Either You Are, Or You Aren't a Renaissance Woman!
A renaissance woman is someone who sets her own agenda for personal achievement and will not allow herself to be manipulated or intimidated by self-proclaimed spokesmen who try and wrap their political philosophies around terms like "equality," "choice," "peace," "tolerance" and "diversity." She understands that she has been created for such a time as this and embraces her destiny as a challenge and not a curse, no matter what her personal circumstances. She is a winner not a whiner, a leader not a follower, a victor, not a victim. She wants to change the paradigm of the feminist movement that has served to marginalize and ridicule women who do not follow their collective agenda.
Millions of women around the country, from all professions, backgrounds and cultures, are courageously picking up the mantel of leadership and virtue, that the feminist movement has squandered. They are providing thoughtful and accurate analysis, on a variety of issues, of where, and who we are as a nation.
I can still hear the James Carvell orchestrated mantra of the Clinton campaign in 1992, drilling it into all our thick heads that the economy was the only issue that mattered that year. In his own, inimitable way, he summarized the three points of that campaign as being, “change vs. more of the same,” “The economy, stupid” and “Don't forget health care.” It is refreshing to know that with all the hyperbole about change, that some things actually never do change . . . like Democrats and elections.
It is easy to understand why Hillary would rely on those three successful points to hang her campaign on since they were prominently posted at the Clinton headquarters in 1992 as a constant reminder to employ the KISS method of political strategy . . . Keep It Simple Stupid. But, that doesn’t explain why Obama has adopted exactly the same three points, not straying off subject to even feign originality.
There are a few very interesting points about the two democratic contenders, who are using pages from the old Clinton playbook as though nothing has changed in 16 years. One is that in 1992, Clinton won with less than 43% of the vote and did just four points better in 1996, never, ever getting a full majority, or “mandate for leadership,” as they like to say. When Clinton benefited from the dot com boom, inspite of having raised taxes, the assumption was that he was doing something to stimulate the economy. That’s like taking credit for the rain just because you got wet. And when Bush came to office, not only did he inherit a recession, but less than nine months later he presided over one of the most horrific attacks on US soil in our history. He still refused to raise taxes as a result of it, and saw eight years of stable and consistent economic growth, a robust stockmarket, and a real estate bubble that was bound to burst as things always readjust to natural levels.
If you dust off the old script that was disseminated to the mainstream media in 1992, it is almost a verbatim argument for voting for the Democrats today and throwing the Republicans out. Even though, at the end of Clinton’s 8 years, with a recession, they weren’t clamoring to throw out the Democrats and elect the Republicans, so it can’t really be the “economy stupid.”And even up until election day of 1992, the talking heads were shaking theirs, so concerned that if the Democrats did not regain control of the White House, it would be certain economic disaster for the country. Sound familiar? The only problem is . . . if you go back and check the newspaper headlines the days leading up to the election, you will find the term “faltering economy” over and over. But if you look up the headlines just a few days after the election, there is not a mention of the economy. It is as though it miraculously healed itself overnight. And oddly, it did, because it was only bent, not broken, and the constant drum beat of impending economic doom was silenced because the political battle had been won.
It is called a self-fulfilling prophesy. If you are told over and over, and believe that you are going to fail, or you will get sick, or something horrible will happen to you, that idea begins to control your actions until you define yourself by that statement. If people hear over and over that the economy is bad, a recession is coming, housing prices are falling, even it is to adjust for an outrageous spike in prices, then they will be on edge about the calamity hitting them. That is not to say there aren’t people who are hurting financially. I know people who have been hurting financially through 6 presidents from both parties. But statistics show that more people today are earning more, owning homes, starting small businesses, investing in the stock market and using their tax cuts to stimulate the economy by purchasing goods and services.
The reality of a discussion about an economic slowdown is that first of all . . . there are no experts on the subject. It is all total speculation based on several moving parts that rely mostly on human behavior. And if that behavior is driven by fear and apprehension, then not only are you able to recognize it, you can actually manipulate it. And that is what we are seeing in the 2008 elections.But the big difference is that liberals who deny that the economy really was totally broken under Carter, refuse to acknowledge normal adjustments and fluctuations that occur when several factors are in play . . . the least of which is not telling people daily, that the economic world as we know it, is coming to a screeching halt. Will someone please get a memo to Starbucks . . . . encourage your customers to save that $5 they are splurging on a latte, to put one more gallon of gas in their car.
For most people, according to polls, if you ask them if they are doing OK, they will answer in the affirmative and then tell you how they are concerned about those less fortunate. But those less fortunate are always with us, even when the economy is booming, the stock market is soaring, housing is skyrocketing and things look rosy for everyone, except those few who are forgotten in the years between elections.
It is interesting to note though, that as the Democrats insist the economy is tanking. . . they have magically been able to come up with millions and millions and millions of dollars to see either Hillary or Barack win the election. And if you look at the leaders of the Democrats, especially, Bill and Hillary Clinton, you will discover that they have madeover $100 million dollars in the eight years since Bush has been in office. Wow, that’s pretty cool. Even Bush and Cheney didn’t come close to making the same amount while the Clintons were in office. It is still a little confusing as to how with just one salary of about $200,000 while he was President, that they were able to buy the multi-million dollar house in New York without ever even owning a home before. I wonder if it was one of those risky sub-prime loans. And going from being a Whitehousewife for 8 years, to being a US Senator, now worth millions and millions of dollars, it is no surprise that Hillary wants to parlay those earnings into greater earnings by being president . . . again.
So, Bill and Hillary, Obama, John Edwards, Al Gore and all the other wealthy Democrats have gotten very rich under Republicans, yet they want change. That doesn’t make sense. They should want to keep Republicans in office, keep taxes down, keep the Capital Gains Tax capped . . . or even eliminate it, and consider a flat tax. That way, they can continue to get wealthy, fly around in private jets, ride in limos, buy their huge mansions that the rest of the country only dreams of, and try and convince all Americans that they are not better off than they were 8 years ago. That dog just won’t hunt any more, and the tune is getting old.
The reason people are at the malls on Monday and the gym on Tuesday and continuing to cause long lines at most restaurants, sold out screenings of movies and packed stadiums is because they wink and nod at the economic figures knowing it is that season again. It’s that time every four years when they are supposed to appear concerned, but really they just want to get their vente caramel machiata, jump in their SUV and head off to play racket ball. It’s not really the economy stupid . . . it’s the stupid economy that takes on a life of its own every four years, only to readjust naturally, the day after everyone stops telling them . . . “It’s the economy stupid.”
Nina May is the producer/director of the award-winning documentary, Emancipation Revelation Revolution (www.ERRVideo.com).
On the 40th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's death, it's important to stop and realize what must be done to make our country more and more what Dr. King would approve of. Better yet, we should realize what Jesus Christ, Dr. King's Lord and Savior, would approve of. Are we the nation that has come together and completely healed? Not altogether. America has definitely improved, and we continue to stride for a better society; we continue to strive against the odds.
At this time, America and the world pauses to honor a man who fought and died for many of the freedoms America enjoys today. Yes it is good that persons of color are now able to run for the office of the president. We've come far. But there are problems the US has to address. Not as a certain group of people, but together, as one...a family.
There are educational problems to address, problems with drug use, sexual promiscuity, the breakdown of the family, etc. All of those factors certainly play a strong role in how healthy a nation becomes in the future. We have to stop and ask ourselves, "Is this what Dr. King envisioned for us?"
This week, here in Memphis, the local news media is interviewing several influential people in the black community and those who knew Martin Luther King Jr. personally. One close friend of Dr. King, Dr. Benjamin Hooks, stood out to me as he said something profound. As Dr. Hooks reflected on the kind of man Dr. King was, he gave a tearful plea:
"If MLK opened a library, use it. If the NAACP gave you a book, read it. If the Urban League opened a door for a job, take it. Get up. Get your body straight. Get off drugs and alcohol and dope. Get up in the morning and go to work, take care of your body. Take care of your wife. Love and respect your children. Respect your womanhood. Respect America for what it has done, but more than that, for what it can do."--Dr. Benjamin Hooks, 04/01/08
Read more of Dr. Hooks' thought provoking interview here:
Dr. Hooks' message rings similar to other wise and influential leaders like Dr. Bill Cosby. Dr. Cosby has addressed black audiences in his effort to bring to light many problems the black community faces. In the book, "Come on People: On the Path from Victims to Victors," (written by Dr. Alvin Poussaint and Dr. Bill Cosby) Cosby makes a rallying cry for blacks in America to get it together. He addresses major concerns that are causing the downfall in the black community and then, gives encouragement, urging the reader to rise beyond the circumstances...to make the move "from victims to victors." Although Cosby is speaking to the black community, his words are beneficial to America as a whole.
Messages of hope that emanate from leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Dr. Bill Cosby, Dr. Alvin Poussaint, and Dr. Benjamin Hooks should sink into the hearts of the American public. These men are but a small group of many honorable, strong black men who work to educate the public to reach for and work for a better day. They are the leaders who continue to carry on the torch of freedom and model of morality (respect for your fellow man, etc.), personal responsibility, justice, and equality as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did.
Americans of all backgrounds should follow the example of these black leaders. Use your freedoms wisely. Don't think your freedoms were gained by folk who sat back and watched the world go by. No, those who have come before us paid many a price for us to be where we are today. But there is still much to accomplish. So let us pull ourselves up, and get to work. That is how we honor those who've gone before us.
America, come together as a family. That's the way Dr. King would have wanted it.
There was a big problem with Barack’s mea culpa speech in Philadelphia, defending his racist pastor, Jeremiah White. He failed to mention that over 300,000 white Americans gave their lives to end slavery. He didn’t mention that in 1854, abolitionists left the Democratic Party and founded the Republican Party specifically for the purpose of ending slavery and giving equal rights to all those who had been in bondage. And when he does mention the 3/5ths clause in the Constitution, he totally got it wrong, the way most Americans do. News flash . . . it was the abolitionists who insisted on it so that the slave holding states could not have their slaves counting as constituents so they could get more pro-slavery representation in congress. This is one of the most powerful battles fought by whites, to end slavery,that has been mischaracterized as being racist.
He needs to read the history of this battle for equality and realize that the party he embraces today was the party that voted against the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments, while the Republicans supported them unanimously. He needs to acknowledge that the two dozen civil rights bills that were passed by the Republicans were overturned by the Democrats when they regained control of the House, Senate and White House at the end of the 19th Century.
It was at this time that the Democratic Party instituted Jim Crow laws. It was not whites that did this against blacks, it was bigoted, racist Democrats who would choose to divide a nation rather than give freedom to those they considered inferior. Had blacks been voting equally in both political parties, there never would have been literacy tests, poll taxes or other restrictions to voting. But because all blacks at this time identified with the party of Lincoln and were actually the ones starting Republican parties in southern states, and running and getting elected as Republicans, the Democrats knew that to kill a black was killing a Republican.
If he watched the award-winning documentary, Emancipation Revelation Revolution (ERRVideo.com), he would learn that the first black Democrat, Barbara Jordan, was elected in the south in 1972, 100 years after black Republicans had been running and winning for years. And it took a federal law to force redistricting in Texas to get her elected. He would be reminded that almost all the southern governors fighting integration, standing in school house doors, firing water canons at innocent people were all Democrats. And if his parents really were a part of the civil rights movement, he would realize that without whites fighting side by side to overturn laws that had been put in place by his very own party, it may have been another generation before the civil rights movement could happen.
It was not white versus black, it was racists, bigoted Democrats against blacks and whites who disagreed with them. If he saw our movie he would be reminded of three young white men who worked with CORE who were murdered, just for doing the right thing. He would see the incredible sacrifices that white men, such as Senator Charles Sumner endured for the cause of liberty for oppressed slaves. He was attacked on the Senate floor by pro-slavery Democratic congressman, Preston Brooks, who stormed the Senate side of the Capitol and tried to beat Sumner to death with his cane because he dared to introduce yet another piece of anti-slavery legislation. Brooks received hundreds of canes from adoring fans, while Senator Sumner struggled for three years to survive. When he did, the first thing he did when he returned to the Senate was to re-introduce a bill that would abolish slavery. This man was a white Republican. Preston Brooks was a white Democrat. Race had nothing to do with their individual passion to destroy or preserve slavery. It was a passion born of moral values and an understanding of good and evil. That is the discussion today that pastors are supposed to be having and preaching and encouraging their flock to understand. Rev. Wright did not get the memo and gets an “F” in black history.
For Obama and his pastor to preach the “audacity of despair and racism” is an affront to all the people who have given their lives through the years to see racism destroyed. But that death blow has always been deflected by the Democratic party that has had a vested interest in class and race warfare to keep their power base motivated and returning to the polls. Barack says, “I have asserted a firm conviction that working together we can move beyond some of our old racial wounds,” yet he sits week after week listening to sermons that say just the opposite. But those days are gone as we rip off the tacky, thin verneer of elitism and bigotry that has propelled them to power.
It is ironic that in his speech he challenges the listener by saying, “We can’t accept politics that breeds division, and conflict, and cynicism,” when he belongs to the very party that has always done that, to the point where the new liberal plantation has erected philosophical barriers around all blacks, condemning those who dare to challenge the liberal status quo and escape this manipulation and intimidation. They are called Aunt Jamima, like Condi Rice, or house negroes like Colin Powell, or forced to endure high tech lynchings like Clarence Thomas. They have Oreo Cookies thrown at them like Michael Steele and are accused of acting white if they identify themselves as Republicans or conservatives.
That is “the racist spectacle we are not allowed to talk about.”When blacks have to whisper at polling booths that they are Republican, for fear of reprisal from their liberal neighbors, then Barack really doesn’t get the real conflict that is alive and well in this country, and why should he? He belongs to the party of the overseer of the philosophical plantation that intimidates and marginalizes blacks that dare support conservative values or Republican ideas.
So, if Barack was honest about his desire to “heal the nation,” he needs to learn American black history, and take his pastor aside and tell him about it and challenge him to be more Christ-like when he preaches. If he knew real American black history, he would not belong to the party of segregationists and bigots and would not have allowed himself to be sucked into that dark undertow of racial politics that has already robbed our nation of too many amazing blessings.
Nina May is the producer/director of the award-winning documentary, Emancipation Revelation Revolution, which tells the history of the civil rights movement in America, the role that both parties played in it, and what happens to blacks who leave that liberal plantation and embrace conservative values. To learn more about the movie go to www.ERRVideo.com
Gloria, Geraldine and NOW Do Not Speak for Me By Karin Agness
Feminists have been on the prowl this month, making lots of noise. Gloria Steinem bashed John McCain during a campaign rally for Hillary Clinton in Austin, Texas, saying, “I am so grateful that she [Clinton] hasn’t been trained to kill anybody. And she probably didn’t even play war games as a kid. It’s a great relief from Bush in his jump suit and from Kerry saluting.” Steinem continued, distinguishing race and sex in America, “a majority of Americans want redemption for racism, for our terrible destructive racist past and so see a vote for Obama as redemptive...I don’t think as many want redemption for the gynocide (killing of women).”
Geraldine Ferraro had to resign from her position on Clinton’s campaign after her controversial comments on race and sex, “I think what America feels about a woman becoming president takes a very secondary place to Obama's campaign — to a kind of campaign that it would be hard for anyone to run against. For one thing, you have the press, which has been uniquely hard on her. It's been a very sexist media. Some just don't like her.”
Finally, Marj Signer, President of the Virginia Chapter of the National Organization for Women, said at an Ohio rally, “Hillary Clinton's taken every bullet they can fire at her. They try to bury her, to vaporize her. They make her out to be a bimbo. I guess the message is that women are still fair game. It's an atmosphere where this is still okay.”
Based on these comments, it sounds like sexism runs rampant in America today and women are just helpless victims. These loud feminists grab headlines, as if they are in the mainstream, speaking for all women. But they do not speak for us. Just as it is necessary for leaders of organizations to confront members who make ridiculous comments, rational women must distance ourselves from our feminist sisters and their comments.
It is especially timely for women to take a stand this month as we celebrate Women’s History Month and reflect on the victories women have won and battles that lay before us. As women, if we want to be treated equally in the political realm or any other realm, we must be serious players. In pursuant of this goal of standing up to the radical feminists and in celebration of Women’s History Month, women must challenge the weaknesses in feminist thought today, especially the victim mentality and the nasty rhetoric.
As American women, we are in a better position today than we have ever been in. Life is good. We have many options ahead of us, both in terms of careers and motherhood. One way to specifically measure this is by examining the educational achievements of women as compared to men. According to the Census Bureau, since 1979, women have represented the majority of college students. For the 2007-08 school year, women are projected to earn 59% of bachelors degrees, 61% of masters degrees and 52% of first professional degrees, such as law and medical. The number of women in institutions of higher education does not just equal that of men, it surpasses men and the dominance of women continues to increase.
Yet on college campuses and in the larger society, feminists continue to adopt a victim mentality, as if there is a good ol’ boys club ready to knock women down as soon as we reach too high. Although women dominate college campuses, there is still an unbelievable amount of institutional resources spent on women, including Women’s Studies departments and Women’s Centers. These were started when women were in the minority. Since men are in the minority now, by the same logic, we should be closing down the Women’s Studies departments and creating Men’s Studies departments. Think the feminists will ever let this happen?
Unfortunately, this adoption of the victim mentality is a widespread cultural phenomenon beyond college campuses. It is so widespread that after a poor debate performance at Drexel University this election season, Hillary Clinton’s campaign claimed she was being picked on by the men.
Who will accept a woman as a serious competitor if she is going to claim the game is unfair when she loses? This victim mentality hurts women overall by making us seem weak and desperate.
Besides rejecting the victim mentality, feminists should drop the nasty rhetoric. During a 1970s debate over the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), Betty Friedan, a feminist pro-ERA leader, said of Phyllis Schlafly, the STOP ERA leader, “I'd like to burn you at the stake. I consider you a traitor to your sex. I consider you an Aunt Tom.” Unfortunately, as shown above, the rhetoric has not become much better in the last 30 years. As women, we challenge each other, which can be very constructive. But screaming shrilly that every debate and challenge to a woman candidate is just sexism is not constructive. Statements like these only relegate women to the periphery of debates. To be truly equal, female candidates must accept criticism and defend their policies, just like the men and not cry foul and bias anytime they are criticized.
Gloria Steinem, Geraldine Ferraro and NOW proudly claim to represent women and are widely celebrated during Women’s History Month. It is up to all women, but especially the young women who will soon be the next leaders in this great nation, to challenge feminism and let it be known that these women do not speak for us.
Conservatives have this uncanny ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and overplay every hand dealt them. They squandered the Reagan Revolution by parsing and dicing an agenda of positions unobtainable from even the most charismatic, or messianic of candidates. The color required to attain “conservative” credentials on the litmus test appears in no color wheel known to man. The acceptable candidates in this category are whittled to a pencil point that can only scribe the name of Ronald Reagan.
In the hopes that more people would have adopted his manner of principled politics, abandoning the mud fight that is covering the nation in sludge, conservatives have searched diligently for an heir apparent while consistently aborting their own. No one is pure enough, conservative enough, and principled enough to wear that mantel, yet they still hold every elected official to that standard. And, ironically, the country holds the entire Republican Party to that same standard while acknowledging that the Democrats and their party are incapable of feigning an attempt at such lofty heights.
Barney Frank is seen as the voice of all that is virtuous in sexual preference while Mark Foley is run out of town on a rail for his dalliances in alternative lifestyles. Senator Larry Craig is tarred and feathered by the giddy left while claiming the right is homophobic. Tom Delay is driven out of office by an over zealous partisan prosecutor while Congressman William Jefferson commandeers government sources to salvage his personal items, including the $90,000 in his freezer. George Allen can utter a made up word that morphs into a racial slur while the Democrat who filibustered the Civil Rights Bill gets a pass, once again. I’m not really sure what happened to Newt Gingrich, but I am sure he didn’t lie under oath or seduce an intern like Bill Clinton did. Bill has had so many sexual improprieties it would require a certified public accountant to keep track of them and somehow he is the victim and the women are the vile creatures seduced by that siren of the right wing conspiracy. His wife gets the mea culpa senate seat in a state she has never lived in, and a multi-million dollar house she didn’t spend a dime on . . . and she is the victim, not the women her husband abused.
We have watched Clarence Thomas endure a “high tech lynching,” seen Condoleezza Rice reduced to caricatures of Aunt Jamima and seen Michael Steele have Oreo cookies thrown at him for daring to leave the liberal plantation and express their own political views based on principal. Alan Keyes was all but ignored in his bid for president even though his resume, his intellect, his articulate ability and passion for a country he has always loved, shine like the sun compared to the flickering candle of the finalist in American Idol President, Barak Obama. Why have all these people been held to an impossible standard by both the left and the right? Different reasons. The left has identified all things Republican as akin to the anti-Christ . . . not that they acknowledge there is a Christ, but it is an apt analogy. And the “right”, once again, can’t seem to get its judgmental act together to recognize good people and get behind them when they are willing to put their lives on the line for the country.
So what we are seeing on the horizon is a perfect storm for a group bound by common philosophy that is at odds with all the participants in the 2008 presidential elections. If conservatives would take a moment from eating their young, look up from the bloodied carcass of fallen comrades they have abandoned in the hunt for perfection, they would see a perfect storm on the horizon.
John McCain has somehow, managed to edge out other candidates who were rejected by conservatives because they were not perfect enough . . . or they were too perfect. I can’t seem to get my arms around the fact that Mitt Romney looked too perfect, had great credentials, good administration skills but just wasn’t good enough. Giuliani was America’s Mayor, and granted, Mayor is not a resume topper, but neither is being the housewife of a man who cheats on you and finagles a senate seat in lieu of candies and flowers. Only Duncan Hunter had a perfect conservative score, yet the conservative elite sat around, wringing their hands searching for a candidate with a perfect conservative score. And even Mike Huckabee is far more conservative than John McCain, yet, he and others were rejected in favor of Hillary and Obama.
It has been twenty years since Reagan left office and the only ones who have accomplished anything have been summarily reprimanded and reproached for doing too much, not doing enough, not doing it the right way . . . whatever . . . they have passed and the movement is a dying ember fanning itself in the hopes of igniting a flame of revolution.
This is the perfect storm for such a revolution, if that once powerful group of leaders would give one final gasp of passion and unify their collective efforts to throw down a gauntlet of compromise and ultimate victory.
That gauntlet, to the heir apparent in the Republican Party, John McCain, is very simple and has only two parts. The vice presidential running mate should be vetted by the conservative wing of the party as acceptable, and he will magnanimously acknowledge and agree that if he is elected, he will serve only one term.
If conservatives can coalesce behind those terms, which would be a miracle, then there could possibly be hope for the future. If not, Hillary or Obama will win . . . depending on who gets the Democratic nomination.
And if McCain does not agree, those who feel they are once again being railroaded and forced to accept an unacceptable candidate, should not sit this election out, but vote their voice and select a write-in candidate who should have been chosen as a running mate. One very positive by-product of losing the general election is that the leadership of the Republican party convenes to elect a new leader as opposed to having one selected by the sitting president. This is the silver lining of a perfect storm.
If Hillary is the nominee, she will be a one-termer with a hostile senate and congress because it will be a known fact that Barak was cheated out of the race. She will be a pariah in the media, in the Democratic Party, and in the nation’s eye. She will retaliate with draconian measures to bring her “subjects” in line and a revolt will occur. If Barak wins, the populace will be crying “uncle” in two years as they struggle to regroup from oppressive taxes, regulations, restrictions and government’s tightening stronghold of unrestrained power. And that huge money-making machine known as “baby boomers,” will begin to slowly grind to a screeching halt as young retirees realize they would much rather spend the rest of their lives doing what they want, not what the government dictates. That young, impressionable group of new voters will be expected to pick up that slack, receiving paychecks that barely cover expenses and their altruistic nature will turn ugly with greed as they realize they have nothing to show for giving the government 50% of their hard earned money. They will expect their young president to have the answer and his response will be to tax and spend more and more. And dismiss the idea that the Clintons will recede quietly into the shadow of the party’s new “it” guy. There will be a division in the Democratic party that will make partisan politics seem like a warm memory of the good old days and it will perfectly position Republicans to win in two years, if they can figure out what they stand for.
If either Hillary or Barak wins it will be because McCain would not negotiate with his base and humbly understand that winning the election is impossible without them.
If McCain agrees to the conditions, reneges on the agreement to not run a second term he will become Bush 41, surrounded by moderates who actually thought he could win without the base, which ironically was the same reason Dole lost. So McCain can do what is best for the country or he will either Bush himself or Dole himself. And it is between him and the conservatives in the party if they have the courage to press the issue.
If they don’t, then they should not complain if they are forced to give allegiance to Hillary or Barak under penalty of whatever. And if they don’t, they forever . . . forever . . . lose a position as a serious political voice in the destiny of the country.
The perfect storm is brewing and it is up to the conservative base to recognize it
and do something about it.
(Nina May is the producer/director of the award-winning documentary, Emancipation Revelation Revolution, and is on sale at www.ERRVideo.com.)
He is using slick, savvy rhetoric to reel in voters...who is he really?
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/benamon/080222
It used to be that the average American voter had a pretty good head on their shoulders. Not so much anymore. Too many Americans are allowing the likes of Barack Obama to sway them into thinking that they will be rescued from their current situation should he win the presidency. They cannot see through the hype.
Has anyone bothered to take a look at what Obama stands for? What are his real views and plans for America?
It has been disclosed that Barack Obama is sponsoring a bill in the Senate called the Global Poverty Act,
(S. 2433) that would cost the US billions. Think more and more taxes, courtesy of the US taxpayers to help the world! The UN would have a say in how US tax dollars are spent. Cliff Kincaid of AIM.org writes:
"The legislation would commit the U.S. to spending 0.7 percent of gross national product on foreign aid, which amounts to a phenomenal 13-year total of $845 billion over and above what the U.S. already spends."
The US has been and is involved with helping nations around the world. We give the most aid and manpower (troops and civilian aid) to causes than any other country in the world. I've said it before; anything with the word "global" attached to it, beware! This bill will overextend the US and the UN will have greater control over what the US does. Sickening thought! The US is sovereign!
There are people RIGHT HERE in our own nation who are struggling in the downturn of the economy and people have lost jobs. Mr. Obama, why don't you try telling taxpayers that you plan on using their money to care for the rest of the world when the taxpayers are struggling themselves?!
I have to question where Obama is really willing to take the US. Does he realize we must start RIGHT HERE in America to fix the many problems on our table? America should not strain and stretch itself to make sure the world has what it needs. With the value of the dollar below the Euro, and even Canada's Dollar, the US is in need of a strong leader who will place the US first and foremost above all other worldly concerns. The welfare of other nations comes last at this point and time.
Where is Barack Obama's loyalty to this country, a wonderful American nation? Is his loyalty more towards Africa? That seems to be the case as the church Obama attends claims loyalty to the "mother continent," Africa. The congregation of Trinity United Church of Christ claims to be "an African people" who are "true to their native land." At the church, heavy emphasis is placed on African studies.
Will Africa take precedence over America should Barack Obama become president? Barack Obama has been shown standing with his hands resting in front of him instead of over his heart as the National Anthem played. Now surfaces the questionable statement by his wife stating how proud she is of this nation for the first time:
“For the first time in my adult lifetime I am really proud of my country, and not just because Barack has done well, but I think people are hungry for change.” —Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama's attitude of being proud of America in terms of her husband having "done well" and that folks want "change" is disturbing. She didn't mention the greatness of America in the context of all the US has done for the world and for mankind. To me, it was a selfish remark. Barack and Michelle Obama do NOT represent me, nor any other American who wants to make sure that his/her country, stays intact. Perhaps Barack and Michelle Obama would like to indulge a bit more in American studies...to really get a sense of how great this nation has become despite our current challenges. The two of them want change alright, but change not necessarily for the better.
Yet still, crowds fall apart, people reduced to tears at Obama's rallies. No doubt there are some who profess to be Christians who are part of those crowds. They are getting sucked into Obama's talk of "hope". No politician can heal your wounds; no politician can offer you "hope." WAKE UP!! Only Jesus Christ can offer hope in this dismal world!
How has this nation gotten so far off the beaten path? We used to employ common sense and good sound judgment. Now we are running headstrong over someone who is full of fancy talk, but offers nothing containing substance.
And yes, scrutinizing politicians and combing over their record is something a voter should consider doing. The candidates running for president are within a hair of leading this nation, and as one can see from Barack Obama's stealth plans for another tax on Americans, we'd BETTER make sure that we send the right people to do the job.
Hillary Clinton claims she learned how to deal with men in an all-girls school. What, did they have cut outs of male images around the campus and they all had labels on them like … belligerent, mean, rude, nasty, etc. and the girls were taught to go up and whine in front of them?
Now, if Hillary had gone to the same school that Anne Coulter had, she would have learned how to deftly dodge a cream pie aimed at her while giving a speech. Oh, did I mention the thrower was a man? Yes, on her campus, half filled with these pesky little beasts, she was forced to actually dialogue with them, present her point in a cogent way, standing toe to toe facing their gnarly arrogance. She came out unscathed from her college experience, ready to face the world of pie hurling idiot men who intersperse the F bomb between tosses. Now, that’s an education.
And Condoleezza Rice had to endure an education where nationally syndicated columnists regularly depict her as an Aunt Jimima and poor little black girl stuck on a white plantation. Oh, did I mention these are white men who are the cartoonists dr
awing these very degrading and racist depictions? Quiet . . . shhhhhhh . . . .what do you hear? You hear the sound of a very successful, brilliant, confident woman squishing these insignificant bugs under the shear power of her presence. What you don’t hear is her whining about it and calling racism or sexism or meanism or belligerentism.
I am still trying to get my arms around the concept that Tim Russert could be called belligerent . . . by either side. And if you think he is belligerent, and are afraid of him, don’t subject yourself to his line of questioning. Oh, wait, that must be why every single Democrat candidate for president refused to debate on a FOX News debate because, oh, boo hoo, they are going to ask weally weally tuff questions and it’s going to hurt my itty bitty feelings.
But Hillary, running in the shadow of a belligerent husband ready to rap any nave that challenges her, wants us to believe, that beyond that, she is tough enough to stare down even the cruelest dictator, as long as he doesn’t ask her direct questions, want a direct answer, expect anything substantive to occur and they all leave as really good friends.
What does Hillary think she is running for, head cheerleader? Oh those mean football players are always treating us like girls. Yeah duh, because you are one. But heh, you brought it up. You retreat to the feminine camp when things get tough and your little insecure minions circle the wagons and live vicariously through your abuse. Yep, just the kind of person we want leading the free world.
News flash Hillary . . . women today are smart enough to know a weak woman when they see one. Because they have all known weak, whiney, complaining, women in their lives who made their lives and everyone’s around them miserable. They thought they were the star, they subjugated everyone to their demands and blamed others for their own shortcomings. The problem with most of these irritating women is that they weren’t in a co-dependent relationship with someone who has the same exact character traits. Hillary’s addiction to power is no different than Bill’s addiction to sex, which in a way translates to power over women. He knows he can’t ever tame the beast he has created so he vicariously demeans women imagining he has the courage to stand up to Hillary.
And because Bill is the perfect representation of one of those Wellesley cutouts of the male chauvinist pig, she projects on all men the same despicable characteristics her husband displays, while continuing to enable him to display them.
Isn’t America sick of this pitiful drama that is being played out before us? With almost 150 million women in the country to choose from, are we really reduced to one who represents the absolute worst traits in either man or woman? She is so blinded by lust for power and hate for opposition to her getting that power, that she really can’t see her flaws. She really believes that everyone around her has a problem . . . she doesn’t.
She blames her staff for trashing Obama with racial slurs that rolled out over her own tongue. This a woman who would be very dangerous in a position of real power and all the anger and hatred she has for more than half the country would come spilling out should she get the reigns of power. And, no, the half she is angry at is not necessarily men . . . it is anyone who disagrees with her or embraces values she finds personally offensive. Yeah, that’s inclusive.
She hates all thingsand people who could possibly be associated with the vast right wing conspiracy, which pretty much includes all conservatives, most Republicans, most Christians, and anyone who watches Fox News.So, when you peal it back, it looks like she pretty much hates about 85% of the country, yet thinks she is equipped both emotionally and intellectually to be our leader. I don’t think so.
America was once prosperous in every conceivable way. Now, not only are we on the fast track to a serious financial downfall, but our morals have slid as well. Arrogance has tarnished a once great country. Complacency has dulled us into thinking that we will continue to be a dominant force in the world.
Morals are quickly disintegrating. The horrible spirit of pride has taken root. There is an attitude in our country that "It's all about me, and what's in it for me?" And, "how can I amass more and more money, no matter how I get it?"
We worship money instead of the Creator who enables us through our talents to acquire money. We do not think about what we are doing, if it is wrong or right.
We claim to be a Christian nation, but we sure don't act like it. We aren't following Jesus' example of humility. The reason that evil flourishes in today's society is because the Christian church is not in touch with the Lord as we should, allowing God to work through us. There is a hurting world out there, what are you doing to bless others? Are you acting selfishly instead?
Stepping on someone else to exalt yourself is NOT the way of a Christian (or any other humble human being). Are you lusting for fame? Are you lusting to get ahead at the expense of others?
The focus in everything that we do should be on Jesus and not ourselves. We are only the vessels the Lord Jesus uses to accomplish His work here on earth. When we humble ourselves in every facet of our lives, God will exalt us.
Humble. That is the way I once remembered the US to be, and we prospered. But currently, I believe we are flirting with danger when we think we have achieved #1 status in the world by ourselves and we continue to be influenced by secular and dark forces.
In the world of politics, it is imperative that we as American citizens elect someone who will remember the traditions our Forefathers shed their blood over, and not allow secular forces to inch their way (ever so slick) into every facet of our lives to change it. We will be held accountable and will reap a whirlwind when we don't elect honest and reputable politicians to represent us. The people we put in office are a reflection of us. When we allow slick, corrupt politicians and brash leaders to amass power and remain in office to wreak havoc, what does that say about ourselves?
Christians are falling for suave, smooth rhetoric that politicians are throwing out because they are not letting the Lord Jesus guide them. Their eyes are not opened. Appearances are not what they seem. A politician can be as slick as a serpent and sound very convincing. But if a Christian has a solid relationship with the Lord Jesus, he/she can see through the ruse.
I often hear the term "enlightened" thrown around...that our society is more enlightened than ever before. Are we enlightened, really?! Because we do not seem to be aware of the danger as we slide away from the Christian faith and walk. Being a Christian is MORE than saying you are and believing in Jesus Christ. It is a CONTINUAL, PERSONAL walk with the Lord Jesus. A positive change has to occur within the individual.
This nation is at a serious crossroads. And it will be a sad day when the citizens of the US wake up and realize that it may just be too late to recover.
The only way I see a recovery for the US is for Jesus Christ Himself to intervene. The United States needs the Lord Jesus. Will we be humble enough to reach out to Him? In order to regain our greatness, we must humble ourselves before God Almighty.
Contact Nina
Related Link
