This Finite Journey called "Life"

 

Albert Einstein:  “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”  

Hello Friends.  Hope you have something warm, sweet, and comforting in  your cup today.  

I' m a bit mellow.  I found out a friend died of cancer.  No, not a close personal friend.  However, this was somebody who I could call up and ask any stupid question about a car that I had.  Someone who would jump in my vehicle and ride around to listen to that strange noise I was hearing.  Someone who I never saw frown...no matter where he was or how busy he was.  That person was Ron Fenton.  What is so shocking is I never knew this.  Apparently no one did. When I called Perry Bros yesterday, I almost asked for him.  But didn't.   

Ron led his life as if he was going to be here tomorrow all the while knowing he might not. It's hard to swallow how someone could do that.  But people do.  Everyday. 

Which leads me to this blog posting today.  We take our lives for granted too much.  I assume when I lay my head on my pillow at night that I'll be up tomorrow blogging, working, worrying about my grandson and kids, walking the dog, yada, yada, yada.  And I assume I'll be arguing with some know it all liberal who is blind as a bat.  And I assume I'll be here to attempt for another day to try and save my country.  

The Real War is on Personal Responsibility

 Intuitive Commentary 

by  Kirk D. Smith

During Monday night’s meeting of the Lee County Commissioners, I objected to the resolution promoted by the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC).   Many of the goals counter my philosophical belief that we need to focus on limited government, not more.

That said, the NCACC supports increasing the childcare subsidies supporting Smart Start and NC Pre-K.  This is a remarkable recommendation that comes on the heels of the most extensive study on the effectiveness of the federally funded Head Start Program.  You know another LBJ “Great Society” tactical strategy used in the never-ending “war on poverty!”  I’m curious.   With Bin Laden dead and terrorism vanquished, we see our nation withdrawing from Iraq and Afghanistan.  What is our “exit strategy” on this so-called never-ending War on Poverty?

Truth be told, the so called war on poverty should be rephrased, the “war on personal responsibility.” 

I base my opposition to the resolution on the fact that since 1965 we have had a Federal Program we all know as Head Start at the cost of over $180 billion dollars.  This past December the Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, released a long over-due report, on the Friday before Christmas that assessed the viable results of Head Start.  In short we are wasting money!  With that said, the ever gracious Anne McCracken was in the audience shaking her head back and forth as if I were misstating facts! 

Memo to Anne,

Grover J. “Russ” Whitehurst writes in the Brookings Institute, January 16, 2013 article:

"There is no measurable advantage to children in elementary school of having participated in Head Start.  Further, children attending Head Start remain far behind academically once they are in elementary school.  Head Start does not improve the school readiness of children from low-income families.

Whether you like my plan or prefer some other approach, I hope you will agree that we must do something.  A program that is supposed to prepare the neediest children in the nation for school and fails to do so is a program that needs fixing.  The evidence tells us it is time to act."

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/brown-center-chalkboard/posts/2013/01/16-preschool-whitehurst

You decide.

As always, I shall remain In Search of Our GOD Given Liberties!

Kirk 

Whistles, Pens and Bodily Fluids

Question:  How can a woman protect herself from violent attacks and/or sexual assaults?

Answer:  According to the article below, women can protect themselves with whistles, pens, bodily fluids, call boxes, the buddy system, faking illness or disease or pregnancy, crying, or acting emotionally unstable. 

The Anti-choice Left's Disarming of the American Woman 

I don't know who actually wrote the policies at UCCS which is the university named in the article I linked to above, but I somehow doubt it was a woman.  And it leaves me wondering what the policies are at other universities across the country.

In January 2012, a study showed that 18.3% of women over 18 report being sexually assaulted in their lifetime.   Rape More Common Than Smoking in the US

 I assure you that many sexual assaults go unreported, so this percentage is low. Several studies show that the incidence of reported rape on college campuses is about 25%.  Yet, college campuses remain gun-free, and the female students are told to use the 'methods' above to protect themselves, all seemingly to be in the name of keeping a woman from shooting someone who maybe isn't really threatening them. 

It is insulting to insinuate than a woman does not have enough sense to know if she is being threatened or not. Besides, if you asked any woman who has been raped about using whistles, pens, bodily fluids, call boxes. etc to stop the attacker, she would probably laugh at you.  Call me a feminist in this case if you want to, but the men named in this article have about as much business telling a woman how to fend of a sexual assault as they do telling a woman in back labor that the pain is simply a part of the natural process of having a baby, and she just needs to breathe through it.

A Lesson The Republican Party Can Learn from Democrats

     When Missouri Senate candidate Todd Aiken (Republican) misspoke about abortions in cases of rape, he was raked over the coals for days and days.   He was called on to withdraw from the race from members of his own party, even after he apologized.  Many of the Republican party distanced themselves from him, and also continued to ostracize him even after he apologized.   

     Now, Colorado State Representative Joe Salazar said something equally appalling.  He is against students carrying concealed firearms on college campuses because of the risk of shooting someone who isn't actually a threat to anyone:

     Arguing in favor of bill that would ban the individuals from carrying concealed weapons on college campuses, Salazar acknowledged, “There are some gender inequities on college campuses” that put women at risk. He explained, “It’s why we have call boxes, it’s why we have safe zones, it’s why we have the whistles. Because you just don’t know who you’re gonna be shooting at.” 

     He went on to say more ridiculous things about women and rape.  Here is a link to the article:

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/341001/colorado-state-legislator-women-who-feel-theyre-going-be-raped-may-be-wrong-shouldnt-c

 Less than a day later, he apologized.  And now he is enjoying the support of his party, and it seems that all is forgiven because he apologized:

 House Speaker Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver, called Salazar a "great legislator and a person who has worked hard in support of women.  "Whatever his words may have been and however much those words are being taken out of context, he did the right thing to take responsibility," Ferrandino said.

Here is a link to that story:

Colorado lawmaker Joe Salazar issues apology over rape remark - The Denver Posthttp://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_22617884/lawmaker-issues-apology-over-rape-remark#ixzz2LMyqSxTF

     Everyone misspeaks sometimes.  And almost always the person apologizes.  Why is it that the Republican party is so quick to disconnect itself from party members who misspeak?  Why are they so quick to throw them under the bus?  Todd Aiken isn't the first to experience this treatment from the Republican party.

     This is one lesson we can learn from the Democrats.  They are united, and they support each other.  Am I saying Republicans should support all its members regardless of what is done or said?  Of course not!  But Republican party members need to band together, and support each other in these kinds of cases, instead of tearing the member other down.   

  

McCrory, Moss and Denials!

We have made it clear here at FBC that we will challenge Republicans just as much as Democrats.  This is just like any other day.  So....

Governor McCrory makes me proud one day with his stance on ObamaCare.  And the next, I swear he must be off his rocker.

That's the way I feel after I see these words by Jeff Moss in an article from The Island Packet and a finalist for the Superintendent job in Beaufort, SC: