Peg Luksik

We have all heard so much bad news that I thought it would be nice to remember what makes this nation worth fighting for.

Last night my high school senior son was driving to Pittsburgh.  It was raining, and he lost control of the car on the slick, wet highway.

Thankfully, he was not injured, but since he had plowed through a highway sign, he had two flat tires with bent wheel rims, making the car un-drivable.  He was an hour away from home, on a wooded section of a four lane highway, at twilight.

It was still raining.

As I drove to collect him, his brother began searching for service station options near the accident site so we wouldn’t have to tow the car all the way home.  It was difficult since no one knew the exact location of the accident, and we had no landmarks to work with.

He had no suggestions to give me at the time of my arrival.

I pulled up in front of the car, and my son got out.  We were just beginning to discuss options when a car pulled up behind us and a young man got out.  He had stopped to help.  He didn’t know about cars, but he was from the area, and he provided the name and location of a tire store that, it turned out, was less than 3 miles away from our location.

The tow was the next hurdle.  I have a towing service attached to my phone.  I called them and was trying to describe the location so they could arrange for a pickup.  They wanted some kind of “anchor” landmark to give the towing company.

There was a business a bit more than half a mile farther down the road, and although it was closed, they had a sign out. We drove down the shoulder until we could see the name so I could give it to the towing people.  Then I slowly backed up down the same shoulder until I was back in front of the damaged vehicle.

As I was on the phone, another gentleman stopped.  When he got out of his car, I could see that he was some kind of mechanic who was obviously going home after working late.  He examined the car, and asked if there was a spare tire.

Then he suggested that he could use the spare to replace one of the damaged tires.  That still left the other one.

He removed the second tire, and manually hammered the rim back into shape.  Then he returned to his company’s shop and came back with an air compressor to refill the tire.  He had to make two trips to get all the parts he needed.

He did all of this in the rain.

As a result of his help, we were able to drive the car the few miles to the tire shop instead of having to get a tow.

Then he refused all offers of payment, telling me that he had six kids of his own, and he would want someone to help them if they were stuck.  So we shook hands, and he got back into his truck and went home.

We all know that there is much that is wrong in America.

That man, and all the men and women like him, remind us that there is also much that is still right in America as well.

Often known as the “housewife from Johnstown”, Marguerite Luksik has spent most of her adult life as an advocate for children and a strong voice for family values. Peg is the wife of over 30 years to James Luksik and the mother of their six children.  She began as a teacher to children with learning disabilities and/or emotional issues. In 1983 she founded Mom’s House, Inc., a nationally recognized non-profit organization that served single parents and their children. Peg also founded Pennsylvania/National Parents Commission.  She has been a candidate for  Governor and for the U.S. Senate, standing for principle over politics.  Currently, Peg is the Chairman of the Center for American Heritage, where she is fighting to  restore our God-given liberties.

Follow Chuck Warren on Twitter @silverbulletLLC

They came, they saw, they conquered…a ballroom at a hotel in Sparks, Nevada. But don’t tell that to the Army of Ron Paul. If you asked the fervent troops of the Texas Congressman, their capture of the biggest chunk of the national delegates two weeks at the Nevada Republican Convention was akin to crossing the Rubicon. Literally.

The Army of Ron Paul organized for this battle for four years. At this same convention in 2008, they got snookered when Nevada GOP officials shut off the lights and went home early instead of allowing the Paul forces to vote for delegates. Fast forward to a few days ago and 1,200 Paul supporters stuck around to defeat a Romney crew of 1,050 that numbered 1, 400 just a few hours before.

Was this Thermopylae? Hardly. While you have to take your hats off to Ron Paul organizers for their ability to keep all of their people in the room (the nearby casino floor proved little to no distraction) their success came in using the GOP rules and bylaws to arrive at their final victory late that night. These are the same “establishment” rules that concentrate illicit power in the hands of a few. The rules continue to empower the few, the Ron Paul few.

Armies don’t win on the backs of rules; they win through overwhelming force. The Army of Paul had an opportunity for a show of force in the Nevada caucuses last February. That was the first battle to determine delegates. Only 25% of their soldiers showed up and they finished a distant third behind Romney and Gingrich, thus entitling them to a small fraction of the proportionally-awarded delegation from Nevada. So much for the populist movement that was sweeping Nevada off of its feet. But the principled and righteous legion went the way of The Man and used The System to force their will on tens of thousands of Nevadans that went to their GOP caucuses months before.

There is much common ground between Republicans and Ron Paul. But it’s more difficult to agree with some of his supporters’ insipid moralizing about the narrow gate that one must pass through in order to be accepted into the Kingdom of Freedom. Their methods, at times, are intellectually dishonest (which they accuse everyone else of), and the power of their ideas are lacking in real support. That should bring them down to earth, joining forces with the rest of us flawed warriors.

There is another bothersome Army of Paul quality that resides more in the area of manners than policy. Last weekend at the Arizona GOP State Convention, the Army of Paul booed Josh Romney off of the stage when he was promoting the Romney slate (Ron Paul came in 4^th in Arizona Republican Presidential Primary).  While it would be naïve to claim that party politics should be a temple of civility, the lack of respect afforded a fellow Republican does not serve the Army of Paul’s claim that they desire to stay involved in the GOP for years to come. In fact, the behavior of many in the Army belies what is essentially a singular cult of personality. Their dismissing of any other point of view or person that deviates from their dogma is not encouraging to even the most hospitable Republican prone to hold a chair for them at the table.

As long as they continue to exist in their own little echo chamber of texting, tweeting, and secret meet ups, they will forever believe that they have created a critical mass of people that will join the Army of Ron Paul. Instead they have shown that they are just a rag tag group of people that inhabit the same qualities as the rest of us: a little lazy, a little delusional, a little self-serving, and oh so earnest. 

Chuck Warren is a board member of Pass the Balanced Budget Amendment (PasstheBBA.com) and a partner at Silver Bullet, LLC.

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/341422/20120515/obama-economy-improving-debt-crisis-insurance-war.htm

Jack attends Columbia University. Follow him @talkradio200 -Picture Source: Billy Hathorn at en.wikipedia

Whenever someone on the Left says they are for “equality,” my first reaction is to call B.S. The last time I checked, the premise of equality is supposed to be “all men are created equal.”

Section one of the Fourteenth Amendment states, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws” (Emphasis mine). This is what is meant when people say “equal protection under the law.”

For evidence of how the Left shreds this clause along with the rest of the Constitution, look no further than President Obama continually dumping on “millionaires and billionaires.” He wants to single them out for tax increases so that they can “pay their fair share.”

How is using the tax code to screw certain people in the name of “fairness” fair? How does a Constitutional scholar such as Obama square his love affair of bashing political adversaries with more taxes to buy votes from other people with the Fourteenth Amendment?

One of the points that needs to be made about the Left’s tax policy is that they are always targeting people to benefit at the expense of others. Raising taxes on some people so you can give it to others is flat out unconstitutional. And not just because it violates the Fourteenth Amendment, but it also violates Article 1, Section 9 which has a line which states, “No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.”

A bill of attainder is an act of a legislature declaring a person or group of people guilty of a crime and punishing them without trial. When Congress raises taxes, they are issuing a Bill of Attainder and, when they raise taxes on the “so-called rich,” they are treating them unequally in comparison to the rest of the population (I could argue that income taxes in and of themselves are Bills of Attainder, but I will save that for another day).

"Equal Justice Under Law" inscribed above the US Supreme Court

Another left-wing premise that slashes through the Equal Protection Clause is their love affair with affirmative action. They want us to believe they think all men are created equal, but that minorities cannot achieve success unless that success is subsidized by the government.

Affirmative action protects people who don’t have qualifications from discovering or having to acknowledge that truth. Think of a president who gets elected on the basis of the historical nature of his candidacy.

Also think of a Harvard professor who gets hired on the basis of being 1/32 Cherokee and years later runs for Senate. Then it’s discovered that she faked being 1/32 Cherokee and that her ancestor rounded up actual Cherokees and sent them on the Trail of Tears. So Elizabeth Warren faked the need for affirmative action in order to get into the Ivy League and is now trying to parade herself as the victim because she’s been caught. If she was operating on the merits of her academic scholarship, this ruse wouldn’t have been necessary.

And let’s not forget about the beloved unions and hated corporations.  Liberals are always complaining that big corporations and billionaires can give to campaigns and that Romney’s campaign and Karl Rove’s PAC, Crossroads, get contributions from big corporations and the Koch brothers (GASP!). They are horrified at the Citizens United case striking down McCain-Feingold and would rather limit  corporate contributions to campaigns.

But for some reason, they never mention unions. Unions give large sums of other people’s money to politicians. At least the corporations are spending their own money. The lesson: unions can give to campaigns with impunity, but if you are a corporation, Democrats will tar you with the charge that you are corrupting democracy.

Interesting that in the Democrats’ vision of the world, oil companies and the Koch brothers should be barred from influencing elections, but Bill Clinton can raise campaign funds from foreign nations in a Buddhist temple (in brazen violation of federal election laws) after turning down five separate offers from the Sudanese government to take Osama bin Laden into custody for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and these same people won’t bat an eye.

Whether it be affirmative action, confiscatory tax policy, subsidies for their friends, or killing industries that they don’t like (bankrupting coal and killing Keystone), Obama and the Democrats subvert the rule of law in order to amass power. Their calls for equality are a farce, designed to hide the fact that they want a total Balkanization of the United States. They want to use their political power to bully and silence their detractors while buying off their friends at the taxpayers’ expense.

Soviet Bread Line

If Democrats really wanted equality, they would have the same standard for everyone, and your tax rate would not be dictated by your income. A flat tax or even the FairTax would be the order of the day. But to Democrats, equality and fairness can only be achieved when people you don’t like pay the price for you not liking them so you can prop up your constituency of welfare and affirmative action frauds.

In the eyes of the Left, we will not all be truly equal under the law until we are all equally miserable and poor. Except for them of course, because as we all know, in the worldview of the Left, some people are more equal than others.

Jack is currently a graduate student at Columbia University working on his MA in Music and Music Education. In addition to music, he also like reading and commenting on Christianity, American historical and political trends, economics, cultural issues, and Constitutional issues

Challenging liberals with what they hate most: THE FACTS!

From inauguration day to now (4/23)…

Obama in Hawaii

-FEDERAL DEBT — $10.6 trillion to $15.6 trillion FAILED!

-UNEMPLOYED AMERICANS – 12.05 million to 12.67 million FAILED!

-GAS PRICES — $1.85 to $3.86 FAILED!

-FOOD STAMP RECIPIENTS – 32 million to 46 million FAILED!

-HOME VALUES — $169,700 to $145,400 FAILED!

-UNEMPLOYMENT RATE– 7.8% to 8.2% FAILED!

-LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYED– 2.7 million to 5.3 million FAILED!

-WORKER HEALTH INSURANCE COST– $3,354 to $4,129 FAILED!

-COLLEGE TUITION– $6,591 to $8,244 FAILED!

-AMERICANS IN POVERTY– 39.8 million to 46 million FAILED!

-MISERY INDEX– 7.8 to 10.9 FAILED!

-DEBT PER PERSON– $34,731 to $49,824 FAILED!

-U.S. GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS– 1st to 5th FAILED!

The numbers don’t lie.

See the full chart here.  Send it to everyone you know.

Peg Luksik

The education establishment has a new term, “helicopter parent”.  They use it to refer to parents who hover over their children.  They now warn parents not to be helicopter parents, but to stay out of the way and let the educators have full control.

One wonders if they have somehow lost the definition of the word “parent”.  And especially “mother”.

We mothers spent nine months living with each of our children, 24/7.  We felt every kick, roll, and hiccup.  We could tell if they liked what we were listening to, or what we ate.  We knew if the child living within us was energetic or calm even before we saw that child’s face.

And when each of our little ones moved into his own living space, we knew what every cry meant.  We knew how that tiny person liked to be held, and how to make her smile.  And when those smiles happened, our whole day was brighter.

We encouraged the first steps and the first words.  We bandaged the first boo-boos.  We watched each milestone our child passed on his way to independence with equal parts of pride and bittersweet joy.

We shared in every triumph, with even more pride than we took in any action of our own.  And we suffered with our children, sharing in their pain in ways deeper than we could ever have imagined.

We know the favorite flavor of ice cream, the favorite color, and the favorite movie of each of our children.

When they become adults, we stand proudly at graduations and weddings and wonder how the toddler became the grown-up in just one day.

Each of our children moved out of our wombs, but none of them moved out of our hearts.

Mothers were designed to hover.  And children were designed to thrive when they are so cherished.

Firmin Baes - Sweet dreams

It’s beyond sad that we live in a world where that natural relationship is denigrated instead of respected. Where our children are taught that the person who brought them into the world is “just a mother”, whose value to society is somehow second-class.  Where even the title “Mother” is diluted to include any and all women, as if those who bear children are not doing something unique and valuable.

The most disturbing part of this new world view is the harm it does to children.  If a woman is “just a mother”, than the little one she nurtures is “just a child”.  Not a unique and priceless and eternal addition to the universe who was called into life by an almighty Father, but just another kid who is no different from all the others.

If we truly valued our children, we would value those who care for them, just as we value the jewelers who care for diamonds.  In the case of the jeweler, we don’t tell him not to “hover”.  We listen to, respect, and follow his advice because we understand that he knows more about his diamonds than we do.

We mothers know our little diamonds better than any jeweler.  Instead of telling us not to hover, perhaps it would be wise to listen to what we have to say.  And perhaps we mothers need to get back into our helicopters and insist upon it.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Often known as the “housewife from Johnstown”, Marguerite Luksik has spent most of her adult life as an advocate for children and a strong voice for family values. Peg is the wife of over 30 years to James Luksik and the mother of their six children.  She began as a teacher to children with learning disabilities and/or emotional issues. In 1983 she founded Mom’s House, Inc., a nationally recognized non-profit organization that served single parents and their children. Peg also founded Pennsylvania/National Parents Commission.  She has been a candidate for  Governor and for the U.S. Senate, standing for principle over politics.  Currently, Peg is the Chairman of the Center for American Heritage, where she is fighting to  restore our God-given liberties.

Jack attends Columbia University. Follow him @talkradio200 -Picture Source: Billy Hathorn at en.wikipedia

It’s official: President Obama has finally admitted what anyone with a pulse knows; he’s in favor of redefining marriage. He is on the side of people who want to overturn a 5,000 year old institution that is the bedrock of any stable society so he can buy votes.

Of course, everyone who supports this redefinition will accuse me of being “anti-gay.” If you can’t defend redefining marriage without making homophobia your predominant argument, then you’ve proven that you don’t have an argument.

Marriage is a union between one man and one woman, not because any government says so, but because it has been for all of time. It is a word like any other word, and words mean things. I can look at a cow and call it a horse all I want, but that doesn’t make it a horse. Even if Congress passed a law, that cow is still a cow.

Marriage is between one man and one woman because it is a civilizing force in society. It is the most stable arrangement through which children are born and raised. It is the beginning unit of the family, which makes perfect sense because two men cannot produce a child. Two women cannot produce a child.  Marriage is not merely about love, which is what Biden says; it is also about self-preservation because without marriage as it is defined, we wouldn’t be reproducing and raising children in stable environments and that would spell societal collapse.

The main argument for redefining marriage is as Vice President Biden says, “It’s all about who you love.” If that were the case, then would he approve of polygamy? Would he approve of intra-family marriages? Would adults be able to marry minors?

The typical same-sex marriage supporter would say of course not, that these things are not the same. Why not? If the argument is that you should be able to marry who you love, then all of these things would have to be legal. If you object to polygamy and other arrangements, then you’ve lost your own argument.

Created by Phil Scoville on June 25, 2005

One of the canards of this push to redefine marriage is to say it’s all about “equality” and making sure that “homosexuals have the same rights as everyone else.” Which they already do. If homosexuals want to get married, they can; they just have to marry someone of the opposite sex like everyone else.

If you look at the definition of marriage, it is “a union between one man and one woman.” Nowhere in that definition does it say “heterosexual.” So everything is already equal, but, as with most things the Left pushes for, they want some people to be more equal than others.

Most people, including social conservatives are fairly libertarian on the issue of homosexuals. We don’t believe that they should be mistreated or discriminated against, and we are not concerned with what people do in their bedrooms. What we are objecting to is the demand that society approve of it and demonize those who don’t as homophobes.

The argument goes far deeper than that. Obama’s admission of his support does not. He couldn’t care less about homosexuals, just like every other constituency group, Blacks and women; he buys support with lofty promises and leaves them out to dry.

Obama is losing independents and women, and he’s already given up on White voters–so this is just another cynical ploy to shore up his base when his prospects of reelection are going down in flames. So, when you’re a Democrat, just appeal to each group of people and assume that they only care about one thing (reparations for Blacks, birth control and abortion for women) and identify them by that.

Of course, the number one issue in this election is the economy and, as Governor Romney has said, “It’s still the economy, and we’re not stupid.” Blacks, women, and homosexuals want jobs, freedom, the ability to earn a living, and financial security, just like everyone wants. Conservatives know this, but liberals don’t see it and don’t care.

So to everyone who wants to be treated with dignity and respect, show respect and dignity to yourself by voting for the candidate who promises to restore America for everyone, regardless of race, gender, or orientation, not the person whose candidacy rests on those divisions.

If a presidential candidate wants your vote because he thinks that you want to overturn one of the bedrocks of a stable, functioning society, then he’s probably hiding the fact that he’s not worth your vote. Now that Obama has come out of the closet on “same-sex marriage,” let’s send him back to the golf course on November 6^th (on his own dime, of course).

Jack is currently a graduate student at Columbia University working on his MA in Music and Music Education. In addition to music, he also like reading and commenting on Christianity, American historical and political trends, economics, cultural issues, and Constitutional issues

Follow Ryan @RyanShaw100

It is important to note the dichotomy of this issue between law and organized religion.  I am solely referring to the issue of same-sex marriage from a legal standpoint; organized religion is free to set whatever rules its members decide.

On Tuesday night, voters in North Carolina passed a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and prohibiting the state from recognizing the legal status of domestic unions.  This bothers me. A lot.

I use what I call my “conservative prism” to analyze news, politics, etc., applying my beliefs of individual liberty, free markets and limited government to form an opinion.  This allows me to play devil’s advocate, poking holes in my own argument and ensuring that I’m approaching a wide range of topics consistently. Ever since I began considering the subject of gay marriage years ago, the same idea pops into my head each time it comes up:

As one of the core tenets of conservatism, individual liberty means Americans possess the right to enjoy their freedom as long as it does not preclude the freedom of others. How does a couple getting married preclude the freedom of others?

It doesn’t.

By Benson Kua from Toronto, Canada (Rainbow Uploaded by Skeezix1000)

While I acknowledge that we live in a nation of laws which are [typically] designed to promote a safe and civil society, I just can’t wrap my head around the societal benefit of a law disallowing a couple from being legally recognized as married (or in a civil union, whatever you want to call it).  Why limit the rights of homosexual partners in some of life’s most serious issues such as hospital visitation, insurance policies or simply the basic satisfaction of entering a private contract bonded by love?

Some reference the issue of adoption and raising children in a household headed by a same-sex couple. For comparison’s sake, I think it’s pretty easy for most to understand that being raised by two loving homosexual parents is exponentially better than what many unfortunate children must experience in broken or abusive homes with heterosexual parents.

The one part of the North Carolina vote that I agree with was the fact that it was handled on the state level. As the folks over at GOProud believe, “marriage should be a question for the states” and not something dictated by the federal government (repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) signed by President Clinton in 1996).

That said, since I consider this an issue on the state level and North Carolina actually took the vote to its residents, I’m not sure what the “proper” solution is for this beyond education and awareness to the issue. In our constitutional republic, the checks and balances available from state-to-state will hopefully find that same-sex partners should be recognized in the same fashion as heterosexuals.

By Steve Jurvetson from Menlo Park, USA

Politicians from both the left and the right have recently vocalized support for equal rights regarding marriage including a duo of former and current Vice Presidents Dick Cheney and Joe Biden.  Until President Obama officially announced his change of opinion in an interview with ABC News on Wednesday, both 2012 presidential candidates were officially against same-sex marriage.  The implications of President Obama’s new stance are unclear, though one could argue  it is of substance in regards to repealing DOMA  and avoiding an explicit federal ban on same-sex marriage. GOP candidate Mitt Romney affirmed he is still against recognizing gay marriage, but acknowledged support for domestic partnerships which effectively provide same-sex couples rights similar to those enjoyed by married heterosexuals.

Ultimately, I believe we live in a nation that will come to understand that marriage is an important civil liberty for all Americans to enjoy.  It’s up to all of us who appreciate individual liberty to include marriage equality in our public discourse and discuss it with those whom may have not yet reflected on this issue.

I’m excited about my wedding this coming summer; hopefully everyone will have the chance at that excitement for their own wedding soon.

Ryan is a graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas with an MBA in Marketing and Economics.  He currently works in advertising and is plotting his escape from the Chicago political machine.  Follow him on Twitter @RyanShaw100

Gary Nolan

As I continue to read about fighting factions, suicide bombers, and other coordinated violence in the Middle East, I couldn’t help but notice that here in the melting pot we have different religions, races, sexual orientations, political parties, and any other separating qualifier one might think of, yet we don’t habitually have these problems.

The KKK and Black Panthers have not blown each other up. The Westboro Baptists haven’t open fired on a gay club. To my knowledge, a physical altercation hasn’t even broke out in Congress. There’s little doubt that many of these people are vehemently opposed to one another, yet they somehow find a way to coexist and get on with their lives instead of declaring jihad and strapping a bottle rocket to their petoot in a crowded square. 

I am fascinated with human behavior and derive great pleasure from analyzing people’s actions. I should preface that I do not have a psychology degree, so this is only the writings of an interested layman, but I think there are obvious reasons for the difference.

Our Constitution is a unique governing document in that it derives its power from the people. Most others grant power to the people. This philosophy has been taught in every American history class since America has had history. 

There are instinctual behaviors, such as eating, procreating, avoiding pain; these do not need to be taught. I believe freedom is instinctual too. While many countries try to quash that instinct, in America, the instinct that we are free, with “inalienable rights” has been reinforced in all of us, and, for that reason, we expect a non-tyrannical lifestyle. If someone tries to deny you your instincts, you fight back. We know if you try to take your own life while holding your breath, the instinct of self-preservation won’t even let you harm yourself. Your instincts literally fight off your conscious decisions. So it’s little wonder why the oppressed are always fighting with each other.

2011 Egyptian Revolution (SOURCE: Flickr, Jonathan Rashad)

If we don’t like our leaders, we just “vote the bums out.” Revolutions are not necessary. We tried it once and learned our lesson. As much as many of us don’t care for Obama, I doubt any sane detractor has considered throwing Molotov cocktails at the White House or taking up arms against our military. Tyranny is something our leaders dip their toes into on occasion but know well and good not to take a few laps around the pool. Such behavior has never been tolerated here.

People in the Middle East however, generally have no concept of what it is like to be free. As a result of this constant beating into submission, they eventually have to strike back with force or nothing changes.

When people are free, it is common sense to understand that such freedoms extend to all of us, including overtly ignorant and hateful people such as the Westboro Baptists, KKK, Black Panthers, Neo-Nazis, etc. While I think these organizations are deplorable, if I meet one, I generally just give them that “You really are an idiot” look and move on. Unconcealing my carry conceal has never entered my mind. We both just walk away realizing the other “will never understand.” 

Black Panther Convention, Lincoln Memorial. (June 19, 1970)

Science and skepticism play a huge role in our understanding culture as well. While America is largely religious, even those who are devout in their faith still embrace science. For instance, most believers place their trust in doctors using proven science when they or their children are ill. The idea that maybe God has simply bestowed scientific understanding upon them allows science and religion to peacefully coexist for most of the faithful masses. 

Skepticism is important too. If someone came up to you and told you that God wants you to kill your neighbor, most people would likely call 911 and ask them to send the white-coated tailors who always make the sleeves too long. Religion may be important, but in America, we put a premium on human life, and since the Salem witch trials, we rarely kill in the name of any God. But in the Middle East, many are taught that killing for their God is honorable and justified, and they buy into it wholeheartedly.

The fact is that constitutionally-provided freedoms have gone well beyond just their written words. These paradigms allow us to have freedom of the mind, scientific research, and as mentioned earlier, the choice to be a moron. No one among us wants to be a hypocrite, and most of us know that if I allow you to be a Christian, you must allow me to be an atheist. 

Freedom of the mind allows one to think whatever they want, no matter how stupid it is. A good example is the 9/11 truthers. Several college science programs, a myriad of science publications, and the majority of the science community, even many who REALLY detested President Bush, have come out and said that this conspiracy is the work of small minds with big imaginations; they’ve done the research to prove it. While those of us with intelligence know better, the fact is, sometimes you have to let an idiot alone with their beliefs, and Americans are largely OK with that. In the Middle East, you’d be executed for making such accusations about your government, but in America, you get an interview with Rosie O’Donnell.

Click Here for a great article about 9/11 conspiracy skepticism</a>

Freedom of scientific research, while not in the Constitution, is still a product of our overall paradigm, and it’s the main reason human life expectancy has nearly doubled in just a few centuries. Radical faiths often prohibit scientific research because it brings the concept of their god into question. But now it’s a conversation intelligent minds on both sides of the fence discuss daily without incident. While some believers complain about specific research, it is more often settled at the voting booth than at the end of the sword.

So why do we get along when they don’t? Short answer—Freedom…that’s why.

Gary is a Technical Service Agent for a fortune 500 tool company. A former small business owner, a political enthusiast, a high school graduate, a modern day skeptic, and a person whose life was shaped and inspired by the actions of Reagan at the age of ten…and a heckuva nice guy.

Follow Paul Tully @papatul

If I were to ask one-hundred randomly selected Americans to define the Carter presidency in four words or less, I’m sure the answers would be remarkably similar. Most lists would include the words malaise, gas-lines, hostages and misery-index. If the same question were asked concerning Richard Nixon, you can bet that 99 of the 100 answer sheets would include the word “Watergate.” You see, a President’s legacy is a lot like concrete – it can be molded and shaped during his term; but once it sets, it becomes virtually impossible to alter.

So how will our soon to be “ex-president” (as El Rushbo would say, “Don’t doubt me, folks”) Barack Obama fare in the legacy realm? Let’s just say there are several reasons why he’ll be a one-termer.

While demonizing the rich does make for great sound bites that liberals love to hear, the politics of envy does “not” sell well with the moderate voters Obama needs to connect with in order to secure a second term. Simply put, class warfare is not only unbecoming of a president, but about as un-American as one can get. This brings me to my second critique – the government takeover of General Motors.

For those who don’t remember, Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet was a classic ad campaign the folks at GM ran in the 1970’s, specifically designed to promote a sense of pride and patriotism among those citizens that felt the need to “buy American” – an extremely popular thing to do at the time.

When the Obama regime – using tax-payer dollars – took over GM, all of that changed. Honest company shareholders were given the boot in favor of overcompensated union thugs. Under the guise of “saving” the auto industry, Obama and his henchmen merely enabled government to take control of yet another slice of the U.S. economic pie. While patting himself on the back the President fails to mention one teeny-weeny fact – GM still owes the tax-payers 27 billion dollars! If this is such a “success” as Obama claims, somebody please tell him that this nation can’t afford any more of his “successes.”

Now, where was I? Oh yeah, our fearless leader’s legacy. It’s time to delve into his “all of the above” energy strategy. This supposed “all inclusive” policy of deceit claims the country should utilize every form of energy at our disposal (as long as the list doesn’t include fossil fuels, natural gas, coal, nuclear, etc…).

Obama’s quid pro quo relationship with some of his biggest campaign donors has funneled billions of our tax dollars into “green dogs” such as Solyndra, a company so poorly structured that Stevie Wonder could have seen its bankruptcy coming. If Mr. Romney turns out to be the conservative we all pray that he’ll be, we can then rightly take our place as the world’s leader in energy production – and once and for all end our dependence on foreign oil!

Lastly, there’s Obamacare – this President’s signature piece of legislation. What can I say about this unadulterated nightmare of a bill that hasn’t already been said? Americans hate it, the CBO predicts it will cost at least twice as much as was claimed by the administration, it’s unconstitutional and the government will control over fifty percent of the nation’s economy if it is not repealed. (And those are the good points!”)

Obama in Hawaii

Now, I don’t want to be totally unfair to the man. After all, he did give the OK on the Osama bin Laden assassination operation. But I keep thinking to myself, “Hell, Grover Cleveland could have done that!”

It is often said that the true test of a president’s legacy is whether or not you’d like to have a beer with him. Unfortunately my answer is an emphatic “NO!” Being the narcissist that he is, we would probably have to talk about “him” all evening long; and then, since he’s a liberal, he’d more than likely stick me with the bill.

Paul Tully is a concerned American who believes conservatism is the only solution to our nation’s ills. Destroying the liberal agenda one tweet at a time on Twitter @Papatul