Early March in Virginia!

I took these 2 shots recently on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Bedford County! I can't wait for Spring!

Forest Sunset 2/19/08

Had to pass on these 2 shots of a beautiful Sunset out in Forest last night. I got the camera out just in time. One minute later it was all gray!

Operator Error!!

I was going to title this entry “The System is Broken” but that would have not been true. The system that our founding fathers crafted artfully is just fine. Upon writing our constitution, they assured themselves a form of government that would live on well past their lives and well past my own. What they didn’t account for and couldn’t have foreseen was what I will begin to refer to as operator error. This could also go under the subheading of “Weak Minded Voters”. Hang with me for a moment and I’ll explain.

When the founding fathers framed our base law in document form, the society at the time was very intelligent and very self-sufficient. The government was built as a basis for helping the citizens live their lives as they pleased with very few outside influences or regulations. There was a system much like that of any time before the 1900’s which consisted of friend helping friend and neighbor helping neighbor. They relied on the government for very little, and in some cases for nothing. Therefore, very few laws were needed. Only some big picture laws, or guidelines of you will, were necessary. Most everyone at that time was solidly founded in a strict value system that for most came from the Bible. There were of course those who strayed, but society as a whole did not tolerate deviance. The point is that citizens were very much able to make their own daily decisions on right and wrong just from their value system and their family upbringing.

The news of the day came from near by mostly from word of mouth and could be trusted implicitly. All they needed to know came from their small circle of family, friends, and community. Occasional news came from other parts of the country and consisted by word of mouth and some printed materials. Most of what they heard was honest news being passed on for information’s sake. Again, they learned to be self-sufficient. They lived their lives as they knew was right, and did not wait for those passing on news to tell them.

Fast-forward all the way to today. We are hand-fed by our government down to the nth degree. There is a law for every move we make. Folks long ago didn’t litter because they knew it was wrong. Today our society has degraded to the point that every move we make is dictated by laws. No one has to think anymore because everything is spelled out for them.

News today comes from everywhere (radio, TV, web, Newspapers, e-mail, Text-messages, you name it). We are told up-to-the-minute details of every happening anywhere instantly. The only problem is that the news folks everywhere now feel free to mix opinion with news as common practice. So many folks listen to talk radio or 24-hour TV news so much, that it becomes ingrained in their minds. They stop having any original thoughts, and all of their opinions begin to sound like what they watch or listen to. I talk to tons of friends who say they are conservatives, but yet they sound like Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh when they talk.

So now instead of folks being self-sufficient they have now slowly been lulled into a dependence on media and government. So what does this have to do with the political system in this country? I have been brought up by my father to always go to the polls on Election Day and vote from your heart. He also taught me to stand up strongly for what I believe. I still do, but suddenly I am looked at as old fashioned. I have supported Mike Huckabee from day one of this election cycle. People have been telling me for weeks that I need to move on a support John McCain. Mike was still solidly in the race as early as just before Super Tuesday, and folks were already saying McCain had the nomination sewed up I needed to conform. I believe strongly that people let media of all sorts convince them that Mike was not a “national candidate”. I believe strongly that he would have easily been a national candidate if people had just had courage and stood up for their stated values. By the time for the Virginia primary most of my conservative friends had been convinced to vote against their heart in the name of party unity. They went to the polls like good little sheep and voted for the candidate that we are now supposed to line-up behind. It doesn’t matter that John McCain is directly opposed (by voting record) to much of what we believe. All that matters is that they voted for they guy with a “chance”. They got this notion directly from some form of media and now its fact. So Huckabee is now kicked to the curb by most and left for dead because they let someone tell them he didn’t have a chance. In reality, if everyone had voted their heart and ignored the media, Mike would have had a great chance.

I did what I know was right and voted for Mike. Most say this only proves that I’m not a progressive thinker. I say it’s a case of not settling just because were told to. I say it’s taking a different route because it is right.

Anyway it is now pretty much over for Mr. Huckabee who represented the right’s only real option for a win. His only chance is if McCain can’t get the magic number of delegates by the convention, and it is a major long shot. So now I’m hearing that I have to commit right away that I’ll vote for McCain. I just can’t do that. I am going to stand by my convictions, and wait and see if Mr. McCain makes any efforts to meet the right half way. I would still hope for a real conservative to step up and run as a third party candidate. There are those who are trying to convince Mr. Huckabee to do this, and I hope he will consider it long and hard. We need a clean start with a true conservative party. I can no longer call myself a Republican with the direction this party has now taken.

So, I’ve said a lot but I’d like to end with this. The system is not broken, but the Operators have forgotten how to use it. I for one will not fall in line just because I’m told too. I see McCain as a liberal who happens to have some Conservative views on Military and Foreign policy. He will move us to the left just like Obama or Hillary, just at a slower pace.

That’s my 2.5 cents, so there!

Huck has our back!

I am a huge supporter of Mike Huckabee for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2008. I will go into much more depth in future entries on the issues and why I agree with him on most every one. In this case I wanted to just fly over the big picture of why he impresses me so much. Mike is a very confident speaker. He can handle any question with perfect ease. Check this one out:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=n-BFEhkIujA
That impresses me most of all because they really have no reason to ask that question to a Presidential candidate, but he handled it extremely well. When Mike talks he comes across as one of us, and as someone speaking from conviction not a power trip. Mike would be Mike in office, not someone we never knew existed like our current President (sorry). Bottom line Mike is not someone with political aspirations, a list of stances on the issues, who happens to be a man of faith and values. He is a man of very strong values and beliefs that guide his list of stances on the issues. There is a huge difference.

Check out his stances on the issues at http://www.mikehuckabee.com/

I love this time of year

I am an amateur nature photographer, and this time of year is the perfect time of year for gathering images of beauty. The sky is a perfect, the clouds seem so much softer, trees and flowers are springing out with color everywhere, and it's just a pleasant time to be outdoors. I have been able to gather some stunning images this spring and I'm looking forward to getting even more in the days to come. I love to be outside all the time, but no time more than spring. Of course, here in Virginia, Spring is either really short or non existent most of the time. For example, this year we went from 30s and 40s right to upper 70s and low 80s. Wow that's a system shock!

An open letter to naive Virginia Voters

Dear Virginia,

Do you have any clue who you just voted in as the next Senator of Virginia?

Now, I know the results are not quite official, but I feel sure they will stand as is.

Jim Webb is not the moderate Democrat he has painted himself to be during the campaign. Virginia meet your version of Chuck Schumer, Hillary Clinton, and Bill Clinton rolled into one. He is not a Mark Warner Democrat; he is a LIBERAL way to the left of center. What, you didn’t know that? Well let’s see. Why would he tell you who he really is in a campaign where his competitor became more interested in personal attacks than domestic policy? George Allen and his campaign could have torn this man apart by just focusing on the issues at hand. But they felt as though they had to attack the man instead. If they had just pointed out the differences in domestic strategy the result would have been a different one. This was a strategy that leads to political death for Mr. Allen. No more is the talk of Allen in ’08. He will go off to the land of politicians who fail in what appeared to be certain victory. He will join those who “had presidential potential” but fell short. He will probably form a new golf foursome with Dan Quayle, Jack Kemp, and Bob Dole.

Now, why do I say Jim Webb is like Bill Clinton and the others? Well, let’s take some quotes from Mr. Webb’s web site (or is it Webb site?) and then I’ll give my little commentary afterward. You must first understand that the new wave of Clinton Democrat (or socialist for my money) speaks in code words. I will highlight the code words and give you the real meaning.

• “We must reexamine our tax and trade policies and reinstitute notions of fairness, and also enforce our existing trade laws so that free trade becomes fair trade.”

Fair/Fairness – Give away taxpayers money to their base most of whom do not pay taxes and raise taxes on those of us who actually pay them.

• “Jim believes that all Americans deserve access to some form of quality health care. Health care legislation should focus on providing people access to health care, not simply on corporate profits.”

Deserve – Look it only took a moment to get to my favorite Liberal code word. Deserve means giving their base anything they want by raising spending to new heights. Tax and spend it is, YEA!

Access – OOH! Another good one. This means don’t worry about going to work, we the all powerful government will take care of you.

Corporate Profits – This is a way of making sure the base knows that they think badly of that evil corporate tycoon who dares to use the capitalistic system to their own profit. That bad man should be made to give money to the “poor” like you, now go vote for us and we’ll punish the horrible greedy corporate bad guy.

• “It is vital that Congress fully fund the mandates of No Child Left Behind.”

Fully Fund – Goody, Goody more tax and spend. The higher the spending goes the better.

• As Virginia's junior Senator I will work with Gov. Kaine and the legislature to implement their transportation priorities by fighting for greater federal funding.

Greater Federal Funding – Look he actually slipped out of the sheep skin for a moment and showed his real colors. There is no code here. Plain old “Mo Money!”

You see, the M.O. of the basic liberal or socialist is to throw more and more money and any and all issues. If it requires raising taxes; who cares. Their base doesn’t typically pay any taxes; so they are cool with it.

So, Virginia buckle up and prepare for the bumpy ride. You are about to get what you asked for! Thanks a lot! Next time do your research. Next time the campaign must be about the issues, not whether the other candidate writes dirty books or not!

That’s my disgusted 2.3 cents. So there!

A time to heal

As it says in Ecclesiastes, there is "a time to kill, and a time to heal". A picture can at times speak a thousand words, and I beleive the one above does just that. Not because of anything I did in snapping the picture, but because of the young man and the power of his emotions. I saw him at a couple of flags in obvious mourning, and I decided to take this shot in a very descreet manner. It touched me just seeing him there, so I had to share the image with others. What a powerful moment in my life. It is important to remember that these soldiers are real men and women, and not just cold statistics. Each of these 2,800 + flags in this healing field memorial represented a life, a real person. In the demeanor of this young man, I saw love, honor, friendship, pain, morning, and healing. What a statement for these real men and women. They are just like me and you, but with a huge weight of conflict on their shoulders. They fight and protect and yes kill, but there will always be a time for healing. Remember them every day and please pray for these real men and women!

The American Flag that I love!

This great holiday (Call it Independence Day not just the 4th of July) is a very sacred and special one for me. I, for one, understand the many sacrifices that service men over the life of this great country have made on my behalf. My father is a Navy veteran of both World War II and the Korean Conflict. I am very proud of my dad’s honorable service. He instilled in me a healthy respect for this country and the symbols that represent it. The American Flag has always been a sacred and beautiful sight for me. I remember with great pride the days when we opened every day in my California public elementary school with the Pledge to the flag. I still take the pledge seriously, and feel a great sense of pride when speaking it.

I see the flag and I feel the hope of the pilgrims as they start a new life in this new world.

I see the flag and I feel the urgency of the writers of the Declaration of Independence.

I see the flag and I feel the Cold and Hunger of the men at Valley Forge.

I see the flag and I feel the fear and pain of the soldiers fighting for our independence.

I see the flag and I feel the joy at the victory and the gaining of real American Independence and FREEDOM.

I see the flag and I see the faces of many American Men and women who have fought and even died to protect and preserve that independence. I feel love and pride for these dedicated fighters who thought only of the job they had to do and not of self at all.

The picture you see above is from a Soldiers Healing Field flag memorial here in Virginia. Each flag (over 2,800) represents a soldier who has died in this war on Terrorism. If you can walk through those flags and see the names of these brave me and women and not feel pride and yes sadness, something is wrong with you. No matter how you feel about this war of the Presidents decision making in regards to it, there are real lives over there fighting. They are not only fighting to keep us safe and to protect our freedom, but to help give birth to another freedom loving society. That calls for the utmost respect and prayer. I pray for our soldiers daily. They are friends, family, and neighbors. They are real, and they make my pride in this great land even more strong.

I for one will continue to fly my flag in front of my house. I love what it still means and stands for to me and most of America. I will not allow the few extremists to ruin my flag and the Country it flies over. I still follow the long stated flag rules our country has extablished, and treat the flag with great respect. Yes, I know it is just a piece of cloth, but it's more than that. It is a symbol. Many folks don't get that. I think it is partly because we are so cought up with our own selfish wants we don't want to "waste" time on such trivial matters. It is uncomfortable and inconvenient for some to take the time to think through the things I've listed above. Not for me. The flag and what it stands for is real to me and it always will be. My children already feel a very strong respect and love for the flag as well.

Another important point is that the Flag represents America, American citizens, and the American way of life. It does not necesarily represent the government. So, when folks burn or otherwise defile the flag because they hate George W. Bush or the government as a whole, they are really burning the symbol of the entire country and its citizens.

So please take time this Independence to thank God for this country, and to pray and honor the fighting men and women we have over seas. Without the God of our fathers, this country will ultimately fail. Take time to instill respect for our great national symbol in your children. It will soon be theirs to protect and defend.

That’s my 2 cents once again.

THE SHACKLES ARE RIDICULOUS

I understand that the US military must vigorously investigate the alleged incident involving our troops in Haditha, Iraq last fall. The charges are that the incident that was originally reported as a group of civillians killed by a roadside bomb may now be marines who killed as many as 24 unarmed civillians on purpose. I feel strongly that the investigation must be allowed to be completed before anyone assumes these men guilty. Some congressmen and media members have already tried the case and termed them men as having killed in cold blood. The facts are as of yet not released, so it is rediculous to report their guilt as fact at this point. If they are indeed found guilty then they should be punished accordingly. But not yet!

First, let's remember that these men were in the middle of a long fire fight with terrorists (not insurgents - I hate this PC term) who were hiding behind civillians. This was not a picnic at the Haditha town park, it was a Battle. These men are in a terrable situation where the civillians are mixed in with cold blodded killing terrorists. They are hiding them from our men even as the fights are going on. This is a guerilla war, not a conventional. SO, we must bear in mind the terrable position these brave fighting men are in.

Now, we learn (I should state from very few press and media outlets) that these men are being put in shackles at the Camp Pendleton Brig in San Diego. Rediculous. Not one of these men have been convicted of anything. They are still American soldiers, and deserve to be treated as such. The terrorist detainees at Guantanimo Bay, Cuba are treated with much greater respect than our own men. We must let these men out of their bonds immediately until the day that they are found guilty of an actual war crime.

HOLDING MY BREATH!

OK, Al-Zarqawi is dead.

I have heard the ceaseless pundits and all knowing news talking heads moaning and groaning for years that we have not killed this man. I am watching and waiting for them to come on the news shows and write in their columns and spout their heads off with joy that he is now dead. With the execption of a few on Fox news, the reaction has been one of a mild ho hum excitement.

This is pitiful. If you are going to call for his head over and over as the main reason we can't make any progress, then rejoice when our military heros actually deliver his head to you on a platter. Where are the congratulations that should be with the same furver as the moans and groans?

That's my sarcastic 2 cents!

ABC13 Home Makeover FINISHED

These are some of the pictures of the final product in the Home Makeover we were able to complete. The results were incredable, but not as impressive as the huge number of volunteer hours that were put in. What a blessing to be involved in this project and play a small part in changing this family's life.

Kittens saved by News Reporters!

Even though we are a news station and not Animal Planet, we do have hearts. At least Danner and Courtney do. These 2 news hounds hunted down some kittens that were in the crawl space under the ABC13 Home Makeover house. They spent quite some time trying to find them under the house with flashlights and a big satelite truck operator. I have a picture of them searching, but decided not to publish the unflattering angle so as not to get in trouble. After rescuing the cute little critters, they transported them to a Vet in Bedford, where they were treated with antibiotics and something for worms (Nasty). These 2 ladies and Living in the Heart of Virginia and Home Makeover host Tab O'Neal are now searching for homes for the little guys (and girls).

More Volunteer Pictures HMO 2006

Had to get these 2 pictures on since Lacy is a frequent reader of this blog! Great job dude.

ABC13 WSET 2006 HOME MAKEOVER

Above are some pictures from today (Wed. the 17th of May) on the WSET HomeMakeover Project at the Home of Elizabeth and Bailey Branch of Big Island, Virginia! The is the second annual makeover project for us here at WSET. It is a great community effort. I am impressed as I go up there to take still pictures for the station every day what great attitudes all of the volunteers have. The reason is because they know they are having a part in changing someone's life. The Branch family has had it rough lately. Their Husband/Father Roger Branch passed away just before a friend entered them into our makeover contest. The craftsmen and women and all the volunteers are giving their time with no expectation of getting anything in return. There are tons of folks donating materials as well.

These folks are literally changing the quality of Bailey and Elizabeth's life. The changes in the house are staggering. They put in cathedral ceilings which will open things up drastically. They are insulating the house in EVERY crack possible where all they had was old newspaper as insulation before. Yes, 1941 copies of the Roanoke World News were found (and saved) in the walls. The improvements are way too many to mention here. The more important part is the huge impact the work is having on the community, the volunteers, and the family. It has been great to see the huge amount of time the members of the Big Island Volunteer Fire Department have spent at the house. Baily is a volunteer at the BIVFD and they want to give back to their comrade. Great job Folks!

It is a blessing to be even a small part of this project and see the way our community comes together to help others. I volunteeded last year, and will be again this weekend. I will have a blog entry on my day at the house next week.

Mr. Bush, We're not buying!

Dear Mr. Bush,

I respect you greatly, but I am quickly losing faith in your words. I was always taught that as a Christian, I was to be honest before God and before men. You, however, seem bent to make whatever statements you feel will help your poll numbers. Last night's speech was a waste of America's time and a complete insult to the base you intended to appease. Your polished, flowery words only amounted to a continued insufficient answer to an enormous problem. I have numerous issues with your so called 5 point plan to stop illegal immigration, but I will focus on the one that really has me confused.

The issue has to do with your proposal to deal with the illegal aliens who are already here in America sucking off of the system we subsidize with our tax dollars. Some folks are calling for complete amnesty and pardon for Illegal aliens (notice I do not use the term Illegal immigrants); which is a complete joke. Others (myself included) feel that if you have broken the law (coming here illegally) you have to pay for your crime. In this case it would take the form of deportation from this country. You decided that you were not comfortable with either of these “extreme” ideas, and crafted your own fence-riding middle ground. Your statement on this part is as follows:

“There is a rational middle ground between granting an automatic path to citizenship for every illegal immigrant, and a program of mass deportation. That middle ground recognizes that there are differences between an illegal immigrant who crossed the border recently and someone who has worked here for many years, and has a home, a family, and an otherwise clean record. I believe that illegal immigrants who have roots in our country and want to stay should have to pay a meaningful penalty for breaking the law, … to pay their taxes, … to learn English … and to work in a job for a number of years. People who meet these conditions should be able to apply for citizenship but approval would not be automatic, and they will have to wait in line behind those who played by the rules and followed the law. What I’ve have just described is not amnesty it is a way for those who have broken the law to pay their debt to society, and demonstrate the character that makes a good citizen.”

All I can say is wow. I assume as you re-read this you swell up with pride at such a brilliant statement. I personally have no clue how anyone could possibly think there is any merit in this statement. How in the world would this work? Would we hire more INS employees who go door to door with a “tell me a little about your self” questionnaire? What in the world is the cut off point where someone has “worked here for many years”. How do you intend to pull off such a huge undertaking? Is some one going to visit them and test them on English? How do we determine exactly how much back taxes they owe? This is such a joke and a typical country club Republican smoke screen.

I for one am sick of this nonsense. I am writing my senators and representatives as soon as possible and urging them not to vote for a plan that in any way resembles your 5 step program. I am not alone. There is a great group of people who voted for you and had great faith in you. We also had expectations that were based on your campaign speeches that are largely unfulfilled.

I beg you to wake up. I urge you to listen to the words that come out of your mouth and exercise some integrity and care. I will continue to pray for you daily. May God bless you, and may you follow through with honesty as he would want you to.

Again that is my 2 cents and I’d like to keep it. So, please don’t make me give it to an illegal alien.

America: The God Vacuum

As a child I loved to fly kites. I remember having many different kites of different shapes, sizes, and styles. We would fly our kites for hours, and even invent games and competitions between all the neighborhood kids. Kites are such simple things, but some of my best childhood memories involve flying them. I still fly kites with my children to this day.

So, why do I bring up kites in a rant about America being a God Vacuum? Well, no matter the shape, size, or style of kite; they all have one thing in common. All kites have some sort of structure or backbone holding them together. Without this backbone the kite would just collapse and be unable to fly.

America was founded with a backbone, but now that backbone is all but ignored. The founders of this great country were Christian men who based the formula for their new government on the principals of the God they believed in. Now, if you want, you can try to argue this point with me, but it would be futile. There are evidences of this God backbone for America in our founding documents, on our governmental buildings, in our songs and pledges, in the founder’s personal writings, and in virtually everything else in that era. So, let’s move on and take this backbone as a fact. To do otherwise is akin to not recognizing your own image as you look at it in the mirror.

Over the past 50 years, the extreme elements of our country have slowly chipped away at this backbone until it is all but gone. The result is what I call the God Vacuum, or the absence of God in America. The list of these extremists and their targets is endless. Every element of the God backbone has been attacked at one time or another. The first big step was taking God out of our schools. This started the God vacuum by eliminating God from a large portion of our children’s lives. Then it moved on to removing as many references to God as they possibly could in every area of our lives. Just a few examples are: the elimination of the 10 commandments from our courts, the elimination of prayer and references to God in most government facilities, right down to eliminating something as simple as nativity scenes. What began as a little omission of God here or there is quickly becoming a huge stigma towards God or his principals. It all goes back to the misinterpretation of the establishment clause and Thomas Jefferson’s statement about the “wall of separation” of Church and State. This was always intended to be a one way wall which kept the state out of the church not the other way around. None of the founders wanted God to be eliminated from our government or our society. Unfortunately, we as citizens have largely sat by silent and allowed this vacuum to materialize without much of a fight. I fear that it will only grow worse and worse and the backbone of our country will be only a memory.

Why does this matter so much? Remember the kite, without a backbone it collapses and does not fly. Now a country without its backbone is about to collapse and take a nose dive. A constitution and laws that are written from a Godly frame of mind, tends to make little of no sense to the ungodly. That is why there is so much confusion, and our court system finds it necessary to rewrite laws that have made sense for 200 years. The only solution is for those of us who long for the America of our Fathers to take a stand and be as vehement and persistent as those who are attacking it. We must be vocal, honest, and learn to not take their “no” for an answer. We must fight fairly, and we must not compromise. The silent majority has been the sleeping giant for too long. Majority you ask? Of course we are. It just seems like the Godless extreme are stronger because of the way they shout and fight. We must learn to use some of their tactics without their lies and distortions.

I for one will do what I can to stop the erosion and chipping away at America’s Godly backbone. I believe strongly that every human is born with a God shaped hole in their heart. Many choose to fill it with other things, and that is their choice. However when they evacuate God from America and create a God Vacuum, it is time to stand up and be heard.

That’s my 2 cents, and may God continue to bless America even in the midst of her rebellion!

Stars and Stripes Forever, but not at school

It's bad enough that God was taken out of our government schools years ago, now a nitwit superintendent in San Diego County, CA has taken the American Flag out of his schools. His reasoning was unrest that resulted after proud American kids confronted Hispanic kids who walked out of class in protest to possible immigration policy changes. So this Superintendent immediately went after the disruptive Hispanic kids who started the whole thing by waiving the Mexican flag and yelling, right? Wrong, he did the "fair" thing and banned everyone from bringing flags even for the country we live in. The guy’s logic is amazing. “Our goal was to get rid of the Mexican flags on campus because they were causing such heated feelings,” Supt. Ken Noonan said. He goes on to state the "legal council" told him he couldn't just temporarily ban Mexican flags. So, let's see, at the expense of the lawful rights of real and true American Citizens he protected the rights of folks who are most likely made up of illegal aliens in majority. Great job, KEN! You win the lame, politically correct loser award. You are the guy that punishes a whole class when 1 deviant does something wrong, right.

This is the whole problem. The government school system as a whole is so worried about diversity and protecting the "feelings" of all students that they forget that we are actually in America. I know for a fact that the constitution still stands, and that the filthy ACLU has not yet successfully removed our government. So, where does this joker get off banning the 1 symbol of the country that runs his little schools. He works for the government for Pete's sake.

I just don't get it. OK, my head hurts already, but check this quote out. “People are mad at just the idea that someone would dare to ban kids from bringing American flags on campus,” Noonan said. “But it was the very act of bringing flags that led to a lot of strife on campus.” Hey Dummy, it was the act of bringing in MEXICAN flags that started the issue. So, please narrow your focus, get some guts, and ban a flag from the outside not the inside. This is so knee jerk and silly that it makes me sick.

That's my 2 or 3 cents! WOW!

Pro v. Con - For v. Against - Roe v. Wade = LIFE V. DEATH

Today, I am facing irony clean in the face. It is an irony that I seem to face every year at this time. It seems clear to me that in the fight between life and death, life should always win. However, in our world, there are those who vehemently disagree. There are, it seems, times when life is no longer a concern. Death is a “choice” for them that clearly overrides life.

Yesterday was the anniversary of the controversial Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court Decision that made Abortion legal in the United States. I will not go into all of the details of Abortion in this entry, but I will clearly state that I am 100% against abortion. I do however think of how far we’ve come since 1973 in this issue. The 2 sides of the issue are still completely adamant that they are correct, and more separated than ever in ideology. More importantly, the issue has become even bigger. Since 1973, we also have to worry about: Late-term abortions, Partial-birth abortion, and State/Federal/tax-subsidized abortion.

So the irony for me is the way the other side can totally ignore what most would consider the #1 protected entity – life. Even more staggering is the main reason they state for the justification of terminating life – choice. It is utterly sickening to me that some people believe that their “right” to choose the death of another human life is more important than life itself. It doesn’t matter the reason in my book, it is still choosing death over life. I guarantee that there would be plenty of willing adoptive parents waiting in line for these babies if the mothers would choose the obvious choice of life. It wouldn’t hurt if the government would get out of the way of adoption and make the process more simple and inexpensive either.

Now, let’s move on to the topic that originally caused me to write this today. As I hear the media report about the National Right to Life day activities in Washington, one thing is clear. Political correctness and political pressure has totally hurt the cause for life. First of all I would prefer they not call the March a Protest, but that is an issue of semantics. It is hard for me to think of it as a protest when these people are speaking out for life. So, it is odd for me to think of speaking out for saving life as a “protest”. Secondly, it amazes me how the media refers to the 2 sides. The folks who agree with aborting living babies are the “pro-choice supporters”, and those of us who are for saving innocent children who don’t get a choice are “anti-abortion activists”. Do you see the way those terms set the 2 sides up? The “Pro-choice” folks are painted as obviously the most rational and therefore supporters of choice. The “anti-abortion” folks are painted as scary, irrational activists who are against the establishment. Wow, what a built-in promotional tool for the pro-abortion crowd. I think if they are going to be referred to as pro-choice, then call us pro-life or anti-death like we would like. Or if you insist on calling us anti-abortion, then call them anti-life or pro-abortion. It is a totally unfair position that all the media takes as a whole (even FOXNEWS). Listen for yourself and see if I’m right – I am!

Anyway, it appears that something is going to come to a head in 2006 with this issue. It appears that Samuel Alito is going to be installed as a Supreme Court Justice to replace Sandra Day-O’Conner in the next week or so. We also have the recently appointed Chief Justice John Roberts. It appears that both of these men lean towards the conservative side and would vote “pro-life”. Yesterday it came out that the South Dakota legislature is going to bring up a bill for a statewide ban on Abortion in 2006. There are other Abortion related cases already in appeals court as well. One example is the New Hampshire parental notification law that the Supreme Court sent back down to the lower court after the appeals court overturned the law. I’m not sure what will happen, but I am encouraged by comments from President Bush to the March for life rally yesterday. "The self-evident truths of the Declaration of Independence apply to everyone, not just to those considered healthy or wanted or convenient," Bush said. "These principles call us to defend the sick and the dying, persons with disabilities and birth defects, all who are weak and vulnerable, especially unborn children." The pro-life movement, he said, "is a cause that appeals to the conscience of our citizens and is rooted in America's deepest principles. And history tells us that with such a cause, we will prevail."

One thing is for sure, our father God is in control. God loves all human life; his word makes that point clear. As a father myself, I can not imagine making the choice to abort a life under any circumstance. No matter how you justify this choice it is, at the heart, a choice for DEATH! God rest those innocent children who never got the chance to make any choices or be heard at all. They did nothing worthy of being destroyed; and yet selfish, depraved people (their own flesh and blood) chose to kill them. I can only speak up in their favor, and wait on the Lord my God for his resolution of the topic. It will happen in his time and in his mighty, just, and loving way!

That is my 2 cents. Please pray for life and morn the 40+ million children that have been aborted since 1973!

Get used to it!

I've heard a lot of complaining and griping over the past 4 to 6 months about the price of gas going up, up, up. Up until a few weeks ago I was one of the loudest shouters (who me, and I'm usually so quiet). Then oil drilling in the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge was voted down by Congress yet again. I just can't believe that the Republicans have a majority and still can't sneak this one through. It is one of the most important domestic economic issues to ever face our country, and yet political pressure groups have so much power and influence that it may never pass. We have the worst case of politicians who are in the pockets of lobby groups we've ever seen. The Congress is no longer lead by the best interests of their constituency, but by what is the best for their continued political power and $ Gain $.

Today the Oil prices went up yet again, and they are quickly headed to where they were after Hurricane Katrina. All I'm saying is don't expect Congress or even the President to get as upset as we are and actually do something about it. Because while we're making our measily salary and living month to month, they are sitting there in their multi-million dollar houses with their madea and nannies asking what the problem is. So stop worrying and losing sleep, because your representative sure isn't.

That's my 2 cents!

Senseless Playoff Picking time

I've held off on doing any NFL playoff picks so far. But now that the 4 Conference championship games seem to be toss-ups, I'll take a shot at it. I have heard picks on both sides of both games.

Let's start with the NFC, the home of the weirdest grouping of Playoff teams ever. Now we are down to the obvious Pick going in - Seattle, and the 5 seed - Carolina. This one is a no brainer to me. In the playoffs, defense wins every time. Yes, Sean Alexander will get his yards. Yes, Matt Hassleback will have some success throwing the ball around. But, Carolina will cause turnovers, and they will decide this game. Not to mention Steve Smith and Jake Delhomme. They dismantled the supposed #1 defense (who hadn’t played much of anyone) last week and made it look like they were playing a high school team. So, my pick is the Road Warrior Carolina Panthers to make the Super bowl with a 31 - 24 win over the playoff cursed Seahawks.
Now for the AFC game no one predicted. All the "experts" said it would be the Patsies and the Colts. They were wrong. I said all along that Denver would make it. I did not see the Steelers coming. As a Charger fan, I assumed the Steelers would lose out in favor of my Chargers. But, Pittsburgh is there, and playing well. This is the real toss up. Both are great defenses with great pass rush, great secondaries, and the ability to limit the run. I'm impressed with the growth of both QBs this year. I'm not ready to anoint either as great QBs, but both are very efficient and are now limiting errors well. Both running games are good, but Denver's combo is more consistent. The receivers are pretty even as well with Rod Smith and Hines Ward as the big dogs. I will say Pittsburgh’s receivers have the edge in big play potential. One difference is that with the emergence of "Big Money" Heath Miller, Pittsburgh has a great option at Tight end that Denver does not really have with Putzier. So what separates these 2 teams on Sunday? Here is where I make Pittsburgh fans mad. 2 things: Coaching and home field advantage. I feel strongly that Shanahan's playoff and Super Bowl experience will make the biggest difference. No one game plans better for these types of games. He will have this team ready, and they will shock the Steelers like the Steelers did the Colts last week. No, I don't mean Dominating Drives. I mean they will have a plan that will totally control the momentum of the game. On the other point, I know I picked the road team in the Carolina game, but those teams were not nearly as even as these 2. First off, Denver is virtually unbeatable in their house, and second Denver has only played one game and it was at home. They are fresh, and Pittsburgh is road Weary. At the end of this one, it will be Denver 35 Pittsburgh 24.

Those are my 2 cent predictions for what it's worth.