My family falls at the low end of the income bracket. We have had insurance through work, been self-employed with no insurance and back around again. This time we are paying for our own insurance as a self-employed family.
My unique perspective of the health care issue does not stop at paying for insurance. I have worked in an office handling medical bills – which means I have dealt with all levels of insurance and seen how and what some of them pay. I also have a family of medical professionals – from x-ray equipment salespersons to nurses to surgeons to dentists.
From all of the angles that I have experienced, I can tell you whole heartedly that things are NOT perfect. I can also tell you that Medicare and Medicaid type programs (with the government in charge) are not the answer.
There are only two medical fields where the prices have gone down but the quality of care and technology has continued to go up – laser eye surgery and cosmetic surgery. Here the insurance does not pay so the clients/patients look for the best surgeons and the best deal.
In other words, when people have to pay for themselves or their family then they search out for the best options and the best deals. Doctors and businesses have to work to draw people to their offices. Everyone begins to do their part and the system begins to fix itself without the need for government intervention!
Mommy Patriots are just a few of the patriots that are taking a stand from all walks of life and from all corners of the country. These people are waking up to their responsibility for this land and for the future of the children.
Glenn Beck may have been one of the ones lighting the flame originally, but the ordinary people (maybe even the ones living next door to you right now) like the Sisterhood of the Mommy Patriots, are the patriots that are spreading the word that this country is ours and we have to take responsibility for its directions.
Any time spent watching the news might cause depression or at least the feeling of loneliness. It seems that no one thinks like I do. Many people have spent the last several years hiding their personal beliefs in an attempt to make life a little easier for them and for their family.
The time for a smooth ride is over. Mommy Patriots, Daddy Patriots and Children Patriots are coming together to give notice that they will be quiet no more.
The Sisterhood of the Mommy Patriots is just one of the outcomes from all that Glenn Beck has been talking back. These are mommies that have felt alone but are beginning to recognize that there are other Mommy Patriots out there. These Mommy Patriots are connecting through the internet and even local Tea Parties to discover that they are not alone and there is strength and power in numbers.
Mommy Patriot Sites
As A Mom is the main Patriot Mommy site and it also supports the 9-12 Project that was first ignited by Glenn Beck. It is “Network of principled mothers, grandmothers, daughters, & guardians of our nation’s children dedicated to the 9 Principles & 12 Values.”
See what started the Mommy Patriot movement.
Mommy Patriots and the other patriots that are fueling the Tea Party movements, the 9-12 Project and other ideas are concerned about the direction of the country. It will be interesting to see if the politicians hear their concern and act on it or wait for the full force of the Mommy Patriots to move from sea to shining sea.
College football was never my cup of tea. I never talked about it much – I am from the South and football down here is almost a religion. Two years ago I had the opportunity to write a column about Auburn football and other players and I met Kody Burns of the Auburn Tigers and Tim Tebow of the Florida Gators and Saturdays in the fall have not been the same since.
It can be easy to be worried about the future of the United States. The news shows bad news, panic and worry. But college football shows that hope is not lost.
Reasons Football Bring Hope to the United States
Tim Tebow – This quarter back already had a Heisman trophy and two National Championships under his belt. Many guys would be focused on their future in the NFL but Tebow came back to play with his team and for his team. He puts everything into the game with a sacrificial focus. He boasts only about his Faith, his God and his team and not about self.
Kody Burns – he left his family and home state of Arkansas to play football at Auburn. He played quarter back for two years before another team member won the position. He made an appeal to his team to support the decision and said he would do all that he could do to support the team. He showed leadership through high school and has carried those qualities over into college.
It may only be two examples so far, but there are more of them showing up every day – Kids that have character and values; Young men and women who have convictions and manners; People that are more concerned about the people around them and the future than they are self and the hear and now.
Times may be tough but hope is alive. Focus on the hope and the tough times WILL be overcome!
The last several months I have talked to friends and family members about what is going on with the government. Before the election in 2008, I had even started this blog to talk about all things political.
The actions of the government or the tales that have been told about blogs and internet in general pulled me back. The what ifs put a hold on my speech. I had enough on my plate without causing more stress through my opinions (and I have LOTS of them).
It has only been in the last few days that I have decided to not hold back any more. I can not tell my kids to do all that they can do and refuse to do that myself. It is time for me to stand up and speak my heart and mind and let the chips fall where they may.
3 Rants on Government that I have Held Back
1. President Obama thinks that children are not learning because they are not spending enough days in school. The truth is that teachers are being forced to teach for tests and not for education. Home school and private school children learn more in less time and for less money.
2. The government is getting too involved with my personal life. A mother, just helping out the neighbors, got in trouble for watching the neighborhood children until the school bus arrived to pick them up. This rant also includes neighbors who are too nosey for their own good because one of the neighbors had to have called and made a complaint.
3. There are so many issues when it comes to the government “fixing” the health care system that I’m not sure where to start. The truth is that most people have health care that they want and those who do not can find health care if they make choices to get that health care.
This is only the beginning. There are so many things that we need to talk about when it comes to our daily life. The government needs to hear what we have to say. I am still a bit nervous – I must confess – but I am stepping out.
This country needs you. You are a vital part of the success of what this country is and what this country is becoming. The time has come for each person to stand up and become more – not just for self but for posterity.
Tips for Stepping Up
1. Become more involved. No matter where you are in your walk, your taxes pay for the schools, the running of the city and other items. Attend the public meetings so that you can be aware of what is going on around you. Make your voice heard. Then come out of those meetings and share your knowledge with all the people that you know.
2. Become more concerned. It may not seem like the issues coming up involve you but if you let them pass with out a blink then there will be no one standing with you when the issues do affect you. Take issues to heart and be willing to help your neighbor and not just self.
3. Become more responsible. Ultimately every issue does have something to do with your life because YOU are the government. Complaints have no room because the government is the people. When I am involved – intimately, personally and consistently – then I become responsible and aware.
It is easier to turn away from the issues than face them head on. The only thing that is accomplished by avoiding what is going on is that you give away your power. It is time to take back the power and stand up for the country. It is time to become a link in the chain that holds this country high.
The Boston Tea Party was a long time ago when the British took more taxes than they were suppose to just so they could have it. Now in 2009 it is happening again except with our government. They are taking more taxes than they should just so they can have it. That is why we are having these tea parties – to protest taxes.
To get some information on what is going on my whole family went to two tea parties on April 15th. The people at the tea parties brought signs that said things like:
“I’m not your A.T.M”
“Stop taking my grandkid’s money”
“Fair tax now”
I was shocked by all the people that came out to the tea parties. There were around 2000 thousand people at one and 400 at the other. One lady even brought her dog with a blanket that said “Fair Tax.” I thought that was really funny.
We want far taxes and we want it so that our money is not worth less than it already is. The way they protested taxes in the past was by pouring the tea into Boston Harbor. Today we are asking that the government stop “bailing out the boat and fix the leak.”
Obama is very savvy when it comes to dealing with the public and with people in general. He knows how to accentuate his assets and diminish his negatives. It’s an amazing talent that he has revealed most recently during his travels to the Middle East.
The President was referred to only by his first and last name during the campaign. His middle name – Hussein – was not one that went over well with many people in the United States. It is understandable that it would not be used during the campaign.
The name is useful in the Middle East. It helps him to identify with the people in the region or at least helps them to identify with him. President Obama has been introduced using his full name during his trip through out the Middle East.
There have been some articles about how this new move of using Barak Hussein Obama shows President Obama’s close ties to the Muslim community. It seems to me that it is just one more move that shows President Obama thinks about his audience completely and stages his speeches so that they will have the most emotional impact.
People move on emotion. President Obama is using that knowledge and his skill at moving people with his power speeches and other nuances to move his agenda along with out question. To me THAT is the one thing that people need to be watching. What name President Obama uses is not nearly as important as the policy that he is pushing through.
These tea parties are the first step in putting the government back in line. I think that the government should stop bailing out who don’t know how to manage their money. They are ruining America’s future, God’s land and our home.
To quote some signs that were carried around at the Tea Parties:
“Debt is never the answer”
“This was not Martin Luther’s dream”
“The government has forgotten who they work for”
The people are speaking and they are saying “STOP the bailouts.” Obama has spent more money then all the other presidents combined. He promised not to sign pork but he did. He may have a way with speaking but he won’t speak his way out of this.
We can’t just sit and talk about it. We must take actions. We need to work together to solve this debt problem. I think the solution is to ask for God’s help, His guidance and His wisdom. The answer is also to have a just tax for all of the people and keep all of the promises.
All we have to do is to pray for God’s wisdom, guidance and solutions. We must be ready and willing to accept the truth in His words.
The nomination for the Supreme Court Justice has been named and Bill O’Reilly was discussing Sonya Sotomayor on his show last night. The conversation turned to the base of the Republican Party and how if Republicans fought the nomination – even on the basis that she believes the appellate court is where legislation is made – that the Republican Party would suffer.
There has been so much babbling about dwindling Republican Party (I’ve only heard Glenn Beck discuss the dwindling of BOTH the Republican and Democrat Parties). The truth is that is shouldn’t matter about the parties. The Legislative Branch answers to the state and to the people – NOT to the parties.
Something has to give. When people are no longer able to say what they understand based on facts of law (and not feelings or emotions) then there is a problem. People have been raising their voices to the sky with “Tea Parties” and other types of protest. Those in the ruling class (the press, the congress, the state governments) better start listening.
Bill O’Reilly is wrong. Those men and women that feel Sotomayor is a bad choice for the Supreme Court should reveal the facts. There may be no way to STOP the truck – as was mentioned several times on Bill O’Reilly’s “The O’Reilly Factor” – but it may be slowed down just enough that the truck doesn’t do as much damage.
The other night I watched a movie from the Hallmark Channel about a lady that saved orphans during World War II. I was moved by the fact that one woman was able to make such a difference. Then it dawned on me that often times it is just one voice, one person, or one family that takes that extra step and makes the impact that moves the world. The truth is that we should all be that one person.
One Life CAN Make a Difference
1. Your life is not perfect, I get that. There may be clothes piled up (clean or dirty doesn’t make a difference if they are still piled up). You may be struggling with running late, being unorganized or some other habit that tends to slow down the process. There will always be a reason or excuse NOT to get involved but you have to push through to make a difference.
2. You may not be in a position of authority, but you can write to your congressmen and senators. You can sit down with your family and discuss the issues that you are passionate about. You can take some time to LEARN what the issues are. Knowledge is a empowering and the tongue is the only offensive weapon in the arsenal (according to Ephesians 6).
3. You may be very busy in your own life (especially if you have children that are into extra activities). It only takes five minutes to call up a friend, send a nice note or let another person go before you in line. Would you be willing to give up five minutes if you knew it could change the world?
4. It takes smaller pieces to make a masterpiece. Try to see the smaller parts and quit focusing on the larger image. You can be one of the grains of sand that creates the sandcastle even if you have no idea how the sandcastle will come together.
Without one person there would be no Christianity, there would be no emancipation proclamation, there would be no “dream” or Obama. One voice and one person has made a difference since the beginning of time. What are you going to do today that will begin to make an impact on the world?