On several occasions as I watched the president give a speech I began to wonder if he knows what he is there in that great office to represent. I wondered if he understands the true history and legacy of this great land. Not a head knowledge but a heart knowledge. I wondered if he felt the true weight and responsibility to maintain the status of the United States in the world. Does he understand the importance of individual freedom and liberty both to be and to do? After all, does not the Creator of the universe himself believe in free choice ? Does not our unalienable rights emanate from the Creator? Or perhaps the framers greatly erred and we should strike that out so no one will be “offended”? No! he made me to be free.

I watch him and it is like an actor on a stage, playing a role, moving as the director directs and saying what the script says to say. If all we needed was a good looking actor who can give a good sounding speech, we could have elected Denzel Washington. Talking is not doing. And this: what has he done for anybody, anywhere that we may see that he even knows what he is doing? Tell me please!

Does he know who he is supposed to be? Well the apology tour was one indication that he has misunderstood what America’s role in the world should be. Yes we can be arrogant, yes we can be boastful,yes some of us are greedy, yes we have made mistakes, but should he stand before people who want to kill us and say these things.Is it the president’s role to humble us before the world ? And yet he speaks not so despairingly of himself. The president cannot even accept criticism without whining. You better believe that the world needs America to be America. Why? Who comes in disasters to help with humanitarian aid the most. What country offers the promise of rags to riches to immigrants from far flung parts of the world ? Where are you allowed, to worship any deity, stick or stone without threat of death? Or you may believe in no god at all. America that’s where. At least for now.

He will not praise this country without condemning it. He will not extol our virtues over our vices, he will not raise his voice and proclaim that America is the land of the free and the home of the brave before the world. Why? because that is not what he seems to believe we are or maybe should be. His vision of America is not what we have been known to be. Governmental control, extravagant giveaways, speech police, food police, media police and “social justice” is where he is leading us.

We no longer have public servants but royalty in congress. Little kings and queens who will tell us what to and how to do it with the promise of something “free” to lure us in. We must obey them because after all they know better how to run our lives than we do.I almost feel like we will soon be asked to bow when they come into the room.

Hate speech laws are being enacted to keep any one from saying anything, to offend any group, anywhere, doing any hideous thing they can think of. Although Christians and conservatives will not be a protected group. I promise you. Gags will be placed on the mouths of religious people who believe that there is such a thing as sin and wrong and right.All judeo- christian symbols will be removed from the public square. The history book writers for school children are already wiping the country’s religious heritage from the pages. No longer should it be told why the pilgrims came here or that our laws are based on the bible. Hatred of America and everything it stands for is festering in the halls of academia and a new revisionist story is told of how we are the constant perpetrators of evil in the world. This will not be an America fit to live in if it continues this way.

I do not want to be here when the destroyers of liberty, religious freedom and self determination are done with this country. Our leaders are becoming a counsel of idiots and deceivers and it is distressing to see. Those who rise up and stand for truth, for right and for liberty will have to pay a price, yes they will and some are already paying it. But the price is not too great nor the sacrifice too large to keep this a free republic.

What about the children ? What about the future? What about our standard of living? What about the survival of freedom in the world. What about it friend ? Are you standing up or sitting down with your hands over your eyes just hoping the storm passes you by?

Please let’s not get weary now. Let’s Fight on and let’s fight hard.

Marcus is internationally known for his columns, music recordings and participation performing on political tours including the hugely successful Tea Party Express tour.

Marcus says he is not alone in his opposition to Americans hyphenating. It began in March 2009 at a Tea Party in Orlando Florida. Before performing his original song, “American Tea Party Anthem”, Marcus addressed the audience. “I am NOT an African American. I am Lloyd Marcus…AMERICAN!” To Marcus’ surprise, the audience of 6,000 erupted with applause.

Marcus experienced the same overwhelmingly positive and supportive response from audiences at 34 rallies across America while traveling on the Tea Party Express tour. “Many came to me with tears in their eyes saying, Thank you! I can’t tell you how much what you said means to me.” says Marcus. Americans told Marcus that while they have no problem with people honoring their ethnic heritage, we should all be Americans first. These patriots feel hyphenating divides us.

Marcus recalls a heartwarming incident at a tea party. An Asian gentlemen with his wife and four kids approached Marcus. Responding to Marcus’ earlier comment, in broken English he said, “Me no Asian-American, me AMERICAN!” Then, he and Marcus embraced.

Another reason for ending hyphenating is hopefully it will reinforce the pride, honor and privilege of being an American. Over the years, secular progressives have taught in our schools that American patriotism is arrogant, unsophisticated and insulting to the rest of the world. Meanwhile, it is acceptable for other nations to hold their homeland in the highest regards.

The revelation that most Americans do not like hyphenating confirms to Marcus that Americans have been manipulated by political correctness, accepting things we do not want.

Marcus’ campaign to end hyphenating is not one of condemnation. “I highly respect and celebrate freedom for which many brave have suffered and died. All who wish to continue hyphenating have a right to do so and will not receive judgment from me. I simple will not hyphenate. I believe most of my fellow Americans will follow.”

Lloyd Marcus, Black unhyphenated American.

LloydMarcus.com

TWENTY TEN, Take Back America video

Q. Is the United States, in your opinion, becoming a socialist country?

A. Not quite. The U.S. has been pretty center-left since the days of FDR, and definitely in terms of entitlement spending (Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, SSI, Welfare, Section 8, Food Stamps, Lord know what else). Since nearly half of the country doesn’t even pay any taxes to fund it we’ve got the whole nanny state thing covered.

What has kept us center left, ironically, is capitalism itself. It’s cyclical in nature, so we’re assured boom and bust periods every few years. You may notice that during the bust periods, businesses and people have no problem running to the government to be succored and taken care of. That’s usually when we end up with some massive new entitlement, and once we have them, they’re politically untouchable despite the calamitous economic consequences of maintaining them.

What has kept us from drifting further left, fortunately, is the independence of our states. So while one can move to California and conceivably live off the dole for a lifetime, they wouldn’t be able to pull off the same feat in say, Texas, where the culture is different, government is small and there are virtually no taxes, services, or handouts.

Americans also love innovation, choice, and speed, so likely wouldn’t tolerate a government responsible for running all of our industries, and deciding the output and delivery of our goods and services. Most of us panic when we don’t have enough options available on our iPhones for Pete’s sake, so I doubt we’d ever want to rely on Uncle Sam for our clothes, TVs, remotes, video games, cars, laptops, etc. It would be way too inconvenient. Women may be divided on an issue such as abortion, for example, but they’ll unite if you mess with their department stores. Inhibit their ability to customize their kitchens and there may be be rioting in the streets. 

Q. What do you think was the turning point with The President’s poll numbers?

A. I might be reaching here, but I’d have to say “Gates-gate”. That event will live on in infamy as the day when Obama spoiled the vision of himself as a transformative, post racial, unifying President. Keep in mind many white moderates and independents made the good faith assumption that he would be the cure for what ills this country racially, and he’d be what we needed to assuage white guilt. Not so fast.

In rushing to judgment against the Cambridge police, without having the facts of the matter at hand, and siding with Gates while inserting race into the narrative, he exposed himself as just another huckster…the “angry elitist black man” who sees racism even where it isn’t, and opts to pretentiously ram his sermonizing on the subject down our throats.

He got off easy with the Reverend Wright situation, as well as the “Guns and Religion” comment. He even managed to escape scot-free after calling his own grandmother a “typical white person”. But now that he IS the United States, there are no more free passes for remarks like that, and I don’t think he’ll ever be able to regain the trust of those independents again. When discussing the event with a disappointed white liberal friend of mine, he uttered the words that sum up how much Obama tarnished his image: “I never thought I’d see a U.S. President ever pull the race card.” Ouch. 

Q. What has gone wrong for the Democrats in the health care debate?

A. There’s an old saying in the legal profession: When you have the facts on your side, pound the facts. When you have the law on your side, pound the law. When you have neither, pound the table.

Give you one guess what our friends on the Left have been pounding?

Here are some of their biggest blunders:

• They’ve tried to demonize concerned Americans practicing their right to protest as Nazis, racists, KKK members, astroturfers, corporate stooges, and terrorists. Considering that many of the people at those town halls look like they have 4 pm bedtimes and probably spent WWII fighting fascism, the left’s claims are a little hard to believe. That they represent the majority of this country (the 75% who aren’t liberals) will prove fatal to the Democrat party.
• Obama has been exposed numerous times for not knowing what’s in either of the bills he has floating around Congress. That doesn’t do much for his credibility when he’s out there guaranteeing everyone everything.
• There are numerous Youtube videos of the President floating around where he describes his wish for single payer, and outlines his plans to gradually sneak insert it into our system. That he is all of a sudden against it when the entire left wing of his party is pushing for it, is suspicious and lends credence to the public option being a Trojan horse.
• Congress (and the President) have exempted themselves from this supposedly “wonderful” plan.
• Spamgate. Not so much the incident itself but the White House’s attempts at covering it up.
• Obama has been caught telling some whoppers. Claiming an AARP endorsement? Doctors are reimbursed $50,000 for amputations? They push tonsillectomies on people for fees? Guaranteeing we’ll keep our plans? No rationing? All are foolish declarations.
• The CBO has blown apart all of Obama’s assertions about “bending the cost curve” and bringing costs down. Some say even their estimates are still too low. Yet he won’t let go of savings as a talking point.
• Obama cut a deal with Big Pharma on the side, one of the same “special interests” he purports to be fighting on our behalf.
• He used the Post office as the standard for Government run health care.
• The left wing Democrats (Pelosi and co.) have written all of the legislation and are responsible for some of the more bizarre proposals within the overhaul, placing the moderates and conservatives in their party, many hailing from red states, in a tenuous position. That this Administration failed to realize the effect of such a strategy is either indicative of their supreme incompetence or their willingness to send the lambs to slaughter in order to accomplish their goal. It may very well be both. The lambs, however, are not so keen on being unemployed, certainly not in this economy, and are hitting the brakes right at the edge of the cliff before they fall into the vast pit known as the American center. Left wingers don’t usually make it out of there alive, disappearing into the depths of nefarious political history alongside Jimmy Carter, George McGovern, Mondale, John Kerry, and soon, Dodd/Reid/Frank/Pelosi. But you know who it’s REALLY waiting for, though…

I can go on, but I think I’ve made a pretty good case.

Americans DO want reform, of course, but only the kind that aids the 5% of us who fall through the cracks when it comes to coverage and offers us protection during periods of unemployment, at a lower overall cost. That’s it. Until our President gets that a government takeover is out of the question he can look forward to more declining poll numbers.

Not that it matters anymore. The revised deficit numbers released this past weekend should be the final nail in Obamacare’s coffin, or at least what places it on life support. Call them a death panel. We’re now (officially) looking at a trillion dollar deficit each year through the next DECADE, folks.

I hope the Bammer gets plenty of rest on his vacation.

Q. What do you think of the Democrats using reconciliation to push Obamacare through?

A. They should probably start updating their resumes.

Q. What can Republicans do to get a larger share of the black vote?

A. Stop assuming that it isn’t theirs for the taking right out of the gate. Mike Huckabee, who managed to pull 45% of the black vote in Arkansas, said all he needed to do was ask for it.

Case in point: I was invited to speak at a conference on party identification and voting at a University earlier this year to a group of minority underclassmen. My liberal counterpart made the mistake of doing the thinking for them, and assumed there was nothing to discuss beyond the same usual talking points. I had other plans, and made mincemeat out of her (in a polite way, of course).

Once I was done, I was approached by about 7 or 8 of the students, and each one told me they’d either be registering Republican, voting Republican, or were leaning Republican and wanted to talk to me some more and ask questions. A few others wanted me to recommend the reading materials that shaped my own ideas.

8 students out of 30 or so, at a liberal institution, in New York, with a black Democrat President in office. That’s 25%. I didn’t need any cheap slogans, PR people, teleprompters, or a multimillion dollar campaign to sway them either.

Here’s a secret: Black people, and by extension all minorities, want the same thing everyone else wants- freedom of opportunity, safety, an education, better lives for their children, etc…. Don’t treat us like aliens that need to be studied and dissected. We’re not a group incapable of independent thought. We are reasonable human beings! Sure we’ve got our liberals, but we also have many moderates and conservatives who simply vote Democrat because it’s all they know. The same probably goes for Latinos and every other group out there. Go after everybody without using condescending tactics, let them examine your ideas and principles, and you’ll get results.

 Q. The Republicans still haven’t been able to distinguish themselves or make any gains amidst all of the turmoil. They’re the party of “No”. Shouldn’t they be out there making alternative proposals to the people in order to be taken seriously?

A. When has a minority party ever been able to take the lead on agenda setting? Nothing Republicans propose will ever make it out of Committee in this Congress. I’m actually happy they’re sitting the sideline, because it’s galvanizing Americans, regardless of party, to take up the fight. Partisan politics are good for sport, but this is real life, and those labels mean nothing here.

Sorry, but the Dems own the stimulus, they own the porkulus, they own the quadrupling of the Bush deficits, they own the doubling of the national debt, they own the auto bailouts, they own the unemployment rate, they own any pending tax increases, they own cap and trade, and they will own Obamacare.

Why should Republicans get involved? I’d stay as far away as possible. When your opponents are busy burning down their house, it’s better to save some water for your own.

Their main focus now should be developing candidates, leaders, and a message to help navigate us through the rough years ahead and better defend the interests of their constituents.

Better to be the party of “no” then the party of “can’t”.

Q. Was Cash for Clunkers a good idea?

A. Not for car dealers, who’ve yet to be paid. Certainly not for the government’s reputation for managing programs. Or poor Americans who typically can only afford clunkers. Or even for consumer spending, which declined in July.

So I’d say no.

Auto union workers might probably disagree, but they also thought auto bailouts were a good idea, so who cares?

I’m a home grown American citizen, 53, registered Democrat all my life. Before the last presidential election I registered as a Republican because I no longer felt the Democratic Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. Now I no longer feel the Republican Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. The fact is I no longer feel any political party or representative in Washington represents my views or works to pursue the issues important to me. There must be someone. Please tell me who you are. Please stand up and tell me that you are there and that you’re willing to fight for our Constitution as it was written. Please stand up now. You might ask yourself what my views and issues are that I would horribly feel so disenfranchised by both major political parties. What kind of nut job am I? Will you please tell me?

Well, these are briefly my views and issues for which I seek representation:

One, illegal immigration. I want you to stop coddling illegal immigrants and secure our borders. Close the underground tunnels. Stop the violence and the trafficking in drugs and people. No amnesty, not again. Been there, done that, no resolution. P.S., I’m not a racist. This isn’t to be confused with legal immigration.

Two, the TARP bill, I want it repealed and I want no further funding supplied to it. We told you no, but you did it anyway I want the remaining unfunded 95% repealed. Freeze, repeal.

Three: Czars, I want the circumvention of our checks and balances stopped immediately. Fire the czars. No more czars. Government officials answer to the process, not to the president. Stop trampling on our Constitution and honor it.

Four, cap and trade. The debate on global warming is not over. There is more to say.

Five, universal healthcare. I will not be rushed into another expensive decision. Don’t you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night and then go on break. Slow down!

Six, growing government control. I want states rights and sovereignty fully restored. I want less government in my life, not more. Shrink it down. Mind your own business. You have enough to take care of with your real obligations. Why don’t you start there..

Seven, ACORN. I do not want ACORN and its affiliates in charge of our 2010 census. I want them investigated. I also do not want mandatory escrow fees contributed to them every time on every real estate deal that closes. Stop the funding to ACORN and its affiliates pending impartial audits and investigations. I do not trust them with taking the census over with our taxpayer money. I don’t trust them with our taxpayer money. Face up to the allegations against them and get it resolved before taxpayers get any more involved with them. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, hello. Stop protecting your political buddies. You work for us, the people. Investigate.

Eight, redistribution of wealth. No, no, no. I work for my money. It is mine I have always worked for people with more money than I have because they gave me jobs. That is the only redistribution of wealth that I will support. I never got a job from a poor person.. Why do you want me to hate my employers? Why — what do you have against shareholders making a profit?

Nine, charitable contributions. Although I never got a job from a poor person, I have helped many in need. Charity belongs in our local communities, where we know our needs best and can use our local talent and our local resources. Butt out, please. We want to do it ourselves.

Ten, corporate bailouts. Knock it off. Sink or swim like the rest of us. If there are hard times ahead, we’ll be better off just getting into it and letting the strong survive. Quick and painful. Have you ever ripped off a Band-Aid? We will pull together. Great things happen in America under great hardship. Give us the chance to innovate. We cannot disappoint you more than you have disappointed us.

Eleven, transparency and accountability. How about it? No, really, how about it? Let’s have it. Let’s say we give the buzzwords a rest and have some straight honest talk. Please try — please stop manipulating and trying to appease me with clever wording. I am not the idiot you obviously take me for. Stop sneaking around and meeting in back rooms making deals with your friends. It will only be a prelude to your criminal investigation. Stop hiding things from me.

Twelve, unprecedented quick spending. Stop it now. Take a breath. Listen to the people. Let’s just slow down and get some input from some nonpoliticians on the subject. Stop making everything an emergency. Stop speed reading our bills into law. I am not an activist. I am not a community organizer. Nor am I a terrorist, a militant or a violent person. I am a parent and a grandparent. I work. I’m busy. I’m busy. I am busy, and I am tired. I thought we elected competent people to take care of the business of government so that we could work, raise our families, pay our bills, have a little recreation, complain about taxes, endure our hardships, pursue our personal goals, cut our lawn, wash our cars on the weekends and be responsible contributing members of society and teach our children to be the same all while living in the home of the free and land of the brave.

I entrusted you with upholding the Constitution. I believed in the checks and balances to keep from getting far off course. What happened? You are very far off course. Do you really think I find humor in the hiring of a speed reader to unintelligently ramble all through a bill that you signed into law without knowing what it contained? I do not. It is a mockery of the responsibility I have entrusted to you. It is a slap in the face. I am not laughing at your arrogance. Why is it that I feel as if you would not trust me to make a single decision about my own life and how I would live it but you should expect that I should trust you with the debt that you have laid on all of us and our children. We did not want the TARP bill. We said no. We would repeal it if we could. I am sure that we still cannot. There is such urgency and recklessness in all of the recent spending.

From my perspective, it seems that all of you have gone insane. I also know that I am far from alone in these feelings. Do you honestly feel that your current pursuits have merit to patriotic Americans? We want it to stop. We want to put the brakes on everything that is being rushed by us and forced upon us. We want our voice back. You have forced us to put our lives on hold to straighten out the mess that you are making. We will have to give up our vacations, our time spent with our children, any relaxation time we may have had and money we cannot afford to spend on you to bring our concerns to Washington Our president often knows all the right buzzword is unsustainable. Well, no kidding. How many tens of thousands of dollars did the focus group cost to come up with that word? We don’t want your overpriced words. Stop treating us like we’re morons.

We want all of you to stop focusing on your reelection and do the job we want done, not the job you want done or the job your party wants done. You work for us and at this rate I guarantee you not for long because we are coming. We will be heard and we will be represented. You think we’re so busy with our lives that we will never come for you? We are the formerly silent majority, all of us who quietly work, pay taxes, obey the law, vote, save money, keep our noses to the grindstone and we are now looking up at you. You have awakened us, the patriotic spirit so strong and so powerful that it had been sleeping too long. You have pushed us too far. Our numbers are great. They may surprise you. For every one of us who will be there, there will be hundreds more that could not come. Unlike you, we have their trust. We will represent them honestly, rest assured. They will be at the polls on voting day to usher you out of office. We have cancelled vacations. We will use our last few dollars saved. We will find the representation among us and a grassroots campaign will flourish. We didn’t ask for this fight. But the gloves are coming off.. We do not come in violence, but we are angry. You will represent us or you will be replaced with someone who will. There are candidates among us when he will rise like a Phoenix from the ashes that you have made of our constitution.

Democrat, Republican, independent, libertarian. Understand this. We don’t care.. Political parties are meaningless to us. Patriotic Americans are willing to do right by us and our Constitution and that is all that matters to us now. We are going to fire all of you who abuse power and seek more. It is not your power. It is ours and we want it back. We entrusted you with it and you abused it. You are dishonorable. You are dishonest. As Americans we are ashamed of you. You have brought shame to us. If you are not representing the wants and needs of your constituency loudly and consistently, in spite of the objections of your party, you will be fired. Did you hear? We no longer care about your political parties. You need to be loyal to us, not to them. Because we will get you fired and they will not save you. If you do or can represent me, my issues, my views, please stand up. Make your identity known. You need to make some noise about it. Speak up. I need to know who you are. If you do not speak up, you will be herded out with the rest of the sheep and we will replace the whole damn congress if need be one by one. We are coming. Are we coming for you? Who do you represent? What do you represent? Listen. Because we are coming. We the people are coming.

The President likes to say that the “Status quo” must change on health care . The fact is that the status quo is the government and insurance companies in charge of health care spending and it has gotten us where we are today.  Yet the President wants to give MORE power to these same groups!  How does that change “the status quo”?Stop Government Run Medicine. 

1. Create a government run insurance program that likely will add over 100 million people onto the backs of taxpayers (Lewin Group).

2. Mandate that everyone buy over-priced health insurance that is created by politicians and lobbyists – a huge profit gain for insurance companies.  It is estimated that insurance costs will GO UP by up to 95%.  This plan has failed in Massachusetts where there are still 2.6% uninsured, premiums have gone up at rates higher than the rest of the country and the state is now spending an additional $1.5 billion in taxpayer money on health care!

3. Create government rationing that will allow insurance company profits to grow and allow government to avoid paying benefits (Campaign for Liberty).

4. Create government committees that will tell doctors what medical tests and treatments they CAN and CANNOT order and punish them financially if they don’t “comply” (www.doctorsforpatientfreedom.com).

5. Prevent you from buying private insurance that is not “government-approved” after 2013 (page 16 of bill) http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/00351.

6. Create a massive bureacracy that will interfere in the relationship you have with your doctors.

7. Add to the national debt and increase government spending by at least $1.5 trillion over ten years!

8. Cut spending for Medicare patients by $400 billion over ten years!

9. Force seniors to attend “counseling sessions” about alternatives for “end of life care”, or more often if they get sick  (House bill, p. 425-430).

Already Congress has defeated amendments that would have prohibited a) the government from interfering in the practice of medicine and that b) would have prevented insurance plans from being required to pay for abortion benefits -even if you don’t want those benefits.

The House of Representatives needs to hear form you this week so they know you want to

House Bill 3200 will:

There are better ways to drive down health insurance premiums:  put money and power in the hands of individuals and create real competition.  Give them tax benefits to buy health insurance outside of work – not just from their employer. Allow them to buy lower cost insurance from another state.  Allow the natural growth of tax free health savings accounts and high deductible health plans so insurance is used rarely in your life- not every time you see a doctors. That will allow patients to demand more time from their doctors and have the doctor explain why tests and treatments are worth spending money from their own accounts.  The poor and the sick who have can’t find health insurance CAN get help from the government and charities and that will be more affordable for taxpayers. Sadly, the status quo won’t change under Congresional plans – the status quo will be made worse as the same government and insurance companies that created our problems are given even more power.

Please call the following representatives today and let them know: 
1) NO GOVERNMENT RUN HEALTH CARE-  No indvidiual mandate – No public option. 
2) VOTE NO ON HR 3200 and empower individuals – not government and insurance companies. 
3) NO RATIONING.
 

Sincerely,

David McKalip, M.D.
Chairman, Florida Taxpayers Union
Chair, Council on Medical Economics, Florida Medical Association

It was so nice having these dedicated officers around and I can’t describe the feeling I got seeing the mounted officers riding their horses up and down the boulevard in a single pass.  I don’t think it was for show, as 3 went one direction and only 1 came back the other way. And it is certain that they were not endorsing the message we were out to communicate. They, as civil servants of course, are not permitted to engage in political “speech,” one way or the other.

We have a teeming horse community here in Broward County, Florida, and I am blessed to live amidst, but not amongst it, if you get what I mean. I don’t own and could ever afford to own a horse or the property necessary to accommodate the equine lifestyle, but as I go to the grocery store, it is not unusual to see riders on their mounts trotting down the trails and bike paths.

Even so, in downtown Fort Lauderdale, it still amazes me when I see these animals being so adeptly utilized by mounted law enforcement professionals.  These horses, as cars and trucks with horns blaring passed by, barely blinked an eye. Trotting down the boulevard with a roaring sanitation truck coming up behind them (think of the ones who wake you up with roaring deisel engines and screeching brakes on garbage pickup day), these officers - human and equine alike – had the confidence in each other to calmly work their way up the boulevard. These officers – human and equine alike - are heroes. You can’t help but respect their presence.

The protestors at the Tea Party gave these that serve their due, that is for sure.  The crowd roared in appreciation as they trotted by. Can you imagine that happening during a left-wing protest? I can’t really remember any right-wing protests in the last decades – maybe a few anti-abortion protestors laying down, nonviolently resisting. The vast majorityof images I have of protests back through the last decades of outright animosity and violence by left-wingers toward those who serve and protect.

Ok, so here is the point…BUDGETS.

It used to be that our local tax dollars were spent on public safety, public utilities, local county roads – those things that government is constitutionally required to fund. I remember that when I was growing up, the local civic clubs such as the Kiwanis, Lions, Elks, and others made it their special project to erect “welcome” signs, plant and upkeep landscape in the medians of the local roadways. It seems that politicians decided that they could do a better job than these volunteer orginizations – if only they had the taxpayers behind them. 

Fast-forward to 2009.

I can’t even fathom the number of $2,000 Royal Palm trees and other specimens the nearby cities of Sunrise and Weston have planted with taxpayer dollars – not to mention how many lawsuits have been settled due to the palm fronds either fallen or falling into the streets, damaging passing vehicles. Common sense, folks, common sense! And now in this economic fiasco we are in, we hear the steady drumbeat of “we’ll have to cut services, we’ll have to cut services…” Yeah, including law enforcement and emergency services. Have you ever heard them say “we’ll have to cut our landscaping services”?

I look back at those civic-minded years, and I wonder just what is left for civic organizations to do that government has not already taken over. In the recent decades, it seems civic organizations have moved into providing educational scholarships and supporting medical research. Good work, indeed, but even that will soon be taken away if the national leadership has its way. 

Hmmmm…Maybe things will come full circle. As the duties of civic organizations are taken over by government, and government is increasingly unable to fund those functions for which they are constitutionally responsible, the civic organizations will kick in to fund…you know:  local county roads,  public utilities, public safety -including equine officers, whose very presence is awe inspiring and fearsome in all the right ways.

Oh. Wait. That’ll never happen. We as citizens and taxpayers will not have any discretionary funds left to donate to civic causes.

If only governemnt would stay in their own lane.

I have always heard about this democracy countdown.. It is interesting to see it in print. God help us, not that we deserve it.

About the time our original thirteen states adopted their new constitution in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh , had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years earlier:

“A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government.

 ”A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.

“From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.

“The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years.

“During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:

1. from bondage to spiritual faith;
2. from spiritual faith to great courage;
3. from courage to liberty;
4. from liberty to abundance;
5. from abundance to complacency;
6. from complacency to apathy;
7. from apathy to dependence;
8. from dependence back into bondage”

Professor Joseph Olson of Hemline University School of Law, St. Paul , Minnesota points out some interesting facts concerning the 2008 Presidential election:

• Number of States won by:
    Democrats: 19
    Republicans: 29
• Square miles of land won by:
    Democrats: 580,000
    Republicans: 2,427,000
• Population of counties won by:
    Democrats: 127 million
    Republicans: 143 million
• Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by:
    Democrats: 13.2
    Republicans: 2.1

Professor Olson adds:

“In aggregate, the map of the territory Republican won was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of this great country. Democrat territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off various forms of government welfare…’ Olson believes the United States is somewhere between the ‘complacency and apathy’ phase of Professor Tyler’s definition of democracy, with some forty percent of the nation’s population already having reached the ‘governmental dependency’ phase.”

If Congress grants amnesty and citizenship to twenty million criminal invaders called illegal’s and they vote, then we can say goodbye to the USA in fewer than five years.

Please pass this along to help everyone realize just how much is at stake, knowing that apathy is the greatest danger to our freedom.