On this page:
- Celebrating Freedom in a Country That Seems to Be Throwing It Away
- Making the World Safe for Democracy – One Therapy Dog at a Time
- Thanking Our Volunteers for a Great 2018
- Tea Party Victories in 2018
- A Graphical Update on the National Debt
- Tea Party Bill Hopper
- In a Perfect World, the Government Would Protect Our Rights, But....
- Why I Oppose a 'Single-Payer' or 'Public Option' Medical Plan
- Boycott the NFL? Think Again
- Liberals Say the Darndest Things (Booth Truth – 2018 Irish Festival)
- Leftist Battlecry: “No Borders! No Walls! No USA at All!”
- What's Driving America's Spending Changes, a Historical Perspective
- Will Brett Kavanaugh Stand for Property Rights?
- D.C. Sights for Tea Partiers
- Social Security and Medicare Trustees Issue Yet Another Warning
- Enough with the Government Dependency, Already!
- What If You Had No Right to Life, Liberty, or Property?
- Insider Reveals How the Media Distort the News on Guns
- Thomas Jefferson Says: Sure, Take Away My Statues
- U.S. Becoming More Economically Free, and That’s a Good Thing
- 12 Reasons the Budget Bill Stinks
- Why Do We Have the Second Amendment Right to Bear Arms?
- The Founding Fathers on the Budget Deal
- The Forgotten Black Patriots of the Revolutionary War
- How to Cure Poverty
- Let the Opportunity Society Work Its Magic
Celebrating Freedom in a Country That Seems to Be Throwing It Away
By Emery McClendon
Originally published at Politichicks
PERMALINK
We see and hear a lot these days about the lack of Civics in America. Over the past few years we have witnessed the greatest destruction of freedom here in America that the free world has ever known.
Recently we watched one man, Barack Obama, and his Administration shake the very foundation of the American Dream, and the Principles that made this nation great. Prior to that others have worked to destroy the nation that has served as a beacon of freedom and liberty to the world since its birth.
Obama sought to destroy our Rule of Law and the Document that our Founders of this nation wrote, and put in place, to guide us into the future, and to ensure the stability of our Union. That document is our United States Constitution.
America needs to ask itself why is this happening, and why so many people want to destroy our nation.
Keep in mind that Obama has not been alone in the quest to destroy the richest, and most prosperous nation that the world has ever known. This transformation has been promoted in our schools, the media, and elsewhere to slowly condition us to accept the concept that we must depend on the government to make our decisions for us.
America now has a President that wants to not only Make America Great, but also wants to also put America First. It is sad however, that the media, many celebrities, and some of our elected representatives don’t want him to succeed.
The movement to destroy our nation is not being orchestrated by a single person. It is a movement that is being carried out by many people who collectively hate our form of government, and wish to replace it with a new socialist utopia.
They are joined by many of those who were elected to stand against such tyranny.
In many ways these people are worse than the outright haters of our system of government, and do more damage to the cause of freedom.
The people of America have been betrayed.
Freedom is a rare commodity in our world. The United States has been looked upon by many from around the globe as the last beacon of hope, and our nation’s Founders wanted us to continue on that path.
Therefore, we must protect our liberty and freedom today, just as if we are the original patriots that came to America to find a way out of oppression and governmental rule to form a new nation that would be based on limited government and the American Dream.
As James Madison stated in Federalist #41:
It is our duty to also make sure that our future generations have the same opportunity to live in a better America than we had passed down to us. In order to ensure this they must know the importance of Freedom.
John Adams stated: “Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom.” (Defense of the Constitutions, 1787)
Freedom is the power to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. It includes independence, self-government, self-determination, and self-rule.
Each of us must be held accountable for our own actions, and we are also responsible for our own destiny. We are not wards of the state and helpless.
That is why the American Dream is so powerful. It is available to anyone who puts forth the effort to achieve. It does not promise you the same outcome but it is there to give each of us an equal opportunity.
We celebrate freedom because it is freedom that allows us the opportunity to be the best that we can be, by allowing each of us to pursue our desires and ideas. Ideas that have made life much better for our fellow man in medicine, leisure, our work environment, travel and our quality of life.
However, as we have mentioned earlier, there are some that would hinder our continued efforts to achieve. They want to take away our pursuit of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
The question that we must consider is: Will we continue allow that to happen?
We have witnessed the take-over of private industry, private property rights, healthcare, energy, education; thru the introduction of Common Core, and now how much one can earn by introducing income equality, and the introduction of a minimum wage that will drive up the cost of everything.
Our government has invaded our homes, schools, offices, jobs, vehicles, communications, and seeks to rule over us in almost every aspect of our lives.
It is up to us as individuals to ensure that freedom remains and does not become a buzz word because we have given up our quest for promises that cannot be kept by those wishing to move us closer to socialism or a New World Order.
That is not the American way, and we, as Americans, deserve better.
We have witnessed the failed policies and scandals of many administrations in our lifetimes drive up prices; increase taxes, cause unemployment, and place undue burdens on private enterprise through excessive regulations. Many of those out of work have simply given up, and there is a burden being placed on the remaining Tax Payers that is not sustainable. There are simply too many people in the wagon and the load is becoming unbearable.
The goal of the average American of the past was to provide for themselves and their families, not to be taken care of by the government.
We have witnessed past Presidents boldly stand here and abroad and talk down the idea of American Exceptionalism, apologize for our success, and seek to reduce our military strength.
What has happened to the idea of peace through strength, and respect for those who serve in our Armed Forces?
Never before in our history has this been the case, and we cannot allow it to continue.
Let us stand up and fight for a return of those principles that made us a great nation.
We are one nation under God, and a beacon for the world. We cannot allow those who come to our shores to seek freedom come to arrive here simply to find out that things are the same as where they departed from.
We celebrate our freedom because Almighty God has blessed us, and because we also have a Constitution that spells out the limits of our government. Our Founders intended for us to improve this nation and to make it become an even better legacy then they left us. Let us work to ensure that we carry on that tradition.
We must prepare ourselves for the future by keeping our hearts and minds focused on the fact that freedom isn’t free, and it should not to be taken for granted.
We must continue to work hard to ensure that the freedom that we enjoy is passed down to all who would seek to find it; rather they are here at home or those who arrive from abroad.
John Adams also stated in a letter to Mercy Warren, April 16, 1776:
We must not give up the fight, because our voices do matter. We must continue to speak up, to vote, write letters, make calls, and work hard to ensure that we put people in office that will respect and protect our Constitution. It is through the diligent pursuit of these things in our lives that we will continue to keep our nation strong.
We must continue to CELEBRATE FREEDOM and The AMERICAN DREAM!
God Bless you, God Bless America!
“FREEDOM And LIBERTY / USE Them Or LOSE Them.”
______________________________________________
About the Author
Emery McClendon of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is married to Queenie, they are the parents of three sons. He served in the U.S. Air Force, the Indiana Air Guard, is a former Ft. Wayne Police Reserve Officer, Allen County Sheriff Deputy, and Indiana State Trooper. He is a life member of the DAV. Emery organized Amateur Radio communications for the national Glen Beck Rally For The Troops in 2003, and founded Amateur Radio Military Appreciation Day www.armad.net. After visiting the White House in 2007 he became involved in politics as a speaker, Tea Party Leader, and state coordinator for Tea Party Patriots. He organized the Fort Wayne Tea Party Rally with Dr. Alan Keyes, the keynote speaker. He received the Americans For Prosperity / Rightonline 2010 "Activist Of The Year" award, The Amateur Radio Dayton Hamvention Special Achievement Award, The Madison County Indiana "American" Award, The Indiana Distinguished Hoosier Award; and a U.S. Flag was flown in his honor at Flallugah, Iraq. Recipient 2010 Americans For Prosperity "Activist Of The Year Award" www.armad.net Contact Emery at armad07@yahoo.com.
By Emery McClendon
- December 10, 2018
Originally published at Politichicks
PERMALINK
We see and hear a lot these days about the lack of Civics in America. Over the past few years we have witnessed the greatest destruction of freedom here in America that the free world has ever known.
Recently we watched one man, Barack Obama, and his Administration shake the very foundation of the American Dream, and the Principles that made this nation great. Prior to that others have worked to destroy the nation that has served as a beacon of freedom and liberty to the world since its birth.
Obama sought to destroy our Rule of Law and the Document that our Founders of this nation wrote, and put in place, to guide us into the future, and to ensure the stability of our Union. That document is our United States Constitution.
America needs to ask itself why is this happening, and why so many people want to destroy our nation.
Keep in mind that Obama has not been alone in the quest to destroy the richest, and most prosperous nation that the world has ever known. This transformation has been promoted in our schools, the media, and elsewhere to slowly condition us to accept the concept that we must depend on the government to make our decisions for us.
America now has a President that wants to not only Make America Great, but also wants to also put America First. It is sad however, that the media, many celebrities, and some of our elected representatives don’t want him to succeed.
The movement to destroy our nation is not being orchestrated by a single person. It is a movement that is being carried out by many people who collectively hate our form of government, and wish to replace it with a new socialist utopia.
They are joined by many of those who were elected to stand against such tyranny.
In many ways these people are worse than the outright haters of our system of government, and do more damage to the cause of freedom.
The people of America have been betrayed.
Freedom is a rare commodity in our world. The United States has been looked upon by many from around the globe as the last beacon of hope, and our nation’s Founders wanted us to continue on that path.
Therefore, we must protect our liberty and freedom today, just as if we are the original patriots that came to America to find a way out of oppression and governmental rule to form a new nation that would be based on limited government and the American Dream.
As James Madison stated in Federalist #41:
- “Every man who loves peace, every man who loves his country, every man who loves liberty ought to have it ever before his eyes that he may cherish in his heart a due attachment to the Union of America and be able to set a due value on the means of preserving it.”
It is our duty to also make sure that our future generations have the same opportunity to live in a better America than we had passed down to us. In order to ensure this they must know the importance of Freedom.
John Adams stated: “Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom.” (Defense of the Constitutions, 1787)
Freedom is the power to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. It includes independence, self-government, self-determination, and self-rule.
Each of us must be held accountable for our own actions, and we are also responsible for our own destiny. We are not wards of the state and helpless.
That is why the American Dream is so powerful. It is available to anyone who puts forth the effort to achieve. It does not promise you the same outcome but it is there to give each of us an equal opportunity.
We celebrate freedom because it is freedom that allows us the opportunity to be the best that we can be, by allowing each of us to pursue our desires and ideas. Ideas that have made life much better for our fellow man in medicine, leisure, our work environment, travel and our quality of life.
However, as we have mentioned earlier, there are some that would hinder our continued efforts to achieve. They want to take away our pursuit of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
The question that we must consider is: Will we continue allow that to happen?
We have witnessed the take-over of private industry, private property rights, healthcare, energy, education; thru the introduction of Common Core, and now how much one can earn by introducing income equality, and the introduction of a minimum wage that will drive up the cost of everything.
Our government has invaded our homes, schools, offices, jobs, vehicles, communications, and seeks to rule over us in almost every aspect of our lives.
It is up to us as individuals to ensure that freedom remains and does not become a buzz word because we have given up our quest for promises that cannot be kept by those wishing to move us closer to socialism or a New World Order.
That is not the American way, and we, as Americans, deserve better.
We have witnessed the failed policies and scandals of many administrations in our lifetimes drive up prices; increase taxes, cause unemployment, and place undue burdens on private enterprise through excessive regulations. Many of those out of work have simply given up, and there is a burden being placed on the remaining Tax Payers that is not sustainable. There are simply too many people in the wagon and the load is becoming unbearable.
The goal of the average American of the past was to provide for themselves and their families, not to be taken care of by the government.
We have witnessed past Presidents boldly stand here and abroad and talk down the idea of American Exceptionalism, apologize for our success, and seek to reduce our military strength.
What has happened to the idea of peace through strength, and respect for those who serve in our Armed Forces?
Never before in our history has this been the case, and we cannot allow it to continue.
Let us stand up and fight for a return of those principles that made us a great nation.
We are one nation under God, and a beacon for the world. We cannot allow those who come to our shores to seek freedom come to arrive here simply to find out that things are the same as where they departed from.
We celebrate our freedom because Almighty God has blessed us, and because we also have a Constitution that spells out the limits of our government. Our Founders intended for us to improve this nation and to make it become an even better legacy then they left us. Let us work to ensure that we carry on that tradition.
We must prepare ourselves for the future by keeping our hearts and minds focused on the fact that freedom isn’t free, and it should not to be taken for granted.
We must continue to work hard to ensure that the freedom that we enjoy is passed down to all who would seek to find it; rather they are here at home or those who arrive from abroad.
John Adams also stated in a letter to Mercy Warren, April 16, 1776:
- “Men must be ready, they must pride themselves and be happy to sacrifice their private pleasures, passions and interests, nay, their private friendships and dearest connections, when they stand in competition with the rights of society.”
We must not give up the fight, because our voices do matter. We must continue to speak up, to vote, write letters, make calls, and work hard to ensure that we put people in office that will respect and protect our Constitution. It is through the diligent pursuit of these things in our lives that we will continue to keep our nation strong.
We must continue to CELEBRATE FREEDOM and The AMERICAN DREAM!
God Bless you, God Bless America!
“FREEDOM And LIBERTY / USE Them Or LOSE Them.”
______________________________________________
About the Author
Emery McClendon of Fort Wayne, Indiana, is married to Queenie, they are the parents of three sons. He served in the U.S. Air Force, the Indiana Air Guard, is a former Ft. Wayne Police Reserve Officer, Allen County Sheriff Deputy, and Indiana State Trooper. He is a life member of the DAV. Emery organized Amateur Radio communications for the national Glen Beck Rally For The Troops in 2003, and founded Amateur Radio Military Appreciation Day www.armad.net. After visiting the White House in 2007 he became involved in politics as a speaker, Tea Party Leader, and state coordinator for Tea Party Patriots. He organized the Fort Wayne Tea Party Rally with Dr. Alan Keyes, the keynote speaker. He received the Americans For Prosperity / Rightonline 2010 "Activist Of The Year" award, The Amateur Radio Dayton Hamvention Special Achievement Award, The Madison County Indiana "American" Award, The Indiana Distinguished Hoosier Award; and a U.S. Flag was flown in his honor at Flallugah, Iraq. Recipient 2010 Americans For Prosperity "Activist Of The Year Award" www.armad.net Contact Emery at armad07@yahoo.com.
Making the World Safe for Democracy – One Therapy Dog at a Time
By Ed Moser (PTP’s Resident Wag)
December 2018
PERMALINK
I received a bizarre message from my George Washington University alma mater school dean:
We used to widely commemorate December 7 as Pearl Harbor Day, as a kind of cautionary warning to be semper paratus (‘always ready’). Now this from the dean, on the day before.
How can a society survive, in a tough and challenging world, when this kind of pabulum is put out by the highest officials of our top schools?
Therapy dogs?!?
Imagine the following communiqué:
Ed Moser was a speechwriter to President George H. W. Bush and writer for Jay Leno's The Tonight Show. Ed's latest work is an e-book, a political satire called, Foundering Fathers: What Jefferson, Franklin, and Abigail Adams Saw in Modern D.C.!
By Ed Moser (PTP’s Resident Wag)
December 2018
PERMALINK
I received a bizarre message from my George Washington University alma mater school dean:
- We have set aside December 6 as 'stress-less day', when you can pause a moment to hug a therapy dog, get a free massage, participate in guided meditation, decorate cookies, and paint pottery.
We used to widely commemorate December 7 as Pearl Harbor Day, as a kind of cautionary warning to be semper paratus (‘always ready’). Now this from the dean, on the day before.
How can a society survive, in a tough and challenging world, when this kind of pabulum is put out by the highest officials of our top schools?
Therapy dogs?!?
Imagine the following communiqué:
- June 5, 1944--"Comrades: Before undertaking our great crusade, excuse, our great jihad, of the invasion of, excuse me, the incursion into Normandy, I urge all the diverse members of our peacekeeping mission to hug a therapy dog, decorate cookies & crumpets, and chill out with a healing massage. After all, we wouldn't want the Nazis to be better prepared than us."
--Your friend, and supreme allied counselor, Dwight Eisenhower
Ed Moser was a speechwriter to President George H. W. Bush and writer for Jay Leno's The Tonight Show. Ed's latest work is an e-book, a political satire called, Foundering Fathers: What Jefferson, Franklin, and Abigail Adams Saw in Modern D.C.!
Thanking Our Volunteers for a Great 2018
PERMALINK
Our volunteers stepped up again this year, enabling Potomac Tea Party and its spin-offs (Anticommunism Action Team [ACAT], Constitution project, and Liberato.US) to:
- Create a great-looking logo for Potomac Tea Party
- Reach thousands of #WalkAways (former Democrats and liberals) with PTP’s Open Letter to the WalkAway Movement – these volunteers also appeared on the radio in 4 states, wrote an editorial that was published in the Daily Signal, and handed out our Open Letter to #WalkAway marchers in D.C. in October. As a result of this project, traffic on PTP’s website quadrupled and PTP appeared on One America News.
- Create a youth-oriented Constitution website (ConstitutionNext). The volunteer who put the site together also created the logo.
- Push back on enemies of the Constitution, e.g. Justice John Paul Stephens who wants to do away with the Second Amendment). Volunteers in 9 states contributed their ideas and spread the resulting articles to their networks
- Hand out over 700 Constitutions to the public on Constitution Day and at our festival booths
- Collect research on messaging the Constitution to young people – this volunteer also interviewed an expert in the Pentagon on how to attract young military service members to our founding documents
- Hold a national conference call on the Second Amendment
- Publish articles on PTP’s website on the national debt, immigration, media bias, the NFL boycott, etc.
- Create videos on free enterprise, why we have the Second Amendment, the UN sex abuse scandal, and civil rights
- Engage the public on our core values at the Irish Festival in Old Town, the Art on the Avenue festival in Del Ray, and the Fredericksburg gun show (thank you, Booth Brigade!)
- Support Judge (now Justice) Kavanaugh during his contentious nomination hearings – this volunteer took the initiative to write up her own action item. The Virginia Tea Party picked it up after PTP put it out to our list.
- Make calls, send texts, and knock on doors for the Dave Brat campaign
- Write to Virginia legislators opposing Medicaid expansion
- Contribute ideas to Louisa Tea Party’s legislative project
- Respond to a legislator’s survey (“I answered ‘no’ to all the Prog stuff”)
- Start on assisting the Virginia Tea Party on its local government project
- Write a series of articles on how to turn the Left’s sense of moral superiority against them
- Appear on a new grassroots media outlet – ‘Conversations on the Culture’
- Begin compiling a list of jihadi terrorist attacks in all 50 states
- Proofread and offer suggestions to a fact-based short story about Islam’s crimes against humanity
- Make valuable contributions to ACAT’s pushback on an article criticizing anticommunism (from a noted scholar: ‘well-written and well-argued’)
- Contribute articles to ACAT’s website on China, Cuba, Bulgaria, and Vietnam
- Translate an article from Vietnamese for re-posting to ACAT’s website
- Compile college course material on communist Thought Control techniques
- Take the powerful message of survivors of communism to the Leadership Institute, radio audiences multiple times in 3 states, and to a student group in Georgia (thank you ACAT Speakers Bureau!)
A Graphical Update on the National Debt
by Knoxville Tea Party
November 2018
PERMALINK
Simply put, money is supposed to represent goods or services that someone has produced, that you could trade the money for if you wished.
But when the federal government borrows money to pay benefits and bills, the federal government is promising people goods and services that have not been produced. It is promising things that it does not have, and which it hopes to take from future generations.
The graphic below presents the debt at the beginning and end of the previous administration, and the present-day situation, as currently reported by the United States Department of the Treasury.
"Debt Held by the Public" represents mostly Treasury bonds sold to the public.
"Intergovernmental Holdings" represent mostly monies taken from Social Security revenues, but are not technically debt because there is no legal obligation to repay the monies.
https://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/pd_debttothepenny.htm
by Knoxville Tea Party
November 2018
PERMALINK
Simply put, money is supposed to represent goods or services that someone has produced, that you could trade the money for if you wished.
But when the federal government borrows money to pay benefits and bills, the federal government is promising people goods and services that have not been produced. It is promising things that it does not have, and which it hopes to take from future generations.
The graphic below presents the debt at the beginning and end of the previous administration, and the present-day situation, as currently reported by the United States Department of the Treasury.
"Debt Held by the Public" represents mostly Treasury bonds sold to the public.
"Intergovernmental Holdings" represent mostly monies taken from Social Security revenues, but are not technically debt because there is no legal obligation to repay the monies.
https://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/pd_debttothepenny.htm
