Election '08: Freedom is hard work!

During the last year or so, I have made the point that freedom is hard work and that maybe it is just too hard for Americans to reach down into their gut and do the heavy lifting that is "freedom." Freedom comes at the cost of hard work, delayed personal gratification, self-responsibility, individual rights and responsibilities vs. group identity and group "rights" at the expense of the individual. Freedom is, like America, an ideal as much as it is a "reality." I firmly believe that we are on the brink of giving up our hard-won freedoms, our freedom from tyranny, our freedoms given in the place of false security. A friend of mine tells me that my belief in Americans is misplaced, that they have grown lazy - this is a generalization to be sure, that they want the government to "take care of them" because personal decision-making comes with the possibility of personal loss. When I saw the video of Obama calling for a "Civilian National Security Force", I cringed. Then I thought of the "Brownshirts" of Hitler's day and I thought of the Hitler Youth programs. And finally, I recalled from history what brought Hitler to power - the fall of the monetary system of the Weimer Republic. Interesting correlation or just coincidence? I don't know. I know I have a belief in the American people; that we will come to our senses and we will eventually realize that we are ALL in this boat. I feel trepidation for our nation, for our future. Why? Mainly because we do not have a well-educated, engaged electorate. I was listening to a radio program yesterday - Saturday - and the host was reading out survey facts such as less than one in ten young people who are about to vote even know the name of the Congressman representiing their district. The list goes on but the political knowledge of our people generally is woefully deficient. Many people vote blindly driven from emotion and from self-interest - "who's gonna give me more of someone else's money..." I can understand the "pride" of a black American wanting to vote for the first mixed-race candidate and thinking he's "black like me." But it just ain't true. I have always had to select a presidential candidate on ideas and ideology - who happened to be "white-skinned" (non-Hispanic white) like me. Let me assure black American voters - "Snake oil can be pedaled by anyone of any skin hue!" Freedom is hard work. I know it is late in the day for this election but I recommend that every American, and especially black Americans, read the book by Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, My Grandfather's Son. That is a book about the "black" experience in America. That is a book written by a man who had to make his way to the top through hard work and personal sacrifice, not as a community agitator. I don't know why black Americans - generally - seem to throw stones at a black man who is independent and who is self-made, who has grabbed for the American dream and has made it. It would seem that such a man would be the ideal, the example that "yes, I can" reach the top. I don't understand why Hispanic Americans didn't fight for Miguel Estrada when he was nominated for a position on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals - a nomination blocked by Democrats. Through their hard work and own self-sacrifice in addition to their belief in God and their family values, black Americans and Hispanic Americans are often times more "conservative" than conservatives - we believe the same things, have the same values, and yet allow Democrat Liberals to drive us apart. I don't understand that. When I was in Turkey, Texas - yes, my goodness, there is a Turkey, Texas - I was talking with a man of Hispanic ancestry who had fought in WWII. He had tears of patriotism and love for his nation in his eyes when he spoke of his experiences. Yet, when he spoke of the "illegal aliens" (wetbacks was his term) invading our nation, he said "I'm Mexican and they are taking away what belongs to me...." I said, "Wait a minute. Let me get this straight. You were born in Wyoming? And you are a Mexican?" "Yes," he said. "And I was born in Virginia and I'm an American? How can that be?" He smiled at me with a broad smile and gentle eyes and said, "You are right. I'm an American, not a Mexican." I think that is a major difference between "non-Hispanic white" Americans and beople who identify themselves as "Hispanics" or "African-Americans." We "non-Hispanic white" Americans are raised believing that we are Americans first and ethnicity (Irish, Italian, English, etc.) last whereas many "Hispanics" and "African-Americans" (who may or may not have any ties to Africa) identify with "group identity" and not with the American identity. It is curious to me but there it is. While I'm on this page, I'll just say that I believe the "black" Americans stand to marginalize themselves from a national voting perspective to both major political parties this year because their vote is "owned" lock, stock, and barrel by the Democrat Party - not because they are not welcome in the Republican Party of Lincoln and of Civil Rights but because they have sold themselves to the Democrats. I believe the black American voter block - with the exception of regional areas - stands ready to marginalize itself. Why? Because it has so faithfully voted for Democrats and been so generally hostile to Republican Conservatives that Republican Conservatives have had to win elections with very little support from the black community. But what lurks on the fringes? The Hispanic vote will explode in the very near future from 42 million people to 60-some million, half of whom will be eligible voters. Where will this place the black vote relative to the political parties? We'll have to wait and see. So, this thing we call "freedom" is not free; it is not a carrot on a stick. Freedom is the American way, the American ideal. Do we really want to hand our freedoms over to a man and a political party that can't wait to take those few remaining freedoms away? The LIBERAL justices on the Supreme Court have successfully legislated from the bench in Kelo vs New London, Conn. and essentially removed our right to private property that can now be taken from us and sold by the city, state, or federal government to another private individual for higher taxes. LIBERAL justices did that! With the North American Union well on its way and the SPP highway - two of them now - well in the works scheduled to slice through two areas of America going from lower Mexico through to Canada - will cost many Americans their homes, their family farms, their strip malls, their bid for the American Dream. I have opposed President George W. Bush on this every step of the way. People campaign and say that voting for John McCain is voting for four more years of President Bush but I don't think so. I think voting for Obama is more closely casting a vote for continued loss of our freedoms. You will decide November 4th. If you have not voted already, think about what you want for your children and for your grandchildren. Wouldn't you want your children and grandchildren to privatize part of their Social Security confiscated funds into accounts they can manage? Wouldn't you want them to be able to leave that money to their children as inheritance and not have the money gobbled up as it is today to support the little ladies of "non-Hispanic white" ancestry who tend to live longer? Wouldn't you want that money to go to your children's grandchildren to help them? This is a big election. Among other things, Obama is calling for his "Civilian National Security Force". What is that? Who would fund it? If you say, taxes, then it isn't "civilian." If you hear talk of Obama Youth, then you will know it is way too late. Let's see what the stock market does tomorrow and then on Wednesday. If businesses start moving more of their money overseas, then you'll know it is too late to jump ship... It will be Titanic time. It has been proved through research studies that many more folks would have survived the sinking of the Titanic if they had tied the life floats together instead of wearing them individually as they did. We are ALL on the ship of state that is America. No matter how the vote goes on November 4th, we are all in this boat together and we will all rise or fall in the coming years as we meet the enemies of our nation - within and without - face to face. Socialism has failed EVERY time it has been inflicted upon people. Americans don't accept failure. Now is not the time to vote for failure... Obama sneers and mocks "Joe, the plumber" and Obama sneers when he says "they are calling my policies 'socialistic'. He sneers to cover the fact that his policies and his goals for America reach deep within his own roots and they reach far deeper than Socialism. Time will tell. One thing I must say, we are Americans. Our fathers and mothers or grandparents survived the Great Depression brought on by Hoover with his increase in taxes during a weak economy. FDR brought in Social Security and other "socialistic" programs. But, again, we are Americans. We can and will survive whatever happens. What we may need is something to focus our attention on the survival of our nation and our Constitution and our sovereignty. That may come in many forms but focused we will become. History is a hard teacher, exacting, giving no quarter, and history is in the making. Let's make sure we are "making history" for the right reasons. Freedom is hard work! Are you ready to fight for FREEDOM or would you rather just get a check from the government?