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!
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
Everything is Meaningless...
Oooh, here's more from inside the mind of the Political Chicken! Surgeon General warns: Enter at your own risk...oh, whatever! In my blog post titled 'Happy Father's Day', I quoted a scripture verse and I said it could "blow the proggies and greenies out of the water'. Well, as long as you believe that God created the earth, that he spoke it into being and are a believer in Christ and trust His word. I would like to revisit that scripture and explain what I was talking about. This is just a scratch on the surface opinion on the whole global warming-hole in the ozone-we must recycle-mantra. Take it or leave it.
Genesis 1:27-28 says:
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." .."Fill the earth and subdue it." The word 'subdue' really strikes a chord with me. Defined by Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, the word subdue means to conquer and bring into subjection and/or to bring into cultivation, as land. I think those two definitions go hand in hand. This scripture tells us that God gave us the power to be in control of the land; of the earth. He gave us the soil to plant food and trees so we could nourish our bodies with the food and the oxygen produced by the plants and the trees. All of these things are seen as good by God. The next part of the scripture is to Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground. Wow. Amazing. God also told us to rule over the fish and the birds and creatures that move on the ground, not worship them. I'm guessing that's not a lesson taught in the public school system anymore. We are now taught to worship the earth and the animal inhabitants. We live in a world where an abandoned or abused dog or cat has more worth than the life of an unborn human baby. How upside down is that? We are taught to recycle because the landfills are getting full with our trash. We are also challenged on using more than one square of toilet paper....Sheryl Crow. See the difference in the world's message and God's message?
And according to Al 'Shakra' Gore, you know, the guy who invented the internet? Uncle Al says the polar ice caps are melting, global warming is real, yada, yada. To quote a lyric from the BareNaked Ladies, "the water's getting warm, so you might as well swim". Ha! Take that, Al!
The nail in the coffin to all of this green agenda being shoved down our throats is this:
The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters-Psalm 24:1-2. People, the earth is the Lord's! It's not ours, it's HIS. Yes, we are to be good stewards of it, but there is a balance to be had within the stewardship. The world is His, too. Why? He founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. The Lord has destroyed the earth before; remember Noah and his ark? At the point that God decided to destroy the earth with the flood waters, there was nothing the people could do to stop Him. Just as today, no amount of conserving or recycling or burning of styrofoam or use of aerosol cans is going to either preserve the length of life for our planet, nor destroy it sooner than it was supposed to be. God knows when it will happen. It's all in His timing, not ours.
Finally, remember friends, a quote from our favorite book Ecclesiastes, "..Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. All things are wearisome, more than one can say. They eye has never enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. And all of God's children say...AMEN!
Genesis 1:27-28 says:
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." .."Fill the earth and subdue it." The word 'subdue' really strikes a chord with me. Defined by Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, the word subdue means to conquer and bring into subjection and/or to bring into cultivation, as land. I think those two definitions go hand in hand. This scripture tells us that God gave us the power to be in control of the land; of the earth. He gave us the soil to plant food and trees so we could nourish our bodies with the food and the oxygen produced by the plants and the trees. All of these things are seen as good by God. The next part of the scripture is to Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground. Wow. Amazing. God also told us to rule over the fish and the birds and creatures that move on the ground, not worship them. I'm guessing that's not a lesson taught in the public school system anymore. We are now taught to worship the earth and the animal inhabitants. We live in a world where an abandoned or abused dog or cat has more worth than the life of an unborn human baby. How upside down is that? We are taught to recycle because the landfills are getting full with our trash. We are also challenged on using more than one square of toilet paper....Sheryl Crow. See the difference in the world's message and God's message?
And according to Al 'Shakra' Gore, you know, the guy who invented the internet? Uncle Al says the polar ice caps are melting, global warming is real, yada, yada. To quote a lyric from the BareNaked Ladies, "the water's getting warm, so you might as well swim". Ha! Take that, Al!
The nail in the coffin to all of this green agenda being shoved down our throats is this:
The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters-Psalm 24:1-2. People, the earth is the Lord's! It's not ours, it's HIS. Yes, we are to be good stewards of it, but there is a balance to be had within the stewardship. The world is His, too. Why? He founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. The Lord has destroyed the earth before; remember Noah and his ark? At the point that God decided to destroy the earth with the flood waters, there was nothing the people could do to stop Him. Just as today, no amount of conserving or recycling or burning of styrofoam or use of aerosol cans is going to either preserve the length of life for our planet, nor destroy it sooner than it was supposed to be. God knows when it will happen. It's all in His timing, not ours.
Finally, remember friends, a quote from our favorite book Ecclesiastes, "..Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. All things are wearisome, more than one can say. They eye has never enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. And all of God's children say...AMEN!
Monday, June 18, 2012
As Iron Sharpens Iron...
In Proverbs 27:17, it says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." This is something that can definitely be applied to the church, but what about to the realm of politics? I personally think it can be. I may have shared with you my humble beginnings in politics, but let me expound on them again, and you can see what I'm talking about.
Until the 2008 TARP package I had never picked up the phone to call my U.S. Representative, let alone the White House. One September day, in 2008, all of that changed. I was actually on hold to speak to someone in the White House. I was freaking out, wondering what business little 'ol me had calling the POTUS. Little did I know, I had every right to call. I am a wife, a mom, a teacher to my own children, a taxpayer and at that time, I was a full time volunteer for pregnancy help centers. I have always had morals and wanted to 'do the right thing', felt that abortion was wrong, and still do, and definitely didn't want the government in my personal business. Although at the time, I didn't realize that they were in my business or that there was a potential for them to be. I am also not a student of history and I feel that has been a detriment to me as my political involvement has grown. Knowing how other presidents and administrations behaved in the past would have been useful, I'm sure, but, nevertheless, I got involved heavily. Dare I say I've 'evolved' since my first Tea Party Rally on Tax Day, 2009.
I became engaged and involved in local Harris County Republican Party politics, thinking of myself as a staunch Republican. Voting for someone because the person had the proverbial 'R' beside their name and doing no investigating beyond that. Shameful, isn't it? Then I got involved with Houston Tea Party Society and Katy Tea Party Patriots and started listening to what all of their members were talking about. It wasn't about party affiliation or social issues. It was about liberty! At one of the many meetings I have attended, I heard someone say, "Liberty is messy." I didn't understand what that meant at first, but now, I think I get it.
I have been 'sharpened' by the Liberty Movement, by the members involved and the 'new media'. My opinions and viewpoints have changed dramatically since that day I picked up the phone to dial the White House. I am now able to look at the bigger picture instead of having tunnel vision. I used to shudder when someone said the word Libertarian or "Ron Paul is the man'. I'm not a follower of Ron Paul, but I don't think that if someone is, that it automatically makes their viewpoint invalid. I don't think that all of his ideas are terrible, so why does the vast majority of what my friend, Felicia Cravens refers to in this blog as 'Party Regulars' always shudder at the mention of his name? Why do we dismiss those who do support him as 'Nutters' or 'Paul Bots' and subsequently dismiss any other candidate they may support because of their Love for Ron Paul? I'll be totally honest, I used to feel that way, but I guess since I recently supported candidates who do support Ron Paul, there was this 'guilt by association', and it really has bothered me....obviously. Not so much the association part, but the thought that I would become irrelevant to the conversation, too. Loving liberty shouldn't make you irrelevant to any political conversation. Liberty shouldn't be a scary principle. Liberty doesn't mean, "I support Ron Paul". Liberty is NOT a dirty word.
I think if we as conservatives would listen to each others ideas and viewpoints we really could 'sharpen' each other. The Party Regulars, the Liberty Warriors and the Part Time Republicans all have something to add to the political conversation we are having. We are in no shape as a nation to silence anyone. Liberty IS messy, but isn't liberty worth fighting for? Our founding fathers thought so....
*I wrote this last year for my own personal blog, The Political Chicken, and it had the second highest views when the blog reached the one year anniversary or birthday. I stand by this blog. I embrace this blog and the words I wrote. I don't do it because I'm a fantastic writer or for any other reason than that I love freedom and liberty. I don't think that titles, unless you are completely ideologically opposite of me, should get in our way.
Until the 2008 TARP package I had never picked up the phone to call my U.S. Representative, let alone the White House. One September day, in 2008, all of that changed. I was actually on hold to speak to someone in the White House. I was freaking out, wondering what business little 'ol me had calling the POTUS. Little did I know, I had every right to call. I am a wife, a mom, a teacher to my own children, a taxpayer and at that time, I was a full time volunteer for pregnancy help centers. I have always had morals and wanted to 'do the right thing', felt that abortion was wrong, and still do, and definitely didn't want the government in my personal business. Although at the time, I didn't realize that they were in my business or that there was a potential for them to be. I am also not a student of history and I feel that has been a detriment to me as my political involvement has grown. Knowing how other presidents and administrations behaved in the past would have been useful, I'm sure, but, nevertheless, I got involved heavily. Dare I say I've 'evolved' since my first Tea Party Rally on Tax Day, 2009.
I became engaged and involved in local Harris County Republican Party politics, thinking of myself as a staunch Republican. Voting for someone because the person had the proverbial 'R' beside their name and doing no investigating beyond that. Shameful, isn't it? Then I got involved with Houston Tea Party Society and Katy Tea Party Patriots and started listening to what all of their members were talking about. It wasn't about party affiliation or social issues. It was about liberty! At one of the many meetings I have attended, I heard someone say, "Liberty is messy." I didn't understand what that meant at first, but now, I think I get it.
I have been 'sharpened' by the Liberty Movement, by the members involved and the 'new media'. My opinions and viewpoints have changed dramatically since that day I picked up the phone to dial the White House. I am now able to look at the bigger picture instead of having tunnel vision. I used to shudder when someone said the word Libertarian or "Ron Paul is the man'. I'm not a follower of Ron Paul, but I don't think that if someone is, that it automatically makes their viewpoint invalid. I don't think that all of his ideas are terrible, so why does the vast majority of what my friend, Felicia Cravens refers to in this blog as 'Party Regulars' always shudder at the mention of his name? Why do we dismiss those who do support him as 'Nutters' or 'Paul Bots' and subsequently dismiss any other candidate they may support because of their Love for Ron Paul? I'll be totally honest, I used to feel that way, but I guess since I recently supported candidates who do support Ron Paul, there was this 'guilt by association', and it really has bothered me....obviously. Not so much the association part, but the thought that I would become irrelevant to the conversation, too. Loving liberty shouldn't make you irrelevant to any political conversation. Liberty shouldn't be a scary principle. Liberty doesn't mean, "I support Ron Paul". Liberty is NOT a dirty word.
I think if we as conservatives would listen to each others ideas and viewpoints we really could 'sharpen' each other. The Party Regulars, the Liberty Warriors and the Part Time Republicans all have something to add to the political conversation we are having. We are in no shape as a nation to silence anyone. Liberty IS messy, but isn't liberty worth fighting for? Our founding fathers thought so....
*I wrote this last year for my own personal blog, The Political Chicken, and it had the second highest views when the blog reached the one year anniversary or birthday. I stand by this blog. I embrace this blog and the words I wrote. I don't do it because I'm a fantastic writer or for any other reason than that I love freedom and liberty. I don't think that titles, unless you are completely ideologically opposite of me, should get in our way.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Happy Father's Day
Happy Father's Day, Dads! I feel that I am a very fortunate lady because I had a great father as a girl. Sadly, he passed away about eighteen years ago, but his memory and his legacy live on in my heart and my soul. So, thank you, Daddy. I also have a neat father-in-law who was a great father to my husband and is now a great grandpa to my kids. I am blessed to have a great husband who is a great dad to our children. Lots of great, right? Anyway, I just wanted to take a moment this Father's day to discuss the traditional role of what a father does and is in the family.
Too often in society, we dismiss the need for a father to make a family complete. We are hit over and over by advertisements that continually make Dads look stoopid and incompetent. Enough of that already! That is not how God intended it! God created a man and a woman in order for them to come together to create children in order to populate the earth. Let's begin at the beginning...
Genesis 1:27-28 says:
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
I could really use just this one scripture to put the proggies and the greenies out to pasture, couldn't I? Oh, well, another day. Happy Father's Day to them too.
I also really love Psalm 127 to describe the Christian household. Not only is the father important to the make up of the family unit, this says to me that he is vital. It reads:
"Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat-for he grants sleep to those he loves. Now get ready, here is the 'Father's Day part.' Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies at the gate.
Wow! Doesn't that just blow you away? It also blows away this theory that families should only have two children and if you have any more that that, you must be nuts...or Catholic. God said, blessed is the man whose family or quiver is full of them; meaning children. The Lord delights in large families, he does not mock them or despise them as we do in our society.
One of the other scriptures that comes to mind is one of the ten commandments found in Exodus 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you." So that you may live long. Take a moment to let that soak in. You know, back in the days of the Old Testament, if you acted up or even looked at your parents cross-eyed, you were in serious trouble. There were consequences for misbehaving!
So, children, this Father's Day, please behave! From the Political Chicken, I hope that you all have a marvelous Father's Day and I hope I've helped put a more Biblical perspective into your day of the importance of your Dad and the traditional family.
Too often in society, we dismiss the need for a father to make a family complete. We are hit over and over by advertisements that continually make Dads look stoopid and incompetent. Enough of that already! That is not how God intended it! God created a man and a woman in order for them to come together to create children in order to populate the earth. Let's begin at the beginning...
Genesis 1:27-28 says:
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
I could really use just this one scripture to put the proggies and the greenies out to pasture, couldn't I? Oh, well, another day. Happy Father's Day to them too.
I also really love Psalm 127 to describe the Christian household. Not only is the father important to the make up of the family unit, this says to me that he is vital. It reads:
"Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat-for he grants sleep to those he loves. Now get ready, here is the 'Father's Day part.' Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies at the gate.
Wow! Doesn't that just blow you away? It also blows away this theory that families should only have two children and if you have any more that that, you must be nuts...or Catholic. God said, blessed is the man whose family or quiver is full of them; meaning children. The Lord delights in large families, he does not mock them or despise them as we do in our society.
One of the other scriptures that comes to mind is one of the ten commandments found in Exodus 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you." So that you may live long. Take a moment to let that soak in. You know, back in the days of the Old Testament, if you acted up or even looked at your parents cross-eyed, you were in serious trouble. There were consequences for misbehaving!
So, children, this Father's Day, please behave! From the Political Chicken, I hope that you all have a marvelous Father's Day and I hope I've helped put a more Biblical perspective into your day of the importance of your Dad and the traditional family.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Principles Before Incumbents...
Welcome back to the world of the Political Chicken. It's been a few days since my last blog post, and I am going through withdrawals. I'm a chicken when it comes to politics and voicing my opinion...yeah right; and the moon is made of green cheese. At any rate, I'm back to share more from inside the hen house.
Now, I know normally, you'd hear the line principles before party. That's where I was headed, but I took a right turn somewhere in my thought process. Forgive me. I'm a right winger and the party I align myself with has begun to disappoint me with their actions. Their attitude of 'wait your turn to run' style politics or 'what have you done lately for the party' is getting us nowhere. I still consider myself new to the world of politics and over the past month or so have found myself questioning whether we really and truly put principles before party or incumbents, for that matter.
For example, I have begun to push my own self outside of my political comfort zone, if you will. I used to be afraid to step outside of my neat little conservative box and afraid not to vote for the person with the incumbent 'i' beside their name. Now, don't get me wrong, you aren't going to find me voting in a Democratic primary or anything like that, but some of the actions from within our own local party as I mentioned earlier have left me with some doubts; and, darn it, I want to know, without a doubt how willing my incumbent Republican representatives are going to be to stand up for my conservative principles? Are they going to be willing to stick their neck out and make an unpopular vote if it's the right thing to do? Are they going to do what they say or are they just giving lip service? Or, have they been in their seat too long and have they been too corrupted by special interest groups to be anything other than a puppet? I am of the mind now that if you are the incumbent, you must work for your seat. I don't mean just at election time. I mean all the time.
Another little pet peeve of mine is this idea that simply because the challenger to the incumbent has little to no experience as a politician or has never run for office before, the general public refuses to give them a fighting chance. Again, I speak from experience as someone who held this view. Lets face it, all of the people who have been elected to represent us had to start somewhere. Whether or not the person's experience comes from growing up around politics, working as staffers for other representatives or it comes from a small business background or in the medical field, I think that if the person has something to offer they should be considered. I don't think that this makes someone a 'flash in the pan' person for the political landscape.
I'm sick and tired of the same old rhetoric from the conservative local party. Let's look at the definition of the word conservative. In the Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary it defines conservative in about four different ways, but one that caught my eye is this one: Disposed to maintain existing institutions or views; opposed to change. Ha! I can definitely think of a few folks who fit that description and I was one of them. We can't be opposed to change; and no I don't mean the kind of 'hopey changey' thing you are thinking of... If something is broken at your house, you fix it, right? Why would the political landscape be any different?
Now, I know normally, you'd hear the line principles before party. That's where I was headed, but I took a right turn somewhere in my thought process. Forgive me. I'm a right winger and the party I align myself with has begun to disappoint me with their actions. Their attitude of 'wait your turn to run' style politics or 'what have you done lately for the party' is getting us nowhere. I still consider myself new to the world of politics and over the past month or so have found myself questioning whether we really and truly put principles before party or incumbents, for that matter.
For example, I have begun to push my own self outside of my political comfort zone, if you will. I used to be afraid to step outside of my neat little conservative box and afraid not to vote for the person with the incumbent 'i' beside their name. Now, don't get me wrong, you aren't going to find me voting in a Democratic primary or anything like that, but some of the actions from within our own local party as I mentioned earlier have left me with some doubts; and, darn it, I want to know, without a doubt how willing my incumbent Republican representatives are going to be to stand up for my conservative principles? Are they going to be willing to stick their neck out and make an unpopular vote if it's the right thing to do? Are they going to do what they say or are they just giving lip service? Or, have they been in their seat too long and have they been too corrupted by special interest groups to be anything other than a puppet? I am of the mind now that if you are the incumbent, you must work for your seat. I don't mean just at election time. I mean all the time.
Another little pet peeve of mine is this idea that simply because the challenger to the incumbent has little to no experience as a politician or has never run for office before, the general public refuses to give them a fighting chance. Again, I speak from experience as someone who held this view. Lets face it, all of the people who have been elected to represent us had to start somewhere. Whether or not the person's experience comes from growing up around politics, working as staffers for other representatives or it comes from a small business background or in the medical field, I think that if the person has something to offer they should be considered. I don't think that this makes someone a 'flash in the pan' person for the political landscape.
I'm sick and tired of the same old rhetoric from the conservative local party. Let's look at the definition of the word conservative. In the Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary it defines conservative in about four different ways, but one that caught my eye is this one: Disposed to maintain existing institutions or views; opposed to change. Ha! I can definitely think of a few folks who fit that description and I was one of them. We can't be opposed to change; and no I don't mean the kind of 'hopey changey' thing you are thinking of... If something is broken at your house, you fix it, right? Why would the political landscape be any different?
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Help! What do these people do, anyway?
Hello out there in cyber-land! The Political Chicken is back! Back to share more information and to spout off about whatever is happening within the local political realm, mainly Harris County...cue soapbox! LOL!
This is a brand new blog, spanking new, you might say. You might also say I've already ruffled some feathers! Did you see what I just did there? Just keeping you on your toes!
Back in 2009, myself along with some other concerned moms formed a group called Katy Mommy Patriots. We had a mission statement and everything; it was great! Although Katy Mommies are technically not an official organization anymore, while we were still a group, we put together a few projects in hopes to help out the lay voter to make up their minds about candidates before they got to the polls. Well, I'm bringing it back to share it with all of you! Sweet of me, isn't it?
First is a document called, 'Who Are These People?' Just a basic job description of local elected officials in Harris County. I don't know about you, but keeping track of what the District Clerk does versus the County Clerk does can make my head hurt. So we put together a guide to help keep all of it straight. Your welcome!
The next project was one called 'How to Vet a Candidate' and it is also a great resource on different ways to gather information to make an informed decision on who to vote for. The two worked really well together, actually. I hope you find both of them helpful.
Well, that's it for this edition of the Political Chicken. Stay tuned, there's sure to be more happenings in the hen house!
This is a brand new blog, spanking new, you might say. You might also say I've already ruffled some feathers! Did you see what I just did there? Just keeping you on your toes!
Back in 2009, myself along with some other concerned moms formed a group called Katy Mommy Patriots. We had a mission statement and everything; it was great! Although Katy Mommies are technically not an official organization anymore, while we were still a group, we put together a few projects in hopes to help out the lay voter to make up their minds about candidates before they got to the polls. Well, I'm bringing it back to share it with all of you! Sweet of me, isn't it?
First is a document called, 'Who Are These People?' Just a basic job description of local elected officials in Harris County. I don't know about you, but keeping track of what the District Clerk does versus the County Clerk does can make my head hurt. So we put together a guide to help keep all of it straight. Your welcome!
The next project was one called 'How to Vet a Candidate' and it is also a great resource on different ways to gather information to make an informed decision on who to vote for. The two worked really well together, actually. I hope you find both of them helpful.
Well, that's it for this edition of the Political Chicken. Stay tuned, there's sure to be more happenings in the hen house!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
We Need New Representation in House District 132
Welcome back to the mind of the Political Chicken. Why the title, Political Chicken? I am normally shy about sharing my honest opinion with others. Shocking, isn't it? And, as stated in my first blog post, I don't normally try out new things; maybe it's a fear of the unknown. Well, bring on the unknown, baby! It's time to 'molt' out of our comfort zone and try out new representatives for size.
For example, this primary election cycle, there is a challenger to Bill Callegari in Texas house District 132. Bill is a nice man and has been the representative for House District 132 for ten years. I have met him several times, but only recently with the dawn of the tea party movement. He's a rather quiet, laid back man and that's fine. But I am looking for someone with a spark inside of them, and if you are too, then look no further than his challenger Randy Brown. Don't take my word for it, let Mr. Callegari's voting record during the 82nd legislative session speak for itself, shall we?
Mr. Callegari says he's conservative, but actions speak louder than words. Just last year he received a conservative rating of 32% from Texas Eagle Forum. Last time I checked, 32 is an 'F'. Something else that is noteworthy; upon looking at Mr. Callegari's website, he has listed Texas Eagle Forum as an endorser of his. So, like any good blogger would do, I called Texas Eagle Forum to verify. Upon speaking with their parliament, they said, no, that they had not endorsed ANY candidates this cycle and that they had not even spoken to Mr. Callegari.
He also favored federal encroachment on Texas sovereignty and to expand government bureaucracy, favored new laws infringing on personal liberty and law enforcement abuse for the purpose of raising government revenue through fines and fees; all found under HB 243, HB 1395, HB 2678 and HB 882. Folks, this is the kind of stuff the tea party has been railing against since it's inception!
If you're a small business owner, you may find it interesting that Representative Callegari was also in favor of more regulation on businesses and the reduction of private sector competition. This does not fit within the parameters of the tea party philosophy. The tea party is about limited government, and encouraging the free market system, not stifling it. He also voted against Texas' 10th amendment rights. Seriously? State's rights? With the political climate we are in, with the federal government breathing down our necks as states and individuals? Come on, that's a no brainer, especially in TEXAS! This next one caught my attention since I have personally volunteered for Parental Rights.org; he favored legislation that reduced parental rights, individual rights and increased power to educational bureaucrats. Mr. Callegari also voted to raid the rainy day fund HB1. He was also not supportive of religious liberties on SB 7.
You may ask, why am I picking on Mr. Callegari? I'm not. I just think that we should all know our representatives. We should really know who we are electing to represent us and then vote our conscience. He has a voting record as OUR representative, and if the votes that I have shared with you don't measure up to what you were expecting from Mr. Callegari, then I urge you to vote for Randy Brown.
Randy Brown is a newcomer to the scene of politics, but don't let that get in your way of voting for him. To be quite honest, I wasn't totally sold on him at first either. It took me some time to listen to him and get to know him before I decided that I would support him. He has shown time and time again that he has the backbone that we need to stand up for what's right. Randy has a young family and he works hard for them. He's one of us. He's never run for office before and that's okay with me. (Insert groans of those who want 'experience'.) Randy is the kind of guy to stand up to the entrenched establishment. He's the guy you want fighting for your rights and keeping the cronies at bay in the Texas House of Representatives.
So, git along, little doggies! Ya! Get out to those polls and pull the lever for Randy Brown on May 29th, 2012. We don't want the same old 'few' folks who turn out to control the results of the elections, do we? The time is now!
For example, this primary election cycle, there is a challenger to Bill Callegari in Texas house District 132. Bill is a nice man and has been the representative for House District 132 for ten years. I have met him several times, but only recently with the dawn of the tea party movement. He's a rather quiet, laid back man and that's fine. But I am looking for someone with a spark inside of them, and if you are too, then look no further than his challenger Randy Brown. Don't take my word for it, let Mr. Callegari's voting record during the 82nd legislative session speak for itself, shall we?
Mr. Callegari says he's conservative, but actions speak louder than words. Just last year he received a conservative rating of 32% from Texas Eagle Forum. Last time I checked, 32 is an 'F'. Something else that is noteworthy; upon looking at Mr. Callegari's website, he has listed Texas Eagle Forum as an endorser of his. So, like any good blogger would do, I called Texas Eagle Forum to verify. Upon speaking with their parliament, they said, no, that they had not endorsed ANY candidates this cycle and that they had not even spoken to Mr. Callegari.
He also favored federal encroachment on Texas sovereignty and to expand government bureaucracy, favored new laws infringing on personal liberty and law enforcement abuse for the purpose of raising government revenue through fines and fees; all found under HB 243, HB 1395, HB 2678 and HB 882. Folks, this is the kind of stuff the tea party has been railing against since it's inception!
If you're a small business owner, you may find it interesting that Representative Callegari was also in favor of more regulation on businesses and the reduction of private sector competition. This does not fit within the parameters of the tea party philosophy. The tea party is about limited government, and encouraging the free market system, not stifling it. He also voted against Texas' 10th amendment rights. Seriously? State's rights? With the political climate we are in, with the federal government breathing down our necks as states and individuals? Come on, that's a no brainer, especially in TEXAS! This next one caught my attention since I have personally volunteered for Parental Rights.org; he favored legislation that reduced parental rights, individual rights and increased power to educational bureaucrats. Mr. Callegari also voted to raid the rainy day fund HB1. He was also not supportive of religious liberties on SB 7.
You may ask, why am I picking on Mr. Callegari? I'm not. I just think that we should all know our representatives. We should really know who we are electing to represent us and then vote our conscience. He has a voting record as OUR representative, and if the votes that I have shared with you don't measure up to what you were expecting from Mr. Callegari, then I urge you to vote for Randy Brown.
Randy Brown is a newcomer to the scene of politics, but don't let that get in your way of voting for him. To be quite honest, I wasn't totally sold on him at first either. It took me some time to listen to him and get to know him before I decided that I would support him. He has shown time and time again that he has the backbone that we need to stand up for what's right. Randy has a young family and he works hard for them. He's one of us. He's never run for office before and that's okay with me. (Insert groans of those who want 'experience'.) Randy is the kind of guy to stand up to the entrenched establishment. He's the guy you want fighting for your rights and keeping the cronies at bay in the Texas House of Representatives.
So, git along, little doggies! Ya! Get out to those polls and pull the lever for Randy Brown on May 29th, 2012. We don't want the same old 'few' folks who turn out to control the results of the elections, do we? The time is now!
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