The "O" Word
Conservative by Nature, Christian by Choice
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Blue Moon Round Up

December 31st, 2009 . by Cary

I know, it has been a while, hasn’t it? To refresh your memories, I will be publishing and updating as I go along, so come back and check for when it’s finished. All of these bloggers are ones that I read daily at least weekly as often as I can; they are all worth your time to at least go visit and read the one item I have highlighted. Let’s get started, shall we?

Before I get started on the round up, however, I want to give a shout-out to the mayor of Hurst, Texas, one Richard Ward, who still has not answeredf the questions I asked of him way back here. And he thought I would forget about him…

December 31, 2009
To: Richard Ward

Subject: MAIG, again!

As I was going over this year’s posts, I ran across our correspondence. Made me think of all the good times we had discussing Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

I know, you “signed off” to me, but I am kinda curious – just what has MAIG done since you joined it, besides stating the obvious (that mayors are against illegal guns)? I mean, I would hope that mayors are against ALL things illegal. Have you joined Mayors Against Illegal Prostitutes? Mayors Against Illegal Drivers? Mayors Against Illegal Immigrants? Mayors Against Illegal Left Turns?

No, you haven’t – because none of those things matter to a two-bit mayor who’s only hope of elevating his profile is to hitch on to some gun-grabbing group trying to cloak itself in pompous activity.

I am still waiting to hear from you regarding the basic premise of MAIG. Why does it need to exist, other than as a cover for some lefty gun grabbing bunch?

Basic question, please answer it. Unless you already realize that you won’t be serving another term and have decided to write me off completely.

Happy New Year!

OK, om to the round up, this time I promise!

First up is a Navy veteran, new to my blogroll, and a first FOR my blogroll – a site that is not a blog so much as it is a store. Larry Van Schuyver runs Sitting Pretty USA. He sells t-shirts, and a “portion of each sale will be donated to the VA Hospital volunteers who assist and care for our veterans daily.” Check him out, and if you are so inclined, help him out.

Alaska Steve is back from his vacation in the Lower 48, and he is promising more photos. So far, his series covers his and Goldfish’s travels through up to Boston. Can’t wait to see the rest!

Christmas greetings from Amboy Times, the Black Canyon Railroad Musuem, Evolution Right and Larry the Scoundrel.

Bushwack is wondering how crime rates could have dropped over on American And Proud.

Ol’ Broad has a New Year’s Countdown going on.

The ARRA News Service has a good article up about Obama running for placement on Mt. Rushmore, through the ObamaCare debacle.

The Wednesday Hero is honored on Assoluta Tranquilita and Old Soldier.

Richard has a nice little piece up about Global Warming on At The Water.

Basti asks why the epic fail in national protection?

Bloviating Zeppelin wishes us all a financial New Year – but the Obama Administration is doing it’s best to keep that from happening for everyone except the Senate, the House, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the State of Hawaii which is still reaping the benefits from everyone going there for the Obama’s Vacation.

GuyK has come down with a case of cellulitis in his left arm, so he wishes us a Happy New Year with the thought that his blogging will be kinda light on Charming, Just Charming.

More New Years thoughts on Christianity, written by Harvest Christian Fellowship.

The Cyber Crew has information up on Lt. Behenna. If you don’t know who he is, follow the link. One of the biggest many miscarriages of justice the Obama Administration is carrying out against the United States Military.

A little off the beaten path, but well worth the time, is A Jacksonian’s in-depth look at paranormal investigations that are all the rage on science channels these days. Find the article at Dumb Looks Still Free.

The spectre of Ron Paul rears it’s ugly head on Gateway Pundit.

Gawfer weighs in on Global Warming in his piece over on his self-titled blog.

Gunslinger thinks a Whiskey Rebellion is better than a weak Tea Party…

Tailgunner adds two cents over on Hoosier Army Mom’s Weblog.

“You might be grunt if…” – curious? Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome

Jenn shows off her dog abuse skills, and runs down the top stories of 2009.

Joe Scoggins has a thought and a prayer for Rush Limbaugh on Jo-Joe Politico.

Maggie’s Notebook has a diatribe on Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) (in this case, D stands dor Drunkard) and his “speech” on the Senate Floor.

New Years Greetings from Mail Call! Supporting The Troops and The Bull.

Check out the latest book review on Mary’s World.

I was hoping I would run across someone blogging about the Blue Moon today – Findalis over on Monkey in the Middle and Cube on the BLOG give us a run down.

Johnny T. Helms writes for more than one blog, read him on Our Sovereign Joy and the blog of johnny t. helms: chuch and state.

Greybeard has a video up about a remarkable landing and take off during the VietNam war on Pitchpull.

Questions about a Global Identification System on Political Pistachio.

Avatar doesn’t strike any chords, except bad ones, with RattlerGator.

Ablur posts on the HealthCare issue again, as he is one very steady voice that is consistently pointing out the lack of clothing on the Emperor over on Some Things Just Need To Be Said.

Fred reports on the thirteen Attorneys General with enough balls to sue the Feds over the preferential treatment that Nebraska recieved in the HealthCare fiasco – and wonders where the outrage is over the Louisiana Purchase of 2009 on Texas Freds.

Taco has the start of a series with LtCol George Goodson USMC (Ret) over on his blog, The Sandgram.

Third Wave dave weighs in on DHS lackey Janet NAPolitano. (personal note: as an Arizonan, I am very sorry that the rest of you had to experience her ineptitude.)

Yesterday, Tom’s Place was up and running. Today it whos an index page. Tom, if you see this, the changes aren’t quite working yet…

Over on Write on the Right Just John is trying to migrate to Windows & and is most of the way through the process. Naturally, with other issues, I can’t leave him an encouraging comment. For some reason, John, when I click on “Submit Comment” I get a blank page !?!

In the bad news section, there are some MIA blogs – Fire of Liberty, Fraud, Phishing and Financial Misdeeds, Gunny Goes Geocaching, Hidden Treasures, Samantha Speaks

When Your Only Tool Is A Hammer has gone dark. We’ll miss you, Hammer.

This concludes the last Round Up of 2009 – and possibly forever. This has taken me over four hours to do, and while trying to do this AND watch my now three year old MEG, I am reminded why I don’t do these anymore. Here’s to a Happy and Healthy New Year to all of my readers, and I hope to see you in the chat room or on the phone Friday night at 2200 hours (MST) for The “O” Word.

Chat ya later…

cary

Thank you for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, God bless you all, don’t buy or breed cats or dogs while homeless pets die (spay, neuter & adopt a pet, one by one, until there are none), Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Reclamation of Independence

September 1st, 2009 . by Cary

If you read nothing else this week, read the Reclamation of Independence. Where is it? I found it at Gunslingers Journal. She gives credit where credit is due. Here it is in it’s entirety. You are urged to copy it and pass it on.

I’m not generally a “shot across the bows” kinda guy, but I felt that this message was important enough to be given in the form of a ‘fair warning’. If you agree, please attach your name or alias, post it, and pass it on.

FAILURE TO TAKE HEED AND ACT ACCORDINGLY FROM THIS POINT FORWARD IS UNDERTAKEN AT YOUR PERIL.

THE RECLAMATION OF INDEPENDENCE

WHEN IN THE GENERATIONS SUCCEEDING the one that pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to usher in the birth of the world’s only truly free nation, Liberty’s Progeny incrementally ceded their birthright to the government conceived and designed to serve a free people, and not be its servant, this generation is awakening to the terrible mistake that we, and our ancestors allowed to happen. Charged with the terrible knowledge that comes with opened eyes, we now take up the long abdicated duty to rouse our fellow citizens and actively wrest the power and the liberties that have been progressively talked, cajoled, threatened, wheedled, and extorted from us, not only by those who ostensibly served us, but by their supporters and enablers who, by accident or design, saw fit to usurp and disdain such freedoms, that they might be withheld, and where impossible to withhold, might be condemned, until a corrosive contempt for these liberties, wrapped in velvet gloves, might so suffocate the circulation of them that this nation, conceived in liberty and the providence of a wise and benevolent creator, might indeed perish from the earth, plunging the rightful heirs of a proud and noble heritage in the the darkened waters of chaos, despair, and evil that surround them, a dank deluge that even today, other human beings actively seek to escape from in the inspiring embrace of this blessed and free country.

We, the awakened and aware, freely accept the charge that the architects of this republic passed on to us over two centuries before, in the hope that all who partook in the blessings made possible by nation they created would somberly undertake the duties of citizens, and so appropriately train themselves in virtue, and educate themselves in the workings of the precepts and ideals set forth in their foundational documents that they would possess enough wisdom to recognize that not all threats to our freedom would come from without our ranks, the knowledge to recognize that not every chain and shackle menacing us will immediately appear to be what it actually is, and the humilitynot to assume that the ingenuity and innovation that has been the hallmark of American success has been the product of man alone.

To this end, we hereby identify and reclaim our independence from the tools used to slowly enslave a free people and usurp the freedoms that we could not be persuaded to freely give up, or voluntarily suppress the free exercise of on our own:

1. We reclaim our independence from the tyranny of ‘Political Correctness’.

The Constitution does not now, nor has it ever guaranteed a right to be free from being offended. Early successes in causing the disruption of free speech by insisting on the use of words or terms stripped of their meaning or altered by redefinition and deliberate use of ephemism, in order to avoid offending more delicate sensibilities lead to its use to deliberately avoid, delay, or prevent the free exchange and communication of ideas because we allowed ourselves to be more afraid of offending someone or being branded with a label chosen to imply that there was a problem with the offending speaker, rather than the intended recipient.

No more.

Words have meaning and names have power. But truth overcomes, when it is given the opportunity to exist unfettered by the artificial restraints that those who fear it would place upon it. The Founding Fathers knew this, which is why they favored the “marketplace of ideas” approach. And we now ratify and affirm this concept, having borne witness to the damage and impaired decision making that results when we remain silent and let others avoid any real discussion of topics, events, and ideas out of the fear that we might offend someone.

2. We reclaim our independence from your victimhood.

For too long, we have stood by silently, and allowed some to increasingly balkanize this country with sob stories of how one thing or another makes them a victim, and therefore they deserve some special deference, special preference, and recognition that they are special. We watched for too long, with growing alarm, as the hyphenated-Americans increasingly failed to take it upon themselves to overcome their victim status, yet continually expect to be rewarded for it as they brandished their victimhood like a cudgel, ready to bludgeon any who dared to question their entitlements and almost rapacious appetites to expand them.

No more.

One of the many unique blessings that this country has to offer is the presence of second and third and fourth chances. Others know this, and rather than think that the good things available to those who work for them were something that they were simply entitled to by virtue of their sob story, real or imagined, they decided to man up, and overcome. That doesn’t happen through accepting help and deciding to continually demand more. We are a generous people, but there are limits. Decide of your own accord to know the satisfaction of making your own destiny, rather than subsistence on the labor of others. You might be surprised at what you accomplish, or how that might come to benefit your fellow citizen in ways that you cannot even imagine.

3. We reclaim our independence from the myth of a compelling interest in diversity at the cost of excellence.

The latest affront to the ‘American Exceptionalism’ that our current President feels the need to apologize for in foreign capitols is the recent notion of a “compelling interest in diversity in our government, our institutions, and our culture”. This is the bastard child of Political Correctness and victimhood, which would not have been possible without the misapprehension of the concept of equality as enshrined in our law, the correct interpretation being that citizens of this country have equality of opportunity and equality in stature in the eyes of the laws that govern us. Once the “right” of offense took hold and started keeping company with victimhood, those benefiting from the employment of both decided that equality really meant that everyone had a right to be to be surrounded in all walks of life by people who looked just like them, whether those people were qualified to fulfill those roles or not.

No more.

Americans rose to prominence in the world in no small part due to the idea of merit and the pursuit of excellence. This was embodied in our government and institutions as much as in the private sector. Civil Service exams for public sector jobs ensured not only that people could do the work required of them, but that the best qualified were hired to do the job. Now, the standard in many fire departments, police departments, government agencies, and university staffs is not excellence, but the color of skin, gender, or sexual preference. The identity has eclipsed ability and we are all the poorer for it. Prepare for a change.

4. We reclaim our independence from the contempt of our citizenship.

For too long, we have silently permitted others to use the appeal of emotion to exact our acquiescence in their actively allowing people who have violated our laws to come here to live and work among us without asking permission to do so, or obeying our laws in doing so. We have allowed others to cajole us into allowing these persons to use our resources, and take benefits intended for citizens, without them being required to become citizens or apply for residence. We have been too long silent as others continually advocate for the application of the protections that are conferred upon us as our birthright to those who are not citizens and have tried to kill citizens, or have expressed a deep-seated desire to do so.

No more.

No sane person so despises something of value that is theirs by virtue of “the accident of birth” that they simply would give it away to others who want it and yet show contempt for those who have it by stealing it from them. Likewise, no sane person so dishonors a gift purchased with the blood of others that they will give it to those who only desire to kill or enslave them. No longer will we be silent as others confer all the benefits and protections of citizenship upon those who disrespect it, or would steal such benefits and protections without assuming the responsibility to pay for them, or worse yet, murder us because we have them.

5. We reclaim our independence from the “Freedom from religion” that has erroneously been read into the Constitution.

From the institution of Thanksgiving, to the architecture of our public buildings and monuments, the opening of government proceedings, down to the acknowledgement on our currency, this country has very deep and undeniable judeo-christian roots, and has been governed by leaders who unashamedly proclaimed their according personal beliefs while in office. It has influenced our laws and been the bedrock of every ideal that has allowed this nation to grow and prosper. This heritage has been the target of a decades long campaign to shove God out of the public square and exile him from congress with our elected officials by people who have refused the notion of a higher authority, because their own beliefs and desires are in contravention to those expressed by that higher authority.

No more.

Assaulting our national heritage with such dubious legal notions such as a separation of church and state that forbids any mention of God or expression of religion on or in state-owned property, and dismantling existing law with the fallacious statement “You can’t legislate morality” does violence to our history and demonstrates weak logic and understanding of what law is. The Founding Fathers’ intent with the Establishment Clause was the prevention of any one church gaining the favor and sanction of the Federal Government. A ban on ANY expression of religion or belief in God was never their intention, and the evidence of that is still surrounding us to this day. The current state of the law is based on a false premise that can be easily dismissed by a simple walk around the monuments and buildings in the District of Columbia, and taking out your wallet to pay for an ice cream cone. As for the “You can’t legislate morality” canard, this is also false. The law is, in its most simple essence, an expression of morality, codified. The question that then arises is whose morality should be expressed in the law? Those of people who can point to no particular belief system that has certain valuable virtues at its core, or those that can?

6. We reclaim independence from the cynical attempts to use shame to stop us from speaking out.

We have all felt this. The accusations that we are poor Christians because we refuse to give the government power not granted to it in the Constitution and go along with the currently contemplated healthcare reform bill. The charges that we hate the Earth and our children, because we oppose the highest single tax increase ever, combined with the deleterious effect on American jobs that would result in the passage of the Cap and Tax bill, which owes its existence to the myth of man-made global warming and the fact that it feeds the Federal Government its two favorite entrees: money and power. The charges that we are bad, greedy, selfish people for not supporting the idea that government and welfare entitlements are the way to improve the lives of Americans who are struggling, whatever the reason. The charges of “Racism” whenever we raise a provocative question or level a criticism at a person, policy, or idea that might happen to involve a person or persons who are not Caucasian.

No more.

Charges like “racist” and “racism” made without objective, quantitative support, and only the subjective justification of emotion will be ignored. The race card is maxed out, and the bank is no longer willing to extend the credit line. As for attacking our faith, or our practice thereof, we will no longer be held to account by people who do not understand the faith they would use as a weapon against believers, when the wielder subscribes to no belief system at all. Those who rely only on themselves for the regulation of their conduct and ethics no longer get to condemn those who answer to a higher authority. Not any more. We reclaim control of the shame that you have opted out of, and we will no longer allow you to use it to make us answer to you.

7. We reclaim independence from the notion that the Federal Government is the solution to every problem and the answer to every question.

For too long, we stood by and allowed debate and action on all matters, predicated upon on a destructive and dangerous idea: That the Federal Government is the only way to meet a need, fix a problem, or prevent a problem. In time it became a security blanket, and we became a nation of thumbsuckers, eager to give the federal Government more power and more money, if only it would keep us safe from life and the living of it as free people, until we no longer looked to it for protection from others who would have our liberties or destroy them; we looked to it for protection from the consequences of our own actions.

No more.

We were so fixated in seeking the federal government’s assistance with every aspect of our daily lives, no one within or without the Federal Government ever exercised restraint and said “No. The Consitution does not give the Federal Government the authority to do that.” And now that people are alert to the fact that the Federal Government is poised on the cusp of the largest power grab it has ever made with the healh care bill, some of us are finally saying “No. You do not have the authority.” The stakes have never been more obvious. Met with the anger of constituents who are actually paying attention, elected officials are employing various means to intimidate these citizens who are expressing their disgust and anger that a government that serves them would ever feel so entitled to our money and our data in the passage of something so clearly opposed by those who wold have to live under it, these servants have resorted to insulting their constituents, calling them shills in the pay of their political opponents, calling them stupid and saying that they simply did not understand the printed words on the pages of the bill, brazenly lying to them outright about what they have proposed and are considering, and filling audiences at public meetings with rent-a-mobs from the SEIU, ACORN, and others, so that they will face a friendly audience that is also hostile to the voters opposed to this latest demonstration of government off its leash. The days of promising good governance but delivering graft, corruption, and self serving sinecures are over. We do not care about your party; both have proven themselves reckless and dishonest. We demand that you act responsibly, that you do the people’s business, not your own, and we demand that you act within the confines of the Constitution. No more will we simply accept legislation that exceeds the authority strictly enumerated in the Constitution. No more will we accept interpretations of the Commerce Clause and the Necessary and Proper Clause that are so tortured and stretched beyond reason or recognition as to be unrecognizable to anyone who has read the Constitution. No longer will we accept legislation from the bench that relies not on interpretation of the Constitution, but mystical divination of mysterious penumbras that only a few ‘right-minded’ jurists can see. Those days are over, and you can return usurped powers to the states and the individual citizens in whom the Constitution rightfully places them, or you can have them stripped from you.

We, those who have come together in virtual congress to reclaim our independence from those who have by various means obtained it from us, realize that this probably wasn’t the HOPE! and CHANGE! that those persons had in mind, but nevertheless, the time has come.

Blackiswhite, Imperial Consigliere

Free Citizen of the United States of America,

August 29, 2009

Cary Cartter
Conservative by Nature
Christian by Choice

Free Citizen of the United States of America,

September 1, 2009

Ya’ll have some marching orders – what are YOU going to do about it?

Chat ya later…

cary

Thank you for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, God bless you all, don’t buy or breed cats or dogs while homeless pets die (spay, neuter & adopt a pet, one by one, until there are none), Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Round ’em Up!

July 30th, 2009 . by Cary

Hi there! It’s been a while – sometimes things get in the way of doing a decent round up. I’ve moved a few things around on my links – some have moved to “Not So Daily”, some have moved to “Endangered” and some have disappeared altogether – but it only reflects my inability to actually read all the blogs on my “Daily” list and trying to pare it down to the ones I actually read. If your blog landed on the “Endangered” list, then maybe an entry now and again wouldn’t be so bad… Just sayin’…

Larry, a retired Squid, had originally pointed me to this site which should not be viewed with a mouth full of beverage. Fair warning.

Speaking of Larry, let’s start the round up with him. He’s got a fantastic essay up about race, secession, and who can keep the slaves (and what makes slavery so irresistible to some) on Last Refuge of a Scoundrel.

And, riffing off a link in Larry’s blurb, take a look at Gunslinger’s entry. Pictures are worth thousands of words…

I know, here I am trying to pare down the list and I added her to it. So sue me. But, first you have to say, with a straight face, that she ISN’T worth the read.

Alaska Steve has been recuperating from shoulder surgery, and he’s starting to get out and about again on A Sense of Place.

Brother Johnny T. Helms has a link into Dr. Al Mohler on the future of missions on Amazed In His Presence and on Our Sovereign Joy. Scroll down and check out the tribute to Keith Green, also.

Health Care Sub-Round-Up

ARRA News Service, Assoluta Tranquilita, a byproduct of the obummercare is on Bloviating Zeppelin, Fire of Liberty, Gateway Pundit (by the way, GP’s mother recently passed on; scroll down and add your prayers to the comment list), Political Pistachio, Some Things Just Need To Be Said.

Richard spotted a white breasted nuthatch At The Water.

A word about Obama’s race-baiting cop comment from Basti on Basti Says.

GuyK has a bit of glee on Charming, Just Charming.

For a really in-depth look at the whole “Gates-Gate” incident in Cambridge, check out AJacksonian’s take on Dumb Looks Still Free.

This may be a little stale, but for most of us it’s worth a look. Ed Dickson has a post up about a nifty anti-ID Theft site on Fraud, Phishing, and Financial Misdeeds.

Gawfer has a note about financial misdeeds committed by (gasp!) congress critters on Gawfer.

Gunny has returned to the Land of the Rising Sun in time to recover form his vacation so he can get back to work on Gunny Goes Geocaching and laments the changes to his beloved Southern California on Write on the Right.

Some Euro weenie gets their head handed to them in the comments on Jenn’s Jungle.

Check your mindset at Jo-Joe Politico.

Maggie has a good article up about Thomas Sowell on her Notebook.

Kathy has Wednesday’s Hero posted on Mail Call! Supporting the Troops.

Mary’s World has a review up on “Blue Like Playdough” – looks like a good read.

Findalis has a post up about Tisha B’Av (a repost, actually) on Monkey in the Middle.

Stewart at Oath Keepers is asking for input on the new site.

What happens when someone gets TOO MUCH television exposure? Find out on Old Soldier.

My friend Greybeard is so talented – retired Army helicopter pilot, Viet Nam vet, currently flying medi-chopper – and a Race Relations Expert! No, really! Check it out on Pitchpull.

Unintended consequences of electing Obama – on RattlerGator Blog.

The love affair between a certain redhead and the United States Marine Corps continues unabated.

DemocRATS continue to ram Sotomayer through the process – details on Texas Fred’s.

Sometimes, no matter what you want to accomplish, someone will find issue with the way you are doing it. Big thanks to cube for pointing this out on the BLOG.

Taco Bell has a good story posted – from the Marine Corps Gazette – that you should read. If it doesn’t move you, you are either a liberal or brain dead. But, I repeat myself.

Third Wave Dave asks a simple question – where’s the proof?

Hammer is on vacation, and also leaves us with a really good question.

I’m sure I’ve missed a few good articles, but I sure didn’t mean to – please accept my apologies if you didn’t get mentioned.

Chat ya later…

cary

Thank you for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, God bless you all, don’t buy or breed cats or dogs while homeless pets die (spay, neuter & adopt a pet, one by one, until there are none), Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!