Poll: Are you Patriotic?

[Guest 2HOW]

An excerpt from a blog called "scene of the latest outbreak "

Not being satisfied with taking more than 50% of my earnings each year, the American government in a few short weeks will likely propose legislation to criminalize and then remove my firearms of military utility, along with their accoutrements.

There's a very low probability of defeating such legislation, which may include neither a sunset clause a la AWB I nor any grandfathering of existing weapons or accessories.

I and a whole lot of other folks will not comply.

At that point, the government will face a choice -- lose credibility by doing nothing, or begin the raids that will open a terribly bloody new chapter of our history.

A whole lot of folks are preparing for just that eventuality -- and are simply waiting for the government to make the first move.

When they kill Vanderboegh or other prominent folks...when the rolling roadblocks commence...when there's an obligatory "refinancing" of people's retirement funds into "government-backed retirement accounts"....when the alternative media are being squashed....when the homeschoolers are being raided "for the children"...a whole lot of folks will roll off their fail-safe points and go hot.

And it will be a bloody, tragic mess.

For those who believe that the pure political route is still fruitful, God bless ya. Keep bashing away.

As Codrea says, "CUM ULLA SELLA IN PUGNO TABERNA."

Any chair in a bar fight.

A lot of people at the failsafe point are still making those calls, writing those letters, and marking those ballots, too.

But those same folks also have plans for when the political process irretrievably fails -- even more than it has already.

And there is literally nothing that anyone can do about those plans.

Any attempt at preemption by the state security forces will only light the fuse that much sooner.

And the funny thing is -- those folks just want to be left alone. They don't want to govern a soul.

We're beyond a fix in the near-term. The best possible outcome would be for the new administration to govern from a limited-government, strict construction Constitutional basis.

Anybody want to calculate the odds on that?

I own me. I own my output. I have an unalienable right to defend myself, by whatever means necessary, against predators and looters.

And I am damned tired of my servants in government acting otherwise.

Stay low. Keep moving. Good luck

[towerclimber37]

now that is interesting!

[Guest Phantom6]

(DaveTN): We want prayer in schools ...

(OhShoot): Meaning Christian prayer of course. Then have "your" own schools, not ones paid for with my tax money. (Actually, the government on any level should have nothing, NOTHING to do with education in America, anyway, but that's a different debate.)

As an active member of a strong religious community I do have my own schools which are not paid for by "your" tax money but by necessarily expensive tuition costs. Yet, I still pay for my children's slot in the public education system with my tax dollars which in essence over-funds your child's educational experience yet you complain about the return in your (and my) investment in the public education system. Now, just who is paying for whom here?

As for a statement that the government, on any level having "nothing, NOTHING to do with education in America", well that seems to me to be a Libertarian extremism which could lead to a serious problem with our national security and therefore an important component of a patriotic discussion. After all, Webster's dictionary defines the term patriot as "one who loves his or her country and supports its authority and interests".

While I agree with you that education should not be left solely to the government as it can be, and is certainly used as a means to socially and politically engineer our country's future generations by indoctrinating young minds in the political beliefs that happen to be those of the individuals with the money and power, government must have some limited role to provide minimum limited parameters within which any educational system must operate. What those might be would be the other debate but the "Three R's" as well as Physical Education come to mind and a level of competency in these which will allow the student to compete in the world is absolutely essential. Beyond that it should be up to the student and the parent(s). . Otherwise, financially irresponsible or even socially lazy or selfish (those caring nothing about the rest of society) people would do nothing about their children's education and that would pose a serious national security problem as our population would be inundated by illiterate Americans. At least under the present distasteful system, as a whole the population of the United States is becoming increasingly more educated. Last year (2007) Americans stood second only to Canada in the percentage of 35 to 64 year olds holding at least two-year degrees. Due to our educational crises however, we are slipping now because among 25 to 34 year olds, the country stands tenth.

We had better have an educated populace if we are to maintain our country's "authority and interests". How do we do this? Well that one is going a tough nut to crack. I certainly don't have all the answers but the one answer I do have is to quit forcing me, as an individual who maintains my own private schools to educate my children, to pay triple the rate through my own self inflicted tuition (yes the tuition portion of this equation is my choice) PLUS my tax dollars (not my choice) to subsidize a sorry public education system. It's not that I mind paying taxes because I don't it's just that I shouldn't have to pay so much when I am already taking money out of my own post tax dollars to buy my children the type of education I believe they ought to have which in my opinion should include religious education.

(OhShoot): I guess I'm just not patriotic.

Oh, I'd say that you are or you wouldn't take the time to voice an opinion here- somewhat incorrect, maybe even misguided and showing a degree of lack of fore-thought but, that's my opinion.

[raydog1]

(DaveTN

): We just elected a president not because he is qualified but because is a black. If he had been white he would not have been able to beat out Hillary and she would have been elected because she is a woman.

(OhShoot): More than likely, ANY dem would have won this election. I agree that Hillary would have won in a landslide. But Obama really just squeaked by in comparison, mainly BECAUSE he is black (or black enough). He probably got the

fewest

votes of anyone the Dems could have run.

http://www.upi.com/news/issueoftheday/2008/11/05/Obama_Dems_win_historic_blowout_victory/UPI-40391225895936/

"Obama did not win a record landslide, but he won the most decisive Democratic victory in 44 years since

Lyndon Johnson

's 1964 landslide over Sen.

Barry Goldwater

, another Arizona Republican. Goldwater was the prophet of the long era of Republican-conservative domination of U.S. national politics that truly began with

Richard Nixon

's narrow victory over

Hubert Humphrey

in 1968. McCain's defeat may prove its death knell.

It was the first time since 1964 that the Democrats won more than 50 percent of the total vote. Virginia, the Old Dominion, went Democrat for the first time since 1964.

Obama was vastly helped in both his primary and presidential campaigns by the many mistakes of his opponents. Clinton picked inept state campaign managers and organization administrators. She ignored caucuses and minor primaries across the United States. She ran one of the most woefully mismanaged campaigns in modern U.S. political history.

McCain sorely lacked the drive, innovation and focus of Karl Rove, who masterminded Bush's 2000 and 2004 campaigns. He looked good on national security, experience and leadership issues until the great Wall Street meltdown, but then he was never convincingly able to articulate any credible responses to it.

McCain's choice of Alaska Gov.

Sarah Palin

as his vice presidential running mate had mixed results. The Palin pick should be credited with a major role in repelling Obama's anticipated challenge in some Heartland states. But it cost McCain badly among college-educated middle-class swing voters. With the benefit of hindsight, former Massachusetts Gov.

Mitt Romney

would have been a vastly superior pick to reassure the conservative base and also speak credibly on the economic meltdown. But McCain did not like him.

By contrast, Obama's instinct for continuity and moderation in his own vice presidential choice has already served him well. For all his many well-reported gaffes, veteran Sen.

Joe Biden

, D-Del., fulfilled his function of bringing massive foreign policy experience and reassuring familiarity and niceness to the Democratic ticket.

Like his hero, President

John F. Kennedy

, Obama was cool, intellectual and reflective in his political strategizing. If he can maintain those qualities and that outlook in the coming months, he will be off to a good start."

[Punisher84]

I think I'm patriotic in the sense that I want my country back to the way it was meant.

OhShoot I'm slightly more on your side than Phantom's, but here is the way I see the Seperation of Church and State issue.

1. Nobody should be forced to believe another's views. The bible is all about making a choice. If you don't want to pray, then don't. Let schools have a moment of silence. Do with it as you please.

2. I went to a private school for 7 years, then went to a public school. There was no major shift in things for me either way. If you want to send your kid to a private school, then do so, but you can't really complain, so to speak, that you still have to pay taxes for the public system because it's kind of like driving a more expensive car. You are paying for the extras you want. If you want to do anything, then demand the public system step up it's game, but you can still talk to your kids about what the school wants to teach and let them make their own decisions on God and evolution.

3. If the ten commandments are outside the courthouse, then we have to have the Quran,etc.

The overall view is that this country was meant to be free. It's never been perfect in it's execution, but that's because people suck. It means free from decisions being made for you. I am a Christian and I believe in prayer and God and Heaven, but it is every person's choice to make. I do not want your views forced on me and I will not force mine on you. The problem is people let personal experiences decide their path and that can either be great or devastating.