Celebrating the Life of George Washington

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February 22, 2011:  The 279th Anniversary of Washington’s Birth

          George Washington was born in Virginia on February 22, 1732, which makes this the 279th anniversary of his birth.  As the Father of Our Country, Washington deserves to have his birthday set aside as a special day for all freedom loving Americans to celebrate and to reflect on the tremendous impact this man had not only on this country, but the entire world.

          Washington was a surveyor, soldier and planter who went on to become the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, which he led to victory over the British in the Revolutionary War.  He presided over the writing of the U.S. Constitution in 1887 and served as the young nation’s first president from 1789 to 1797.  George Washington was married to Martha Custis in 1759, a successful union that lasted 42 years until his death in 1799 at the age of 67.  Their home at Mount Vernon has been preserved for posterity and has been maintained without government support by the Mount Vernon Ladies’Association since 1858.

          Sadly, students in public schools today are not given the same opportunity to learn about George Washington as children were in years past.  Instead, they are subjected to ‘the new curriculum’ with a political agenda and a liberal focus.  At one time, portraits of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were displayed in every classroom in the country.  These have now largely been replaced by posters of Che Guevara, Malcolm X and similar characters revered by the liberals who have taken over our public schools.  School textbooks now barely provide 10 percent of the coverage that was given to Washington’s life and his many contributions to our nation just a few short years ago.

          We must make it a point to keep the history alive and pass on to future generations information about the incredible nature of George Washington’s courage and character, as well as the incalculable contributions he made to our country and our way of life.  Make it a point to visit your local public schools and inspect the classrooms.  As a taxpaying citizen, it is your right to do so.  Ask the teachers and principals why the portraits of Lincoln and Washington are no longer displayed.  Check out the curriculum of your child’s class and ask for more coverage of great Americans like George Washington if you deem it insufficient.  You can make a difference by getting involved in your local public schools and by supporting the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association!

Visit the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association at the following link:

http://www.mountvernon.org/

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Unions Whine as They Wither on the Vine

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Desperately Clinging to Cushy Jobs and Generous Bennies 

          With the end of their reign clearly in sight, union bosses have pulled out all the stops and mustered their minions (see WOW) at the state capitol in Madison, Wisconsin, to protest against Republican Governor Scott Walker.  If you can imagine, Governor Walker had the audacity to suggest that government employees should contribute a reasonable amount to their retirement and health plans like the rest of us!  Fortified by their new mandate which was decisively delivered in the 2010 midterm elections, other Republican led states are now jumping on the bandwagon and challenging the unions as well.  The Republican majorities in the Tennessee and Indiana legislatures have advanced similar proposals to limit union pilfering of their states’ coffers and it is expected that John Kasich, the new Republican Governor of Ohio, will soon follow suit.  This kind of momentum can only spell more trouble for the already tarnished government employee unions around the country. 

          Over the years that free-spending Democrats have been in control of state and local governments, their union puppeteers have directed them to enact outrageously generous benefits for government employees.  For minding their ‘managers’, these Democrats have been rewarded with hefty political contributions, derived from mandatory union dues, to keep them in power.  But all that changed as states ran out of money and the house of cards fell.  It became obvious to even the most unsophisticated observer of the economy, that this kind of reckless handing out of goodies was no longer sustainable.  The American people spoke loudly and clearly in November, and newly elected representatives have wasted no time in pulling the plug. 

          It is truly sad to see how union bosses have corrupted the members of once proud professional groups like teachers and firefighters.  At one time highly respected and even regarded as unselfish heroes, they are now seen by many as greedy union shop piglets, slopping at the trough of government handouts.  In the case of teachers, tenure insures job security regardless of competence or performance.  In the case of firefighters, generous salaries and huge retirement pensions for life, sometimes starting at age 50, make it one of the most sought after jobs in the country.  In California, as just one example, a fire chief can retire with a pension of $284,000, after receiving an annual base salary of $221,000, in a district where some stations receive only a few emergency calls a month.  Contrast that with a four-star general who has served his country all over the world (most likely for 30 years, often in combat situations) who can retire with $181,000 annually. 

          Something clearly had to be done to correct this imbalance and we salute Governor Walker for his courageous stand in the face of union thugs doing what they do best…joining mobs and threatening the rest of us.  To be sure, there are many dedicated, hardworking teachers, firefighters and other union workers who deserve to be well compensated, but the time is long overdue for government workers to receive pay and benefits on a par with their counterparts in the private sector.  We will not be sorry to watch as the last vestiges of union influence wither on the vine.

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The Obamas

Butt Out, Michelle!

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The Obamas
The Obamas

No Bun Intended   

          In spite of the fact that she is a lawyer who was educated at elite ivy league institutions, Michelle Obama seems like a very nice person and she has certainly comported herself with grace and dignity as First Lady of the United States.  To be sure, we are delighted to have our first African-American First Lady (and President, for that matter!), arguably the only good things that came out of the 2008 presidential election.  That being said, however, we must now ask, “where do you get off telling us what we can and can’t eat, Michelle?”

          Mrs. Obama is now trying to control the size of portions served in private restaurants as a way of tackling the obesity problem in the United States.  I see this as just another facet of the administration’s overarching desire to insinuate (see WOW) themselves into every aspect of our personal lives, now including what we put in our mouths.  What ever happened to personal responsibility and self-control?  Does this mean that we will now have to pay the same price for less food?  I always enjoyed taking home a ‘doggie bag’ and finishing my left-overs the next day.

          Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, a family physician from Alabama, has joined in the effort to promote Obama-rexia, the name Mrs. Obama selected for her First Lady Pet Project (a required activity designed to keep each White House spouse occupied).  Benjamin was widely roundly heavily strongly criticized for being significantly overweight when she was appointed by the president in 2009 as the nation’s top doctor.  Right about now you must be wondering when Mr. Obama, the first president in years to smoke in the White House, is going to insist that everyone else stop smoking!  Oops…forgot about Clinton and his cigars, but not sure if he actually used them for smoking.

          It is an interesting side note that, after ignoring First Lady Laura Bush’s health initiatives for eight years, many of the mainstream medical organizations are now falling all over themselves as they compete to be the first to embrace every suggestion Mrs. Obama makes, hanging on to every word she utters like sycophantic toadies.  Their newsletters are replete with praise and support for the Obama obesity obsession.  I believe this tells a lot about the motives of some of these groups and explains why competing organizations are sprouting up to offer an alternative.

          In the meantime, Mrs. Obama, I will be the judge of what I eat, how much I eat and when I eat it and I don’t need any help from you or anyone else, thank you.  I am an American, which means I am independent, self-sufficient, and self-reliant and I can actually think for myself.  It just so happens that I choose to exercise self-control in what I eat, but it is no one else’s business whether I succeed in that endeavor or not.

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President Ronald Reagan

Remembering Ronald Reagan

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President Ronald Reagan
President Ronald Reagan

 

A True Story About Ronald Reagan

          In the late 1960’s during his first term as Governor of California, Ronald Reagan was not afraid to challenge the liberals who were trying to hijack the state’s university and college system.  While chancellors and regents capitulated to the demands of disruptive rowdies bent on closing down the campuses, Reagan courageously stood up to them and exposed their motives.  At one point, the Chancellor of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) decided that it might be inappropriate to hold the annual ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) graduation ceremony that year, considering the anti-war protests and unrest taking place on the campus at the time.  Acquiescing to the demands of the pusillanimous (see WOW) sluggards who were afraid to go into the military, the chancellor decided to cancel the graduation ceremony that was to honor the individuals who not only had the courage to serve their county, but who had also bravely endured the taunts of those same cowards, simply because they worn a uniform on campus.

          When Governor Reagan heard about the decision to cancel the ROTC graduation ceremony, he immediately dispatched a message to the chancellor.  The message went something like this. “Oh No You’re Not!  Not only will there be an ROTC graduation ceremony on the UCLA campus this year, but I’m going to be there and I’m going to bring John Wayne with me!”  And so he did.  The chancellor was put in his place and the protesters were rebuffed.  A huge crowd showed up to honor the ROTC graduates and hear the future president give one of his signature inspirational speeches.  That was classic ‘Ronald Reagan’, the Ronald Reagan we yearn for today!

          Ronald Wilson Reagan was born on February 6, 1911 in Tampico, Illinois and it was there, growing up in Middle America, that the framework for his character was formed.  Later he would have a successful career in radio, television and movies and he would serve his country in the Army Air Corps during World War II.  In 1952 Reagan married actress Nancy Davis, a union that would evolve into a dynamic team on a much bigger stage in the years to come.  Early on, Reagan began warning his country about the dangers of communism and its quest for world domination.  Many will remember his 1950 documentary illustrating the creeping influence of communism on a large world map.

          After serving two eventful terms as Governor of California from 1967 to 1975, Reagan emerged as a leader who could unite both sides of the political spectrum and actually get things done.  Elected President of the United States in 1980 by a landslide, Reagan would revive the U.S economy with his common sense approach that came to be known as Reaganomics and he would eventually bring down the Soviet Union with his unwavering belief that all people should live in freedom.  Millions of individuals were liberated and millions of lives were improved, all because of the resolve of one man.  No wonder Ronald Reagan is revered as one of the greatest U.S. presidents and is considered by his many admirers across the globe to be one of the greatest world leaders of the Twentieth Century.  Happy Birthday, President Reagan, and thank you for all that you have done.

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