Blogging with AFRW

Reports are beginning to surface about Marsha Weinerman, a city official from Cambridge, Massachusetts. She’s made news because she decided to shut down the Boy Scouts care package collection boxes. You see, the Boy Scouts were sending care packages for our troops to enjoy at the holidays. But Marsha Weinerman said the Boy Scouts actions are ‘too pro-war’ and ordered law enforcement to remove the care package collection boxes. The Boy Scout’s troop leader is outraged: "We have never seen anything like this decision in Cambridge before,” Patterson wrote. The city is changing for the worse if decisions like this are allowed to be made." Contact Ms. Weinerman and let her know that it is our troops’ service that protects the rights of all Americans - including our freedom to vote: mWeinerman@cambridgema.gov Or call Ms. Weinerman’s office at: (617) 349-4363.

This information might seem unbelievable to many of us, but consider this. I’ve been blogging with a group of Christians for the few days on the subject of war.  The question was posed "Can Christians Support This War".  I’ve been absolutely amazed at the response.  At the time of this posting, there are over 150 comments logged on this topic. You can read the entire discussion by going to www.preachermike.com

Here are some examples of the comments.  

Maybe I’m alone in this sentiment, but I don’t “respect and honor” a soldier any more than, say, a school teacher … a trash collector … a youth worker … or a pianist. Love them? Sure. But I don’t “respect and honor” them because they fight on America’s side.

I struggle w/ being a Christian in America because I don’t believe our government is anything close to ideal and we make our decisions from a position of power w/ the intent of whatever benefits us. For example, so much of our “benevolence” is self-serving. But it is truly a blessing to live in this country. I love my country, I love those who serve, but I’m not, in the immortal words, “Proud to be an American.” If we are serious about His kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven, we must take this issuer seriously and not fall into black/white, either/or thinking.

I think we can support the troops and not support the war.
I think it is time to come home.
It is time to spend money on the American people who appreciate it. Who need it.

 The current war does not pass muster on any of the “just war” tests. It is based on lies and false information. It must end. Brian Mclaren’s “unpublished speech” (that President Bush never made) that didn’t make it to his latest book should be required reading by every church. Sorry, how anyone could support this war is beyond me. When the dimension of faith in Jesus is added in, there is nothing more to say.

The scary part about all this is that this discussion is among Christians.  Christians who don’t feel it worthy to lay down your life for someone in another country or for your own country.  I can tell you that the arrogance in the discussion has totally put me off and made me rethink visiting that blog.  The hatefulness is more than this girl can stand.  But the sad part is that this is not isolated.  There are many "Christians" who believe we aren’t being Christian unless we gather up everyone’s money in this country, give it to the government and let them decide how to distribute it.  But they turn right around and are against fighting a people who have made it their goal in life to kill as many innocent people as humanly possible with no regard the the value of God’s children.  It makes no sense to me.  Perhaps it never will.

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.  John 15:13. 

 

A message on the Walter Reed site states:

“Walter Reed Army Medical Center officials want to remind those individuals who want to show their appreciation through mail to include packages, letters, and holiday cards addressed to ‘Any Wounded Soldier’ or ‘A Recovering American Soldier’ that Walter Reed cannot accept these packages in support of the decision by then Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Transportation Policy in 2001. This decision was made to

ensure the safety and well being of patients and staff at medical centers throughout the Department of Defense.

“In addition, the U.S. Postal Service is no longer accepting ‘Any Service

Member’ or ‘A Recovering American Soldier’ letters or packages. Mail to ‘Any Service Member’ that is deposited into a collection box will not be delivered.

“Instead of sending an ‘Any Wounded Soldier’ letter or package to Walter Reed, please consider making a donation to one of the more than 300 nonprofit organizations dedicated to helping our troops and their families listed on the ‘America Supports You’ website,

www.americasupportsyou.mil.

“Other organizations that offer means of showing your support for our troops or assist wounded service members and their families include:

• www.usocares.org

• www4.army.mil/ocpa /tooursoldiers

• www.redcross.org

The Women of the Alabama Federation of Republican Women extend our sympathy and prayers to the family of Ben Stanford.  Stanford was a 17 year old from the Anniston area who has been missing since last week.  His body was found late this afternoon.  No details on the death are being released at this time.  Stanford was the grandson to State Senator Jim Prueitt, Democrat from the Talladega area.  God be with this family. 

You may read more at this link. 

Democracy for the Defenders of Democracy Itself By: Secretary of State Beth Chapman

 

This November as we celebrate Veterans Day and memorialize the untold sacrifices of Alabama’s military members, we should commit to ensuring that every one of them has the ability to cast their vote at home while serving abroad. This will be more important than ever with Alabama having our first early Presidential Primary on February 5, 2008. In recent years, with approximately two weeks’ delay for receiving mail in the Middle East and complex regulations governing absentee voting, the system simply did not offer a method that would allow our military voters to receive, complete and return their ballots in time to be counted. Red tape and outdated delivery methods via the postal service have disenfranchised tens of thousands of service members deployed overseas. Alabama has been most affected because per capita, we have the highest number of National Guard members deployed since 9/11 and one of the greatest populations of men and women serving in all branches of the United States Military. The problems facing military voters are widespread due to outdated laws and regulations which govern absentee voting. In addition, dependence upon an unpredictable mail system and no regard for new technology add further detriment to the process. It is embarrassing to say that less than 48 percent of ballots requested by members of our military in the 2006 midterm elections were counted. In 2000, the closest presidential election ever, elections officials in Florida disqualified more than 1,500 military votes - three times the number that eventually decided the outcome of the election. What is even more appalling is the number of military members who requested a ballot, but never received it. With this year’s Presidential Primary process beginning at the end of the holiday season, our troops will face even greater obstacles. Shorter timetables and the earliest Presidential Primary in our state’s history will decrease the amount of time for them to register and cast their votes. Their requests to vote by absentee ballot and their actual votes will also be threatened by the huge volume of mail being processed during the holiday season. The good news is that Alabama is the first of only three states to ensure that all of our military men and women serving overseas will be able to register to vote and update their registration records each time they change locations. This is the first step in ensuring that they will be able to vote from overseas in the future. A new Web site, www.overseasvotefoundation.org, developed by the Overseas Vote Foundation (OVF) with support from The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Make Voting Work initiative, offers much needed assistance. The site guides overseas voters through state requirements, helping to complete and automatically check all information to ensure requests are not disqualified based on technicalities. This straightforward technological solution is an important first step in protecting our service members’ ability to vote. Still, there is much left to be done. We must do everything possible to guarantee our military men and women their right to vote. During the month which honors Veterans Day we should honor those who have served in the past and give them our greatest respect. In doing so, let us move forward to ensure those who have followed them in service their right to vote. Throughout the years our nation has asked a tremendous amount of sacrifice from members of our military and their families. They have responded with great courage in defense of our democracy. It is up to us to make sure that they are not denied a voice in the very democracy they defend. Beth Chapman is Alabama’s secretary of state.

If you use an Alabama Day Care you need to be concerned about this.

Let’s all remember to remind Alabama voters about these two endorsements when campaign season rolls around again…

Sparks and Parker for Clinton. 

Telling huh. 

Bobbie Lou sent the following links where the Thompson campaign mentions and has pictures of Mrs. Fred Thompson attending the AFRW convention. Link here, here, and here. 

In zipping through the news sites this morning, I made a discovery that has totally sickened me and also given me reason to voice my concerns.  We live in an evil, corrupt world where the lure of sex and power is more evident than ever.  Just this morning, I have seen a news report of a female teacher who is on the run with her 13 year old student who is also her lover, a former basketball coach is charged with sexually abusing student athletes, a DA is charged with fondling men while on the job, a sex offender is found that was missing and unaccounted for for two years, teachers and politicians arrested for illicting sexual relations in a bathroom in Florida, an attorney and former child protection services officer arrested in an online sting operation at Ohio’s Statehouse, and eleven year old was raped at a Halloween party and Oprah Winfrey’s school for girls plagued with allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse from staff. 

People, this was in ONE sweep through the news.  ONE 15 minutes jog through the web to check up on the news. Not a week, not a month, or even a year…..ONE morning job through the news.

I can tell you this, healthcare my be a crisis in this country, illegal immigration, tax fraud, disagreements on fighting the war on terrorism and even cancer….But friends what we are allowing to happen to the children of this nation and setting back and doing little to nothing about it other than saying "That is so awful" is criminal in and of itself.  It’s time to rise up and fight for our children.  It’s time to rally local, state and national government to force laws into place that get predators away from our children once and for all.  No parol, no early release for good behavior, no house arrest.  It’s time to place them under the jail, far away from our children.  It’s time to address the evil that lurks in the hearts of fellow citizens.  It’s time to open our eyes.  When a person violates a child in this manner, it’s time to understand they choose to give away their rights.  They chose sexual encounters with a child over personal freedom and rights.  The welfare and comfort of an animal who preys on children is not a concern of mine.  I could care less about their comfort and rights. 

This has got to stop.  What can do we do make sure it does?  What better way to care for American than to focus on keeping our kids safe. 

Kelley Smith-Blog Editor and Caring for America Chairman

 More info on the teacher with the 13 year old student can be found here.

 

 

She always seems to do it. She gathers up the thoughts we conservatives have and places them on a page in a way that we all think "YES, that’s what I thought too!"  Or, perhaps we go as far as to shout "Amen!"

Peggy Noonan has once again hit it out of the park with her commentary on the last Democratic debate.  Perhaps Ms. Clinton will read the article and learn from it, but I certainly hope not.  I’m kind of enjoying the fact that "the Masters of the Universe", as Jeff Sessions calls them, think I’m so stupid that they don’t look deep enough to see what I really think.  Someone’s polling data suggested that Republican Women are likely to vote for Ms. Clinton because she’s a woman.  I’ve yet to meet one of those women and I was in a huge crowd of them just one week ago today.  I will NOT vote for Ms. Clinton and it has nothing to do or not do with her gender.  But it has everything to do with my internal compass and my basic belief system…….well  ok, that and the fact that Clinton is a tax hungry predator. 

Read Peggy’s article here.