I admit. I'm getting more than a little nervous. Unemployment is still rising, the markets are still rolling around, we are borrowing 50 cents of every dollar we spend and our government is STILL trying to ram more spending projects....BIG SPENDING PROJECTS...down our throats. In a recent interview with CNN, Colin Powell has also expressed concerns with President Obama's spending agenda. He has cautioned the administration against taking on too many things that we can't afford while debt is piling up. He believes "We can't absorb it all". Powell has asked the administration to take a hard look at the cost of Obama's initiatives and determine if the effectiveness justifies the cost. Here are a few more things I wish the President would apply that same effectiveness vs. cost analysis to:
1. His first executive order as President: Shutting Gitmo down. I'm willing to spend the money to keep this baby afloat. Where are all of these prisoners going to go? Obviously, my backyard since Senator Murtha is one of my go-to-guys. It was just in the news, a few days ago, a recently released detainee has resumed his place in the al Qaeda network and is working on opposing US lead campaigns yet again. The costs are high and the prison is set to close in 6 months. Feeling any less nervous yet?
2. The Stimulus Plan: As of the first of the month, less than 10% of this alloted money has been spend. Really? How is it that a second stimulus plan is already being talked about? Our Country is facing mounting national debt that has never been heard of before and is looking at a multi-trillion dollar budget. Joe Biden remarked earlier in the week that perhaps they had underestimated how badly damaged the economy was. And he thinks a second stimulus bill is going to fix it? He better hope China likes to throw buckets of money away on his crap shoots.
3. Cap and Trade: Obama is looking to overhaul our whole energy systems through a carbon tax. When has new taxes ever achieved it's intended goal? I've said this before and I'll say it again....cap and trade is going to kill jobs, business, and industry. It's going to chip away at the poor and middle class who will not be able to afford their energy costs. I'm all for developing new innovations and new sources of power but let's not limit ourselves. Let's use everything that is on the table...wind, solar, natural gas, oil, coal, nuclear, etc. Let the markets push the agenda and not the lawmakers in Washington, DC that would like to dictate our lifestyle to us.
4. Universal Healthcare: We already have a universal healthcare system in our Country that doesn't work....Medicare and Medicaid. We simply can not afford to keep saddling the average taxpayer with more entitlement programs that are mishandled. Why has the government been recommended for the job when they clearly do not have the resume for it. What else can I say about this initiative that hasn't been said already?
What about you? What has gotten the hairs on your arms standing on end in the past 6 months? I am proud to say that between our blogspot and Facebook followers, we are almost 70 strong and growing by the week. Keep introducing friends to The Rising Patriot....you never know where the next great idea may come from.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
The Big Cheese
On Tuesday, I went to a doctor visit with my Dad. He had a heart attack several years ago and is seen regularly by a cardiologist to stay on top of things. Before being seen by his doctor, we spent some time in the waiting room. Instead of reading a magazine or newspaper, I did a little people watching. All around me sat older individuals. Most of them were well into their sixties and seventies and, I presume, part of the current universal healthcare system we currently have.....Medicare. Then I got to thinking, what if these people lived in Canada or England? Would they even be in the position of eligibility to receive the kind of treatment and care they are receiving now in this country?
For example, in England, there is a health board that decides if you are worthy of the treatment you seek. They consider your age and disease verses your presumed life expectancy and cost of treatment to determine if you're worth the expense. If you are too old and the treatment is deemed to costly......you are SOL.....simply out of luck! Then where do you go and what do you do? If the government controls all the healthcare, there are no other choices....no other options. Even if your course of treatment is approved, how long do you have to wait for it? Ask the citizens in Canada that have crossed our borders for heart surgery. Many claim that would have died on the waiting list and chose to come to the United States and pay out of pocket for care.
Let's not forget the cost of research and development. This is a big one to consider. New medical breakthroughs take money and LOTS of it. Is the government ready to take on that expense too? Since I've just visited a cardiologist this week with my Dad, let's talk about bypass surgery for example. When the medical community first started performing bypass surgery, it was a very risky procedure and very costly because it was experimental. Many times the surgery resulted in death. But, as the years went by, the surgeons got better and better at it and improved upon the procedure. Fast forward decades later to present day and bypass surgery is almost done like an outpatient procedure. The patient is out of the hospital in days time with significantly less cost and risk than earlier years....but it has taken time and money to get to this point. What will happen with drug research? New breakthrough procedures? Cancer treatments? Talk to anyone in the medical or drug field and they can enlighten you on the costs associated with research, development, and clinical trials. For every win, there are dozens of failures left on the killing floor.....and even the failures cost money.
Who recommended the government for this job anyway? They have already butchered Medicare and Social Security to the point where it's going to implode. Do we really think we can trust them to be the Big Cheese on Healthcare? We teabaggers will have to fight this one tooth and nail because if they can pull this off and pass the legislature....GOD HELP US ALL.
For example, in England, there is a health board that decides if you are worthy of the treatment you seek. They consider your age and disease verses your presumed life expectancy and cost of treatment to determine if you're worth the expense. If you are too old and the treatment is deemed to costly......you are SOL.....simply out of luck! Then where do you go and what do you do? If the government controls all the healthcare, there are no other choices....no other options. Even if your course of treatment is approved, how long do you have to wait for it? Ask the citizens in Canada that have crossed our borders for heart surgery. Many claim that would have died on the waiting list and chose to come to the United States and pay out of pocket for care.
Let's not forget the cost of research and development. This is a big one to consider. New medical breakthroughs take money and LOTS of it. Is the government ready to take on that expense too? Since I've just visited a cardiologist this week with my Dad, let's talk about bypass surgery for example. When the medical community first started performing bypass surgery, it was a very risky procedure and very costly because it was experimental. Many times the surgery resulted in death. But, as the years went by, the surgeons got better and better at it and improved upon the procedure. Fast forward decades later to present day and bypass surgery is almost done like an outpatient procedure. The patient is out of the hospital in days time with significantly less cost and risk than earlier years....but it has taken time and money to get to this point. What will happen with drug research? New breakthrough procedures? Cancer treatments? Talk to anyone in the medical or drug field and they can enlighten you on the costs associated with research, development, and clinical trials. For every win, there are dozens of failures left on the killing floor.....and even the failures cost money.
Who recommended the government for this job anyway? They have already butchered Medicare and Social Security to the point where it's going to implode. Do we really think we can trust them to be the Big Cheese on Healthcare? We teabaggers will have to fight this one tooth and nail because if they can pull this off and pass the legislature....GOD HELP US ALL.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Paper or Plastic?
You hear the statistics every day. And they're NOT encouraging. The majority of Americans are swimming in credit card debt. The most consistent figure I've heard is that the average household carries $10,000 - $12,000 in credit card debit. What has happened to us? Credit has become too cheap and way too easy. Millions of Americans, once again, have bit off more than they can chew, just as they have done with real estate, and we are all going to end up paying for it.
President Obama signed the most sweeping credit card reform bill in the Country's history on May 22, 2009. The bill's intent is to rein in the penalties and fees banks can charge, prohibit raising of rates on previous balances, establish minimum time periods for "teaser rates", impose age limits, and etc. It's a long laundry list of reforms that is intended on preventing the middle class from being ripped off. And, yes, it all may look good on the surface but that gold plated finish doesn't look so pretty after you scratch the surface.
Once this bill takes effect, nine months from now, what do you really think is going to happen? Or, better yet, who do you think is really going pay for all the lost revenue the credit card companies are going to have to suck up? Not a hard one to answer if you are one of the few that have been responsible with your use of credit cards. Please step to the head of the class! Say "Bye-Bye" to reward programs, cash back, frequent flyer miles, 30 days grace periods, and no annual fee cards. The credit card companies will seek to make up lost cash by putting the screws to you. In a year from now, will it be worth having a credit card? Once again, you will be answering the age old question of "Paper or Plastic?".
Like you, I'm assuming, I've been notified about changes concerning my credit cards. I actually took the time to call one of the companies about the informed changes because I'm a very responsible customer. Frankly, I was angry about this particular card changing my interest rate because I consider myself a good credit risk and it's really the only one we ever use. The customer service agent on the other end of the line reassured me the changes wouldn't be forever (Right!!), things would get "back to normal" after we get through this economic downturn, and she was willing to allow me to keep my locked in low rate for 10 more months.....because I threatened to drop them after a 12 year relationship!
People need to wake up and make some changes in habit. We are doing this to ourselves. There are choices to be made and life is all about making choices. We see if over and over again. A select few are being tapped on the shoulder and receiving a bailout. And you have to ask.....is this really going to help? My hunch is that those who are already up to their necks in debt are going to end up defaulting with or without the government putting their spoon in the soup. Which leads you back to the Forgotten Man who will end up paying the greatest price when it's all said and done.
As for me, I view credit cards as a convience not a necessity. If things change drastically enough, due to government regulations or otherwise, I will no longer be a "card" carrying member of society. Paper, please!
President Obama signed the most sweeping credit card reform bill in the Country's history on May 22, 2009. The bill's intent is to rein in the penalties and fees banks can charge, prohibit raising of rates on previous balances, establish minimum time periods for "teaser rates", impose age limits, and etc. It's a long laundry list of reforms that is intended on preventing the middle class from being ripped off. And, yes, it all may look good on the surface but that gold plated finish doesn't look so pretty after you scratch the surface.
Once this bill takes effect, nine months from now, what do you really think is going to happen? Or, better yet, who do you think is really going pay for all the lost revenue the credit card companies are going to have to suck up? Not a hard one to answer if you are one of the few that have been responsible with your use of credit cards. Please step to the head of the class! Say "Bye-Bye" to reward programs, cash back, frequent flyer miles, 30 days grace periods, and no annual fee cards. The credit card companies will seek to make up lost cash by putting the screws to you. In a year from now, will it be worth having a credit card? Once again, you will be answering the age old question of "Paper or Plastic?".
Like you, I'm assuming, I've been notified about changes concerning my credit cards. I actually took the time to call one of the companies about the informed changes because I'm a very responsible customer. Frankly, I was angry about this particular card changing my interest rate because I consider myself a good credit risk and it's really the only one we ever use. The customer service agent on the other end of the line reassured me the changes wouldn't be forever (Right!!), things would get "back to normal" after we get through this economic downturn, and she was willing to allow me to keep my locked in low rate for 10 more months.....because I threatened to drop them after a 12 year relationship!
People need to wake up and make some changes in habit. We are doing this to ourselves. There are choices to be made and life is all about making choices. We see if over and over again. A select few are being tapped on the shoulder and receiving a bailout. And you have to ask.....is this really going to help? My hunch is that those who are already up to their necks in debt are going to end up defaulting with or without the government putting their spoon in the soup. Which leads you back to the Forgotten Man who will end up paying the greatest price when it's all said and done.
As for me, I view credit cards as a convience not a necessity. If things change drastically enough, due to government regulations or otherwise, I will no longer be a "card" carrying member of society. Paper, please!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
And The Next Entitlement Goes To.......
Over the years, I've reminisced about my college years. Those were some of the most fun times of my earlier days. What would you say to this offer: Do it all over again and have it paid for by your Uncle Sam? Sounds like a great time, right? This may become a reality if President Obama's upcoming budget is passed as it now stands. Obama is urging the government takeover of the college loan system. The cradle to grave mentality lives on............
Here is the plan: Obama wants to make the Pell Grant Program an entitlement like Social Security and transfer control of the lending business to the government. He is calling on Congress to expand the availability of the grant for poor students by increasing the loans from 1 Billion/year to 6 Billion/year. Furthermore, Obama wants to make this program a mandatory part of the annual budget. Am I getting your attention yet?
Consolidation of the loan program may save 94 Billion over a period of 10 years BUT will boost yearly spending over that same 10 year period by 293 Billion.....this is according to the numbers released by our Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Not to mention the limit on loan options, loss of jobs, and the large increase to our deficit. The private bank industry has built this entire industry and now the government wants a piggyback ride.
Putting aside all the other concerns from the above, here is want makes my spine tingle when I think about this proposal.....what does this do for a student's freedom of choice. What is being proposed is a cradle to grave school system. What happens, down the road, when a student is "rewarded" with a government loan......does the government have a choice in the student's chosen major? Will a certain career path need to be chosen in order to have the "privilege" of going to school? What if the student has difficulty paying the loan back after graduation? Will the National Call To Service Act be brought around and we, the taxpayer, be asked to "forgive" part of the loan in exchange for the student's participation in public service?
All the "what ifs" are a little alarming to me. The Forgotten Man already struggles to pay for our current public school system through increasing property and school taxes.....can he really afford this too?
Here is the plan: Obama wants to make the Pell Grant Program an entitlement like Social Security and transfer control of the lending business to the government. He is calling on Congress to expand the availability of the grant for poor students by increasing the loans from 1 Billion/year to 6 Billion/year. Furthermore, Obama wants to make this program a mandatory part of the annual budget. Am I getting your attention yet?
Consolidation of the loan program may save 94 Billion over a period of 10 years BUT will boost yearly spending over that same 10 year period by 293 Billion.....this is according to the numbers released by our Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Not to mention the limit on loan options, loss of jobs, and the large increase to our deficit. The private bank industry has built this entire industry and now the government wants a piggyback ride.
Putting aside all the other concerns from the above, here is want makes my spine tingle when I think about this proposal.....what does this do for a student's freedom of choice. What is being proposed is a cradle to grave school system. What happens, down the road, when a student is "rewarded" with a government loan......does the government have a choice in the student's chosen major? Will a certain career path need to be chosen in order to have the "privilege" of going to school? What if the student has difficulty paying the loan back after graduation? Will the National Call To Service Act be brought around and we, the taxpayer, be asked to "forgive" part of the loan in exchange for the student's participation in public service?
All the "what ifs" are a little alarming to me. The Forgotten Man already struggles to pay for our current public school system through increasing property and school taxes.....can he really afford this too?
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
The Forgotten Man
I've taken on a stack of reading lately. History is fascinating. I really wished I would have paid attention to the subject so much more when I was younger. I am currently in the middle of 3 or 4 books....all having to do with past events. It seems as though it would do our leaders good to go back to review historical points in our Country's history. I came across something in a book about the Great Depression called, "The Forgotten Man" by Amity Shlaes that has really stuck with me this week. Since it has stayed so close to the surface, I figured it was the idea to pass along this time around.
The following is from a lecture written by a Yale philosopher in 1883. It was his way of warning against well-intentioned social programs that are paid for by the unknown average citizen.
"As soon as A observes something which seems to him to be wrong, from which X is suffering, A talks it over with B, and A and B then propose to get a law passed to remedy the evil and help X. Their law always proposes to determine what C shall do for X, or in the better case, what A, B, and C shall do for X.....What I want to do is to look up C. I want to show you what manner of man he is. I call him the Forgotten Man. Perhaps the appellation is not strictly correct. He is the man who never is thought of....He works, he votes, generally he prays - but he always pays....." --William Graham Sumner
In the past several months, we have been put on the line for countless bailouts to banks and companies too big to fail. And in the years to come, they are trying to put us on the line for trillions more.....going to spending programs, to take care of "X", the Forgotten Man can not afford. You and I will always be the Forgotten Man if we continue to stand still. April 15, 2009 was only the starting line. We have miles left to run. Don't be afraid to grab the baton.
If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be. --Thomas Jefferson.
The following is from a lecture written by a Yale philosopher in 1883. It was his way of warning against well-intentioned social programs that are paid for by the unknown average citizen.
"As soon as A observes something which seems to him to be wrong, from which X is suffering, A talks it over with B, and A and B then propose to get a law passed to remedy the evil and help X. Their law always proposes to determine what C shall do for X, or in the better case, what A, B, and C shall do for X.....What I want to do is to look up C. I want to show you what manner of man he is. I call him the Forgotten Man. Perhaps the appellation is not strictly correct. He is the man who never is thought of....He works, he votes, generally he prays - but he always pays....." --William Graham Sumner
In the past several months, we have been put on the line for countless bailouts to banks and companies too big to fail. And in the years to come, they are trying to put us on the line for trillions more.....going to spending programs, to take care of "X", the Forgotten Man can not afford. You and I will always be the Forgotten Man if we continue to stand still. April 15, 2009 was only the starting line. We have miles left to run. Don't be afraid to grab the baton.
If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be. --Thomas Jefferson.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
The Heat Is On
April 24, 2009 was set to be the biggest head to head match-up to date. You could almost hear the Rocky themed music playing in the background.
Every issue should have it's debate and the stage was set. The Subcommittee on Energy and the Environments was having hearings on the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. The House Democrats boasted about a unnamed "celebrity" witness they had lined up to testify in front of the subcommittee in support of global warming, "green" jobs, and the carbon cap program. This turned out to be, none other than, Al Gore. In turn, the House Republicans lined up their own unnamed "star" witness. This being a person, perhaps not as well known here in the United States, but someone who is no stranger to Mr. Gore.......Lord Christopher Monckton.
Monckton is a former science policy adviser to Margaret Thatcher during her years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He has been quoted as saying, "A careful study of the substantial corpus of peer-reviewed science reveals that Mr. Gore's film, An Inconvenient Truth, is a foofaraw of pseudo-science, exaggerations, and errors, now being peddled to innocent schoolchildren worldwide.". Monckton issued a challenge to Gore on March 19, 2007. It was a challenge to "step up to the plate and defend his advocacy of policies that could do grave harm to the welfare of the world's poor. If Mr. Gore really believes global warming is the defining issue of our time, the greatest threat human civilization has ever faced, and then he should welcome the opportunity to raise the profile of the issue before a worldwide audience of billions by defining and defending his claims against a serious, science-based challenge.". Monckton and Gore have clashed heads before but only in print. Monckton never did succeed in getting his nationally televised debate with Al Gore concerning the threat of global warming back then but what would happen now? Fast forward two years:
The joint appearance of Mockton and Gore was scheduled to take place before the Subcommitte on Energy and the Environments. Lord Christopher Monckton's plane touched down in DC from London the day before the April 24th hearings. Upon his arrival, he was told there would be no joint appearance with Gore. Old Al had chickened out. When the House Democrats found out who the GOP had flown in to give testimony, they refused to allow Monckton to testify alongside of Gore because of their fear of humiliation. Why would that be? Shouldn't the American citizens (and the world for that matter!) have the right to hear both sides of the issue? Their refusal to allow the public debate can only lead to one conclusion.....The House Democrats were afraid of real science blowing holes all through the global warming scam! But, hey! Gore was allowed to rant and rave about the effects of global warming and liken the pending "Clean Energy" legislature to the civil rights movement. I really believe this is one of the greatest swindles of our time.
Did you know, according to applied environmental ecomonics, the following can be said about the effects of "green jobs" on our economy:
1. On average, for every 1 "green" job created, 2.2 regular jobs are lost.
2. Only 1 in 10 "green" jobs are permanent.
3. In the wind turbine industry: For every 1 "green" job created, 4.27 jobs are lost. And this is the industry that the Enviromental Defense Fund claims is the largest job creator?!
4. For every 1 "green" job created in the solar power industry, nearly 13 jobs are lost.
I will continue to drive my SUV with pride until they come and remove me by use of force.
Every issue should have it's debate and the stage was set. The Subcommittee on Energy and the Environments was having hearings on the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. The House Democrats boasted about a unnamed "celebrity" witness they had lined up to testify in front of the subcommittee in support of global warming, "green" jobs, and the carbon cap program. This turned out to be, none other than, Al Gore. In turn, the House Republicans lined up their own unnamed "star" witness. This being a person, perhaps not as well known here in the United States, but someone who is no stranger to Mr. Gore.......Lord Christopher Monckton.
Monckton is a former science policy adviser to Margaret Thatcher during her years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He has been quoted as saying, "A careful study of the substantial corpus of peer-reviewed science reveals that Mr. Gore's film, An Inconvenient Truth, is a foofaraw of pseudo-science, exaggerations, and errors, now being peddled to innocent schoolchildren worldwide.". Monckton issued a challenge to Gore on March 19, 2007. It was a challenge to "step up to the plate and defend his advocacy of policies that could do grave harm to the welfare of the world's poor. If Mr. Gore really believes global warming is the defining issue of our time, the greatest threat human civilization has ever faced, and then he should welcome the opportunity to raise the profile of the issue before a worldwide audience of billions by defining and defending his claims against a serious, science-based challenge.". Monckton and Gore have clashed heads before but only in print. Monckton never did succeed in getting his nationally televised debate with Al Gore concerning the threat of global warming back then but what would happen now? Fast forward two years:
Al Gore, the Nobel Peace Prize and Oscar winning global warming supporter
verses
Lord Christopher Monckton, former science advisor to Prime Minister Margret Thatcher
verses
Lord Christopher Monckton, former science advisor to Prime Minister Margret Thatcher
The joint appearance of Mockton and Gore was scheduled to take place before the Subcommitte on Energy and the Environments. Lord Christopher Monckton's plane touched down in DC from London the day before the April 24th hearings. Upon his arrival, he was told there would be no joint appearance with Gore. Old Al had chickened out. When the House Democrats found out who the GOP had flown in to give testimony, they refused to allow Monckton to testify alongside of Gore because of their fear of humiliation. Why would that be? Shouldn't the American citizens (and the world for that matter!) have the right to hear both sides of the issue? Their refusal to allow the public debate can only lead to one conclusion.....The House Democrats were afraid of real science blowing holes all through the global warming scam! But, hey! Gore was allowed to rant and rave about the effects of global warming and liken the pending "Clean Energy" legislature to the civil rights movement. I really believe this is one of the greatest swindles of our time.
Did you know, according to applied environmental ecomonics, the following can be said about the effects of "green jobs" on our economy:
1. On average, for every 1 "green" job created, 2.2 regular jobs are lost.
2. Only 1 in 10 "green" jobs are permanent.
3. In the wind turbine industry: For every 1 "green" job created, 4.27 jobs are lost. And this is the industry that the Enviromental Defense Fund claims is the largest job creator?!
4. For every 1 "green" job created in the solar power industry, nearly 13 jobs are lost.
I will continue to drive my SUV with pride until they come and remove me by use of force.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
You Might Be A Right -Wing Extremist If...................
One of my favorite ladies on the hill has seemed to really hit it out of the park with this one. Our Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet- from- another- planet, seems to be rounding the bases and heading for home. On April 7th, the Department of Homeland Security issued a memo to law enforcement offices across the country titled: "Right-Wing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment". That's a mouthful but what would you expect from the woman who renamed the War on Terror, "Man-Caused Disasters". Let's follow along with the theme of "Say What You Mean" and "Mean What You Say" attitude: If you vote for Life, favor strict immigration policy, defend the 2nd amendment, protest big government, and are a returning Veteran......You may be a Right-Wing Extremist. Or, in the eloquent words of Jeanne Garofalo, during an NBC interview, a tea-bagging racist. Nice. And you wonder why NBC's ratings are in the tank.
Let's take this memo one step further. I find the timed release of this memo more than a bit suspicious. The memo was released on April 7th with all of the "Tax Day Tea Parties" scheduled to take place just one week later on April 15th. Things that make you go..... Hmmmm. Part of the DHS' official definition of a Right-Wing Extremist is "...those that are mainly anti-government and reject federal authority in favor of State or local authority". What a convenient way to paint all of the protesters last week as crazed neo-nazis. If the protesters were such extremists, how is it that over 300,000 people across the country assembled together, from all backgrounds, united in one cause, and I have yet to find any reports on any violence that occurred or arrests.
Makes you think about where the DHS received their information from in order to compile this report. Well, that would be the left leaning Southern Poverty Law Center. As if the above I've already spoken of isn't bad enough, they did they greatest disservice to our country's veterans. The SPLC even went as far as labeling the American Legion as a hate group because of it's stance on immigration enforcement. How is that for a "Thank You" for serving the country honorably. But yet, Secretary Janet Naplitano defends the report.
Another key concern in the DHS report is the stockpiling of weapons and ammo in anticipation of restrictions and bans. This may be one of the only talking points in the memo that has any validity. Have you been to a gun store lately? My husband is a hunter and I've been hearing from him about the lack of stock in both of the above categories. So, the last time we were in such an establishment, I decided to peruse the isles and check things out for myself. Honest to Abe! It was amazing to see empty shelves where ammo should be. And, in some cases, firearms that the gun shop owner would not even bother to order for an individual because the backlog was too incredible to even bother with. But, here is my absolute favorite discovery. At a local shop near my home, there is a picture of President Obama on the door with a sign that reads "Salesman of the Year". I defend the 2nd amendment.....PERIOD. More than anything, from gun owners that I know personally, it is the fear of believed bans to come which is fueling the upswing in sales of firearms and ammo. Not a conspiracy to commit extremist acts.
FYI: I will continue my weekly blog for as long as I possibly can. However, being as I "chatter on the Internet about the country's economic downturn", the FBI may be showing up at my door to take me away. I may very well fit the mold of a Right-Wing Extremist. And, as many of you would say to me........Welcome to the Club.
Let's take this memo one step further. I find the timed release of this memo more than a bit suspicious. The memo was released on April 7th with all of the "Tax Day Tea Parties" scheduled to take place just one week later on April 15th. Things that make you go..... Hmmmm. Part of the DHS' official definition of a Right-Wing Extremist is "...those that are mainly anti-government and reject federal authority in favor of State or local authority". What a convenient way to paint all of the protesters last week as crazed neo-nazis. If the protesters were such extremists, how is it that over 300,000 people across the country assembled together, from all backgrounds, united in one cause, and I have yet to find any reports on any violence that occurred or arrests.
Makes you think about where the DHS received their information from in order to compile this report. Well, that would be the left leaning Southern Poverty Law Center. As if the above I've already spoken of isn't bad enough, they did they greatest disservice to our country's veterans. The SPLC even went as far as labeling the American Legion as a hate group because of it's stance on immigration enforcement. How is that for a "Thank You" for serving the country honorably. But yet, Secretary Janet Naplitano defends the report.
Another key concern in the DHS report is the stockpiling of weapons and ammo in anticipation of restrictions and bans. This may be one of the only talking points in the memo that has any validity. Have you been to a gun store lately? My husband is a hunter and I've been hearing from him about the lack of stock in both of the above categories. So, the last time we were in such an establishment, I decided to peruse the isles and check things out for myself. Honest to Abe! It was amazing to see empty shelves where ammo should be. And, in some cases, firearms that the gun shop owner would not even bother to order for an individual because the backlog was too incredible to even bother with. But, here is my absolute favorite discovery. At a local shop near my home, there is a picture of President Obama on the door with a sign that reads "Salesman of the Year". I defend the 2nd amendment.....PERIOD. More than anything, from gun owners that I know personally, it is the fear of believed bans to come which is fueling the upswing in sales of firearms and ammo. Not a conspiracy to commit extremist acts.
FYI: I will continue my weekly blog for as long as I possibly can. However, being as I "chatter on the Internet about the country's economic downturn", the FBI may be showing up at my door to take me away. I may very well fit the mold of a Right-Wing Extremist. And, as many of you would say to me........Welcome to the Club.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)