Another Loss.....

I am not going t be posting the next part of VICTIM OR VICTORY today. I will hopefully get back to it tomorrow.

A very dear friend of mine took his life yesterday, and I am taking a breather today. Forgive me, please. If you are a believer, please say a prayer for his family. Thank you for stopping in today.

Give everyone you love an extra hug today.

VICTIM OR VICTORY: Your Choice

PART II


First of all, thank you for participating in the discussion. I have to say, these are some great answers. Remember, the purpose of this journey is personal victory. With this in mind, the answer is YES. There is such a thing as the wrong set, or right set of values. Now, before you come unglued, hear me out. It all depends on where you want to go in life. If you WANT to be behind bars, and you are- then you have the right set of values for you. They would be the wrong set of values for me, but I am not interested in living YOUR life. You may think your set of values may not have you where you want to be, but if you lived in the 1800’s they would work. Get my drift? I am not where I ultimately want to be, but in my value system, I know I will ultimately be exactly where I want to be. In order to have victory in your life, you not only must have a value system that is going to get you there, you need to be able to identify it. Many times we give lip service to our values, but don’t make decisions based on those values we claim to have. By the way, did anyone write up his or her schedule yet?


I is for Integrity

How would you define integrity? I often hear people say that integrity is who you are in the dark. I find this absurd. Who I am in the dark is exactly who I am in the light. Same me. Only my atmosphere has changed. Usually they then clarify and say that integrity is whom we are when no one is looking. Okay, so how is this integrity? This isn’t integrity. This is character. Character is who you are. In order to have integrity, you MUST have and be able to identify your value system. Why, you ask? Integrity is standing up for something you know to be right, even if you must stand-alone. Integrity is standing up against what you know to be wrong, even if you must stand-alone. Having integrity is tough, very tough. Integrity can cost you your job. Integrity can cost you an election. But without integrity, you will always fall “victim” to your surroundings. True personal victory can never be achieved without integrity.

C is for Courage

In order to have integrity, you must have courage. See how all of this is building upon itself? Courage is not the outside appearance of being strong. Courage comes from within. Again, courage can cost you, yet without it, there is no genuine personal victory in life. It takes courage to demonstrate and act out integrity. We have all found ourselves in need of courage and integrity and I, for one, have fallen short of acting out my values due to the lack of both. The cost of having integrity and courage will never outweigh the cost of NOT having them. Sooner or later, it will catch up to you. Sooner or later, as Martha Stewart can attest to, you will find yourself somewhere you were not planning to be.


Now for the next assignment. Where do you want to be? Make a plan. Write it down. Where do you want to be in 6 months? A year? Five years? Write it down. This is your blueprint. This is what you WANT your life to look like. I am a firm believer in having a blueprint, but I am also a firm believer in doing it in PENCIL! Things change. Life can throw you curves, fastballs, and even give you a base. Make sure that when you are swinging, your eye is on the ball; but always be willing to consider that the base coach may change his signals, and you must be willing and able to change your plans.

VICTIM OR VICTORY: Your Choice

STILL PART I


V is for Values (continued)

Well, no one wanted to answer the question. I was planning on moving forward, but I am going to make a plea for you all to respond. I can be stubborn. (Many men can attest to this!!!)

Is there such a thing as a right or wrong set of values????

C’mon. I have never asked this question without PLENTY of feedback. All of you who read it, had an answer. You may have even debated it within yourself.

Is it possible for someone to have the wrong set of values? I would almost be willing to bet there are conservatives and liberals just chomping at the bit to debate this. Have at it. I am not going to just waltz through this for everyone. I am challenging some thought here.

Just to get the ball rolling, I base my set of values on the Bible and my belief that Jesus Christ is my risen Savior. Bottom line. Is this the right set of values, or the wrong set of values?

How about someone else who bases their values on something else?

VICTIM OR VICTORY: Your Choice

PART I


We are all victims to something in our life. To some of us, being a victim is just a temporary bad situation. For instance, maybe we have a boss that seems to grate our last nerve, or a mother-in-law that needles us with every other comment. “Oh, honey we understand you can’t get here for Thanksgiving, it’s not John’s fault he can’t find a decent job that will let him off for the whole week.” For some of us though, it becomes a way of life. Our every failure is someone else’s fault. My husband was one of these, I mean we all run into some bad luck, but being a victim for 40 years is a bit much of a stretch. Some of us are just a victim of poor time management, some are victims to the soundtrack that plays over and over in our head, reminding us that we are not good enough. We are not the ones that win the lottery, were born into the Hilton family, or married a rich Senator. We are the schmucks of the world, left to rolling up our sleeves, digging in, and working for a living. The great part is that we may not have the luxury of 4 nannies and 2 housekeepers to assure us of lots of “me” time, but we do know the value of sacrifice for the ones we love.

The key to victory in our lives is accountability. Join me this week as I share a formula with you. I guarantee that you will learn something. You will learn something about yourself. You will find some area in your life where you can make changes and find a better return for your time and/or effort. It is a money-back guarantee. Since this site is free, I can make that guarantee.

Seriously, join me this week, you won’t be sorry. There will be a few written assignments in this journey, they are very easy and require very little time. The whole formula is very easy. It is based on the letters in the word VICTORY, so each step will be easy to remember; therefore, easy to apply to your life. Remember, the key is accountability. You need to be honest with yourself, and not look for others to blame. Accepting accountability is about taking control of your life. It may not be fault that someone stole my car, but that doesn’t mean that leaving my car running with the keys in it helped the situation any. We all make choices that can lead us into a place where we feel like victims. (No, I am not saying that everyone who has had a car stolen from them left it running with the keys in the ignition. Bare with me here.) It is about applying weight where it belongs. If I graduate with honors, I earned it. If I flunk out, amazing how the finger starts pointing!

The first assignment is to make a list of your daily schedule and activities. You can make this list as detailed as you like, or as general as you like. For example:

• 6:00 am- wake up, make coffee, wash any dishes in the sink, wake-up the girls, pick out there clothes, get them ready for school.
• 7:00 am- gets Alex on the bus, wake up my son, and take Jessie to pre-K.
• 7:30 am- check emails and make list of things to do today.
  
  Etc. etc. etc.

Now, take the list and set it to the side. We will come back to it later. Trust me. Make the list. If you don’t make the list today, you will not get the full benefit of this formula.

Here is where we get started.

V is for Values.

What are your values? Make a list of your values. Example:

God and living by his word

Family

Work

Honesty

Integrity

Compassion

Charity

Community service

Honor

Courage

Now prioritize them. This is where some good discussion takes place. I will leave you with this question until tomorrow. Is there such a thing as a right or wrong set of values? Is it possible to have the right set of values? Wrong set of values? I can’t wait to see your answers!!!!!

Minnie L. Everman

Minnie L. Everman

Cartersville, Georgia


In the presence of her family and her friends, Minnie L. Everman quietly and peacefully passed from her physical life here in earth on December 7, 2004. A lifelong Christian with a firm and steady belief in God, her spirit lives on forever as she passes on to another life in another place not on earth.

Christened Mary Arminnie Bradford for her two grandmothers (Mary Bradford and Arminnie Duncan), she began her life at 11:30pm on September 14, 1909 in the tiny crossroads hamlet of Kehoe, Kentucky. Nestled in Greenup County in the Northeast section of Kentucky at the intersection of two State routes and three streams, Kehoe was a thriving community in the early 1900’s. Named after a former Governor of Kentucky, Kehoe was once known as Cooperville because it was home to a number of Cooper families and it contained a “cooper” shop where Minnie’s grandfather made barrel staves.

As a teenager, she and her mother legally changed her name to “Minnie L” Bradford and for the rest of her life she was known as Minnie. The third of seven children raised by her parents, Robert Winton Bradford and Harriet Eleanor Duncan Bradford, she was a sickly child, suffering through a number of illnesses and diseases during her adolescent years.

In her own words:

“I must have been a stubborn little scamp as a child. My brothers Todd and Curtis had a goat, complete with harness and wagon and seemed to delight in riding me in the wagon around the house, making quick turns to “spill” me. But I would get right up and ask for more. Curtis loved to tease me and one time I hit him with my china-headed doll. Well, it resulted in a broken doll and a ruptured carbuncle on his neck as it knocked him out. I cried and cried over what I had done.”

Her only living sibling, sister Della Conley, resides in West Milton, Ohio.

For many years, Minnie’s family operated a General Store and Post Office in Kehoe where she recalled her father as

“a very kind and friendly man, a great conversationalist, liked by everyone. He was always inviting most anyone for the noon meal, impromptu. Fortunately, my mother always rose to the occasion. He never once punished me, but I had seen him punish my brothers so I knew that his word was gospel.”

Minnie’s mother, on the other hand, was the

“quiet, saintly type and could shame us into angels, almost. She read to us a lot in the evenings. Her hobby was quilting and she made many quilts from her own patterns using various scraps of fabric.”

As a young woman, Minnie aspired to be a teacher and she attended Morehead Normal School in Morehead, Kentucky for two years as she earned her Teaching Certificate. But after a brief career as a teacher, she decided that teaching was not

“my cup of tea even though it was a joy to watch the little ones progress so rapidly. Besides, another person of great interest appeared on the scene and I decided that I wanted a Mrs. Degree rather than return to college to get my certificate renewed.”

In the midst of the USA’s Great Depression on September 17, 1932, clad in her senior prom dress, Minnie was married to William Russell Everman in the home of the local Methodist pastor in the city of Greenup, Kentucky. The next day, she and her new husband departed for Dayton, Ohio where they were to spend the next thirty-eight years until they retired in 1970 and began to travel the USA in an Avion camping trailer, eventually making their new home in Southern California.

Minnie and her husband raised three children in Dayton:

· Betty, now living in Upland, California
· Patricia, now living in Cartesville, Georgia
· John, now living in Atlanta, Georgia

In her own words,

"I have never held a paying job since teaching, but have always been active in church work and neighborhood activities and I held many offices in Eastern Star, including Worthy Matron in 1968. I was also Mother Advisor of Rainbow for Girls for two years and an Advisory Board member until we retired.”

Minnie lived her life quietly and humbly. One of God’s saints, she never sought out credit or recognition for all of the good deeds she performed in her lifetime. She loved to crochet and to quilt as a hobby and she spent many hours making gifts for her family, for her friends, and for people she never knew or never met. Soon after the death of her husband in 1990, she moved to Cartersville, Georgia where she, in effect, started her “new” life without her husband of many years.

She never complained. She never blasphemed or criticized other people. She always had a smile on her face and a song in her heart. She always wanted to be around her family. She never displayed or verbalized a depressed or “grouchy” disposition. She always tried to serve her God by serving others.

A devoted mother and wife, she wrote these words before her death:


MY NEXT TO THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT

More important than money, some of the things I give to my children and my children’s children, of whom I am very proud:

· I give love……….a lifetime full of it; love that you give generously and you earn full measure of in return
· I give happy memories………….for these are the woven fabrics of our lives
· And long life and an appreciation for it………even as I have found it ever so wonderful


All in all, If I had to relive my life, I am not sure I would change much of it, if any. Over the years, though, I have wondered why God kept puny little old me here while my good, productive brothers were taken suddenly. But I will abide by His infinite wisdom and do the best I can to serve Him.”

Where Do We Go From Here?

Today's post is dedicated in the memory of one of the most courageous, loving, and moral women I ever knew. I know her less through time spent with her and more through the boy she raised that I now call my Dad. I remember her smile, it lit up a room. She was the mother of my stepfather, yet she never made me feel like an "added" member of the family. She had a hug that filled you with comfort and security, and a strength my generation of women have long lost true appreciation for. I have felt the touch of her greatest achievement, raising great children, through the love of my dad. I have noticed my short-comings and failing by her amazing mothering abilities. I am blessed not only by her existence, but by her legacy. Her children will truly "call her blessed," as will all who knew her. God is pleased with the job of His faithful servant and takes delight in her coming home.


In reading the comments from yesterday's post, I think I can safely say we each learned a little something. I am in awe of the way ideas were shared. We had thoughtful input backed up with historical facts, we had opinions that differed and yet showed unity, and we even had great entertainment providing humor and...... Uuhm....... song. I think we all realized the most important key to further debate on political differences. Both sides need the other side to keep us in check and moving forward towards a bright future. Our values are not nearly as different as we may think. We just base them on different driving forces within us, and have different ideas on how they should be carried out and reflected within our government and society.

This past political season we saw the worst of each other. It was perplexing to see how the Democratic Party treated Zell Miller as opposed to Michael Moore. Zell is a dedicated Democrat. He loves his party and has done great things for Georgians. He voiced his differences, not in attempt to destroy the Democratic Party, but to save it from itself. It is much like a parent telling their daughter that the man they "love" is no good. Zell never sought out a spotlight at the Republican Convention, but the anger and harshness of his "family" sure helped him bill that ticket. Then they embraced Michael Moore, who has no intention in saving the Democratic Party from any of their mistakes. I am proud to see that the Republicans, while not behaving most admirably, did not engage in the same tactics when dealing with any perceived dissention from McCain.

Sadly, I have observed how much of this behavior was media induced. Media and Hollywood created the atmosphere. Yes, Dean sure had his hand in it, but if he Hadn't had his "anger" exploited by the media, there could have been a much different outcome in the "emotional" atmosphere in our country. The scariest part of all of this is to analyze where the fierce opposition to Bush stems from. If we are truly honest, we will notice who drives the diverse attitudes displayed by the Democratic Party. These forces would be the media, academia, and Hollywood. Their hatred of Bush does not come from a sincere belief that Saddam should have stayed in power, or that there was a mad "rush" to war. The hatred stems from their "phobia" of Bush's morals and Christian foundation in his stands on issues. It is okay to USE religion to reach the minorities, but it is not okay to base any real stands on issues due to religion. It is okay for a candidate to quote scripture to a base they need to regain power, but it is not okay to promote the morality of scripture in order to reach the average American to show them why it is imperative to stay the course.

Both parties have pundits that engage in spin that twists the logic and intention of the other party. What you did see is debate after debate that left both sides being angered and feeling alienated by the other side. You will NEVER bring people to the realization that we are on the same side by twisting their words into some gross distortion. It is far more effective to first focus on the values we share and what we have in common. Then we start to paint the picture of the vision for the future, such as peace. This is when we start to discuss what will define peace, the things necessary to make it a reality. Then we finally move forward to discussing the path best taken to achieve it. In all honesty- it is the path that we disagree upon. This doesn't make anyone evil.

The trick is for both sides to be honest. Is it really the vision of Democrats to make America look more like Europe and put the UN authority above that of the American people? Is it really the vision of the Republicans to create an America that is intolerant of anything "non-Christian," and create imperialism over Iraq? The rhetoric was mind-boggling.

As I pointed out the behavior of the pundits, let's take a look at the difference between what the spin doctors said and what the actual candidates said. Let's take a look at the difference in the behavior of the Candidates, their families, and their "average" American supporters. This is where I think we find the key as to why people find themselves having much more in common with the Republican Presidential Candidate. While the Swift Boat Veterans for truth dug up documents and posed challenges to the integrity of what they stated to be truthful and factual, the media was "creating" documents to challenge the integrity of what other documents stated to be truthful and factual. This, I believe was the defining moment for most Americans. Embracing a filmmaker who has historically been basting in propaganda while shunning a Senator that has historically been fighting the fight of bringing legislation intended to better America is also an eye-opening event. The media blatantly ignoring facts and news damaging to John Kerry, while rushing to the air and presses with any leaked notes and comments damaging to George bush was annoying to Americans. The very organizations carrying out these tasks insulted the intelligence of Americans and were condescending to their ability to see through the smoke screens. The publicity of a fictional movie portraying a HUGE stretch of reality like that of The Day After, while the publicity surrounding a film portraying the last days of Jesus Christ was intolerable. The American people knew that The Passion was not anti-Jew, it was pro-Christ. This is what truly bothered the critics. They could only attempt to discredit the film with ridiculous claims. Not to mention that if the critics were truly concerned about anti-Jew sentiment, I think a little more attention would be paid to the rhetoric of Muslim extremists and terrorists and a little less towards an artistic expression of a devout Christian icon from Hollywood.

My point is that while the issues were paramount in the decisions made in the voting booth, the actual trust in which party most matched their values, was based on the behavior of the Democrats and the behavior of their party supporters vs that of the Republicans and their party supporters. We can debate all day about the main issue being staying in Iraq vs withdrawing from Iraq or gay marriage vs traditional marriage. We can try and draw the lines on things like American sovereignty vs UN unity. We can even debate about the vision of the path to peace for each party. I believe the election results were truly based on the Americans voting for which path to peace they most wanted America to take, but I also believe that reason our country was so emotionally divided was more about behavior of each parties supporters. Families were fighting, friends were lost, and obscene gestures were given to absolute strangers along the journey of the Presidential race.

We, as Americans need to focus more on what motivates our votes and our decisions, and less on ways to demonize those that disagree with us. We need to hold our elected officials to a standard that forces them to make decisions in the best interest of our citizens and their future, and less on demonizing or punishing the other side. It is ridiculous to start counting Republican seats vs Democrat seats in the branches of Federal government to tell us if a bill will pass, based on the letter next to the guy that introduced it. We are not nearly as different as this implies. We need to start simplifying each bill, instead of trying to encompass 10 things in bills where both parties can agrees on 9 of the items and so much time is wasted on just one of the 10. The constant maneuvering and manipulation of both sides it costing US.

In my final point I will say this. We need to recognize the difference between honoring our foundations and furthering an agenda. Trying to CHANGE the National Anthem from "The Star Spangled Banner" to "God Bless America", is furthering an agenda. Removing the words "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance is furthering an agenda. Changing the definition of marriage is furthering an agenda. Making an amendment to protect marriage is honoring our foundation in order to thwart an agenda. There is a distinct difference, and even if the media wants to ignore it or spin it, the American people, in their heart of hearts, know it.

What is a Republican?

WOW! The comments were so heavy yesterday, I was almost afraid to post this question today. Since only one person wanted to share what being a conservative means, I can infer only three things from this.

• We don't know
• We are too lazy to comment and share
• Right Wing Nut Job answered it so well that there was no need to elaborate; he said it all.

I honestly think it is a little of all 3. So today, I am posing this question: What is a Republican? What is that actually defines you as a Republican? Or, do you find yourself being a Republican or voting Republican because you are a conservative? Can you be a conservative without being a Republican? Can you be a Republican without being a conservative? Come on folks. I am challenging you to think. Maybe you don't need to think. Maybe you have already asked yourself these questions. If you have, then please share it. If you haven't then let's start the dialogue. We all have a set of values. We all have some sort of compass that we base our life on, and our decisions on. Do I take the job that offers more money, or do I sacrifice the paycheck for less hours and more time with my family? Do I take the job with more hours and less money, because it will lead to the vision for my future? These are choices we face all the time. What defines us? What puts us in the camp we reside in? These are questions that are vital to achieving true victory in our lives. I am posing these questions for a reason. I don't have a degree in psychobabble. I only have experience in making tough decisions that have decided my fate to this day, and guide the journey of my future.

Some of us are experts in the field of what works and what doesn't, probably due to a lot of wrong turns. Some of us keep trying to make good decisions but keep finding ourselves back in the same place. If we cannot answer these questions for ourselves and apply our values to achieving victory in our own lives, we are unequipped to do it for our country. Let's get the ball rolling. Share what you have learned. Ask about what you have not. We can all learn something from each other, but not if we are unwilling to speak up and participate. Don't hide your treasure, don't let your testimony go untold. A testimony is nothing more than a personal experience if it is not shared. What if people never shared their testimonies or thoughts? Where would we find inspiration and guidance? What would we learn other than mathematical equations and conjugating verbs? I think we want more out of life. Am I wrong?

What is a Conservative?

Today I am opening the floor to YOUR thoughts. What is a conservative? What makes someone conservative? What are the shared values of conservatives? What motivates them? What are their goals, their vision, and their “agenda?” Even conservatives disagree amongst each other, so what are the things that truly bind us together? I know what it means to me, but what does it mean to you? Don’t be shy, or too lazy to comment. You can easily comment anonymously. This is your chance to share. If you are not a conservative, share YOUR thoughts on what makes us conservative. What do YOU think binds us?

It is open mike on Straight Up. Grab the mike and be heard.

All I Want for Christmas....

I was at an absolute BLANK on what to write about today. I like the weekends to be on the lighter side, and I am working on research for some hard-hitting pieces. (Stay tuned- GREAT controversial topics are coming up, but the research on these things is paramount) I am cleaning my house, listening to the Glenn Beck programs that I have missed out on this week. Friday he did a show on what to get your spouses for Christmas. I am humored by all the answers, and figured I had better save you men from yourselves.

First off, women aren’t getting the point across on the whole gift-giving issue. Honestly, what women want, you men cannot buy. We want YOU to CHANGE. We want your whole gift-giving thought process to be transformed. It is ridiculous to hear men say they just don’t know what to get. This is a copout. It is a desperate plea to get a list. A list keeps them out of trouble and in the “safe zone.” A list is easy to follow and requires very little effort towards thoughtfulness. Women don’t help this. We say things like- “All women like jewelry.” Or “All women want to be pampered,” i.e.- trips to the spa, night off from making dinner, etc. WRONG! ALL WOMEN ARE DIFFERENT! Sorry guys- no easy, fix-all gift idea that puts you in the winners circle.

Let me give you an example. What I would want from my husband is to do this. Think about ME. What does Sherri like? What are her favorite things? HMMMMM. Sherri’s favorite movies are The Sound of Music, Fiddler On the Roof, and My Cousin Vinny. My favorite hobbies are fishing, politics, and writing. I also love listening to talk radio. My faves are Glenn Beck and Rush. I love President Bush, I love studying, and I love eating out. My favorite thing to do on a night out is to go to dinner and Karaoke. My favorite color is yellow and I love getting my nails done. So this is what my husband should get me:

• A sound track for Fiddler on the Roof with theater tickets to The Sound of music taped to the front of it (in a nice envelope). If The Sound of Music is not available, try Theater Gift Certificates or another show, like Annie.
• A yellow fishing pole and tackle box. If you can’t find them in yellow, put some effort into it, and paint them yellow yourself. I would CRY with joy of his dedication to give me something JUST how I would like it; especially because I would have never thought of it myself.
• My Cousin Vinny on DVD signed by Joe Pesci. Hard to come by? Try just the DVD and movie passes.
• A gift certificate to get my nails done. SEVERAL!
• A book on Bush and a picture signed by him. This is possible- just takes a little effort!
• Gift certificates to a bookstore so I can get books on politics that I like.
• Maybe a shirt from the Glenn Beck Store and a Book by Rush.
• A night out. A coupon for this. Create it yourself on the computer. It should be for a night out, at MY convenience, to the restaurant of my choice and Karaoke afterwards. This should be redeemable to be used either as a couple, or with a friend of my choice, and HE needs to be responsible for arranging childcare for this outing!
  
  All these gifts require some thought about who I am and what I like. Some of them require a little extra effort from just running to the mall. These gifts would show me he is interested in truly making me feel appreciated and thought of, not just a desperate act of a man afraid of the wrath if he gets something wrong on this holiday that forces him to feel like he MUST think of me and get me something. It is really quite simple. We want you to really care about what we want, and put some real effort into getting it for us.
  
  Since I am a single mom, I don’t want ANY of these things. Mostly what I want for Christmas is to be able to go Christmas shopping for my children and pick out their gifts myself. I want the joy of looking at the shelves and picking out the items I know they will be excited about. Part of the joy of shopping for someone I love, IS thinking about THEM and WHO they are. We women wish men felt the same way when shopping for us. Also as a single mom, what I really want for Christmas someone already gave me this month. A friend got me flowers, which made me feel like something more than JUST a mother. Being a single mom truly erases much of ANY other part of your identity. He also took my girls out for a movie and some playtime. I got a few hours to relax and take time for myself in my own home. I even got some things done without the stress of being interrupted every few moments. If you know of ANY single parents out there, this Christmas give them time to be themselves without feeling guilty!
  May God Bless You and Happy Shopping for a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I DARE YOU!

Well, the turkey leftovers have disappeared and it is officially Christmas season. For most Americans, this is a wonderful time of the year. For others, it is time to play the dirty games of politics. In Colorado, the games have already begun. "A Christian group is not allowed to participate in Denver's annual Parade of Lights, because church members sought to sing yuletide hymns and proclaim a "Merry Christmas" message on their float," according to a story at World Net Daily. In the same story, the event will allow homosexual American Indians, Kung Fu artisans, belly dancers and, Santa Claus to participate. Target has also begun to defy Christmas traditions.

In the story on the Colorado parade I found this statement: "The hour-long event features highly decorated floats with symbols of the holiday season such as Santa Claus, gingerbread houses and toy soldiers, along with what's billed as an "international procession to celebrate the cultural and ethnic diversity of the region," according to its website."

EXUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSE me, can we AT LEAST BE HONEST!!!! Diversity is supposed to be about INCLUSION, NOT EXCLUSION! It is my mission to bring you the truth. I am determined, dedicated, and committed, to bringing you the TRUTH in news. If the left wants to "celebrate" diversity, then they need to embrace ideas DIVERSE from your own. When a traditional Christmas Parade wants to "celebrate" diversity it INCLUDES different ideas, cultures, and ethnicities; it doesn't EXCLUDE the original intent. There is a difference between being diverse and being intolerant. It is literally IMPOSSIBLE to have diversity without tolerance!

The left is trying to manipulate Americans. They claim they are interested in the "spirit of diversity." This is a flat out lie. The true spirit of diversity means embracing different cultures, not excluding the mainstream culture. As much as they may hate it- American culture is based on Judea-Christian culture. If others feel excluded, then we need to address the issue in a way that helps them feel included, as long as their cultural is not DAMAGING to our own. For instance, a culture that embraces multiple homicides and maimings by blowing themselves up in the middle of a bus or pizza parlor would be DAMAGING to our culture.

Knock it off Liberals. We see through you. If you are truly concerned about not "offending" people, then stop OFFENDING people! I am NOT holding my breath. Your concern is not to avoid offending, your goal is to change the history, culture, politics and face of America. So just be HONEST and RUN ON THAT! I DARE YOU!

The Freedom of Offending

A high school principal in Athens, GA read a poem over the school intercom system last Tuesday before the Thanksgiving Day Holiday break. On Monday, he made an apology to the students after “several” parents complained. This sounds odd, that parents would complain about a principal reading poetry to the students via the intercom system. Well, not in this day and age, since the poem mentions God and is read in the rhyming style of a child’s prayer “Now I lay me down to sleep.” The mere mention of God in any public forum seems to be more “offensive” than a public school offering students condoms and birth control pills. I am shocked at the atmosphere now “tolerated” in public schools. Here is the poem that the principal read. It has been circulated on the Internet since 1992.

Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.

If Scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the state.

We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's "inappropriate" to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such "judgments" do not belong.

We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.

It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take!
Amen

There are several points to make on this issue.

• This is a HIGH SCHOOL, not an elementary school. Why does this make a difference? If this poem were read in an elementary school, it would be easy to make the case that the young students may have felt they were being lead in a prayer instead of being read a poem. High school students are very capable of distinguishing the difference between a poem and a prayer, the same way they can distinguish between a song and a rap. They may be very similar, but yet the differences are clear.
• It is amazing that parents are “offended” by this poem on the basis of separation between church and state. I must admit- I am not offended, but I am a little uncomfortable with it being read by the principal as an announcement. But my concern is NOT the mention of God, or the use of the word Amen at the end. What has me alarmed it that the principal is using words like condoms, birth control, pregnant Homecoming Queens, and unwed daddy.
• I may be alarmed by these words, but before I get my panties in a wad and start making complaints, I need to put this into context. It is obvious he was not announcing to the kids to stop by the nurse’s office for their Holiday contraceptive needs. He was making a point.
• Was his point that kids should pray? Did he, in any way, suggest that those without faith were wrong, or bad? NO! and NO! The point of this poem is NOT to persuade people to be Christians, or Jews, or Muslim, or Buddhists. The point of this poem is that in an attempt to protect the rights of the non-religious, we have NOT protected those that HAVE faith.
• As we work towards not offending those that don’t want to hear about our religious views, or see us practice them; we have actually ended up in a place where we offend those that DO have religious views and/or practice them. As people fight to rid the words God from any public forum, and to stop people from praying in public, we here about tolerance, yet give none. They like to use words like pressure, or force, and offend, on the grounds of “separation of church and state.” Yet, they defend talk and study of witchcraft, promote providing birth control, and want to dispel any judgments of right and wrong on the grounds of kids rights and diversity. So diversity becomes welcome in areas that dispel foundations of faith, but offer no tolerance of diversity in areas that embrace foundations of faith.
• It is okay to be tolerant of children expressing themselves with foul language (cussing), but it is not okay for a child to quote a Bible verse, give out Christmas Cards, or thank God for Thanksgiving.
  
  Have you been to a local public high school lately? I am in shock every time I visit my son’s school. My first encounter was dropping off some food as his Spanish Class had a little ethnic meal. I went into the front office to have them call him up to get the food, and found myself holding back a soap box rant. One of the students helping in the front office was wearing those jeans where the waist was WELL BELOW THE WAIST, with a ring in her belly button, and a top that barely covered her mammary glands. What on earth is she doing? What on earth are the school employees THINKING? This isn’t appropriate school attire! I can see her G-string panties coming out of her pants- ON PURPOSE (THIS IS A FASHION THING NOW)- but God forbid I see the 10 Commandments hanging on the wall! How is it that God has no place in public schools, but viewing a girl’s panties all day long is okay?
  
  I am sick of hearing people claim that Christians are fighting to shove religion down people’s throats. I am sick of hearing that the moral issues battle is about forcing religion on people. I am sick of the word God and the 10 Commandments being visible in the public forum is somehow “state support” of religion. Christians are not fighting to try and convert people; they are fighting to protect their right to preserve our historical foundations and the freedom to practice our religion without ridicule. No one is suggesting that schools hold mass, or communion. No one is trying to establish the 10 Commandments as the official national motto. If we are going to be HONEST, then let’s talk about these issues. How does one claim that forcing me to hide by faith and beliefs is based on not wanting to offend and showing tolerance, and simultaneously insult me by not hiding your lack of tolerance for my faith and beliefs.
  
  It is time for the Liberals to be HONEST. It is not diversity you seek. It is not your concern for offending people that motivates you. You have no qualms about offending me. You have no qualms about exposing my son to half-naked girls, condoms, and witchcraft. Your motivation is to dispel the notion of right and wrong, moral clarity, and family values from our society and political arena, so that you can further you socialistic, progressive agenda. As much as this frustrates me and insults me, I must say, I am rather pleased with the results. The youth of today is not embracing your values. The youth of today is far more conservative than their parents. It is hilarious how professionals sit around trying to explain this “phenomenon.” Why this is happening is really quite simple. They are the collateral damage of us acting “progressive.” The era of divorces due to “irreconcilable differences,” lots of sex for fun with no accountability, adultery is no longer “taboo,” and keeping up with the Jones’, has wreaked havoc on our children. They are growing up with single moms, brothers and sisters they have never met, parents that are never home but nice cars and lots of “toys,” and no accountability to their wants and needs. We have a society that gives lip service to values of family, but the kids end up at the bottom of the list when it comes to us making sacrifices to give them what they really starve for; US! “My kids come first!” Uhuh, sure. Ask them if they feel that way. While we were out enjoying our new social freedom of non-judgments, they were left picking up the pieces of their self-esteem scattered amidst friends having sex, taking ecstasy, and idolizing Gangsta Rap Artists. We became LOUSY parents. We didn’t set out to do this, but the “if it feels good, do it” mentality of the “don’t judge me” era DID accomplish exactly this result.
  I will close with this today. Make a copy of this poem. Share it with your kids. Ask them what they think about it. Ask them if they would be offended by seeing a student saying grace before he eats his lunch. Ask them if they would feel offended by a student handing out Christmas cards. Then ask them if they think it is a good thing that kids can get condoms and birth control pills at school. Ask them how it would make them feel, or what they would think of a pregnant Home Coming Queen, or an “unwed daddy” as King. You may be surprised by their answers, you may not; but one thing is for sure, you will end up learning something about your child, and spending some good quality time with them. Sounds like a GREAT IDEA, huh?