The Conservative Reader

Art Smith May 31st, 2008

This story (page 1 of Friday’s WSJ) takes the cake.  And it’s the last line that sums up why I’m frustrated by it:

We just want to make it [English] a little easier to spell.

Changing the spelling of words to be phonetically exacting is just wrong.  That way, you don’t have to know to spell “there”, “their”, or “they’re” correctly.  It would be “thair”.

It’s bad enough that many children would love a life sitting in front of video games all day without a care in the world, without a stitch of work to do, without any effort.

But it is fundamentally aggravating to see fully grown adults attempting to march the children down into that pit.

It’s not just the spelling issue itself, it’s the mindset it is promoting.  Always looking for ways to make everything in life easier.  We’re a society that wants to just sit on our collective backsides and do absolutely nothing.

Better not to have to work.

Better not to have to figure something out.

Better not to have to memorize anything.

Better not to have to think.

One wonders why bother with reforming the language… better not to have to read.

Our mindset is substantially different from the world Jack Kennedy tried to promote.

Learning, exercise, hard work, advanced study and skill development for broader groups of students.  A race to stay ahead of those that seek to overwhelm our society (at that time, Communists), and to ensure our country is the greatest in the world.

But we’re just too lazy.  And this is just one more way to make it easier for the terrorists to win.

Tags: Communism, John F. Kennedy

• Communication , Education , Words Have Meaning
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Art Smith May 30th, 2008

So, there’s this state that thinks foundations with $250 million in assets or more should to provide reports on the gender orientation and ethnicity of their boards and staffs, and the boards and staffs of the charities they support.  And to what extent they are actually run by minorities, or support them.

I’ll give you one guess which state I’m talking about.

I’ll wait.

That was fast.  Yes, it is California!  You are so smart!

You’re not from there are you?

Heather R. Higgins, a board member of the Philanthropy Roundtable, wrote a piece for the Wall Street Journal on this topic today on this topic.

It’s just a little scary to think about.

Champions of the bill claim that its only goal is to “request diversity data.” Then why force the donors to collect this information from grantees, instead of asking each registered charitable organization simply to report the information directly to the government? The bill’s critics fear the real goal is to pressure charities into meeting “diversity” goals out of fear of displeasing their funders - who themselves fear that ultimately their ability to set their own goals, or even their tax-exempt status, will be at risk if diversity goals aren’t met.

…

Ultimately, this all leads in one direction: to politically determine how private charities manage and deploy their resources.

Proof positive once again that our governments, especially those that are a little extreme, are drunk with power, and love to use the tax system to manipulate society.  In a way, the whole thinking  here is messed up with things that can become essentially arbitrary.  How about PACs?  Shouldn’t the government try to encourage PACs to ensure they are including all kinds of political perspectives, including anarchists and rebels?  And what about the governments?  What about the State of California?  Should the legislature not be made of up predefined proportions of all kinds of underrepresented groups?  Are cat owners being unfairly slighted?  Do dog owners get better treatment than exotic animal owners?  When will it end?

Okay, it seems a bit tongue-in-cheek, but this will get out of control very quickly.  Similar reporting requirements are sure to be put on private businesses.  Information will be reported and then publicized, and then groups will be unfairly ridiculed.  Christian churches will be persecuted for not having any Wiccan members, lenders will be accused of unfair lending practices for not lending to people who have no income.  And before long, it’s not just reporting, it’s enforcement.

But again, the real evil here is government sticking its nose into the business of charities.  And under the guise that there must be accountability when tax exempt status is in play.

Let’s get rid of the income tax system.  And shrink the government.  If they really have so much time on their hands that you get this, then maybe the California Legislature has outlived its usefulness.

Tags: California Legislature, Charities, Diversity, Foundations, Heather R. Higgins, Manipulating Society, Minorities, Philanthropy Roundtable, Power, TAXES

• Charities , Diversity
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Art Smith May 29th, 2008

I’ll admit that my experience in parenting is lame.  My 15-year-old niece spent a year in our home.  Our appreciation for parents skyrocketed within a week.

That said, I think we have significant challenges in raising a generation of people in our society that will carry on the American model of self-sufficiency, determination, competitiveness and aggressive success that created a nation and fuels the greatest society in the world.

I believe, however, that the gradual attempts of the past 100 years on the part of rich intellectual liberals to mold a less aggressive (read “pacified”) society is already crippling our ability to succeed.  A combination of Eugenics, Social Engineering, the Liberal Capture of Education, the General Rebellion on college campuses in the 60’s, “Give Peace A Chance”, a roller coaster of emotional decision making, entitling programs like Social Security beyond it’s original intent, etc… I could go on for hours… has already led to a mindset that is soft.  It’s almost like Darwin’s theory being played out in reverse, except it will prove out through gradual decline and demise of our society.

When I grew up, I was a first class wimp.  I refused to fight because I had already been co-opted by my parents (lovingly) liberal philosophy and the education system of the late 60’s and early 70’s pushing busing and tolerance and “no fighting” rules… I was an extremely compliant child and seldom wavered into the world of fighting or any aggressive behavior.  And besides, you could get hurt.

I wish my childhood experience could have been a little different, but it’s done.  And despite my challenges, competitiveness in sports and other activities was still promoted and there was always a sense of winners, losers, and levels of accomplishment and I was successful at focusing on the academic drivers.  What I’m concerned about is the fact that a significant percentage of the population of children are now more passive, compliant and less likely to be aggressive, competitive, and appropriately prepared to put their best effort into what they do, as well as to be able to protect themselves and their families from the evils in the world.

In today’s Wall Street Journal, Tony Woodlief reviews a book titled “A Nation of Wimps”, by Hara Estroff Marano.  This book discusses the current practices of parents and educators and the impact on the current generation of children being raised.   I have not read the book, but recommend the review to you, and let you decide on reading the book.  Woodlief like what Marano has written for the most part, but does not oversell the book either:

Ms. Marano is fond of referring to “how things used to be,” but she seems to idealize a sliver of American parenting history, one that started shortly after Gloria Steinem declared stay-at-home mothers valueless and ended before millions of women decided that Ms. Steinem and her crowd were saps. In the how-things-used-to-be category, it is helpful for us to remember that Teddy Roosevelt, the quintessential American anti-wimp — he once killed a mountain lion with a knife — grew up enjoying a close relationship with his parents, including extended family vacations (no summer camp!), home schooling (call the teachers’ union!) and close contact even after he left for college (cut the cord, Mrs. Roosevelt!). TR’s own children suffered similar “overparenting,” yet they went on to be war heroes and successful citizens. American history teems with similar examples.

If nothing else, a book like this can certainly help us maintain a national dialog on the topic of child development and the elements required for a society of successful adults to be created… the current crop of children will be running the show while I’m in retirement… I’d like them to be successful at maintaining a strong economy and a secure society for their own sakes as well as mine.

Tags: A Nation of Wimps, Agressiveness, Child Development, Education, Eugenics, Hara Estroff Marano, Pacification, Parenting, social engineering, Wall Street Journal

• Child Development , Education , Parenting
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Art Smith May 28th, 2008

No, I’m not talking about a television series, nor an idea for a Super-bowl commercial. I’m talking about Democrats.

Part of me is happy to see that party tearing itself apart, and not for idealogical reasons, but just your basic greedy, power-starved selfish evilness.

On the other hand, it’s painful to watch.

Still unhappy with the current state of affairs, an activist in Florida tried to take the problem back into the courts again, and was quickly (and surprisingly) swatted away. Evidently their anxious to pull an Al Gore and take it to the Supreme Court. I’ve got to say, I don’t see how the courts have ANY jurisdiction on Party politics, and worse yet, how people think they can stage an 11th hour coup to so dramatically manipulate the events that are framing up into the biggest Democratic debacle ever.

Meanwhile, Democratic Party officials are gathering Saturday to try to resolve their crazy situation and hammer out some kind of rules changes that can make everyone happy.  They have to contend with this, however:

Clinton supporters have promised demonstrations outside the gathering, which could be her last chance to halt Obama’s march to the Democratic nomination. Hundreds of public tickets to the meeting were snapped up online in minutes.  (From Reuters article).

Nice to see how well everyone likes to play nice together.  If this were going on with the Republicans, we’d probably be beaten mercilessly by the MSM.

And here’s what Clinton wants:

Clinton has demanded all the delegates be seated and apportioned based on the results — even though there was no campaigning in either state and Obama was not on the Michigan ballot.

As of when?  How much might the sentiment of the states have deviated between then and now?  Or if there had been actual campaigning?

Honestly, most of my own crowing in the past about Clinton pushing this too far was less than convincing to me.  I never really thought until this past week that she had the gall to tear the party down so deeply out of her own personal desperation.   I would be embarrassed to be a Democrat and a Clinton supporter today.

I do wish the Democratic leadership well.  As much as I disagree with where that party seems to be these days, I think it’s important that they have an opportunity to have a voice and adequately represent the people who align themselves with the party.

I don’t know if this is feasible, but I’d suggest one of two options:

1. Seat delegates from the two states, who have been selected by the state parties without any obligation to vote for either candidate (it’s unlikely, however that you would have an unbiased group).
2. Don’t seat them.

But, they’ll likely do something else - some kind of complicated compromise.  And no one will be happy with it.  And the convention will be a circus.  It’s just too bad we won’t have Dan Rather to beat up in the crowd this time.

Hat tip to Memeorandum.

Tags: 2008 Presidential Election, Barack Obama, Convention, Dan Rather, delegates, Democratic Party, Florida, Hillary Clinton, michigan

• 2008 Presidential Election , Barack Obama , Democratic Party , Hillary Clinton
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Art Smith May 27th, 2008

It’s interesting that Obama would pick a Nazi death camp upon which to error in either the retelling or fabricating of a story to try to make a point that is oddly detached from the actual story line. And then unleashes a bad case of irony as well.

What Obama said:

I had a uncle who was one of the, who was part of the first American troops to go into Auschwitz and liberate the concentration camps and the story in our family is that when he came home, he just went up into the attic and he didn’t leave the house for six months, right. Now obviously something had really affected him deeply but at that time there just weren’t the kinds of facilities to help somebody work through that kind of pain.

I can easily let any American off on not knowing Auschwitz was liberated by the Soviets. And regardless of whether Obama’s uncle showed up at any death camp, or even existed, is not terribly important to me today because ultimately Obama’s point would be that anyone who has had to experience PNDCD (Post Nazi Death Camp Disorder) should be given some consideration for relief and assistance.

Oh, wait. Are there more Nazi’s out there running death camps?

No, but evidently Obama is tying this into a current discussion around improving support for detecting and treating PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), which has more to do with the stresses of combat and the lingering effects that can have on some soldiers.

But that’s a different concern than soldiers (or anyone else for that matter) who are affected by the inhumanity of someone like Adolf Hitler. Anyone, even today, who sees what was done is going to be affected, in different ways, by the overwhelming pain of these atrocities. They’re both bad, and both can have a profound impact on people, but they’re not the same thing. It’s like telling a story about a family member who died when not using a seatbelt use to explain why we need helmet laws. Not quite the same thing.

Obama was incredibly clumsy on this one. Gets the facts wrong, then ties together the need to better address combat-related psych disorders with the pain of seeing the results of mass murders. I sympathize with where he’s going with this, but he’s bungling this.

Which leads me to an interesting piece of irony. To me.

The good senator has been battered a bit about comments related to entering into diplomatic talks with leaders of states that support terrorism, such as Iran, “without conditions”. It sounds like he would have nice conversations with people like Ahmadinejad in hopes they might back down from clearly aggressive activities intended to provoke, test, or simply proceed unabashedly on an agenda of violence and conquest. The argument that Obama represents a policy of appeasement is not only apt, it is generally consistent with the liberal mind-set of avoiding military confrontation at all costs. Unbelievable as it may seem, this is a bit of history that may well repeat itself some day. I pray it does not.

Here’s the irony: that so closely on the heals of vocal concerns about the potential of a faulty diplomatic policy toward terrorists(appeasement) , Obama invokes the name of a place that, more than any, rings the memory and demonstrates the length and depth of the pit of human depravity that can be unleashed as a result of such a careless, no, such a lazy and useless policy.

Auschwitz was the site of the murder of at least 1,500,000 people from all over Europe, mostly Jews. Millions more were murdered at other sites, but Auschwitz was the largest and was a key destination for prisoners from points throughout Europe.

I visited there a few years ago. I have not been the same since.

I didn’t spend six months in the attic. But the sight of thousands of children’s toys, people’s luggage, clothing, shoes and pots and pans, haunts me to this day. Mostly the toys. Confiscated from new arrivals and often sent to German families, these that remained were on display in the museum, along with thousands of other artifacts, including documents recording orders, lists, etc., retained as evidence of the horrific crimes committed during that awful time.

Instead of casually calling down the name of that place in Poland for political reasons, Obama should do what I think most people with means ought to do. Go there. Spend a day there. Read the evidence. See the artifacts. Listen to the voices of the past. Not to blame people like Arthur Neville Chamberlain, but to warn any that think they can negotiate with one like Hitler… to warn all of us for generations to come… that we would never forget what humans are capable of.

Auschwitz is actually 3 facilities, and Birkenau (aka Auschwitz II) was the largest and was the site where the large group exterminations were performed. At the back of the Birkenau camp, by the rubble of the crematoriums and gas chambers destroyed by the Germans as the Soviets marched on the camp, is an oddly shaped statue (picture below) and memorial plate and, as I recall, 17 other plates translated in the languages of all the people who were prisoners there. Innocent voices silenced shout loudly the message we must hear over and over again:

For ever let this place be a cry of despair and a warning to humanity, where the Nazis murdered about one and a half million men, women, and children, mainly Jews from various countries of Europe.

Auschwitz - Birkenau

1940 - 1945

Never again.

Iraqi Kurds.

Never again.

Darfur.

Never again.

Rwanda.

Never again.

Srebrenica (Bosnia).

Never again.

Where next?

Never again.

Tags: Appeasement, Arthur Neville Chamberlain, Auschwitz, Barack Obama, Birkenau, Bosnia, Darfur, Iraqi Kurds, Nazi Death Camp, Never again, Poland, PTSD, Rwanda, Srebrenica, WWII

• 2008 Presidential Election , Appeasement , Barack Obama , Humanity , Terrorism
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Art Smith May 26th, 2008

Since 1775, over a million men and women have given their lives in service to the United States of America, that we may be able to live in the freedom we enjoy today. War is an awful thing, but it has been absolutely necessary to secure our freedoms.

Rag-tag militias fought, some reluctantly and for reasons they did not understand, to secure colonial independence from Great Britain. The leadership, cunning and inspiration of George Washington helped provide critical victories and maintain a semblance of order to the Continental Army through hard battles and a harsh weather through 1776.

1812 brought Britain’s attempt to retake the colonies, but we stood undeterred and continued to fight for our right to be independent and free. The Texas Revolution and the Mexican-American War in the 1830s and 1840s, partly independence and partly expansion, included a number of bloody fields of battle, including the Alamo and the Thornton Affair.

As our country struggled with economic and philosophical disagreements, we reached a point of internal strife that resulted in Civil War. Many fought and died to promote and defend differing ideas of what Freedom meant. Many more would find new freedom as the evil of slavery was finally eliminated from our national landscape. Its legacy would carry on for decades, even to this day, a stain that permeates the soul of our country in ways we might never have imagined.

We don’t always have a history of perfect action and respect for others, as shown in the our dealings with the Indian nations in the latter part of the 19th century. This was a confusing time for many with regard to freedom and wielding expansionistic power. I suspect the numbers of Native Americans who died in these conflicts have never been appropriately counted as the Civil War deaths on both sides were.

The Spanish-American War, furthered the expansion of US interests in 1898 (although non of the acquired territory, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Philippines, has yet to become actual states, and the Philippines have since achieved their own independence).

The outbreak of hostilities in Europe in World War I in 1914 (a classic example of the Domino Effect if you ask me) after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austro-Hungary (heir to the throne). The United States joined the battles in 1917 after Germany apparently sought Mexico’s alliance in attacking the US (presumably as a means of preventing the US from entering the war… talk about stupid). It is likely that economic issues could have caused the US to enter the war anyhow. The weapons of war had started to become more devastating by this time, including the use of poison gases, dreadnoughts and airplanes. This was thought to be the ultimate and final war of all time. This war essentially ended when the Central Powers (Germany, Ottoman Empire, Austria-Hungary, etc.) gave up and pulled their forces back.

When the Japanese attacked the Marco Polo Bridge in 1937, and the Nazis started marching across Poland in 1939, few could have known the result would be an even more devastating war effort across so much of the entire planet. Bombings and battles occurred throughout most of Europe, South-east Asia, North Africa, and the Pacific. The United States itself was prepared on both coasts for potential attacks from air and sea. And Hawaii, at that time a military base and territory for the most part, was attacked mercilessly by the Japanese in 1941 which led to the entry of the United States into the war against the Axis Powers (Japan, Germany and Italy). This war did not end until Germany was humiliated and destroyed, and two atomic bombs were dropped on Japan. As the war was ending in Europe, we also discovered the extent of the evil that had pervaded Germany as the evidence of the murders of likely millions of Jews and other Europeans were uncovered at concentration camps throughout Europe.

Many of us are old enough to remember the fighting in Korea and Viet Nam, where the US acted to defend Democracy against Communism. Viet Nam is the first time, I believe, where those who served honorably were treated with dishonor and open hostility by their countrymen. It is unthinkable to me that anyone would presume to criticize those who fought to protect freedom, regardless of where, for the sake of our own freedom… that their willingness to die for our sake could be treated with such rancor is just despicable to me. Although it began somewhat in WWII, guerilla tactics and a rejection of honorable codes of conduct by our enemies made fighting wars increasingly unpredictable.

In the past 30 years, we’ve had a long period of more or less peaceful coexistence. We engaged in an effort to protect tiny Kuwait after Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi Army invaded them. Many think we should have gone all the way to Baghdad and killed Saddam at that time. I was one who believed that at the time, but an overt operation would have been rejected by most of our international partners, and a covert operation would have been shown for what it was.

September 11, 2001 changed our entire perspective on world. Prior to that day, terrorism was other countries’ problems, not ours. We certainly had some military incidents overseas with terrorist attacks, but we gave that less mind than we ever should have. The 1993 World Trade Center bombing (at the time considered to be a failure), the 1998 US embassy attacks in Kenya and Tanzania, and the attack on the USS Cole in 2000 should have been wake-up calls to our nation.

As a result of apparent associations between Saddam Bin Ladan (and other terror organizations) and intelligence that indicated Iraq was secretly building weapons of mass destruction, including a possible nuclear arms program (since then this intelligence appears to have been faulty), the US attacked Iraq and helped establish a democratically elected government. The jury is still out on how well Iraq will use their new-found freedoms. We maintain a presence there in the midst of internal and external military aggression and political infighting that continues to challenge the new government.

We will probably always have a presence in numerous flash-points around the globe, as well as strategic locations and anywhere our allies ask us to help. Part of maintaining our freedoms here in the US is helping other nations maintain theirs as well.

As we have said on several occasions past, our brothers and sisters in the various armed services are considered friends to us here at The Conservative Reader, and we owe each of them a debt of gratitude that we can never repay. Their families also deserve our deepest appreciation and affection. To those of you that have lost loves ones, we are sad with you, and we pray that the pain will become bearable in time. For those who have loved ones on active duty, especially overseas, pray for their safety and yours, and that your needs are well met… we deeply appreciate the way you serve by sacrificing in this way. For those of you who actively serve or remain on reserve status, I don’t know what to say other than “Thank You”. You are all my friends and heroes, and I cannot adequately express my gratitude. Be safe.

And if you see anyone associated with the military today, or any other day, you give them a big smile, handshake, hug, and “Thank You”.  Don’t be shy.  They deserve it.

By the way, if you don’t agree with the wars we are engaged in, don’t take it out on those who serve in the battlefields. Remember where the decisions have been made:

Update: Corrected a bad date.

Tags: Active-duty, Appreciation, Iraq, Korea, Memorial Day, Mexican-American War, Milltary, Reservists, Revolutionary War, Spanish-American War, Veterans, Viet Nam, World War I, World War II

• America is Great , Military , Military Deaths , WAR
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Art Smith May 25th, 2008

Thunderstorms, hail, and tornadoes have been running rampant across Iowa and other parts of the Midwest.

In Iowa, the town of Parkersburg has suffered substantially severe damage. It sounds pretty bad. 5 dead so far there, and 2 others in New Hartford.

Here in West Des Moines, we’ve watched several storm cells pass us to the north and south, but none has hit us yet. There is, however, a rather large system heading our way in the next hour or so. If it doesn’t die out first, it’ll hit us. Hopefully just a bunch of rain.

Our prayers go to those who are being impacted by this weekend’s storms, especially those that have lost loved ones and homes.

10:00 PM: Rain finally starting here. Sounds like hail as well.

Update (10:10): According to KCCI-TV, most structures in Parkersburg have been destroyed.  It appears that the water tower is standing.  The entire town has been evacuated for safety reasons.

Tags: Iowa, Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, Weather

• Iowa , Weather
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Art Smith May 24th, 2008

In Friday’s Wall Street Journal, Kimberly Strassel takes a careful look at the events around the Obama campaign and provides a keen analysis of his comments,  actions, and the attempts by his campaign and supporters to shore up his mistakes.

It’s apparent that BO is in need of help along the way.  But does he want that help?

The Illinois Senator has carried out a campaign where much of the important content, including clear readings of his positions and intentions as President, have been largely overlooked in the midst of controversy after controversy, including reviews of questionable friendships and meaningless bickering with Senator Clinton about anything they can think of.  It is incredibly amazing that both their campaigns sank so low as to make race and gender an issue in this campaign, pointing to a clear inability on either candidate’s part to campaign on their respective merits.

Perhaps this campaign has been largely made up of intentional mud baths made to distract all of us from talking about the where the candidates actually stand on important subjects.

And now, we may realize it has also distracted us from the real issue that could make or break the general election.

That is, is Obama adequately prepared to take on the highest elected office in the land?

Comparisons to Abraham Lincoln are weak and do little more than demonstrate a large lack of substance.  It would be better to present whatever credentials  the good Senator actually has, but by providing such an empty response it is apparent that those credentials are wanting.

Are we left to believe that we should not care?  Obviously, no one is ever really “ready” to take on the responsibility of the Presidency.  Since the days of Teddy Roosevelt, the international role of the United States and sheer size of the country has made the responsibility of the office overwhelming to think about.

It’s not enough that Obama could be the first African American President.  It’s not enough that he wants to do great things for those in need.  It’s not enough that he wants to find diplomatic solutions to the challenge of terrorism.  It’s not enough that women swoon and faint around him.  It’s not enough that he wants to bring “hope”.

It could be enough if he had any substance.  It could be enough if he actually had experience dealing with foreign policy issues.  It could be enough if he could see the need to help people learn to help themselves.  It could be enough if he had the vision and leadership to cast a patriotic pose instead of a sense of intellectual rebellion against our flag and our national self-respect.  It could be enough if he had the forethought to separate himself from questionable interests long before entering political life.

But Obama is not a man who casts an image of self-determined leadership.   Instead, he leads us to believe that he not only needs a substantial amount of help with the job of President, but that he may be significantly beholden to interests whom we are not clearly aware and who may desire and be able to manipulate his agenda.

Obama is not, nor will he ever be, on a par with Abraham Lincoln, with one possible exception.  When Lincoln left office (against his own will, of course), he left a country that was in a sad state of affairs, essentially a shambles requiring a lot of physical and emotional reparation.  I strongly suspect that Obama’s legacy will look strikingly similar.

Tags: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Hope, Leadership, Patriotism, POTUS, Terrorism

• 2008 Presidential Election , Barack Obama , Hillary Clinton
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Art Smith May 23rd, 2008

John Hawkins at Right Wing News today proclaimed an about-face on his position regarding John McCain. Granted, Hawkins is not make a huge shift in position, since he has shared the same opinion of many of us that McCain is far from conservative and not what we consider the ideal candidate. But he has also shared the opinion of many of us that we need to support McCain regardless in order to avoid the inevitable catastrophe that the Democrats would foist upon us if they take the White House.

Now, he is convinced that he cannot support McCain.

I have a lot of respect for John Hawkins and I even understand his reasoning on this topic, as it appears very likely that McCain has not been forthright about his position on immigration reform.

I also respect his right to hold this opinion, to voice it, and to act on it as he has and apparently plans to do.

It is unfortunate that part of that includes excusing himself from receiving information from McCain’s campaign and engaging in conference calls with McCain. In this entire discussion, this part of his decision is the most disappointing. Hawkins’ position is that he cannot trust McCain to be honest. I would contend that there are few politicians whom I can trust to give me a 100% honest response to many questions, and that part of the role of those in the News Media and Blogdom is to know how to work with that fact effectively. I think John Hawkins is well equipped to do that, and it will be a shame to miss out on his insights and involvement as he gives up the level of access he has maintained.

Although Hawkins’ own words in the past have sent the same message, I want to reiterate the importance of two things:

1. Ensuring we don’t allow the Democrats access to appointing the next 5 Supreme Court Justices. We will end up with activist judges, a court that will find ways to demolish our rights and our economy, and further difficulty moving the country in the right direction even with a Conservative Congress and President in office.
2. Engaging with Republican candidates for Congress and President. Expressing support is not enough, and frankly, not as important as communicating with candidates and those in office. It is critical that the message is delivered, and done continuously and consistently so that our country may move forward and make the right decisions, looking to long-term, keeping government small, our nation strong, and fiscally sound.

Our Government cannot stay on the right course if we are not vigilant, engaged and unified. If we sit back and just watch it fall apart, it is no longer a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people”.

Hat Tip to Bithead and Sister Toldjah. Additional comments by DavidL at Bitsblog.

Edit: Fixing a link.

Tags: BitsBlog, Congress, Honesty, Immigration Reform, John Hawkins, John McCain, Politicians, Politics, POTUS, Right Wing News, SCOTUS, Sister Toldjah, Trust

• 2008 Congressional Election , 2008 Presidential Election , Immigration , John McCain , SCOTUS
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Art Smith May 23rd, 2008

I’d like to encourage you to read Bithead’s Ramble last night regarding Memorial Day. We have a few different days each year, some more formal than others, where we can all stop and thank those that have served and today still serve us in the Armed Forces, along with the familes that have sacrificed so they might fight, and some who never see them again.

I missed mentioning Armed Forces Day last Sunday, we also have Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day, Flag Day, the anniversaries of Pearl Harbor, Victory in Europe, Victory in the Pacific, and a few others.

Using these days as opportunities to recognize and thank our friends and family who serve is certainly helps act as a reminder of the greater good these people seek to protect. We should all engage in giving thanks for those willing to give up their lives for us on these days.

Sometimes I am afraid we still don’t do enough. Especially when public sentiment is as strongly negative about military action as it naturally becomes when such action is as difficult to understand (such as the currently extended mopping up in Iraq), there seems to be general air of animosity and antagonism toward the military and especially the individuals who serve. During the Viet Nam era, it was outright harassing, protesting and personal attacks against members of the military as has been the case in England this past year… surprisingly the amount of angst expressed in public toward military members has been limited here in the US recently, but there is still an apparent quiet on the part of some as if one does not know how to treat members of the military because we suspect them of awful crimes against humanity.

I expect that this weekend we will all cheerfully express our appreciation to those that do serve and have served. But what about the week following? And after that? Will our appreciation wane on days when we aren’t puffing our collective chests together?

I suggest we all consider how we interact with active-duty military, reservists, veterans and all of their families on a day-to-day basis. I have a good friend who served during peace-time and never saw action. But I try to remind him regularly that I appreciate what he did. Even though he never saw action, I believe that his service was a key part of keeping our nation safe nonetheless.

It is a bit sad that some military members are being deployed overseas this coming weekend, at a time when families like to use the extended weekend to do special things together like gardening or traveling. Hopefully, it is also a time for some to return home as well.

I have two family members who are active-duty. I don’t think I adequately convey to them how deeply I appreciate their sacrifice. Lacking in that, how much less do I show my appreciation to those who are not in my family?

I don’t think it needs to be an embarrassingly (to the recipient) overt statement of this appreciation on every encounter, but perhaps we can spare a special look, a special gesture, a special handshake, for those whom we know are involved in military service past or present, or their families, so that every time you greet them, they know you have that deep appreciation for them. And it doesn’t hurt to have overt signs, be they bumper magnets/stickers, pins, signs, flags, etc. But somehow, each of us can create a daily reminder that we appreciate those who serve.

And who knows, perhaps that attention may help stir another to make the same choice.

Tags: Active-duty, Appreciation, Iraq, Memorial Day, Milltary, Reservists, Veterans, Viet Nam

• Military
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