Category: Can We Talk?

Believe it or not, I’m a pretty laid-back person. Of course, you wouldn’t know that to read my blog because it seems like I’m always b*tching about something, right?

And I apologize for that. You don’t hear about the good stuff very often because the good stuff? Can be a bit boring, don’t you think?

But passion – ah. That’s where it gets interesting. And there are some things I’m passionate about. So much so, that I talk about them frequently, in fact, SO frequently that my passion? Actually crosses over into lecture zone. In fact, it’s safe to say, I’m downright preachy. But here’s the thing – I have a PASSION for people who blatantly disregard other people’s safety, or are deliberately rude and inconsiderate to others. There is NO excuse and damn it, I’m going to call them out on it.

If that makes me annoying to read, so be it. But I firmly believe people, and believe me, I’m including myself in this as well, need a good old-fashioned dose of humility now and again.

Ready? Open up because here comes a dose.

If you’ve been reading me for any length of time, you KNOW one of my biggest pet peeves is this – driving while on the cell phone.

Actually you can include anything that distracts your full attention from the road in with that pet peeve, too. And hey, I’m just as guilty as you.

I too have:

• changed the radio station
• taken a sip of coffee now and then
• have steadied the steering wheel between my legs so I could shovel a dollop of ice cream into my big mouth
• scolded my children
• been deeply engrossed in a conversation with my passenger
• checked my hair in the rear-view mirror
• dropped something on the floor and dived for it, taking my eyes off the road because that receipt? Is WAY MORE IMPORTANT than watching the traffic around me.

Oh yes. I’ve done my fair share of stupid things. And it doesn’t take much to distract us from the road. All of these things? Are dangerous when we’re driving. Minor, every day occurrences that we don’t really think of as dangerous but honestly, all it takes is that one split second to drive into the danger zone.

I mean this stuff? Is pretty common. And probably not much we can do about because we’re human and driving is pretty boring.

But talking on the cell phone? Texting? Emailing? Is inexcusable, irresponsible, and yes, selfish.

Do you realize that talking on the cell phone is the equivalent to driving while intoxicated? That whenever you talk on your cell phone, your vision tunnels and you’re less likely to SEE what is going on around you? And that if you think you can “handle” it, then you’re an idiot because guess what? That’s how our brains are wired and unless you’re some super human? You can’t handle using your cell phone while operating a motor vehicle.

And get this, did you know that texting while driving is the same as driving after having FOUR alcoholic drinks?! That it’s just as bad, if not worse, than driving while drunk?

Are you listening?!

Now think about that for a moment. In essence, if you are using your cell phone while driving, you are putting yourself, other drivers and get this YOUR CHILDREN, in danger. Because if you’re driving your little ones around and you’re talking on the cell phone? You’re risking their lives.

Shame on you.

And THAT folks, is just an asinine risk to take. And I don’t know about you? But no phone call is worth my children’s lives. No text message is worth killing my family over.

And if you think I’m being dramatic? Then I dare you to take 40 minutes out of your day and watch the full episode that Oprah did on this very subject. I don’t care if you don’t like Oprah. I don’t care if you love Oprah. That’s not the point – don’t deflect the subject simply because I’ve hit a nerve and you’re annoyed with me.

Watch it. (By the way, be patient with that video – it takes a few seconds to stream, but it’s very worth it and it will [hopefully] open your eyes).

And then spread the word.

Because it’s not JUST about you, the other drivers, your family, it’s about MY SONS as well. Because my boys? Are driving. (Well, Dude is driving [no license yet, but close] and Jazz will be driving in the next year) and the thought of my precious sons out there on the road with selfish … individuals (and that’s not the word I wanted to use, trust me), who are too stupid or too oblivious to allow their voice mail to pick up incoming calls or to pull over to make/take a call while out on the roads makes me very, very scared and angry.

Driving is hazardous enough with the normal, everyday distractions. We do not need to add another deadly distraction that is 100% preventable.

And I am seriously considering buying “Hang up and Drive” bumper stickers and even one big sign I can hold up whenever I see someone on their cell phone because I believe THAT strongly in this message.

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve witnessed people swerving, or not yielding or just making bad driving choices only to discover they were talking on their cell phones and/or texting. I’ve seen it, firsthand. And it never fails to shock me. Especially when I see they have a car load of passengers.

And it absolutely floors me that we even have to have programs to make people aware of this dangerous activity. Have people completely lost their common sense? What fool actually thinks it’s okay to take their eyes off the road and text while driving?!? The kid in the Oprah video, the one who was texting while driving, swerved off the road and hit another car head on killing two gentlemen said that he simply didn’t know texting while driving was dangerous. That the whole “don’t use your cell phone while driving” – especially texting! – was never taught to him in Driver’s Ed in high school and it never occurred to him that it might be a bad thing to do.

My mouth actually fell open. Now we have to teach common sense?!?

But you know, that’s another post and I’ll just stop right there.

The bottom line? DON’T USE YOUR CELL PHONE WHILE DRIVING. And for those of you that like to split hairs? I’m including the Bluetooth, as well. It’s not the fact that you’re holding an actual phone up to your ear that is distracting, it’s the fact that your mind is focused on your conversation and not on the road that is the danger. So don’t even give me any excuses about “Well, I don’t use my cell phone in the car, I use my Bluetooth.” Lame and you know it.

Your car is not a phone booth, it’s not an office, it’s a 12-ton moving box that kills people when not operated correctly.

Again, I apologize for the passion behind this post, but DAMN IT people, wake UP and respect life, won’t you?

I hate to break this to you, but life? Is not JUST about you.

(rant is over – for now)

Warning: This is a political rant. If you can’t reasonably read about political opinions, then please, skip this. Don’t read it. By writing this post, my intention is not to make you angry, but rather, to make sense, and perhaps explain, something that has been on my mind a lot lately.

You have exactly five seconds to move on to another article before I get started.

5 … 4 …3 … 2 … 1 …

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Excellent, you’re still here. Here’s what I don’t understand:

Why do politicians dangle the promise of a bi-partisan government like a carrot in front of our noses when we all know, deep down, that our government will NEVER EVER agree. Ever.

Why? Because our ideologies are too different – as in, completely opposite.

Liberals are all about a social agenda – a country that offers one size fits all programs that will take care of the people, whether they want to be taken care of or not. Liberals want to be the Puppet Master while we, the puppets, numbly await our strings to be pulled. It’s simply easier to give that control up to a bigger entity. Liberals are “bleeding hearts”, they care about people and hate to see anyone suffer and/or be treated unfairly.

Conservatives are all about less government – a country that offers choices, options and the ability to pursue and embrace personal accomplishments. Conservatives are heartless bastards who don’t care about people, all they’re concerned about is the bottom line – power and money. And they don’t care who they squash in the process of getting there. Conservatives don’t have a compassionate bone in their body.

Does that sound about right? Really? Because that’s the common misconception that our government, and our media, would like us to believe. They would also like us to believe that we’re stupid, needy and that we EMBRACE dependence. And I don’t know about you? But that assumption offends the hell out of me.

If you haven’t guessed by now, I’m a Conservative. And though I certainly DON’T perceive Conservatives as depicted above, I’m aware that others perceive Conservatives that way. And though I’m more than willing to be wrong about my perceptions of the Liberals, I feel like media outlets, and sometimes even other Liberals, pretty much prove my assumptions correct.

To me, the fundamental difference between Liberals and Conservatives is this:

Liberals are more concerned about the short term – they would rather put a Band aid on the problem as opposed to actually fixing the root cause of the problem.

Conservatives tend to look at a problem in the long term – how exactly will this decision affect the country and the people say, five, ten, even twenty years down the line?

Let’s look at the fundamental differences in party opinion in relation to health care for example:

Liberals want health care NOW. People are hurting NOW. People need health care NOW. We must take care of these people NOW. It’s cold and heartless to make them suffer and they need us NOW. Liberals are impulsive and want immediate results. Liberals are emotional and rash – which is evident when they try and argue a point. Because they don’t argue, they insult. And they insult because they can’t think of a rational, logical argument so they resort to playground tactics by insulting the way a person looks, or the way they live, or some other such nonsense.

Conservatives want to take care of people, but they also want to make sure that it’s paid for, that it’s fair to all parties (not just making the rich pay for the poor) and that we retain options and choices in the process. Conservatives are more cautious and want to make sure that the ultimate course of action doesn’t come back to bite us in the butt years from now. (Like trying to make our children and grandchildren pay for our impulsiveness NOW). Conservatives are careful, they are rational and they assess the situation. They argue by providing facts and examples and because of this, people perceive them as uncaring, heartless, cold.

Conservatives are not interested in skin color. They don’t care whether your male or female. Conservatives care about being fair to ALL people – to provide opportunities for ALL people. To retain choices and options.

So WHY am I bringing this up? I’ll tell you why.

I am SICK AND TIRED of the media treating Conservatives like we are somehow NOT entitled to an opinion. That simply because we disagree with virtually everything President Obama is trying to do to this country that we are somehow bitter, angry, crazy, irrational, or get this RACIST. I’m sick and tired of having derogatory labels applied to movements like the Tea Parties that are created precisely to re-establish the values that our forefathers had the incredible foresight to establish. Somewhere down the road, we’ve lost sight of those core values and beliefs. Our country is GREAT precisely BECAUSE of these core values and beliefs and yet, so many people are willing to throw them out the window because they are perceived as unfair to the less fortunate, who have the same opportunities as the rest of us to succeed in life, I might add. Granted, they may have to fight an even steeper uphill climb, but the beauty of America is that it’s available – there are programs in place that help these very people, the people who don’t have the same advantage as others, to succeed.

You can NOT help people if they do not WANT to be helped. It really IS as simple as that.

And you can not cram policies down people’s throat when they don’t WANT THEM.

That’s why Scott Brown winning Massachusetts is such a big deal. The Democrats no longer have 60 seats in Congress. This means, they no longer have the power to ram bills through without discussion. They will now be FORCED to slow down and DISCUSS better options and come up with a better, more affordable, plan for EVERYONE. It’s also a clear message to Democrats that we are sick of their self-serving agendas and want our country back.

We are not angry at any one person, we are angry because no one is listening to our suggestions. We are angry because our country is changing and we feel powerless to stop it. We are angry because the Constitution is being ripped to shreds by people who honestly don’t care about us, the people, but care about power and control over us, the people. And I predict there will be even more Senate seats taken away from the Democrats in the upcoming months because you can’t ignore the wishes of the people and just expect life to go on as usual.

Democracy doesn’t work that way.

And because I’m not sure anyone reading this STILL understands where the Conservatives are coming from, and because it’s important to me to spell it out and make it crystal clear to those that are either too dense or too stubborn to take the time to understand, I’m going to include snippets from an article citing the differences between Conservatives and Liberals in an attempt to try and FURTHER explain why we are so different and why we will never see eye-to-eye. And though that’s frustrating and certainly slows the process down, it’s necessary. Because giving too much power to ANY party is never a good idea. People, no matter how well-intentioned, are only too human. If you give people too much power, it goes to their heads and they start doing stupid things (like our current administration). That’s why it’s absolutely necessary to have this checks and balances process in place so that BOTH parties are free to debate issues and to come up with compromises that seal the deal for all interested parties – not just a select few.

Taxes:

Conservatives believe in lowering taxes for all tax payers. Obviously, those who pay higher taxes will get the biggest break with an even percentage. Example, Mr. Smith makes $100,000.00 a year and his taxes are cut by $2500.00 while Mr. Jones makes $50,000.00 a year are cut by $1,250.00 The percentage is the same. The one who earns more gets more back. Common sense. Mr. Gray, meanwhile, paid no taxes because his income was too small. No tax cut will help him because he isn’t entitled to one.

Liberals want to increase taxes on those with higher incomes and give it to those with smaller incomes. They hope to tax the population into prosperity.

Size of Government:

Conservatives want a smaller, less intrusive government. Allow people to do what they want as long as it’s within the law.

Liberals want more control over the people. They want to limit as many rights as possible and keep control over all sorts of behavior.

Education:

Conservatives believe that education should be a matter of parental choice, not societal formulas.

Welfare:

Welfare is another sore subject, every election year. Conservatives believe in helping people get on their feet. If a single parent or family is in financial trouble beyond their ability to manage, Welfare is a good safety net. It was never intended to be a permanent lifestyle!

Foreign Enemies:

Though we would all LIKE to think that there is no evil out there, that no one would want to hurt America if only she were “nicer”, that’s not a realistic ideal. There are evil people out there and they want to hurt America because of our religious beliefs and for our independent, and successful lifestyle. We have the right, nay, the responsibility, to protect not only ourselves, but our fellow countrymen. The world will never be at peace – NOT until Christ comes back and to fool oneself into thinking otherwise is foolish and terribly naive.

Abortion:

Conservatives believe that life is sacred and has a right to continue unless it threatens others. Those who kill should have consequences to face. Those who attack the innocent should be held accountable. Those who have done no wrong must be protected.

Does this help at all? Because even though the media would like the majority of America to believe that Conservatives are ill-informed, cold, stupid, gun-toting idiots, that is simply not true. Conservatives are reasonable, rational, logical, caring, compassionate people who simply want to insure that life is FAIR to everyone.

And because so many of you, dear readers, are parents, let me put a parental spin on this analogy.

Here is the fundamental difference between a Liberal and a Conservative:

Sally and Dean have a twenty-year old son, Adam. Adam does not have a job, nor does he have any plans to go to college.

Liberal parents: Sally and Dean do nothing. They continue to allow their son to live with them. They do not make demands on him and they continue to pay for everything he needs. They don’t exactly coddle him, but they certainly don’t make any demands on him. They often make excuses for him when friends and family ask why he’s still living with them.

Conservative parents: Sally and Dean give Adam an ultimatum. If he wants to continue living with them, he has to either get a job and/or go to college and start actively working toward his independence. They stop buying him things rationalizing that if he wants these things, he can get a job and pay for them himself. They pressure their son to make his own life decisions and fully expect him to take responsibility for his own life.

Which set of parents, the Liberal or the Conservative, appear more compassionate?

Even though the Liberal parents appear more caring and compassionate, think about it. It’s almost cruel to make their son dependent on them for everything. By not pushing him to be his own person, to be responsible for his own life and seize the opportunities available to make something of his life, they are doing him more harm than good.

Though the Conservative parents seem cruel and unfeeling, they love their son enough to let him go – to allow him the freedom to make his own mistakes and feel good about his accomplishments. And they are there to encourage him when he gets discouraged and to cheer him on when he is successful.

THAT is the fundamental difference between a Liberal and a Conservative. So the next time you read a stereotype about how cold and unfeeling Conservatives are, perhaps you’ll remember this article and simply smile.

Because knowledge, freedom and independence? Truly IS powerful.

I’m still in shock over the Haiti earthquake disaster. It seems surreal that so many people died and there is so much destruction. The pictures are horrifying, I can barely stomach looking at them, in fact, I often don’t. I find myself turning the other cheek because it just hurts too much to witness so many people suffering – I feel a bit like a peeping tom, my nose pressed to the glass, an outsider looking into their devastation. The disaster seems so surreal because our world has come so far – we have technology in place to warn us of things like this. Our buildings are improved and more structurally sound to withstand this type of natural disaster. We have made so many improvements precisely to save ourselves from things we can not control.

The Haiti disaster only serves to jerk us out of our comfort zones, to remind us that there are still parts of the world that are severely underdeveloped, that are poor, that are in need, and that it is our responsibility to help them in any way we can. Whether that’s a monetary donation or an actual trip over there to physically lend a hand. The Haiti earthquake makes me appreciate my life and the fact that I’m living in such a great country.

We MUST stop monkeying around and get a grip on ourselves – we need to get our country back on track so we have the energy, resources and funds to focus our attention on countries who honestly need our help. This inbred arguing is fruitless and self-destructive!

I’m incredibly annoyed and honestly flabbergasted with Pat Robertson. What happened in Haiti is a tragedy and he’s busy spouting off nonsense about making pacts with the devil. Though I understand where he’s coming from – evil deeds beget evil results – it boggles my mind that the man is actually implying that the Haitians somehow deserved what happened to them because of something that may, or not may not, have happened three hundred years ago. So many innocent people died over there; No ONE innocent soul deserves to die – ever.

Robertson, and other whacked out religious leaders like him, give Christianity a bad name. Is it really any wonder that non-believers detest the Christian faith when irresponsible Christian “leaders” (and I put quotations around that because the man certainly doesn’t represent ME or my FAITH) open their mouths and say something incredibly stupid like this?

Let’s not dwell on that crazy man anymore … let’s focus on the positive.

I helped tweet out the Red Cross call for donations on Twitter yesterday. I read today that they have collected $3 million in donations. WOW!! If you’re ever in doubt about the power of social media, doubt no more. It’s amazing how many people we can reach via blogs, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

And I’d also like to remind people … please don’t blame God for this tragedy. Our God is a loving, kind, gentle and compassionate God. He would never do anything this cruel and senseless.

Now Satan? Absolutely. Let’s not forget that Satan is the God of this world. He became owner of this world when Adam and Eve sinned, thereby transferring ownership.

It really angers me when I see people blaming God for tragedies like this. OUR GOD WOULD NOT DO THAT.

If you would like to read more about how we are not to blame God for the terrible things that happen in our lives, here are some resources to check out:

Is an earthquake an “act of God”?

Where is God When Tragedy Strikes?

Is Everything That Happens God’s Will?

Please. Don’t blame God for Satan’s evil.

I’ve been sidetracked. The whole Fort Hood massacre, NOT TRAGEDY, though what happened to those 50+ people who got caught in the cross hairs of some Islamic terrorist IS certainly tragic, has distracted me from my NaNoWriMo project. It’s distracted me from getting any work done at all, quite frankly.

It’s all I can think about.

Why? It wasn’t the act itself that has plagued me, though again, that is horrific in and of itself, but rather, the fact that our media REFUSES to call it what it is.

A terrorist act.

And believe me when I say, I’m not one to jump on the media bandwagon, oh contrare, I think the media, in large part, are political suck-ups who get paid to sensationalize and distort the truth all for ratings or a quick buck, but when there is overwhelming evidence that Hasan planned this attack and fully intended to kill as many American soldiers (which somehow makes it worse, I think) as he could take out and yet no one is calling it what IS, I can’t just idly sit back and not say what we’re all thinking.

I refuse to be silenced. I refuse to play the “game” any longer. I refuse to sit back and be a “good” little “submissive” American anymore.

Enough is enough.

Our media is skirting around the issue. “He’s insane. Let’s not jump to conclusions. It’s not a crime to call al-Qaida is it?” (Seriously. Can you believe this idiot actually said that? Are you effing kidding me?!)

Let’s call it what it is: Being politically correct.

Ladies and gentlemen, political correctness is killing our country.

Quite literally, I’m sad to say.

It’s one thing to have diversity; it’s another thing to be polite; it’s honorable to be tolerant; it’s nice to be accommodating, but when we are willing to bend so far over backwards in order to not offend anyone that we’re kissing our own asses and ultimately offending everyone? It’s time to stop the nonsense.

Look. Part of the reason why America is so awesome is because we welcome all walks of life. Want to live in America and continue recognizing your cultural background? Fine. Be my guest. Knock yourself out.

But here’s the thing: If you’re living in our wonderful country, there are a few rules you must abide by – like assimilating into our culture. Ultimately, people who live here SHOULD learn English. Why? Because that’s our primary language! People who have moved here SHOULD respect the fact that our country was founded and based on Christianity.

Does this mean people who live here or don’t believe in Christianity SHOULD convert? Of course not! It just means that it’s the majority religion so one should just prepare oneself to DEAL with the fact that Christianity is prevalent in our country.

There are going to be churches. There is going to be talk of God. There are going to be people in our government who believe in God and wish to uphold God’s laws. There are going to be holidays that honor our God. There will be people who live by our God’s Bible.

It’s WHO America is. It’s WHAT America is. It’s the BACKBONE of our entire country.

Why is this so hard to accept?

If one doesn’t agree with Christianity. Fine. That’s a person’s prerogative. If one wants to practice another sort of religion? Great. Do it.

But accept the fact that Christianity is the MAJORITY. And in this country, our great United States of America, majority rules. It’s a little something called democracy. Though we (and yes, I’m in with the whole Christian crowd because *GASP* I’m a Christian) work hard not to shove it down someone’s throat, it’s what the MAJORITY of American people believe in. We shouldn’t have to apologize for it. We shouldn’t have to be ashamed of it. We shouldn’t have to call it something other than it is. We shouldn’t have to dilute it.

And if we set a holiday aside, like Christmas, in order to worship/acknowledge/give thanks to our Christian God and his son, Jesus Christ, then we shouldn’t have to compromise and can call it something other than what it is CHRISTmas, just to avoid offending those that don’t believe in it.

To me, it seems pretty simple, if one doesn’t like the whole Christmas thing, then ignore it. Don’t acknowledge it. Don’t participate in it. Don’t get sucked into the commercialization. We won’t ask you to rename your holidays, or pretend they’re about something other than they really are if you will extend the same courtesy.

And honestly? If it bothers people that much, then MOVE. Make arrangements to move to a country that DOES support your views. If that’s not possible, then suck it up. You’re in America and that’s how America works.

Remember. We’re not asking you to give up your heritage. Your beliefs. Your sexual orientation. We’re just asking that you stop DEMANDING that we change our way of lives, our way of thinking and believing, the core values that built this country in order to protect your sensibilities and lifestyle; America has bent over backwards to accommodate YOU.

If you are willing to obey our laws and respect our way of life, then we welcome you with open arms. But it’s when people start demanding that we change our laws, or deny our culture/heritage/beliefs, that we should, that we NEED, to draw the line.

Enough is enough.

And not calling Hasan a terrorist, when in fact, all signs overwhelmingly point to the fact that he was, correction, IS, or to try and shift the blame from the individual who crossed that line and killed innocent American soldiers by trying to convince the public that he has some fictitious secondary post-traumatic syndrome is downright insulting – to the public, the families of the victims and to the victims themselves.

When we have reached a point in our society that we’re too afraid to speak up and nip an emerging problem in the bud because God FORBID we offend someone, or a group, it’s time we draw those lines in the sand and say, enough is enough. If it boils down to saving an American life or offending someone’s sensibilities, it’s time we do the right thing and protect our people.

Period.

When we have 10% of U.S. Mosques Preaching Jihad ON OUR OWN SOIL where the sole purpose is to gather and lament on the evils of America and how American people should die – ON OUR OWN SOIL, then enough is enough.

That is unacceptable, folks. Period. THAT’S taking diversity a bit too far, don’t you think? Preaching about the evils of America while IN AMERICA?!?

The fact that this is tolerated at all just boggles my mind.

I’m through pussy-footing around. It’s time we take a stand and speak up against all of this political correctness nonsense. Sure, we need to be mindful of the diversity and people’s situations and avoid “labels”, but when people start dying, it’s time we grow a backbone.

As I’ve said, I’ve been thinking about this a lot these past several days. I’ve been watching, and reading, news stories about the Fort Hood massacre and that got me curious.

Exactly HOW did all of this political correctness even get started? So, I did a little research (I told you I was distracted!):

Definition:
1. Of, relating to, or supporting broad social, political, and educational change, especially to redress historical injustices in matters such as race, class, gender, and sexual orientation.
2. Being or perceived as being overconcerned with such change, often to the exclusion of other matters.

For the first time in our history, Americans have to be fearful of what they say, of what they write, and of what they think. They have to be afraid of using the wrong word, a word denounced as offensive or insensitive, or racist, sexist, or homophobic.

We call it “Political Correctness.” The name originated as something of a joke, literally in a comic strip, and we tend still to think of it as only half-serious. In fact, it’s deadly serious. It is the great disease of our century, the disease that has left tens of millions of people dead in Europe, in Russia, in China, indeed around the world. It is the disease of ideology. PC is not funny. PC is deadly serious.

If we look at it analytically, if we look at it historically, we quickly find out exactly what it is. Political Correctness is cultural Marxism. It is Marxism translated from economic into cultural terms. It is an effort that goes back not to the 1960s and the hippies and the peace movement, but back to World War I. If we compare the basic tenets of Political Correctness with classical Marxism the parallels are very obvious.

First of all, both are totalitarian ideologies.

Source: The Origins of Political Correctness

[Political Correctness] was developed at the Institute for Social Research in Frankfurt, Germany, which was founded in 1923 and came to be known as the “Frankfurt School.” It was a group of thinkers who pulled together to find a solution to the biggest problem facing the implementers of communism in Russia.

The problem? Why wasn’t communism spreading?

Their answer? Because Western Civilization was in its way.

What was the problem with Western Civilization? Its belief in the individual, that an individual could develop valid ideas. At the root of communism was the theory that all valid ideas come from the effect of the social group of the masses. The individual is nothing.

And they believed that the only way for communism to advance was to help (or force, if necessary) Western Civilization to destroy itself. How to do that? Undermine its foundations by chipping away at the rights of those annoying individuals.

One way to do that? Change their speech and thought patterns by spreading the idea that vocalizing your beliefs is disrespectful to others and must be avoided to make up for past inequities and injustices.

And call it something that sounds positive: “Political Correctness.”

Source: Political Correctness: The Scourge of Our Times

It sort of takes the shine off of trying to be all-accommodating, doesn’t it.

I also found a video that I thought was an interesting summation of political correctness, too.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

The bottom line? Enough is enough. It doesn’t really matter how it started, it’s time to stop the insanity.

It’s possible to OVER compromise and you know what? I think America has. It’s time to stop being politically correct and get back to our core values and BE PROUD of those core values.

If people don’t like it? If people aren’t willing to accept our rules, our language, our culture?

Then leave.

I sort of dislike questions that are worded like this because it makes it sound like there is a universal answer to this question and there’s simply not.

It depends on the child and the situation.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Let me just be upfront about something — I ABHOR talking on the phone. I mean, hate it. With a passion. With a capital “H”.

I have no idea why I feel this way. I wasn’t traumatized in a past life (not that I believe in past lives, but whatever), I don’t recall receiving bad news over the phone thereby scarring me for life. I just don’t like talking on the phone.

So, when it rings? I let it ring. And ring. And ring. Until voice mail kicks in. And if the person doesn’t leave a message? Then apparently, it wasn’t very important, right?

I know this has frustrated my family to no end. But they now know, that if they want to talk to me, either leave a message and I’ll call them back, or email me.

Actually, always email me. That is always the best way to reach me.

My phone aversion has rubbed off on the kids. They too hate talking on the phone. Though some of it probably stems from the fact that they’re boys and boys are not generally as chatty as girls.

At least, MY boys aren’t. 🙂

So the whole cell phone issue, and my boys not having one glued to their ears like their peers, was never an issue for us. Jazz did ask for one in middle school, but I vetoed the idea.

I mean … why? I was his personal taxi driver. He knew he couldn’t go over to a friend’s house after school until his homework was done. And the only activity he was involved in was band and they never had any last minute extra-curricular activities that I didn’t know about at least months in advance.

In short, there was never a need for my boys to have a cell phone. If they ever needed to get a hold of me, they used the school phone.

*gasp* The horror!

To top it off, it just seemed silly to spend money on something they didn’t need, and would likely get them into trouble (because the schools get VERY CRANKY when they catch kids using their phones during class). So, we didn’t worry about it.

But to appease the boys, I told them, “You can have your own phone when you start high school,” thinking, high school was EONS away and we’d cross that bridge when we came to it.

Hello bridge.

When Dude started high school two years ago, we bought him a phone. And we decided to do that because we were hoping that Dude would get involved in something at school and NEED it.

But he didn’t. And the boys ended up sharing the phone between them. Whenever one, or the other, stayed the night with a friend, they took THE phone. And whenever Jazz went out of town for a band performance, he took THE phone.

And though this situation worked out really well, Jazz wanted his own phone. And again, we told him no. There was no NEED to have another phone – sharing the one phone was working out quite nicely, thank you very much.

To appease Jazz, I once again told him, “when you start high school, you can have your own phone.”

Hello high school.

So, here we are. Both boys are in high school. And though Dude still isn’t involved in any extra-curricular activities (and never ask him if he’s interested, you’ll get the “death” stare), Jazz absolutely needs his own phone. The kid has been, and will continue to be, non-stop busy with his music for the next four years.

Considering the boys rarely used their phone, they had a TON of minutes saved up. (We go through Virgin Mobile and do the pay as you go program). And since we knew Jazz would be using the phone much more than Dude, we designated the old phone Jazz’s and we bought Dude his own phone.

Dude once again changed when he got his phone. He started acting more grown up, more …. manly, I guess. He carries his phone with him every day and he’s been texting an old friend who moved to another school district over the summer. He’s even given his phone number to an old online chum (don’t worry. It’s all on the up-and-up).

And Dude is eligible to take his driver’s test next week (he won’t, but he’ll be eligible.) Which means, soon, very, very soon, Dude will NEED his cell phone because he’ll be out on his own.

That’s the only reason why our boys have cell phones now. Because they both NEED them. And I like to keep track of them, especially now that they will be doing their own things, separately and without me or Kevin.

Do your kids have their own cell phones? Why? What do you think about kids having cell phones?