Liberty Postings

I am not sure how conservatives who on one day advocate small government and personal liberty can the next day support this terrifying new law in Arizona.  A police officer can now stop someone and ask to see his immigration papers simply because he looks like he isn’t in this country legally?  Wow.  That’s not subjective at all, now is it?

Officer Smith walks by two men speaking Spanish on the street and decides, “Well, they must have come across this border without permission.  I’m going to have a little talk with these fellows!”

What if a member of law enforcement is waiting in line at the post office and happens to notice the woman in front of him is sending a package to Venezuela.  Wait a second!  What business does a legitimate resident of America have sending anything to a foreign nation?  Let’s see some papers!!

Come to think of it, I’ve been teaching my young daughter some of the Russian I remember from my seven semesters of the language in college.  I better be careful not to speak too loudly if I’m walking down the streets of Tucson!  Wait … nevermind.  Let’s be honest.  Russian really isn’t a language that concerns the supporters of this legislation.

People who applaud the ridiculous law having been making statements such as, “I have to show ID every time I want to get on a plane.  I get in trouble if I’m pulled over for speeding and I don’t have my driver’s license on me.  We just want the illegals to be held to the same standard!”

Wrong.  This law has nothing to do with making sure that people are licensed to operate a vehicle or that you are who you say you are when you board a confined metal tube and travel several miles into the air.

Do you always make sure you always have your driver’s license on you when you take the dog for a walk in the evening?  You are the passenger in a car that is making a quick trip to the grocery store.  Do you make sure all of your papers are in order first?  If you have brown skin and you live in Arizona, you better start.  You know, just in case you do something that illegals would do.

I do not like illegal immigration.  I want to punish businesses that hire workers without first confirming their immigration status.  I believe that if someone is arrested for criminal activity and THEN it is determined that he is in the country illegally, he should be removed from the United States.  I am not in favor of a wall for environmental reasons and, more importantly for me, because I think it flies in the face of our founding principles.  However, when it comes to securing our border physically, I am all for getting as many border patrol agents and drones out there as possible!  But, to make assumptions about a person’s right to be in our country based on the way he looks or acts is un-American and freedom-loving people from coast to coast should be outraged with what Arizona has done.

Whenever there is a major event that causes a shake-up in the political landscape, the emotions intensify on both sides of the debate.  Often times, Republicans and Democrats both take on the roles of aggressor and defender in justifying their core principles.  Most recently, the battle has been raging over the Tea Party movement and the approval of health care “reform” legislation.

It doesn’t matter if the topic is health insurance, Hurricane Katrina, or the War in Iraq.  The points on which each side chooses to take its stand are silly and frustrating.  So, I would like to offer a few suggestions to both parties that perhaps can help the discussion move forward.

Republicans — Stop talking about how you are the party that freed the slaves and passed Civil Rights legislation.  We get it.  Lincoln was a Republican.  Yes, the Southern Democrats were a group of hateful bigots.  These events happened 145 and 45 years ago.  If you (rightfully) don’t like to hear someone say, “You owe us reparations because your great-great-grandfather owned slaves,” then don’t take credit for the good stuff from the 19th century, either.

Democrats — Stop telling people that they are voting against their own interests.  The “common American” is not as ignorant as you would like to believe.  Maybe some people really would rather struggle financially but know that they are making it on their own instead of letting the government take care of them.  Maybe they don’t believe in taxing success and taking from the bank accounts of others so that they can rest a little easier at night.  And, maybe they really do embrace the principles of individual freedoms and personal responsibility.

Republicans — Stop using Bible references on the floor of the House to explain your reason for opposing government programs.  Stop saying we are a Christian nation.  We are not a Christian nation (see the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment).  I am not saying that the mere mention of God needs to result in being tackled by five Secret Service agents.  I’m a Christian, and I think we all could use a little more God.  I want the nativity scenes in the public square and Santa Claus to be allowed in the “holiday” parade.  But, please stop mixing theology with political philosophy.  My conservatives principles are not tied to my faith.  The core values of freedom, low taxes, private property, and (very, very) limited government will create the type of country in which you can embrace your Christian faith without apology and others can embrace having no faith at all.  That’s the way it should be.  Otherwise, the tent will continue to shrink.

Democrats — Do you see that card in your left (of course) hand?  The one with the big “R” on it?  Yes, that’s the one.  Tuck it back into your coat pocket and save it for when it’s really needed.  There is still real racism, sexism (more so than racism, I contend), homophobia, classism, etc. in this country.  However, when you have the knee jerk response that everyone who opposes your entitlement programs or your approach to education, crime, housing, the increase in the price of a stamp, etc. must be a racist, you are belittling actual bigotry in this country.  If the race card is the only play that you have, then people will become desensitized and you will become the “party that cried racism.”  When a true violation of civil rights occurs, will anyone still be paying attention?  Sadly, perhaps not.

Glenn Beck — Oh, my goodness.  Progressives, progressives, progressives.  Got it.  Fear the progressives.    Oh, and Woodrow Wilson was the most dangerous man in history.  I know I’ve always been terrified that presidents of Ivy League universities will someday have the strength and influence for complete world domination.

Chris Matthews — I haven’t had cable in a month, so I’ve missed any recent rants you may have shared with your small viewing audience.  But, you, sir, I believe do have a sincere hang-up with race.  So nice of the big white man on TV to pat the black president on the head and tell him he spoke so well that he forgot about skin color.  So condescending.  (OK, I know that’s a dated reference.  Just had to balance out the Glenn Beck thing.)

Let me start off by making this point quite clear.  I am opposed to the contents of the health care reform legislation.  I am not excited about 95% of the population being insured at a painful cost to the taxpayers and to small businesses across this country.  What if you don’t want to be insured (as around 1/3 of the uninsured are that way by choice)?  Sorry.  Apparently, government knows better.  Just let them make that decision for you — don’t worry your pretty little head.

What are some of my favorite nuggets in this “reform” bill?

“Kids” can remain under their parents’ health insurance until they are twenty-six years old!  Way to be a grown-up!!

“Hi, I’m 25 years old and my mommy still comes with me to the pediatrician.  Why should I take responsibility for myself?  It’s hard out there in that cruel, mean world!”

Starting in 2014, you will get FINED $695 if you don’t have health insurance!!  The government is going to punish you because it doesn’t like the choice you make as an adult.

Medicaid coverage will be offered to anyone making 400% of the poverty level or less.  For a family of four, that means that the government will take care of your coughs and sneezes if you make less than $90,000.  Really?  A family making $85,000 can’t get its priorities straight and purchase health insurance?  Sounds like a budgeting class is in order instead of government insurance!  I make much less than $90,000 (try less than a 1/3 of that) and I’m a single parent of two kids … and, since I’m self-employed, I pay for my own health insurance.  I want to keep it that way.

As much as I dislike this huge expansion in the federal government, I’m even more disappointed in the process it took to get here.  The Democrats have provided us with a clear example of “the ends justify the means.”

When President Obama was still a candidate, he was certain that he was going to be super-duper popular and everything he wished for would happen with ease.  So, he had no problem saying that he wouldn’t be a 50 plus one president.  Whoops.  Changed his mind, I guess.

Also as a candidate, then-Senator Obama pledged to make the health care debate an open one, with every moment of discussion covered on C-Span.  Did that happen?  Ummm … again, that’s a negative.

The Democratic leaders in Congress and the White House are making the rules up as they go along because they firmly believe that they know what is best for us silly common folk.  Come on, who needs to keep promises to the American people?  Maybe they’ll get irritated for a day, but then they’ll put their focus back on March Madness or American Idol, right?

I do not believe for one second that Speaker Pelosi or Senator Reid really care about all of the uninsured people who will now receive insurance from the government.  I honestly think these leaders find the Americans who are supposed to benefit from this bill to be simple minions and I imagine that, behind closed doors, they snicker about how easily duped their constituents are.  They see health care reform as their first step of many in expanding government, creating more dependents (and, therefore, a built-in voter base), and fundamentally changing the core principles of our country.  Ah, power!  Ain’t it grand?

A: The person who made the stupid comment

Some loser who probably was trying to impress his friends (who undoubtedly share a similar spot along the loser to winner continuum) grabbed a mouthpiece to the public address system in a Wal-Mart and told all of the black people to leave the store.

During a piece about this incident on NPR this morning, a woman was interviewed who said she intends to boycott Wal-Mart until the store apologizes and the person who got off on hearing his voice ring out over the speakers of a big box store filled with fluorescent lights is caught and punished.

Really?  There are plenty of reasons to stay away from Wal-Mart, but the hijacking of a PA system is not one of them.  How can Wal-Mart help the ridiculous decisions made by people who enter their store?  If Wal-Mart was held accountable for the poor taste practiced by their patrons, management wouldn’t have time to deal with anything else!

When I was in the seventh grade at the prestigious Dwight D. Eisenhower Middle School in Laurel, MD, one of my co-stars in the school play set off a stink bomb in the second act as a way to distract from the fact that he didn’t know his lines.  He was a tool.  But, the parents of our neighborhood did not decide to boycott the school.  (That would have been sweet, though!)

During the same time period in our nation’s history, many shirts purchased at your more popular retail establishments had small horizontal strips of fabric sewn along the back between the shoulder blades.  Some boys took to calling these loops “f** tags.”  Again, a brilliant way to prove out loud that you are a ridiculous moron.  But, I don’t recall anyone calling for a protest against The Gap.

Here’s the point.  There are plenty of individuals in our society who say and do dumb things, even offensive things.  They should be ostracized and receive consequences for doing so.  But, let’s use moments like this to reinforce the ever-diminishing concept of individual responsibility.  The anger over the inappropriate comment made in the New Jersey Wal-Mart the other day lies squarely with the person who said it, not with the store in general.

So, I’m thinking about running for president in 2012.  I’m turning 35 this year and I am a natural-born citizen of these United States, so I certainly get the green light from the Constitution.

I follow the news closely and, from what I’ve been reading and watching, I believe that I should be able to garner enough support to have a serious shot at calling the White House my new home.  Allow me to present to you my qualifications:

1. My name is Sarah.  Apparently, this is a good thing.  I even spell it correctly.

2. I am quick to pick up regional colloquialisms.  Since moving to Nashville from the D.C. area in 2002, I have learned to integrate “fixin’ to” into my everday conversation.  I even throw in a “bless her heart” every now and again.  I’m sure I can adjust my speech and sprinkle in some “you betchas” and “simple, small town gal from Alaskas” when the moment seems right.

3. I will not claim to have the “hot for teacher” look that the former governor from Alaska enjoys.  However, I used to be a high school teacher and I do wear glasses at night after removing my contact lenses.

4. I have already written a stump speech that uses all of these phrases — “Ronald Reagan,” “Founding Fathers,” “commander-in-chief not community organizer,” “government needs to balance its budget just like Joe Six-Pack does at the kitchen table every month,” and “communist.”  I was careful not to include any specific information.

5. When I was waiting tables at the Chili’s in Laurel, Maryland the summer after I graduated from college, I once walked out in the middle of a shift because I got overwhelmed by having four tables sat at the exact same time.  However, I told my manager I had to go because I was feeling really sick and I had to attend to my personal well-being.  That is kind of like deciding you don’t feel like being governor anymore and then just stopping, right?

In all seriousness, why are the same people who mocked President Obama for his lack of experience when he was running for the highest office in the land embracing Sarah Palin?  Her experience is no more impressive.  And, while I’ve seen no evidence that President Obama deserves the title of “smartest and most thoughtful man ever to walk the face of the earth,” as some people have awarded him, I also don’t see how Sarah Palin inspires confidence that she is a deep thinker who is ready to tackle the tough issues.

Yep … I think I need to pick up some nominating papers later today.  Place your pre-orders for “Moore 2012″ yard signs now!

OK … I need to brace myself for this one.  I am going to defend Rahm Emmanuel.  We all know the man is obnoxious and doesn’t really have a tongue that you want to introduce to your mama.  (And, by “tongue,” I mean that his language is crude, not that he would literally place his tongue on your mama … although you never know.)

Yes, he determined in a vocal fashion that liberal Democrats who were planning some advertised in-fighting to be “f______ retarded.”  Was it a silly comment by a man whose vocabulary is apparently so limited that  he is reduced to stupid slurs in an attempt to make a point?  Sure.  But, let’s all please stop being so hypersensitive.  And, even worse, let’s put an end to the faux sensitivity.  I’m talking to you, Palin.  Were you really crushed on behalf of your son when you discovered some off-hand comment that Emmanuel made several months ago?  Did you feel the need to scoop young Trig out of his crib, hold him to your bosom, and protect him from the evil intentions of the Chief of Staff?  I doubt it.  Instead, it probably seemed like a neat-o PR move.

Would I brush it off if Emmanuel went to the local schoolyard and proceeded to point and laugh at the special needs students?  How about if he took a large bag of donations to the local Goodwill donation spot, threw the bag at the nearest worker, and made some derogatory comment about the intelligence of the young man who helped him.  Of course not.  And, in that instance, termination would certainly be in order.  But, we all know (right?) that back-room political talk is ugly and often inappropriate for public consumption.  The phrase being criticized was not on the man’s teleprompter as prepared remarks that were intended to represent an official stand on a policy issue.  If that had been the case, absolutely fire him … and do it before he even has a chance to finish the speech.

I think that Senator Harry Reid published comments, in which he called then-Senator Obama “light-skinned” with no “Negro dialect” are much more offensive, and his statements were widely forgotten after 48 hours.  I guess Reid must find Obama to be one of those rare, “articulate” black men.  (definition of “articulate” — decribes a member of a racial minority who shocks white people by speaking in complete and coherent sentences.  Used in a sentence: “I mean, you got the first mainstream African American who is articulate and bright and clean” — courtesy of then-Senator Joe Biden)  I wonder if Senator Reid calls Obama “that uppity boy” when he thinks no one is listening.

Was Rahm Emmanuel’s choice of words a poor one?  Yep.  Is he a crass loudmouth who has the sensitivity of a tooth that has been the recipient of a thorough root canal?  Absolutely.  But, let’s not make this more than it is.

I have been thinking more about the “Supreme Court moment” during President Obama’s State of the Union speech yesterday.  During that lovely act of un-presidential scolding, the President reminded me of the guy in the schoolyard who is not so tough himself, but who is popular and persuasive and therefore gets the tough guys to follow him around.  He gets his minions to hold down the victim of his choosing, and then he throws some punches.  He is willing to be bold only when he knows his opponent is defenseless.

For those who are unaware of the offending comment:

With all due deference to separation of powers, last week the Supreme Court reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests — including foreign corporations — to spend without limit in our elections.

What are the members of the Supreme Court supposed to do in response?  Is Scalia supposed to jump up and say, “Wanna thrown down, Mr. President?”  Perhaps Alito should yell back, “You’re a liar who feels as if the separation of powers does not apply to your grand plan (despite your claim of deference) and who apparently doesn’t mind that McCain/Feingold tramples all over free speech!”  No, I suppose not.  Instead, the viewing audience was able to discern a whispered “not true.”  Gasp!  How dare a member of the highest court in our land take issue with our President attacking one of the Court’s decision in a completely inappropriate setting!

President Obama’s words for the Supreme Court were tacky, childish, and just as inappropriate for the environment as the outburst by Rep. Wilson last year (and perhaps even worse, as the President’s were a deliberate component of his prepared remarks).

I know I indicated in an earlier post that I want to focus on being positive this year.  I still do … really!  But, his speech tonight made me downright angry.

At first I thought that perhaps the stomach bug that had graced our home a couple of weeks ago was making a return visit, but I soon realized that my nausea was based on what was emanating from my television screen.

I can get past Vice-President Biden focusing real hard on trying to figure out what facial expression would be most appropriate at any given moment and Speaker Pelosi wiping the sides of her mouth over and over again with her thumb and finger (just gross!).  Those things are just cosmetic.

What really bothered me was that President Obama had the audacity to mention the “deficit of trust” in our country (which he either inherited and/or continues to perpetrated by the Republicans, of course) and to claim that his administration had taken action to “do our work openly.”    Please.  Don’t pretend like you think Americans deserve to know about what you are trying to accomplish in Washington. You’ll say that when you are aware that people are listening, because it sounds good, but you really don’t have enough respect for the American people to follow through with that pledge.

When running for President, then-Senator Barack Obama promised that he “will not sign any non-emergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House website for five days.”  He lied.  There have been numerous bills that became law with his signature that never saw one moment on a website, let alone five days (SCHIP legislation, Fair Pay Act, credit card reform, Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, economic stimulus bill, extension of SBA benefits … just to name a few bills that were not made accessible to the public for the promised time frame).  Were we just not supposed to notice?

During the campaign, then-Senator Barack Obama also promised to put all negotiations regarding health care reform on C-Span.  Ummm … not so much.  There have been plenty of discussions regarding health care done out of the public eye.  For example:

“The House and Senate plan to put together the final health care reform bill behind closed doors according to an agreement by top Democrats,” House Speaker Nanci Pelosi said today at the White House.

I understand there’s a separation of powers and that it’s the legislative branch, not the President and the executive branch, that controls the health care debate and bill creation.  However, we have not heard one word from the President advocating/requesting/imploring the Congress to make sure all health care discussions are put on C-Span, as he promised to do.

There are plenty of other problems that I had with tonight’s State of the Union speech, but the call for transparency got to me more than the rest.  Don’t stand up there with your holier-than-thou attitude preaching the need to respect the American people when your year-long track record has shown that you really couldn’t care less.

I liked Candidate Obama’s pledge to place all non-emergency bills online for review and comments before he would agree to sign them.  It’s one of the few campaign promises I actually wanted him to keep.  Maybe he really means it this time!!  Oh, please, President Obama … say it is so!  Sure, you’ve lied to us before but I still want to believe you.  I’ll take you back!  I’ll believe you when you say it will never happen again.  You’re going to be a real leader and not pass the buck when someone calls you out for not standing by your word.  Right?  I’ll turn on C-Span and log onto WhiteHouse.gov so that I’m ready and waiting!

I watch Morning Joe with my breakfast every day (well, at least for the next few days … I am bidding cable farewell in about a week).  This is my program of choice because, as advertised, it really is the “Place for Politics.”  The guests and the conversation are interesting.  Plus, who can’t help but love the unrequited sexual tension between Mika and Joe?  And, I will admit to having a bit of a crush on Willie Geist , even though I just discovered he is a Vandy grad.  Willie still comes in second when compared to my odd attraction to another MSNBC host, Dylan Ratigan.  Can’t explain it … can’t deny it.

What are my other choices in the morning?  The lack of excitement and personality offered by the CNN anchors cannot be countered by copious mugs of coffee.  Then there’s Fox and Friends.  I try it occasionally, but I always feel like I am watching a tabloid program except with less substance.

Let’s not forget the biggest selling point of Morning Joe … regular appearances by Peggy Noonan.  To keep going with the apparent theme of this post, I have a significant girl crush on her.  I want to be Peggy Noonan when I grow up.  I love the measured way with which she speaks, I LOVE her writing, and I love that she is usually the smartest person in that studio without making anyone else feel bad about it.

On the flip side, there is one staple of the Morning Joe entourage for whom I don’t have even an inkling of a crush, and that man is Donnie Deutsch.  First off, I know that we have very little in common politically.  Come on … he told Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) today that he’s a “big fan.”

During a discussion about Harold Ford’s flip-flop concerning gay marriage, Donnie Deutsch offered this brilliant analysis (I’m paraphrasing):

“Opinions on issues like abortion and gay marriage are very personal and come from your soul.  Those feelings don’t change.  I’ve never heard of or met a single adult whose opinion on abortion has changed.”

Really?  Hmmm … maybe I can think of one or two.  How about NORMA McCORVEY??  She’s kind of significant in the whole abortion debate.  And, I know these are rather obscure names, but Al Gore and Mitt Romney have done complete 180s on the abortion issue as well.

Come on, Donnie, let’s try thinking through some of these ideas before allowing them to exit your pretty mouth.  Otherwise, I might have to write a letter to the network requesting that you be allowed to contribute only to the Keith Olbermann and Ed Schultz programs.

Sneak preview of my next media-related blog post: Glenn Beck and that blasted chalkboard!

I have always tried to avoid being judgmental.  I don’t always succeed, unfortunately.  I think we are all guilty of passing judgments more often than we would like to admit.  My anger at those who make a career out of being judgmental is a significant reason that I find myself at home within the libertarian philosophy.  Don’t make decisions about another person’s choices thinking that you know better.

Before I became a mom, I knew that being a parent was a difficult job.  But, I didn’t really KNOW.  After I became a mom, I would watch the single mothers with their children and think, “Now, that’s even more difficult.”  But, I didn’t really KNOW.  Now, I do.

Being a single mom is many things.  Every day, I am lonely, exhausted, filled with guilt, and scared.  But, I also have found more inner strength than I ever knew I had, an intensified sense of love and protection for my kids, and a resolve to be the one who will provide a stable and safe home.

I also now feel the sting of comments that are directed at single moms, and they hurt.

I had a potential client email me recently about his book proposal.  He wanted to share his life story so that others could be saved and walk right with Christ.  He explained to me how he lived a clean life and stayed away from drugs, pornography, and people who had committed the sin of divorce.  Nice.  Guess he better steer clear of me … my divorce might be contagious.

While networking at a business luncheon last week, a woman asked, “Are you married?  Do you have kids?”  I skipped the first question and let her know I have two beautiful children.  She glanced at my left hand, threw me a look of disappointment, and moved onto the next person.  Again, nice.

I’m a big girl.  I am 34 years old and I can, over time, get past the loss of a relationship, even if it is one that was created with the intention of lasting a lifetime.  The only time I cry anymore, and I will admit that it happens regularly, is when I think about my kids and how they will grow and adapt to living in a “broken home.”  So, it would be selfish and petty for me to whine about the thoughtless people who make snap judgments about me.  I have more important people to worry about.

However, I feel like some politicians are making policy decisions, particularly on social issues, with the same approach as that woman who looked down at me when she realized I had kids and no husband.  Whether it be single moms who need legal advocates on behalf of their children, gay couples who just want the right to take a 50/50 shot at lifelong commitment the way that straight couples do, or a family that publicly wants to practice a faith that is not held by most others around them, you cannot understand the details and background issues of those lives unless you have lived them.

So, to take it back to where I started, I value the fact that the past seven months have taught me to be even more vigilant against my own tendencies to judge.  Maybe some of our politicians need to lace up the shoes belonging to some of their constituents back home and go for a walk as well.