Blacklisting, here we come!

Back in the 40's and 50's( http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/bcaplan/museum/blist2.htm ), a paranoia spread throughout the country, centralizing and culminating in Hollywood.  Movies have been made about it, and it has become a thing of the past that almost seems too horrible to be true.  In our government's frenzy to weed out dissidents such as socialists, communist, and Nazis, honest and innocent people were forever ruined, and their careers did not recover.  

Of course, it's easy to think that would never happen again here.  We don't give into fear-mongering, and we are a tolerance-driven society.  Anyone of any background, creed, color, religion, political belief, etc., is welcome here.  We are encouraged to not step on anyone's toes, and we must not make someone feel bad for their life choices. 

But alas, we are finding that that is a double standard.  We are to be tolerant, but we are not being tolerated.  We are being labeled ourselves.  We are now the "dissidents", the "subversives", and the ones to be feared.  Blacklisting is not here yet, but it's pre-cursors are.  Once again, our constitutional rights are being ignored and abused.  

On April 15th, Tax Day, there were peaceful gatherings across the country to protest the misuse of our tax dollars, and to ask for accountability in our government.  

Those attendees, and many more people across the nation who are standing up for what is morally right, are being labeled as "extremists" and "possibly terrorists".  That means me.  I supported the Tax Day tea parties, and I also am pro-life and pro-family.  According to the Homeland Security website http://www.citizenlink.org/content/A000009871.cfm , that's what we are.

Hmmm....does that sound right to you?  Does that get your motor runnin', even just a little bit?  I don't know about you, but I don't like being called a terrorist, or an extremist, just because I exercise my constitutional right to freedom of speech, and the last time I checked, opinion was allowed, too.  

Think we would never return to those black days in history where people were blacklisted for as little as attending a humanitarian meeting in college?  Think again, my friend.  It could happen to you....

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing"

- Edmund Burke

Less than 24 hours for us to let Obama know we want our health care professionals protected!

Please visit www.adoctorsrights.com, and let the president know we want people who work in the health care industry to not have to choose between their morals and their job!  This issue has been open to public input, and unknown to me, there is a website where you can voice your support of them being protected by law.  

This hits close to home because my father is an anesthetist, and his job could entail giving anesthesia for an abortion.  

We must keep fighting for what is right!  I know we all feel like the little dutch boy with his finger in the dam, but if we all stand together, we can hold the dam together!

The dismal tide...

A few weeks ago, my husband cunningly suckered me into watching a movie that I had passed on for a year. One of his favorites, that proves how vastly far apart and never to meet, are our movie tastes.
I love old movies. I love musicals. I love romantic comedies. And lastly, and weirdly enough since I abhor sports, movies about baseball.
On occasion, he will beg to the point of me giving in, to watch one of "his" movies. Saving Private Ryan, Mystic River (ugh!), and most recently, the sucker punch of all sucker punches: No Country for Old Men (double, triple and quadruple UGH!)
A movie set in the early 80's in West Texas, about as dismal a setting as you can find, and about a maniacal and conscience-deprived killer. He kills without much thought and most times devoid of purpose, and with not a second thought to what he did.
Yeah. My kind of movie, honey!
Now, based on my movie tastes, you may be asking how he so cunningly got me to watch this movie! Well, he is doing a project for his doctoral studies. It is centered on culture and views in movies. We have talked about nihilism, naturalism, relativism, and alot of other 'isms. It has proven to be an excellent springboard for discussing our culture and our relevance. I myself have learned alot. Way to go, honey! Good call on this one!
But wait, what movie did he pick first?!?!?!? None other than No Country for Old Men! It was so hard for me to watch that movie and not complain. But I did it. Begrudgingly. And I did not enjoy it. It left me feeling pretty morose for about a week. I lay awake that night and couldn't get the senseless killings out of my head.
But then, something interesting happened. I began to really listen to my husband quoting the movie. And the quotes actually made sense. And were very, very relevant to the way I feel about our country and the way things are going right now.
As I sit here, I am coming off the heels of reading about the 4th state to legalize gay marriage. And my heart takes a dive. Then God's sovereignty, the string to my crazy, wind-driven kite, reminds me that He is in control. And our world has been heading this way since...well, since the Fall. These are not new things. They are just new to me. And they are a reminder that I am not of this world. I am to be salt, which flavors, but also can hurt the tongue. And light, which brings hope, but can also hurt the eyes that are not used to it.
So, to quote the movie "...it is not the one thing, (gay marriage, abortion, insert disturbing event here,...) it is the dismal tide."
Basically, we can't get so wrapped up in every thing individually and worry about it. It is part of something that God has known would happen, and is allowing to happen. And our job in this world as part of the Kingdom, as sons and daughters of the King, has not changed. And it will not change. We are still to bring salt and light, now matter how hard it may get.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
- Edmund Burke

Are you kidding me?!?!?!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090327/sc_livescience/boilingmadcrabsfeelpain

In a day and age when animals are given more sympathy from the pro-"choice" movement than our children are, comes a study so absurd in comparison to the plight of unborn BABY HUMANS, that I want to scream until arrested!

After studying the affects of electrical shocks on crabs, the researchers would like to move for different ways of killing crabs. Hmmm....killing babies IN THE WOMB: a choice. Killing crabs for eating: inhumane. Who are the people missing this obvious disparity, and what can we do to change this?!?!?!
First, and most importantly, PRAY!
Second, point this absurdity out to your local reps and senators when asking them to please support pro-life legislation.
Third, don't let the anger this causes you to not motivate you towards action! Without people getting hopping mad over insanity like this, and then DOING something about it, it will continue!
Fourth, stay informed. We must be responsible about what is going in our world, or we can't affect change.

In a world where tiny babies are not safe, we need to be their voice! The voice of reason, morality and conscience!
Please, let this sad contrast spur you to action!

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
-Edmund Burke

Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?

When I was a kid, my world was simple and pleasant. My mother would make my sister and me peanut butter sandwiches which we would eat in the air conditioning while watching Sesame Street. Life doesn't get a heck of alot sweeter than that....when you are 6. But I am not 6 anymore. Alas, I am a grown up, and I have to pay bills. And deal with car trouble, taxes, money problems, broken dishwashers, and all the other fun stuff that means being an adult.
It also means not just sitting by and letting life happen to you. Don't get me wrong...we aren't all meant to be pit bulls in the arena of life. Which is where my frustration comes in. Pre 9/11 I was the happy little housewife (which I still am) staying home with our sweet little girl, keeping the home fires burning for my wonderful husband...and once again, life was sweet. I didn't watch much more than the weather reports when it came to current events. I didn't care. It didn't affect me, so why should I fill my head with such troublesome stuff? Wasn't that what we pay our senators and representatives...and the President for? I shouldn't have to worry my pretty little head over such complicated issues as tax reform, and school vouchers, and the problems in the Middle East.
September 11th changed all that for me, but the transformation was not complete until 6 months ago. I, like 90 percent of the rest of the country, sat glued to my tv for a week. Grieving for the loss of life, and my loss of innocence. Frozen in fear, formulating plans for the next time I flew how I would defend myself and my daughter should some crazy religious zealot try to take my plane down. My husband thought I was crazy. I felt crazy.
But then time wore on, and the fear faded. I became complacent and happy again in my little pseud0-safe world. Bad people certainly existed, but not anywhere near me, and I didn't have to worry about them. We had a new department in the government. It had a fancy, reassuring name. Homeland Security. Wow! This was the homeland! We grow corn here, and drive pick-ups, and name our boys Bubba, and have 4th of July picnics...and welcome "...your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" We were AMERICA! Land of the free, home of the brave! We stand for all that is good and honorable! We eat hot dogs and potato salad and watch baseball for pete's sake! How dare someone else in this world attack us! We became watchdogs for terrorists. All the while neglecting what was slowly building within. And now today, we are reeling at the thought that partial birth abortion is an issue, and euthanasia, which in some places is optional. But why should we be surprised when someday, soon, it is enforced on those seen as expendable. The old, sick and mentally challenged. There are other countries that already do this. We are not above it happening here. We are a country that needs a PRO-LIFE movement! The very name should cause us to say "Wait a minute! Shouldn't we all be PRO-LIFE?!?!" But it doesn't. And now the very right to parent our own children and teach them what we believe is being threatened. And health care professionals who up to this point have been protected by law so that they don't have to be forced to perform abortions they don't believe are morally right or lose their jobs, may not be for much longer! What else has to be taken away before we wake up and realize that this may be America, and a great country at that, but not the Utopia we have built her up to be! She is sick, and we, her people, have to realize that she needs help! If not from us, from who then? Will it be the rest of the country, or our government? Not for me! No thank you! If we are to go down, I will be fighting till my last breath to protect my America!
I still wonder where "Joe DiMaggio" has gone...I don't think he will ever be back unless we help him find his way.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
-Edmund Burke