptance of eugenics. And let not the leadership forget, you too will grow old and face life threatening malady.

Just because someone is deemed a leader does not mean they are virtuous. Americans standing up and being heard right now demonstrate their desire for liberty and in doing so take the leadership role in PUBLIC VIRTUE. This is not something your neighbor can do for you or you can do for your neighbor. This is all on you!

REMEMBER: “"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.”

Town Hall Meeting Etiquette

Perhaps Another Beer Summit?

The President should return to his childhood culture and utilize finesse by having 'talk story' sessions with the country's ohana.

Okay, so in the hallowed walls of the House and Senate, decisions are made in a vacuum that emanate out and bind all in America. Typically, these decisions are made, somewhat reported on in the news, Americans grumble a little and they go on about their lives. If they don’t really like something, or conversely, they do, then they use their vote at the next election to register their assent/dissent. Town Hall Meetings are typically reserved for promoting a candidate. They have become far more popular of late and so it is no surprise they’d be employed to communicate with Americans about the one topic that has gotten everyone all riled up!

It is a good thing the lawmakers decided to not rush to judgment, choosing instead to give the people a little one on one time to answer questions, address concerns and build support. The Town Hall Meeting is a great way. Here’s where it has gone south as a great idea. The Hosts of these meetings are not coming to solicit input by answering questions. They came to propagandize their agenda mostly to ‘educate’ people about the bill. Sadly, they seem to all have a script and it is the same tired script the president has been using over and over and over and over and over. The folks out there in America are not the stupid people the politicians truly believe they are. They do not need the repetitive speeches done over and over as though saying it often enough will inculcate the masses and they will accede mindlessly. So when you keep saying ‘if you like your doctor and your insurance you can keep it’ understand, the folks are bright enough to know it cannot happen that way because their employer has already told them depending on the ‘public option’ they may give up private insurance for public plan and thus no more ‘keep the same doctor and insurance’. Of course one could opt to pay full price for the insurance plan while the employer offers other staff coverage under the public plan. That is not a savings for the employee paying for a private plan just to keep the doc and the insurance because the employer decides to opt in to the public plan. And isn’t the purpose of this big overhaul to bring down costs? Or is it merely to bring down costs for the government? <--- Said tongue in cheek!

People go to these meetings hoping to ask questions and get intelligent dialogue going only to find out the hosts have a script and the questions are not part of the script. So, frustration? Absolutely! And why not! A major MAJOR change is threatening to alter their health care and no one is really forthcoming with real information -- only the same platitudes which are easily dismissed with the simplest of reasoning. Human nature sustains a typical reaction to frustrating stimulus: When the human is unable to dispatch the source of the frustration, in this case, get answers to question or learn what the plan hopes to accomplish, the questions issue forth and when not answered the level of the voice goes up as a natural response to a question seemingly unheard. Eventually others in the audience wanting to assist the individual who appears not to hear echoes the same question -- then chaos begins to ensue. The hosts at these town hall meetings haven’t gotten it yet. They should just set up the podium, or grab a chair and sit in round circle, ask for questions, answer to the best of their ability. If they cannot answer, make an effort to get the information and release it. And here's a novel idea: How about the hosts record the concerns of the people, legitimate or not, and take those back to their hallowed walls for further debate? How about honoring the PEOPLE who pay the politician’s salaries and the politician's GREAT HEALTH PLANS by working with them to create a health care reform that works FOR them and not against them.

Now, to add insult to injury, the hosts are bringing bodies to occupy seats at the various locations from the SEIU and Organizer of America effectively neutralizing the purpose of the meetings by denying the American, who has a right to his/her opinion and to elicit information from the lawmaker/host, a place to sit where they can ask question. This opportunity would allow the concerned citizen to rest ‘assured’ the quality of their life, their income, their family’s well being is not going to be radically changed and for the worse by this hell share overhaul.

It is an abomination, an out right egregious assault to the American to take what could have been an outstanding opportunity to reflect REAL TRANSPARENCY and acknowledge REAL CONCERN and show UTTER RESPECT by using these meetings and this recess to really connect in a positive way with the folks. It is truly a shame the campaign trail had this guy out there wooing the public being a ‘regular’ guy having a hamburger and fries and reaching out to the folks; now, treating them with such contempt as to rig and stage these events to create the most havoc is shameful. Imagine this could be purposeful to cast the ‘regular’ folks in the worse possible light thus diminishing their worth and input.

Let’s not lose heart! NOVEMBER 2, 2010 is a little over a year away and that is when the ‘little people’ -- the administration is truly alienating through such disrespect -- will vote out those who participated and showed them they really mean nothing to their respective elected representatives. The level of heat that is going to be stoked to white hot with each and every occasion of the dismissive attitude by politicians will not easily be assuaged. People will remember and when it comes time to enter the voting booth they will make a difference.

So, how come the whole beer summit thing hasn’t been the theme of these meetings? I don’t mean serve beer but how about a room where everyone is sitting, informally, face to face, and just talking one on one? You know, Congressperson or Senator just says ‘I’m here to answer questions, clear the air, help you understand and take your concerns back to Washington”? Why the whole ‘listen up this is what we came here to do!’ The folks in DC cannot possibly be so naive as to believe the masses would not be up in arms. It is not about any cable channel or personality, no talk show pundit whipping up the hot winds of anger. It is not about one party trying to subvert another. It is about John & Jean Q Citizen who understand math, finance, budgets, running households, managing differences, developing team consensus. It is about the many families who fully understand the impact this bill will have on their lives and ultimately the quality of life for every citizen. They just wanted to sit down and have politicians convince them to go against their better judgment and fully understand how this is going to be A GOOD THING, that’s all! How is that so tough for the politicians to grasp. The fact that it is not happening is astounding confirmation the folk’s assumptions are real and correct and the future is looking maddeningly frightful and bleak and yeah, they will totally revolt against it any way they can because it goes against their grain not to.

The Government has failed to seize the moment in an historic and epoch way. They have instead shown themselves to be as those who have critiqued them have suggested: akin to the types who resort to intimidation as a means to an end. In America, land of the Brave, HOME OF THE FREE, the folks do not take kindly to threats! What’s more, they do not have a lot of patience with people who ought to know better but who prefer to induce ‘fear’ through psychological manipulation.

Here is hoping the Town Hall Meetings begin to turn a corner and productive discourse between people begins to happen. That would be far better a legacy for the president than ‘you owe, you owe so off your knee caps go!’

Come on, grab a brew, hang loose, talk story, ‘hear’ the folks. Emerge with a health care reform that has the support of the folks and kicks America up a notch as the prevailing and premiere health industry of the world! That would look far better on your resume'!

Dog Days of Summer

Or is that the ‘winds of change’ they are a blowin’!

The American people have been through a decade long interruption to their normal routine/comfort zone, commencing with the 2000 vote for President and ending with the summer recess of the House and Senate 2009. Along the way we managed to be attacked by murderous religious zealots, live through home grown terror in the form of white powder delivered via mail, a war that was labeled the ‘mother of all wars’ by Saddam and ‘Shock and Awe’ by the US which proved to be neither; well maybe it is becoming the ‘mother of all wars’ from a couple of different perspectives.

We managed to get through another presidential campaign, though Chad’s name did not come up again as being indecisive; a housing spike that turned out to be deeper than it was high -- ending in a nose dive for the economy never seen by the generation living today, driven there by the highest fuel costs experienced in a short period of time arriving at the end of the road where a lot of people are without jobs, homes, and food. A government, which has once again changed hands, and is printing monopoly money buying up pieces of our national monopoly board! It isn’t the Reading RR but GM; not hotels on Broadway but banks in Manhattan; the electric company is mandated by Cap & Trade promising to drive up costs for power so high people cannot afford the luxury. The Community Chest is TARP and if by CHANCE you have a get out of jail card it will be funded by Stimulus dollars. [The chain gang will have shovels.] Pretty soon, the government owns pretty much all the homes and businesses and you realize, the last vote you cast for change was really nothing more than another ‘roll of the dice’!

The interesting phenomenon that has chased itself from one end of the left/right spectrum to the other has been about the same thing but with different players. For the last few years of the Bush administration folks were up in arms over the Patriot Act, the Surveillance Act, the attempt to alter Presidential powers and changing of the verbiage to the ‘posse comitatus’ proviso. People were so utterly concerned about their right to privacy, their civil liberties, and rightly so, by the time the man who talked ‘change’ with a ‘yes we can’ do attitude figuratively walked off the water right onto the Presidential red carpet and began his reign. Yep, the folks who could not say enough about what was becoming of our constitutional rights, our individual liberties and our right to privacy moved their support from the dominant reigning party to the party that could do no right just a few years earlier. They voted and their mandate was clearly in support of change!

How’s that working out?

The nearly invisible presidency of Bush has become the weekly Obama Show at prime time. While the economy began to tank on the Bush watch the tank’s bottom has given way to a black hole sucking the life out of our once vibrant capitalist entrepreneurial country on the Obama watch. Bush’s intelligence gains have become Obama’s means.

Monopoly is now the name of the government game. Big CENTRAL Government where they sit you down and let you know what you are allowed to eat, drink, do, drive, where you get your healthcare, how warm/cold you can keep your home, because those smart appliances the Cap n Trade bill mandates will be radio frequency controlled and the utility companies will moderate the internal temps of our homes and businesses. They permit you to labor but you only get to keep a tithe of your pay, the government, now your mortgager, your banker, your health care provider, your ‘sin’ moderator [cigarettes, soda, chocolate, alcohol] your car dealer, your educator and volunteer coordinator, your family planner for how many live births to ‘end of life’ decisions and the final arbiter on how ‘old’ old really is, they now get the rest of your pay. In short, because we are lily livered, sniveling, spoiled, stupid and entitled children the government will shoulder the responsibility we have systematically volunteered to give to them. How you may ask?

We got greedy and needed a baby sitter for free. That would be the education system. From pre-school to college from age 2 to 23 the government gives us tax credits, provides the public schools, feeds the kids breakfast and lunch, teaches them academia and social classes. The kids learn how to read condom labels, do the math to determine how much they need for medicinal marijuana, learn virtual geography that comes in handy on My Space and Facebook, how to dress to impress. [I know, in our day it was short tight skirts and today it is big baggie pants.] Phys Ed is now ‘recreational drugs’. We have grown to appreciate the various meanings of ‘crack’. We have crack: the drug, crack: that which you see when the baggy pants fall or the hip huggers do not quite cover the hips and lastly those who use Blackberry phones and devices are ‘crack’berry freaks! On week ends we drop the kids off at the mall and let store personnel, food courts and Hollywood keep them occupied.

Morality has become a naughty, politically incorrect word. We are to ‘embrace’ the differences. We ‘the baby boomers’ -- those of us who detested the ‘establishment’ when we were teens -- wound up handing our lives and our kids lives right over to the very thing we struggled so hard to break free from as kids! Now the ‘establishment’ has loomed so large and whose tentacles are so far reaching and all encompassing there is a stranglehold on everyone of us. This all happened as our personal opinions and individuality eroded and gave way to ‘groupthink’ with ‘social behavior’ no longer innately understood but being dictated to us and it is not a pretty picture. The Bible cautions: “Woe to those who are saying that good is bad and bad is good…” [Isaiah 5:20]

Where does it all end? Or, when? If not soon, never! Independence, individuality and freedom will first disappear as a reality and likely either evolve into some other meaning; foot noted in some ‘radical’ history book or disappear from dictionary.com forever. The two party system will probably ‘change’ to ‘no party’ or ‘class’ systems as the migration from a democratic republic morphs into totalitarian, or worse. We have the ‘dog days of summer’ NOW to work out freedom, our rights, our independence and our individuality. We need to get out and engage in letter writing campaigns first to the elected officials and then to our neighbors. We need to make sure we are not so conditioned by the government in our apathetic malaise that we do not notice the tanks rolling down our streets as ‘wrong’! We need to understand there is a distinctive plan to engage in age discrimination, in exploiting vulnerabilities, and in being recreated in someone else’s image! The healthcare reform as it is being touted currently is a means to an end, but what end and for whom? I will let the more informed paint that one.

Folks, please do not draw comfort in considering yourself one of the ‘silent majority’! We cannot afford to be silent. As the majority we need to make sure our input reaches all the way to the halls of the White House, Capital Hill and reverberates all the way back to the sovereign states and their respective Capital institutions! The architects of the greatest government since the Theocracy of Israel designed a form of government from the bottom up with the majority of the power in the ‘people’ with limited power with the government. We MUST protect the inalienable right to LIFE, LIBERTY and the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS and protection comes only from activity. If you do not USE it you WILL LOSE IT!

All you folks who were rightly and deeply concerned about your civil liberties under Bush and who opted for ‘change’ in Obama, it is understood that you in no way dreamed this would be the change you would get. If you were to compare the two, and you shouldn’t have to, it may be hard to turn a blind eye to the 6 months of nearly irreversible damage done to this country since the first of the year in comparison to the 8 yrs of Bush. The percipient ones understood Bush facilitated change with his policies, however such prescient knowledge no doubt lacked full spectrum affects of how the change would ultimately be realized. Hindsight, as they say is 20/20.

As in any storm the winds change directions, sometimes from one way to another other times circular - counter and then clock wise. The winds of change unleashed in November of 2008 were not correctly perceived as foreboding by the masses. They missed the signs. On January 22 or 2009, however, the winds began blowing out from the White House first to the nation then to the world and when the dust settles Lady Liberty may be looking at the skeletal remains of a once truly FREE DEMOCRACY.

You have the power to alter the course of this storm. Push back by writing letters and sending them. Forget about emailing the elected folks they do not have working emails but have forms where they tell you but do not listen. You can try calling but the interns, their staff, by now have grown accustomed to the disgruntled and dismayed among us and likely are no longer taking detailed messages, if any at all and you can figure it is being delivered through a filter of their perceptions of the caller. That is of course if you can even get through. Contact your local papers, television and radio stations and let them know you really want to know when the Town Hall Meetings for discussion of healthcare reform will be held so you can make an appearance in support of slowing down the process and giving it time for legitimate and creative debate. Keep their news desk folks and their editors busy answering and reading your concerns. Tell the media and elected officials to look at models like Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic and see how to replicate their healthcare. Don’t look at MassCare, Canadian or UK Social systems as models. Be active in whatever way you can – you may be able to continue to enjoy the life you have carved out for yourself. You will be able to snuggle up in your comfort zone and feel like it is all yours. If you don’t do anything you have been promised by Ms. Obama that the president will make sure you are no longer IN your comfort zone but ENGAGED in what he has decided should be your life! No! Uh ah! We the people will exercise our freedoms of speech and self expression!

WAKE UP! REALLY, BEFORE IT IS TOOOOOOOOOOOOOO LATE!