Class Warfare

Class warfare. I’m not sure I really understand what this means because I don’t consider myself part of “a class.” But I guess, if you had to classify me, you would say I fall into the “middle” class. My family lives in a nice neighborhood; we go to nice schools and we make our ends meet (although sometimes we have leaner months than others). I don’t understand class warfare. I’ve never encountered a situation in which I took something from someone who had less than me and I don’t recall ever feeling gypped because someone had more than I did. When I see this kind of clip, from Joe Biden, it makes me wonder why this kind of argument exists.

 

Why does the President want to take this money from the wealthy? What is the pay off? As I consider this question, I realize that the root of this particular issue is envy—the desire for something that someone else has—and selfishness. When taking the total sum of a person’s income and comparing it to another’s, the numbers seem unbalanced. Some people have so much more than others. There are plenty of reasons for this. For the record, I do believe that some groups and classes of people have less access to resources than others—and that is unfair. However, there are other measures of a person’s wealth that have nothing to do with income (and/or health care, welfare services, etc). A great deal of an individual’s quality of life has to do with their family situation, religious belief and personal disposition.

So, then my next question is: Why does the government concern itself with jealousy? The answer is that the constituency does. The electorate—at least a portion—sees what other people have and they want it. We have the legislative and executive body that we do because they were elected by people who would prefer that someone else help the needy, pay the debt and generally take care of what’s messed up. When you allow government to take care of things, then you don’t have to give of yourself or your finances. One counter argument could be that one person cannot fix all the things that are wrong. However, one person times one million people can make a big difference. There are plenty of individuals who do not have funding in sectors of education, welfare and business who have had to rely on ingenuity to progress rather than hand-outs.

The argument that the wealthy should bear the entire financial burden of a large government and its program is not practical or moral, nor is it logical (which is my contention here). It seems the main argument is: Rich people have a lot of money. Poor people do not have a lot of money. Therefore, the government should take money from rich people to pay for everything. There are various shades to this argument and I realize that the argument is more complex than this one syllogism. However, the logical fallacies need pointing out because they seem to be completely ignored by all who buy in to this argument.

The first problem with the logic is the idea that moving money around will make a difference in the lives of the people who benefit from the shift. Often people who lack physical resources also lack the ability to manage their resources, therefore rendering the shift meaningless because the resources that are shifted are not used wisely. Second, the position assumes that the government (and its officials) are the best judges of how much money is an “appropriate” amount. The acceptance of “the government” as a moral and just body capable of making these kinds of decisions mystifies me. There are plenty of historical cases in which those in power have decided that how much money was appropriate and, in all of the cases I am aware of, this was barely enough to live on (the most extreme case being Communist Russia or many current states in the Middle East).  This assumption negates the fallibility of human beings and undermines the very abuses that the Constitution was instituted to avoid. Third, the syllogism offers an either/or proposition. You either are a greedy rich person who should give up your wealth or you are a needy poor person who needs someone to give it to you (or as another underlying value, you are the government who has made poor decisions and the wealthy should bail you out). The principles in these scenarios villainize both sides and inadequately illustrate the value and impact of an individual in either group.

Another related fallacy is a hasty generalization. By applying the behavior of the few (rich people who are greedy, immoral despots) to an entire group (people who make more than $250,000 a year), the conclusion fails to account for the varied experience in the American spectrum. The unstated assumption here is that rich people are bad and therefore it is fair to take their money to pay for programs, debt and other national “emergencies.” During the first 2012 Presidential debate, the candidates discussed the deficit. Obama kept repeating that it was fine to take money from the people that could afford it. The problem with this idea is that if it’s ok to take money from one kind of person, then it's ok to take money from any kind of person. Once you make allowances in principle for one thing, all allowances are possible. When someone decides that I have “enough” money will they take it from me as well?

Mimi

A Poem from Heather Groves

Heather is a mom in Ohio. She wrote this poem, inspired by her patriotism and her role as a mother. Thank you, Heather!

I had a dream last night, after I tucked my toddler into bed
About what her future holds,
And what may lie ahead Kindergarden, graduation, wedding bells and laughter.
I should have been dreaming about her happily ever after,
But sadly it was other things, that were raging in my head.
Instead of images of happiness, I found chains instead.
No longer was free will and market a national institution;
You see the concept of social justice replaced the constitution.
Where once personal initiative and responsibility soared,
The government gained control and the individual was ignored.
Embraced was a new system of taxes, fines and regulations;
Bailouts, TARPs and handouts became the new expectation.
Before long, 'We the Special Interest' replaced 'We The People'
And our paychecks were redirected to the government's own steeple.
The politician knows what’s best for us, or at least that’s what they said,
“Just do what we ask and we will give you milk and eggs and bread.”

So we followed blindly, as our country was transforming
From a focus of God & family to that of Global Warming.
Instead of focusing on issues like jobs, immigration and Iran.
Like sheep we followed our shepherd while chanting “Yes We Can.”
We didn’t even notice that our liberties had been debased
Or that our Founding Fathers had been thoroughly disgraced.
With all the hope and hugs and change, it became too late.
We greedily sold out our children as we took the bait;
In binding chains they slaved away, day in and day out,
To pay off debt that we incurred so we wouldn’t go without.
For entitlements and false security my daughters future had been lost.

And in that moment I awoke, to defend her at all cost;
In my dream it was too late, but in reality it is not.
We the people hold the power, or this have you forgot?
“Give me Liberty or give me death,” These words ring loud and clear!
Embrace them now or I am sure that Liberty will disappear!
As a mom, it's up to me to stand my ground and fight
Not for what is popular, but for what is right.
Now is the time for change, we no longer have a choice;
To protect our children's future, rise up and share your voice!
For if "Give me liberty!" is the battle cry that rings out in the night
Only one sword will be necessary, in this epic fight.
That sword will be Action; to binding chains this will be fatal
For the hand that rules the world is the one that rocks the cradle.

Dear Women of America,

Come November 6

On November 6, 2012, the mainstream media is going to be shocked. They are going to be shocked because they are underestimating the American voters. There are millions of people like us, that are frustrated and angry with the last four years, but are also determined to make sure that positive change occurs in 2012.

When the mainstream media is shocked by Mitt Romney’s convincing victory on November 6, it will not be the first time the main stream media has been shocked.  

In 1980, Pres Carter was swept out of office, and Ronald Reagan was swept into office by voters that wanted a return to conservative principles. Like this year, in 1980, the mainstream media told Americans that the race between President Carter and Governor Reagan was going to be close. In the weeks leading up to the election, the New York Times and the Washington Post released polls that showed Carter leading in several key states and leading in the national polls.

On election night, when the election was not even close, the mainstream media was befuddled and confused by Ronald Reagan’s electoral landslide. During CBS’s election night coverage, Walter Kronkite turned to his team of experts for an explanation of what had just happened. Leslie Stahl and Bob Schieffer tried to explain the results by saying that Reagan won because of the Iran hostage situation or because undecided shifted at the last moment to Reagan. On that night, only Dan Rather provided correct analysis. He said Reagan won because (1) Carter had no base or political message to offer the voters, (2) Carter consistently ran ahead of his job rating in the polls, (3) high unemployment was a big issue, especially in the midwest, and (4) a rejection of liberal orthodoxy, people simply wanted change.

This year, it appears that history is repeating itself. Only this time, we will not be surprised when Mitt Romney wins on November 6.  The mainstream media may be surprised, but we will not be. Now, unlike in 1980, we have conservative alternatives to the mainstream press. The NY Times, the Washington Post and other media outlets appear to be doing the same thing they did in 1980. They are publishing polls that show Obama winning the election or showing the race as too close to call.  

This time, because of alternative sources of media, we understand that pollsters are assuming that President Obama is going to get a Democratic turnout equal to or greater than the historical turnout in 2008. Curiously, the main stream media is presenting polls that show that Romney has secured the Republican vote and is comfortably winning independents, but is losing the election. This time, we are too smart and too informed to believe this.

While some in the media may really believe that Pres Obama is going to get a turnout on election day better than or equal to his 2008 turnout, we are here to say that the mainstream media is, like they were in 1980, going to be shocked by the wave of voters that vote for Mitt Romney because they are angry at President Obama and what he has done to this country; and because they believe in the conservative principles Mitt Romney wants to bring back to the White House.  Just like it was in 1980, this year, President Obama has no base and no message to offer the voters. All he can do is beg for another four years and attack his opponent. Just like in 1980, the incumbent president is consistently running ahead of his job approval in the polls. Just like in 1980, unemployment will be a key issue, especially in the Midwest, and just like in 1980, the voters are going to reject the liberal orthodoxy that Pres Obama has forced upon the United States.  

On November 6, 2012, there will be a wave of conservatism that will sweep Mitt Romney into the oval office. We are part of that wave, and there are millions just like us that are ready for change. We will not be fooled by the mainstream media publishing polls that do not reflect the true nature of the electorate. The mainstream media may try to fool us, but we know better, and quite frankly, they are underestimating us.

Brock

A Review of 2016: Obama's America

“The power to lead is the power to mislead, and the power to mislead is the power to destroy.”~Thomas S. Monson

When I was around fifteen, I had a terrifying dream. A nightmare if you will. I dreamt I went downstairs in my own home at the time because I heard my mom knocking at the back door. Our door was one with a big window built in, so I could instantly see that it was her. As I reached out to unlock the door, something stopped me. I felt oddly uncomfortable about letting her in. My hand fell to my side and I just stared at her. The longer I stood there, the more agitated she became. "Let me in please!" she pleaded. And why shouldn't I? Something held me back though. It looked like my mom, it sounded like my mom, but yet instinctively I knew that something was off, and it scared me. She went from asking nicely, to agitation, to anger. She started to pace back and forth on the back porch, seething with rage. "LET ME IN!!" I remember wanting to cry I was so afraid. I didn't know why I wouldn't let her in. Was it something about her eyes, her body language? Despite the fact that this was my mom out there, a strong instinct held me back and I instead drew the blinds on the door. The dream ended with the sounds of her pounding on the glass and screaming at me. I woke up gasping and terrified.

I walked around with the residue of that dream the entire day. It disturbed me on a level I could not shake. The images, the sounds, the way it made me feel. I was a girl haunted. 

Later that day, still upset, I finally approached my mom and I will remember this moment vividly and always. She was at the stove, browning hamburger meat, looking and feeling utterly like the woman I had always loved and felt safe with. In one breath I spilled out the events of my dream the night before, told her how it had affected me, and asked her what she thought it could mean. I get chills now thinking of it. She stirred the meat for a minute more, looked up with her kind, wise eyes and said, "Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing."

A wave of peace washed over me, and I knew without a doubt that that was the lesson I was to take from the experience, and I have carried it with me always, as if it were yesterday. Time and time again throughout my life, I have been able to spot the wolves, cleverly disguised, before most. There is not a face we trust more than that of our mother. So to be able to look past the most endearing of facades, and see the heart of something and know whether their intentions be good or evil has spared me heart ache many a time over. I have always been grateful to the Lord for this insight and that it continues to bless me to this day. 

Last night, after a particularly challenging "mom day" at home, I informed my husband we were going out. I didn't care where, but, he would be taking me out on a date. He made mention of a documentary he had been hearing some buzz about called 2016: Obama's America. The premise initially bored me, but combined with Mexican food and some time away, I could sit through anything. 

After a long week at work of late nights and early mornings, and a belly full of brisket tacos, my husband promptly fell asleep when the lights went down. I on the other hand, wide awake with heartburn and a baby wriggling inside of me, watched on, not knowing really what to expect. I was soon rapt with attention. 

Four years ago, I watched with the rest of the American public as a charismatic Senator Obama, from my much-loved state of Illinois, addressed the public, time and time again. As I saw the emotional response he was evoking in the American people in a very short amount of time, my radar pinged once again. More than once I pictured that scene of my mom pacing the back porch. Feeling rather than knowing it was her, but not her. 

"Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing." It was instinct at a very base level. Despite outward appearances and reassurances, something very important was off. Do NOT let him in the door, my gut screamed at me. 

Know this now. My political beliefs and convictions are irrelevant here. So are yours. Republican, Democrat, Independent, what have you. In 2016: Obama's America, best-selling author, Dinesh D'Souza searches to find answers to Obama's past. D'Souza asks the initial questions that had crept into my mind all throughout the last election. Who IS Barack Obama? He had come out of nowhere, no one seemingly knew him or what he was about, yet suddenly America got swept up in this giant wave of Obama that was strong and powerful enough to carry him into the White House. How? Why? I remember hearing him give speeches and addresses and being left with the feeling that he hadn't really said anything of value or direction. Rhetoric, platitudes and redirection. Yet, when he spoke, people listened. Burnt out on a war that people had lost passion for, an economy that was not as strong as it had been just years before, the idea of a "new America" spoke to so many hearts across the nation. Hope and Change meant a fresh approach to the ideals that have always made America great. It also couldn't help but pull deeply at your heartstrings that a mere fifty years after the civil rights movement, we could have an African-American president. The level of hate and fear in our country a few decades ago was now being transcended, and we were a part of it. 

But, as the documentary states, this was an accomplishment of the American people, not Obama. He knew that this redemptive power could sweep him into office, and it did.  His agenda went unnoticed, his background and belief system went widely unchecked. His family, his friends, his mentors, the people who shaped his view on the world were blatantly overlooked in favor of the image and imaginations the American public wanted to see and feel. People didn't want to know who Obama was. They just wanted this man to be president. They wanted to be able to tell their grandchildren that they were a part of this historic time in history. That chance to be a part of a redemptive moment in history overrode our instincts.

Make no mistake. His agenda is neither liberal nor conservative. He hasn't made any moves over the last four years that have made sense to either party. A series of random and odd displacements of power and control. There is a reason why both the left and right are disappointed and at the very least, scratching their heads after four years. There has been little "hope and change," but a series of strategic anti-American moves that (if he is left even more to his own devices these next four years with no election to win), will allow him to, brick-by-brick, unbuild all that Americans hold dear. All that makes our country great will be leveled in one quick but devastating swoop. 

The truth of the matter is that the American people elected a man to the highest level of power, gave him the keys to the land of our inheritance and we knew literally nothing about him or his belief system. During D'Souza's journey to understand Obama, he discovers how Hope and Change became radically misunderstood. That his new slogan "Forward" has a now ominous tone when you understand what drives him and what his core beliefs about America are. What would someone do if they felt that America became great only on the backs of third world countries and industry? What if that someone, who constantly maintained his disdain for the "rich," and the one percent, recognized that even the poorest of people in America are still considered "rich" on a global level? What if your deepest convictions were to dismantle and distribute wealth and power evenly not to your country, but globally? The answers will haunt you.

I grew up in mainly a blue collar, hard-working, predominately liberal America, and since college, have lived in more conservative America. I see and respect both sides of the political coin; even to understand that it's not just two sides. There are many facets, ideas, hopes, beliefs and convictions that make up the American tapestry. That ability to question, to defend, to debate, to think outside the box, is part of the American formula that sets us apart. The ceiling is low in other countries, but here in America, we can rise as high as our ideas, imaginations and creativity will take us. All political parties ultimately believe in this and want great things for America, they just have different paths and opinions on how to get there. 

What we have not fully seen is that a path to a better, stronger America has not been forged these last four years. Because we chose not to know who we put in office, a path has been forged, not to a renewed America, but to a completely different America. A leveled and broken America. That change will have repercussions and consequences that extend far beyond our own lakes and rivers, to foreign oceans and continents. 

I plead with you. See 2016: Obama's America. Once we choose to see, the truth is painfully clear. As powerful an office as the President is, we still have the time and power to change our destiny and protect what is rightfully ours and our posterity's. To redirect America to what it has always been. Not conservative or liberal. Not red or blue. Not wrong or right. 

Ours. 

By Melanie

A Time to Choose

Robert Frost said, "In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life.

It goes on."

Time is fleeting. Countless events, people, heartaches, joys and despair happen around us continually, and time is simply the ever-stalwart soldier that marches on. In its silent tread, it reminds, heals, teaches, gives perspective; it motivates and depresses. And in the end, it is no respecter of persons. Inevitably, it goes on.

I think back to a short eleven years ago to the morning of September 11^th, 2001. It’s the most recent teacher of perspective that time has to offer us of mass loss and learning. In the days, weeks, months, even a few years to follow, we as a people became knitted together: in a cause, in love, in loss, in patriotism, and most notably, indivisible under God.

Churches across the nation were more full than ever before. The foundation of everything we had known to be true was yanked out from under our feet that day. Our country was reeling and grasping for a sense of right and truth to be restored. We were openly vulnerable in an undeniable and connective way that only human suffering affords. It was a powerful, undeniable wave of humanity that was inspiring and humbling to be a part of.  

Instantly, we saw our flag through new eyes, and our fellow man with softened hearts. The women and men killed that day were suddenly as much our mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers as they were to the people who truly lost them. There was no mocking of God, or the values our country was built on, but a clinging to them. We were immensely proud of these facts more than ever before and would defend against anyone who threatened them again.

And life goes on.

2012: I look around at our current America and she is a stranger to me in so many ways. Like seeing someone you love after a car accident. It’s them, while at the same time, it can’t possibly be. Where there was unity, there is division. Where it seemed the simple draping of our flag demanded respect and awe, there are countries now burning it in their streets. Where there was a turning of hearts and minds to faith, family and God, there is a systematic denial and indifference. The mere word ‘religion’ is almost spat out by the media with disgust and mistrust.

Where there was once an outcry with one voice, there is now dissension, class warfare, and lines drawn deeply in the sand. There is a desire to be divided and contrary one with another simply for division’s sake, rather than any real desire to seek for truth and understanding.

While we are capable of so much good, time quietly shows us that pride continues to be our downfall. Time distances us from the moments that define and change us, until we forget what the enemy had been and assume we must have healed ourselves.

America as we know it is changing. It’s hard to recognize that change when you’re living it. It will be much easier to read a book 20, 50, or 100 years from now and see things clearly, with the perspective of historians. It rightly seems odd that it is truly us here, now, that are making the pivotal decisions that will forever mark what happens in our lifetime and generations to come.  But make no mistake that America IS changing, and we all have the ability and wherewithal to chart the course of the change it takes.

  

We will soon enter either a time of rebuilding and posterity, or one of enslavement to the path of least resistance. It will be a time of rediscovering love for our neighbor and fellow man in service, or a time of bitterness and blame. It will be a time of new ideas, innovation, and the use of technology to bring us to new heights and discoveries around the world, or a time cloaked in fear of that very technology and the world’s common hatred of us. It will either be a time of truth-seeking and shining the light on those who would deceive and lead us astray, or a question of who will be able to manipulate us the best until our intuition and agency seem a useless gift. It will either be a time where we defend the very values and principles on which our country was founded, or abandon of them for the notion that we need no one but ourselves.

Time will not wait for us to swallow our pride. Make your choices and stand firm behind them. Get involved in this election and do not stand idly by, convinced your contributions and voice don’t matter. When our world changed eleven years ago, the choices and path of the American people were swift, strong and clear. We acted on what rang true and right in our hearts, knowing that tomorrow depended on it. If we want to continue to be a beacon of hope, prosperity, liberty and faith, we must admit our mistakes, and come together again. We must consistently demand the highest standard of behavior from our elected officials, the media and ourselves. If we do not, we will fail and we will most certainly suffer the consequences.

You are only here once, what do you want your one life to be like? Individually and collectively, we hold the power to choose the course of the life we lead. And for better or for worse, it will go on.

By Melanie