My Sabbatical

Thanks to all of you who inquired about this blog. I took some time off to go back to grad school but I am ready now to start sharing some thoughts with you as we head toward 2012. Thanks for your interest and patience. Jim

The death of O_ _ _ _ B _ _ L _ _ _ _.

I do not wish death to any human being. We are all Gods children. The ''being human" part of me wants to rejoice and celebrate the fact that "we got him" and the way it was accomplished. The spiritual part of me asks the question, "what would Jesus do". I try hard to "put off" the mortal man and embrace my spiritual being. In this case it is very hard for me to do. He now becomes a martyr. As we know in many cases of martyrdom, the legacy of the person becomes even stronger than the person themselves when they were alive. I do not want the hate, death and destruction of life that he espoused to become stronger in his memory. I want us to find a way to live in peace.

As a younger man I know that I felt hate and revenge for those who committed acts such as 9/11 and worse, Adolph Hitler comes to mind. Now I see that those feelings never made me feel any better, nothing really changed as a result and that as I have seen in so many people,including myself at times, it only took away from my ability to be the kind of person I believe Christ wants me to be. There is no time or place to celebrate hate or revenge. "Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord"

So on this day of celebration, according to news reports from around the world, I am tempted to join in. But I pause. In this instance, can I find my spiritual self and look at this through those eyes rather than my physical ones. I will struggle and there will be times when I won't put my "mortal by". I hope and pray there will also be times, as brief as they may be, that the still small voice will whisper in my ear, "well, done, thou good and faithful servant"

Health Care Reform Act ruled unconstitutional

Here is a link to the full text of the ruling so that you may read it for yourself:

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/107134/20110131/roger-vinson-health-care-reform-unconstitutional.html

This is one of the most thoughtful and well reasoned decisions that I have ever read. No matter which side of this issue you are on, his historical, precedent and logical approach to the evolution of the thought and law that bears on this matter, I believe will make it very difficult for the United States Supreme Court to overturn based on either reasoning or law.

This is but a first step. Now we need to, within the Constitution and legal precedent AND listening to the American people this time, go about fixing our health care system. It can be done, the question is will it get done in a bi-partisan way, which it can and should be.

The Speaker of the House has promised to "open up" the system and let the "will of the House" work it's will. We need to keep the pressure on each of our Members of Congress to make sure they follow through on this pledge.

Shhhhhhhh

Silence is golden, especially when Congress goes home. Wait, what's that tugging at my back pocket? (To be continued)

Get Out of Town!

Dear Santa,

Yes that is my Christmas wish, is that Congress will get out of town. Come on Santa, give me a little help here. The longer they are in session the worse things get. It is time for us to look at the U.S. House of Representatives and the U. S. Senate as part-time jobs and not full time. When I was in the legislature in Indiana we did it on a part time basis and it worked just fine. When they are there too long they just keep finding ways to sponsor legislation to justify their existence. You and I pay the price.

The extension of the tax cuts was a good thing for the current economy we are in. All the pork that was added in order to get it signed was reprehensible! The START treaty, and I have read it, is not the best we could have negotiated. We were weak in our posture and if it is signed will be seen that way by the world.

All money bills are supposed, by law, to start in the House of Representatives. It will be interesting to see if the new House leadership got the message on November 2nd or if we will have to turn them out again. Speaker-elect Boehner is saying the right things, BUT will he do them. If we keep the pressure on as a people that will push him that way. Remember, he is part of the long entrenched establishment that has been in Washington for a long time. I was pretty impressed with the interview I saw with him and his wife, and no his crying doesn't bother me a bit. I hope it is an indication of his humanity. Now what I need to see is an indication of his commitment to the people of this country. Talk and tears are cheap! Ask Santa for a part-time legislative branch of our government.

Merry Christmas to each of you. I am looking forward to 2011 and the opportunities that it will give us to participate in the process. We now have nearly 2000 people on the Talk With America mailing list and that is thanks to you. Happy New year as well to you and your families. Families are forever and that is a good thing!!

The Pinnacle of Absurdity

Congress is out of session while unemployment is 9.8%, 13million people are unemployed, the tax legislation is a shambles, the very hard left is mad at Obama and it all looks like a circus to those of us who are paying billions to watch the show. They are taking a break in the middle of all this. How irresponsible is that UNLESS, now think about it.

The show is a ruse, a sham! Obama has to move to the center if he has any chance of avoiding a primary challenge little lone winning re-election. This was his opportunity and he took it. BUT not before choreographing it all behind closed doors with his Democrat colleagues, that's right, it's all a script. Obama needed a way to look like a compromiser and this was his perfect storm. The House and Senate only have small, in comparison to the President, constituents to please and so they can take "hard nosed" positions like they are.

This is a good example of just how partisan things have become. We have too many people in Congress whose only goal is POWER, that's it!! They are angry that the American people had the gall to take some of them out on November 2nd. They believe they are entitled to govern and that we are not smart enough to know what is best for us. WE have taught them that they can ignore us and get away with it. If you think we did our house cleaning on November 2nd, think again. There are still members of Congress on both sides that They don't think we can or have the will to do it. ONLY TIME WILL TELL IF THEY ARE RIGHT!

They argue over this tax bill while billions are being wasted by them and they won't do anything about it, and when we call them on it they just change the subject, i.e, Lindsay Graham of Florida, how pathetic. The SYSTEM is the root of the problem. If we don't change how it works, seniority, term limits etc, NOTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE!!!!! And if you are setting there saying it is too big a problem to tackle, then you are a part of the problem, not a part of the solution. It can be fixed, it must be fixed and we must fix it. OR just sit there saying I am too busy to help, let someone else do it. If you do that, THEY WIN! Get it! They are guilty of sins of commission and we are guilty of sins of omission. What is it going to take to wake us up!

The Medal of Honor

Congratulations to Army Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta on receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor. Thank you for being an example our children and grandchildren can look up to and be proud of. God bless you Sergeant and God bless this great nation.

"13th Candidate"