Conservative Corner: Looking at People Through American Eyes

If you have ever thought about what an “American” looks like, we all know to look like an American has nothing to do with the color of the skin. But as Dr, Marin Luther King pointed out in his historic address, it’s the content of their character is the important thing. Unfortunately, today racism is still a problem, even with a black man as the leader of the free world; we still have a problem with how we view each other.

There was a very ugly time in our past when people were prosecuted for a number of different reasons, including color of the skin, shape of the face, color and length of hair and the way of speaking. We all are guilty of things we probably aren’t proud of. Some of us learn from our mistakes, some of us never do and some of us never see the sin in ourselves that makes us ugly.

Many people, manly those who are liberal or progressive thinking, believe Conservatives and the Tea Party movement are racist due to the lack of minorities in their ranks.  True, there aren’t many minorities who consider themselves conservatives; however, conservatives welcome with open arms all Americans. There is still an ugly side of America. A side we must be wary of. These are groups and individuals who still have racist and anti-American opinions.

We all know of the hate group, The Knights of the Klu Klux Klan (K.K.K.), however, hate goes beyond a bunch of ignorant, arrogant jerks wearing their wife’s best linens on their heads. There is hate on all sides. The New Black Panther Party and other individuals have shown signs of racial issues. Unfortunately, it seems as though the liberal and progressive movements in America has jumped on the “conservatives are racists” bandwagon. The media has proven that.

To say that there are no minorities in the Tea Party is like saying there are no union members at a progressive gathering. I have seen every walk of life at Tea Party gatherings, despite what the media shows and despite what some of the black democrats have said. For a group or person to say that there is only “angry, old, white men” at any conservative gathering need only to ask people like Herman Cain, Clarence Thomas, Thomas Sowell, Alfonzo Rachel, and Elmer Williams. If you are not familiar with Alfonzo Rachel or Elmer Williams, look them up online. Both men are black, and offer a wealth of information on what they find wrong in the country today and fight for the conservative battle in America.

I don’t blame the American public for the distorted view of the Tea Party and conservatives, I do, however, blame the liberal media, poorly informed liberals, progressives and so-called “civil rights” leaders who only seem to see things in a positive light if it agrees with their own mindset for the negative information.

These double standards are also in Hollywood. During Obama’s first term in office, Janeane Garofalo blasted conservatives and Tea Party people by calling them, "a bunch of tea bagging rednecks," Garofalo added "this is about hating a black man in the White House. This is racism straight up." Garofalo did not suffer any backlash to her career for her statement, however, talk show host Dom Imus nearly lost his career for letting his staff call the women’s Olympic Basketball team a bunch of “nappy headed hoes”.

I am not saying that white people and other ethnicities are not judgmental and have a difficult time with those who are different, but it seems today that people who are not black are more afraid of making comments about black people,(despite the content), for fear of retaliation from powerful groups who have a clear bias.

 We seem to have lost the will to love and care for each other as Americans and patriots. It seems we only look at each other with a kind eye and a full heart when something bad happens like a natural disaster or a terrorist attack. I hope someday look we will cast aside our differences and see each other in this country as we really are, not as Republicans or Democrats, not as liberals or conservatives, and most defiantly not as blacks, whites or any other color, but as Americans.

dkhummel.com, dkhummel.blogspot.com

 

Family Fun Day at LBCC

                                  Family Fun Day at LBCC

Last Saturday might have been chilly and foggy in Albany, but it was anything but that at the 36^th Annual Family Fun Day in the Activities Center on campus. The family activity day was sponsored by Gary Brown and Family, Albany MOMS Club, LBCC Parenting Education Faculty and OR/PAC Feed and Forage, LTD.

Jerri Wolfe Welcoming a family

Volunteers made the whole thing possible with activities for children from 1 to 6 years of age including an inflatable “bounce house” castle, play dough and silly putty tables, face painting, pirate maze, and many others. All the child had to do is produce the tickets needed for the activity and have fun.

Johnie Stilner(right) and her grandson, Jeremiah, looking over snacks

The tickets started at 4 for $1 and all proceeds went for parenting education classes in Linn and Benton Counties and the LBCC Cooperative Preschool scholarship fund. The classes are held on the LBCC campus and other places and schools in the local area, according to Jerri Wolfe, the chair for the Parenting Education Dept. Tickets, however, won’t just give a child fun in a bounce house, it also lets a young person of parent buy toys or snacks. There was a table set up to “buy” health snacks with the tickets and a table nearby with a health collection of books and toys for every child to enjoy.

It was a fun and exciting and safe day for all, parent and child alike, with a strong congregation of kids showing up at the silly putty/ play dough tables, bounce house, and the sand boxes.

Autum Cramer admiring her face painting

The fun day lasted from about 10 am till 2 pm and was for kids from 1 to 6 years of age and their parents.

For more information on the parenting classes either call LBCC parenting education at 541-971-4897 or go to parentingsuccessnetwork.org, or www.linnbenton.edu/go/parenting-education on classes for parents and children.

 

Conservative Corner: The Tax Man Cometh

It’s that magical time of the year when the postman is busy delivering the flood of W2 income tax paperwork and not just junk mail. The time of the year when visions of temporary wealth flood your mind, or fear of owing Uncle Sam worries the soul. Some may be happy with the idea of helping to financially support the local, state and federal governments, while others have the idea that taxes are a sorry excuse of a reason for helping to fund a seemingly tyrannical government. No matter how you feel about taxes, there are two things for certain you can count on; death and taxes.

It has been said that some conservative groups, like the grass roots group Tea Party Movement, wishes to eliminate all taxes, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Conservatives understand it takes the tax dollar to fund very necessary needs that the government performs. Without taxes we would not have police services, firefighters, teachers and other important services. Unfortunately, our taxes dollars are being wasted like a sailor on shore leave. Conservatives are baffled by the politicians need to spend our money in a very foolish fashion. Every presidential administration spends money, some, of course, spend more than others. The current administration seems to have a huge problem with spending money that they don’t have.

Under the Obama Administration government has grown by leaps and bounds. With programs like the abuse of the Food Stamp Program, the failed stimulus plan and “Cash for Clunkers” programs, the bail out of General Motors and Chrysler, Obamacare and more, the cost for Obamacare alone will cost the taxpayer $50 billion a year according to thedailycaller.com.

For those who seem to think government spending under George W. Bush was more, the national dept went up $4.9 trillion in both Bush’s terms according to cbsnews.com; however, with Obama just starting his second term, we saw the dept go over $16.3 trillion at the end of 2012. It is forecasted to hit $17.5 trillion this year, and up to $25.9 trillion by 2022 if spending continues.

Democrats seem convinced that more taxes is a clear answer to the problem of solving the national dept. If the employment numbers were higher it might be a decent idea, however, for the last four years the unemployment rate has been over 7.5 percent. It’s even higher in Oregon. With many Americans being un or under employed for the last 4+ years, increasing or creating new taxes is a great was to stifle an already troubled economy.

Many people claim that the tax dollars of the rich can carry the burden of curing an ailing economy, but they already pay more than the rest of us. According to csmonitor.com/USA/2011/0415/Taxes-and-the-rich-How-much-do-they-pay-now, the top 1 percent of the country actually pays about 20.3 percent tax, while the middle class pay 10.3 percent and the lower class pay about 3 percent. The problem, however, isn’t more and new taxes, it’s spending.

President Ronald Reagan once said “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.”

If the Federal Government could control is obscene spending habits, there may be a way to pay off some of the dept and ease the tax burden on all Americans and not the ones that the government chooses. We need to pressure our lawmakers to limit spending and the decrease the size of our government. If you are interested in helping curve the immense size of our government, spending and taxes, please go to oregonteaparty.org to help out the conservative cause in Oregon, or teaparty.org to help out on a higher level.

It is our job as Americans and patriots to keep government small to ensure our freedoms won’t disappear. For, as Reagan said, “Man is not free unless government is limited.”