Oh Hell No!!

You can tell by the title that this really gets me going. Read the article below and let me know what you think about this.

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reprinted without prior permission from [source]

90 year-old Colonel Van Barfoot now has until Friday, December 11, to reach a compromise with his homeowner’s association over the flagpole from his yard. This according to an attorney representing the Sussex Square neighborhood association.

Since this saga began, it’s been played out on the radio from Washington D.C. to Boston, but many believe what is happening to this true American hero is tarnishing the image of Richmond.

Barfoot lives in the Sussex Square community in western Henrico County. He moved there in July, and was ordered to remove the flagpole from his front lawn when he flew the flag on Labor Day, and again on Veterans Day.

The homeowner’s association doesn’t explicitly forbid flagpoles but they must be “aesthetically appropriate”. Short flags are allowed on porches, but Barfoot says that’s not the way he was raised to respect the flag.

“First of all, it’s not dignified, and it shows you got it in the half mast position… you can walk around here and I’ll bet you the American flag is hanging out in the rain, nobody ever checks it”, says Barfoot.

Family members say he’s the most decorated American combat veteran alive. Barfoot has been awarded more than 20 medals, including the Medal of Honor, The Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, The Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts.

Wounded in combat three times, Barfoot fought in World War II and in Vietnam.

And he has the support of a lot of people, including Senator Mark Warner. Warner says he’s outraged Barfoot’s neighborhood association wants him to remove the flagpole from his yard.

Barfoot says he will take it to court.

Meanwhile, the Sussex Square Homeowner’s Association issued a statement saying in part, “This is not about the American flag. This is about a flagpole… We are a neighborhood of patriotic Americans, many of whom have served our country in the military as Col. Barfoot has done..”

The homeowner’s association also says Barfoot knew from the beginning that he wasn’t supposed to have a flagpole without permission.

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This is man is an honest-to-God American hero and these people from the homeowner’s association want to do this to him. Who do these people think they are? It’s not like this guy is putting vulgar art in his front yard or opening a biker bar in his garage. I can understand if this was something like a satellite dish, which most associations look down on, but this is an American flag! He wants to honor the flag he fought under and he is the most highly decorated veteran ALIVE!! I mean, come on.

My advice to the homeowners association; Let him fly our flag and honor him for putting his life on the line, MULTIPLE TIMES, to keep you free. Your charter be damned!

– The Patriot (fully supporting and honoring this American hero!)

ACORN is bad? Really?

Hey everyone, ACORN is bad. Now that we have gotten that out of the way, lets look at how bad they are. ACORN, Association of Community Organizers For Reform Now, has been all over the news lately with the video from James O’Keefe’s hidden video of ACORN staffer, Tresa Kaelke helping them set up a prostitution ring including the importation of under-aged prostitutes from El Salvador. In response to this video, ACORN has launched a media blitz denouncing Mr. O’Keefe in the following article; Attack Videographer Caught in Manipulation and Lies.

The article claims, ”They were not believable”, said Ms. Kaelke of the two actors. “Somewhat entertaining, but they weren’t even good actors. I didn’t know what to make of them. They were clearly playing with me. I decided to shock them as much as they were shocking me.” Obviously, there were three good actors in the room, Ms. Karlke.

For those that don’t know much about this group, here is a great article written by discoverthenetworks.org; ACORN and information from acorn.org; The Truth About ACORN. You be the judge. Personally, I agree with Manhattan Institute scholar Sol Stern who wrote that ACORN, while professing its dedication to “the poor and powerless,” in fact “promotes a 1960s-bred agenda of anti-capitalism, central planning, victimology, and government handouts to the poor.” Their recent actions demonstrate that they will do anything and say anything to further their agenda.

And most recently, the US House of Representatives joined the Senate in defunding ACORN of millions of taxpayer dollars. boston.com reported, “The US House today joined the Senate in voting to defund ACORN, the community advocacy group beset by allegations of voter registration fraud and videotapes apparently showing employees advising conservative activists posing as a prostitute and pimp how to break the law.

The measure, offered as part of a motion on a student loan bill, passed by a vote of 345-75, with all “no” votes coming from Democrats.” [source: www.boston.com]

All the “NO” votes were from Democrats? Really? Isn’t that interesting? They are not pawns of the “special interests”, they are not in bed with law-breaking ACORN? Not the Democrats!

These people make me sick. They are just as bad as Neo-Nazis on the streets of Birmingham. They are just as bad as bomb making terrorists in Iraq. They are just as bad as gang members on the streets of Chicago. Wrong is wrong and no amount of media coverage is going to change that fact!

The Republicans better wake up and stop talking about a “movement” in this country. The people are sick of both sides of the aisle; corrupt democrats and ineffective republicans. Something needs to break before we end up with socialized medicine and more taxpayer bailouts of corporations. The President is now talking about more stimulus for newspapers. Great, spend more money! Its not like we have it just ready to be picked off the trees. Well, wait a minute. The FED is printing away aren’t they?

One last note before I get back to my life. During his speak before Congress where Joe Wilson correctly called the president a liar, Mr. Obama said that he brought the country’s economy “back from the brink.” I ask you, good reader, do you really think the economy is turning around? Or is this a coordinated effort by the White House, the Left media and the spin doctors to make us all feel better? My economic situation is the worse it has been in years. My businesses are gone, and my family is barely making it day by day. How about you? Have you seen the economic turnaround that was promised? Do you find it easy to find work? Do you have more money in the bank now? Is your family better off because of Obama’s stimulus?

Mine isn’t.

– The Patriot

(ACORN logo used without permission)

"...the perils of too little [government]."

Last night President Obama gave a passionate speech to a joint session of congress about the merits and necessity of his healthcare plan. He used the typical tactic of saying that the right is trying to scare people away from the bill, then went on to list his own horror stories of why people should support the bill. The most repeated “scare tactic” is that Americans are going to die without this bill’s passage.

It also didn’t take him long to get back to the campaign tactic of blaming the Bush administration for America’s woes. We all knew it was coming and we were not disappointed.

During the speech, one of the Republican members shouted “You lie!” and the hall fell into a moment of disorientation. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of The House, turned to look at security with a look on her face of, “well aren’t you going to remove him?” Personally, I do think the president was lying to the American people, but one doesn’t disrespect the office of the president. No matter how much we disagree with the man or his politics, the office must be respected. Was the congressman right? Yes. Should he have acted that way? No.

President Obama made the case against all the information we have been hearing about his plan lately. He said that no plan would be signed that didn’t “add one dime to the deficit.” Now how is that possible? Trying to insure 25% of the population without increasing spending. What does he know that we don’t? He also said that he would not cut Medicare. Then went on to talk about the money he was going to save by cutting Medicare. I don’t know of anyone else caught that, but that’s what he said. He said that there would be no “death panels”. But the bill itself refers to panels that discuss “end of life” issues. Uh, isn’t that a death panel? He said that the bill would not cover illegal aliens. Again, the bill itself says that citizenship is not a requirement for the “public option”, which is really a “government option.” The reason why they call it the “public option” is because THE PUBLIC (you and me!) are the ones paying for it.

The president stated that his bill would require people “that can afford health insurance” to carry health insurance. He said this would be similar to current state requirements for automobile insurance. Wait, so now it is illegal NOT to have health insurance based simply on the belief that we can afford it or not? Are police going to ask for your license, registration, proof of insurance AND proof of health care? Are we going to be cited for not having health insurance? And who decides whether or not we can afford this mandatory insurance? Anyone tried to get on government assistance lately? Basically, if you have a job, you make too much money!

One of the main things that caught my attention last night and has been noodling around in me head was the president’s reference to “…the perils of too little government.” I would have liked the president to expand on this issue and actually list these perils. I have been thinking about this and the perils that I see are, self-reliance, independence, a sense of community, people helping people and above all, liberty. Now before you scream at me about taking the president out of context let me give you all of the presidents’ words. “You see, our predecessors understood that government could not, and should not, solve every problem. They understood that there are instances when the gains in security from government action are not worth the added constraints on our freedom. But they also understood that the danger of too much government is matched by the perils of too little;…”

The problem as I see it is not the size of our government. We all agree it is too big. The problem lies with who determines what “too big” is.

Personally, Mr. President, I would gladly take the perils of “too little government” over the tyranny of “too much.”

– The Patriot

The Bailout Story Nobody Wants You To Know

Barney Frank is proposing that the government control the salaries for all the employees of all the companies that take bailout or stimulus money or whatever you want to call it this week. But nobody is proposing a ban on political contributions from the same companies. These companies get billions of dollars in government bailout, lets call it what it is, these companies get billions of dollars in taxpayer money, YOUR money. They come into your wallet, they take your money and give it to these failed companies, and these same companies are some of the biggest political contributors to the democrats and republicans. Mostly the democrats. AIG gave politicians close to $400,000 in the 2008 election. GM gave well over $500,000 in 2006. But now that GM is beholden to the government and the White House can dictate who runs the company, they will get even more bailout money because we have a vested interest in their success. If they fail we don't get our money back (as though that was ever going to happen). The government has already given them hundreds of billions, so HEY, let's give them more. I guarantee you that during the next presidential election, they will still be huge campaign contributors.

So I propose a ban on campaign contributions from any company that gets OUR money. Because AIG, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and now GM, not to mention the other 187 companies that got bailout money, have become a giant money laundering scheme for the government. They reach into your pocket, steal your money and bail out these failed companies then turn around and get campaign contributions from them. That, my friends is money laundering. They take your money, in the form of taxes dollars, and launder it into clean money in the form of contributions.

Once these companies can pay back the LOAN you and I gave them, they can contribute to campaigns once again. But until they payback every penny, which won't happen, no more campaign contributions, period. And if you think I am making this all up here's some data:
(source: The New York Times and Federal Election Commission)

Company	Bailout $	Campaign $
A.I.G.	40 Billion	$348,067(*2008)
General Motors	19 Billion	$626,330(*2006)
CitiGroup	50 Billion	$594,100(*2006)

I don't want my money going to either a republican or a democrat politician without me signing the damn check myself! I really don't care how much the contributions are, the principle is wrong.

One more thing. Just in case you want to know, here is a list from the Federal Election Commission on the Top 50 Corporate Campaign Contributors. Top 50 Corporate Contributors

Our leaders should be ashamed!

-- The Patriot

Quote(s) of The Day:
"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have -- Thomas Jefferson"

"Dependence begets subservience..." -- Thomas Jefferson

Famous and Infamous Leaders Quiz

Go through the questions below and see if you can determine who is being talked about. Try putting in each name and see if you can pick the right answer. Write down your answers and compare them with the answers at the bottom of this article. They might surprise you.

DISCLAIMER: This list is not intended to disparage any person listed below and does infer anything about their character or intentions. The fact that President Obama’s name appears on every question is for effect only and is not intended to associate him with any of these historical figures or their actions.

1.) __________________ favors a strong active government, and mutual unity of all members of society.
a) Barack Obama
b) Pol Pot
c) Adolf Hitler
d) George Washington

2.) Ever concerned with broadening his base of support among diverse elements, __________________ closely followed the administration of state welfare and development programs.
a) Saddan Hussein
b) Herbert Hoover
c) Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
d) Barack Obama

3.) __________________ became the focus of literature, poetry, music, paintings and film, exhibiting fawning devotion, crediting him with almost god-like qualities.
a) Joseph Stalin
b) Barack Obama
c) Ronald Reagan
d) Adolf Hitler

4.) On the national scale, __________________ implemented socialist-type market economic practices to keep the country afloat during the recent economic downturn.
a) Barack Obama
b) Kim Jong Il
c) Gordon Brown
d) Nelson Mandela

5.) Early in his career, __________________ become a charismatic orator and highly effective at speaking in front of large crowds.
a) Osama Bin Ladin
b) Adolf Hitler
c) Thomas Jefferson
d) Barack Obama

6.) Virtually unknown to the public, __________________ quickly gained popularity among the people.
a) Vladimir Putin
b) Barack Obama
c) Kgalema Motlanthe
d) Idi Amin Dada

7.) __________________’s policies agrees with granting universal access to healthcare and education.
a) Barack Obama
b) George W. Bush
c) Joseph Stalin
d) Emperor Hirohito

8.) Initially welcomed by the international community, __________________’s popularity waned after public statements about his governments’ policies.
a) Idi Amin Dada
b) John Kennedy
c) Muammar al-Gaddafi
d) Barack Obama

9.) Who believes that all power and authority devolved from the top down in government?
a) Adolf Hitler
b) Thomas Jefferson
c) Barack Obama
d) Ayatollah Khomeini

10.) __________________ is a strong supporter of Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank against Israel.
a) Barack Obama
b) Muammar Gaddafi
c) Kgalema Motlanthe
d) John McCain

11.) __________________ used the aggravation of class struggle to further the country and his own personal agenda?
a) Jimmy Carter
b) Atila the Hun
c) Barack Obama
d) Jospeh Stalin

12.) __________________ planned one of the largest infrastructure-improvement campaigns in history, with the construction of dozens of dams, roads, railroads, and other civil works.
a) Barack Obama
b) Saddam Hussein
c) Abraham Lincoln
d) Adolf Hitler

13.) __________________ is interested in “earth-moving machinery and genetic engineering of plants”, on the one hand, but rejects “chilled water” on the other.
a) Nelson Mandela
b) Osama Bin Ladin
c) Barack Obama
d) Sarah Palin

14.) In recent years, perhaps in reaction to economic hardship or political instability, support for __________________ has increased.
a) Benito Mussolini
b) Joseph Stalin
c) George W. Bush
d) Barack Obama

ANSWERS:
1.) C: Adolf Hitler; 2.) A: Saddan Hussein; 3.) A: Joseph Stalin; 4.) B: Kim Jong Il; 5.) B: Adolf Hitler; 6.) A: Vladimir Putin; 7.) C: Joseph Stalin; 8.) A: Idi Amin Dada; 9.) A: Adolf Hitler; 10.) B: Muammar Gaddafi; 11.) D: Jospeh Stalin; 12.) D: Adolf Hitler; 13.) B: Osama Bin Ladin; 14.) B: Joseph Stalin

The Knee-jerk Road to Socialism

So it has finally begun. Or has it been a slow and gradual progression of bad choices? From where I sit in my little slice of heaven it seems like America has finally tipped passed the point of sanity and began its inevitable slide toward socialism and despotism. All it took was a financial crisis of significant magnitude and a population scared into voting for the man that would give them what they want. It didn’t need to be Barack Obama. It could have been any number of Liberal Democrats. Fate has played a cruel joke on Barack Obama, making him the first black President, then making it almost impossible for him to succeed. It will take many more presidents until we get out of this hole, but I don’t think we have that kind of time. America is so scared of our impending economic collapse (yes I said “impending”) that they will vote for almost everything. The latest step toward total government control is their taking over majority voting rights in may large banks and corporations. The United States government has taken a 40% stake in Citi Group, one of the largest banks in the world and there are talks of total nationalization of the banking system, to include the formation of a “National Bank”. This notion, most recently destroyed by President Andrew Jackson in 1836, is one of the worst ideas we have toyed with in America. The Second Bank of the United States was so corrupt that it even began influencing presidential elections and policy making in Washington. Now we are going to swallow this pill of bank nationalization as though it’s a good idea. I think our leaders in Washington need to take some time off and review a history lesson. Nationalization of our banking system is not the answer. Unfortunately, we live is a knee-jerk society where we make rash and expensive decisions without looking long-term at the possible ramifications.

There also seems to be this mob mentality when it comes to corporate benefit and compensation packages. When did the President get the ability to set other people’s wages? I know we are talking about “bail-out” and “stimulus” money, but these are people that negotiated with these companies and accepted certain conditions of those negotiations, like salary and benefits. I do not agree with someone getting paid from “bail-out” money (in fact I have been against bailing these companies out if the first place), but if the company was doing so badly in the first place, why were these contracts not re-negotiated or eliminated? In the corporate world, the fastest way to increase your bottom line is to fire those people at the bottom making the leased amount of money and making other employees (happy they were not fired) pick up the slack. That money “saved” goes right to the bottom line. In this scenario, the people at the top are never, well rarely, affected by such “restructuring”. Putting people out of work has always been a viable solution to a cash crunch. I am not saying that this is a good thing, but it has always been “business as usual” in the corporate world. In government, its no that easy to fire people, so what they do it stop hiring new ones. People retire or quit everyday and those salaries go right to the bottom line. In both instances, taking money from those at the top is a reasonable solution that is never considered. But stalking people? Threatening them because of a contract they negotiated with their employer? Is this what we have degraded too?

One last thing about our march toward a socialist America. There is a bright side to this sad story. There will come a time when a political leader emerges that changes everything that is happening to our country. They will be a powerful speaker, without a tele-prompter; They will know that true stimulus means more money in people’s pockets not Trillion dollar government spending; They will balance our budgets not give us the largest national debt in human history; They will motivate millions for change and actually follow through on their promises; They will stand for their beliefs not change them depending on that morning’s poll numbers; They will be a true leader that makes hard decisions with the betterment of the national in mind not the betterment of their legacy; and They will stand for a strong and proud America not scrape and plead with our enemies for an unearned peace. Remember…

“It took a Jimmy Carter to give us a Ronald Reagan.” Gregg Bridgeman

There is hope my friends.

– The Patriot