Here is a pointer to a post that well describes the love of God and country that drives the Tea Party.

Once upon a time … There was a nation conceived in Liberty … … and dedicated to the propositionthat all men are created equal. “It is for us the living … to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us … that t … Read More

via blogsense-by-barb

The politicians in Washington D.C. still do not understand the determination that drives the Tea Party movement, but they will.

Casualties for July 2011

“Continue to pray for all of our troops
and their safety.
Their daily sacrifices must not go unnoticed.”
SGT Koehler’s family

Army Master Sgt. Benjamin A. Stevenson, 36, of Canyon Lake, Texas, died July 21

Army Staff Sgt. James M. Christen, 29, of Loomis, Calif., died July 19

Army Sgt. Jacob Molina, 27, of Houston, died July 19

Army Staff Sgt. Kenneth R. VanGiesen, 30, of Erie, Pa., died July 18

Army Sgt. Edward W. Koehler, 47, of Lebanon, Pa., died July 18

Army Sgt. Brian K. Mowery, 49, of Halifax, Pa., died July 18

Our deepest sympathy and most profound gratitude
to the families and loved ones
of these brave men
and all who put their lives on the line
for FREEDOM.
Certainly, they represent the BEST of AMERICA!

Purpose or Tantrum?

Have We Lost the Power to Rise Above?

Thick and dark, intangible and seductive,
The streaming fingers of hopelessness
Seep around our ankles, oozing, grasping,
Like a rising tide of quicksand.

Groups and clubs of purposeless people,
Empty, they do not understand it’s goal:
To steal, to kill, and to destroy each one,
Systematically, methodically, in broad daylight.

Understanding, we lack the will
To stand against this thickening mass;
We think like victims, helpless against such a foe.
Who will stand, who will light the way?

Have we lost the power to rise above,
Are we helpless and therefore doomed to drown,
Too weak and lazy to scream and shout,
Kick and stomp our way to personal freedom ?

WE-THE-PEOPLE RESPOND:

“I have not yet begun to fight!”

CPT John Paul Jones

John Paul Jones (July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was the United States’ first well-known naval fighter in the American Revolutionary War. Although he made enemies among America’s political elites, his actions in British waters during the Revolution earned him an international reputation which persists to this day.
During his engagement with HMS Serapis, Jones uttered, according to the later recollection of his first lieutenant, the legendary reply to a taunt about surrender from the British captain: “I have not yet begun to fight!”

The question is not what WE-THE-PEOPLE want, but rather, how to achieve our goal. The two party system only works when the electorate is well and fairly informed and takes advantage of the right to VOTE at each and every opportunity. What has happened to bring us to this precarious point?

APATHY


COMPLACENCY


LAZINESS

So obviously, it will take WORK and INVOLVEMENT to regain our VOICE in this democratic REPUBLIC. If you are willing to work and be involved, spread the word to neighbors, family, co-workers, people at the grocery market, at the hair dressers, at the car shop, wherever you go … Then, show up at the polls! It boggles my mind that rarely does even 50% of the eligible electorate bother to vote. SHAMEFUL!!!! Can we change this? YES, WE-THE-PEOPLE CAN!!!

Related articles:

I’m Sick …
Mr. President; THE SILENT MAJORITY WILL BE SILENT NO MORE!!!

HOUSE COMMITTEE VOTES TO KEEP 1 YEAR OF INTERNET BROWSING HISTORY ON ALL USERS

There was a nation conceived in Liberty …

… and dedicated to the proposition
that all men are created equal.

“It is for us the living … to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us …

that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom

…that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

WE THE PEOPLE … Know our roots & We WILL RESPOND!

All the talk and the POTUS STILL has presented
NO plan of his own! Just sayin …

It’s been one Republican plan after another,
all NIXED by the Demcrats

Just sayin …

Kinda tells a story, eh?

Thankfully, the ENDING isn’t written yet

Feel better?

Ya, me neither!

HOPE and FAITH

]]> http://blogsensebybarb.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/note-to-fellow-conservatives/ Thu, 28 Jul 2011 22:52:22 +0000 blogsense-by-barb http://blogsensebybarb.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/note-to-fellow-conservatives/ WE all know the cliché, “United we stand; divided we fall,” but is it ringing any bells??? For weeks now, the left has been working overtime to force a wedge between the GOP and the Tea Party patriots. Seems as though they have succeeded, which, naturally, means the LEFT WINS!

It is wonderful to be principled, to have convictions that mean everything, but there are times, COMPROMISE is acceptable … not necessarily desired, but acceptable. I think politicians count on the fact that most of us ordinary Americans are not financial wizards. They throw these numbers around with all the zeros like they’re nothing while we (at least I) struggle to reconcile my few dollars. What do I know of millions or billions or trillions or gazillions!!!! I don’t know the precise differences between the various budgets and plans offered. What I know is we (the USA) cannot spend money we do not have … or at least we shouldn’t!

Seems to me there are several nations to whom we have loaned money. Do they pay us back? I don’t know!

At the end of the day, if the left wins, we ALL lose. On the other hand, if we can minimize further damage, even if we can’t quite reverse it, at least there is HOPE – real HOPE not the hope & change he promised.

So … that said, while it may be a disappointment, and while I still believe conservatives could have sat it out and waited for the President to put HIS plan on the table … At some point, it comes down to FAITH – the FAITH that many of us claim. It is God who raises up and God who puts down. As long as WE THE PEOPLE do our part, that is all we can do, realistically. So, whatever happens tonight with the debt plan on the table … I’ve made my calls, sent emails, written here about the desired course of action. The rest is up to those we’ve elected, BUT there’s the rub! If they do not vote as we desire, next election, we’ll look elsewhere! We must choose which is more important: the short term goal of passing a balanced budget amendment OR seeing Obama re-elected 2012!

My point is:

“United we stand and divided we fall”

Aesop – Greek slave & fable author (620 BC – 560 BC)

RELATED READS:
Live Blog: The U.S. Debt Battle

Too many of us are hearing but not listening

Debt Ceiling Debate Not the Real Point

The Washington Budget Circus continues. Keep your eye on the tiger. China is a big part of these negotiations as is the 2012 election – like a tiger riding a race horse (photo from an article on animal cruelty.)

President Obama and Senate Leader Harry Reid Speak Out AGAINST Raising the Dept Ceiling!

]]> http://pumabydesign001.com/2011/07/28/what-can-i-do-to-help-veterans-via-blogsense-by-barb/ Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:15:45 +0000 bydesign001 http://pumabydesign001.com/2011/07/28/what-can-i-do-to-help-veterans-via-blogsense-by-barb/ http://blogsensebybarb.wordpress.com/2011/07/27/the-uso-3s-gary-sinise-the-lt-dan-band-via-the-uso/ Thu, 28 Jul 2011 02:17:34 +0000 blogsense-by-barb http://blogsensebybarb.wordpress.com/2011/07/27/the-uso-3s-gary-sinise-the-lt-dan-band-via-the-uso/ ]]> http://blogsensebybarb.wordpress.com/2011/07/27/what-can-i-do-to-help-veterans/ Thu, 28 Jul 2011 01:16:54 +0000 blogsense-by-barb http://blogsensebybarb.wordpress.com/2011/07/27/what-can-i-do-to-help-veterans/ Few things touch my heart more than tales surrounding Veterans, and few things hinder a veterans’ re-entry more than a feeling of isolation. The men and women who served our nation honorably, but returned to find their lives upside down and inside out. Under the best circumstances, service overseas is a challenge. The service member is separated from friends and family and deposited in a location and culture different than the USA. Most times, the nationals speak a different language. Add to that the stress of being deployed to an active “war zone,” or even an “unfriendly” locale, and the separations are accentuated. Time passes while the service member is away. There are social changes and political changes they must deal with as they re-enter the USA.

Whether these vets serve minimum length tours of two – three years active duty or a lifetime (20 – 30 years), it is my opinion that these men and women deserve the very best! The best medical care, the best psychiatric care, the best “re-entry” care, and the best long-term support care should be available. I don’t necessarily mean everything should be handed to them, but these people made huge sacrifices for the sake of our nation. It seems only fair and just for the nation to help them any way it can.

That said, I’d like to offer some ideas, some ways to help veterans.

1. On the right margin of my blog, there is a button to click to support homeless vets. It’s easy and costs you NOTHING! So … Just do it! Click everyday and feed or house a homeless vet with each click!

2. NEW PTSD ANDROID, IPHONE APPS HELP U.S. SOLDIERS SUFFERING FROM POST-WAR AFFLICTIONS How cool is this? Check it out!

3. There are many more ideas and ways to help HERE!

4. HORSES FOR HEROES COWBOY UP!

5. Check out your local Veterans organizations and GET INVOLVED! They’re everywhere!

]]> http://blogsensebybarb.wordpress.com/2011/07/26/fresh-perspectives-freedom/ Wed, 27 Jul 2011 01:37:54 +0000 blogsense-by-barb http://blogsensebybarb.wordpress.com/2011/07/26/fresh-perspectives-freedom/ Because I know we ALL need a chuckle!

Dear President Obama,

As you are likely well aware, you and I have many fundamental philosophical differences. I have long believed in personal liberty and economic freedom. Despite the rhetoric that you may espouse, your actions imply that you believe government can plan our lives better than we can plan them ourselves. Nearly all of the policies you have championed throughout your political career were designed to destroy individual freedom. With all due respect Mr. President, your big government philosophy is the antithesis of everything our Founding Fathers stood for.

Over the past few years, we have seen a spontaneous uprising of citizen activists protesting big government and reckless spending. My organization FreedomWorks (formerly known as Citizens for a Sound Economy) has never seen so many passionate activists in our 27 year history. As you stated in a September 2010 Rolling Stone interview, “Dick Armey and FreedomWorks, which was one of the first organizational mechanisms to bring Tea Party folks together…” We believe that the Tea Party is a direct response to the out of control spending habits of Former President George W. Bush and you.

FreedomWorks has fought your numerous power grabs at every turn. Our over one million members stood strong against the failed $814 billion “stimulus” package, your 2,801 page healthcare takeover law and the Dodd-Frank Act (also known as the “Federal Reserve Empowerment Act”). We’re exhausted from these grueling battles but we will never give up. As you already know, the Tea Party has begun to change the debate in Washington, D.C. Liberty is always worth fighting for.

The federal government has hit the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling under your watch. It’s closer to $144 trillion with unfunded liabilities factored in. You often assert that you inherited massive debt from your predecessor. Now I’ll be the first to agree that George W. Bush was a big spending Republican. Both Democrats and Republicans are responsible for our current fiscal mess. When you took office two and a half years ago, the national debt stood at $10.6 trillion. It’s now over $14.3 trillion. That’s a 35 percent increase, Mr. President.

You remain committed to raising the debt ceiling. It’s unfortunate that you have announced your intentions to veto the Cut, Cap and Balance Act if it landed on your desk. The bill would cut $111 billion from the federal budget, place enforceable caps on spending and require the passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment. It’s a step in the right direction to get spending under control. How much further are you willing to raise the debt ceiling, Mr. President? Enough is enough.

We’d like a mature discussion on how to significantly reduce the national debt. So far, you have only offered $2 billion in phony cuts. Let’s put that number into perspective. The federal government borrows $4 billion every single day and our federal budget is a whopping $3.73 trillion. Your so-called solution is to cut 5 hundredths of one percent from the budget. We must do better.

I urge you to stop your scare tactics. “Armageddon” will not occur on August 2nd. The federal government still has plenty of money to ensure that our bond holders are paid in full even if we do not raise the debt ceiling. Your threat to withhold Social Security checks if we don’t raise the ceiling is merely a dirty political trick. Social security checks will still go out as usual. The federal government is predicted to take in between $170 to $200 billion in August (we will spend closer to $300 billion) but Social Security checks only cost $50 billion. The American people deserve to hear the truth.

We need a principled leader. You were opposed to raising the debt ceiling before you were for it. On March 20, 2006, Senator Obama said “the fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure…Leadership means the ‘buck stops here.’ Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of children and grandchildren.” I agree 100 percent with your statement. Stand by your convictions, Mr. President.

Where’s your plan? A “clean” debt ceiling hike will only make our fiscal mess worse. It’s time to change Washington’s spending habits once and for all. The debt clock is ticking and we cannot afford to kick the can down the road any longer.

Sincerely,

Matt Kibbe
President and CEO
FreedomWorks

The Boston Tea Party

PART 1 ~ HISTORY LESSON:
The BOSTON Tea Party

“Victory in the French and Indian War was costly for the British. At the war’s conclusion in 1763, King George III and his government looked to taxing the American colonies as a way of recouping their war costs. They were also looking for ways to reestablish control over the colonial governments that had become increasingly independent while the Crown was distracted by the war. Royal ineptitude compounded the problem. A series of actions including the Stamp Act (1765), the Townsend Acts (1767) and the Boston Massacre (1770) agitated the colonists, straining relations with the mother country. But it was the Crown’s attempt to tax tea that spurred the colonists to action and laid the groundwork for the American Revolution.”

“In Boston, the arrival of three tea ships ignited a furious reaction. The crisis came to a head on December 16, 1773 when as many as 7,000 agitated locals milled about the wharf where the ships were docked. A mass meeting at the Old South Meeting House that morning resolved that the tea ships should leave the harbor without payment of any duty. A committee was selected to take this message to the Customs House to force release of the ships out of the harbor. The Collector of Customs refused to allow the ships to leave without payment of the duty. Stalemate. The committee reported back to the mass meeting and a howl erupted from the meeting hall. It was now early evening and a group of about 200 men, some disguised as Indians, assembled on a near-by hill. Whopping war chants, the crowd marched two-by-two to the wharf, descended upon the three ships and dumped their offending cargos of tea into the harbor waters.

Take your tea and shove it!

This is awesome!!!

PART 2: Every place I go …

Whether it’s online or in the real world, it seems every place I go I run into people who are thoroughly dissatisfied with the performance of President Obama and with the government in general. At the grocery store – the check-out clerk wears a red, white and blue teapot pin on her lapel. The local fire chief has a bumper sticker on his truck with Obama’s name scratched out and “Bachmann” written over it! My car wears a bumper sticker, too, that says, “My Daughter Serves Army Proud,” while Old Glory and the Gadsden Flag hang proudly from my porch. More and more people are standing up to voice their objections to Government status quo. We’re tired of lies and deception, of back room bargains at the expense of Americans, and of politics-as-usual lead by career politicians. Time for a REAL change. Time for real representation in Washington. Time for integrity and honesty to be restored to the culture, including the White House.

It’s TIME!

Throughout all the debate about the Tea Party over the past year, nobody has seriously captured why the movement is a threat. Our exclusive Quiverdaddy look at the Tea Party Threat reveals some key issues:

They actually believe what history teaches about the founding of the country

They actually believe the constitution matters

They recklessly try to apply fundamental principles of civic responsibility as did the founders

Of course, there are other, more serious reasons why the Tea Party could be the undoing of civilization as we know it. Imagine an America where “hope and change” means people have unfettered opportunity to achieve without being punished for it. Imagine an America where those who build the economy are allowed — even encouraged — to expand their enterprizes and bring others into the fold who had previously been the victims of discrimination and government dependency. Scary isn’t it?

So while the elected leaders of this country continue their name calling and blame shifting, those extreme and dangerous Tea Party activists will keep calling Washington D.C. and appealing to their government to do the right thing.

Today, LTC (Ret) West hit back. Did he go too far?

The back story on this is that he has been harassed by this Congresswoman Wasserman-Schultz and other liberal women repeatedly, but today he fired back, but remained above board. It is time for the Conservatives to hit back. We’ve taken JUNK from the left for so long, it’s like we “ENABLE” their big government, spending addiction by enabling them, submitting to their hogwash shenanigans!!! With that in mind …

Where are his peers? Will NO ONE stand with this honorable man?

Brazilian President says rich nations need to ‘raise consumer demand’ here. How does a government raise consumer demand? Why are consumers not consuming (spending)?
I can think of 2 reasons;
Either they 1) do not have the money, or 2) they do not want to spend their money.
Reason 1 – Obviously, it’s not a good idea to spend money you do not have (somebody tell the government).
Reason 2 – Why would consumers not want to spend their money? Perhaps they are uncertain about what the future holds. Maybe they think it prudent to hold on to their money in anticipation of economic uncertainty or hardship.

What role does the government play in motivating or depressing consumer spending? I am fortunate to be employed, but I do not feel now is a good time to buy a new car or take on additional long-term debt. Why? Because the economy seems to be in a state of high instability. It seems like a good time to stay on the sidelines and wait.
It seems this strategy is common among the business investor class as well. Where is all the 1st round TARP stimulus money the government spent 2 years ago to ‘save’ the economy? Where is the money spent on the ‘bank’ bailout? It is sitting somewhere, NOT circulating in the economy.
What makes the economy work? Numerous small business transactions occurring on a daily basis fuel the engine of our economy. When fewer people are spending money for whatever reason, the economy stops growing. When the economic activity slows or stops, fewer opportunities present themselves for business investors to craft productive transactions. When the government then ‘injects’ money by printing investment certificates and then buys the same certificates with newly printed (or borrowed) dollar bills, it increases the level of uncertainty.

The Federal Reserve

In this article, Alan Greenspan, former head of the Federal Reserve, claims that both China and the US are intentionally pursuing policies to weaken their respective currencies, which has a destabilizing effect on exchange rates around the world.  Evidently the ‘imbalances’ created by government fiscal policy have real world consequences.
While I claim no expertise in monetary policy, common sense reveals that changing the space between the numbers on a ruler has a deleterious effect on all previous and future measurement. Playing with the money supply affects the value of the currency and increases uncertainty, which causes consumers to hold on to their money.

Obeservations

The most obvious answer from my armchair is to get the government to stop trying to influence the economy with ‘monetary policy’ and ‘stimulus plans’. If the government would take decisive steps to reduce the burdens of regulation and taxes, the consumers and investors would begin to recognize and create opportunities, which would allow the free market to take care of itself.
Reducing regulatory burdens and taxes requires 2 things in the short run – 1) do not increase taxes in January (make the “Bush tax cuts” permanent), and 2) do not implement Obamacare – repeal this massive, unread, regulatory monstrosity.
If I could find the magic wand, I would take care of this, but until that happens We the People need to stay engaged in the political debate. Our government is corrupt. Washington DC is corrupt. Our current Congress is corrupt, and we are stuck with them until the newly elected politicians assume office in January.

Ground Rules

The federal government’s responsibilities are limited by the Constitution. Government spending should be authorized and prioritized according to the Constitution. The 6 priorities enumerated in the Preamble of the Constitution provide the outline to follow; 1) form a more perfect Union, 2) establish Justice, 3) insure domestic Tranquility, 4) provide for the common defense, 5) promote the general welfare, 6) secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and out posterity.
The existence of too many government dependants directly impedes priorities 1 & 3. The concept of government ‘benefits’ must be abolished because it impedes priorities 5 & 6.

Money management is not rocket science. Do not spend money you do not have. Cut spending because it is the first area of control. Define the responsibilities. Prioritize spending by first defining ‘wants’ and ‘needs’. Audit all federal government agencies and departments to identify opportunities for increasing efficiency and effectiveness while reducing fraud and waste. Freeze government spending – no increases in any budget items.

Since putting these thoughts to paper, the global financial mess has continued to expand as has the display of ineptitude by the current regime. The hot issue today is invasive, unconstitutional searches at the airport.

We are living in consequential times. I wonder about the end game – are we really being dismantled from within?

These problems are the consequences of We the People abdicating our responsibility to limit the power of government.

In our modern, free society it is easy to lose sight of the big picture. Many of us live in individual bubbles of self-selected information and entertainment.

Our modern, free society suffers from a lack of social skills and financial illiteracy. Too many of us display poor manners, and do not possess the basic math skills to make change without the aid of a machine.

We have become accustomed to a point-and-click decision making process where consequences are assumed to be the responsibility of nameless others.

Our elected officials of every political party have taken advantage of this situation to build their personal bases of power. All of this was predicted and discussed by those well-read men who founded this country.

In reading The Federalist Papers, it is obvious our Founding Fathers spent a great deal of time and energy debating the best way to create a system of government that would promote the ideals of liberty and stand the test of time.

We do not have insurmountable problems, we are facing the test of time.

We are blessed to live in the United States of America. We the People have a civic duty to participate in maintaining our Republic.

The Chief Executive does not spend money, the Congress does. All the money Congress spends must first be confiscated from We the People. We the People need to elect responsible stewards of government spending.

Look at your paycheck. How much of your earnings are confiscated by the government? How should the government spend that money? How is your tax money actually being spent? Could you put that money to more effective use?

The upcoming Congressional elections present an opportunity for We the People to regain control over the spending problem.

In our point-and-click society, information is available 24/7. Rather than ignoring the political process in favor of personal trivial pursuits, participate in the Republic.

Educate yourself on the issues and engage in political discussion.

Evaluate the principles of your candidates.

Register to vote.

Vote.