ATLAS SHRUGGED: the movie

Last weekend, selected movie theaters across the county began showing the movie, “Atlas Shrugged”.  For those not in the know, the movie is based on the MASTERPIECE written by Ayn Rand, which has been one of the highest selling fiction books of all-time!  She (Ayn Rand) wrote this book in the 1950’s and interjected a lot of her philosophy of man as well as her sentiments/beliefs on the true nature of capitalism.  Unfortunately, this happens to be a topic that is frowned upon these days.  Huge movements of aimless masses currently march in protest at various state capitals throughout the country.  Why?  Well, it basically boils down to the fact that these angry mobs of zero-liability voters are turned inside-out over the idea that they just might have to actually contribute to their own retirement and/or pension plans IF they happen to be a state worker.  In their eyes, they DESERVE the free money, high job stability, several weeks of paid vacation, excellent health/fringe benefits, and insane pension payouts!  In their eyes, they DESERVE these things MORE THAN YOU because they think that state employees (people who work for the government) are in a class of their own.  They have obviously forgotten the fact that as a public sector employee they already share a dramatically increased level of job security.  Compared to the millions of unemployed private sector employees these people are very, very lucky.  It is a crying shame that they have taken this simple fact for granted.  It’s a shame that being gainfully employed just isn’t enough for some people.  They want more!  They want more and they want YOU to pay for it.

The concepts that create the central theme in “Atlas Shrugged” are pretty simple.  Each man (man = generic pronoun for man or woman) has the ability…no, the opportunity to carve out his own destiny.  That each man has the power within himself to be as successful as he wants to be.  That a man’s property belongs solely to him and NOT to the government…or anyone/anything else…period!  Like I said, the idea behind Ayn Rand’s masterpiece is pretty simple and happens to coincide with the traditional ideas that created the “American Dream”.  It’s an obvious overstatement that every single solitary soul living in America today WILL be as successful as he or she wants to be.  Circumstance and opportunity can sometimes skip over a person or two.  We call that “bad luck“…but with that being said, the idea is sound and set upon solid foundation!  In America, we are free to reap the benefits of our hard work!  We are free to exploit our good fortune if we so desire!  In America, we are essentially free to simply be!  Well, we’re supposed to be, anyways.  My, how things have significantly changed in our country over the past 100 years especially when you measure against what the “idea” of America is supposed to…when you measure it against the “American Dream”.

Would you consider it to be tyrannical if a leader of a country gets whatever he/she wants?  During the time of the Kings, the simple philosophy was “what the King wants the King gets“.  If anyone stood in his way then God have mercy on his soul!  I think it’s safe to say that we can agree such a tactic is tyrannical.  Plain and simple.  Now, instead of the example of a King…think of the American government.  Would it be a fair statement…an accurate statement…if I said “what the government wants the government gets“?  Can you think of an instance where this wouldn’t be true here in the U.S.?  We still have eminent domain issues, class warfare (generated by politics), and a lopsided progressive tax policy which punishes one’s success!  Think of the mountains of obstacles standing in your way if you simply want to start your own small business!  Hell, there’s actually a pretty good chance that you won’t be ALLOWED to engage in business activities let alone actually start your own company if you don’t jump through every hoop the government puts in front of you!  I think it would be safe to say that if you sat down and thought about it then you wouldn’t be able to think of very many things IN YOUR OWN LIFE that the government doesn’t have their fingers in.  Is this right?  Is this what the Americans of the 1700’s had in mind when they violently fought for the right to be left alone?  Oh…I would love to sit down and have a conversation, right now, with George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and the likes!  I would love to hear what they would have to say about the state of our union.

Atlas Shrugged is a masterpiece because it reminds us of the simplicity that is the “American way”.  There is a dark side of the book that requires the reader to reason with, too.  The darkness of the book is based on the fact that major industrialists, capitalists, businessmen, and individuals simply give up.  There is no confrontation even remotely similar to the Boston Tea Party in the book.  There is no violent uprising and there certainly aren’t any rallies or protests found in any state capital or public square!  Instead, the heroes of the book initially surrender and give up.  At first, this makes the reader wonder what the heck is going on.  It makes the reader reason with what he/she knows is right compared to what Ayn Rand is writing about.  It makes the reader, perhaps, even deal with a bit of depression!  The major industrialists and entrepreneurs of America are under assault by the federal government by way of legislation that makes it illegal to make “too much profit” (The Equalization of Opportunity Act) or for one person/company to own more than one business (the Anti Dog-Eat-Dog Rule).  The government eventually singles out the entire state of Colorado because (in the book) there is a surplus of success, opportunity, and profits coming from that state.  The way they, the government, sees it is IF they can simply bring the industrialists down…bring the entire state of Colorado down…then the rest of America won’t feel so bad because now everyone will be equal.  The reaction of the industrialists to these tyrannical acts of legislation is to throw their hands up…surrender…quit…and just go away.  They leave eveything behind.  They simply vanish.

Like I said, at first, the reader has to contend with the notion that the heroes of the story are giving up rather than standing up and fighting the good fight.  As the reader progresses through the story, however, he/she becomes aware of the strategy behind their acts of surrender…and it’s genius!

Imagine, just for a second, that the founders/CEO’s of companies like MicroSoft, Apple, Haliburton, Wal-Mart, and Exon-Mobil closed their doors, burned their stores to the ground, fired everyone, and then vanished into thin air.  What would the plausible scenario be IF something like this were to happen?  We all complain about companies like these from time to time…we belly-ache about how big they are or how much money they make…don’t we?  Well, what if they all closed shop tomorrow?  Would the general economic impact be positive or negative?  I don’t think it takes an economist to understand the likely scenario (aftershock) in this hyperbolic situation.

We need to remember WHY these companies are as big and successful as they are!  It’s not because of luck, but rather because of hard work, excellent leadership, and a capitalistic mindset guiding them towards the goal of higher profits and better products.  Why do we want to punish this?  Why have we allowed the government to live so far outside of its means that it feels the only thing left to do is to pile on and punish the successful portion of our society/economy?  This is one of the reasons why “Atlas Shrugged” is one of the most widely published books (fiction) of all time!  It’s because the story in the book speaks to us!  We see these things actually going on around us…right now!  The government is growing more and more tyrannical and the masses are growing more and more dependent.  This, my friends, is NOT right.  This is NOT how it’s supposed to be!  WE ALL KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE!  Yet, we continue to allow things to get worse.  We allow the government to get away with things that make us sick to our stomach because the government has done a successful job making you feel as if there’s really nothing you can do about it.  We have collectively grown into a complacent society that is way too dependent upon “The Man”.  Throughout history, this has never been a successful scenario for the people of such a nation.  NEVER!

Ayn Rand is an unapologetic capitalist and many of the characters in her book, Atlas Shrugged, reflect such a sentiment.  To some, this may feel…or sound…like a bad thing.  It may simply be a mindset (overtly capitalistic) that rubs the wrong way.  These are all “feelings”, however.  Feelings are personal and don’t affect anyone other than you.  Capitalism, in its untarnished and unfettered form, is superior to all other forms of governance or policy.  The reason this is true is because of what capitalism does…at its core!  It makes the individual stronger!  It makes the individual the leader of his/her own life and because of that the individual is a strong entity.  Capitalism focuses on the individual, BUT when individuals become strong they become a strong collective society.  Capitalism tries to nudge…to push…to propel people upward and onward; it tries to bring people up!  The antithesis of capitalism (which is a planned society or some form of socialism) strives to bring people DOWN so they’re all the same.  It’s easier to bring people down into equality compared to bringing them up.  It takes hard work to really allow capitalism to establish roots in a society.  It’s much easier to give power to an elected group of bureacrats in order to make decisions for us.  The easy way is usually NOT the right way.

The American Left (democrats, socialists, progressives, communists, etc…) does NOT want you to read “Atlas Shrugged”.  The American Left does NOT want you to see the movie, either!  Why?  Because they don’t want you to remember!  They don’t want you to be influenced by things that ring true at your core!  Because they don’t want to give up control.  They don’t want to work hard and they certainly don’t want to leave things up to you…the individual.  They don’t want you to see this movie so badly that they made it damn near impossible for the movie to be made!  There are no big-name producers attached to this film; there are no big-name actors involved with the movie; there wasn’t a lot of capital available for the film to be made!  The producers of this movie had a shoestring budget (as far as movies go and compared to the norm) and zero support from Hollywood, yet they still made the movie!  In fact, they did a pretty damn good job, too. 

As a person who sees a lot of movies (really, I see A LOT of movies), I feel like my eye for acknowledging good or bad film making is pretty darn accurate.  I can easily spot when a movie was poorly put together or, on the other hand, masterfully created.  I’m not going as far to say that the movie Atlas Shrugged was masterfully put together, but I am willing to say that it was very well made.  It was actually much better than I thought after I learned that the movie didn’t even have a budget of $10 million!  I can easily say that I was pleasantly surprised with nearly every facet of the film.  Sure, there were things that I think could have been done better and there were parts of the book that I wished they would have implemented better into the movie…but all in all, it was a really good film.  It’s not an action movie so don’t expect to be riddled with excitement and shifting plots or dramatic climax moments. 

I wish they would have spent more time on the dialogue in the movie and made it more like the narrative of the book.  I wish they would have implemented more of Rand’s philosophy into the conversations between characters.  Like I said, however, there are things I would have done differently, but I can’t complain.  I’m very proud of the production team who put the movie together and I truly hope that the movie turns a profit so they’ll feel compelled to make parts 2 and 3.  I hope freedom-loving Americans will get off of their couches and go see this movie in order to support the film maker, but also to send a message that this genre has an interested market.

Who is John Galt?

 

Another Unprecendented “Obamidea”: TORTURE?

Recently, President Barrack Hussein Obama made an unprecedented decision to explore any and all legal action against former president, George W. Bush (as well as his staff and advisors) for alleged illegal forms of interrogation tactics.  President Obama is very clearly outlining his legal action as an opportunity to adopt a trans-national legal system, which is supposed to increase the morality of our great nation.  In his historically unprecedented decision to seek legal judgments against a former president, Obama is attempting to define “torture” as anything that makes the subject uncomfortable (be it mental, emotional, spiritual, or physical).

The good thing about having a president who is more concerned about the well-being of America’s sworn enemies than allowing our soldiers (and various civil servants) access to information-gathering techniques is that it opens up a plethora of opportunities for us (the common man) to seek reparations when confronted with the following torture tactics:

1 – if your wife is yelling, nagging, or pestering you in a manner that causes any discomfort…
2 – if your boss ever belittles you (privately or publicly)…
3 – if you are one of the primitive parents who spanks their small children or isolates them by using the highly tortuous technique known to millions of emotionally terrorized children as “time out”…
4 – if you ever watch (intentionally or by force) Countdown With Kweith Oldermann…
5 – if your wife emotionally terrorizes you by withholding adequate sexual companionship…
6 – if police officers humiliate you by pulling you over for a traffic violation in front of anyone who might recognize you…
7 – if your children’s school teacher assigns your child too much homework that leads to sleep depravation…
8 – if you are ever forced to go to work because your inconsiderate boss insists upon you busting your butt for at least 40 long, hard hours per week, but NEVER asks if you’d rather be doing something else…
9 – if your in-laws ever stop by for a visit (announced or otherwise)…
10 – if you are refused the level of compensation you feel comfortable with…

…then CHIN UP!!!  There’s HOPE for you that you can certainly believe in!  Our glorious president has found it wise to punish those who would attempt to make your life a living hell and he’s prepared to go all the way for you!  No longer will you have to live at the beck and call of bosses, wives, police officers, or parents!  If it can be somewhat proven (and the ACLU, in conjunction with ACORN, has let it be known that they will be more than happy to prove it for you…for a nominal tax-deductible contribution) that you have been subjected to ANY form of torture (as defined by Pres. Obama) then, my friend, you will be entitled to:

– free stimulus checks for life (tax-free up to the point where you are no longer “rich”…which is also defined by Pres. Obama).
– your choice of torture-free punishment to be inflicted upon the terrorists who terrorized you.
– a front row, middle aisle seat to no more than THREE of President Obama’s famous Town Hall meetings (so long as you don’t block the teleprompter).
– an arm wrestling match and subsequent “hip-hop abs” sessions with First Lady, Michelle Obama.
– a spiritual face-to-face sit down (and free lunch…provided by the tax payers) with Pres. Obama’s mentor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
– a guest appearance on Oprah and The View.
– a one-year unrestricted pass to classified government documents (which you may or may not decide to give to Sandy Berger…it’s completely up to you…no one’s forcing you…).
– an opportunity to get drunk with Bo (The First Dog) just before dinner, which could be redeemed for an all-night drinking and hooker-killing extravaganza with the Lion, Ted (hiccup) Kennedy.
– an opportunity to bowl against the in-house Obama bowling team, which consists of twelve door-knob humping Special Olympics gold medalists.
– an all expense paid trip to nine Muslim countries with the president where you will be obliged to join in on some good old fashioned America bashing (as long as you bow before all of the kings of the region as well as french-kiss their hands first).
– an obligatory opportunity to break dance (live) on the Ellen Degeneress Show (as well as an obligatory make-out session afterwards).
– a chance to teach the Obama children about what it means to NOT be proud of your country.
– a trip (by virtue of an Army Fighter Jet…with escorts…and as many friends as you care to bring with you) to Tennessee where you will be able to live as Al Gore for one full day including access to all of Gore’s houses, boats, planes, and earth-saving business secrets (including the secret of how to make millions of tax-exempt dollars under the guise of global warming prevention).  NOTE: you will not be granted access to Gore’s secret facility where he is still working on perfecting his little invention…the internet.
– a three night, two day trip to anywhere in the world with former president Bill Clinton where you will be able to do anything you want to any female you choose (as long as she is slightly over weight or could be mistaken for a man).
– become Timmy Geithner’s “tutor of the day” where you will read (aloud) to him any economics book you choose!
– be allowed to participate on next season’s “The Biggest Loser” with Janet Napolitano as your partner.
– personally welcome the next 100,000 illegal immigrants with a hand shake, gift card to Applebee’s, and free membership to the ACLU.
– and become the next CEO of the company of your choosing (as long as you can agree to a base salary of $1 per year with no bonuses).

Now, that’s some change you can believe in!  Only in America!

 

Urban Movie Watching: a talent or ability???

So, tonight I dredged through the trenches of urban movie-watching in the greater New York City area.  I was simply in search of some good cinematic entertainment where I could kick back, relax, and allow myself to be taken away for a couple of hours.  You see, for me, watching movies is a total hobby.  I enjoy it much like other people enjoy golfing or shopping.  Don’t get me wrong…I love swinging my sticks on the fairways as much as the next guy, but I really enjoy watching movies.  Most of the movies I watch are by myself, which most people find odd, but it makes complete sense to me.  I enjoy the down time and I enjoy the escape.  No need to laugh out loud at every perfectly written quip just to let the person next to me know that I fully understood the humor.  No, I get to enjoy the films for what they really are: ENTERTAINMENT. 

I feel that I have the art of movie-watching down to a science.  Screen-writers need to really be on their “A game” if they’re going to impress me and cinematographers, editors, actors, as well as directors are extremely easy to sniff out if they’re a hack.  Those who know me know that if I recommend a movie then it’s a safe bet that other people should be able to enjoy it.  I have great taste in movies and I absolutely do NOT fall for the hook, line, and sinker comments from so called “professional movie critics” who try to tell us that “Brokeback Mountain” was one of the best movies ever!  In order to maintain my level of amateur movie criticism, I need to be able to WATCH the film.  When viewing a film in any of our country’s numerous urban areas, just being able to WATCH a movie is easier said than done….which begs the question: is being able to really enjoy a movie in urban-America a developed talent or a God-given ability?

I decided to watch the recently released Bernie Mac/Samuel Jackson movie, Soul Men.  It’s featured as a comedy/musical, which I thought would be a stretch if Samuel Jackson was starring in it.  There’s only so many roles an angry rich black man can play…and comedic roles usually aren’t the ticket.  I will admit that I was pleasantly surprised by Mr. Jackson’s acting, but it was quite obvious that he was well outside of his comfort zone by being in a movie that was quite litterally a complete knee-slapper!  Bernie Mac (God rest his sole) was a genius in this film!  His natural antics were allowed to flow freely, which was a clever move by the director.  I really, really enjoyed the movie…but I wonder how much more I would have enjoyed it had I been able to actually HEAR the damn movie!

Now, I’m going to make a few quantitative statements in order to set the scene and as God is my witness, all of them are absolutely accurate (as close as they can be without exaggerating):

In the theater, I was the only white person (literally).

There were at least 100 people in the theater for the duration of the film.

There were at least a dozen people who entered the theater, walked around, chatted, then left.

There were at least five children under the age of four years old (and this was a faily vulgar film, mind you).

There were at least four cell phone interruptions during the duration of the film.

There were at least four cell phone conversations that followed the cell phone interruptions (I kid you not).

There was at least one argument between a boyfriend/girlfriend (pimp/ho…ha ha ha, just kidding) that literally went on during the movie.

I was “patted down” after I moved through a metal detector to get into the theater.

There was only TWO employees working the concession stand, which had a line consisting of at least twenty-five people (the other employees were folding boxes, sweeping floors, talking on cell phones, etc…).

I fully understand the danger in allowing oneself to become succeptable to embracing stereotypes as truth because, for the most part, stereotypes are generalizations of a large group of people that are not always true.  In the case of urban movie-watching, however, the stereotypes are all 100% true!  This, of course, would imply that there no longer exists a stereotype in these regards…which I whole heartedly agree with.  Making the following statement (as generalized as it is) is no longer available to be labeled as a stereotype: black people can not watch a movie without being loud, abnoxious, inconsiderate, and rude.  It is almost as if it is completely against their genetic code to simply sit down and quietly watch a movie…or at least allow the other movie-goers to enjoy the movie.  This is NOT the first time I have observed this rude phenomenon while watching a movie in an urban area.  In fact, I can honestly say that I have NEVER watched a movie in an urban area without shaking my head in utter disbelief at some moment during the film.  Because I have been involved in so many sampling opportunities in order to fully concoct an opinion it is extremely easy for me to say that black people have no regard for anyone other than themselves…when inside the movie theater.  It’s clearly a cultural phenomenon!

Because it is evident that this is no longer a “stereotype” due to the large amounts of experience I have had then it is also safe to say that these statements and observations are in no way, shape, or form to be considered as racist.  Acknowledging the absolute truth does not make one a racist.  Ignoring it does.  It is an absolute truth that said stereotype does not exist.

It can also be said that trying to watch a movie in a theater filled with junior high school students would be equally as disappointing and annoying.  I’m not at all claiming that black people are the only group who makes watching movies a pain in the ass.  There’s just way too many experiences in way too many cities across our country (Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, Philladelphia, Baltimore, Louisville,  Indianapolis, etc…) to ignore the commonality that exists.  IN EVERY SINGLE LOCATION WHERE AT LEAST 90% OF THE MOVIE AUDIENCE WAS BLACK IT WAS THE EXACT SAME…IMPOSSIBLE TO ENJOY THE MOVIE WITHOUT DEALING WITH HOOTING, HOLLERING, CLAPPING, CELL PHONES, OUTLANDISH LAUGHING, CHITTER-CHATTER, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH…

For the life of me, I can’t understand the disrespect (which is how I personally see it…disrespect).  It doesn’t make sense to me, but then again, I’m not black.  I can joke about this with my black friends and they are all in unison with my sentiments, but none of them seem sympathetic in the least.  None of them can explain it, either.  It truly is a cultural phenomenon that pisses me off.

Maybe Barack Obama can save us from this misery, too?  After all, he is the Annointed One!

 

Have you been sMITTen, yet???

According to most political pundits and talking-heads across the country, presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has been gathering momentum (also known as, “moMITTum” to Mitt-heads across the nation), exposure, and support at a rate much higher than Hillary’s frequency of Botox injections!  In fact, Mitt Romney has been earning national respect from voters quicker than Bill Clinton can think of excuses not to sleep in the same room as his wife!  In the past three GOP debates, Governor Romney has blown-up the field by showing off his witt, charisma, knowledge, and public speaking skills.  It has been evident since the beginning that Gov. Romney has continuously kept himself one step ahead of his competitors with invigorating ideas, well thought-out comments, and pithy (but remarkably substantive) rebuttles to statements made by his competitors and/or ridiculous questions asked by the moderators.  However, it’s not like John McCain and Ron Paul have really made it difficult for him, either!

   

For the third straight time, Mitt Romney has “won” the debate by focusing on the fundamentals of his presidental campaign platform: The Strength of American FAMILIES, the Strength of the ECONOMY, and the Strength of the MILITARY.  Basically, it’s a full-frontal assault focusing on “STRENGTH” instead of weakness…which (unfortunately) is the shameful approach of the [other] presidential nominees running out of the political party symbolically represented by a jackass.  No kidding.  With all of the vitriol spewing from the Demoncratic Party’s foaming mouths regarding anything America (Bush) has done in an effort to fight and combat radical Islam, the Left has conveniently (yet again) avoided producing alternate solutions to this growing issue.  Heh…it’s almost as if the Demoncratic Party wants to campaign on a “platform of change“, but fool the American people by never actually submitting ideas for change!!!  [I GUESS NO ONE CAN BLAME THEM SINCE IT SEEMED TO WORK RATHER WELL IN NOVEMBER OF 2006]  It has been a pleasant surprise, however, to see a major presidential nominee focus so intently on the current status of the American family companioned by his sincere intent to strengthen the family unit here in the U.S.A., which is one of the more astute and original platforms to build upon as a politician.  The American family unit has been under attack for the better part of three decades and the deterioration of this family unit has been the fundamental reason for our decaying society.  If anyone can help strengthen the central aspect of the overall strength of our country (the family unit) then that person is without a doubt the former Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachussetts, Mitt Romney.  It simply doesn’t get any better than him.  Period.

   

Time after time, Gov. Romney has professionally deflected the ridiculous questions about his faith by combining them with his personal (but not necessarily religious) beliefs about social morals, integrity, family strength, and honesty.  The “main-scream” media is not about to ease up on their bombastic and shameful attacks on Mitt Romney, but there is a silver-lining to this strategy of trying to weaken Romney through his religous affiliation.  If anyone can turn a negative into a positive it is Governor Romney and he’s proven this ability countless times in his professional career, political career, and in the case of the 2002 Winter Olympics.  Now he is doing the same thing with the attempts to label him as a wreckless religious icon by fielding each and every question with his head held high and enveloping the question with sincere-driven comments of his personal values and comittments, which are second-to-none.  There hasn’t been a presidential hopeful with more courage, more private-sector success, more moral character, or more integrity than Governor Mitt Romney.  There just simply hasn’t been anyone and I defy the person who says there has!  He’s been married only once; has never fathered a child out of wed-lock; does not drink alcohol, use drugs, or use tobacco; he has TWO degrees from Harvard; has never been involved with personal, professional, or political scandal; he’s a self-made millionaire through businesses that he personally got off the ground; has never been in trouble with the law; he’s rescued several “blue-chip” Fortune 500 companies from disaster and turned them into household names (can anyone say, “Staples”???  How about “Dominos Pizza”???); and has never impugned his integrity in order to get something of value.  He attends church services regularly and garners his life by the teachings of Jesus Christ, whom he has proclaimed as his one and only personal Lord and Savior.  The actual name of the church he attends is: The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Personally, I can’t think of one single Christian denomination (besides the “Church of Christ“, or “Community of Christ“) that has the literal name of “Jesus Christ” in it besides the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!  I’m not inferring anything by that comment except for the fact that the mere name of his church reflects that they are very much oriented towards worshiping, understanding, and believing in Jesus Christ…the first fundamental aspect of “Christianity“.  If the media and his opponents want to label him as “non-Christian” then they obviously haven’t a clue as to what they’re talking about because I feel that there has NEVER been more of a Christ-like person running for the office of Commander in Chief than Mitt Romney…and no, I’m not forgetting that Pat Robertson, Al Sharpton, and Jesse Jackson (what a JOKE) have recently made attempts to become POTUS (President of the United States)!  In fact, I bet there are more people in America whom refuse to call Al Sharpton, Pat Robertson, and Jesse Jackson by their self-proclaimed titles of “Reverend” than there are whom truly do support their titular rankings in Christianity!  Now, THAT would be an interesting national poll, wouldn’t you think?

   

America would benefit mightily by the leadership and moral character of Mitt Romney and Mormons across the world can easily say that Mitt Romney would NEVER use his religion or religious beliefs to mitigate, arbitrate, or force his agenda through the system.  In fact, not even his own church (The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-Day Saints) has publicly endorsed him because THAT’S NOT WHAT THE MORMON CHURCH GETS INVOLVED WITH!  The LDS church has always been apolitical in everything they have done; and they’ve never actively (or financially) promoted, supported, or fought against any political party or individual politician!  You will NEVER hear a Mormon Bishop (equivilant to a pastor or preacher in other Christian churches) stand up in front of the congregation and submit his ideas for or against a politician/political party.  You may hear some Mormons get rather vociferous about certain social issues and laws, but they will never use their church to endorse a politician.  It just simply doesn’t happen, nor will it ever!  While other churches use their influence to nudge their paritioners or congegation to “vote a certain way” or to “support a certain politician”, the Mormon church will never be a part of such practice.  So, with all of this evidence supporting the idea that Mitt Romney will be the Commander in Chief, first…father, second…Mormon, third…why is there so much angst, vitriol, and fear that having a Mormon president will be detrimental to the country as a whole?  Do they not realize that most Mormons are usually the highest regarded moral examples of their respective communities and neighborhoods?  Do they not realize that Mormons are usually the most actively participating members of Christianity 365 days a year?  Not always…but usually!  Of course, there are always some bad apples from every apple tree, but as a whole I think it is safe to say that the Mormon community is rather solid in their character, morals, and actions…[and NO, the Mormon church does NOT practice polygamy (a widely held opinion of many)].  Gee-whiz, wouldn’t it be nice to finally have someone as president who exhibits such a high moral code?  With the world apparently crashing down in overall morality and integrity, I think it is high time that the country set-apart as the world leader put a man in the Oval Office with such a pristine, unshakable character towards the greater good of humanity.  I think it’s about time that America put a man in office who will use the Oval Office desk as a tool to write law, veto ridiculous spending, balance the budget, manage wars, and protect the American family…instead of using it as a “stripper’s pole at a cheap late night brothel”!

   

I stand committed to the support of Mitt Romney for our nation’s next Commander in Chief because I feel very strongly that Gov. Romney possesses every important skill/ability that we not only expect out of a president, but desperately need.  I feel strongly that I can tell anyone that, if elected, Mitt Romney will not get involved with the personal scandals that have flooded the scene of our past leaders.  He will clean up Washington D.C. and put an end to pork-barrell spending that has crippled our nation’s financial situation.  He will lower taxes and make living in this great country much easier as well as enjoyable.  He will strengthen our military across the board.  He will restructure our beurocratic entitlement and social systems into a much more refined and successful program.  He will work towards the goal of making sure that EVERY American has sufficient health-care provisions.  He will highlight and focus on education for our children; turning this issue into success instead of rhetoric.  He will fight to keep American jobs on American soil.  He will work vigorously on strengthening the family unit and making America a more convenient place for the establishment of family values.  He will protect traditional marriage as being between a man and a woman.  He will fight to restore sovereignty to the states and give them more opportunities to reflect the values of those living in their respective states; such as abortion and taxes…after all, why else do we even have 50 states if they’re not sovereign?  He will never give up on the current war on terror, which threatens the security of the world.  He will institute a broad foreign policy that will put America back on the pedestal as the leading nation of nations (based on a theory that he believes in, which is that “politics end at our nation’s shore-lines”).  Why do I claim that he will do these things?  Simple.  He’s done them in the past already!  Everything he sought out to accomplish as Governor in one of the most liberal states in the country he has accomplished, thus leaving the state in pristine condition upon his exit after only four years!  [IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT HE ACCOMPLISHED EVERYTHING IN THE COMMONWEALTH WITHOUT RAISING TAXES…EVER!]  He’s a man of his word and puts a high priority on honesty and integrity; what he says he’ll do is exactly what he will do and there is NO evidence to the contrary.  He could be the best thing to happen to the U.S.A. since the World War II era.  It’s almost as if he’s too good to be true!

THOUGHT:  The attractive things about Mitt Romney have been his professional successes, political successes, 2002 Winter Olympic success, family success, intellectual successes, communicating abilities, leadership qualities, and character.  He personally exhibits all of these strengths with every step he takes and the national media (the outfits who actually support viable candidates from the GOP) is quick to realize this and bring it to the front and center.  However, a good question to ask (or at least think about) is whether or not Mitt Romney would be the same man today (with ALL of his current successes, strengths, and accomplisments) if he were not a member of the Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-Day Saints???  Would it be fair to say that Mitt Romney is the man who he is today because he is a Mormon?  What if he were a Catholic?  A Baptist?  Agnostic?  An Athiest?  Would he still have the same values, skills, and experience?  Better yet, if he did still have the same values and skills then would he still be a glimmering example by his life’s actions and decisions?  I’m not going to comment on this, but rather pose this thought in a codified manner and leave it at that.  It’s an interesting thought to process in your mind and may help some of you get passed the idea of his relationship with the Mormon church as being something negative instead of something positive.

QUOTES FROM GOV. MITT ROMNEY ON FAMILY VALUES AND STRENGTH:

“‘…talk makes no sense when you’re not getting anything done. We need someone who understands that it’s the results we’re after. And we need a president who understands that the strength of America is not in Washington, D.C. – it’s in our people, it’s in our churches, it’s in our businesses. It’s in thousands of volunteer associations all across this country that make our country better every day, and if our government could just get out of the way, America all by itself would just become greater and greater.'”

“People, not government, are the source of America’s strength.  There is no place that is more important to the future strength of America than the American home.”

“What is the culture of this country, what are our underpinnings? We respect hard work … We are self reliant, we respect human life, we are a religious people… We are a purpose-driven people founded on the family unit. I think every child deserves to have a mother and a father.”

“America cannot continue to lead the family of nations around the world if we suffer the collapse of the family here at home.”

“American values are at the heart of America’s historic rise to world leadership. These include, among others, respect for hard work, sacrifice, civility, love of family, respect for life, education and love of freedom. To remain a superpower in the world we must continuously and vigorously reaffirm these key components that have led to America’s greatness as a country.”

ON ABORTION:

“I am pro-life. I believe that abortion is the wrong choice except in cases of incest, rape, and to save the life of the mother. I wish the people of America agreed, and that the laws of our nation could reflect that view. But while the nation remains so divided over abortion, I believe that the states, through the democratic process, should determine their own abortion laws and not have them dictated by judicial mandate.”

 

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: Who’s to blame…really?

Amnesty was granted (more or less) for illegal aliens during the Reagan administration of the 1980’s.  I was too young to really understand what the jibber-jabber was all about, but I do remember the anger and confusion in the eyes of those around me as they sat around the television speaking about the issue at hand.  Several years later I would speak to my parents about this event and it was confirmed that it was the issue of “Reagan Amnesty” that gave them so much consternation.  To this day, many of the conservative ilk (which make up at least one-half of the population today) still claim that the decision Ronald Reagan made to grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants was the lone “black eye” of his administration.  When asked to compare the act of amnesty to the “Iran-Contras Scandal“, the majority of Reaganites simply shrug at the prospects of Col. Ollie North receiving a $16,000 home security system (in conjunction with the funds accrued from the alleged sale of weapons to the Iranians in order to finance the Nicaraguan freedom-fighters) being even remotely close in comparison to the free gift of citizenship he (Reagan) gave to millions of law-breaking aliens.  There are several reasons one could think of that would lend understanding to why most Americans feel so strongly about this issue, but the underlying is sweet…and simple: Americans treasure their homeland and consider their citizenship in the United States the greatest gift God ever gave them.  Some could argue that most Americans take their United States citizenship for granted, but none can argue that most of us would NEVERintentionally want to live anywhere else.  It’s something that we hold dear to us; it’s something we take for granted only because the majority of us have never had the experience of living abroad or fighting in wars on foreign soil; but I can almost promise you that IF more Americans were forced to live in Equador, Cuba, France, Russia, or Nigeria (and pretty much ANY other country in the world, for the most part) then they would almost certainly and unequivically come to a large amount of gratitude and respect for their homeland. 

Seeing our language, culture, and customs being overtaken by foreign influenceis not something that most Americans can idly sit by and watch!  I will admit that there is a fringe group of racists who want nothing to do with the infux of latin-American immigrants, but they represent a fairly small percentage of those vehemently opposing this new measure of Amnesty that George W. Bush (and most of Congress) has recently endorsed.  Personally, I am more angry with our nation’s inability to keep American jobs on American soil as well as the ridiculous amount of federal taxes that we as Americans are FORCED to pay at ever increasing measures!  This idea of granting amnesty to 12 million illegal immigrants (and that number is almost sure to rise to around 40 million once you figure in children, spouses, and other family members) is not far behind from overtaking the seriousness of a flatlining economy, lost jobs, ridiculous taxes, and failed social entitlement programs, however! 

What have we done?  Is it too late to change the course of events that are being set in motion by the mongoloids in Washington D.C.?  WHAT HAVE WE AS AMERICANS ALLOWED TO HAPPEN TO US?  IS IT OUR POLITICIAN’S FAULT FOR REPEATEDLY BENDING US OVER THEIR KNEES AND SPANKING US; OR IS IT OUR FAULT FOR CONSTANTLY ELECTING THESE CAREER POLITICIANS WHO HAVE NO INTEREST IN ANYTHING BESIDES LINING THEIR OWN POCKETS AND GETTING RE-ELECTED?  I CONTEND THAT IT IS WITHOUT QUESTION THE FAULT OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND WE HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME THAN OURSELVES!  HOW MANY STUPID, RIDICULOUS, AND IRRESPONSIBLE THINGS DOES TEDDY (hiccup) KENNEDY HAVE TO DO BEFORE HE’S VOTED OUT OF OFFICE?  SERIOUSLY!!!  It’s people/politicians exactly like him (on BOTH sides of the aisle) who have made the types of decisions that have led us to exactly where we are today.  Why are people like him in office?  Because WE put him there!  We keep him there!  The American people should NOT be surprised by the stupid things that stupid people do especially when they’ve been doing this their entire career as a six-figure politician.  It’s because of this fact that I believe the American people should stop “pissing and moaning” about the things they’re unhappy about.  Look in the mirror, my friends!  IT’S YOUR FAULT!  So, the next time Pablo and Juan beat up and steal from your little children on their way to school, make sure you thank yourself for allowing it to happen.  The next time you read about an illegal immigrant driving drunk and killing a family of five on the highway…make sure you take a look in the mirror and thank YOURSELF!  [Obviously, I’m generalizing with those scenerios, but I’m guessing that you’re smart enough to know what I’m getting at.]

THANKS A LOT, PEOPLE!  THANKS A WHOLE HECK OF A LOT!  WE’RE GETTING EXACTLY WHAT WE ASKED FOR…SO WHEN ARE WE GOING TO WAKE UP AND DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT?  That, my friend, is the $7,500 question (which also happens to be the amount of money that each illegal immigrant costs the American tax-payer through lack of paid taxes, medical expenses, entitlements, and welfare) that I’m begging you to answer!

I absolutely can not blame the illegal immigrant for this problem because I can honestly say that if I were holed up in Mexico and had a family to provide for then there’s not a chance in hell I’d stick around to see if the Mexican government could fix the situation or not.  I’d be hopping over that fence quicker than you could say “como estas, muchacho“!!!  And you know that you’d be doing the EXACT same thing, too!  The fault for this ever-growing delima is not with the illegal immigrant, but instead with us.  You and me.  Since we’re the ones who elected a bunch of meatballs to run the federal government then there’s no where to look for placing the blame than at ourselves.  It’s literally as simple as that.

___________________________________

[ some of the information below has been taken in part from Wikepedia] 

Illegal immigration refers to immigration across national borders in a way that violates the immigration laws of the destination country. Under this definition, an illegal immigrant is a foreigner who either illegally crossed an international political border, be it by land, sea or air, or a foreigner who legally entered a country but nevertheless overstay their visa in order to live and/or work therein. In politics, the term may imply a larger set of social issues and time constraints with disputed consequences in areas such as economy, social welfare, education, health care, slavery, prostitution, crime, legal protections, public services, and human rights. Illegal emigration would be leaving a country in a manner that violates the laws of the country being left.

   

 

A COMPLETE AMORAL SOCIETY: What Direction Are We Heading?

Since when did it become a constitutional issue to protect gay-pride parades that endorse some of the most grotesque actions between human beings and animals, but at the same time be unconstitutional for communities to place Nativity scenes on public grounds during Christmas time?  I wonder if “amoral” is even the best word to use when describing our current societal situation?  I’ll let you be the judge of that, but first, allow me to define “amoral” for you as: having no moral standards, restraints, or principles; unaware of or indifferent to questions of right or wrong: a completely amoral person.  Does this sound like a tight fit for the society in which we live?

     

Now, I’m not at all attacking the “gay community” by claiming that gay-pride parades are grotesque.  It’s just an opinion of what I’ve actually seen depicted on television and in magazines.  Even the most benign person with little regard to the whole idea of homosexuality will often times be very uncomfortable with the images depicted from these parades of “individuality” and “expression”.  I feel the same way about “Black Panther” parades or “KKK” parades!  It’s an extreme and fanatical expression that hardly is needed by its core group, but because we live in America and because we have so many individual freedoms it is completely acceptable to be a part of or endorse these activities.  Yet, the question still remains!  Why are actions such as these parades so protected, but Nativity scenes during Christmas time under attack?  Why did the Boulder, Colorado School District allow for a whacked-out psychologist to come speak to school children about using drugs and engaging in sexual activities?  Yeah…this is for real and I’m not making this stuff up!  A school district in Boulder, CO actually paid to have a psychologist from (where else) the Bay Area of California come speak to their children and not only advocate, but endorse the use of drugs, alcohol, gay sex, and straight sex!  Not only did this school district set up this event, but they FORCED their students to attend the convocation!  What is wrong with our society these days?  Where did we go wrong and where are we headed?

 

 Violent crimes are increasing; teen pregnancies are always present; hate-crimes are on the rise; student drop-outs continue to thrive, especially in big cities; video games and television are becoming more sexual and violent on a yearly basis; kids are more obeese than ever; fivolous law suits are becoming more and more obsurd; the family-unit is becoming as scarce as the bald eagle; sexual crimes and misconduct are being reported at a record level; drug use is on the rise with new designer drugs appearing on the street every couple of years; it’s now more likely that you’ll be divorced than end your life with the same partner you began with; kids are growing up in broken homes; the father-figure is under attack by feminist groups; and we’re forced to learn about new political scandals every other week!  The list could, unfortunately, go on and on.  It’s unfortunate that a nation as rich and as blessed as America can have so many social problems with hardly any solutions offered by our leaders.  The newest social disaster is the fact that our kids are simply NOT safe at their schools due to the rise in school violence and shootings!  These events are covered by the “main scream media” like they’re red-carpet events held by our Hollywood icons!  What are kids supposed to think when they see such sensationalistic coverage of such harrowing events as these?  I’m afraid to say that we have hit a breaking point in our society.  Yes, it is safe to say that we are traveling down a road that is undoubtedly leading to nowhere.

     

Al Gore spreads his gospel of global warming as if there’s actually something to save this planet for.  He seems to care more for the section of Crab Grass on your front lawn that he does for the twelve-year old student in junior high school who is at high risk of ruining his life through drugs, sex, violence, or crime!  Why should we protect this earth for “future generations” when we’re not at all concerned about what type of “future generation” we’re actually producing?  Seriously…why should we even care what Al Gore has to say or whether you want to drive a gas guzzling SUV versus a nappy-looking hybrid?  If the people we’re creating to inhabit this earth in the future are so destructive and hopeless then does it even matter?  This is a theory that could be discussed ad nauseum by people with opposing points of view, but to no avail.  There are simply too many people with critical positions in our society’s development of children as well as our legislation who believe that we’re on a good track.  Where’s the proof to oppose this way of thinking?  Well, it’s quantitative evidence that shows exactly what we as Americans are thinking in regards to specific issues and it’s only this type of evidence that I can submit to you.

Below, I will post some charts that represent data taken from a survey of several thousand individuals regarding social issues in America.  I will not attempt to translate this data because I would like for you to do that yourself.  I’m guessing that it may alarm most of you, but for the secular progressives who think we’re already on the right track I’m sure it won’t prove a thing.  I hope you enjoy the data and I hope it doesn’t ruin you day.