tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38913133301313737422024-03-21T07:19:17.832-07:00The American Mom...the advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty-James MadisonMekelle Tenneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004754864438762184noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891313330131373742.post-28678561914465057232016-03-31T15:13:00.000-07:002016-03-31T15:13:26.715-07:00Love me some learning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Did you ever think that America would ever seriously consider electing a socialist? I mean really vote for a candidate that was running as a self proclaimed all out socialist? Why would a people who are free to make their own decisions and choose their own future ever want to give up such a luxury? I believe its because they don't know any better. They don't know what socialism means any more than they know what capitalism means. All they know it that they have a lot of student debt and the socialist has promised to make it go away. They know that the poor blame capitalism for their poverty. They like the idea of being open to ideas and new ways of thinking. They have no idea how many times socialism has been tried and how many times it has failed. This election is revealing a lot about American's and our lack of understanding. As confused I am about the support we have seen for Bernie the socialist I am equally confused about the support for the billionaire playboy dictator . Here we have a man who has absolutely no morals, integrity, or virtue. We have seen that demonstrated throughout his personal and professional life. Trump supporters have told me that none of that is necessary to lead a country. Apparently they are unfamiliar with our country's history or the history of the rest of the world for that matter. If they were more familiar with history and our Constitution they would be terrified of a candidate who offers solutions through any means necessary. They would never consider supporting a candidate who has no intention of being held in check by the Constitution. And then there are the Hillary supporters.....I suspect their issues run a little deeper than being uniformed. But I am choosing to be optimistic and maintain that with a lot of work there might still be some hope for them.<br />
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Where does the problem start? If we take a look at our public school system we might find some answers. The Council for Economic Education released a <a href="http://councilforeconed.org/policy-and-advocacy/survey-of-the-states/" target="_blank">report</a> stating that in 2016 only 20 States require their high school students to take courses in economics. <a href="http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/civics" target="_blank">Less</a> than half of the States require high school students to take classes in civics. And only three States require civics taught in middle school. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/07/26/education.history.soboroff/" target="_blank">Studies</a> also show that less than 25% of students are considered "proficient" in American history. Lucky for us our children's education isn't the governments responsibility; Its ours. As parents we are responsible to make sure our children are getting the best education possible. We are fortunate to have several different options to choose from.<br />
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<b>Homeschool</b><br />
Let me start by saying I was homeschooled and I loved it so I am a little biased towards this option. That being said I understand that it is not for everyone. Let me go over the benefits and statistics and then you can decide if its a fit for you and your family. Probably the biggest draw to homeschooling is that you have complete control over your children's curriculum, you choose what your children learn. This means your kids will actually get to study American history, economics, and American government. Another draw is the personal one on one attention your children get. As their parent you know them better than anyone else. You know how they learn, you know their strengths and weaknesses and that makes you the best candidate for the job. We all know that children struggle and excel in different areas. Homeschooling allows your kids to moves as quickly or as slowly as they need to. It has the advantage of giving your kids the chance to fully understand and comprehend the subjects before they move on. Now let me take a moment and address the elephant in the room. Everyone will tell you that they knew a homeshcool kid and he was super socially awkward. I'm sure those same people also knew plenty of kids in public school we who were super socially awkward as well. The truth is your kids will have so many different opportunities to socialize through sports, music, dance, your community, neighborhood, and church that you really shouldn't let the issue be a deciding factor. And then the next concern is college. Will they be prepared? <a href="http://www.onlinecollege.org/2011/09/13/15-key-facts-about-homeschooled-kids-in-college/" target="_blank">Seventy four</a> percent of homeschooled students go on to college and 66.7 % of those students graduate. As a <a href="http://www.usnews.com/education/high-schools/articles/2012/06/01/home-schooled-teens-ripe-for-college" target="_blank">comparison</a> the average percentage of students who graduate college is 57.5%.<br />
Homeschooling requires a lot of discipline on the part of the parent and the child. It also requires a huge commitment of time. As I said, I am a huge advocate of homeschooling but I also understand its not a perfect fit for everyone.<br />
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<b>Private school</b><br />
The obvious benefit of private school is that you can find a school that shares your educational ideology. Private schools generally have smaller classes, they tend to encourage heavy parent involvement, and they hire teachers with advanced degrees who are passionate and dedicated. Private schools also have the advantage of ample resources and offer excellent extracurricular activities. Probably the biggest draw back of private school is the costs. The <a href="http://www.privateschoolreview.com/tuition-stats/private-school-cost-by-state" target="_blank">average cost</a> for private elementary schools is $8,440 a year and the average for private high schools is $12,900. For many families this might not be an option.<br />
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<b>Charter School</b><br />
Charter schools are publicly funded independent schools. They are established by a group of parents, teachers, or some community group. Because they are publicly funded these schools are held to specific academic standards but they are free to follow more unconventional paths. There are many charter schools that put a major emphasis on history and American government. Some of the benefits of a charter school include, high parent involvement, a specific teaching methodology, and smaller teacher to student ratio.<br />
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<b>Public School</b><br />
Let's say that due to your economic or family situation your only option is public school. That's just fine. You can still be heavily involved in your child's education. Apart from volunteering at the school you should know what your child is learning. Go over what they have discussed in class. If you feel that they aren't covering all that you think they should or they are learning things you do not agree with then encourage some self learning at home. You can start by getting them some history books to read. Yes there are exciting and interesting books on history that are accurate and fun to read.<br />
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There are of course many other options that I haven't mentioned. And I am by no means an expert on education. The point is that as parents our children's education is our responsibility and it's time we take charge. We must make sure that our children understand history, economics, and civics. If we do not prepare them for the responsibility of freedom they will never enjoy it.Mekelle Tenneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004754864438762184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891313330131373742.post-3010193778553402472016-03-08T20:33:00.000-08:002016-03-08T20:33:08.590-08:00Love of Freedom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
"With firm reliance on divine providence we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." The Founding Fathers love and desire for freedom was so strong that they were willing to risk all that they valued to secure it. </div>
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<br />Mekelle Tenneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004754864438762184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891313330131373742.post-5678742391013585182016-02-23T23:11:00.000-08:002016-02-23T23:11:11.869-08:00Will The Real Americans Please Stand Up?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">A couple of weeks ago I listened to the live feed coming from the wildlife refuge in Oregon. The remaining protesters where surrounded by the FBI and they were arranging to give themselves up. I have been following the Oregon refuge story for several weeks and up until now I have struggled trying to write my thoughts on it. The death of LaVoy Finicum was tragic. Watching the story unfold I was angry, scared, and disappointed. Angry that he was shot though he posed no threat. Scared that we have gotten to the point where occupying a wildlife refuge qualifies as terrorism. And disappointed that most American's don't know or care about what happened.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I have to say that I don't agree with what the protesters did. I believe this was a story of correct principles but wrong approach. But to be fair, I am not a rancher and I have no clue what it is like to depend on the land. I don't know what they are dealing with and I have never had to deal personally with the BLM. What I do understand is their love of freedom and their desire to stand up for their God given rights. Throughout the refuge situation I have been asking myself what can we do to stop government overreach? How can we preserve the legacy of liberty for our children? The answer isn't easy. We like to blame the government and the politicians for everything. But the truth is we have no one to blame but ourselves. We are where we are because of who we are. We are lazy and afraid. Afraid of being labeled as passionate or radical. We are so afraid of offending that we stopped defending what is right. We accept everything and stand for nothing.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> Watching the elections unfold this year I am more discouraged than ever. The democrats are deciding between a criminal or a socialist and the republicans are deciding if they want to stick with the Constitution or throw it out the window and go with the playboy dictator. I am genuinely scared for my kids' future. Will they be free? Or we have gone so far that we have given away their rights for our own financial security?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">As a parent I want the best for my kids. I realize that a lot has to change if we are going to secure the blessings of liberty for the next generation. The good news is the system isn't broken, the people are. Which means if we want it bad enough we can correct our mistakes. Though we have a long ways to go here are some good places to start.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Accept the responsibility that comes with freedom. </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">One of the first principles of freedom is PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. Yes you are responsible for your freedom. In order to preserve a high level of personal freedoms we have to willingly give up a small measure of freedom. This is why we submit to laws. The laws are in place to protect our freedom from others. A good example of this is traffic laws. You are free to drive and travel where you want. The only problem is that everyone has that same freedom. So to ensure that we are all able to exercise this freedom without causing harm to others we agree to follow the laws of the road. Yes we are surrendering our freedom to drive as we please but ultimately it is allowing us to exercise a more vital freedom. But there is a delicate balance here. The government is always willing to take control of any of our personals freedoms that we do not want to be responsible for. And lately we are all too willing to trade more and more or our freedom for government support. If we are to be a free people we have to be willing to be responsible for ourselves. That means we are responsible for our health care, our retirement, our education , our families, our employment, our everyday needs. If we do not take responsibility for ourselves the government will.</span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Learn and defend the Constitution </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> Why do we always talk about the Constitution and why does it matter if we elect politicians who uphold the Constitution? What does it say? The Constitution says that one person does not and should not have the power to control the lives of others. It says that those who govern should be accountable by the governed. The Constitution is a testament to the frailty of human nature. People cannot and should not be trusted with power. It must be kept in check which is why we have the three branches of government. Each has a specific job and each keeps watch on the other. The Constitution also acknowledges the rights of the States. There is a delicate balance of power between the federal government and state governments. That balance effects everything from your individual freedoms to our national security. The Constitution also includes the bill of rights. The Constitution acknowledges our God given rights and the responsibility a government has to protect those rights. It is important to understand that the Constitution does not grant us rights, the Constitution protects rights that God has given us. Many believe that the Constitution is adaptive to our ever changing and evolving society. One of the biggest flaws with that way of thinking is that if any of it is adaptable and susceptible to change than all of it is. Which means our rights, as laid out in the bill of rights, are susceptible and at any time can be altered or changed.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The American people should know what the Constitution says and what it means. If the people understood the Constitution they would understand the responsibility they hold and the role they play in the American political process. All Americans should study and defend the Constitution.</span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Return to virtue. </span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Just as a reminder, virtue is defined as behavior that shows high moral standards. Yes, there is a clear definition of right and wrong in this world. We are so scared that we might be telling people how to live their lives that we have painted everything a dull grey and slowly backed off. It is clear by the elections that the morality of our candidates is no longer a deciding factor. For example Donald Trump has had multiple wives and multiple affairs and yet he is one of the most popular. If a person cannot control themselves in their personal life they will not be able to control themselves in public office. If he could not be faithful and honor a vow he made to his wife how can we expect him to be faithful to the oath he makes as president? Our personal lives are a reflection of our true selves. Virtue should be the first quality of any public leader. If we were a virtuous people we would seek that same kind of leadership. If we continue to loose our moral standards we will never be able to maintain our liberty. Moral relativism is an extremely popular way of thinking. To sum it up in one phrase "hey whatever floats your boat". Basically right and wrong are all subjective. This way of thinking is dangerous and wrong. Without morality we will have no ground to make a stand on. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Like I said, I don't believe that occupying the wildlife refuge was the right thing to do. But they were right about making a stand. Its time we made a stand. What I have mentioned will take time. Our public schools will not teach any of this in so it must be taught in the home. A lot of this requires a change of attitude, of our understanding, and in some cases our very way of life. So yes this will take time and to be honest it is just a start. There are a lot more changes that we the people need to make. But its a good start. In the upcoming months we will all have the opportunity to make a change. This election is one way we take personal responsibility for our freedom. Making the appropriate changes in leadership will be a big help in getting us back to where we should be. No it wont solve all our problems overnight. We will have a lot of work to do after this election. This is just the beginning. One thing is for sure, it's time the real Americans made a stand. </span><br />
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<br />Mekelle Tenneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004754864438762184noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891313330131373742.post-78189807151950818792016-01-15T20:16:00.000-08:002016-01-15T20:16:02.315-08:00Our Best Defense <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Obama started off the new year by taking executive action to <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/01/04/fact-sheet-new-executive-actions-reduce-gun-violence-and-make-our" target="_blank">"reduce gun Violence and make our communities safer".</a> Obama has been pushing for gun control since his election to office and with his second term coming to an end he has followed through. He used several of the mass shootings that took place in 2015 to set the stage for his executive order. After politicizing the deaths of the victims of the shootings in Oregon, Charleston, San Bernardino and others Obama felt the time was right to, once again , tighten the government's grip on the American people. Here's a quick summary of Obama's most recent <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/01/04/fact-sheet-new-executive-actions-reduce-gun-violence-and-make-our" target="_blank">executive order.</a> </span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> Keeping guns out of the wrong hands through background checks</span></li>
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<li><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Clarify that it doesn’t matter where you conduct your business—from a store, at gun shows, or over the Internet: If you’re in the business of selling firearms, you must get a license and conduct background checks. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Require background checks for people trying to buy some of the most dangerous weapons and other items through a trust or corporation. </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Ensure States are providing records to the background check system, and work cooperatively with jurisdictions to improve reporting.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Make the background check system more efficient and effective.</span></span></span></span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 24px;">Making our Communities safer from gun violence </span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: large; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Make the background check system more efficient and effective.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: large; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ensure that dealers notify law enforcement about the theft or loss of their guns.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: large; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Issue a memo directing every U.S. Attorney’s Office to renew domestic violence outreach efforts.</span></span></span></span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: large; font-stretch: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Increase Mental Health Treatment and Reporting to the Background Check System</span></span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: large; font-stretch: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dedicate significant new resources to increase access to mental health care.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: large; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Include information from the Social Security Administration in the background check system about beneficiaries who are prohibited from possessing a firearm.</span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: large; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Remove unnecessary legal barriers preventing States from reporting relevant information to the background check system.</span> </span></span></span></span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: large; font-stretch: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Shaping the Future of Gun Safety Technology</span></span></span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-stretch: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: large; font-stretch: inherit; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Issue a Presidential Memorandum directing the Department of Defense, Department of Justice, and Department of Homeland Security to take two important steps to promote smart gun technology.</span></span></span></span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The actual order goes into great depth on each of these points and it outlines specific steps and actions. In the past week I can't tell you how many liberals I have had assure me that "no one is taking your guns!"Well of course not. No president in their right mind would try to take away the guns of their already heavily armed citizens. What he is doing is making it harder for American citizens to obtain firearms. That way guns wont have to been taken away. Because with a little restrictions they will eventually disappear on their own. Obama's executive order is just one step closer to a complete overhaul of the second amendment. The next generation will accept the restrictions as the norm and then more will be implemented. The cycle will continue until the new American norm does not include the right to bear arms. The scary part is that we wont have anyone to blame but ourselves. Most Americans are unaware of the presidents latest executive order. Those who do keep up on current events don't care. Most American's see nothing wrong with a few more restrictions. We have become lazy in our freedom. We have always enjoyed a free life and, apart from what we see in the movies, we really have no idea what it would be like to live without freedom. We don't recognize threats to our freedom unless they have immediate and profound effects. I am not as scared for my rights as I am for my kids rights. If we continue to give a little ground here and a little there we wont have any ground to stand on.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Another issue is the fact that Obama issued a executive order. He knew they wouldn't pass it so he bi-passed Congress completely. A rather hypocritical move considering a little over a week later he delivered his<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/01/12/remarks-president-barack-obama-%E2%80%93-prepared-delivery-state-union-address" target="_blank"> state of the union</a> address and called for more debate on complicated issues. To be honest Obama's hypocrisy is no surprise, it's something that we have come to expect. For the American people it seems that there is little that we can do when an executive order has been issued. And to a certain extent that is true. But we can't forget why and how we got here. America asked for this president. The best response we can have for this is to not let it happen again. This election year is critical. We elect a new president as well as Senators and Congressmen. It is crucial that we be involved in the election process. Do the research, learn the facts, be up to date on current events. Our best defense against these kinds of executive orders is our vote.</span><br />
<br />Mekelle Tenneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004754864438762184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891313330131373742.post-37916230307645221092015-09-20T19:55:00.002-07:002015-09-20T19:55:32.546-07:00A Hero is No Braver than an Ordinary Man<br /><br />"A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer"<div>
<br />By Mitch Solomon<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A nation had been at war for a long time and its chief captain was angry at the government. He and his armies had fought many battles and had lost many men. Their Government was neglectful and rarely sent provisions or reinforcements. This angered the Chief Captain. He saw many of his men fighting while suffering from starvation and fatigue. This Chief Captain was a good man and a great lover of liberty. He wrote an epistle to the chief Judge or leader of the nation. In this letter the Captain explained his frustration in the Government.<br />In this letter the Chief Captain personally blamed the Chief Judge for the death of many good men. He expressed his love for liberty and the freedom of their nation. The Captain accused the Chief Judge of loving power over freedom, of neglect and having a false sense of security. The passionate Captain penned, “Behold, could ye suppose that ye could sit upon your thrones, and because of the exceeding goodness of God ye could do nothing and He would deliver you? …If ye have supposed this ye have supposed in vain…or do ye suppose that the Lord will still deliver us, while we sit upon our thrones and do not make use of the means which the Lord has provided for us?” The Chief Captain ended his letter saying, “I seek not for power, but to pull it down. I seek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God, and the freedom and welfare of my country.”<br />Upon receiving this letter the Chief Judge answered the Captain and wrote, “…in your epistle you have censured me, but it mattereth not; I am not angry, but do rejoice in the greatness of your heart…” It turned out that the Chief Judge was also a good man and a man that also loved the liberty and freedom of his country. He explained that power seeking men had chased him from the capital city and had set up their own nation. The Chief Judge also explained that he didn’t know if it was just for him to retain his judgment seat. He thanked the armies commander <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/60">saying</a>, “I do Joy in receiving your epistle for I was somewhat worried concerning what we should do…” The inspiring letter that the Chief Captain sent to the leader of the nation gave the Chief Judge the courage to retain his Judgment seat and then together the two men lead their country to victory. The Bravery of one good man inspired another good man to awaken and become even more courageous then the inspirer. So it is true the saying, "A hero is no braver than an ordinary may, but he was braver five minutes longer."<br /></div>
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I love this story because it teaches me that there are many good people but that they are “worried concerning what they should do”. This worry stalls them. It neutralizes them. Their worry concerning what to do prohibits their ability to change their life, family, city, country or even the world. Much more good could be brought about if these good, brave people could only be awakened and inspired to take a stand and fight for what they already know is right. That’s why this story enlightens me. It teaches how we can accomplish this.<br />The Chief Judge wasn’t angry with the Chief Captain because he rejoiced in the greatness of the Captain’s heart. That means the leader was encouraged by the Captain’s passion and bravery. The letter reconfirmed that the Leader wasn’t the only person with love for liberty and freedom. He realized he wasn’t alone in those feelings. The Chief Judge learned he couldn’t just rely on the goodness of God for his problem to be solved. He was taught that “faith without works is dead” and that God’s miracles come only after we make use of the means which He has provided for us. These things awakened and inspired the Chief Judge to become a courageous man, a man that lead his country in securing its freedoms. <br /><br />A countries history was changed because of one letter. Because one man decided to be brave five minutes longer then his fellow countrymen. He wasn’t brave five minutes longer on the battle field or in a grand historic way. He wrote a letter. The Captain simply stood for what he knew to be right and that encouraged others to do the same. Amazingly simple isn’t it! Bravery is contagious. As a<a href="http://genius.com/Rachel-platten-fight-song-lyrics"> song</a> says, “I may only be one match but I can cause an explosion.” So let’s be the one match and cause an explosion in people to make them cast aside their worries concerning what to do. There are many good people just needing a jumpstart. A letter. A call. An email. A text. A visit. Anything could be their jumpstart. These good people could be in our families. They could be our neighbors, our leaders or teachers. They’re in our government or are the people we work with or go to church with. It could even be ourselves. The Chief Captain also said in his letter, “…remember that God has said that the inward vessel shall be cleansed first, and then shall the outer vessel be cleansed also.” It takes good and brave people to inspire others. Heroes can change history. What makes a hero? <br /><br />"A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer."</div>
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Mekelle Tenneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004754864438762184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891313330131373742.post-56018054379631395282015-09-11T14:34:00.002-07:002015-09-11T14:34:37.479-07:00September 12th<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was 11 years old. Even at that young age I had a strong sense of patriotism and love for my country. I was proud to be American. I loved our history, our principles, and everything that America stood for. I took September 11th very personally. When we were attacked on our own soil, when thousands of innocent Americans were killed, it was personal to me.<br />
I remember it all very clear. Standing in front of the TV watching the smoke rise from those towers. I think that image will be burned in my mind forever. I remember my grandma calling my mom and crying on the phone. We had the TV and radio on all day as we watched and waited for more news. I will never forget the feeling of shock and fear that I felt on September 11th.<br />
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But what was even more unforgettable was the day after, September 12th. That was the day I saw my country come together like never before. The sense of patriotism, love of country, and God was everywhere. All over TV, the radio, downtown, in the stores, and communities Americans were proud to be Americans. They were proud of those brave passengers who brought the plan down on that Pennsylvania hill. As a nation we came together to morn the loss of so many Americans. The American flag appeared everywhere. I had always been proud of my country but this was different. I was proud of the American people. Of course there were the people who said it was our own fault because we have made the whole world hate America. But those didn't matter to me. They were the minority....then.<br />
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That was 2001 this is 2015. What will it be like in America this September 12th? Are Americans still proud to be American? Will we seen the American flag all over? Are Americans willing to stand up for their freedom? Do they believe in democracy? If I was a betting person I would have to say that the answer to those questions is no. I'm 25 now and this September 12th I can't help but wonder what happen to all those people I was proud to call Americans.Mekelle Tenneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004754864438762184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891313330131373742.post-31367512204458045172015-07-19T15:44:00.000-07:002015-07-19T15:44:57.477-07:00Where is the love?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since the Supreme Court ruling on same sex marriage we have had to endure a very long and drawn out victory lap from the left. It seems that everyone has jumped on the band wagon and is now a hard core supporter of same sex marriage. Social media is alive with rainbows and feel good memes about love and acceptance. Yeah for America, love has conquered all! The liberals could think about nothing else when it came to the issue of same sex marriage. Forget the Constitution and religious freedom as long as there's love!<br />
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<b>Love plays no role in abortion debate.</b><br />
Funny how quickly the liberals change their tune when it comes to abortion. What I can't figure out is do the liberals feel that an infant doesn't qualify to fall under the powerful protection of love or do they just subscribe to a hypocritical-only when its convenient definition of love? In the end I guess it really doesn't matter because when it comes to the debate on abortion love is never mentioned. We just hear about another one of the Supreme Courts made up rights, such as the right to privacy. Crazy how often a God given right, like the right to life, has taken the back seat to a socially constructed preference.<br />
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<b>Your tax payer dollars at work!</b><br />
This week another under cover video was released that captured a top Planned Parenthood official discussing how they often sell the body parts of aborted babies. When the patient gives consent to sell the parts they simply alter the abortion procedure so they can preserve the desired parts of the fetus. Planned Parenthood released a statement claiming that they donate the "tissue" for scientific research and that they only receive compensation for the medical procedure, which they claim is legal. Where are the angry liberals now? Why haven't they begun a love campaign to prevent such inhuman practices? Apart from these practices being sick, twisted, and evil they are also funded with tax payer dollars.<br />
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<b>A little perspective.</b><br />
In 2011 the abortion rate in the United States dropped to the lowest rate it has been in almost<a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_induced_abortion.html" target="_blank"> forty years</a>. Sounds like a pretty good statistic until you realize that the "historically low" <a href="http://www.operationrescue.org/about-abortion/abortions-in-america/" target="_blank">number of abortions</a> that took place in 2011 in the United States was 730,322. Just to put that number in perspective, in both WWI and WWII the number of U.S. deaths totaled 521,513......two hundred thousand <u>less</u> then the number of innocent lives the United States legally terminated in 2011. Since the legalization of abortion the U.S. has legally terminated the the lives of some 55,772,015 babies.<br />
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<b>Where is the love?</b><br />
Again I have to wonder, where is the love now? Not just from the liberal party but from the American people? All those proud Americans who stood for "equal rights for all" who showed their support by changing their profile pictures to rainbows, attending gay pride parades, and buying gay pride t-shirts. Why aren't those same Americans irate that such institutions as Planned Parenthood are still being funded by tax payer dollars? If Americans are looking for a real injustice to fight this may be one of the biggest in our nation.<br />
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<b>Biggest injustice in America</b><br />
The legalized termination of a defenseless child is by far the biggest and most hideous injustice in Americas history. And yet our society continues to support this practice. This has been referred to by the Supreme Court as a right. It is not a right. A right cannot infringe on another's rights. The Supreme Court was wrong and so are any Americans who still claim women have a right to destroy the life of their child. I became sick to my stomach when I read the statistics on the reasons women give for having an abortion. The following information came from the <a href="http://www.guttmacher.org/in-the-know/characteristics.html" target="_blank">Guttmacher Institute</a>.<br />
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To sum it up, the child would be an inconvenience and both the mother and father do not want the responsibility. This is sickening to me. I can't decide what is worse the fact that we would terminate a life for mere convenience or the fact that no one cares.<br />
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<b>How did we get here?</b><br />
How did we get here? Simple, we traded our moral convictions for popular opinion. Americans appear to no longer hold any personal moral convictions. They have decided they would rather subscribe to the popular opinion than be viewed as a closed minded bigot for standing up for their principles and beliefs. Most will say I'm wrong. But the evidence is overwhelming. No people who are guided by moral convictions would allow a mother to kill her child much less use tax payer dollars to fund it. I don't know if this is something our nation can ever be redeemed from.Mekelle Tenneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004754864438762184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891313330131373742.post-67914185743506868392015-06-26T17:56:00.001-07:002015-06-26T17:56:54.031-07:00Same-sex marriage: A Civilized Society?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's been a discouraging day. Between the courts decision and the peoples reaction I am not sure whether to be angry, frustrated, discouraged, or sad. To be honest this decision does not come as a surprise nor do some of the reactions we are seeing in our nation today.<br />
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No surprise here, these are exactly the kinds of responses that I expected to see from our president and other leading democrats. I also was not surprised when I got onto Facebook and found my news feed full of posts about love and how we need to not be haters and learn to love and let love. However there was one post that did surprise me. The post simply stated, "congratulations America, for joining the civilized society." At first I was confused as to how she could equate legalizing gay marriage as arriving at destination civilization. My confusion then turned to anger and discouragement. </div>
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I do not support same-sex marriage. I believe in marriage as an institution that consists of the legal union of a man and a woman. I believe that marriage is the basic fundamental unit of society and that a marriage between a man and a woman is the ideal environment in which children should be raised. In fact up until recently this opinion was held by the majority of "civilized societies". Oddly enough it has been found that children thrive with the influence of both a mother and father. When did this view point become uncivilized? I'm sure many would respond to this question by stating that if two individuals love each other it would be wrong to stand in their way. Let me ask another question; since when do civilized societies alter centuries old definitions and policies to accommodate the emotions of two people? How can a society survive if it abandons principle and tradition for popular opinion?<br />
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All civilizations need to have a solid foundation of lasting universal principles. That foundation is solidified and protected through our Constitution. A Constitution that was clearly ignored in today's decision. Not only was it ignored but it was falsely sighted as the means by which this decision was made. The American people don't seem to care about that. As long as love wins who cares about the Constitution or the democratic process.<br />
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This is not a proud step towards a civilized society. This is five judges who overlooked the will of the people and redefined an institution that has lasted longer than any other in the history of the world. This a society who has decided that freedom means doing as you please. This is a people who are celebrating a judicial decision that will endanger religious freedom, the institution of marriage, and families. This is an America that makes decisions not based on Constitutional principles but emotional whims.Mekelle Tenneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004754864438762184noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891313330131373742.post-44210112836419629892015-06-22T15:06:00.000-07:002015-06-22T15:06:07.125-07:00Proud To Be An American<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Recently I was reading a short opinion article that was featured in the university paper at my alma mater. To be honest the schools newspaper is lacking in many areas and I may be one of the only people who actually reads it. Lucky for the rest of you I do read it and some times I find gems like this particular article. The article, though poorly written, caused me to do some follow up research. The author was talking about news providers such as <i>The Blaze </i>and political commentators like Ann Coulter who talk about American like it is a great county. They even go so far as to say that America is the best country in the world. The author was very upset by this attitude. She talked about the dangers of nationalism and made the ever popular comparison to Hitler's holocaust implying that America's sense of nationalism would lead to similar events here in America.Our budding liberal author concluded her article by stating the following,<i>"We are not the best country in the world because there is no best country in the world." </i><br />
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As I mentioned earlier, the "sound logic" presented in this article caused me to conduct some follow up research. I was curious about American pride. Are Americans proud to be American? I have to say that I am skeptical. We have recently had major riots in both Ferguson and Baltimore. If those are any indication of the current national attitude then It would appear that Americans are anything but proud to be American. Our own first lady stated during her husbands 2008 campaign that she had <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYY73RO_egw" target="_blank">never been proud to be an American</a>, until her husband was elected. And then there is our president, our commander in chief who claims to<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/news-conference-president-obama-4042009" target="_blank"> believe in American exceptional</a> just as Brits believe in British exceptional. Which is a very diplomatic way of saying he doesn't believe America is any more exceptional than other nations.<br />
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Despite being skeptical I decided to do a little research. I found a <a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/163361/proud-american.aspx" target="_blank">Gallup poll</a> conducted in 2013 that showed that the majority of Americans still say they are proud to be American. In 2014<a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/07/02/most-americans-think-the-u-s-is-great-but-fewer-say-its-the-greatest/" target="_blank"> Pew Research</a> found similar results with most Americans saying that America was great.<br />
However the results varied with 28% of Americans saying that America stands out among other nations, 58% saying America is one of the greatest nations among others, and 12% saying other countries are better.Their results also showed a slight decrease in American pride over the last three years.<br />
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Honestly I hope that the majority of Americans are proud to be American and that they believe we are an exceptional nation. Because we are! I found an article that Business Insider published last 4th of July. The article was entitled <i><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/charts-to-make-you-proud-to-be-an-american-2014-7" target="_blank">27 Charts that will have you shouting 'America is number 1!'. </a> </i>Some of the charts were more comical, like pointing out that most Americans have their own BBQ grill. However they also pointed out that America is home to the five largest companies in the world. We are number one in the world for natural gas production. Fifty percent of the top 10 all time Olympic gold medalists are from America. Half of the top four largest firms by sales are located in America. We created both the most valuable brands and the most visited websites in the world. We also produce half of the best tennis players in the world.<br />
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Economy and sports aside, America does have a track record better than any other nation, one that should make all Americans proud. No other nation has lived under the same Constitution for so long as the United States of America. Our Constitution has survived for longer than any other in the history of the world. Our founding principles have withstood the test of time. They have been tested and tried. America was founded on ideas that were so radical that even within our own country we have had to fight to preserve them. This fight continues today. This last week President Obama has once again turned a national tragedy into a means of trying to take away our right to bear arms. But that is the main reason that I am proud to be an American. Because despite Obama's insisting that Americans are not responsible enough to own guns the people will not give up their guns. They will fight for their right to bear arms. How do I know that? Because that is why America has lasted as long as we have. Because we honestly believe in freedom, liberty, and human rights and we have a history of fighting for them. America is alive today because of the people. I am proud to be an American because that means I belong to a nation made up of freedom loving, tyranny fighting, radicals. Who are not afraid to stand up for their rights.<br />
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And so to our young liberal author who doesn't believe in America I say I'm sorry that you do not believe in the American people, the American dream, or the principles of freedom and democracy. I'm sorry that you are not proud to be an American but I am not sorry that I am.<br />
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Mekelle Tenneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004754864438762184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891313330131373742.post-90008843748442657112015-06-15T10:54:00.001-07:002015-06-15T10:54:58.150-07:00Killing Lincoln <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u>Title</u>: Killing Lincoln<br />
<u>Author</u>: Bill O'rielly<br />
<u>Date Published</u>: 2011<br />
<u>Genre</u>: Biography<br />
<u>Synopsis</u>: The author follows Lincoln and his assassin through the few weeks leading up to the assassination.<br />
<u>Application to today</u>: This book is both educational and thrilling. There's never a dull moment as O'rielly follows Lincoln through his everyday routines as President of the United States. The author does an excellent job as portraying how the position of President has changed. This book also gives insight into the great man that Lincoln was. I learned a great deal about Lincoln, his policies, character, and personal life. He sets a standard for our current political leaders.Mekelle Tenneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004754864438762184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891313330131373742.post-89101335149070573902015-06-12T10:08:00.000-07:002015-06-12T10:08:42.188-07:00How Do You Kill 11 Million People?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfoutcRv6JYg6agYEkhCOG41zIbILpxVYkouVX0i5oznh60ifjTyqdcMXL6h9lno6hmvu03X-g6VuGhyphenhyphenvxrW5FXvZGS-DkjQQY5hpHypgTVavjtAAC6uBuiZ0gAp4hMlJqTJdK_C9yyoo/s1600/11+million+people.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfoutcRv6JYg6agYEkhCOG41zIbILpxVYkouVX0i5oznh60ifjTyqdcMXL6h9lno6hmvu03X-g6VuGhyphenhyphenvxrW5FXvZGS-DkjQQY5hpHypgTVavjtAAC6uBuiZ0gAp4hMlJqTJdK_C9yyoo/s320/11+million+people.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
<u>Title:</u> How Do You Kill 11 Million People?<br />
<u>Author:</u> Andy Andrews<br />
<u>Date Published:</u> 2012<br />
<u>Genre:</u> Political Thought<br />
<u>Synopsis:</u> Andrews examines the importance of truth in politics and the vital role that we as citizens play in our nation.<br />
<u>Application to today:</u> This is a great short read. I think I read it in less than two hours. Andrews does an awesome job at explaining that the future of our country is dependent upon us. He puts into perspective just how important it is that citizens be as involved as they possibly can. We have to hold our leaders accountable, we have to demand truth from them.Mekelle Tenneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004754864438762184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891313330131373742.post-1139902371686438932015-06-08T12:17:00.000-07:002015-06-08T12:17:54.819-07:00Freedom: What are you gonna do about it?<br />
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I have a two year old nephew. He has curly blond hair, big blue eyes, and a continual smile on his face. Every morning when he gets out of bed, usually around 8:30, and walks into the kitchen he can always count on finding a plate full of breakfast waiting for him. Still in his Olaf pajamas, he climbs onto his chair and spends the next half hour joyfully eating his hot breakfast. The rest of his day will consist of playing outside in his front yard, watching a Disney movie, reading a couple of books with his mom, coloring a picture of a dinosaur, and eating several more delicious meals. <br />
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Yet a toddler of the same age located halfway around the world has a completely different morning routine. He most likely spent the night sleeping on the floor, in the dirt. He has never heard of Olaf or pajamas. He sleeps in the only outfit he has, an over-sized shirt.His hair is matted, his eyes are sunken in, and he rarely gets breakfast. His day will consist of merely trying to survive. <br />
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What is the difference between these two boys? One was born in America and the other was not. What does it mean to be born in America? It means you enjoy freedoms that no other nation does. You have access to education, you can pursue any occupation you wish, you have the opportunity to make something of yourself. You are free to live your religion. You can own your own property. You can own firearms. You get to participate in local as well as national politics. You have been give opportunities that others will never have. And you are responsible for those freedoms. Those who think that we will always enjoy freedom without any effort are gravely mistaken. The life style produced by freedom will soon vanish if Americans do nothing to support and defend their freedoms. Freedom isn't something that exists on its own. It cannot exist on its own. Just like any other luxury it must be earned and preserved if we are to continue enjoying it.<br />
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All Americans are personally responsible for their freedom. Some Americans have been called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. The price that they individually and their families have paid is high. What is required of the rest of us pails in comparison. However, our participation is vital. Here are four tasks that every American should be taking very seriously.<br />
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1. VOTE!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Voter Turn out 1824-2008</td></tr>
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Since the early 1900's voter turn out has dropped significantly.<a href="http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p20-568.pdf" target="_blank"> In the presidential election in 2008</a> only 71% of Americans eligible to vote were registered. Of those registered 63.6% voted. The following presidential election showed similar turnouts with 61.8% of registered voters who voted. The turnout is significantly less in a non-presidential year. For example, in <a href="http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p20-568.pdf" target="_blank">2010 only 45.5%</a> of registered voters voted. To sum it up Americans are terrible at voting. Just when I thought it couldn't get worse I decided to look into why Americans don't vote. I found the following reasons. It takes too much time. I don't know whats going on in the political world. I don't care about politics. What goes on in politics does not affect me. I don't have time to vote. My vote doesn't count. All politicians are corrupt....If you have thrown away your right to participate in the political process for these or any other lame reason please consider the following.<br />
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<li>US Supreme Court judges are appointed by the president and then confirmed by the Senate. These judges serve for life. We currently have two judges appointed by president Reagan. They have been serving on the Supreme court since before I was born. The judges who serve on the court of appeals as well as all district judges are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Before you say that the judicial system has no direct affect on you think back to 2012 when the Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act. Before you say that district judges do not affect you think back the 26 States where a district judge over turned amendments, supported by voters, and made same sex marriage legal. The president may only serve for a maximum of 8 years but his judicial appointments will serve for a lifetime. </li>
<li>To those voters who choose to only vote in presidential elections, remember we have a checks and balance system. Congress supported the Affordable Care Act. A decision that has affected every American.</li>
<li>Bills originate within in Congress a.k.a your US Senators and US Representative have a direct affect on you and your family. </li>
<li>James Madison said the following "If there be sufficient virtue and intelligence in the the community, it will be exercised in the selection of these [elected] men. so that we do not depend on their virtue, or put confidence in our rulers, but in the people who are to choose them."</li>
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If you choose not to vote you are sending the message that you do not care about Americas future.<br />
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2. Be informed about current events.<br />
Understanding current events is essential if you want to be an informed voter. I am not saying you have to be an expert on all American affairs both international and domestic. But you should be as informed as possible. Here are some easy ways to stay informed.<br />
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<ul>
<li>Read the news! This one is easy especially in our day and age. Download a couple of news apps, real news not the tabloids, and then read them daily. This is probably the best way to stay informed on a national level. Depending on how big or small of a town you live in you may even be able to get a app for local news. If you can't then just do it the old fashion way and read the local newspaper. Staying informed on a local level is just as important as on a national level. </li>
<li>Attend town halls, city council meetings, and other board meetings. These kinds of meeting are open to the public. It is good to know what issues your city council are dealing with, what changes they are considering, and problems your local community is facing. Often when a city is considering a big change they will hold a town hall meeting and invite all the community to voice their opinion. Attend these meetings, know what is going on in your community, and participate as much as possible. </li>
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3. Educate yourself about our nations history.<br />
This should be the life long goal of every American citizen. You could study our history for a life time and still find that you do not know it all. Understanding the principles that our nation was founded up is essential if we want to continue to prosper as a nation. Our Constitution has survived longer than any other Constitution in history. We can reasonably say that the principles upon which it was founded are just and that they have created a form of government under which the people can prosper. That kind of track record is one worth studying.<br />
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4. Make a stand.<br />
Finally, decide that you stand for freedom. Unfortunately our society has labeled those who are passionate about their country as radicals. If you oppose same sex marriage you are a radical. If you support the right to bear arms you are a radical. If you mention God in public or believe in public prayer you are a radical. If you don't support government hand outs you are a radical.....I have never cared for labels. I care far more about my freedom than public opinion. Stand for what is rightfully yours.<br />
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The comparison that I made earlier between the two little boys may have seemed extreme. However, that is the reality in many places around the world. It is also a reality that the life that my nephew enjoys here in America is not guaranteed to the next generation. Our generation will have to be active participators if we are to continue to enjoy our current lifestyle.Mekelle Tenneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004754864438762184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891313330131373742.post-29173902901412841172015-06-04T18:42:00.000-07:002015-06-04T18:42:32.274-07:00The list<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the great blessings of living in America is the availability of knowledge. At the finger tips of every American is a vast array of learning opportunities and I'm not referring to youtube. The learning opportunity that I am talking about is reading.<br />
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Education is a very hot topic in America today. The rising cost of higher education has many citizens up-in-arms. American's are blessed to live in a nation where education is a priority. Unfortunately in our endeavors to provide an equal opportunity to all American children the nation has produced some damaging programs. For example the No Child Left Behind Act or more recently the Common Core curriculum. The good news is that our individual education is not dependent on the government. We are responsible for the advancement of our own education. Yes we do need some form of structured formal education. We have to be taught the basics of math, science, history, civics, economics, etc. I also understand and appreciate the value of higher education. I am very grateful for the opportunity I had to attend a University. However, I think that one of the most important lessons I learned from College is that my education is far from done. As I mentioned earlier we live in a land of opportunity where knowledge is readily available. Unfortunately Americans don't always take advantage of these opportunities. According to the <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jul/02/entertainment/la-et-jc-hours-reading-books-around-the-world-20130702" target="_blank">L.A. Times</a> Americans spend an average of 5 hours and 40 minutes reading a week. A <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/average-american-watches-5-hours-tv-day-article-1.1711954" target="_blank">study conducted earlier this year</a> reported that the average American watches more than 5 hours of live TV a day. I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that if Americans aren't reading its not because they don't have time.<br />
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John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail and stated "I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy." The same applies to us today. We must make education a priority in our lives. We should be preparing for the future by learning from the past. We need to have an understanding and knowledge of our government if we are to preserve it. We need to see the sacrifice of those who went before us to fully understand the blessings we enjoy today.<br />
Alexander Hamilton stated, "Men give me credit for some genius. All the genius I have is this; when I have a subject in hand, I study it profoundly. Day and night it is before me. My mind becomes pervaded with it. Then the effort I have made is what people are pleased to call the fruit of genius. It is the fruit of labor and thought."<br />
We need to be continually learning. This is why we have decided to start The List. The List<b> </b>is a continually growing compilation of book reviews. The reviews will be submitted by several different readers and cover several different topics. In creating this list we hope to provide our readers with a selection of great books that are informational, entertaining, and enlightening.<br />
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As John Adams said, "I have read my eyes out and can't read half enough. The more one reads the more one sees we have read."Mekelle Tenneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004754864438762184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891313330131373742.post-52212553434915779632015-06-04T18:40:00.000-07:002015-06-04T18:41:40.508-07:00Mao Tse-Tung and his China<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u>Title</u>: Mao Tse-Tung and his China<br />
<u>Author</u>: Albert Marrin<br />
<u>Date Published</u>: 1989<br />
<u>Genre</u>: Biography<br />
<u>Synopsis:</u> The book follows Mao throughout his entire life, his upbringing, education, political career, etc.<br />
<u>Application to today:</u> This biography is a great insight into a communist take over. Mao comes to power at a time when the Chinese people are suffering. He offers a different form of government and the people welcome it with open arms. It seems radical to think that any group of people would openly embrace communism yet it happens over and over again throughout history and this is a great example of that. We see examples of this in America today. Though we are not embracing communism we have fully embraced socialist programs in America. Socialism is often seen as a bridge to communism.Mekelle Tenneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004754864438762184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891313330131373742.post-84500483912359870742015-05-18T19:08:00.000-07:002015-05-18T19:08:51.665-07:00Know Your RightsEvents that have taken place over the last few months have convinced me that American's do not know what their rights are. In early April the Governor of Indiana signed a religious freedom bill. Among other things the bill would protect citizens who refused to provide services to others based on religious principles. People were furious. The argument was made that the bill would be denying the homosexual community their "basic human rights." Some of the basic human rights they were referring to were the right to have a cake made, or rent a wedding venue, or have a wedding dress made. The story ends with the Governor signing amendments to the bill that would protect the homosexual community from such atrocities. Another story that came out around the same time involved the death of a baby girl. In the State of Colorado a pregnant woman was assaulted by another woman who tried to steal her baby. The baby did not survive. However because the child was still 2 months from the time she would have been born her right to life was denied. The attacker, who under any other condition would have been charged with first degree murder, was charge with assault and battery. It restored my faith in humanity when I read how America responded. Many were angry that the child was not considered a human life. However most felt that way because the mom had planned on bringing the child into the world, as if that was the deciding factor in whether or not the child should be given the status of human life. Along those same lines, this week the house signed a bill that would restrict any abortions after 20 weeks, except in the case of rape or incest. Among the many who are opposed to the bill is Cecile Richards, the president of Planned Parenthood. In response to the bill she tweeted the following observation "Put simply: a 20-week abortion ban lacks compassion and it lacks respect." Clearly she is only concerned about one of the parties involved when it comes to abortion. Lets be honest here, if we get to the real issue with most problems facing America today we find a question of rights. These stories that I have mentioned are not isolated incidents. Nor are they new to America. The issue of abortion has been around for decades. And though the gay rights movement is fairly new, the attitude of entitlement has been around for decades as well. In fact we can go back to the time of FDR who wrote a economic bill a rights. However I think it is safe to say that since those times Americans have twisted and distorted the idea of rights even more. We've come to the point where a right is nothing more than a phrase we use to try and incite passion and support for some random cause. We are in a dangerous place. Look at the current events listed earlier. In the case of Indiana and its religious freedom bill we have a situation where a set of made up rights have been used to destroy fundamental rights. Its easy for us to look at that story and say hey it isn't going to go that far your just being paranoid. In response I say, look at the story of abortion. A baby was brutally killed in a twisted and disturbing way and yet the law did nothing to protect that babies fundamental right to life because it was decided almost 5 decades ago that there was a right to privacy that superseded a humans right to life. That decision has effected millions of babies. And, as we can see by Ms. Richards comments, many don't even consider the babies fundamental rights in the issue of abortion. They have been forgotten.<br />
If we as Americans are to understand and defend our rights we need to understand following 5 principles.<br />
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<ol>
<li><b>A right is something that all individuals are entitled to. </b>This one is pretty self explanatory though it does leave us asking the question "how do we know what we are entitled to?" In America we have a Constitution, including a bill of rights, that lists what we are entitled to. For example if we look at the first amendment we see that we are entitled to free speech, freedom of religion, freedom of press, freedom to peacefully assemble, and the freedom to petition the government with our grievances. These are of course only five rights from a list of many rights that are protected under the Constitution. For those who may not know the "basic human right" to have a cake made for yourself is not mentioned. As a matter of fact the Constitution says nothing about citizens being forced to perform services for other citizens.....I stand corrected, the 13th amendment does mention something about the abolition of slavery. </li>
<li><b>Rights come from God. </b>This principle is what makes rights so sacred. This is the reason that we go to war over rights. This is why denying someone their rights is such a serious crime. God has endowed mankind with specific rights. This is how we distinguish good government from bad government. If a government is suppressing and denying its citizen's God given rights they are a bad form of government that should be "thrown off". That was the reasoning behind the revolutionary war. It is important for us to understand that governments do not grant their citizens rights. Governments protect rights that already exist. The Constitution is an inspired document, but that is not where our rights come from. They come from God. The Constitution is the system created to recognize and protect those rights. </li>
<li><b>Rights are universal. </b>If rights come from God then logic leads us to assume that he did not intend them for one set of people. All people have been given the same rights. The problem is that there are places in this world where people live under tyranny and they are not being allowed to enjoy those sacred rights such as life and liberty. </li>
<li><b>Rights do not evolve with the times. </b>This principle may be the hardest for Americans to understand. RIGHTS ARE NOT SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED! If we look back at some of the stories I referenced earlier we see instances where the homosexual community has decided to make up their own rights. For example the right to define marriage in terms that are convenient for their life style choices. We also see an example of people, laws, and organizations that have decided there exists a right to privacy that supersedes ones God given right to life. This is a dangerous trend. Americans have taken the sense of entitlement to the point where they are now creating their own convenient rights and attacking those sacred God given rights of others. </li>
<li><b>One mans rights cannot interfere with another mans rights. </b>To put it simply<b>, </b>your right to swing your arm ends at my nose. </li>
</ol>
The idea of rights has been distorted to the point that they are now being used to suppress whole groups of people. No its not the homosexual community that is being suppressed, its the Christians, the white males, the unborn, and many others. Why is it that we only hear the complaints of the homosexuals? They are not being suppressed or denied their basic rights. Why don't the Americans stand up for their rights? If you as an American do not know your rights you will loose them. Its that simple.Mekelle Tenneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004754864438762184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891313330131373742.post-54761535503759107052015-05-14T21:13:00.000-07:002015-05-14T21:13:15.407-07:00Be a Guardian <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;">“We hold these truths to be
self-evident, that all men are created equal”, probably one of the most significant
principles to shape American political thought. In 2003 a </span><a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/9526/how-many-americans-know-us-history-part.aspx" target="_blank">Galluppoll</a><span style="line-height: 115%;"> showed that only 34% of Americans could identify the document where
those words are found. The same poll showed that a whole 17% could identify who
the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was at the time. And only 58% could
identify the name of our national anthem. Forty one percent did not know how
many US Senators each state has. The poll asked the question “Two of the three
branches of government are the legislative and the executive. Can you name the
third branch of government?” only 57% were able to.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">Are these questions too hard? To be fair the
poll was taken in 2003 and only included 1,008 American adults who were
selected at random. I would like to think that things have improved since 2003
and that this is a poor representation of the population as a whole. But every
morning after I read the news I know that’s not true. It is evident that
Americans do not know the history of their country, they have a poor
understanding of basic foundational principles, and they don’t care. Seem a
little harsh? Just a few weeks ago a state of emergency was declared in the
city of Baltimore because mobs of people were destroying public and private
property, in the name of civil rights. Either they studied a completely different
history then I did or they have no understanding of civil rights. In a letter
written on public education James Madison stated “the advancement and diffusion
of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.” We are failing in our role
as guardians of our own liberty. I am not sure what is more alarming, our lack
of understanding and knowledge of our own history, government, and founding
principles. Or the public’s complete lack of concern. Who’s at fault here? The
public schools? Parents? Communities? Does it matter where the problem started?
In some ways yes it does matter, we need to be able to identify where the
problem started so we can fix it. However it is time for us to take responsibility
for the role we play in this country. You should be educating yourself. The
founders where great examples of self-educators. Yes they had formal education
but they continued their education throughout their lives. Thomas Jefferson had
a huge library filled with books on science, math, philosophy, politics, and
history. After the library of Congress was destroyed he sold his library to
replace the destroyed books. In total he had over 6000 books. Is it any wonder
that it was men like Jefferson who lead the country through a revolution and
established a government with a Constitution that has lasted longer than any
other? </span>It is time for Americans to rediscover their heritage.
Become informed on the issues. Understand the Constitution. Be a guardian of
your liberty. If you think that someone else will defend it you are wrong. Ronald
Reagan stated "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States when men were free." I believe that this scenario is closer than we think unless we act now. </div>
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Mekelle Tenneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004754864438762184noreply@blogger.com0