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.”

 

 

Conservative Corner; The Media: Fair and Balanced?

The youth of today may not remember the immense credibility of real journalism. There was a time when a reporter or news anchorperson could inform the public of an event without bias, influence, or personal opinion. The times when a family can turn on the TV or the radio and listen to men like Walter Cronkite or Edward R. Murrow and trust them to tell the truth about an event or happening. Unfortunately, that is not happening today.  The days of real journalism are almost all but dead.

How many times have you turned on the television or radio to hear so some idiot give his opinion of a news story?  From O’Riely and Hannity on Fox News to Piers Morgan and Chris Matthews on CNN and MSNBC, the spin goes both ways. It’s a wonder we all don’t throw up. The media, unlike Fox Radio’s claim, is anything but fair and balanced.

It is well known that Fox News is moderate to right in their political and social views, while the rest of the major TV news outlets are pretty much moderate to far left.  Every TV news broadcast has an agenda. I have wondered why most of the young people of today will get their “news” from Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert on Comedy Central, however, they think Fox News is a joke. Unfortunately, even the old “tried-and-true” Networks like CBS, NBC and ABC have seem fallen to the popularity of the young liberal mind set.

For some reason the news programs of today seem to have pushed aside just reporting the facts and feel compelled to bring in people who claim to be experts on a given topic and analyze the story until it turns into an unorganized shouting match. The cable news networks are especially bad at “debating” on the air.

Most every news outlet endorses a candidate during an election, however, it appears that too many of these news sources who call themselves moderates do not endorse candidates who are moderates. Today CNN, MSNBC and others like to gleefully praise the re-election of Obama and seem to go out of their way to support his policies, even if they are unconstitutional. Even the printed word has jumped aboard the liberal/Obama worship bandwagon.  Both Time and Newsweek magazine has named Obama as “The Man of the Year”, and called his re-election “The Second Coming”. This was also made clear in the last political debates with the choice of moderators.

Fair and balanced news is where you chose to find it biased on your personal views, however, journalism is not. Journalism is reporting the facts and, if necessary, the unpleasant and ugly truth. Many believe that the liberal news media helped Barack Obama win the election. Not many news sources do this. The lack of reporting on the Benghazi scandal, Fast and Furious, voter fraud, The Secret Service prostitution scandal, Solyndra, the lack of positive Tea Party and 2^nd Amendment coverage are clear signs that most of the media have a clear bias and far from real journalism. For more evidence of media bias you can go to www.mrc.org, or if you have Netflix, look up the documentary, “Media Malpractice”.

I miss the days of Walter Cronkite telling me “And that’s the ways it is” and knowing that it is close to the true, like it or not. The journalists on both sides of the political and social news desks really need to step back and find the real news and not just crap they think we want or what their bosses tell us. So, the next time you turn on CNN, MSNBC or Fox News, ask yourself if it is real journalism or is some “talking head” trying to fill your ear with garbage in order to boost ratings. 

Coservative Corner: Setting Your Sights On Guns

Guns, the very mention of the objects can either give you a strong sense of security, or give you cold chills of fear. Whether you are for or against them, they are a part of the past, present, and future of our country. No matter what the average person thinks of the tool, they aren’t just a weapon, there are other uses for a pistol or rifle other than just taking someone’s life.

Because of the recent shootings around the country, many people are looking at firearms in a less than favorable light. To a conservative, it’s not about a mentally unstable person with a tool to do bodily harm; it is something else. It’s about freedom, sustenance, protection, security, investments, and sanity.

The position of gun ownership is protected by our Constitution. The 2^nd Amendment to the Constitution states, “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”. Gun ownership, however, goes beyond protection by law. To some, it is a life style.

Not everyone lives in urban or suburban areas. Hunting is necessary to some communities. This is an activity people take very seriously. Hunting for food is a basic need and guns play a key role. For those that do live in urban communities, the need for protection is important. In many cases waiting the police to get there in a timely fashion is not an option. Using a firearm to defend yourself against one who will do you harm, however, is an option. To some people guns are therapeutic. Hanging out with friends and family at the shooting range, discussing weaponry and challenging each other at marksman skills is a great way to “blow off steam” and bring people together.

One more reason, and probably the most conspiracy ridden is protection from governments, both ours and others. Every veteran has taken the oath, “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic”, and depending on your view of the current administration, could be in defense of the Constitution.

A gun is a tool, and like any other tool, if not used properly, a person can and will hurt themselves or others. A gun cannot fire by itself. It requires someone to pull the trigger. Simply put, guns do not kill people; people kill people. More constrictions and tighter regulations on gun laws would be an attempt to erode away gun rights and the 2^nd Amendment, and therefore, would be illegal.

 

 

Conservative Corner: Lifting the Vail of Conservative Wonder

We all have had those family gatherings, whether it is Thanksgiving or Christmas, where topics come up and bring out some very interesting conversations.  Of course most every conversation will eventually morph itself into philosophy and politics. From the proverbial “Uncle Bob”, the right-wing, gun-toting, conservative, to “Cousin Louise”, the left-wing, feminist, liberal, and everyone in between, we have all been witness to some very spirited family debates.  It is true; everyone in the family has an opinion.

When you think of the term “Conservative” what comes to mind? The opinions are as varied as the term itself. According to dictionary.com, conservative is being traditional in style or manner, or who is conservative in principles, actions, habits, etc. It promotes the idea of traditional social and political ways of thinking. They are not necessarily rich, old, white men. As you may notice, there are many people who are old, rich, and white. Many of them are liberals. Many republicans are conservatives, but not all conservatives claim the Republican Party. It takes all kinds of people to be considered conservative.

 Mitchell L. is an accounting student at LBCC. He claimed he didn’t know a lot about the group and believed that they liked things a certain way and didn’t approve of change. Mellissa J., an auto-tech student, doesn’t know a lot about any kind of political group, but she does have conservative influences in her life. I have spoken to those who seemed convinced that conservatives are evil and need to be silenced at all costs.

Because of their traditional values, conservatives adhere to and have a strong connection to their faith, family, and country. They may be religious, but not necessarily considered “Bible-thumpers”. They may not have a large family, but deeply love those they care about. They may not be overly patriotic, but do have a solid love for the country. Many Veterans also have conservative values.

Because of their values, most have a strong connection to The Constitution, The Bill of Rights, and the Bible. Conservatives staunchly support The Bill of Rights, especially the 1^st and 2^nd Amendments. Does that make them better Americans? In the coming weeks we will explore what makes a conservative person tick and attempt to show that the typical conservative is not just an old, rich, white man, or a conspiracy theorist, gun-toting, trailer-trash, redneck. The average conservative deserves just as much respect as anyone else.

Amateur Radio Field Day 2012

Since 1933 amateur radio clubs and groups have gathered to challenge themselves and other operators around the country and world in this annual contest of technical abilities, emergency communications, points, and bragging rights. The third Friday and Saturday of June is when this contest takes place. For this 24 hour period, hams across the world leave the comfort of their families and lock themselves in their “ham shacks” and campsites for a day of relentless contacts and working the bugs out of communication systems.

The following link is the youtube video of the Linn County Amateur Radio Emergency Services group field day event.
http://youtu.be/Z5DyYyTKE1A

    This year, Amateur Radio Field Day took place on the 22^nd and 23^{rd of} June. Two local groups, the Peak Radio Association, (W7PRA), and the Linn County Amateur Radio Emergency Service group, (L.C.A.R.E.S), (W7AEP), battled it out in this event sponsored by the International Amateur Radio Union, (IARU) and the American Radio Relay League, (ARRL). The Peak Radio Association, which is headquartered in Corvallis, held their event just outside Monroe, Oregon.

Members of the Peak Radio Association monitor frequencies

W7PRA boasted four stations, including digital and high frequency, (HF) all while using battery, solar and generator power. They worked with at least four flat-side directional, several long wire and vertical antennas. The club was thoroughly energized by the event, and a good time was had by all.

The banner for the LCARES group

The LCARES group is headquartered in Albany, but had their event at Cheadle Lake Park in Lebanon, Oregon. The rain dampened the spirits of the club members a little but the shelters and antennas went up nonetheless. The group set up two different stations. One that operated on voice HF frequency bands and one that operated on digital HF frequency bands. All the power used by the transmitters was supplied by an alternator attached to an exercise bike. Everyone there had a wonderful day, despite the wet weather.

Roy, KE7WZ, working an HF band

The comradery and fellowship of these contests that are surrounded by ham radio are outstanding. No matter the weather, it is always fun to be a part of ham radio field day events. To be a part of next year’s events, next spring go to arrl.org for information on the closest Amateur Radio Field Day event. And remember, when all else fails, ham radio works.

http://youtu.be/varHL752Odk