As I sat down to devour my 2 hamburgers and gulp my sweet tea, I felt the need to blog. There've been a lot of things going on and I would like to ponder these happenings.
The most publicized story at this point has to the Ft. Hood shooting. My own thoughts on this (gleaned from about 3 different sources and none of them mainstream media) are that this guy was simply trying to keep non-Muslims from going overseas to fight against Muslims. Sure, he may be fighting PTSD, but if you look at what happened,where it happened and the people who were killed or injured, you might come to the same or a similar conclusion. And since I believe that people like those fighting holy wars seek publicity for their acts of violence, I'm saddened by how much we help them. However, if we don't publicize these things, no one will know and no one will even think to be prepared for events such as this happening around them. A necessary evil, I suppose.
Some of the things that you may not know about (b/c of all the hype concerning Ft. Hood) are politcal actions that will affect our taxes, small businesses, insurance for workers at jobs, and I'm sure there are more. Can you believe they are considering a tax on things like hearing aids, pacemakers and other necessary medical items people need. These items already have such a high cost, to add a tax to them is preposterous. Rail against me if you wish (I'll just delete your comments if I find them rude and over the top) but I think we should legalize drugs, tax the hound out of them and require all drug dealers to have a license to distribute. Oh, so you want to import drugs to the USA? Sure, but you have to pay the appropriate exhorbitant fees.
Maine passed a law to forbid same sex marriage. I'm sorry but I believe if you've made a decision to marry someone, you should be allowed to do it, no matter race, color, creed, or lifestyle. I also can't believe some idiot JoP in some southern state (I live in a southern state, btw) refused to perform a marriage for a bi-racial couple! What in the heck is up with that? How stuck in the Civil War Era can you be? I hate to inform people like that but we are such a big country and so varied in ideas and ideals that we have co-mingled.
Speaking of co-mingled... We aren't African, Irish, German, French, Creole, etc anymore. Those terms refer to our ancestors and our heritage. Newsflash people! When you were born into this country, you were born a citizen of the United States of America and you are an American! If you went through the right channels to become an American, guess what! You left your other citizenship behind you! And you are probably happy with that choice b/c you wouldn't have gone through that process if you didn't want it to happen. If you are ashamed to be an American, go live somewhere else. No one's stopping you. It is, after all, the land of the free and the home of the brave. If you don't like the way we do things here, the same applies...just leave. Now if you're some kind of free-loader just trying to get some money you don't have to pay taxes on, recieve healthcare you're not entitled to, and make babies here so you don't have to leave, get with the program and become a citizen legally. I have no problem with my tax dollars helping fellow citizens (that are in need) get the care and help they need but I do have a problem with moochers. If you're just here to mooch and you have no intention of trying to become a citizen, get your lazy butt off our land. You don't belong here. Why don't you belong here? Because you didn't go through the process. You don't know how things work here. You didn't take the time to find out. Our country means nothing to you and therefore you can just trash it as much as you want to. So just leave.
Now if you are an American, please exercise your right to vote. That is so important, not just for electing presidents or governors but especially for the laws they want to pass. These laws affect our way of life, not the people that sit in a certain chair or a certain office. This is supposed to be a government for the people, by the people. If you are a new citizen of our country, read our Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Yeah, it might be like trying to work your way through Leviticus in the Bible but it's worth your time. You signed on to abide by the rules of our country. You ought to know the basis for our system of government. It's important so you can know what your rights are and how you can exercise those rights.
On to a new subject: labels. I absolutely despise labels. But they are, again, a necessary evil. (Seems like there are a lot of those...) If I had to choose a label for myself, it would be "strange new creature". Why? Because I am weird and unique. Ask any of my friends and they will tell you. Also, I wish for God to daily work with me to recreate me (and this is ironic considering my rant above...) to be a better person. So really those above paragraphs should just have said the highlighted bits. OK, so there's no option to highlight. Just mentally edit the "ranting" bits and you'll just about have it. All in all, I'm just really disappointed in our country as a whole. We were not made into a country so we could babysit other countries. We were not made into a country so we could host more visitors than we can afford. Our deficit is too large to be playing around with such large sums of money and the way the officials are throwing more around has me really and truly annoyed. They keep telling us to "do more with less" but honestly! Heaven forbid they do the same thing. Hmmm..there I go again. Well, I guess it's better to rant here than go postal later on in life.
Remember to breathe...
Friday, November 6, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Too MUCH!
It's been almost a month since I last blogged. Too much info is floating around in my head and it's just overwhelming.
Since my last post we've:
1. started hosting Torah studies in our home on Saturday mornings.
2. hosted a Redwall Feast
3. celebrated our youngest child's 5th birthday
4. started teaching piano lessons to an adult
Starting with number 1, it's interesting how the word "Torah" can create such various reactions. We are studying Torah with one person right now but we hope others will join us as we progress. This person's mother (he's in his late 40's or early 50's) had an absolute cow when he told her we were studying "Torah". I couldn't believe it! Just hearing the word "Torah" caused fear? Then I learned what the word "Torah" means, literally, teaching or instruction. It doesn't mean "law". (Power New Testament 3rd Ed. William J. Morford). Just hearing a Jewish word caused our friend's mother to think he was doing something awful and alien! I couldn't believe how she was so ready to jump on his case just because he was...wait for it...studying? I'm sorry. The man is old enough to make his own decisions. And reacting out of fear rarely accomplishes anything good.
Number 2-Our Redwall Feast took place on October 23. The kids dressed up and planned to read, recite or sing something. I cooked all day long. And we had a beautiful and fun time. Our friend mentioned above came, as well as my mom. We all enjoyed a wonderful visit and some really good food, even if I do say so myself! Rotfl! See the photos above. Noah was Zann Juskarath Taggerung from "The Taggerung", Ro was a molebabe, and Shi was Triss from the book by that name. Noah read the poem that tells about his character. Ro sang a song with me. And Shi read a riddle she learned out of a book. John read a song about brewing October Ale. Rotfl!
Number 3-For Ro's birthday, my mom and Noah were out of town helping my grandmother. But we still had some fun. The day before they left, we let Ro open her gifts. Then on her birthday I made a chocolate chip cake (dyed green) and we frosted it with cream cheese frosting (dyed purple). I let the girls put some of those pre-made candies on top. They had a blast and the cake was really cute. Tasted good, too.
Number 4-I'm really thinking I should focus more on teaching adult piano lessons. By the time you are an adult, you are taking things more seriously and you know how much work you have to put into something, even if it is just for fun. My new student is a real joy. She practices and enjoys it! Love that!
Well, better run. Still have other things to do and must also teach school today! Rock on!
Laugh a Lot!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Why Boycott?
When did boycotting become a popular hobby? We learned about boycotts that took place in history to protest the maltreatment of workers in a company. But boycotting has come a long way in the past couple of decades.
It seems to me that every time I turn around I hear about people (usually people who profess to be Christians) boycotting something because of their support of a "taboo" cause. I'm sick and tired of it. Why is it necessary to boycott a company for their support of something they believe in? Do you honestly feel that threatened? Doesn't "perfect love cast out all fear?" If you don't like what they stand for, just choose not to purchase their product. Did you know you had that option? Honestly, in my own opinion, it is a waste of time and money to boycott companies who are, like everyone else, just trying to make a living and supporting the causes they believe in. When we boycott those companies, we are making it hard for the “little people.” You know who they are. They live right next to you or just down the street from you. When you boycott a company, you are really saying, “Everyone should believe the same way I do.” Since we live in a country that allows us the freedom of religion, religious beliefs should not be a basis for boycotting a company. That doesn't make any sense! Let's look at that again. We are thankful for the freedom of religion but we want to force everyone to believe the same way we do. Yep. It still doesn't make any sense. You aren't hurting the person who owns the company. They have enough money and experience to start again. You are hurting the average, everyday Joe who is probably just barely making ends meet. Is that really the way a Christian is to behave? I thought we were to be examples to others, not dictators lording it over others. I thought the fruit of the spirit consisted of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I think if we remembered this and truly understood what it meant, we would be very hesitant to boycott anything on the basis of belief. And just to let you know, I am a believer in Jehovah God. I will take every opportunity that I can get to go to Disney World. I will buy any car I can afford from any place that will accept my money. I will choose to buy a product that works the way it is supposed to over a product that doesn't. Why should I spend more money on a product I can ill afford just because they practice the same religious beliefs? If purchasing “holy” products from “holy” companies continues to put me deeper in debt, I'm sinning! Hello! Yep, that's right. I did say that. If I can't afford the food I need to feed my family b/c I refuse to purchase from a certain company, I'm sinning. We are called to be good stewards of what we are given. We cannot behave this way and be good stewards. I am fully convinced of that. Boycotting is a waste of time and though it may get a company's attention, it really doesn't change anything about the way the company feels in general. Wasting our time on things like this is so stupid. We could better spend our time in prayer for those in charge of the companies. I think God can accomplish more on His own. I'm tired of getting in His way. And I'm tired of seeing people stomp all over their own beliefs! Get real! Open your eyes. Don't be so afraid. Don't let fear ruin your witness or your life. Yes, we should laud the companies that stand for the things we believe in. But we should not ever stomp on someone else's beliefs! Ever! I will take a risk here and say that if we participate in these boycotts that hurt people just because they follow a different belief system, we are just as guilty as they are and we should be ashamed to call ourselves Christians after the Holy Son of God. I could say more but I'll stop for now.
It seems to me that every time I turn around I hear about people (usually people who profess to be Christians) boycotting something because of their support of a "taboo" cause. I'm sick and tired of it. Why is it necessary to boycott a company for their support of something they believe in? Do you honestly feel that threatened? Doesn't "perfect love cast out all fear?" If you don't like what they stand for, just choose not to purchase their product. Did you know you had that option? Honestly, in my own opinion, it is a waste of time and money to boycott companies who are, like everyone else, just trying to make a living and supporting the causes they believe in. When we boycott those companies, we are making it hard for the “little people.” You know who they are. They live right next to you or just down the street from you. When you boycott a company, you are really saying, “Everyone should believe the same way I do.” Since we live in a country that allows us the freedom of religion, religious beliefs should not be a basis for boycotting a company. That doesn't make any sense! Let's look at that again. We are thankful for the freedom of religion but we want to force everyone to believe the same way we do. Yep. It still doesn't make any sense. You aren't hurting the person who owns the company. They have enough money and experience to start again. You are hurting the average, everyday Joe who is probably just barely making ends meet. Is that really the way a Christian is to behave? I thought we were to be examples to others, not dictators lording it over others. I thought the fruit of the spirit consisted of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I think if we remembered this and truly understood what it meant, we would be very hesitant to boycott anything on the basis of belief. And just to let you know, I am a believer in Jehovah God. I will take every opportunity that I can get to go to Disney World. I will buy any car I can afford from any place that will accept my money. I will choose to buy a product that works the way it is supposed to over a product that doesn't. Why should I spend more money on a product I can ill afford just because they practice the same religious beliefs? If purchasing “holy” products from “holy” companies continues to put me deeper in debt, I'm sinning! Hello! Yep, that's right. I did say that. If I can't afford the food I need to feed my family b/c I refuse to purchase from a certain company, I'm sinning. We are called to be good stewards of what we are given. We cannot behave this way and be good stewards. I am fully convinced of that. Boycotting is a waste of time and though it may get a company's attention, it really doesn't change anything about the way the company feels in general. Wasting our time on things like this is so stupid. We could better spend our time in prayer for those in charge of the companies. I think God can accomplish more on His own. I'm tired of getting in His way. And I'm tired of seeing people stomp all over their own beliefs! Get real! Open your eyes. Don't be so afraid. Don't let fear ruin your witness or your life. Yes, we should laud the companies that stand for the things we believe in. But we should not ever stomp on someone else's beliefs! Ever! I will take a risk here and say that if we participate in these boycotts that hurt people just because they follow a different belief system, we are just as guilty as they are and we should be ashamed to call ourselves Christians after the Holy Son of God. I could say more but I'll stop for now.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
My Thoughts On Wild Blue Internet Service
Wild Blue satellite internet service. Wow! That sounds so progressive doesn't it? I'm here to tell you it's NOT. My family lives in a rural area (moved here from a small city) where there is no access to cable, we have one electric company (Entergy) and you can only see fields and the occassional house as you look around you. We live 15 minutes outside town. We have a friend who lives 10 minutes outside town. This friend has cable service and therefore gets his internet through cable. His cable works as long as his electricity works. That means his internet service works the same way. He is also with a different electric company. Their electricity rarely goes out. (Now, my "bone to pick" mainly focuses on Wild Blue but Entergy doesn't have too much of my respect either, since you just have to look at a telephone pole to cause the electricity to go out.)
On to internet stuff...
Now, we have a friend who lives 15 minutes away from us and closer to the next town on the highway. They use an internet service that utilizes cell towers to bounce a signal. It works fairly well and the cost is minimal compared to what we pay for our service. You might say, with my friends' internet services, you get what you pay for.
Our family is online quite a lot. We have many friends who are only available to us online, simply because our schedules differ so much. We share lots of photos and check out lots of their photos. I access many educational sites to expand what I'm teaching my kids. (I school them at home.)
We did attempt to try another way of getting internet access but we weren't able to use the "cell tower" service because there were too many trees in the way. (And I'm sorry! I'm not cutting down a tree that's worked so hard to get to the immense height it has achieved just so I can pay some company that could care less!) And, as I stated before, the cable service doesn't extend out to our house.
Here are the facts about our Wild Blue service: ProPack-$89.95/mo will get you 17,000 MB download threshold; 5,000 MB upload threshold. (I chose this pack b/c we are online all the time.)
ValuePak-$49.95/mo will get you 7,500 MB download threshold; 2,300 MB upload threshold
SelectPak-(I dont' know the cost for this one exactly but I think it's around $59 or $69/mo) will get you 12,000 MB download threshold; 3,000 MB upload threshold
They also tell you that if you excede the thresholds their "Fair Access Policy" kicks in and slows you down to 128 kbps for downloads and 28 kbps for uploads, which of course is their way of saying "Ha! Ha! You can't work on your computer any more." Now, they tell you all this before you sign up. (To their credit and probably a great savings in their pockets)
All plans come with this "guarantee."-(In my experience)-Cloudy day? Facebook, Google, MySpace, YouTube...they all won't work. Blogger, yeah it won't work either.
Now, that's not all! They make you sign a 2 year contract. If you want out of the contract, you owe the remaining monthly payments up to the month when your contract ends TIMES $15! Can you say "racket"? Because, they sure have one here. You wanna know something else? If you call in your question to tech help, they charge you for the call! They want you to chat with them online, instead. Now this would be fine except our service is so intermittent and it takes so long for the signals to relay, that we aren't able to carry on a chat for any length of time. If you are on my facebook or myspace or google chat list and have tried chatting with me, you know what I'm talking about. We can't run any of the programs we usually run without having problems. We definitely can't use the new apps and gadgets like we should be able to. It's absolutely ridiculous!
I simply cannot believe that in order for my family to continue with the level of internet service we were used to in Texas, we have to pay almost double and our service sucks royally in comparison. In the immortal words of the 77's... "You get what you pay for. Did I pay for this?" I paid more so I could do more and I still can't do more! It's a really good thing that I don't run an in home biz that requires the use of the internet b/c I'd be out of a job! That about sums up my feelings on Wild Blue.
And a last bit of advice, if you have any other option than Wild Blue, TAKE IT! Dial up is better because at least then, you are getting what you pay for. I I'm paying for platinum and getting limestone. For my $90/mo, I should get much better service, don't you think?
On to internet stuff...
Now, we have a friend who lives 15 minutes away from us and closer to the next town on the highway. They use an internet service that utilizes cell towers to bounce a signal. It works fairly well and the cost is minimal compared to what we pay for our service. You might say, with my friends' internet services, you get what you pay for.
Our family is online quite a lot. We have many friends who are only available to us online, simply because our schedules differ so much. We share lots of photos and check out lots of their photos. I access many educational sites to expand what I'm teaching my kids. (I school them at home.)
We did attempt to try another way of getting internet access but we weren't able to use the "cell tower" service because there were too many trees in the way. (And I'm sorry! I'm not cutting down a tree that's worked so hard to get to the immense height it has achieved just so I can pay some company that could care less!) And, as I stated before, the cable service doesn't extend out to our house.
Here are the facts about our Wild Blue service: ProPack-$89.95/mo will get you 17,000 MB download threshold; 5,000 MB upload threshold. (I chose this pack b/c we are online all the time.)
ValuePak-$49.95/mo will get you 7,500 MB download threshold; 2,300 MB upload threshold
SelectPak-(I dont' know the cost for this one exactly but I think it's around $59 or $69/mo) will get you 12,000 MB download threshold; 3,000 MB upload threshold
They also tell you that if you excede the thresholds their "Fair Access Policy" kicks in and slows you down to 128 kbps for downloads and 28 kbps for uploads, which of course is their way of saying "Ha! Ha! You can't work on your computer any more."
All plans come with this "guarantee."-(In my experience)-Cloudy day? Facebook, Google, MySpace, YouTube...they all won't work. Blogger, yeah it won't work either.
Now, that's not all! They make you sign a 2 year contract. If you want out of the contract, you owe the remaining monthly payments up to the month when your contract ends TIMES $15! Can you say "racket"? Because, they sure have one here. You wanna know something else? If you call in your question to tech help, they charge you for the call! They want you to chat with them online, instead. Now this would be fine except our service is so intermittent and it takes so long for the signals to relay, that we aren't able to carry on a chat for any length of time. If you are on my facebook or myspace or google chat list and have tried chatting with me, you know what I'm talking about. We can't run any of the programs we usually run without having problems. We definitely can't use the new apps and gadgets like we should be able to. It's absolutely ridiculous!
I simply cannot believe that in order for my family to continue with the level of internet service we were used to in Texas, we have to pay almost double and our service sucks royally in comparison. In the immortal words of the 77's... "You get what you pay for. Did I pay for this?" I paid more so I could do more and I still can't do more! It's a really good thing that I don't run an in home biz that requires the use of the internet b/c I'd be out of a job! That about sums up my feelings on Wild Blue.
And a last bit of advice, if you have any other option than Wild Blue, TAKE IT! Dial up is better because at least then, you are getting what you pay for. I I'm paying for platinum and getting limestone. For my $90/mo, I should get much better service, don't you think?
Friday, September 4, 2009
Curiouser and Curiouser
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthpicturegalleries/6126909/One-thousand-ice-sculptures-melt-in-the-sun-to-highlight-global-warming.html?image=1
Check out this link.
Now, that you've seen it. What do you think?
I wasn't aware that the laws of science vary so much in Germany that ice normally doesn't melt when you take it out of the freezer. And last I checked, it's not winter over there yet. Hmmm...perhaps they thought they might be doing something good. I wonder how much money they spent on that project and if the money might have been better spent in trying to feed those who are hungry right now or clothing those who have a need for clothing right now. Apparently, it was better to pay a few ice sculptors to make those little statues. Go figure...
Check out this link.
Now, that you've seen it. What do you think?
I wasn't aware that the laws of science vary so much in Germany that ice normally doesn't melt when you take it out of the freezer. And last I checked, it's not winter over there yet. Hmmm...perhaps they thought they might be doing something good. I wonder how much money they spent on that project and if the money might have been better spent in trying to feed those who are hungry right now or clothing those who have a need for clothing right now. Apparently, it was better to pay a few ice sculptors to make those little statues. Go figure...
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Some Thoughts on Free Help
You guys know about welfare programs like medicaid, WIC, etc. These programs are funded with taxpayer money. You probably know that, too. What you may not realize is how the laws for these programs work in your state. Every state has different laws concerning these programs. I think, basically, these are good and that we should keep them up and running. I think each state should remain in control of their own programs to help their own people. I think giving the federal goverment control over any of these programs gives them more control over our states and over us. I think that our founding fathers are rolling over in their graves at what our country has become and what our leaders seem to be trying to accomplish. And you know what? For right now, I'm free to do that. Think, I mean. I'm free to have my own opinion and post it in this blog. They can't arrest me for putting my thoughts down on paper.
Yet.
If we let the federal government take over the public welfare programs and spread a net of universal "health" care, what exactly are we letting ourselves in for? These are my thoughts on government programs that exist to help people.
A really good friend, who I admire and love posted this on a social networking site. (And she is free to express her opinions, too. And she won't be arrested for doing so. It is truly great to live in a free country!) Here's her post: No one should die because they cannot afford health care, and no one should go broke because they get sick. If you agree, please post this as your status for the rest of the day.
This is what I posted in reply: Idealistically, this is fabulous and truly a lovely thought. But the honest truth is that so many people abuse the privelages set up by the states to help those in need. There are many more that abuse the helpful programs than those that use them in the way the programs were originally intended. I really truly wish there was a good plan for taking care of those who are truly in need. But I think this should be left up to each state to decide, not the federal government. Not attacking anyone, just stating my opinion.
She posted a reply back to me and commented on how she'd been to five states and known people who had come up against so much red tape and confusion they didn't try to get the help they needed. She expressed a wish that we could come up with a program that would work across the board, something similar to the military.
(The military does have a system that does work, even if it falls short of ideal.)
I replied with: I think the problem lies within the state legislatures and with those who abuse the privelages. The old adage that we all heard in school still applies. The good, unfortunately, suffer along with the bad. But the way it is out here, the ones who abuse the privelages know all the loopholes and teach their kids and so we have generations upon generations of folks using government programs. GA seems to have a good plan, or at least they did. Once you get on the program you have a certain amount of time (it's decent) to get a job or train for a job and get a job and you cannot have any more kids while you are on the program. I'm sure there are those who would find this restrictive and maybe even unfair. But let's face it, a lot of families get on government programs and have more kids just so they can get more money. And they never try to get off the program. These government programs were set up to help people get THROUGH a hard time, not pay them to do nothing for the rest of their lives and teach their kids to do the same. It's really sad. So many smart people with so much potential don't even try to realize that potential and use it to better their situation. And there are many programs out and about to help them achieve that. But they have to work to find them. I think if the help was at least easier to find, things might improve a little. But we have created (perhaps allowed would have been a better word here) a mindset that has been continued and indeed, encouraged, for so many years. To overcome this would take a great deal of drastic reform and it really needs to be done by each state. If people really want to get help, they find a way to get it. If nothing else, you can ask around. The government offices are always listed in the phone book and they have to answer your questions. Confusion and fear should not ever stand between you and your family's health and welfare. I do understand what you are saying. And I think that people should be willing to "work" hard to get what their family requires. If you don't work, you don't eat. If you can't find work, go visit your family and friends and do odd jobs until you can find a settled job. Just b/c you don't like the smell of the McDonald's kitchen doesn't mean you shouldn't try to get hired on, if that's the only job available. (Gosh I'm mouthy this week!) I really am not trying to offend anyone. These are just my feelings on the subject. My mom works for the state so I do have some background knowlege from that perspective. And I was also a WIC mom so I have some perspective from there as well. We qualified for WIC while we were living in TX but we only went twice. After that, I decided we could handle things on our own, even on single income. I did use WIC and was grateful for it when Noah and Shiloh were eligible. But I didn't stay on the program when I figured out we could afford to buy our own stuff! So, there is my very long-winded, short novel on my wordy opinion.
I stopped there. I'm hoping she accepts my opinion for exactly that...my opinion. Having stated the above, I should probably also state that while I was growing up my family was a prime candidate for welfare but b/c we were a farming family and owned land, we didn't qualify. Apparently, if you own land, you could sell that land. Obiviously farmers don't need land to farm. But somehow, we made it through. Well, in my opinion, it was God who got us through. But I'll tell you something. We didn't have name brand clothes unless someone handed it down to us or bought it for us for Christmas. We didn't wear the fanciest shoes money could buy. We didn't have the coolest jewelry or gadgets. We made do with what we had. I remember one Christmas, when I was probably about 8 or so, we had gone to the mall. I found this really pretty mermaid doll. I wanted it so badly. We were going to see Santa that night. I asked Santa for that doll. I had set it up in my mind that if I got that doll, then Santa must be real b/c mom and dad couldn't afford to buy that doll. How awful my mother must have felt! When Christmas came, I got a mermaid doll but it wasn't the really pretty one from the mall. It was the best my mom and dad could do for me. She tried. But Santa died for me that Christmas and I guess I've been a realist ever since. Not a pessimist! Please don't confuse the two! I still keep a light of hope in my heart. His name is Yeshua. Right underneath his light is the light of hope created by my three children and my husband. Even now, I can't always get the stuff my kids want but I do the best I can. Sometimes it means they can get exactly what they want. Sometimes, they have to wait. But I don't hide the facts about money from them. They need to know that you have to work hard to get what you want. They also need to learn the value of patience and the glory of earning something b/c you worked hard to achieve it. Giving out free money to citizens and then having them scorn you because you're too stupid to do the same thing they are doing, is this what I paid for? I DON'T THINK SO. And then having them tell you to your face that you “owe them money” and knowing they are lifetime welfare folks who are not even trying to get hired on somewhere? NOT EVEN!
Yet.
If we let the federal government take over the public welfare programs and spread a net of universal "health" care, what exactly are we letting ourselves in for? These are my thoughts on government programs that exist to help people.
A really good friend, who I admire and love posted this on a social networking site. (And she is free to express her opinions, too. And she won't be arrested for doing so. It is truly great to live in a free country!) Here's her post: No one should die because they cannot afford health care, and no one should go broke because they get sick. If you agree, please post this as your status for the rest of the day.
This is what I posted in reply: Idealistically, this is fabulous and truly a lovely thought. But the honest truth is that so many people abuse the privelages set up by the states to help those in need. There are many more that abuse the helpful programs than those that use them in the way the programs were originally intended. I really truly wish there was a good plan for taking care of those who are truly in need. But I think this should be left up to each state to decide, not the federal government. Not attacking anyone, just stating my opinion.
She posted a reply back to me and commented on how she'd been to five states and known people who had come up against so much red tape and confusion they didn't try to get the help they needed. She expressed a wish that we could come up with a program that would work across the board, something similar to the military.
(The military does have a system that does work, even if it falls short of ideal.)
I replied with: I think the problem lies within the state legislatures and with those who abuse the privelages. The old adage that we all heard in school still applies. The good, unfortunately, suffer along with the bad. But the way it is out here, the ones who abuse the privelages know all the loopholes and teach their kids and so we have generations upon generations of folks using government programs. GA seems to have a good plan, or at least they did. Once you get on the program you have a certain amount of time (it's decent) to get a job or train for a job and get a job and you cannot have any more kids while you are on the program. I'm sure there are those who would find this restrictive and maybe even unfair. But let's face it, a lot of families get on government programs and have more kids just so they can get more money. And they never try to get off the program. These government programs were set up to help people get THROUGH a hard time, not pay them to do nothing for the rest of their lives and teach their kids to do the same. It's really sad. So many smart people with so much potential don't even try to realize that potential and use it to better their situation. And there are many programs out and about to help them achieve that. But they have to work to find them. I think if the help was at least easier to find, things might improve a little. But we have created (perhaps allowed would have been a better word here) a mindset that has been continued and indeed, encouraged, for so many years. To overcome this would take a great deal of drastic reform and it really needs to be done by each state. If people really want to get help, they find a way to get it. If nothing else, you can ask around. The government offices are always listed in the phone book and they have to answer your questions. Confusion and fear should not ever stand between you and your family's health and welfare. I do understand what you are saying. And I think that people should be willing to "work" hard to get what their family requires. If you don't work, you don't eat. If you can't find work, go visit your family and friends and do odd jobs until you can find a settled job. Just b/c you don't like the smell of the McDonald's kitchen doesn't mean you shouldn't try to get hired on, if that's the only job available. (Gosh I'm mouthy this week!) I really am not trying to offend anyone. These are just my feelings on the subject. My mom works for the state so I do have some background knowlege from that perspective. And I was also a WIC mom so I have some perspective from there as well. We qualified for WIC while we were living in TX but we only went twice. After that, I decided we could handle things on our own, even on single income. I did use WIC and was grateful for it when Noah and Shiloh were eligible. But I didn't stay on the program when I figured out we could afford to buy our own stuff! So, there is my very long-winded, short novel on my wordy opinion.
I stopped there. I'm hoping she accepts my opinion for exactly that...my opinion. Having stated the above, I should probably also state that while I was growing up my family was a prime candidate for welfare but b/c we were a farming family and owned land, we didn't qualify. Apparently, if you own land, you could sell that land. Obiviously farmers don't need land to farm. But somehow, we made it through. Well, in my opinion, it was God who got us through. But I'll tell you something. We didn't have name brand clothes unless someone handed it down to us or bought it for us for Christmas. We didn't wear the fanciest shoes money could buy. We didn't have the coolest jewelry or gadgets. We made do with what we had. I remember one Christmas, when I was probably about 8 or so, we had gone to the mall. I found this really pretty mermaid doll. I wanted it so badly. We were going to see Santa that night. I asked Santa for that doll. I had set it up in my mind that if I got that doll, then Santa must be real b/c mom and dad couldn't afford to buy that doll. How awful my mother must have felt! When Christmas came, I got a mermaid doll but it wasn't the really pretty one from the mall. It was the best my mom and dad could do for me. She tried. But Santa died for me that Christmas and I guess I've been a realist ever since. Not a pessimist! Please don't confuse the two! I still keep a light of hope in my heart. His name is Yeshua. Right underneath his light is the light of hope created by my three children and my husband. Even now, I can't always get the stuff my kids want but I do the best I can. Sometimes it means they can get exactly what they want. Sometimes, they have to wait. But I don't hide the facts about money from them. They need to know that you have to work hard to get what you want. They also need to learn the value of patience and the glory of earning something b/c you worked hard to achieve it. Giving out free money to citizens and then having them scorn you because you're too stupid to do the same thing they are doing, is this what I paid for? I DON'T THINK SO. And then having them tell you to your face that you “owe them money” and knowing they are lifetime welfare folks who are not even trying to get hired on somewhere? NOT EVEN!
The Craziness Surrounds Us...
...it wants to swallow us whole. But this time, my friends, we need to fight it. On Sept. 8, something shocking is coming to a school near you. I have some really good friends on fb who help me stay informed of these kinds of things. I'll pass on that info to you.
http://tinyurl.com/meew45/
The above is a link to an article about a homeschool family.
http://townhall.com/columnists/MichelleMalkin/2009/09/02/obamas_classroom_campaign_no_junior_lobbyist_left_behind?page=full
The above link will take you to an article at Michelle Malkin.com.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13249171?_requestid=5883011
The above link will take you an article in the the Salt Lake Tribune.
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/02/whitewashing-the-obama-education-speech-guides/
The above link will take you to Michelle Malkin.com.
I hope all these links work. These are some pretty scary stories! If you take about 20 minutes to read through them (it shouldn't take more than that), you might be surprised at some of the things going on.
I posted the above links so that anyone who wants to view them could do so. It is so important that we, as parents or role models, do this so we can help our children reach their potential. Aren't they worth it? Aren't they worth it? The above articles are about 3 different things. Two of them concern Pres. Obama's broadcast to the schools. How he must hate that private schools are not funded by the state and therefore are not required to broadcast his speech. And how he must hate that home schooling is allowed. All those little "free thinkers" out there must scare the bejesus out of him. My worry stems from the fact that there are parents out there who have pulled their kids out of the school system just b/c they were oppressed (for lack of a better word) in some way, usually some petty way. I do not think this was the case with the homeschool family in the first link I posted above. Some of them didn't realize how much work homeschooling really involves. It isn't for everyone. And it takes a good deal of planning. You can't just pull your kids out of school one day and jump into it. And it can get pricey. It's not as expensive as sending your kids to private school but it's more expensive than sending them to public school. And you really have to look for the reinforcement activities if you combine different curricula. The helps are out there, though, even if you do have to dig for them. Well, I better scoot. My intent was to inform with the above links. The Salt Lake Tribune article was posted for information. Just proves we should never assume anything.
Remember to breathe.
http://tinyurl.com/meew45/
The above is a link to an article about a homeschool family.
http://townhall.com/columnists/MichelleMalkin/2009/09/02/obamas_classroom_campaign_no_junior_lobbyist_left_behind?page=full
The above link will take you to an article at Michelle Malkin.com.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13249171?_requestid=5883011
The above link will take you an article in the the Salt Lake Tribune.
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/09/02/whitewashing-the-obama-education-speech-guides/
The above link will take you to Michelle Malkin.com.
I hope all these links work. These are some pretty scary stories! If you take about 20 minutes to read through them (it shouldn't take more than that), you might be surprised at some of the things going on.
I posted the above links so that anyone who wants to view them could do so. It is so important that we, as parents or role models, do this so we can help our children reach their potential. Aren't they worth it? Aren't they worth it? The above articles are about 3 different things. Two of them concern Pres. Obama's broadcast to the schools. How he must hate that private schools are not funded by the state and therefore are not required to broadcast his speech. And how he must hate that home schooling is allowed. All those little "free thinkers" out there must scare the bejesus out of him. My worry stems from the fact that there are parents out there who have pulled their kids out of the school system just b/c they were oppressed (for lack of a better word) in some way, usually some petty way. I do not think this was the case with the homeschool family in the first link I posted above. Some of them didn't realize how much work homeschooling really involves. It isn't for everyone. And it takes a good deal of planning. You can't just pull your kids out of school one day and jump into it. And it can get pricey. It's not as expensive as sending your kids to private school but it's more expensive than sending them to public school. And you really have to look for the reinforcement activities if you combine different curricula. The helps are out there, though, even if you do have to dig for them. Well, I better scoot. My intent was to inform with the above links. The Salt Lake Tribune article was posted for information. Just proves we should never assume anything.
Remember to breathe.
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