NovemberRevolution2010

 
 
If you have attended or watched a debate or a town hall meeting, you’ve likely encountered heated exchanges among opposing groups. In some instances, fist fights and other forms of violence have been recorded. The case for civility has been replaced by the case for being heard, even if it’s by shouting over the candidates speaking.

I certainly would never advocate violence or disruptive behavior in settings that are clearly reserved for cooler or calmer heads, but I can understand how this behavior transpires. When a large group is repeatedly denied access to simply have their opinions heard, you are likely to see frustration build to an eruption like we have seen in these debates and town hall meetings. For over two years a large section of Americans have sought to have their grievances heard by their representative government and this group has been ignored, castigated, vilified, and even mocked. Finally, the group has reached the boiling point and their anger is spilling over in the form of outburst like we’ve seen at debates and town halls around the nation.

Child psychologist will quickly tell parents that if you ignore your children and allow the lines of communication to deteriorate they will lash out to get your attention. Marital counselors will expound upon the importance of two way communication to ensure a healthy marriage and spend countless hours counseling spouses on how to “listen” to your partner. In all relationships, when communication is halted or becomes a one way street, conflict arises.  So, why members of our government are shocked or appalled by the disruptive and sometimes violent reactions they are now seeing is stupefying.

When a large voter block calls your office, emails your office and snail-mails your office with their desire to be heard, you had better listen and then respond respectfully. Instead far too many of our supposed representatives have not only ignored their constituents but have gone so far as to blame them for policy failures. It is no secret that the group I’m referring to is none other than the Tea party. Americans who have joined this group are simply fed up with the over reach of a government bureaucracy that seems more interested in growing the size of its departments than in growing the size of our economy. A government that has put more time and spent more money for hypothetical climate change dangers than it has spent reducing factual real world unemployment.

Dear Representatives, if you do not like the way your constituents are yelling and screaming at you during your debates, perhaps you should have taken their calls when they were still willing to simply discuss their concerns. Perhaps you Representatives should have been available to reply to letters and email rather than running around celebrating your Hope and Change, while your constituents were left hopeless and with only change in their pockets. Finally, if you do not want voters picketing outside your office or your home, then perhaps you should remember that you were elected to represent that majority trying to get your attention. You were not elected to show your moral or intellectual superiority over voters, quite the contrary. You were elected to humble yourself in the service of those who entrusted you with their voice, putting aside your own personal desires to do the will of the people. If you cannot or do not wish to fulfill this form of representation, then you should excuse yourself from public service and make your way back to the private sector, where you are free (at least at the moment) to expound upon your own greatness.

 
 
Today I had a disappointing conversation with my own mother. We were discussing the unfortunate pregnancy of an unwed niece in the family. My position was and is that this niece needs to explain to the younger girls in our family that getting pregnant before you are married or financially able to care for a child is a mistake. At the time she became pregnant she was neither married nor financially able to care for herself, let alone a child.

Though she worked two part time jobs she could not afford the medical expense that comes with having a child. Her response to my concerns on this issue was to say she had Medicare/Medicaid and WIC(women, infants, & children) a type of food stamps for mothers & children. When I pressed her to understand relying on government to cover your medical expenses and food did not constitute being personally responsible she became angry. I am not sorry. Someone needs to explain to her and millions of other Americans that “WE” responsible taxpaying Americans are fed up with paying for your irresponsible behavior.

I am glad she elected to have the child and did not compound one mistake with another. I know there are many who may suggest she should have aborted the child, but I disagree as a Christian. I and my husband did offer to adopt the baby to alleviate the financial and personal responsibility of raising a child she cannot afford.  Not surprisingly, she declined our offer and elected to care for the child with help from our tax dollars and now lives with the father.

The conversation with my Mother on this topic was frustrating because I fear her attitude exemplifies far too many Americans. My mother has been a Sunday school teacher and active member in her church for as long as I can remember. She was always a very conservative person with straight forward Christian principles that were unwavering.  Until recently when she seems to have faltered in her faith and is hesitant to call a spade a spade.  She attempted to defend my nieces’ position by saying that my husband and I have medical care from the government as my husband is in the Army and when we had our son it was no different than our niece. Though she is correct that our medical costs are covered by the government, she is incorrect in all else…my husband EARNS the medical benefits he is paid and that cover our family. He earns it by working longer hours and in more difficult and dangerous conditions than nearly any other American worker.

We are giving to the government just like every other hard working American family and we give far more than we receive. If my husband were to leave the Army and work for a civilian company he would make nearly double his current salary and have benefits for our family. The attitude that the government owes all Americans a free pass is ludicrous. This type of thinking is destroying the very fabric of our nation. We were built upon hard work and entrepreneurship, not pandering beggars who held out their hand. My mother went on to explain that she believes in another 5 years 90% of Americans will be on some type of food stamp program or welfare. Well, I’m not sure what type of math she is using to pay for this enormous expense but according to all the equations I’ve seen and done it isn’t possible that 10% of our nation can support 90% doing nothing.

Though I would agree that we are very much headed in that direction under the leadership of Democrats and especially our Socialist leader President Obama, it does not mean it is going to be sustainable. At some point those “chickens” of which some have oft referred to will in fact, come home to roost.  I explained this to my dear Mother and then said rather emphatically, that I would die fighting against such an America and I meant it then and I mean it now. Under no circumstances do I want my son to be raised in a nation where welfare is welcomed as the norm and hard work is rewarded with higher taxes and bitter jealousy. Already our fearless leaders are attacking the wealthy and their “Evil, greedy, schemes” with more regulation and antipathy than ever before seen in history. No wonder so many companies have gone overseas to less regulated states and Union-free labor sources.

Apologies to those who are reading this rambling rant but it is my first personal rant as most of my posts are more political than personal. I just feel ashamed to see members of my own family giving in to the free lunch mentality and giving up on the Freedom from Government intervention. I do not pine for the days when every aspect of our lives will be dictated and directed from some “elite” in Washington DC who knows best how I should live my life. In fact I’d rather be in a “pine box” having fought against such tyranny…Lord please send us a George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams to help get our nation back on the right track. Or at least give those of us who still love the liberty they established the courage to fight in defense of our nation, even if it’s against domestic enemies rather than foreign ones.
 
 
Dear Fellow Americans,

If you are an American who is frustrated with the spending in Washington DC and the refusal of elected officials to represent the Will of the People, then let your voices be heard at TeaParty's planned around the country! This is a non-partisan group who started having their fill long before President Obama took office! We were fed up with the spending and lunacy of George Bush also and had already put things in motion to stop his 'Bailout Bill". Many on the left and on TV seem to be trying to make this a racial/divisive group but I know from all my dealings that is NOT true. I am not a racist and have NO..absolutely ZERO tolerance for anyone who is and so do all the other members I am affiliated with in the Teaparty.

Regardless of whether you are a Democrat, a Republican, or an Independent..you are welcomed to join our call for government to be fiscally responsible and stop the out of control spending and inevitable taxation that will be used in an attempt to pay for poorly planned social entitlements! We DO NOT wish to see violence or attempt to incite violence. Any actions that appear to do so will not be supported or tolerated by the Teaparty movement members.

Please be civil to anyone who disagrees with you or me. My response to members of the liberal left who call me racist or say we are destroying our country...is to recite a quote from Voltaire, "I do not agree with a word you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." That sums up all I need to respond to any attempts to anger me or start an argument that isn't of value. If someone wants to debate on the merits of a particular point then know your facts and sources and stick to those while leaving personal attacks OUT!

For more information on how or where to go to get involved with the Teaparty check out the website www.teapartypatriots.org

God Bless America and the Patriots who first founded it and the ones now fighting to keep us Strong,
Shannon