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Sen. Anthony Williams’ Racist Remarks Are Disgraceful

By CHRIS FREIND

If you’re wondering why race relations in America haven’t improved at all, look no farther than the recent comments of state Senator Anthony Williams’ concerning the current field of Democratic gubernatorial candidates.

Fueling speculation that Williams, who is black, might throw his hat into the race, the senator ranted that none of the four Democrats was giving any attention to the black community and the issues faced by that constituency.

In other words, since they are all white, they were just catering to Whitey and ignoring everyone else.

Gee, and I thought campaigns were supposed to be color-blind.
Williams is correct that none of the Democrats has workable solutions to the monumental problems we face —black or otherwise. Ironically, it is the Republican platform that holds the key to success for Williams’ people.

But here’s the bigger irony: so-called black leaders like Sen. Williams’ do more to harm their “own people” than any white politician ever could. Despite the majority of black Americans holding Republican, and in many cases conservative, values, their black “leadership” sells them out time and time again by perpetuating policies destined to fail.

A look at Williams’ hometown of Philadelphia gives a startling example.

The city has been under Democratic leadership for sixty years — one-Party rule with no competition. And how has that bastion of leadership fared?

Philadelphia has the nation’s highest rates of murder, violence and poverty. Its educational system is abysmal, with many of the public schools being deathtraps, totally devoid of all learning and where survival is the first—and only— order of the day.

But that’s just the beginning.

The city’s pensions are insolvent. The business climate continues to decline due to the brain drain of our best and brightest. The tax system is so onerous that it ranks as worst in the nation. Its court system has completely imploded. People and businesses continue to flee to more fertile areas.

And the city’s reputation for corruption and pay-to-play is legendary.
So what do people like Sen. Williams do to address these problems? And, by the way, since the city’s population is majority black, these would be the problems facing “his” people.

Here’s the cruel joke. Williams’ actions, not those of The White Man, keep his constituents down and out, ripping hope away from the very people who most need help.

Williams’ solution to the terrible business climate? Raise the city portion of the sales tax by 100 percent and make no payments to the pension plan for two years. Brilliant Anthony! Penalize those who can least afford it (it is undisputed that a sales tax is the most regressive tax) and renege on the promises made to retired workers.

And what about education? Throw huge money at the schools, appease the powerful teachers’ unions, look the other way, and pretend that the results will somehow change. It hasn’t worked in decades, and it never will.

Until we get serious about providing a quality education in a safe learning environment, our students —our future— will continue to be thrown into the world as functional illiterates. And after the last flame of hope is extinguished for these children, they resort to violent crime because they have nothing left to lose.

The cycle simply perpetuates itself. Over and over again.

It is clear that the Democratic Party doesn’t have the answers, because nothing it has tried has worked. The GOP, on the other hand, has the solutions. It just needs a powerful and courageous leader to articulate the message. But leaders in the Republican Party are in short supply.

Up until the 1930’s, the vast majority of blacks were Republican, members of the Party of Lincoln. Why the Party and one of its natural constituencies parted ways is for another column, but there’s no reason that separation has to continue.

Consider:

Who wants and needs school choice more than the black community — people who, more than anyone else, have no choice in their children’s education?

Who advocates tough-on-crime legislation and gun ownership so that neighborhoods can start to thrive again, where children don’t have to sleep on the floor to avoid bullets?

Who is hurt the most by ever-increasing taxes, fees and regulations, and who needs a healthy business climate to attract and keep the good jobs necessary to provide opportunities and sustain families?

What ethnic group more than any other opposes gay marriage?

The answer to these questions is that all Pennsylvanians benefit from these common-sense, free-market answers to our toughest problems. But for those among us who are suffering the most, these Republican-oriented ideas are more than just workable and proven solutions. They are the difference between hope and despair— life and death.

So let me shout it to those in the cheap seats one more time (that’s you, Sen. Williams): quit the race-baiting game and stop being part of the problem. If you truly want to do something for your “people,” then embrace the solutions that will get the job done.

Anything less is just….racism.

Chris Freind is an independent columnist and investigative reporter whose news site, The Artorius News Bureau, is slated to launch in mid-February. Readers of “Freindly Fire” hail from six continents, thirty countries and all fifty states. Freind also serves as a weekly guest commentator on a Philadelphia-area talk radio show, and makes numerous other television and radio appearances. He can be reached at CF@FreindlyFireZone.com

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For someone like myself who is very pro-2nd Amendment but not necessarily on the front lines, I found this quite disturbing. NYC Mayor Michael Bloomburg’s pet organization Mayors Against Illegal Guns (”MAIG”) has made significant inroads into Pennsylvania.

MAIG is a driving force behind mandated reporting of lost or stolen guns, banning guns in “sensitive locations” (because magical gun-repelling bubbles form around these areas), age requirements up to 21-years for gun purchases, and other regulations big and small.  MAIG happens to share at least one staffer and key policy agendas with the Brady anti-gun crowd.

In addition to the protections we receive from the 2nd Amendment, PA happens to have a rather strong and unambiguous State Constitutional gun right:

Pennsylvania Constitution, Section 21
The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State shall not be questioned.

No matter, MAIG routinely ignores this. and aggressively promotes the passage of unconstitutional gun ordinances.

The Snowflakesinhell blog reports a recent addition of 66 PA mayors to the MAIG roster.  Pennsylvanians who are serious about their gun rights should be asking whether their mayor might be a lackey of nanny Bloomberg.

View Bloomberg’s Anti-Gun Mayors in Pennsylvania in a larger map

If your local mayor is one of these Bloomberg wannabes, talk to your buddies at the local sporting goods store or shooting range to spread the word about the organized national effort to erode your gun rights at the local level.

To stay informed please read PAGunRights and SnowflakesInHell.

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Friends,

I am pleased to inform you that Philadelphia has been selected to host a monthly Center-Right Coalition meeting, following the hugely-successful model of Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR). We will be one of the few non-state capital cities to have such a gathering.

The kick-off meeting, which I will be hosting, will be Thursday, November 12 at the Union League in Philadelphia, with Mr. Norquist in attendance. Light refreshments will be served at 7:00 AM, with the program going from 7:30 to 9:00. The Union League is located at 140 S. Broad Street, just two blocks south of City Hall.

In Grover’s words, the objective is “to get everybody who is center-right to tell each other what they are doing, to share technology and tactics, and to tell stories” regarding issues facing Pennsylvania and the nation.

One key function, according to ATR, is to facilitate collaborative activities of coalition members, many of whom may have not previously known one another, and foster the potential for mutual cooperation.

The rules are simple: Anyone who so desires may speak for three minutes on current initiatives, answer questions, and pass the microphone to the next speaker.

The only prohibition is whining. It is a positive meeting, one that will unify southeastern Pennsylvania.

Attendees will typically include influential political, business, policy and grassroots leaders.

If anyone who would like several minutes on the agenda, please let me know.

You are encouraged to bring any literature for distribution.

I hope to see you next Thursday.

For future reference, the monthly meetings will be held on the FIRST THURSDAY of each month at the Union League, with the same time format as above.

Feel free to invite colleagues and associates. All meetings are off the record.

Steadfast,

Christopher Freind
“Freindly Fire”
Audaces fortuna iuvat
610-659-0098
christopherfreind@hotmail.com (E before I in Freind)
CF@FreindlyFireZone.com

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The reports from the media about exactly how many people attended today’s 9/12 Rally in Washington, DC estimate the number as being somewhere between “tens of thousands” and “two million”. Now, being a veteran March for Lifer, I know that the media loves to use “tens of thousands” to describe a crowd of 200,000+ pro-lifers. However, also because I’m a veteran March for Lifer, I can definitely say that this rally rivaled if not outright surpassed the last few Marches for Life in size, which means there were hundreds of thousands of people there, not tens of thousands.

There were many ways in which the 9/12 rally was similar to the March for Life – hundreds of thousands of people peacefully protested and marched near the Capitol. However, it was also quite different in that the focus of it was, of course, corrupt, oversized government. While there were a few of my pro-life brethren around, most of the people were there to protest against the big government. Many people held signs which expressed messages in opposition to Obama Administration policies, as well as opposition to other politicians who advocate for bigger government. Most of the protesters were conservatives, but there were also libertarians present, and I believe a handful of liberals who don’t like Obama’s policies.

That said, here are some of my photos:
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Written by Roberta Biros

I’ve had the pleasure of talking politics with lots of people over the past few weeks. My attendance at last week’s Jefferson Township Fair along with the time that I spent in Farrell at the Slovak and Italian Homes Ethnic Food Festival gave me an opportunity to discuss important and pressing issues with local taxpayers. I’d like to share some of the issues that were discussed and debated.

The Status of the Pennsylvania State Budget

While there were many topics that were on the table, the one issue that remains on the tip of everyone’s tongue is the State budget. There were many local folks that were confused to see State Legislators at the weekend events. Most people expected that our lawmakers would still be in Harrisburg working to come to some sort of compromise on the budget. Instead, they were back home in Mercer County enjoying summer festivities. I realized that the budget was out of the control of the House, but it was my understanding the Senate leaders were to be working over the weekend to move the budget process further. I thought I should do a little research in order to clarify the questions.

When I last addressed the issue of the budget, the House had rejected the State Senate’s last draft of a budget and it was being sent back to the Senate. The plan was that a bipartisan Conference Committee would be assigned on Monday to tackle the project. Governor Rendell, however, stated last week that he felt that work could be done over the weekend before the Committee was even assigned. It seems that the Governor was mistaken. According to KYW News Radio 1060 (read HERE),

“Last Thursday, Governor Rendell expressed optimism that negotiations could produce a budget agreement even before the conference committee met. But later that same day, the majority leader of the GOP-controlled Senate said there was no rational basis for such optimism. And in fact, the majority leader’s spokesman says while there were some informal budget discussions over the weekend, there were no breakthroughs. “

It seems that the optimism that was painted on this part of the budget process was simply like ‘putting lipstick on a pig’. The establishment of a Conference Committee may move the budget process forward, but it will not be moving with any particular amount of speed . . . and that is unfortunate.

State Employees Remain Unpaid During Impasse

Another topic that almost everyone agrees on is that shameful use of State Workers as a pawn in budget negotiations. State Employees are currently continuing to work, but they will not receive their paychecks until a budget is passed. The Governor has been using the workers as a threat during budget talks, but no move was ever made through the Governer’s office to insure that workers would continue to get paid. I reported back in mid-May about legislation that was on the table to prevent this exact problem (read HERE). Specifically, House Bill 913 was submitted in March of this year as an effort to insure that State Workers would continue to be paid during a budget impasse. Two State Representatives from Mercer County (Representative Dick Stevenson and Representative Michele Brooks) were part of the group that introduced the bill on March 12. Unfortunately, the bill has been sitting in committee ever since.

Now that State Employees are officially not receiving paychecks, the real problems for the State are just around the corner. According to the Associated Press (read HERE),

“On Friday, the U.S. Department of Labor said it had begun investigating whether Pennsylvania has violated its employees’ rights under the Fair Labor Standards Act by ordering them to work without regular pay. The department received more than 1,500 calls, a spokeswoman said.”

The threat of a Federal Labor Department investigation now has the Governor squirming. So much so, that the Governor is now looking for a ‘quick fix’ like an ‘interim budget’ that would fill the gap until final budget negotiations are completed. According to the same article by the Associated Press,

“Gov. Ed Rendell said Monday that he will look for a way to speed money to pay for Pennsylvania’s state government operations so that tens of thousands of employees don’t miss more paydays during an entrenched budget impasse. Rendell said he decided to pursue an interim budget that is whittled down to the essentials after informal talks over the weekend with Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R-Delaware, made it clear that any agreement on an approximately $28 billion budget still is far away. “

It seems like the Governor should have focused on this potential problem months ago, but, instead, he was holding on to his big bargaining chip. Again, this is an unfortunate situation no matter how you look at it.

Keystone Exams

Another issue on people’s lists of concerns are the Keystone Exams. Governor Rendell has been trying to push through these graduation exams since the end of the fiscal year, but concerned and responsible lawmakers have been trying to put a stop to it. The exams are EXTREMELY expensive (a seven-year contract totaling $201 MILLION), and their effectiveness is questionable. Senator Jane Orie authored Senate Bill 281 that was designed to STOP the Keystone Exams, and it was referred to the House Education Committee in June . . . where it stalled.

It seems that a bipartisan group of lawmakers are going to attempt to drag the legislation out of committee this week through a Discharge Resolution. A Discharge Resolution is a tool that can be used by the House to force legislation out of committee. We last saw it used in mid-June in an effort to move the Budget forward (read HERE for details). A Discharge Resolution requires 25 signatures from House Members, and I suspect the list of names may be similar to those that signed onto DR1 and DR2 in June (read the list HERE).

With the current state of the economy, local taxpayers are concerned about projects with large price tags, and the Keystone Exams qualify in that regard. Taxpayers simply aren’t willing to pay.

Health Care Reform

Another important issue of discussion last week was that of Health Care Reform. While the President is currently pushing for some sort of “Universal” plan that would cover all Americans, people are discussing the various possibilities amongst themselves, and it is a rather ‘healthy debate’ (no pun intended).

The majority of people that I talked to agree that SOMETHING needs to be done to provide health insurance for those that don’t have it. Unfortunately, no one is exactly sure what the best solution would be. Surprisingly enough, this is the same problem that lawmakers in Washington are running into. The problem is SO big, that a quick fix doesn’t seem possible. For that reason, most people that I talked to simply felt that this was an issue that deserved more time and debate. Rather than pushing through some sort of legislation now, most taxpayers feel that more time should be taken to hammer out the details and examine the big picture.

The President has hopes of passing something through sooner, but I think that most Americans would prefer to take our time to do this right. It will be interesting to see what happens.

Gun Rights: Concealed Weapons Amendment

The final issue that was brought up numerous times last week was the recent amendment that was voted on in the U.S. Senate regarding the Concealed Weapons Law (specifically referred to as Senate Amendment 1618 to Senate Bill 1390). The amendment would have required each of the 48 states that currently allow concealed firearms to honor permits issued in other states. The issue was overwhelming supported by those of us that firmly support the Second Amendment, but it was hotly debated by those that wish to limit gun rights.

The issue was brought to vote on Wednesday, July 22, 2009. It needed 60 votes to pass the Senate. It only received 58 votes (with a final vote count of 58 to 39). Three Senators did not vote (Byrd, Kennedy, and Mikulski). Pennsylvania Senators Casey and Spector split their votes (Casey was FOR the amendment, and Spector was AGAINST it).

The issue of Gun Rights is an important one in Mercer County. With a strong base of sportsmen in the area, the issue was supported by Republicans and Democrats alike.

In Closing . . .

While I had the opportunity to discuss MANY issues with local taxpayers, these were the ones that were brought up most often. I wanted to share the details with all of you so that you, too, have a sense of the conversations that are going on. I thank all of the folks that took the time to talk to me. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversations, and I look forward to many more opportunities in the coming weeks and months.

.

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So lately, there’s been some “mischief” on a section of the bike trail that runs through Norristown. Specifically, several riders have been assaulted by “youths” along the bike path that runs next to the Schuykill River. Wednesday they picked on the wrong cyclist:

A 27-year-old Norristown man, Joseph James DePaul Jr., was reportedly riding his bike on the trail behind the ArcelorMittal steel plant in Plymouth Township at 8:40 p.m. when a juvenile on a BMX bike allegedly kicked him in the ribs, according to court papers.

After he was kicked, DePaul claimed he nearly lost control of the bike and hit a fence. Once he stopped, he drew his weapon and reportedly fired shots in the direction of the teens, ages 15 and 17, who were by that time about 250 feet ahead of him. The juveniles were not armed.

The cyclist, who is licensed to carry a gun, reportedly shot at the teenager in an effort to “blow the tire out” on the BMX bike. When asked by police how proficient he was with a firearm, DePaul reportedly said, “I’m pretty damn good.”

One of the youths claimed his tire went flat when it was hit by a bullet. The 15-year-old suspect reportedly admitted a “misunderstanding” with a man on the trail Wednesday.

Groups who use the trail met with county officials and members of law enforcement in June to talk about making the trail safer for them. Police stepped up patrols in Norristown. DePaul is a previous victim of a violent crime who had a permit to carry the weapon and is apparently a pretty good shot: he says he was aiming at the tire to blow it out, and that’s exactly what he did. Now DePaul is being charged with

criminal attempt at murder, criminal attempt at voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and related offenses and is being held in Montgomery County Prison on $250,000 cash bail.

And Risa Vetri-Ferman, whom I admire very much, has stated:

“The worst thing that can happen is if people start arming themselves.”

Seems to me, if people start arming themselves, or even if these punks THINK people are starting to arm themselves, they’ll be far less likely to get on their punky little BMX bikes and kick bikers in the ribs. Problem solved.

P.S. I’m available for jury duty for DePaul’s trial.

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Friday night Coffee Klatch with Dan McElhatton. Philly residents know him as a leading candidate for Philly’s District Attorney seat. He took time from his busy schedule visit my house and chat with guests about the issues facing this city. I want to thank Dan for making the case of why the city would benefit with him as Philly’s DA.

Coffee served was a Costa Rica medium and the desserts by Flying Monkey and Termini Bros. Delicious! I want to thank all my guests for attending this coffee talk and for all of your insightful questions for Dan.

A lively debate ensued between Dan and Patrick over topics such as gun control and crime in Philadelphia. The video does a good job of highlighting the common sense approach embraced by Dan on these issues.

Little Ava following in the footsteps of her beautiful and talented Auntie:

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Got this in an email forward, and as they say, a picture’s worth a thousand words.

I had to laugh, but it also got me wondering how the gun stocks were doing.  Click “more” to see, but generally, since November they’re up and beating the market.

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True to form, Fast Eddie has been hitting this issue hard out in Pittsburgh, exploiting the deaths of three police officers to enact his agenda. He continues to exploit Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski, claiming that had his assualt weapons ban been in place, that the gun that killed Liczbinksi would never have been available. This is a blatant lie on several different levels.

First of all, we already have laws on the books that should have prevented Liczbinski’s killers from having access to ANY firearm, not just an assault weapon. The animals who killed Liczbinski all had multiple arrests for firearms violation ALL OF WHICH WERE DISMISSED IN COURT. Finally, the semi-automatic Chinese SKS-Carbine that killed Liczbinski was not even on the list of weapons that Rendell wanted to ban in the original bill, which, when that was pointed out to the gun banning posse of Rendell, Mayor Nutter and Chief Ramsey, it led to one of Ramsey’s classier and more memorable quotes to date, “Well put it on the frikkin’ list, then.”

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Richard Poplawski, the animal who murdered three Pittsburgh policemen a few weeks ago, has become a poster boy for a suddenly outraged left who now see “terrorism” in the right wing (but only “man-caused disasters” from the “religion of peace”). From my column in today’s Times Herald:

In the wake of the Pittsburgh police shootings, there has been a lot of concerned commentary coming out of the left denouncing the right-wing, anti-government, pro-gun culture that supposedly nurtured and bred the animal otherwise known as cop killer Richard Poplawski.

Liberals, who can usually barely be roused from the latest issue of Vanity Fair to formulate an opinion on cop killings, suddenly discovered a new cause to back because, in their estimation, cop killing can now be identified as a function of the conservative culture of hate.

In a snarky conversation comparing Dick Cheney’s oh-so-relevant hunting accident (it happened more than three years ago) with the murder of the policemen in Pittsburgh, Markos “Daily Kos” Moulitsas quipped, “When we were out of power, we organized to win the next election. Conservatives, apparently prefer to talk ‘revolution’ and kill cops.”

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s liberal “humorist” Reg Henry, whose column appears in this space on Saturdays, spoke with disgust of the “mother’s milk” imbibed by the right: anti-government, pro-gun vitriol spewed by conservative talk show radio hosts.

Henry then quickly distanced himself from directly blaming Limbaugh, by first cowardly refusing to name him (lest a Lexis Nexis search by Limbaugh’s producers drag Mr. Henry into the awkward position of having to defend his thin accusations and tortured logic on a national stage) and by secondly claiming that “these hatemongers did not fire the fatal shots at the Pittsburgh police … but the killer took the general illogic to its logical conclusion.”

It should be noted here that Mr. Henry, in his righteous indignation, refused to give the killer “the perverse pleasure of naming him,” but didn’t dignify the fallen officers by naming them, either.

Instead, at the end of his column, Mr. Henry collectively calls Stephen Mayhle, Paul Sciullo II and Eric Kelly “needlessly dead heroes,” a moniker that rings hollow coming as it does after thorough politicization of their deaths.

Read my indictment of the real culture of cop killing here.

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The always thinking editors of the extremely sleazy Pittsburgh Post-Gazette know why Richard Poplawski murdered three Pittsburgh police officers – talk radio told him to do it:

But there will be time enough to consider how lunatic it is that an AK-47 assault rifle can find its way into the hands of a seething fool, to weigh the culpability of politicians who resist sensible limits on guns and to take to task the radio talk show hosts who foment evil by banging drums of hatred.

Talk show hosts who “foment evil”? Who are they? Al Franken? Randi Rhodes, maybe? I wonder who the PG could possibly be talking about? (Obviously the PG is talking about those evil racist hatemongers Jim Quinn, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Sean Hannity, but it’s fun to play dumb in the face of extreme stupidity)

Well, whoever they are, they must be on the air in Philly, too, since there are so many shootings over there. The next time they bring in some cop-killing gangbanger, maybe they should ask him how many hours a week he spends listening to Rush Limbaugh.

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People continue to seek firearms to defend thsmselves against the uncertain direction of the country.

Ruger, 3-month chart

Smith & Wesson, 3-month chart

How are your stocks doing?

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When I look around the country, I see the same thing that many of you see and that is the absolute absence of personal responsibility today. This is not a new phenomenon or a sudden epiphany that I have seen the light on. This is just the first time that I had the voice to lend to this observation. I’m not naïve about politics and know that most political parties rely on ignorance and apathy to maintain power, but it is the first time that I’ve seen its’ endemic use by a party to cement its’ power position and enslave a people. Yes I did say enslave, for what is it when a people relinquish all personal responsibility for the choices they make in their daily lives. From educating our children to protecting our families, from our success in business and the incomes we make to the choice of cars we buy. We the people, as a nation, are forgetting what it was that made us great, made us the envy of the whole world and every man, woman and child not lucky enough to be born in this great land.

The definition of a slave is “a person entirely under the domination of some influence or person”. Being entirely under the influence is the same no matter what manner or form it takes, whether it’s a drug like cocaine or suckling from teat of the Federal Government.

What most people don’t understand is that what we are seeing is our nation being dragged, kicking and screaming, down the path of Socialism. H.G. Bohn once wrote “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” Socialism is nothing but empty promises based on good intentions. Socialists want people to have equal outcomes so all people are the same and equal happiness, but people don’t work that way. People, and most especially Americans, are a competitive lot. We don’t like to lose, we don’t like to come in second place, and we absolutely positively cannot stand when someone gets in our way and tells us we can’t do something. So why are we standing for a Socialist President that says we can’t succeed unless “the Government”, translated meaning him, holds our hand and helps us every step of the way. In his world, the Wild West wouldn’t have been settled until a focus group in Washington had assembled the best and brightest theorists in exploration to discuss the Pros and Cons of moving past the Mississippi. We may have gotten around to it sometime in the late 20th Century instead of the 1800’s. The pioneers of the Old West would smack us silly if they saw what we were doing to our country and ourselves.

I have 3 children aged 11 almost 12, 9 and 20 months and all of this reminds me of two incidents that happened with my children in the past week.

My daughter is the 9 year old. My oldest son and she were arguing about something stupid, like most kids arguments are at this age. Anyway, my son said something to the effect to her that he was trying so hard because he wanted to be special. My daughter said back to him “Everybody’s special dummy.” At this point I had to chime in and said to her “If everybody’s special sweetie, then nobody is.” She was confused until I explained to her that most people are just ordinary people, going through their day oblivious to the big picture and happy in their ignorance. Then there are those people that are truly Extraordinary, people that act as a guide post to the expansion of the human experience and lead mankind out of the darkness and into the light. Mankind needs those people, men and women both, to act as the beacon to strive toward. Without them, the human race would stagnate and move backward and disappear into the mediocrity of history.

Yes I do speak like this with my children, but if they don’t understand what the words mean I hand them a dictionary and help them look it up. I know, tough love, but my children won’t be children forever.

The second incident happened this morning. My oldest son said he was sick and my wife let him stay home from school because of it. About 45 minutes after she headed to work and I was getting my other 2 children ready for school, I went in and checked on him. I found him quickly trying to shove his remote under his sheets after having quickly turned off his TV. I suspected he was trying to pull a fast one on us, but I trusted him. What a dumb parent I was. At this point I ordered him to get dressed for school and gave him an earful about honesty, integrity and consequences.

He was about 45 minutes late when we arrived at the school a little while later. I walked him into the office and told the secretary that he was just fine and he needed to go to class. She gave him his pass and sent him on his way. She then asked me to fill out the excuse form to put on file. On the form in the section labeled “Reason for Absence” I wrote Playing sick. She looked at the form and stopped for about 5 seconds without saying a word. I waited. She then asked me if I was sure that I wanted to write this because he would get an Unexcused Absence and have detention. I looked her dead in the eye and said “That’s his problem. He earned it.” She looked shocked. She slowly said “OoooK” and filed it.

I ask anyone reading this how was this wrong. My son or any of my other children will be responsible for their own actions, good or bad, right or wrong and reap the rewards or pay the consequences, whatever that may be.

What that let me know right there is that our teachers are educating our children that everyone is the same no matter their skills or intelligence and that the motto is not “3 strikes and you’re out” but that it really is “3 strikes and you’re not out, but will talk about what is making you misbehave and find out how you feel about being in trouble and then will give you another 40 chances and then you still won’t be out.” What kind of adults are we making them into?

That’s right, they are trying to make them into good little Socialists and in a Socialists Utopia nobody needs to grow up because the State will make all the hard decisions for you.

I’m just an American Nobody, just like you, but this needs to be stopped, but don’t you do what has become the American thing to do and let someone else do it for you. We need to stop outsourcing our responsibilities to other institutions and do what it has always been the quintessential American thing. We need to do it ourselves, in our homes, in our churches, in our families and in each and every one of our daily lives.

Our future is not written and it will be you and I that will decide what the pages of history compose about us and our times. Let’s not outsource our chapter to others. Sit down, grab the pen and do the hard work. It’s in our hands America.

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     “We are all Socialists Now” is the cheer coming from Newsweek on the cover of last weeks’ issue. I’m sure you can also hear them make this declaration with a joyous chant of “Yes We Can!” faintly screaming in the background. The poster boy for Socialism/Communism, President Obama, is only now missing a Hammer in one hand and a Sickle in the other.

     I’m waiting for the day when the revisionist teachers indoctrinated in the Marxist philosophy start telling my children that the Founding Fathers were actually not patriotic men trying to make a better country where all of their countrymen could seek their own futures as each person individually saw fit and we’re only limited by our own dreams, but were a bunch of rich white men just looking to protect their own personal monetary interests and the philosophy they followed of making the government derive its power from the people was a naïve concept from men that didn’t see past their own preconceptions of what good government can do for the people.

     Oh, wait. They already preach this nonsense to our kids. We do the deprogramming at home every day.

     I’m just a “nobody” here in America, just like the title says, but I’m not alone. This country was created by nobodies, nobodies from all corners of the world. These nobodies were looking for freedom, freedom to raise their children how they want, freedom to worship the God they want, freedom to seek happiness how they want, freedom to protect themselves when they needed, freedom to speak their minds honestly how they wanted about whom they wanted when they wanted and where they wanted without fear of retribution. They ran, swam, drove, sailed and flew toward a land where these freedoms were “Unalienable” and not provided by a benevolent government to the huddled masses, but declared to be born with them and afforded them by Almighty God, whatever that God may be that each of us believed in.

     Just like other “nobodies”, I’m tired. I’m tired of fighting the same fight over and over and over and over again, telling those that “Represent” us “No!” when they decide that really means “yes”.

     I was taught by my mother and father that as a man, when a woman says “no” she really means “no” and that’s the end of the conversation. To think she means anything else is wrong and is rape.

     So what does this mean everyone? We have said “no” and they did it anyway. Every last one of them that heard “yes” when we really said “no” with passion, with conviction, repeatedly through emails, letters, phone calls. I feel dirty, I feel used, and I feel betrayed. This can only mean one thing. It’s rape. We have all been raped. Yes I said it, Raped.

     What other word would you use when we have told them repeatedly to do as WE said, WE THE PEOPLE, and they decided that they were wiser, more intelligent, and more cosmopolitan to the ways of the real world and that we “Nobodies” didn’t understand the big picture?

This Stimulus Bill, the biggest Left-Wing special interest Pinko Commie power grab in American history has just finally done what no other piece of Garbage Drivel could have ever done except for the biggest lie to have dawned on the doorstep of human history, the Communist Manifesto, and that is this. They have just announced to the country and the world what their absolutely crystallized end game is in all of this, and that is to destroy the framework of this country, remove all vestiges of that which has made us the greatest power for truth and freedom in all of human civilization, and relegate us to their Penultimate Utopian Vision, the defunct and proven worthless Soviet Union.

     I have one word for them. NO! Not on my watch. My children will be raised in the sunshine of freedom, not doused in the darkness that is governmental tyranny. I served our nations’ military, not because I was hoping to oppress anyone, but because it was my chance to give something back to my country that so richly deserved everything I could give her. Whether this was “my life, my fortune or my sacred honor” as said in the Declaration of Independence, she deserves it and so much more, but if she continues down the path she’s being dragged, how can I teach my children to be willing to make this same sacrifice, especially being the father of a son who already says he wants to join the military and protect the country he loves. It almost breaks a man’s heart to see such love and devotion for our beloved country from my eldest son, and to have such a heavy weight on my heart for my country and her future.

     He is still young though. He still has time to enjoy the warm sunshine on his face and think a Childs’ thought, carefree and gentle. And it is still my charge to carry this burden, this weight and worry on my shoulders. It is not yet time to pass this on to our children and make this their Albatross. I will not falter, I will not fail, and will not pass the responsibility onto another until my job is done.

     Why?

     Because “I Am an American Nobody” surrounded by a land full of “American Nobodies”, my brothers and sisters all, and you and I will always protect our country from those who want to do her harm.

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Oops is an understatement.

Police are investigating the theft of more than $200,000 worth of guns from a truck outside a King of Prussia restaurant Sunday evening.

According to police, the incident happened in the parking lot of Kildaire’s Irish Pub in the 800 block of West Dekalb Pike at about 8:30 p.m.

Police say the guns belonged to a firearms dealer who was headed home from a gun show at the Valley Forge Convention Center.

I can’t imagine this was a random theft, but someone must have been following him from the show.

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Got some.  Here’s some red meat for you bitter clingers!

Chris Matthews:

I want to see people disarmed. I want people disarmed in our major cities. How’s that for a plan? I don’t think we should all be armed, and I don’t think more guns is the answer. I think it’s wacky to say that the solution to armed robbery and killing in our streets in big cities is to put more arms in the streets.

And they have video!  The campaign ads write themselves.

I’ll be spending a lot of time in the NB Chris Matthews archive!

EDIT: I found that quote where he calls Reagan Democrat PA voters “culturally conserative on the racial front“.

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Bitter clingers, your undivided attention is needed.

Please Contact Mayor Luke Ravenstahl Immediately!

Earlier this week, the Pittsburgh City Council took a final vote and passed an ordinance that would require gun owners to report the loss or theft of firearm within a 72-hour period or face fines and possible imprisonment. The measure will now go to the Mayor for his signature or veto.

This ordinance violates Pennsylvania’s preemption statute; Title 18, Section 6120, “Limitation on municipal regulation of firearms and ammunition.” This section specifically states that, “No county, municipality or township may in any manner regulate the lawful ownership, possession, transfer or transportation of firearms, ammunition or ammunition components when carried or transported for purposes not prohibited by the laws of this Commonwealth.”

This ordinance may also be in conflict with Article 1, Section 21 of the Constitution of Pennsylvania which states, “The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the state shall not be questioned.” However, the Pittsburgh City Council is thumbing its nose at the Constitution. Councilwoman Tonya Payne (District 6) even had the nerve to say, “Who really cares about it being unconstitutional?”

State preemption regulating firearms was enacted by the legislature to avoid the possibility of 2,639 separate firearm laws across the Commonwealth. Without preemption there would be a myriad of local firearm laws making compliance impossible for law-abiding gun owners.

Please contact Mayor Luke Ravenstahl (D) TODAY and respectfully urge him to oppose this illegal and unwarranted attack on our Second Amendment rights. The Mayor can be reached by phone at (412) 255-2626, by fax at (412) 255-2687, or email mayorcompl@city.pittsburgh.pa.us

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Writing in today’s Inquirer (but linked elsewhere because of the Inky’s crappy website) Chris Satullo bemoans the fact that the residents of the conservative “T” in Pennsylvania are preventing any meaningful gun control legislation from getting passed in the state.  As Satullo puts it:

Rallying churches in Philadelphia to oppose gun violence is one thing. Getting believers out in the pro-gun turf of Pennsylvania’s “T,” the swath between and above the Philly and Pittsburgh regions, to risk a fresh conversation is another, harder thing.

So how to get around the closed minded bitter clingers and get them to “risk” that “fresh conversation? 

Heeding God’s Call: A Gathering for Peace, an interfaith dialogue that hopes to attract about 700 people from congregations around the state to Center City during King Day weekend. The effort will urge Pennsylvania gun shops to adopt the helpful code of conduct just endorsed by Wal-Mart, America’s leading gun merchant.

(…)

Bryan Miller has been trying to spread the word in places such as Lancaster and Berks Counties. Miller, head of Ceasefire New Jersey and former head of its Pennsylvania counterpart, sees promise that quiet talk with clergy may succeed where more common tactics of advocacy — marches, jawboning, speeches — have fallen short.

“Advocacy is like climbing a ladder,” he likes to say. “If you try to skip a few rungs, you’re likely to fall. The first rungs are grass-roots outreach and dialogue.”

So Miller, a Haddonfield resident who doesn’t drive, has been hitching rides with volunteers out to the T, to talk with clergy groups about guns and religion. The words “bitter” or “cling” never pass his lips.

Neither does the phrase “gun control.”

“I tell them that all we’re about is preventing gun violence,”

One wonders why a Haddonfield resident is crusading in Pennsylvania.  One further wonders why Mr. Miller or Mr. Satullo, for that matter, would think that anyone, no matter where they live, would be against the type of random gun violence that is crushing our inner cities.  Satullo doesn’t elaborate on what Miller’s goals are other than to briefly affiliate him with Ceasefire NJ and a “PA Affilate” organization, but it seems like this little “Gathering for Peace” is less about “preventing gun violence”, which is not a problem in rural Pennsylvania, and more about trying to convice rural Pennsylvania clergyman to tell their congregations that God wants them to give up their guns.

God OR Guns?  They’ve created a Pennsyltucky dilemma!   What a brilliant plan, Satullo!  Those smart city slickers are way too clever for those dumb ole rubes in the conservative “T”.

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Yes and it’ll take a sizeable portion of the United States Marine Corps to take it from my cold, dead hands. Next question?

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That’s question # 59 on the questionnaire Obama is using to vet his cabinet.

WSJ’s Brendan Miniter reports via Political Diary (subscriber’s only):
The questionnaire goes on to insist that a gun-owning jobseeker “provide complete ownership and registration information,” and asks: “Has the registration ever lapsed? Please also describe how and by whom it is used and whether it has been the cause of any personal injuries or property damage.”

South Carolina Republican Sen. Jim DeMint believes the incoming administration is biased against gun owners in its hiring. “The questionnaire already seeks information about illegal activity so there is no reason to ask this question unless the Obama Administration plans to use it to discriminate based on lawful activity,” he wrote an email blasted out to supporters recently. The senator plans to follow up by introducing federal legislation making it illegal to discriminate against someone for the simple fact that they lawfully own a firearm.

It’s not for nothing that there’s been a run on guns since Obama’s election. It’s a bit of an ominous sign for those of us who believ in the Second Amendment.

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