Right. You may or may not recognize the title from a very popular movie, "An Officer and a Gentleman". You know, the scene where Louis Gossett Jr. as 'Sgt. Foley' is playing the drill instructor and he is trying to convince Richard Gere, or 'Mayo' to quit the naval flight academy? It's at the tail end of this scene where Mayo blurts out the real reason for his intention to stay with the program. "I got nowhere else to go!" I have always loved that movie but it never held any special meaning to me until I got involved in politics. All of a sudden that quote had a dual meaning which was shown to me by my two good friends Felicia Cravens and James Yaklin. They have shared this as an inside joke for a while, and it fits when you compare it to ones own political involvement.
Folks on the outside looking in may suggest that you 'leave' the arena of politics when you express your frustration over said representative voting a certain way. Or maybe you are dealing with the local party affiliate when they aren't transparent enough for you with their finances and that's making you furious. Heh. Quit, your friends say. Why are you doing this anyway? Politics is brutal, they'll tell you. Even after they have shared their counsel which seems pretty cut and dry to them, you shrug it off and move on. You think, they just don't understand! Or, if only the people around me would just listen to me bitch some more, it will change things, just wait! Only then, after leaving a meeting or a gathering of patriots where you may have had this conversation, it hits you. You got nowhere else to go!
Now, let's take this quote a step further. Think about our country. The good ole US of A. She's been there for us, right? Let's be honest, she's been there for the world. For 236 years, to be exact as of yesterday. We have been a light in the darkness; a beacon on a hill...all for freedom. Okay, so we celebrated freedom yesterday, what's your point, Political Chicken? I'm saying that I'm concerned about our freedoms, guys. I'm concerned that if we lose all of our freedoms, 'we' got nowhere else to go.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Happy 4th of July, ya'll!
Ah, hello there! You're back for more from the mind of the Political Chicken? You must be sick! Ha! I have been thinking and praying about the SCOTUS decision on the ACA or better known as Obamacare. Such a misnomer since Obama doesn't care! Ugh! But I digress.
Like some of you, I was on Twitter and in front of the television listening and waiting with baited breath to hear the verdict on this monstrosity of a bill. I had listened to several different talk radio shows and read many different blogs and opinion pieces and had my own opinion about how the SCOTUS ruling was going to come down. Almost NONE of the opinions I had heard prior said that the whole entire bill would be ruled as constitutional. No wait, scratch that. NONE of the opinions said that Chief Justice Roberts and the four other justices who decided with him would act as legislators from the bench! When the verdict was read, I thought like many of you, hurray, the individual mandate has been struck down! Then not two seconds later, that feeling of elation was followed by a feeling of betrayal and panic and then depression. How could they? I just kept thinking that and still occasionally that thought will enter my mind. Or better yet, how could he? By my estimation, Chief Justice Roberts could have killed what is known as the great American experiment last Thursday. Just. like. that.
Now, whether or not Roberts was bullied into changing his mind at the last moment or however he came to his decision doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. It is what it is. Like many of you, I am wondering what do we do now? What's next for America? What's next for my family and yours? I personally have a young family, three children under the age of nine. What's in store for them? Will they know the freedoms that I knew as a child or will they be entrenched in a war to get their freedom back? I pray it's not the latter.
That's where the tea party and an involved citizenry come into the picture. I have been involved for the past three years or so, which isn't very long, but it sure feels like it! Now is when we need an army of conservative warriors. No, not the kind with bullets and guns, but the kind armed with information and the willingness to get off the couch and make some phone calls for your favorite candidate and knock on doors to get others involved and engaged. (Okay, I'll let you sit on the couch and make phone calls.)
I would like to share a link with you to show how important it is to talk to your neighbors about what's happening to the world as we know it. Click here to read about how uninformed we really are.
I personally was like those people three years ago, before Obama got elected. Now, sadly, politics is my life, my world and where I have made most of my friends, which is the good part, of course. I can't imagine anyone not caring about what the Supreme Court had to say about the health care bill. I love my country, I love my family and I love my freedom. I will not sit idly by while some supreme court justice with an agenda rips all of those things away from me.
On a more personal note, for those of us looking for the proverbial 'silver lining' on this decision, here it is. Perspective. I hope this puts into perspective all of the things that are truly important in life. In order of importance for me are my personal relationship with God, which has been neglected I must confess, my husband and my children and my immediate family. Freedoms definitely rank as well. So this fourth of July, enjoy a slice of watermelon, a hot dog and some fireworks. Hug your kids and kiss your spouse and thank God for all that you have. Happy Fourth, ya'll from the Political Chicken!
Like some of you, I was on Twitter and in front of the television listening and waiting with baited breath to hear the verdict on this monstrosity of a bill. I had listened to several different talk radio shows and read many different blogs and opinion pieces and had my own opinion about how the SCOTUS ruling was going to come down. Almost NONE of the opinions I had heard prior said that the whole entire bill would be ruled as constitutional. No wait, scratch that. NONE of the opinions said that Chief Justice Roberts and the four other justices who decided with him would act as legislators from the bench! When the verdict was read, I thought like many of you, hurray, the individual mandate has been struck down! Then not two seconds later, that feeling of elation was followed by a feeling of betrayal and panic and then depression. How could they? I just kept thinking that and still occasionally that thought will enter my mind. Or better yet, how could he? By my estimation, Chief Justice Roberts could have killed what is known as the great American experiment last Thursday. Just. like. that.
Now, whether or not Roberts was bullied into changing his mind at the last moment or however he came to his decision doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. It is what it is. Like many of you, I am wondering what do we do now? What's next for America? What's next for my family and yours? I personally have a young family, three children under the age of nine. What's in store for them? Will they know the freedoms that I knew as a child or will they be entrenched in a war to get their freedom back? I pray it's not the latter.
That's where the tea party and an involved citizenry come into the picture. I have been involved for the past three years or so, which isn't very long, but it sure feels like it! Now is when we need an army of conservative warriors. No, not the kind with bullets and guns, but the kind armed with information and the willingness to get off the couch and make some phone calls for your favorite candidate and knock on doors to get others involved and engaged. (Okay, I'll let you sit on the couch and make phone calls.)
I would like to share a link with you to show how important it is to talk to your neighbors about what's happening to the world as we know it. Click here to read about how uninformed we really are.
I personally was like those people three years ago, before Obama got elected. Now, sadly, politics is my life, my world and where I have made most of my friends, which is the good part, of course. I can't imagine anyone not caring about what the Supreme Court had to say about the health care bill. I love my country, I love my family and I love my freedom. I will not sit idly by while some supreme court justice with an agenda rips all of those things away from me.
On a more personal note, for those of us looking for the proverbial 'silver lining' on this decision, here it is. Perspective. I hope this puts into perspective all of the things that are truly important in life. In order of importance for me are my personal relationship with God, which has been neglected I must confess, my husband and my children and my immediate family. Freedoms definitely rank as well. So this fourth of July, enjoy a slice of watermelon, a hot dog and some fireworks. Hug your kids and kiss your spouse and thank God for all that you have. Happy Fourth, ya'll from the Political Chicken!
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