A Second Term

Hello readers.  I have to say that exactly 8 days after the election I have finally worked up the spirits to post my feelings about it.  It is not secret, if you have read my blog before or know me personally, that I was a big time Romney supporter.  I still am.  I will always support the great man that he is and the strong campaign that he ran.  With that being said, let's jump back to the night of the election.

      Tuesday, November 6:

I sat in Biology, trying to pay attention to the lecture,  not really trying at all actually; I was too preoccupied.  I was quietly and secretly refreshing my foxnews feed every few seconds to watch the electoral votes come in.  I was excited as I watched Romney's votes climb, but I was not deceived.  I knew we still had a long way to go.  Now keep in mind that going into this night, I was completely convinced that Mitt Romney was going to be our next president.  That he would save us from financial ruin and set our country back on the fundamentally correct path.  That he would be the leader that the President of the United States is supposed to be.  I mean, there was a slight whisper in the back of my mind that Barack Obama could win again, but I thought the chance was so slight that there was no need to worry.  After class was over I rushed to my car to get home.  At this point in the voting Romney was at 33 electoral votes and Obama was at 12.  I still would have to wait at least four hours until a conclusion was met.  Let's fast forward a couple of hours.  The next thing that I remember was watching Ohio's and Florida's votes coming in, my heart pounded and my palms were sweaty because it was so close.  I was praying that Romney would pull ahead somehow.  I still had hope at this time because votes from the democratic parts of the states had been counted and the more conservative parts of the states had not yet.  But, as the votes came in it was not looking promising.  I knew that without Ohio Romney would not be able to pull this off.  I was laying on the couch holding onto a pillow when they announced that Barack Obama was the winner, taking over Ohio with just 900 more votes than Romney.  For the first few minutes I was shocked.  I watched Obama supporters dancing and celebrating to popular music of our day.  I couldn't help but feel anger towards them.  All that was running through my head was, "How could they be so dumb?"  Thats when the tears started to come.  Despite trying to hold them back, they streamed down my face, a million thoughts coursing through my brain.  How is America going to get through the next four years?  How could people re-elect the worst president that we have ever had?  What has been prophesied is coming to pass right before my eyes. There is no hope for the republican party any more in America.  But above all else, I was saddened that the people in this country voted for such fundamental changes instead of traditional values.  

     Today:

Today, I have found a renewed hope in the future.  I still do not support anything that President Obama stands for.  I do not believe that we will ever be able to recover from what is going to happen in these next four years.  But, I will never stop fighting for what I believe in.  I will go about it differently.  I will teach my children the values that I believe will always hold true, no matter what society thinks.  I will keep fighting because in my heart I am not a quitter, no matter how dim the future looks.  We all need to have a change of heart and look forward with optimism instead of pessimism.  I excepted the challenge to stay strong before I even came to this earth and I will accept it again now.  Each one of us can make a difference, if we stand together.

Federal Welfare: Paul Ryan

This post couldn't be more perfect timing.  Mitt Romney just announced his running mate for the 2012 presidential race; Paul Ryan.  Before I get into my actual subject I want to talk a minute about Romney and Ryan.  I think that Romney made an outstanding choice in picking Ryan.  For one, Ryan is outstandingly conservative, especially economically, which is the country's biggest struggle right now.  Together, Ryan and Romney will be able to turn the economy around by cutting Medicare benefits to those under age 50 and by lowering taxes and the deficit, as well as making other budget cuts.  Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are going to have a lot to do with Federal Welfare in the coming months, as the election nears; not to mention if Romney wins the election.

Let me start with some current stats concerning Federal Welfare.

• 100 million Americans are currently receiving Federal Welfare, that is NOT including social security or Medicare.  That is 1/3 of the American public!  Medicaid is the most used welfare program.  
• In 2000 there were 34 million Americans on Medicaid.  Now, there are currently 54 million Americans on Medicaid. (Senate Budget Committee GOP Staff Analysis of 2011 data)
• In 2000, 17 million Americans received Food Stamps.  45 million now receive Food Stamps. (Senate Budget Committee GOP Staff Analysis of 2011 data)
• Spending on Food Stamps is supposed to reach $800 billion over the next ten years. (Senate Budget Committee GOP Staff Analysis of 2011 data)

Are 100 million people struggling so much that they can't afford to feed themselves?  In this economy, many of them are!  But, I can guarantee that there are also those who know how to play the welfare game.  The initial purpose of Federal Welfare was to be a temporary helper; to assist people trying to get back on their feet.  It has turned into a permanent solution for many people.

Entitlement.  Why do people now think that they are entitled to free things?  It all comes down to people not wanting to take responsibility for their actions.  They don't want to take responsibility for not having a job.  They don't want to take responsibility for having a child, so they blame it on birth control costing money.  President Obama supports the entitlement mentality every time he says the "fortunate" need to pay more taxes to support those who are "less fortunate".

Having the high earners pay more taxes will NEVER pay off all of the debt that our country is already in, let alone if we let the spending on food stamps reach 800 billion in the next ten years.  If a person makes $60/minute $3600/ hr it will take them 31 years to make a billion dollars.  1 in every 4 employed Americans makes less than $10/ hr.  America is $15 trillion dollars in debt right now and that does not include the interest that we are racking up every second of every day!  In 2011 we paid $454 billion in interest.  We need our next president to lower taxes and make major budget cuts.  Not only are our children going to be paying off the national debt that we have now, but their children as well; and that is just the current debt, not their own debt!.  We need Romney in the presidential office as badly as a person needs water to survive.  Romney will not only make budget cuts, but he will heal the economy, providing a way for people to become self-reliant.  Romney has my vote already!  Does he have yours?

We don't go down quietly- Chick-Fil-A

I'm writing this post as I sit in an overfilled Chick-Fil-A. The loud noise, the children in parents arms, the employees calling out orders over the hustle and bustle; I will never forget this moment. This is  something that connects all of the United States citizens.  This could be one of those significant turning points in American history.  The founder of Chick-Fil-A has given other's the courage to stand up for their beliefs.

One of the biggest social issues of the 21st century is gay marriage. Should it be legal or should it be illegal? But gay marriage is not really the reason behind the long lines at Chick-Fil-A's around the country today. The US is changing and sometimes change is a bad thing. People are sick and tired of laws and social issues being shoved down their throats without a choice or a say in the matter. America is based on freedom of speech and agency. The liberals are quickly diminishing our freedom of speech. Americans are afraid to say what they believe because there might be grave repercussions.

The founder of Chick-Fil-A, Dan Cathy, a good Christian man, had the courage to say what he believes about marriage.  He said, "We are very much supportive of the family - the bibilical definition of the family unit.  We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives.  We give God thanks for that... we know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles." He said nothing about gays or lesbians.  He merely said what he believes in.  As he tried to gain a permit to build a restaurant in Chicago, he was turned away because mayor Rahm Emanuel said, "Chick-Fil-A's values are not Chicago's values."  He was discriminated against because of his Christian beliefs in traditional marriage.  The constitution clearly states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...".  Chicago has no right to deny Chick-Fil-A a building permit if they meet all of the lawful requirements.

Jim Furman, a major owner of many Wendy's franchises in the south, has spoken out regarding Chick-Fil-A day.  He supports Dan Cathy on his stand against the city of Chicago.  Today, he posted signs on all of his Wendy's doors asking that people go and support their local Chick-Fil-A.  Are there other restaurant owners, store owners, or people in the public spotlight who believe as Dan Cathy does and have now found their voice because of what he wasn't afraid to say?  I know that he has strengthened my voice and many others.  He has renewed my faith in this country.  I now believe that the Constitution has a second chance because of the turn out today at Chick-Fil-A's around the country.

A Something. The Summer Olympics.

The summer olympics isn't just a something.  It connects every nation, every people, every four years.  The biggest gathering of people from all around the world, rooting for their country, cheering for the triumphs, empathizing with the losses.  John Williams said, "The olympics are a wonderful metaphor for world cooperation, the kind of international competition that's wholesome and healthy, an interplay between countries, that represents the best in all of us."  We learn more about each other every four years.  We are given the opportunity to gain appreciation for each other.

 I watched with admiration as each country marched in, with their heads held high and pure joy shining through their eyes at what they had accomplished and who they were representing.  I reflected on my own life.  What I am blessed with.  Who I am.  What I have accomplished.  I bet the greeks didn't think that they would make history with their games all those years ago. They definitely did not think that they would be inspiring so many people to try harder, do better, and reach for their dreams.

Even though the greeks started the games, the athletes play them.  The gymnasts, the basketball players, the swimmers, the divers, the tennis players, the volleyball players; these are the people that we watch as we grow up.  We look at them under the bright lights, the cameras around, a smile on their face, and a tear in their eye and we want to be like them in some way.  

As the olympics proceed to take place in London, let us come together as a country, as a world and support the amazing athletes who go for the gold, despite the odds against them. And in the process, have fun!