I was just perusing my last three blogs, and it hit me. There is a constant theme. If not to the stories themselves, then to my responses. Personal responsibility! Something that scares me worse than any other privilege that an American is losing in the name of bigger government, is that of losing personal responsibility. What is worse is that the average American voter is tossing it at the feet of the elected official like it is some kind of offering or token that they can carry into battle on the floors of the Senate and House; or in the last election...the highest office in the land.

Personal responsibility is something that our fore fathers not only assumed existed, but counted on when penning and ratifying the Constitution. This is why this great and living document is offering such misunderstanding to those who are growing into its importance and translation. Let's take a look at the Bill of Rights:

1. Without personal responsibility it is impossible to freely exercise the participation in the religion of your choice without offending an others' right to theirs. Without personal responsibility it is impossible to have a true freedom of the press. A freedom that requires responsibly printing and reporting the truth, without infringing on an others' freedom to do the same. Without personal responsibility it is impossible to petition the government for a redress of grievances.


2. Without personal responsibility, the Constitution doesn't make any sense. After all, how can an American have the right to keep and bear arms without the personal responsibility to control that right, and to not infringe on the rights of others while exercising that right?


3. Without personal responsibility it is impossible to uphold even the most forgotten or non-applicable rights such as not unlawfully quartering a soldier


4. Without personal responsibility it is impossible to retain the right against unreasonable searches and seizures.


5. Without personal responsibility it is impossible to truly uphold the right of Due Process, or just compensation


6. Without personal responsibility it is impossible to have an impartial jury.


7. Without personal responsibility it is impossible to uphold and enforce common law


8. Without personal responsibility it is impossible to protect from cruel and unusual punishment.


9. Without personal responsibility it is impossible to not infringe on the rights of others.


10. Without personal responsibility it is impossible it is impossible to empower the people.

I realize that I went on and on, and you probably got the point after the first one or two, but I felt it was necessary to include at least the first ten amendments to show that the freedoms we hold dear are under fire because the people have lost the ability to govern themselves without personal responsibility.

The beautiful thing about America's form of government is that though the Presidency is the highest office in the land, the people are still the most powerful. The elected officials should fear, and respect their electors. They should rule the way that the people want them to, or they should fear being fired. There is no reason that the approval rating of the President should be so low, nor the approval rating of Congress be even lower. The reason is because people have forgotten or given away their responsibility. Have you written your elected official recently regarding anything that you have disagreed with? Did you view your vote this past November as a chance to make American a better nation or as a chance to decide the next President will be a black man? If you disapprove with Congress, did you vote to elect someone you approve of? If so, did you or do you constantly keep him/her in line and force them to hold to their election promises by writing to them and reminding them that they too have personal responsibility?

The MySpace.com case, the bailouts, the public schools, national health care, social security, immigration, etc. are all being handled by the government or the people want then government to handle them because we the people have no personal responsibility. In the movie "Spiderman", Uncle Ben tells Peter that "with great power comes great responsibility". I think he is wrong. I think that with great responsibility comes great power! We are losing the power, the freedoms, by casting our responsibility on the government. Personal responsibility is hard, but it yields great reward and greater freedom.

This year make your resolution to increase your responsibility, to teach it to your children, and practice it in your home. If enough of the people take back their personal responsibility the government will be free to ensure our freedoms, and be powerless to take them from us!

God calls it self control, and it comes naturally as a fruit of the Spirit. Get back to God, seek Him first, and you will take back what is yours and not the governments. I will do this. It is my resolution.

Today on Townhall.com Phyllis Schlafly wrote an article that blames the public school system for the 32% of "Evangelical" young adults age 18 - 29 who voted for Barak Obama. While it is obviously very clear that the public school system is corrupt, and driven by the liberal political machine, I don't think that it accounts for the full 32%. In fact I don't think it accounts for even 10%.

Phyllis did a great job at showing how are children are effected by the public school system propaganda. However, I don't know that this is the best explanation of why young adults are or did vote for Obama. They are spoiled by their parents who forgot to be parents and tried to be "the good guy".They want the government to provide everything for them just as mommy and daddy did. They want their brand new car and car insurance that they didn't have to earn. They want their fancy electronics and cool new clothes that they didn't have to earn. Today's young adults and children don't now how to earn. All they know how to do is throw fits until mommy gives in and gives them what they want. They are doing the same thing with the government. Bail out plans are rapidly fueling this "spoiled" state. The exclamation by the Obama supporter who touted never having to pay for her mortgage or gas again wasn't showing her ignorance, she was showing her heart. "For out of the mouth the heart speaks". Public schools do a fantastic job of reinforcing what they children are being taught at home. You wanna point fingers....point them at the responsible party. I'm am no fan at all of the public school system, and am in the process of home schooling my children starting next year. What are you doing in your home to teach your children responsibility, how to earn what they get, and work hard to exceed?

I don't claim to be the best parent ever. In fact, I'm pretty far from it, but to be a good parent takes hard work. Maybe that is the problem. We don't want to work hard at being a parent and the kids pick up on our weakness. It is just as simple as top down leadership. Will revamping the public school system change the value structures of our future children? Will reforming the home do that better?

There is one other factor that I believe is part of the blame. Everybody these days are "Evangelical". Like the "conservatives" of the Republican party, the benchmark was lowered, the catechism forgotten, the rules set aside. I have a feeling that those who attended Reverend Wright's church consider themselves "Evangelical". The numbers are a bit skewed...another problem that stems from the home, not the church.

To read Townhall's article click here.

I stole the title to today's blog from a story on RedState.com. I couldn't resist, due to the colossal error that President Bush has been making and is now making again with these bailouts.

America has survived for years...232 to be exact...without any "bailout" intervention from our government into private business. However, where should the fault be placed? Who is really to blame?

Let's look at the players:
1. The Government
2. The "Big Three" (a real misnomer)
3. The UAW
4. The Consumer..hmmmm

Let's discuss each. First the Government. there is great debate on whether this is an appropriate measure or not. My opinion is that it is not. Either way, there are some fishy things taking place that the media is choosing not to cover. For example, did Congress vote on this most recent bail out decision? No. They voted to give money to the financial institutions through the TARP fund, but to take money from that fund and give it to the auto industry was never voted on. Does the President has the power to solely decide where the tax payers money goes? NO! there fore this is an illegal move. The vote was to give that money to the financial institutions not to auto makers. Bad move President Bush. Will anything come of it? No! By the time a motion is filed, reviewed, and so on, it will be January 20th and we will have a new President and new Congress and the measure will probably fly through both houses. So where is the reason to fight this abuse of power? Principle! Something the Hill is rapidly losing and forgetting about amongst the power wielding. Fortunately a few member of Congress sent a letter to the President addressing just that. It is obvious that he has chosen to ignore them as is proven by the news this morning.

The "Big Three" auto makers. How did they get to the point of needing to be bailed out? I am a big proponent of free enterprise, and if a company wishes to award it CEO and other execs with multimillion dollar salaries, that so be it. i have no problem with that. However, if the companies were being forced to follow the already established bail out option called Bankruptcy they would probably cut those salaries a bit as well as other needless spending. GM says it needs 18 Billion dollars to make it. Imagine how much money they would have saved in the last 20 years had the been a bit more frugal with there money. Enter the UAW!

The United Auto Workers Union. Almost sounds like Union of Soviet Socialists Republic. The UAW is a major problem. Explore some of the "benefits" sometime that come with being a member of such a Union. Ridiculous salary demands, even more ridiculous demands for compensation for those who get laid off, and so on. However, I'm not going to spend a lot of time here.

The consumer.How do they play into the game? They drive it (no pun intended). That is right, the ultimate puppet master in this whole rigmarole is you. When did America forget that it is a "Government of the people, for the people, and by the people"? People who are spending way over their heads and budgets. People who are calling out for rescue from their responsibilities. People who love to complain about the state of things, but don't communicate those complaints to their elected officials. People who give the Government the power to decide what happens to your tax dollars without asking you. The Government can only control what the people allow them to.

Therein lies the problem. the average American has forgotten what a hard days work is. The average American has forgotten what it means to earn, and has been indoctrinated with the idea that they "deserve". A government only reflects the wishes of its people. We are getting what we are asking for. You want Government handouts, you want "free" health care, you want to "never have to pay for gas or for [your] mortgage again"? This is what comes with it. A week nation, a week people, a nation of spoiled children throwing fits about what the other child has and that it isn't fair that they don't have it. Wake up! What happened to the days of responsibility, earning what you have, buying something only if you can afford it, standing up for what you believe? It is the people's fault. It is your fault. It is my fault.

Allow me to put in a little plug to the Christians who are reading this. It is your fault! A verse that many of us have hanging in our homes comes from Joshua 24:15 "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord". This verse is not as great as we hold it up to be. You see Joshua was the leader of the Israelites, and was in charge of making changes, holding the people accountable, and enacting the Law of God. He began to become depressed, and discouraged, and finally got fed up with the people, and issued this statement in 20:2 "..choose you this day whom you will serve.." but as for me... He was giving up. Not on his personal belief in God, but in his belief that he has the responsibility too and can make a difference.

Shortly following that speech comes the book of the Judges. A time where the people of Israel had forgotten the times of Joshua and went desperately astray and wicked. Don't let your children forget who God really is, don't let them fall into the trap of "deserving" and remind them that the only thing we deserve is Hell, but that the Grace of God offers and promises us more. With that more...comes more responsibility. Let's have our voices be heard in one accord. In union. There are enough Christians left in American that we can fulfill the spot of "We the people", and change the direction of this government. We are still a democratic republic. Our voices, our votes still drive this nation. We have to decide that the way of responsibility, the way of hard work and earning, is the way we should go, not the easy path of "deserving". "For broad is the way and wide is the gate that leadeth to destruction."

Before I give a bit of my opinion on this, I wish to start by saying that I am always careful when posting opinions such as these. I do not wish to downplay the seriousness of the bullying problem nor do I wish to attempt to know the grief that the surviving family of Megan Meier must be feeling because of their loss.

That being said....

The biggest crime being committed here, aside from the fact that it was done at all, is that there are criminal charges against those who did the bullying. Do you realize what will happen to our children, teenagers, and parents if the verdict is guilty?

I try my hardest to be the best Dad I can be. I try to teach my children (all four of them ranging in ages from 2 to 8) how to be polite, respect others, and treat others how God would have them to do, but they are kids. I'm sure all of us can remember being bullied, and I am also sure that if we are honest with ourselves we can all remember a time where we probably did some bullying too. Maybe not to the extreme measures that have taken place here, or as the bully threatening to beat up your classmates if they didn't hand over their milk money or Little Debbie snack cakes, but we have all been on both the receiving side and giving side of negative peer pressure at one time or another.

I remember when I was in the 3rd grade there was a bully in my class named Shane. he was much bigger than all of us (as he had been held back several years). He tormented me. I was the kind "small" kid in the class and I had a tender spirit, or as my brother likes to say....I was a wimp. I still remember the pain and agony that I felt as well as the fear. My father was not a violent person, and he tried to handle the situation in what ways seem appropriate at the time. He instructed me to ignore the hurtful words, and just go on as if he wasn't there. He instructed me to ask Shane nicely to stop. When all else failed, we had a family meeting around the dinner table to discuss the facts of "Bullies". My father instructed me to stand up to him. So the next time Shane threatened to beat me up, I told him he could have his chance. he had to meet me after school, because school was not the place for that. We set a time and place, and I waited for quite sometime, and he never showed. I didn't make a big deal out of it. I didn't announce the next day that Shane didn't show, but that was the end of it.

I realize that my situation was in the third grade, and that not all situations should be handled that way. however, my family was involved. They didn't call the school, or the teacher, or Shane's parents, but they invested themselves in me,and I trusted in them. I learned valuable lessons about deciphering what was constructive criticism and what was worthless name calling and how to deal with it emotionally and physically. My parents taught me street smarts, and common sense. They taught me how to choose friends, and how to control my emotions and pride. I'm not perfect and neither are my parents, but the principles are there.

Where was Megan's mother when she was spending hours on the internet. Where was Megan's parents when she was depressed and emotionally hurt? Where was the concern and care from her friends and family?

I do not pretend to know the answer to those questions. I do however know a few things about parents and kids. I was a childrens pastor,a high school teacher, and a karate instructor of many kids ages 5 to 16. There is a lack of discipline, involvement, and love in many households today in the name of "Jane needs her space", or "Its John's room, I have no right to look through it", or "I want my children to like me, I couldn't spank them, or ground them, that would hurt them".

There were times when I hated my parents for checking up on me, giving me curfews, and wanting to know where I was going and occasionally checking to see if I was there. I felt untrusted, I even "felt" unloved at times, but as I have matured into a man and father I realize that they loved me more than life itself. My parents realized that they were to be my parents, not necessarily my friend. The two did coincide often, but love is tough, and they were. I'm so glad they were....now.

There is no doubt that the lowest form of cowardice is bullying, and it is disgusting, evil, and shameful that a parent would engage in bullying and lying with their child in order to harass another child, but it is not against the law, nor does it "cause" someone to kill themselves. A lack of love, discipline, and involvement, coupled with depression and aided by an inaccurate self view that is encouraged by parents, is more likely the case. the bullying was just the proverbial straw. Megan's parents should be on trial. Megan's "friends" should be on trial.

May God forbid that my children should be victims, or that I should ever be so caught up with myself, that I "can't" be there for them. May God help me to be a parent!

With the election season over and America preparing for a new President, many have taken the time to look to the inside and see where their party or voter base went "wrong" or "right". After all, we are to learn from the past whether good or bad.

Some however, have taken to more mudslinging and the blame game instead. Mike Huckabee's book is hitting the newsstands today, and it is full of lashing out at others in his own party as well as denomination and more for his loss in the primaries.

Don't get me wrong, I believe Huckabee is a very Godly man, and loves the Lord, but that does not automatically qualify him as President, nor does it automatically qualify him as a Conservative. For example...

"Many conservative Christian leaders — who never backed Huckabee, despite their holding similar stances on social issues — are spared neither the rod nor the lash. Huckabee writes of Gary Bauer, the conservative Christian leader and former presidential candidate, as having an "ever-changing reason to deny me his support." Of one private meeting with Bauer, Huckabee says, "It was like playing Whac-a-Mole at the arcade — whatever issue I addressed, another one surfaced as a 'problem' that made my candidacy unacceptable."He also accuses Bauer of putting national security before bedrock social issues like the sanctity of life and traditional marriage. "

Hmmm, maybe if Mr. Huckabee understood the constitution as a true conservative does, he too would see that putting an issue such as National Security (which is a federal issue) versus abortion or traditional marriage (which are state issues) is precisely what a Conservative should put first when running for the highest office in the Federal Government.

Don't get me wrong. I too believe that abortion is a heinous crime, and totally reprehensible. I also believe that the establishment of marriage is that of one woman and one man joined together. They are both major thermometers of the direction of the country, and toward the integrity and values of the President, but should not be the main concern of a President. In fact to legislate (on the Federal level) such things as marriage and abortion, is as defined by the Constitution providing for more Federal involvement, and "Bigger" Government, something a true conservative does not believe in. I do also understand those issues all point to the types of Supreme Court Justices that will be apointed, but they alone do not make a person "conservative"

Conservatism is not a two or three issue position, and Mike's stance on economic issues and National Security issues are far from conservative. Raising taxes (whether to appease the Democrats or for other reasons), giving immunity to current illegals, and other stances should have most conservatives concerned.

Mike Huckabee should have a place in the future of the conservative movement, but not as its leader or poster child. A proponent of the sanctity of life, no doubt. An example of Christian values and morals, definitely. But the leader of Neo-Conservatism no thank you. Men like Senator Jim DeMint, and Former Senator and Presidential Candidate Fred Thompson should be the voice of the conservatives, both in word and in deed.

Link on Huckabee's book. Click Here

I'm voting Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would.

I'm voting Democrat because freedom of speech is fine as long as nobody is offended by it.

I'm voting Democrat because when we pull out of Iraq I trust that the bad guys will stop what they're doing because they now think we're good people.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe that people who can't tell us if it will rain on Friday CAN tell us that the polar ice caps will melt away in ten years if I don't start driving a Prius.

I'm voting Democrat because I'm not concerned about the slaughter of millions of babies so long as we keep all death row inmates alive.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe that business should not be allowed to make profits for themselves. They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as THEY see fit.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe three or four pointy headed elitist liberals need to rewrite the Constitution every few days to suit some fringe kooks who would NEVER get their agendas past the voters.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe that when the terrorists don't have to hide from us over there, when they come over here I don't want to have any guns in the house to fight them off with.

I'm voting Democrat because I love the fact that I can now marry whatever I want. I've decided to marry my horse.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe oil companies' profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn't.

Makes ya wonder why anyone would EVER vote Republican, now doesn't it?

The following was posted on my friend Rob's facebook sight.

No one likes war. War is a horrific affair, bloody and expensive. Sending our men and women into battle to perhaps die or be maimed is an unconscionable thought.

Yet some wars need to be waged, and someone needs to lead. The citizenry and Congress are often ambivalent or largely opposed to any given war. It's up to our leader to convince them. That's why we call the leader "Commander in Chief."

George W.'s war was no different. There was lots of resistance to it. Many in Congress were vehemently against the idea. The Commander in Chief had to lobby for legislative approval.

Along with supporters, George W. used the force of his convictions, the power of his title and every ounce of moral suasion he could muster to rally support. He had to assure Congress and the public that the war was morally justified, winnable and affordable. Congress eventually came around and voted overwhelmingly to wage war.

George W. then lobbied foreign governments for support. But in the end, only one European nation helped us. The rest of the world sat on its hands and watched.

After a few quick victories, things started to go bad. There were many dark days when all the news was discouraging. Casualties began to mount.

It became obvious that our forces were too small. Congress began to drag its feet about funding the effort.

Many who had voted to support the war just a few years earlier were beginning to speak against it and accuse the Commander in Chief of misleading them. Many critics began to call him incompetent, an idiot and even a liar. Journalists joined the negative chorus with a vengeance.

As the war entered its fourth year, the public began to grow weary of the conflict and the casualties. George W.'s popularity plummeted. Yet through it all, he stood firm, supporting the troops and endorsing the struggle.

Without his unwavering support, the war would have surely ended, then and there, in overwhelming and total defeat.

At this darkest of times, he began to make some changes. More troops were added and trained. Some advisers were shuffled, and new generals installed.

Then, unexpectedly and gradually, things began to improve. Now it was the enemy that appeared to be growing weary of the lengthy conflict and losing support. Victories began to come, and hope returned.

Many critics in Congress and the press said the improvements were just George W.'s good luck. The progress, they said, would be temporary. He knew, however, that in warfare good fortune counts.

Then, in the unlikeliest of circumstances and perhaps the most historic example of military luck, the enemy blundered and was resoundingly defeated. After six long years of war, the Commander in Chief basked in a most hard-fought victory.

So on that historic day, Oct. 19, 1781, in a place called Yorktown, a satisfied George Washington sat upon his beautiful white horse and accepted the surrender of Lord Cornwallis, effectively ending the Revolutionary War.

By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY | Posted Friday, June 20, 2008 4:20 PM PT