TulipGirl

The boys and I joined the YCSers to meet Marco Rubio. Don’t know who Rubio is? Read this great interview with NRO — especially if you live in Florida, I recommend you take the time to read it.

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April 15th. Taxes. Tea Party Day. We participated in our neighborhood Tea Party. The boys went with our neighbors, until Hubby and I could show up later. I would say there were easily 300 people when I arrived, and was told the crowd was larger earlier in the event. While I was there, I saw many people come and leave — so I would easily estimate 5-600 people participated throughout the event.

Besides our neighbors, we saw friends from church, the lawn guy who works in our neighborhood, our dentist and a lot of small business owners. Later on we met up with some of the YCSers. I think I even saw Steve as he took his almost-great photos of the event (would have been great pics, had I found ones of my boys!)

In addition, we saw people of all ages, people with disabilities, people of various socio-economic backgrounds, people of different racial and cultural backgrounds. Even some people who had a few too many beers. The “right wing extremist” stereotypes were blown away by this Tea Party.

As the Tea Party went on, the scheduled speakers finished and the organizers opened up the microphone to anyone from the neighborhood. It was interesting to hear the common refrains of liberty and responsibility. J12 leaned over to me and said, “I think I have something to say. . .”

And so, he went up to the podium and had his first experience with extemporaneous political speaking with a microphone. He announced the Young Conservatives of Sarasota and talked about how his generation, and every child today is already laden with tens of thousands of dollars in government debt. I was pretty impressed. (Our kids’ futures being mortgaged — talk about taxation without representation!)

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“We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our selection between economy and liberty or profusion and servitude. If we run into such debts as that we must be taxed in our meat in our drink, in our necessities and comforts, in our labors and in our amusements, for our callings and our creeds…our people.. must come to labor sixteen hours in the twenty-four, give earnings of fifteen of these to the government for their debts and daily expenses; and the sixteenth being insufficient to afford us bread, we must live.. We have not time to think, no means of calling the mis-managers to account, but be glad to obtain subsistence by hiring ourselves to rivet their chains on the necks of our fellow suffers. . . .

This is the tendency of all human governments. A departure from principle becomes a precedent for a second; that second for a third; and so on, till the bulk of society is reduced to mere automatons of misery, to have no sensibilities left but for sinning and suffering… And the fore horse of this frightful team is public debt. Taxation follows that, and in it’s train wretchedness and oppression.”

Thomas Jefferson

I’m a political conservative. I really am, and it seems to be an unpopular or out-of-step place to be right now. Even among my good friends, being truly conservative is an anomaly. While I usually think I’m okay with that, I do find myself sometimes trying too hard to moderate how I communicate my political beliefs. I wasn’t indoctrinated with conservatism, but it was galvanized when I was younger through my reading, research, and long talks with the then-not-yet-Hubby.

Related to that, I’m not libertarian, though I know we often share common values. I started reading Atlas Shrugged this summer, in part because I hadn’t yet read anything by Rand and in part because the setting was borrowed from the town of Ouray, where we had a family reunion last summer. NRO says that sales of Atlas Shrugged are way up, thanks to Obama.

It’s been interesting to watch how the boys are developing their political beliefs. Yes, they are at an age where they are limited in their understanding of nuance, but still they are grasping some amazingly complex concepts. In the past election cycle, I asked them about which local candidates I should support, because I know they had researched it more than I had.

For “fun” last night, the boys wanted to watch Conservatism 2.0, hosted by PajamasMedia at the CPAC conference. They have the heart of the activist. Maybe that’s why they’ll gather up their “support the troops!” signs to rally down at the corner by the stop sign in our neighborhood. (They stopped waving the “Honk for the troops!” signs, after they realized the neighbors might not like the constant honking waking babies and setting off barking dogs.) I’m glad they are getting involved with groups like YCS, YAF, and LI. They were disappointed that we couldn’t make it to the Sarasota Tea Party yesterday (though our friends made it to theirs.)

I don’t like that taxes are going up. I don’t like that the Bush tax cuts will be allowed to expire. They helped our family and helped a lot of people I know. I think it is unfair that capital gains taxes will be hiked. So many people I know in Florida are retirees and have lost a significant part of their retirement security with the way the stock market has gone crazy. Now, as the stock market recovers and hopefully their retirement nest egg will return to where it was before, they will be taxed more on that. An increase in capital gains taxes will hurt those who have already worked hard, saved carefully, and are now at a time in life when they have many less options for working.

Sometimes I wish that the budget makers in DC and Tallahassee would watch more SNL.

It is no secret that we at TulipGirl are fond of Ronald Wilson Reagan. A few months ago the older boys and I were able to attend a workshop that included a man who had interned with Reagan after he left the White House.  His stories just made me adore Reagan even more.

“President Reagan received a letter from a sick child. Quiggle says Reagan went straight to his office to call him.”

“To hear him make that call from outside his office. ‘Is Johnny there?… This is Ronny Reagan… No, it really is.’ He finally got this child on the phone. I remember him saying, ‘I got your letter and we’re praying for you and we can beat this thing but we have to be a team and stay strong.’ This is who he was every single day. There were no cameras, no press releases. True leadership is what happens when the cameras are off, and I got to see that everyday.”

“This is who he was every single day. There were no cameras, no press releases. True leadership is what happens when the cameras are off. . .”

That is the type of person I want my boys to be. Heck, that is the type of person I want to be.

I see the picture of the 9 y/o boy on the left, hand on his chin, and think of my little 9 y/o — the one named for this great statesman.

This would have been Ronald Reagan’s 98th birthday.   I highly recommend reading a biography of this great leader.  My oldest son recommends the one written by Dinesh D’Souza, while I’m fond of the biography by Peggy Noonan.

And some wisdom from Reagan, that would be well-heeded by the U.S.A. now:

“The government’s view of the economy can be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”

“The Founding Fathers knew a government can’t control the economy without controlling people. And they knew when a government sets out to do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve its purpose. So we have come to a time for choosing.”

“Coercion, after all, merely captures man. Freedom captivates him.”

“We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much.”

“How do you tell a Communist? Well, it’s someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It’s someone who understands Marx and Lenin.”

“You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children’s children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done.”

National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 2009
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

All human life is a gift from our Creator that is sacred, unique, and worthy of protection. On National Sanctity of Human Life Day, our country recognizes that each person, including every person waiting to be born, has a special place and purpose in this world. We also underscore our dedication to heeding this message of conscience by speaking up for the weak and voiceless among us.

The most basic duty of government is to protect the life of the innocent. My Administration has been committed to building a culture of life by vigorously promoting adoption and parental notification laws, opposing Federal funding for abortions overseas, encouraging teen abstinence, and funding crisis pregnancy programs. In 2002, I was honored to sign into law the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which extends legal protection to children who survive an abortion attempt. I signed legislation in 2003 to ban the cruel practice of partial-birth abortion, and that law represents our commitment to building a culture of life in America. Also, I was proud to sign the Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004, which allows authorities to charge a person who causes death or injury to a child in the womb with a separate offense in addition to any charges relating to the mother.

America is a caring Nation, and our values should guide us as we harness the gifts of science. In our zeal for new treatments and cures, we must never abandon our fundamental morals. We can achieve the great breakthroughs we all seek with reverence for the gift of life.

The sanctity of life is written in the hearts of all men and women. On this day and throughout the year, we aspire to build a society in which every child is welcome in life and protected in law. We also encourage more of our fellow Americans to join our just and noble cause. History tells us that with a cause rooted in our deepest principles and appealing to the best instincts of our citizens, we will prevail.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 18, 2009, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. I call upon all Americans to recognize this day with appropriate ceremonies and to underscore our commitment to respecting and protecting the life and dignity of every human being.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

GEORGE W. BUSH

I haven’t been doing much political blogging lately. Some gentle proddings from people I respect have led to this post on why I’m voting for McCain / Palin, and why you should carefully consider voting for them, too.

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1. Iraq, Afghanistan, and the War on Terror

Perhaps surprising to many people, national security and foreign policy issues are weighted the heaviest in my decisions this election. No one I know likes the war. No one I know wants it to continue. We want it to end — and for me, it is vital it ends well.

Iraq is a hot-button issue. Whether we should or shouldn’t have gone in to Iraq hardly matters now. The fact is that we are there now, and we are helping a government get on its feet to provide security and stability for its people. That takes time. I trust that the Iraqi people are intelligent and can run their government without us, but they are still working on setting up the structures and policies and working out the kinks. While they are doing that, we have the moral obligation to finish what we started — premature withdrawal by U.S. troops will undermine their government and stability and in essence undo what has been done the past several years. The Iraqi people have suffered too much, U.S. troops and their families have given too much to bailout now without finishing the job well.

Similarly, with the ongoing challenges in Afghanistan and as challenges arise in other parts of the world, we need a president with experience in government and experience in wartime. John McCain has that experience, and I believe he will be the most competent Commander-in-Chief.

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2. The Constitution and Balance of Powers

Apart from the abortion issue, Roe v. Wade was a poor judicial decision and I appreciated McCain bringing up that point in the third debate. I wish I could say I was surprised that Obama spoke in favor of activist judges. On a constitutional level, I’m concerned that the continued appointment of judges who legislate from the bench will upset the balance of powers in a manner that will hurt the U.S. and the structure of our Constitutional government for generations to come.

Similarly, I believe it is foolish to have the federal legislative bodies be overwhelmingly represented by only one party, and at the same time have the president be of the same party. As a conservative, I want the federal government acting slowly and deliberately on most matters; I want the representatives we have elected to reach consensus and be willing to compromise. That is healthy. I want to see the legislative, executive and judicial branches functioning as an effective system of checks and balances, and I want to see the people of the U.S. represented by an array of voices.

I believe that John McCain will appoint judges who are not judicial activists. And as he has in he past (to much chagrin on the part of many conservatives), I believe that McCain will be able to work with a strongly Democratic congress while providing an effective counterbalance.

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3. The Poor, Infirm and Disenfranchised

The U.S. is a wealthy and generous country, yet even in our bounty we have many who suffer, hunger, lack and struggle. Scripture is replete with commands to care for the poor, those who are not citizens who live among us, the orphan, and the widow. People in the U.S. respond generously to those in need, through individual and private giving, through charities, through churches, and. . . yes. . . through directing our legislatures to pool our tax revenues to provide safety nets through the government.

We find, however, that the more we expect the government to provide for the disadvantaged, the easier it is for us as individuals and as communities to turn our eyes away from those struggling around us and assume that they are already being “cared” for by the government — but how much true care is given apart from the personal investment in other peoples lives. How can we bear one anothers’ burdens if we are so far removed from those who are weary and heavy laden? It is abdicating our responsibility as individuals, as churches, as communities to direct the government to use tax dollars to do what we are supposed to do ourselves.

Government-mandated health programs will not fix the health care problems people face. Add an increase in government bureaucracy, and doctors and health facilities will be even less willing to care for those patients who are within that governmental system. Less doctors, more patients. . . less resources, more demand. . . this will lead to difficulty of getting care that is needed by those who need it most — especially the elderly, the chronically ill, and those dependent upon governmental assistance.

Yet, one of the jobs of the government is to protect those who are most vulnerable. We need to continue to have legislation that protects the human rights of those who are marginalized, those who continue to face discrimination, those who are weak. . . A good government protects the vulnerable from oppression, and provides the freedom for its citizens to care for one another.

I am voting for McCain because he recognizes that the government can provide good, but also has its limits — and that limiting government provides freedom for people to care generously for those around them.

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Many other issues face our country and are issues I believe are of great importance. These include protecting preborn children, maintaining a democratic capitalist economy, international cooperation and support for other countries, advocating human rights, sensible immigration policies, lowering taxes, educational freedom. . .

Overall, McCain/Palin will provide the strongest leadership for these issues and the challenges face us at this point in history.

Cultivating a thankful heart, looking to God as provider and sustainer, each day this month I’m posting that for which I’m thankful. . .

* Free and democratic elections
* Freedom of religion
* Freedom to pursue dreams
* Freedom of speech
* Free wifi

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. I Th 5:18

“Has anyone seen Roots of American Order?” Hubby asked.

J12 and R9 started looking through the shelves.  “It’s the one with the gold cover,” I reminded them.

“Is it the one by Russell Kirk?” C7 asked.

I burst out laughing and affirmed it was.

He scampered off to the bedroom and came back with it.

My kids.  They crack me up.

The Ronald Reagan classic, with a chuckling Gorby:

Another reason I’m infatuated with Google is Google Labs newest search engine toy, In Quotes.

Try it. . . Find out what McCain, Obama, or any one of many major politicians have said on any issue recently. I can see so many bloggers and pundits having fun with this one!

(via LifeHacker)

We’re having our own little McCain/Obama debate watching party at home tonight with the kids, watching online at CNN.com. I think we’ll make popcorn, too. . .

More resources for watching the presidential debate online:
• Watch live at CNN
• Watch live at CSpan, unavailable
• Reading Body Language in Presidential Debates
• Find a Debate Watching Party near you.
• Read the debate transcript.

Freedom Works Congressional Rankings (2006)

McCain: 83%
Obama: 25%
Biden: 17%

Another government watchdog and grassroots activist group that has been active since the early ’80s is Freedom Works. “FreedomWorks fights for lower taxes, less government and more economic freedom for all Americans.”

In the past few weeks, I’ve heard many discussions about “pork” spending in Washington. Citizens Against Government Waste has been active since the early ’80s, long being the watchdog for how our tax dollars are spent and misspent. Each year they issue a report that takes key votes and tabulates ratings for members of congress based on whether they supported or opposed wasteful spending.

From the 2007 CAGW Report

STATE – SENATOR – 2007 – LIFETIME
Arizona – McCain (R) – 100% – 88%
Delaware – Biden (D) – 0% – 22%
Illinois – Obama (D) – 10% – 18%

Today’s planned field trip.

Update. . .

Hubby and the boys went up to the Tampa Convention Center, and got to stand between the press bleachers as part of an overflow crowd. They enjoyed both seeing McCain and hearing him speak in person. His message focused on the economy, rather than the usual stump speech. They also thought it was fun seeing the anti-McCain protesters.

The day ended up with an unusual twist — the van breaking down in the middle of downtown Tampa. A call to USAA, a towtruck that broke down on the way to the shop, and a seven-hour wait later. . . I picked them up late last night and we’re still waiting to here from the shop. No doubt, this will be expensive — and we’re trying to figure out how to juggle the next few days’ schedules when each of us needs to be in different parts of town at the same time, and our primary vehicle is in a different city.

Another update: Hubby finally has pics up!

McCain in Tampa

If you missed it. . . wow. . . It was fabulous.

The text is here – but you miss out on the strength and grace of the delivery.

The boys were applauding as much as the delegates at the convention.

“Look, I got two daughters — 9 years old and 6 years old. I am going to teach them first about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.” –Obama

“We’re proud of Bristol’s decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents. . . .Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family.” –Palin

Rebecca muses:

“Some of us have the luxury of working with our little ones in tow. Some of us don’t. Some of us have the luxury of being self-righteous about our work choices. Some of us forego that luxury. But the real women among us, especially the mothers — we all work. And often it’s with a baby in a sling.”

“Governor Palin is exposing the lie to all that. She is completely, unashamedly, unapologetically, a mother. I found another picture of her online, in her office, with Trig in a sling, while signing some sort of important-looking document, acting as if this was the most common-place thing in the world.”

Read the rest from Rebecca. Rebecca has been a great source of mommy-inspiration to me for the past decade or so, and once again points to the high calling we have as mothers.

Eta. . . More from Rebecca, honest and humble. . .

Some meandering thoughts on Independence Day. . .

Jennie Manning compiled this slideshow as a tribute that is shown while she is singing “God Bless the USA,” hence the music is background music and not the full vocals. She shares, “The last time the chorus is sung, The words go as follows: “And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free. I won’t forget the MAN who died, who gave that right to me.” . . . I have spiritual freedom, and freedom from my sins because of the death of Jesus, so it just fits the emotion of the song to say that!”

There are many places in the world where our brothers and sisters in Christ have spiritual freedom, but do not have the political freedoms we have in the US, or the religious freedom to worship publicly without persecution.

This particular slideshow tribute has additional meaning to me because some of the pictures are from people I knew many years ago on GTMO in the 1980s. This family is still both serving the Lord and serving their country. Thinking of them has me reflecting on Independence Day, and remembering Cuba — especially strong memories of a certain Fourth of July.

The Fourth was a big holiday on GTMO. Lots of fun with parades, picnics, tanks to climb on, cantatas. . . This particular Fourth I won the pie baking contest with “Martha Washington’s Favorite Cherry Pie.” I’ll post the recipe one day. . . I was also in the cantata performed by the base chapel choir. Sailors from the ships doing training at GTMO had shore leave for the holiday. I remember all the festivities and fun. But right across the bay I could see smoke rising in columns, smoke from the Cuban sugar fields. We were celebrating freedom, but could almost see the people who were still laboring under the harsh yoke of Communism. Remember, this was before “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” This was before the fall of the Soviet Union and its stranglehold on countries around the world. The sharp divide between freedom and bondage was almost palpable that day.

Hubby’s brother returned from a mission trip to Cuba just a few weeks ago. Today he organized quite the spread of Cuban fare — roasted pork, black beans and rice, tropical fruits, fried bananas, mojitos. . . It seemed oddly appropriate to me. And along with our thankfulness to the Lord for our freedom in Christ and freedom in life, we prayed for the country of Cuba, its people, and our persecuted brothers and sisters there.

Little Soldier

Little soldier, little child
You’re still too young to know,
The impact of the battlefield
Or how its memory lingers so.

Playing war is now a game,
Its truth you can’t conceive
Should you defend, until its end
Our freedom to believe.

In God, in man, in liberty
With rights for one and all,
Little soldier, little child,
That day you’ll stand as tall.

Written by Maureen Kuehne
Copyright 2003

Like A. A. Milne, Mark Steyn has a wonderful way with words.

Looking just past Romney’s outstretched arm, you’ll see four members of the “Young Conservatives of Our Neighborhood” club who attended the Romney rally today. Now that Fred Thompson is no longer in the race, the YC’s are trying to persuade me that Romney is the one candidate who can unite fiscal, social and foreign policy conservatives. That’s yet to be seen, but my boys and their cohorts are quite persuasive.

I woke up this morning to C7 pointing both thumbs at his chest and proclaiming in a radio voice, “I’m Duncan Hunter, man of the people.”

Half-asleep, I asked “Duncan Hunter?”
“Yeah, he’s running for president.”
T10 chimed in, “Some people run for president just to promote their issue.”
“What’s Duncan Hunter’s issue?”
“Immigration. And China.”

When Hubby got home I told him of our conversation, and he explained that yesterday they learned about democratization. ETA: His lesson wasn’t about Duncan Hunter, but about Andrew Jackson. . . C7 just combined the two.

Gotta love a dad that homeschools in an election year.

I’ve been pleased to see the Florida Department of Elections update the election returns throughout the night.

The Buchanan/Hudson/Detert early returns were interesting, huh? I heard that some on the radio were calling it for Detert before Manatee county votes were even tabulated–which obviously was a mistake.

Hubby and the boys went sign waving. I wonder if Hubby got any photos?

We voted today (via absentee ballot) in the Florida Republican primary.

A couple of our choices were a “hold your nose and vote”–especially for one of the primary races in which one candidate is very much a. . . politician. . . of the sort that you wouldn’t want to trust as far as you could throw him. Yet he clearly drew boundaries around what he supported and what he didn’t, whereas the other candidate did not. So, who do you trust? The one who will clearly set out what he will support and thereby be made accountable to those who vote for him, in spite of his poor reputation–or the one who is being wishy-washy, but has more experience?

In a different race, we at TulipGirl wholeheartedly endorse Katherine Harris.

The Florida primary is Tuesday, September 5th. Go vote!

Elect Harris!

Just the sort of question I haven’t wanted to hear. And today J9 asked it.

By some parents’ standards we’re pretty permissive. The boys have seen all of the LOTR movies, myriad times. We’ve read them Greek myths and talked about false gods and beliefs. They’ve known street kids and learned how to look for syringes at the park and what to do if they see one. By other standards, we’re over-protective. They have carefully guarded them from any sexualized media. They haven’t spent the night with anyone outside the family. We spend limited time away from the kiddos. They only learned what divorce was in the past year. Only last month did the two older boys get a “talk” about how God brings babies into families.

The concept and reality of abortion is something I’ve wanted to protect them from. Knowing some babies are killed? While they are defenseless and still growing in mommy? And that it done intentionally? What a horrid idea for a child to learn.

J9 is quite politically-inclined. He has a Katherine Harris t-shirt. Wants to form a Young America’s chapter in the neighborhood. Is proud to be an American, and a Republican. Somewhere along his reading he’s seen the word abortion. He saw that word on my screen this evening, and that’s what prompted the question.

“What’s abortion, Mom?”

My first answer, “Honey, it’s bedtime and I’m too tired. Let’s talk about that later.” Yup. The lazy answer.

A minute later I called him to me. “What do you think abortion is?”

“I don’t know. I’ve just seen the word.”

And I weighed. Do I bring him a step further into the knowledge of how fallen our world is? Can I delay it? Please, my son is only nine-turning-ten-this-week. I don’t want him to know about abortion yet.

I was his age when I first read Diary of an Unborn Child. My mom had a tract from Last Days’ Ministries. I think there were daisies on the front. I know I had a concept of abortion before then, but that’s when I really became aware of what abortion truly was.

I have a small pregnancy diary online from when I was expecting C5. Along with it are pictures of several stages of development. So I took J9 to that webpage and we looked at the pictures and I told him about how babies grow in the womb. We talked about how they start with just two cells and the difference between those two cells and a 10 year old is simply time and nutrition. We talked about how funny they look at 6 weeks old. We laughed at the 24 week “old man” baby picture.

And then I told him.

Abortion is when people go to a doctor to intentionally kill a baby before he is born.

Silence.

I watched his face. His eyes flitting from picture to picture. The look of horror, bewilderment.

He sat on my lap and we hugged and were sad and silent together.

Katherine Harris, this tribute wouldn’t have been possible without you.

(Via Lana)

As a long-time reader of The Corner at NRO (and longer-time reader of the dead tree version of NR) I was tickled to find the CrunchyCon blog hosted on their site.

Between my kitchen worms and the name of our third son, I think I qualify.

(via The Seven Realms)

Last night, Hubby and I went on a date. We loaded up the kids in the van for jammy rides, stopped at the corner store for cokes, and then drove around the parking lot listening to NPR and the State of the Union Speech.

It was fun.

By the end, the three youngest were asleep, but J9 was still intently participating in our post-speech deconstruction.

Some of my fave parts?

“. . .the road of isolationism and protectionism may seem broad and inviting. . .”

Acknowledging the appeal. . . good. . .

And we do not forget the other half

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