Category: Politics

Warning! Political stuff.

Forgive me, but I read about this stuff, think about this stuff, see what others write about this stuff on Twitter and if I don’t write out my thoughts and feelings on these issues, I’m fairly certain my brain will explode all over your monitor.

If you don’t agree with me politically (I’m a moderate conservative [I’m pretty sure that’s an oxymoron]), then please skip this post. Thanks.

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Interesting news day. While the Obama administration scrambles to figure out what exactly happened with the bin Laden event and then how to spin it to the rest of the country (I believe we’re on, what, version 13 or 14 now?), here’s what else is going on in our country right now.

Are you paying attention?

http://twitter.com/#!/writefromkaren/status/66161703624257536

The Obama administration has floated a transportation authorization bill that would require the study and implementation of a plan to tax automobile drivers based on how many miles they drive.

The plan is a part of the administration’s “Transportation Opportunities Act,” an undated draft of which was obtained this week by Transportation Weekly.

The White House, however, said the bill is only an early draft that was not formally circulated within the administration.

So … not only will we have to pay taxes on the gas we buy, we’ll have to pay taxes on the miles we drive while being stuck in traffic burning more gas.

And then, AND THEN …

http://twitter.com/#!/writefromkaren/status/66208128840110080

Workers would be able to divert a portion of their paychecks into an untaxed account that can be used to pay for gas and other fuels under new legislation set to be introduced in the Senate this week.

The legislation, authored by Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska), is aimed at lessening the burden of high gas prices on consumers. The bill comes as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are scrambling to do something about gas prices, which are nearing $4 a gallon.

SOOOOO, let me get this straight – -we open tax-free accounts so we can buy gas, then get taxed on gas we buy AND taxed on the miles we drive.

What. The. Hell??

We have GOT to vote these idiots out of office and soon. Why is the government’s answer to ALWAYS insert more regulations when all we have to do to fix these idiotic problems is to restructure, annihilate existing programs?

Also? Two words – domestic drilling. We have enough oil here at home to sustain us for many years. In the meantime, we could develop an effective, cost-efficient energy source to get us off oil and out from under foreign influence.

I mean seriously people, it’s not rocket science!!

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http://twitter.com/#!/writefromkaren/status/66174224234057728

The number of people applying for unemployment benefits surged last week to the highest level in eight months, a troubling sign a day ahead of the government’s report on April employment.

The Labor Department said Thursday that applications rose 43,000 to 474,000 in the week ended April 30, the third increase in four weeks. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, rose for the fourth straight week to 431,250.

Rising unemployment applications and other weak economic data this week have prompted some analysts to worry that higher fuel prices may be causing employers to slow their pace of hiring.

Brilliant observation, Sherlock.

This economic recovery ROCKS, doesn’t it?

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And speaking of Obama and Ground Zero – does anyone else find it disturbing that he’s passing himself off as some sort of hero about this bin Laden deal when in fact he fought tooth and nail to block the procedures that got us the information to get the man to begin with AND sat on giving the go ahead a whopping 16 hours after he got wind of what was going on only to take full credit and milk it for all it’s worth after its success?

Can you imagine what would have happened and who he would have blamed if it HADN’T been successful?

This man’s ego is seriously unbelievable.

I don’t blame President Bush for declining an invitation to join him at Ground Zero. I also don’t blame 9/11 families for refusing to participate.

This whole thing is disturbing.

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And while we’re on the subject of Obama taking credit for bin Laden’s death …

The Obama campaign has purchased the domain: www.gutsycall.com and when you click on it, it re-directs you to Obama’s campaign website. This is the height of douchebaggery, especially since Obama had to be FORCED to actually make that “gutsy call“!

So let me get this right. It was Leon Panetta, not Barack Obama who put this deal together, and made the “gutsy call.” As usual, Obama was voting “present.” The only difference is this time he had a real leader calling him out and forcing him to act.

Let me leave asking this: How do you think the “Muslim street” will feel knowing Obama is using the death of bin Laden to raise money to get re-elected?

Source

I don’t even know what to say to this.

Mr. President, you’re a jerk.

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I’m betting you didn’t hear about this little nugget, either.

http://twitter.com/#!/writefromkaren/status/66196443752435712

It’s because the lame-stream media are too busy kissing Obama’s butt and trying to make him out to be a hero to actually report on the actual news.

It’s official.

Home prices have double dipped nationwide, now lower than their March 2009 trough, according to a new report from Clear Capital.

It was inevitable, and it was predicted (by me for sure) that a surge in sales of foreclosed properties and a big push by banks to facilitate short sales would force home prices down dramatically.

Sales of bank-owned (REO) properties hit 34.5 percent of the market, according to the survey, resulting in a national price drop of 4.9 percent quarterly and 5 percent year-over-year. National home prices have fallen 11.5 percent in the past nine months, a rate not seen since 2008. Add short sales, where the bank allows the borrower to sell for less than the value of the mortgage, and prices have nowhere to go but down.

I like how the article makes the banks out to be the big, bad wolf in this scenario. Let’s not forget that the government passed regulations that FORCED banks to loan to people who could not afford to pay their mortgages to begin with. Now that their loans are due, and they can’t pay, the banks are forced to foreclose because HELLO, you can’t live in a house for free.

And because more people are losing their jobs because of this awesome economic recovery that the White House insists is happening, then that means MORE people are being forced out of their homes.

This has nothing to do with the rich versus the poor and everything to do with folks who bit off more than they could chew and a government that helped them get in this situation from the very beginning.

And for the rest of us who are still fortunate enough to have a roof over our heads? This means our homes are now worth even less than what we paid for them.

Sweet.

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And lastly, one more bit of sad, and alarming, news:

Nearly Half Of Detroiters Can’t Read

According to a new report, 47 percent of Detroiters (emphasis added) are ”functionally illiterate.” The alarming new statistics were released by the Detroit Regional Workforce Fund on Wednesday.

“Not able to fill out basic forms, for getting a job — those types of basic everyday (things). Reading a prescription; what’s on the bottle, how many you should take… just your basic everyday tasks,” she said.

Source

This both saddens, and angers, me. This alarming statistic just happens to be in a city where teachers’ unions are very strong. In fact, a lot of the Detroit schools had to close because they couldn’t meet the unions demands.

So you tell me which is the lesser of two evils here – closing schools so they can add to entitlement programs and give fat raises to teachers/staff, or to leave nearly HALF of the city unable to read as a result of kowtowing to their demands.

We live in crazy times, my friends.

http://twitter.com/#!/writefromkaren/status/65072100624445440

“Karen. The president is making a special announcement at 10:30,” Kevin says to me as I’m watching an episode of “Samantha Who?” on Netflix online.

I rolled my eyes. Excuse me for the sarcasm but that’s my general reaction whenever I hear Obama is about to make ANOTHER speech.

The man is stuck in campaign mode.

Still. Ten-thirty at night? This was unusual, but I figured I would hear about it soon enough and quite honestly (really, when am I NOT honest with you, Internet), I much prefer to read Obama’s transcripts so I don’t have to subject myself to his arrogant attitude, his haughty expressions and that annoying, drawn-out ssssssss sound he makes any time he says a word that ends in S.

Seriously. I picture a cartoon whistling snake slithering through tall grass whenever I hear him talk – I can’t help it.

I’m just getting back into the show (Christina Applegate is so adorable), when Kevin pops his head around the corner.

“Obama hasn’t come on yet, but rumor has it that Osama bin Laden is dead,” he tells me. Again. I remain motionless as I absorb this information.

My first thought was “about damn time,” and then a feeling of vindication for all the people who lost loved ones on 9/11 and a surge of pride for our country – you mess with us, we will hunt you down and make you pay. It may take us years, but we WILL seek justice.

My second thought was, “crap. This is going to make Obama look good.”

And that made me angry. Not because I’m hell bent on removing the man from office (because I am, actually), but because he would likely take credit for it, with the media’s blessing (and I was right), and spin it so that he somehow comes out as a hero in this whole decade ordeal even though he vowed to shut down the hunt and instead, try and offer an olive branch to a section of radical extremists who have no interest in anything other than displaying our heads on spikes.

Let’s be clear, to coin an Obama phrase, Obama gave the go ahead to instigate the raid, and kudos to him for doing so, by the way, but he did NOT, nor should NOT, take credit for any part in taking bin Laden out. Those policies/procedures/plans were firmly in place from the Bush/Cheney era and carried out by our very capable and pretty damn awesome special ops teams.

Period.

I’ve been watching people on Twitter celebrate the death of bin Laden and even though I’m glad the man is gone and in fact, deserved to die for the sheer number of American deaths that him, and his followers, have carried out over the years …

Remember 9/11 and the 2,977 innocent men, women, and children murdered by bin Laden’s jihadi henchmen.

Remember the 2000 USS Cole and the 17 sailors killed by bin Laden’s jihadi henchmen.

Remember the 1998 US Embassy Bombings in Africa, the 12 US diplomats, and hundreds of Kenyans slaughtered by bin Laden’s jihadi henchmen.

Remember the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the six killed, and hundreds injured by bin Laden’s jihadi henchmen.

Remember the 1983 Beirut bombings and the 241 US servicemen murdered by bin Laden’s jihadi spiritual brethren.

Source

… still, I felt a bit uncomfortable with just HOW jubilant people have been. In fact, some have been downright gloating and I’m not sure that reaction is exactly right, either. I even saw several people chastise Christians for not “turning the other cheek” on this issue. (Which, by the way, turning the other cheek is translated to mean ignore insults and mockery, it does NOT refer to social justice).

And there are some people who want to believe that now that bin Laden is gone, we can breathe easier and consider ourselves “safe” from terrorists.

I only wish that were true.

http://twitter.com/#!/writefromkaren/status/65119208354222080

Osama bin Laden has only been a figurehead, there is still an organization, and I daresay it will never go away, not truly, that believe Americans are the devil’s spawn – we’ll never be truly safe until Christ comes back to save us.

Evil does, and will continue, to be present. People who think it’s possible to have a Utopia before Christ returns are naive and gullible.

I have questions; I can’t help it, I question authority, that’s who I am. I wonder if the person they killed was indeed Osama bin Laden. They allegedly compared DNA samples to his sister’s brain (who died last year from brain cancer) and that bin Laden’s wife called out his name during the raid, but what if, and humor me for a moment please, the DNA match wasn’t actually bin Laden but one of his brothers? After all, couldn’t a familial DNA sample match those within the same family? And why would the wife call out bin Laden’s name during the attack? Was that some sort of ploy to throw our soldiers off track and instinctively target the man she was addressing? What if it was a ploy to divert attention from bin Laden? And why was bin Laden buried at sea so quickly? I get that Muslim customs require a body to be buried within 24-hours of death, but considering the circumstances, wouldn’t it have been better to slow things down a bit and make sure it was in fact bin Laden before disposing the body?

I pray all of this is true and that bin Laden is indeed gone. Perhaps that will dissuade others, at least for a short time, to leave us alone. (Though I’ve heard a rumor that there might be a nuclear bomb hidden somewhere in the world that is supposed to go off if something happens to bin Laden – I pray that’s not true. It’s like an episode of “24”, isn’t it).

Anyway. Those are my thoughts on the issue. I have to purge this out of my system of I’ll never get anything done.

Thanks for hearing me out.

ADDED: Love how this is worded. From Sarah Palin’s Facebook page:

Americans tonight are united in celebration and gratitude. God bless all the brave men and women in our military and our intelligence services who contributed to carrying out the successful mission to bring Bin Laden to justice and who laid the groundwork over the years to make this victory possible. It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of these brave Americans who relentlessly hunted down our enemy.

This is a victory for the American people, for the victims who were heartlessly murdered on September 11 and in Al Qaeda’s other numerous attacks, and for all the peace-loving people of the world.

May God bless our troops and our intelligence services, and God bless America!

From President Bush:

This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done.

Damn straight, sir.

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again (and again, and again), parents, you have to PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT’S BEING TAUGHT IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Before we get started, I’d like to say, I’m not a big fan of Glenn Beck. I don’t dislike the man, but I don’t think he’s the end-all for conservative thought, either. I think he’s a little too doom and gloom and he likes to play on people’s fears – this is NOT to say that people shouldn’t be worried about where our country is heading and not take precautions, OR to totally discount what Beck has to say because he’s being written off as a kook, but take what he says with a grain of salt.

Actually, take everything you read/hear with a grain of salt, including this post, because we all have hidden agendas somewhere, even me. It’s human nature. (My hidden agenda is to try and train [not sure that’s the right word] people into thinking for themselves and not take everything they read/hear as gospel truth).

I can only listen to Beck in spurts. His radio show is just a bit too much for me to handle. It’s so convoluted and confusing what with him and two other guys cracking jokes and throwing sarcasm around like confetti that it’s sometimes hard just to figure out what his point IS. However, this is not to imply that the man doesn’t make great points or have something of value to share with the rest of us.

I’m telling you my thoughts on Beck because even though I’m a conservative, conservative personalities are flawed and just because they’re popular, doesn’t necessarily mean I agree with them.

With that said, I noticed this on The Blaze today:

Vodpod videos no longer available.

In case you still don’t see what the problem is, let me highlight the part in this little girl’s song that has caused some people’s eyebrows to raise:

Boycott, petition, let the big business know / that if we mess it up here, there’s no where else we can go.

As per usual, I will try and be fair in my assessment of the situation.

I do not have a problem with teaching our children to take care of the environment. We should ALL pitch in and do our parts. We should ALL clean up after ourselves and leave the environment in better shape than how we found it. Though I do not, for an instant, believe in MAN-MADE Global Climate change (notice I put MAN-MADE in caps), I do think we could all do a much better job of cutting down our wasteful habits, recycle materials, and plant more trees.

Absolutely. You’ll get no argument from me there.

The problem, of course, is that whoever wrote this “cute” little rap song for the children to learn and recite in their Earth Day program thought he/she would be clever and sneak in his/her personal thoughts on the whole issue. Obviously, whoever wrote this piece was a person who not only believed in climate change, but wished to point an accusing finger at the big, bad corporations for making it worse than it really is.

Having that opinion to begin with is not a bad thing. We’re all entitled to our opinions, and you know what they say about opinions, the problem is that by teaching this song to our children, we are indoctrinating our children into believing that this is how it really is. We are teaching them, at a very young age, to grow up thinking that the song writer’s opinion is gospel truth.

Forcing our opinions, or our personal agendas, on impressionable children is NEVER a good idea. Our responsibilities as adults, as parents, is to teach our children all sides of an issue, not brainwash them into thinking one way and one way only.

I know, firsthand, how hard it is to keep our mouths shut when it comes to our personal beliefs and opinions. I maintain several local school websites and though I LOVE my job (truly, it’s SO FUN), I don’t always agree on issues. I could easily insert my opinion, or slant some of the information, to favor my way of thinking. But I don’t. Because it would be wrong. Instead, I challenge myself into making sure that the information that is being posted on those websites is as impartial as possible because it’s not my job to sway people into thinking one way or another, it’s my job to put the information out there and allow people to make up their own minds.

These children, bless their hearts, have no idea what they’re reciting. However, the problem lies in the fact that they will remember what they’ve been taught and at some point, they will put two-and-two together and they will think, without having the maturity to look at all sides of the issue, that what they were taught in school was the “right” way to see things – after all, their teachers wouldn’t steer them wrong, right?

People who abuse that trust to insert their own thoughts/opinions/agendas are morally despicable.

So yes. As the title of this post states, this IS a war for our children. Our public school administrators (and I’m talking generally, not anyone specifically or even locally, but rather on a national level) are taking advantage of the fact that they’re responsible for the education of our children and are slowly, and stealthily, pushing their liberal agendas on our children hoping that when those children grow up, they will vote the way they want them to vote thereby not only pushing their agendas into law, but expanding their voting base.

Call me crazy. Accuse me of being a conspiracy theorist nut. I don’t care. I just hope you finish this post a little wiser as to what is happening in our country at this very moment. If nothing else, entertain the thought that I might be right for a moment.

It’s sort of a scary moment, isn’t it?

(By the way, I was finally able to add my copy of “Waiting for Superman” to my Amazon book store. If you would be interested in buying my copy from me, click here. The original DonorsChoose gift card is included so when you buy the DVD, you have the option of donating $25 to a teacher’s wish list. I would have given it to a local teacher, but there are so many more areas in the country that need the help more). Never mind – just sold it! Thank you!!

Hey parents!

You have NO IDEA what’s good for your children.

WE know what’s best!

And packing lunch for your little ones?

Ain’t gonna happen in OUR school district. WE will provide your children with healthy food – don’t you DARE make nutritional choices for YOUR children. WE know best. Don’t fight us.

Where’s the money coming from to feed all of the extra mouths, you ask?

Don’t you concern yourselves with that little nuisance, money is no object – we’ve got it covered. All you need to concern yourself with is to make sure little Johnny/Jane shows up to school on time and hungry! Cause we’re gonna feed them the food of OUR choice. And you’re gonna LIKE it! Cause what choice do you have? We’re in control, you’re not speaking up, YOUR children are ours to do with as we please. Now stop your whining and drink more Kool-aid.

*insert evil laugh here*

Of course, I’m being melodramatic, but get this – this is NOT a hypothetical situation. It’s happening, right now.

(Did you hear about this news story? If not, my question is why not? Are you paying attention? Is the news outlet you’re listening to or watching not reporting it? Why not? Stay informed people, these are our RIGHTS we’re talking about here).

Crazy, right?

Not to sound all bad ass on you people, but if anyone dared to tell me that I had no control over what my children ate, at any time of the day or at any point in their lives, or who dared to take my parental responsibility away from me, no matter the issue or how “small” the choice in regards to MY OWN CHILDREN, I’d go all Rambo Mom on their controlling bleepity-bleep-bleep-bleeps.

But let’s bring this tirade down a notch or two (or ten) and look at the issue here.

To encourage healthful eating, Chicago school doesn’t allow kids to bring lunches or certain snacks from home — and some parents, and many students, aren’t fans of the policy.

Principal Elsa Carmona said her intention is to protect students from their own unhealthful food choices.

“Nutrition wise, it is better for the children to eat at the school,” Carmona said. “It’s about the nutrition and the excellent quality food that they are able to serve (in the lunchroom). It’s milk versus a Coke. But with allergies and any medical issue, of course, we would make an exception.”

Carmona said she created the policy six years ago after watching students bring “bottles of soda and flaming hot chips” on field trips for their lunch. Although she would not name any other schools that employ such practices, she said it was fairly common.

And yet, we haven’t heard of any other school doing this – I wonder how “common” it really is?

Now this paragraph disturbs me:

Any school that bans homemade lunches also puts more money in the pockets of the district’s food provider, (emphasis added) Chartwells-Thompson. The federal government pays the district for each free or reduced-price lunch taken, and the caterer receives a set fee from the district per lunch.

Wait. So forcing children to eat at school and forgo homemade lunches “puts more money in the pockets of the district’s food provider?” It always comes back to money, doesn’t it. Even though it’s nearly always disguised as the “better option for the people.”

Also, look at that last sentence: “The federal government pays the district for each free or reduced-price lunch taken, and the caterer receives a set fee from the district per lunch.” Just WHO do you think the federal government gets the money from??

THE TAXPAYERS! AARGH – money doesn’t just magically appear, people!!!!

And then the crème de la crème:

At Little Village, most students must take the meals served in the cafeteria or go hungry or both. During a recent visit to the school, dozens of students took the lunch but threw most of it in the garbage uneaten. Though CPS has improved the nutritional quality of its meals this year, it also has seen a drop-off in meal participation among students, many of whom say the food tastes bad.

Sooooo … not only are the kids now NOT eating at all, they’re wasting tons of food that could be served to people who could REALLY benefit from it – like the homeless or the hungry.

Another brilliant call Mr. Government. Truly.

And let’s not forget that MOST parents can’t AFFORD to pay for lunches every day – they have to PAY for idiot programs like these.

“This is the perfect illustration of how the government’s one-size-fits-all mandate on nutrition fails time and time again. Some parents may want to pack a gluten-free meal for a child, and others may have no problem with a child enjoying soda.”

AGREED! The CHOICE of what to feed our children should be up to the PARENTS – not a “one-size-fits-all” government bureaucracy.

“But Karen, what about the children who come to school every day with chips, cupcakes and soda in their lunch? Don’t they deserve to eat healthy foods?”

How do you know they’re not eating healthy? How do you know they eat like that every day? What business is it of ours what the parents pack for their children? Unless that child is having food-related health issues and intervention is required for the sake of the child’s health, the public has no right what to tell the parents how to feed their children.

The community with the lunch ban has a median income of around $32,000 a year. What does that buy you in the city? Think about it. Raising a family that includes school-aged children on a budget that would squeeze a single person in an urban area does not leave much room for expensive, healthy, delicious foods. It’s the American poverty crisis – the poor get poorer.

With the other basics of survival (housing, for one) taking up most of an income like that, there simply isn’t room in the family budget for the luxury of nourishing, delicious food. The default food group becomes junk.

Source

This is a Red Herring argument. If families are in the low-income bracket, they automatically qualify for free or reduced-fee lunches. So, these children that are eating lunches at school are doing so BECAUSE their parents are low income.

People who do NOT qualify for free or reduced-fee lunches have to PAY for their children’s lunches every day and those people CAN’T afford to do so every day. It would be MUCH cheaper to buy a family pack of deli meat and a loaf of bread (ever heard of day old bread? CHEAP), and get several days worth of lunches from that food than to pay for one lunch their child may, or may not, eat.

What a waste and an incredible violation of our parental rights.

No, sorry. No matter how you slice this issue, government intervention is NOT THE ANSWER.

As always.

I don’t get a lot of emails forwarded to me, but when I do, I am immediately cynical. Just as with anything, one needs to take the time to look at the entire subject matter and not just take a snippet of something and go off the handle about it.

I recently received an email about how the new dollar coins (they’re bringing those things back again?? Didn’t the first dollar coin experiment FAIL? That’s the government for you – keep throwing money WE DON’T have on programs that have FAILED. Where was I …) don’t have “In God We Trust on Them.”

Hhmm…

I looked up the email on Snopes.com and here is what it said:

In 2007, the U.S. Mint began the release of a series of coins similar in concept to the 50 State Quarters Program launched in 1999. This new series, the Presidential $1 Coin Program, features dollar coins identical in size, color, and composition to the earlier Sacagawea dollar, each one bearing the likeness of a former U.S. President on the front and a representations of the Statue of Liberty on the back. The Presidential $1 coins will be released in series of four per year (in order corresponding to the presidents’ terms of office) beginning in February 2007.

Just as the first Presidential $1 coins rolling out of the Mint in early 2007, emails began to circulate spreading the erroneous assertion that the new dollar coins did not include the phrase “In God We Trust” in their design. In fact, the Presidential dollars neither omitted the phrase “In God We Trust” nor demonstrated a plot to “phase God out of America.” As specified by Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005, in order to allow for “larger and more dramatic artwork” on the coins’ faces, the new Presidential $1 coins incorporated a few design features not found on other current U.S. coinage, one of which is that elements typically displayed on either the front or back of U.S. coins – the year of minting, the mint mark, the motto from the Great Seal of the United States (“E Pluribus Unum”), the current national motto of the United States (“In God We Trust”) – were instead included as edge-incursed inscriptions. That is, all of these elements appeared on the edges of the new dollar coins rather than on their fronts or backs.

Source

The article goes on to say that there were small quantities of coins released at the beginning of the program that did NOT have the “In God We Trust” on them, but that it was a “mistake”.

Yeah right. I’m betting they omitted it on purpose to see if they could get away with it and people threw such a fit that they “fixed” the problem.

And the whole trying to phase God out of America thing? I totally buy that. I’m convinced that our government is trying to do that very thing but they would never come right out and admit that. I’m sure it would be chocked up to a “mistake,” if called out later.

*snicker*

Congress later reversed it’s specifications of printing “In God We Trust” on the side of the coin with the 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act and instructed the mints to put it back ON the coin.

Again, most likely because people threw a fit about it.

Even though this email being circulated is wrong in stating that the new dollar coins don’t have the national motto “In God We Trust” printed on them (earlier versions didn’t due to a “mistake”, later versions have it on the side, and even later versions now have it printed on the coin), I think it’s still important to point out that once again, our government TRIED to get away with something and yet again the PEOPLE put their foot down and said no.

It just goes to show that, once again, it’s important to pay attention to what our government is up to. There’s no telling what “MISTAKES” might be made when we’re not looking.