The Cherry Tree.

It looked like a stick. Skinny, fragile, and short. A stick. I remember my father digging a hole, and gently patting soil around the stick. He put up stakes and roped it off so as to not accidentally hit it when mowing the yard. He warned us kids to stay clear. It was the first tree he had planted at our home. The yard was a barren wasteland of dirt clods...and here was this stick...just sticking there.

Over the next five years the stick began to grow..it was joined by many other sticks..some made the cut..others were cut down. My father doted on his stick..and it responded by growing up...filling out...getting bigger. My father loved his stick, but he was worried..this stick refused to bloom. No matter what he did, it never produced a single flower. My father's stick was a Japanese Cherry Tree. I remember his watching the Cherry Trees blooming in Washington, DC. That should be what his stick was doing...it didn't.

One day, my Father came home from work..and there...near the tippy top of his stick was a single white and pink flower. He was so excited, and called us all outside to gaze at this single pathetic flower. Over the next few years the tree teased him...shooting out some awesome floral displays...but never producing a single cherry.

When I was 10 we took a trip to Stone Mountain, Georgia. I loved that place...it was just so historic. When we returned my sisters were the first to notice the miracle. They both yelled "Daddy, you have cherries!!" Sure enough that tree was loaded to the brim with little green cherries. They were super small, but they were there. My Dad just stared in amazement. He put up a net to keep the birds and small kids away. Everyday he would check on those cherries, he would pick the ripe ones, and give them to us. They were sour..not exactly that good. To him they were just the most awesome thing he had seen.

Over the next three years that tree threw itself into making my Dad happy. Although he grew a great many strange and unusual things, nothing made him happier than that tree. Then one day the most horrible thing happened. I went out to shoot something and noticed the tree covered by a huge cocoon of silk..inside the silk were these little worms. The worms were having a good time eating the tree. My Father tried everything he could think of. He pulled the worms off, sprayed the tree, but in a few days they were back. Finally, the tree died.

My Father cut the tree down, dug up its roots, and burned it. The next day, my Dad planted another stick. It was another Cherry Tree. He has had many productive seasons with that tree, but it is the first tree that he talks about the most.

My Father has taught me a great many things...some of them on purpose...most by accident. His perseverance in growing that tree was the most important for me. After years of waiting, pruning, spraying, and praying the tree finally responded. When it died he didn't give up and plant another apple tree, we have tons of those. No, he planted his first love.

In this country we face many struggles, at times it is easy to feel that we will never see the fruits of our labor, nothing is happening fast enough. We spend way too much time lamenting those things lost, and not enough time taking the positive steps we need to nourish our country. We become easily sidetracked by other issues, we fail to stay the course. If we continue to actively prune, spray, and pray one day our country will produce the fruits of freedom. Our tree died of neglect, but it can be replanted again. Have faith in your power to make the change...don't just stand there...do something.

The Most Important Oath In My Life

The floor was cold. I remember thinking that as I stood nearly naked with about 20 other guys. We were lined up against the walls. Two men, both wearing white coats stopped in front of each of us. The first man was much older than the other. He stopped in front of each of us and then would ask for our Social Security Number. He had the personality of a Wal*Mart employee asking for your cash. I replied to his request, and as I am apt to do...smiled. He was less than impressed.

His partner flipped though some papers he had on a clip board and said to the first man, "6 feet zero inches, 160."

The first man said to me "Stick out your tongue." I was ready for this..he said the same thing to the other guys. If he had put that stick just a millimeter deeper into my throat I would have given him my breakfast. For some reason I don't think this would have gone over very well.

Over the course of the next few minutes he poked, prodded, and made me turn my head and cough. His hands were freaking cold. I have never been in such an uncomfortable position...I mean I didn't even know this guys name. {if you are out there...call me :eye lid flutter:..}

The final insult is when he asked us all to face the wall, drop our skivvies and bend over. This is not exactly something I expected. I now know what cattle feel like.

The rest of the day was filled with more of the same. Some person in a uniform or white coat would ask questions...poke something..then move on. The only time I felt like someone was actually talking to me was when I went in to see the Psychologist. She..a Marine Major..was not interested in dating...she wanted to know all about me...and that would be the end of that relationship. {if you are out there...call me :eye lid flutter: }

She asked several questions, but the one that caused me to pause was, "Have you ever killed anyone?" What? I am only 17 for Christ sake. I paused so long...she actually looked up at me. I quickly replied, "Uh..no?" I mean how could I be sure...I did a lot of hunting in the woods...its possible that at some time a stray round may have killed someone. Man, I really did get the guilts then...there could be some guy...dead in the woods near my house. Sorry if I killed you.

"Are you sure?", she said. I think she may have actually smiled...but she was a scary Marine Major.

"Yeah", I said. Hey they couldn't pin it on me..but just to be sure I vowed to take a quick look around the woods when I got home.

The last thing for the day was to sign some more papers...and sit in a room along with 20 other people that did not look like the guy in the room earlier. I wonder what happened to those guys? Was it possible they were all killers and the lady Marine had them hauled off to jail?

While I was pondering the fate of the other guys, the door to the room popped open and a very loud guy said "Stand!" He didn't use the magic word Please. I would learn that the word "Please" was seldom used as intended.

In walked a U.S. Army Colonel. Full bird and those Eagles were shining. He explained very briefly what we would be doing...then it happened.

I raised my right hand and looked at the Colonel..and at the American Flag and said after him...

"I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."

I had not before or at anytime since taken an Oath that has meant so much to me. It has been and will always be something precious. I was promising my country...with God as my witness... that I would protect her....from that day forward.

It causes the Captain to get a bit misty eyed when I think of the millions of others who have taken that oath. It fills me with great pride to have served with the men and women who respected that Oath.

I pulled out the Flag that I was given on the day I retired...and reaffirmed that oath today. It was a quiet ceremony from my heart to my country. She has never asked more than I was willing to give.

Salute guys...I'm gonna go wash my face now.

Where We Stand

There are those among us who lament every setback, every action of the opposition, and latch on to every new political issue. I cannot blame anyone for this, as I am often tricked into doing the same thing. Keep in mind I am not talking about being upset at the course our nation is taking, or being angry. There is a huge difference between being angry, and lamenting.

Anger, when focused can be a huge advantage when addressing these issues. Anger combined with a controlled, well thought out response will lead to action. That action will then lead to success. You must visualize the course. You must see what you intend to achieve and then plan backward to create the steps necessary to reach those goals. What I see happening within the conservative movement concerns me. It should concern you as well. We are becoming fractionalized by the side issues. We are rending ourselves apart worrying over issues that can be resolved at a latter date.

Nations live and die based on power. The United States has for most of its history wielded the most important powers…it is why we are a Super Power. Yes, nukes help, but we have long passed the point where Nuclear Power means Super Power. With the United States as a Super Power the world is safer, more stable, and less prone to destroying itself. We, as a Nation, have always been the only Nation to protect those that are incapable of protecting themselves. By being the biggest and the baddest boys on the block we have incurred the wrath of those who seek to dominate, and enslave their neighbors. We have always known this to be true…only a fool would think otherwise. Of all the power that the United States has, our economic power is the most important in today’s world. If we fail to maintain our economic advantage, we will fail as a nation.

Regardless of your stance on social issues, you may be a liberal, you might be a strict conservative, or something in between, and the key to control of this Government is the Economy. Every business deserves one thing…the opportunity to fail. Every individual deserves that same opportunity. It is by failure that we grow stronger. The death of GM was written in stone by the government. They stood no chance the instant the government gave them money. California is one of the shining examples of how government, and the strict regulation on free enterprise does not work. If it did, California would be standing on its own.

Our goal, our only goal must be to make, force, demand that our Government become Fiscally Responsible. Attain that goal and we buy the luxury to resolve all of the other issues. If we don’t attain that goal, then we stand no chance at survival, much less resolving anything else. We will fractionalize into small groups incapable of sustaining themselves…we will stop being a nation.

What does it take to make our Government Fiscally responsible?

1. Stop the spending. At present our Government is spending money with no regard for what it is doing to our present and future.

2. Reduce spending. We have an unprecedented deficit…one that recovering from is going to be intensely difficult. Does this mean that social issues will be damaged? Yes, especially the useless ones. We intend to take care of the poor, the downtrodden, the infirmed, and our fellow citizens. We do not intend to take care of the lazy, criminal, or non-citizens. We cannot “Sustain” this type of burden.


3. Balance the Budget. Once we have stopped spending, and reduced spending to sustainable levels we must DEMAND a balanced budget. It is the only responsible way to meet our social, and economic obligations. We are much more productive when we do not put undo hardship on our businesses. Business built this nation..it will sustain this nation.

What do we do to reach those goals?

Absolutely the most difficult thing for us is to stay focused. We all have social issues that are important to us…but those issues stand no chance if our economy fails. We will find ourselves working every minute of everyday to just get by. The poor will find that Government will leave them worse off than before.

Stop thinking that Conservative is not Progressive. I can’t think of anything more progressive in the last 200+ years than the creation of the United States of America! A country that is ran by the PEOPLE! How someone can call themselves progressives while latching on to an ancient and failed system like socialism is beyond me. We need to stop with the stupid word games. Kings and Queens are not good for people. The so-called Progressives are the most regressive human beings on this planet.

Get up off your butt and attend a meeting of like minded people…gather the ammunition of knowledge…gather the power of numbers…and take an action…hell…any action is better than just yakking about death and destruction. If I am going to die..I would like for my boots to be engaged in some butt kicking first.

A military axiom is to never give an enemy a moment of peace. Write, Email, Call, Visit your representatives. From your local community counsels to the POTUS…keep the pressure on. You will…You can…Overwhelm them!!

Stop lamenting how screwed we are and start screwing them!! Believe it or not we have friends that are supporting us from the inside.

Never forget…WE ARE RIGHT!

Cap and Trade. Part II.

HOW DOES CAP AND TRADE AFFECT MONTANA?

Lets look at the Facts.

1. 54% of our energy in Montana comes from Coal Plants and 42% from hydro-electric.

2. According to the World Resources Institute we Montanan's emit 49.2 tons of CO2 for every man, woman, and child.

3. We are ranked number 48 in population density (6.5 People for every square mile)

4. We are ranked number 41 in per capita income.

Lets say for giggles that Cap and Trade starts today. Here are the numbers for ya.

1. The Congressional Budget Office expects Emissions Credits to start at $23 per ton of CO2.

2. 49.2 tons of CO2 * $23 per ton= $1131.6 for every man, woman, and child in Montana.

Now lets take a look at where that really puts us.

1. If Cap And Trade started tomorrow...A family of four would see an increase in their energy bill of $4526.40 per year!

2. For those of you math challenged that is a $377.20 increase per month. Can you afford that?

Cap and Trade will have a negative impact on the growth of this state, and place an undue burden on the Poor, and working class. The very people Obama said would benefit from his programs.

Write, Email, and Fax Our Representatives in Congress to Vote NO on Cap and Trade.

Cap and Trade. How to screw the Poor and like it!

CAP AND TRADE

In the never ending story of a Government that has lost all touch with reality comes the biggest economic hit on the poor and working class…it’s called Cap and Trade.

In this post I will describe what Cap and Trade is, and what it is supposed to accomplish. I will also demonstrate how it will hurt the poorest families, and actually generate more wealth for the rich.

WHAT IS CAP AND TRADE?

Cap and Trade is only an issue due to the Global Warming Theories promoted by former Vice President Al Gore. According to Mr. Gore the leading cause of “Global Warming” is the increasing levels of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere by the activities of human beings.

Even though there are a large number of scientists who dispute these claims, the present administration, under pressure from environmental groups, plans to reduce the “Carbon Footprint” of the United States. This is where Cap and Trade comes into play.

According to AmericanProgress.org the goal of Cap and Trade is to “steadily reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions economy-wide in a cost-effective manner.”

Here is how it works. Each company will be given a Cap on the amount of CO2. Each company must purchase “emissions permits” for each ton of CO2 they release into the atmosphere. Over time the limits become stricter. Thus reducing the amount of CO2 released. So far the whole thing sounds simple. Now what about this trade component?

Lets say your company produces 1000 tons of CO2 every year. You would need to purchase from the Government 1000 emission permits. Of course you pass this cost on to your customers. (NOTE: Businesses only exist to make money. No one does it because it is just fun.)

As the year progresses you realize you are going to actually produce 1100 tons of CO2. Holy crap!! The feds will have you shot for this!! Not to worry, you can buy some more emission permits either from the Feds, or from other companies that are not using all of theirs. Of course you will pass this cost on to your customers. (NOTE: see previous note)

The government is counting on this vast new source of revenue (translated tax) to help fund his huge budget. What does this mean to you and me? How will Cap and Trade affect Montanan’s? If you are poor, or middle class you will want to read this.

WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO BELIEVE.

The proponents of Cap and Trade (translated Politicians) want you to believe they are taxing nasty coal plants and dirty industries. They will point to the climate savings we will receive in the long run. SAVE THOSE POLAR BEARS!

THE TRUTH IS NOT SO HAPPY.

Carbon Credits or the newer term Emissions Credits will become a commodity Bought and sold like pork bellies. Unlike pork bellies businesses will be REQUIRED to buy these credits. The cost of course will be passed on to the consumer.

When it comes to energy the President is not waging war on the rich…he is waging war on the 95% he promised a tax cut to. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the lowest 20% income bracket would see an increase in energy costs of about 3.3%, which equals $680 per year. Think about that. The poorest in our nation would pay an additional $680 per year for energy! When a family is living off of $10k per year that is a huge burden for energy. So much for Robin Hood.

Don’t worry Middleclass you are not off the hook. Your increase will be between 2.9% to 2.7%. That means you will pay and additional $880-$1500 for energy. Of course these are optimistic numbers.

Mr. Peter Orzag, President Obama’s budget director thinks that Cap and Trade will be able to fund all of the budget needs, with money left over. That means the President expects the tax to be even higher.

As you can see this new tax is a recessive tax. That means instead of playing Robin Hood and stealing from the rich to give to the poor, congress is doing the exact opposite. They are stealing from the poor and rewarding the rich. Not exactly the type of redistribution you were thinking of?

NEXT UP..HOW CAP AND TRADE CAN CREATE MORE ECONOMIC DOOM.

Consider the Snowflake

Consider the Snowflake. They sparkle like diamonds as they gently float to Earth. In a relatively short amount of time they can cover up an ugly landscape and turn it into a Norman Rockwell painting. When viewed from a distance the Snowflake seems small and insignificant. Just like everything else in this universe the laws of physics control the Snowflake.


The laws that the Snowflake must follow control everything about it. From its unique structure, no two are alike, to its size; the Snowflake is not free to just do as it pleases. The Snowflake can only be about one quarter inch in diameter*. This is good for you and me. A three-foot Snowflake would slice through the air like a Ninja throwing star and skewer people, animals, and other important stuff. This is bad for the Snowflake.


The Snowflake considers its job to cover the Earth in a blanket of white. The larger the Snowflake the more efficient it can be in doing that job. In fact, if left to its own devices the Snowflake would grow so that a single flake could cover everything in one fell swoop. Once the Snowflake has everything covered in a blanket of white its job is not over.


As a child growing up in North Carolina snow was a treat. It meant school would probably be closed. It also meant that my once familiar world was transformed into something totally different. Standing on our back porch you could hear shotgun blasts. That is the sound tree limbs make as they break off and crash to earth. Snowflakes were conspiring to kill the trees.


One of my earliest memories was begging my mother to let me go play in the snow. She would explain that it was cold out there and I would just want back in the house as soon as I got out there. That didn’t matter to me… the Snowflakes wanted company.


Most Carolina snow is only a few inches deep at best. If it makes it through the day it is lucky. One year, I guess I was about five; there was a layer of snow two feet deep. Of course I wanted to go play in it. My brother who was three wanted to go too. My mother had a problem. We didn’t own snow boots.


Owning snow boots in North Carolina is like owning a sled. The chance that you will need them is slim. Two little boys who had developed snow fever now faced my mother, and she needed something to protect our feet. My mother improvised. She tied bread bags to our feet. I know, bread bags are probably not the best option, but she was learning this whole child-raising thing. Our mother wrapped us up in nearly every piece of clothing we owned and opened the door.


I stepped out onto the front porch and then jumped as far as I could into the waiting arms of my Snowflake friends. I was covered up to my waist in fluffy goodness. That is when I discovered the first issue posed by so many Snowflakes. The Snowflake restricts freedom. As I tried to move forward, the Snowflakes would grab me…they tried with all their might to stop me from moving forward...they stopped me from moving backward… they had me in their grasp and wanted me to stay right where I was.

I tried with all my might to move my feet… the Snowflakes ripped the bread bag off my right, and then my left foot… they then took my shoes off… then they took my socks off… in short order I was barefoot and exposed to their icy grip. I turned to head back to the safety of the house.


I looked over at my brother…the Snowflakes had removed his bread bags and shoes…being shorter than I they were also taking his pants. I struggled to crawl toward the house. Of course I had to help my brother so I pulled him along as best I could. The Snowflakes would not kill him…that was my job.


After what seemed like an eternity we made it back to the porch. Our mother was waiting for us and let us in. She was laughing. We were soaking wet, bare foot, and very cold. Our friends the Snowflakes were not that friendly.


When our father got home he wanted to know why there were bread bags and shoes stuck in the snow. My mother explained, and they both laughed. My brother and I were not that amused.


Consider the People. People shine like diamonds when they arrive on this Earth. In a relatively short amount of time they can transform a barren landscape into something of beauty. When viewed individually they seem insignificant in the vast universe. Just like the Snowflake, the number of people that can exist is controlled by the Laws of Nature. If left unchecked people could eventually overwhelm our planet’s ability to provide for them.


Unlike the Snowflake, People actually do have desires and needs that must be fulfilled. Obviously all People need food, water, and shelter. People are very complex. When I fully understand them, I will let you know. What I do know is this. People need society.


People suck at being solitary creatures. They need companionship, and that thing we call Love. It is for this reason that People form societies. These societies reflect the groups overall outlook on life, and provide security for the individual. Societies allow the people to create some spectacular things. Just like the Snowflake Societies can grow too large and the weight of society causes it to break down. It destroys what it was meant to protect.


Unlike the Snowflake, people are resilient. They can, and have shown the ability to create new forms of organizations. These organizations embrace the individuality of people, and create rules for interacting while allowing for freedom of individuality. We call these organizations Government.


Consider the Government. A good Government can shine like a diamond. A good Government can provide a Norman Rockwell like existence for its people. A good Government can provide order in a disjointed world. Just like the Snowflake Government is controlled by laws that limit its size.


A good Government provides for the basic security of the People, while allowing for the maximum freedom of the individual. A good Government provides coordination between people from different societies. A good Government recognizes the sovereignty of the people.


On September 17th, 1787 a document was created that would change not only a Nation, but in time the entire world. It begins with a bold and unmistakable phrase.


WE THE PEOPLE. The U.S. Constitution recognizes the supreme sovereignty of the people. It is the document created by the people for the people. It is the protection of the rights of the individual. It establishes rule by law. It protects the people from those who would become tyrants. It limits the role of Government on our lives and protects the creativity of the individual.


The problem with America today is not its Constitution. The problem is not the form of our Government. The problem is the People. Over time we the People have allowed our Government to take more and more responsibility, and in turn our rights. We have skewered the basic tenants of our society with special interests, become side tracked by arguments best solved at the local level; we have become lazy and complacent. We have done the very things our founding fathers warned us of. We The People have allowed Government to become tyrants!


It is easy in these times to throw up our hands and say it is over for us. I can assure you I have never ever surrendered to anything. I can also assure you there are many, many Americans who feel the same way.


On April 15th 2009 over a million American’s gathered to send notification to our Government that we were ready to retake our Nation and enforce our right as the Sovereign Power in this Nation.


The Tea Parties were held in the same spirit of the original Boston Tea Party. They served notice that we were no longer unarmed victims of Government Tyranny. That WE THE PEOPLE were now arming ourselves to overthrow out of control Government growth, overbearing Government interference in our lives, and reckless fiscal irresponsibility.


Our Politicians are on notice that your political parties are worthless to us. We demand you remain accountable to us, not some platform of your choosing. We will use every legal method to hold you to accountable.


We know this will not be easy. Few things in life are. We enjoy the struggle…you however will not. Government should not fear us…Government should FEAR us. We no longer request that you hear us…we DEMAND your obedience.



I have been asked what should the Tea Party Movement do next.


First of all everyday you should be swarming every member of your City, County, State, and Federal Government with emails, phone calls, and snail mail. EVERY SINGLE DAY. Demand a response.


Secondly, You should seek out other like-minded people in your local area and join in public protests. Our group is planning to be visible at every possible public event. To include a large presence during the 4th of July.


Thirdly, Vote. VOTE! For people that you have researched. Talk to them directly. If they will not talk to you while running for office then it is highly unlikely they will not talk to you once elected. Make sure they believe as you do.


Finally, Talk to everyone about how you feel. Now is not the time to be bashful. You have something important to say, and you have a right to say it.


There is too much riding on our future to remain silent!!


Unlike the Snowflake we will not melt away after a day. We will strip you of your bread bags, shoes, socks, and pants. We will leave you wallowing in the snow like a helpless five year old until you come running back to us.


Signed

Robin Hood..or How to Hoodwink a Robin.

Robin Hood

Robin Hood is a wonderfully romantic character. Champion of the poor, and bane of the rich he would traipse about in the woods with a forbidden love, a converted follower, and a drunken priest. You can say he is the ultimate bad boy. Of course the story is much more complicated.

Robin Hood’s arch-nemesis is the Sheriff of Nottingham. The Sheriff is an evil, greedy man who is oppressing the poor with taxes. These taxes are then sent up to the equally evil Prince John. Prince John, as you may recall had taken control of England while King Richard the Lion Heart was off smacking Arabs with his sword.

Keep in mind that Atheists use Richard the Lion Heart as a prime example of religion gone bad. Well, of course PETA would consider Goldie Locks to be an animal abuser, and the Big Bad Wolf was driven to terrorizing pigs due to hunger.

Robin Hood is the Ultimate Good versus Evil. Good wins…the King returns..and they all..live..happily…everafter. We all sit back and feel good that there are Robin Hoods around.

Reality check. The Robin Hood economic system does not work. The rich after being robbed a few times will move to safer places. The Evil Sheriff will only become more evil, and the Prince will still be Prince. Robin Hood will be forced to steal from the poor to give to the poor, Maid Marion will skip town with Little John, and the Drunken Friar will die in a horrible beer keg accident.

These stories, like most stories, are intended to entertain. As such, they use real life feelings and emotion to draw you in. We ignore the fact that in reality things do not work that way, because we want to be entertained, not educated.

The opponents to Tea Party demonstrations love to spin, and deflect the real concerns expressed by the people. They have been very crude about it. (note: I know crude, I am very versed in crude)

First lets give our opponents a proper name. I think the PP’s is a good name. They are Pro-Poverty. That name will also conjure up a funny image when I refer to the PP dance.

In fact, I can hear some people doing the PP dance now! “Pro-Poverty! How can you say such a thing? Most of us are Poor! How dare you!” Actually it is pretty easy for me to say that…and here is why.

The PP’s say that Tea Parties are against Taxes. Well that is not true. I have and will continue to pay taxes. The issue is the amount and what those taxes are being used for. I know, you will counter with “the Income Tax is the lowest it has ever been”.

You are absolutely right. The income tax is the lowest it has been for a long time. However, Income tax is NOT the only tax you pay. Aside from the growing list of fees you will pay, there is a real life fact the PP’s ignore. They will pay the taxes for the rich.

“Get out of here”, you say.

This is how taxes work.

When a company is planning they determine how much profit they would like to make for the coming year. This is especially true for Large Corporations that are publicly held. For those of you new to this, “Publicly Held” means they sell stock to the public.

By profit I mean after all expenses to include taxes have been taken out. To reach that profit margin, they increase the price of their goods. This means that everything you buy includes the taxes charged to the corporation. Guess who pays those taxes? You do.

Of course, you will say, “But we are talking about rich families.”

There are very few “Oh my God daddy, someone left a Bajillion dollars on the door step.” Rich families. Most of those “Rich” families have one if not two members who manage, operate, or own a business. Wealth does not grow on trees. Do you really believe that they will just sit there and pay more in taxes? If you do…please do the world a favor and go stand in the street. Of course they will be paid more to offset the loss in taxes, and this is then transferred to the cost of goods…etc..etc..etc…

The simple reality is by raising the tax you increase the cost of goods, that cost is transferred to the consumer, now more people can afford less stuff and we have an increase in the number of people who can’t afford to live.

I will stop for now…give the PP’s a chance to digest that little bit of reality and do a little jig.

Stay tuned for more.

After the Tea Party

Tea Party

The Beginning

On April 15^th 2009 400-500 American Patriots demonstrated their anger and frustration at a Government that has grown too large and out of control. There were Americans that represented the Left, Middle, and Right of the political spectrum. Each one of them expressed their own personal point of view. They were young, old, rich, and poor. We had farmers, ranchers, doctors, lawyers, and waitresses. Great Falls was represented by the bravest of its citizens.

What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value.

(Thomas Paine)

There are those who will say “What bravery? What threat do they face?” The small business owner may lose customers based on his political belief. Individuals could lose their jobs based on their political ideas. In the present economy that can be devastating. Of course there have also been reports that our Government views us as a threat. We must also face the fact that there are some people who are not exactly playing with a full deck out there.

Goudy: Now is it not true that you sprang up on old man Wharton and his two sons with a deadly, six shot revolver in your hand?
Rooster Cogburn: I always try to be ready.
Goudy: Was this revolver loaded and cocked?
Rooster Cogburn: Well, a gun that's unloaded and cocked ain't good for nothin'.

(From the Movie “True Grit”)

What we do next is the most important step in this movement. Each city in this nation is plotting its own course as far as events go. There are sites that are being used to coordinate these efforts and as they move forward, I certainly plan on doing so as well.

The first thing you need to do is load your gun. For anyone seeing this as a threat..you might want to hold off just a moment.

If you are not registered to vote, do so today. Your vote is the bullet in your gun.

Don’t go off half-cocked. Determine which issues you are concerned about. Learn everything you can about them. This includes any argument that is counter to yours. When you have done this you are fully cocked and ready for action.

The key to hitting a target is Sight Alignment, Breath Control, and Trigger Squeeze.

Your target is everyone from the city to federal level. Write just like you speak. It is as easy as that. Don’t like writing, call them on the phone. Don’t be afraid. They work for us

Follow Through.

The biggest mistake you can make after firing a round is to look at the target. Always allow the sights to settle back down on the target before looking. The same is true when sending emails or making phone calls. Keep at it. Do it everyday. It only takes a few minutes.

Remember it is your right and responsibility as an American to make our Government work for us.

If ever a time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in Government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin.

(Samuel Adams)

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