According to San Diego’s News Channel 6:

On Good Friday, April 11, the family was surprised to find county officials at their door.

“She asked me if we sang songs, said Amen, praised the Lord or not. I don’t even think I answered because I was so taken aback” said Mary Jones.

Jones said the “insinuation” was questions over whether the services were “of religious nature.” She said there were no questions or comments about there being a parking problem.

The family was given a warning to “cease and desist” their “religious gathering” until they are granted a “major use permit”.

However, the “good news” is that the county has withdrawn it’s “warning” and offered an apology to Pastor Jones and his wife.

Let me get this straight:  it was okay for the county to try to stop a private Bible Study in a private Home?  I am willing to bet any amount of money that they would never confront a Muslim group like that!  The fact that an “official” had the audacity to even tell those people that they could not practice FREEDOM OF RELIGION in this country is downright chilling.  It shouldn’t matter what religion they adhere to, either.  That is, without question, one of the basic principles this country was founded upon. We had better sit up and take notice.  It will be our own doors that “officials” are knocking on next.

I am still in shock that the Republican Party gave us a 72 year-old candidate, and then tried to make up for it by bringing in (as one of my son’s friends referred to her) a “hot hockey mom”.  Sorry. . . neither McCain nor Palin stood for the values that I hold dear, or that the Republican Party is SUPPOSED to stand for.  We need to start working NOW to find a candidate who will, in four years, stand tall and make us proud.  A candidate that we are willing to WORK for, to help him get elected.  Yes, a candidate like Ronald Reagan.  I don’t know how many of you remember when Reagan took the oath of office.  I remember it very well, because I WAS THERE.  I was sitting on the White House lawn, freezing my rear off in the January weather, applauding wildly.  And here is what I remember most:  the minute Reagan took office, Iran released our hostages!!  Why?  Because they knew they were dealing with a powerful, committed leader who would not put up with their crap.  Our country stood tall and proud during the Reagan years.  We need to find our way back to that level of pride and commitment.

So, please take a moment to hear what Michael Reagan has to say.  Share this information with anyone you think might be interested.  I am not willing to say “Oh, well” and wake up in ten years and find that the greatest country ever on the face of this planet has become no better than socialist Germany or France.  Or worse.  We have rested on our laurels for far too long.  Our public schools are a mess, handing out condoms and obtaining abortions without parental consent.  And that’s just a small part of the indoctrination those kids are exposed to on a daily basis.  If it isn’t happening in your local public school yet, IT WILL.  People never believed that prayer would be removed from the public schools, either.  Yet now, even in small-town-down-home America, public schools ban prayer.  The “We still pray” bumper stickers are a pathetic reminder of this chilling fact.

Please, please, do not sit back and wish for better times.  I leave you with a link to Michael Reagan’s website, and some famous words from Patrick Henry, and American Patriot, from his famous speech in 1775.  I believe today our “call to arms” is a call to activism and accountability. Patrick Henry spoke eloquently and from his heart.  His speech rings as true today, I believe, as it did then.

First, the website:  ReaganAction.com

Now, the speech:

“No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve. This is no time for ceremony. The questing before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.

Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.

I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the House. Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received? Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with those warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love? Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation; the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission? Can gentlemen assign any other possible motive for it? Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir, she has none. They are meant for us: they can be meant for no other. They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging. And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything new to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves. Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne! In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free– if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending–if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained–we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us!

They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable–and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.

It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace– but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

Patrick Henry
23 March 1775

So what is my idea?  Feed all that extra money into the economy!  Now, I am no good with numbers, and don’t have a clue about economics, but even in the face of trillions of dollars of debt, I’m sure a few million dollars could help!  After all, when I have a debt to pay, I’m expected to start small and work my way up.  Why don’t these candidates prove how dedicated they are and prove to us that they will lead by example?  I know it’s not technically their debt.  It ain’t mine, either, baby!  But I have to help out, whether I like it or not.  I think they should have to, as well.

In other news, Gaylon and I got a really nice treat when we went out to eat at Carrabba’s tonight.  It took them 55 minutes to get our order to us, and so, when they did finally bring it, they informed us it was “on the house”!  All we had to do was tip our waiter!  So for the price of what it would have cost us to eat at McDonald’s, we both got our meals, tiramisu (ummmm. . . .) Gaylon got coffee and I had two glasses of wine!  That is hard to beat!

There seems to be plenty of gasoline, now, which is also really nice.  After that last big hurricane that hit Galveston, we had a major gasoline shortage here in the Southeast.  Asheville even shut down the schools and city offices for a couple of days, because people simply couldn’t get to work.  But, things seem to be okay now.  I think there needs to be some sort of contingency plan, because I seriously doubt that that will be the last hurricane to hit the Gulf Coast states.

I continue to be amazed by the politics in our country.  I heard an ad for Obama on the radio yesterday, telling me that McCain plans to tax health insurance benefits, and that he even states such on his website.  The ad was clear, concise, and very convincing.  Even though I know that Obama is not who he pretends to be, it was almost tempting to believe him.  But, being the research freak that I am, I looked up McCain’s website, just to see if it was true.  It is not.  In fact, they have devoted an entire page on his site refuting the lies in Obama’s ads.  I get so sick of this garbage!  But then, I guess if I had the voting record and the funding sources and supporters that Obama has, I wouldn’t want to talk about myself either, lest someone actually listen and realize the truth.  Much safer to attack the other guy.  Of course, McCain isn’t doing much better.  I am so discouraged by this campaign.  I have already begun to pray that God will send us a wonderful candidate in four years, because there certainly isn’t one this go-round.

And last but not least, if you haven’t checked out all the videos on YouTube and all the other video posting sites with Tina Fey (of Saturday Night Live fame) impersonating Sarah Palin, you’re really missing out on some great humor!  Tina Fey does such an amazing job, it’s sometimes easy to forget that she’s just a comdienne, and not Sarah Palin herself!  Back in 1980, I had the privelege of attending Ronald Reagan’s inaugural gala in Washington.  The best part was the celebrities!  I got to see Frank Sinatra sing New York, New York, and got to watch the inimitable Rich Little.  Bob Hope was there, too.  No, they don’t make ‘em like they used to, but Tina Fey really does do a great job that I think would even impress Rich Little.

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1.  Nancy Pelosi (and if you don’t know who she is, shame on you!) claims to be an “ardent, practicing Catholic”, yet she wants us to believe her when she says that the Catholic Church is not decisive regarding their stance on abortion? Pelosi Lies About Catholicism and Abortion Gimme a break!  The Catholic Church, from it’s earliest days (ca. 33 AD) has been adamantly opposed to abortion!!  This is a classic example of a politician trying to twist the truth to make her views seem acceptable.  Her own Archbishop was unable to turn a blind eye to this, after several other Archbishops made powerful public statements against her.  Too bad he didn’t confront her sooner.  Pelosi Agrees to Meet Archbishop

2.  I know it’s been a couple of weeks since the Republican National Convention, but this really bothers me.  What in the world has our society come to when mobs of people can abuse their right to peaceably assemble and attack people who simply disagree with with their beliefs???? Mass Arrests of Protestors at Republican National Convention Let me get this straight:  these are the same people who are so passionately against the war in Iraq, who are always going on about “tolerance”, and yet the minute they are faced with a group of people who simply disagree, they become an angry mob?????  What hypocrites!!!  And honestly, is it still safe for our children out on the streets, or in the public malls anymore?  What if they disagree with someone?  Will they be beaten to death by an angry mob of tolerant peacemongers???

Apparently the Liberals feel justified in violently lashing out at anyone who opposes them.  It would probably come as a huge shock to them that most Republicans oppose the war, as well.  I do.  But we are, generally speaking, able to see past the ends of our noses and cast our votes based on educated decisions, and realize that trying to negotiate peace with militant Muslims is a ridiculous exercise in futility. And we usually don’t find it necessary to physically assault those who disagree with us. Of course, we are talking about the same demographic of people who believe it’s perfectly okay to murder preborn children, so what, really, can we expect?

3.  For thousands of years, since the Fall in the Garden of Eden, there have been hurricanes on this planet.  Yet now, if there is a hurricane, gas stations think they can get away with hiking prices (read: GOUGING), even to the tune of $1 more per gallon?  Right. . . guess they’ll be explaining that one to the NC State Attorney General.  (And who wants to cross an AG named Roy Cooper???)  Gas Stations to be Subpeonaed in Gas Gouging Investigation

4.  And to round out my “Soapbox” today, I just want to get one last thing straight:  I am PROUD to be an American, a Christian, and a Conservative!  I am so sick and tired of trying not to offend anybody.  I do not blindly hold to any belief.  Everything I believe and stand for has come at some price.  I check my sources and don’t just believe something because I want to, or it sounds good, or it’s popular.

I remember years ago, my dad had forwarded an email poking fun at a liberal candidate (Gore, perhaps?) to one of his cousins, not realizing that his cousin was extremely liberal.  His cousin promptly emailed him back, rebuking Daddy for his email, and telling him that he proudly supported that candidate and to not send anymore such nonsense to him.  Well, Daddy thought about it for a minute, then sent one last email to his cousin.  It stated:  “Please forgive me.  I had no idea you were that stupid.  Love, Buddy.”  Needless to say, Daddy never heard from his cousin again.

Okay, I’m done for now.  Although I can feel some random ideas forming into at least a Category 3 Thought Storm regarding the endless foolishness of people who stay in the path of a hurricane and then feel resentful and neglected!  Stay tuned. . . .

If you have ever read my blog before, then you know that I am very much AGAINST Obama.  For more reasons than I can really list in one post.  His pick of Joe Biden as his running mate is not exceptional.  Biden seems like a nice guy (I saw him on Leno months ago) but I cringe every time the man calls himself a Catholic.  Catholics do not support abortion. Ever.  Biden does.  Okay. . . I’m not going to continue down that rabbit trail at this time.

And, you may have guessed by now that I’m not a huge fan of Hillary, either.  It would be safe to say that I will never be able to support anyone who is pro-choice or who advocates a national healthcare system.  Hillary’s mistake, by-the-way, was not letting ol’ Bill campaign for her.  That man definitely has the gift of gab.  I don’t like his politics, but he’s easy to listen to.

And McCain . . . nope.  I don’t much care for him, either.  I just don’t understand why the Republican party couldn’t come up with someone more charismatic.  Like Napoleon Dynamite, for example.  Or his buddy Pedro.

So, I know everybody is absolutely dying to know who I am endorsing.  Okay, at first I considered Bill and Opus (If you don’t recognize those names, see the  “Bloom County” comics by Berke Breathed, 1980’s).  But, since it really probably is futile to cast my vote for actual cartoon characters (although it is often difficult to tell the difference) I realized my only choice was to vote for Dave Barry.  Yep, good ol’ Dave.  He is the only man in the country, who, at the end of every year, has actually kept track of the year’s events and takes the time to document them.  Sounds like he’s more than qualified, to me!  My family even has bumper stickers that say: “2008.  Dave Barry for President.  Yes, of the United States.”

Care to join our cause?  Visit Dave’s website. (I’ve included that link right here for your convenience, however it has always been in my sidebar links section under “Fun”.) If you want to buy a bumper sticker of your own, visit Dave’s Online Store.  Want to know where Dave stands on the issues?  Don’t miss Dave’s Q & A.

And, for those of you who just are dying to see what the bumper sticker looks like, here ya go:

I am sure that everybody is excited by this new option for presidency!  Hang in there, November is just around the corner, and you’ll have your chance to vote then.  See you on the campaign trail!

Perhaps it is because I am a product of the public school system.  In public school, kids are expected, almost encouraged, to hate school.  They are segregated by age and sent through their days in assembly-line fashion, but expected to remember all the new information that is directed at them at least long enough to regurgitate it on an exam. School is often more like prison than a freeing and enlightening of the mind. But it is very effective in mass-producing students who cannot think for themselves.

We chose to begin homeschooling 14 years ago for many reasons, but they can almost all be boiled down to freedom of thought. As homeschoolers, our children are free to choose many of their topics of study, we can sleep late, or call a trip to the grocery store a field trip in economics and nutrition.  Homeschooling is, if nothing else, an exercise in freedom and enlightenment.  No wonder public school officials fear it so much.  We produce thinkers.  Homeschoolers not only think for themselves, they question and challenge.  They seek Truth.  In the socialistic setting of the public school, thinking is dangerous. Questioning and challenging are discouraged or even punished.

No wonder hordes of young men and women think Obama is such a great choice.  They were never trained to think, to question, to challenge.  They hear what he tells them, and, because they were trained by the public school system to accept what they are told as the gospel truth, they blindly believe he’s honest and can be trusted.  After all, he has a microphone, doesn’t he?  He’s using all the right buzzwords that they were programmed to get excited about: hope, change, belief. He looks and sounds like he means business.

So they never bother to check his voting record.  I wonder if they even know they can do such a thing.  They don’t bother to question his contributors’ motives.  Who is funding his campaign?  What do they stand for? Make no mistake: nobody is going to donate money to a political campaign if there’s nothing in it for them. Why do foreign investors think giving Obama millions of dollars is a good idea?  What are the changes he is promising?  And, if  he is able to actually implement them, what will that look like in real life?  What will be the long term effects of the changes he is proposing?  Can we even pinpoint exactly what those changes are?  The summer break mentality is not up to the task of choosing the next leader of the free world.  Our educational system has failed us by producing generations of people who cannot make educated, informed decisions.

As a nation, we cannot afford to take a ’summer break’.  We must Think.  Question.  Challenge.  Seek Truth. These are skills and habits that should be employed all year round, for the rest of one’s life.  We cannot shelve our brains for the summer, or it truly will mean the end of the American Summer. The End of Freedom.