Nine Principles by Glenn Beck.

Do you watch the direction that America is being taken in and feel powerless to stop it? 

Do you believe that your voice isn’t loud enough to be heard above the noise anymore? 

Do you read the headlines everyday and feel an empty pit in your stomach…as if you’re completely alone? 

If so, then you’ve fallen for the Wizard of Oz lie. While the voices you hear in the distance may sound intimidating, as if they surround us from all sides—the reality is very different. Once you pull the curtain away you realize that there are only a few people pressing the buttons, and their voices are weak. The truth is that they don’t surround us at all. 

We surround them. 

So, how do we show America what’s really behind the curtain? Below are nine simple principles. If you believe in at least seven of them, then we have something in common. I urge you to read the instructions at the end for how to help make your voice heard.

Related Video - Watch Glenn Beck on Fox News weeknights at 5PM

The Nine Principles

1. America is good. 

2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life. 

3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday. 

4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government. 

5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.

6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results. 

7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable. 

8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion. 

9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me. 

You Are Not Alone 

If you agree with at least seven of those principles, then you are not alone. Please send a digital version of your picture to: wesurroundthem@foxnews.comand then stay tuned to the radio and television shows over the coming weeks to see how we intend to pull back the curtain.

Geitner: This video expresses eloquently my feelings

The Senate Vote is going to be taking place on January 26, 2009. PLEASE call your Senator and encourage them to vote no. Character, judgment and personal life does matter as well as qualifications. If this man is unable to run his own personal finances, pay his own taxes, be able to run a simple program such as Turbo Tax, what makes any one think he can manage trillions of dollars in debt, and have the capacity to handle the printing presses, and the IRS?

Founding Father Quotes

I am doing more reading on our Founding Fathers. When I was in high school, I found them to be interesting figures. Now as I am learning more about them, they truely are inspiring and great men. At the same time I am doing reading with respect to Karl Marx, Vladmir Lenin, Saulinksy, and alike contemporaries. To know where we as a nation are headed, we must first look to see where the ideologies have come from. The past is a good predictor of the future. In my thirst for knowledge the quote "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer" has been on my mind.

In regards to my last post, I have had some time to think and talk it out. I realized, I don't have anything to prove to any one. The only person I need to prove myself to is God. God knows what is in my heart, and sees my actions. I need to remember to keep my charity anonymous. I never have and never will want recognition for the things that I do or have done for others. What I do to help people is between me and the Lord. If people want to think I am a cold, heartless, souless individual because I am not 100% behind social programs, then so be it. Sunshine and lollipops for them! My life is too short to worry about if another person thinks I am charitable or not. Also, I should not feel guilty for what I have. I don't have anything else to say about that, other than I am working through it. I am looking to channel that in a manner in which I can better serve others.


Here are some quotes that I have come across....

"The utopian schemes of leveling [redistribution of the wealthy], and a community of goods [central ownership of all the means of production and distribution], are as visionary and impracticable as those which vest all property in the Crown. [These ideas] are arbitrary, despotic, and, in our government, unconstitutional.” - Samuel Adams

“Think what you do when you run in debt: you give to another power over your liberty.” - Benjamin Franklin

“It is a fact that should strike us with surprise and with shame that we are now obliged to borrow money in order to pay the interest of our debts. It is a fact that these debts are everyday accumulating by compound interests. This…will one day endanger the peace of our country, and expose us to vicissitudes the most alarming.” - Alexander Hamilton

"To take from one because it is thought that his own industry and that of his fathers have acquired too much, in order to spare to others who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equaled industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, ‘to guarantee to everyone of a free exercise of his industry, and the fruits acquired by it.’ If the overgrown wealth of an individual be deemed a danger to the state, the best corrective is the law of equal inheritance to all [his descendents] in equal degrees; and the better, as this enforces a law of nature, while extra taxation violates it.” - Thomas Jefferson

“There is no practice more dangerous than that of borrowing money;…for when money can be had in this way, repayment is seldom thought of in time, the interest becomes a loss, exertions to raise it by dint of industry cease, it comes easy and is spent freely, and many things [are] indulged in that would never be thought of if [they were] to be purchased by the sweat of the brow. In the meantime, the debt is accumulating like a snowball in rolling.” - George Washington

“Theoretic politicians, who have patronized this species of government, have erroneously supposed that by reducing mankind to a perfect equality in their political rights, they would, at the same time, be perfectly equalized and assimilated in their possessions, their opinions, and their passions.” - James Madison

“I think the best way of doing good to the poor is not making them easy in poverty, but leading them or driving them out of it.” - Benjamin Franklin


"“Present-day society is wholly based on the exploitation of the vast masses of the working class by a tiny minority of the population, the class of the landowners and that of the capitalists. It is a slave society, since the ‘free’ workers, who all their life work for the capitalists, are ‘entitled’ only to such means of subsistence
as are essential for the maintenance of slaves who produce profit, for the safeguarding and perpetuation of capitalist slavery.” - Vladamir Lenin

Such tolerance

There have been a couple of things that I have received in recent weeks, that have really bothered me.

Of the following posted items, the protests at the Los Angeles LDS Temple, and the graffiti that is taking place simply sickens me. I was brought to tears when I read of the people defacing the wall of the temple, and how a group of non-LDS women were beaten for removing signs from the temple.

To read the full account by a veteran LAPD officer, click on the following link.

http://www.ldsmag.com/ideas/081110hate.html

A forward from Jeff Parker, Multi-Stake Directgor of Public
Affairs:

Dear family and friends,
I had a very disturbing experience yesterday
that I would like to share with those of you that live outside of California (or
outside of the San Francisco Bay Area). This weekend we have stake
conference. Our stake conference always begins with a stake temple session
on Friday or Thursday night. Early Friday morning I received a call from
the second counselor in our bishopric to let me know that there would be
numerous protesters outside the temple, and to remind everyone to stay calm and
to drive carefully. The beautiful Oakland Temple is located right across
the bay from San Francisco, very close to the city of Berkeley. Apparently the
opposition to proposition 8, the amendment that seeks to make marriage in CA
between a man and a woman again, has realized the deep involvement of the church
and begun to protest right outside of the temple and harass temple
patrons. The fastest way to get to the temple from our house is to take
the 680 freeway, but the exit is a bit tricky. The off ramp is extremely
short and straight uphill. You then make an almost blind left turn, an
immediate right and another left into the parking lot. As we!
approached the off ramp, I realized there would be trouble. There
was a backup onto the freeway from cars stalled on the off ramp. As we
moved forward inches at a time, we realized this was due to a large group of
loud protesters who were standing on both sides of the street, yelling,
screaming and waving signs. When we got to the top of the offramp, ready
to make our turn, one protester jumped out right in front of our car. It
took my husband all his self control to carefully maneuver around him to the
left and proceed to the temple.
I tried not to listen to all they were
shouting at us, but I was shaking as I got to the temple front door.
Several of the sisters, especially the ones driving on their own, were crying
(which made me snap out of it and go into RS President mode to comfort
them). Later, as I was sitting in the perfect quiet of the chapel, I
couldn't help but think of Lehi's dream, and the people who mocked the Saints
from the big spacious building but 'we heeded them not.' It was a truly
surreal experience, I'd never thougth that I would have to go through an angry
crowd to get to the
temple. As we left late at night, the protesters
had dispersed, temple security (who all looked very large and Tongan) stood by
the gates. I never saw a single police man. Please pray for those of us in
California fighting for prop 8--it's getting kind of scary out
here!
Susanne

FOCA

It really irks me when people say to me "Abortion doesn't matter because it doesn't affect me."

Recently in the LDS publication, The Ensign, Elder Russell M. Nelson, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles discussed abortion in an article titled "Abortion: An Assault on the Defenseless." In the following quote Elder Nelson discusses abortion on demand, which has become a topic that hits close to home.

Relatively few abortions are performed for the special circumstances to
which I have referred.8 Most abortions are performed on demand to deal with unwanted pregnancies. These abortions are simply a form of birth control.
Elective abortion has been legalized in many countries on the premise that a woman is free to choose what she does with her own body. To an extent this is true for
each of us, male or female. We are free to think. We are free to plan. And we
are free to do. But once an action has been taken, we are never free from its
consequences. To understand this concept more clearly, we can learn from the astronaut. Anytime during selection or preparation, he or she is free to withdraw from the program. But once the spacecraft has lifted off, the astronaut is bound to the consequences of the previous choice to make the journey.
So it is with people who choose to embark on a journey that leads to parenthood. They have freedom of choice—to begin or not to begin that course. When conception does occur, that choice has already been made. Yes, a woman is free to choose what she will do with her body. Whether her choice leads to an astronaut’s mission or to a baby, her choice to begin the journey binds her to the consequences of that choice. She cannot “unchoose.” When the controversies about abortion are debated, "individual right of choice” is invoked as though it were the one supreme virtue. That could only be true if but one person were involved. The rights of any one individual do not allow the rights of another individual to be abused. In or out of marriage, abortion is not solely an individual matter. Terminating the life of a developing baby involves two individuals with separate bodies, brains, and hearts. A woman’s choice for her own body does not include the right to deprive her baby of life—and a lifetime of choices that her child would make. As Latter-day Saints, we should stand up for
choice—the right choice—not simply for choice as a method.9 Nearly all
legislation pertaining to abortion considers the duration of gestation. The human mind has presumed to determine when “meaningful life” begins. In the course of my studies as a medical doctor, I learned that a new life begins when two special cells unite to become one cell, bringing together 23 chromosomes from the father and 23 from the mother. These chromosomes contain thousands of genes. In a marvelous process involving a combination of genetic coding by which all the basic human characteristics of the unborn person are established, a new DNA complex is formed. A continuum of growth results in a new human being. Approximately 22 days after the two cells have united, a little heart begins to beat. At 26 days the circulation of blood begins.10 To legislate when a developing life is considered “meaningful” is presumptive and quite arbitrary, in my opinion. Abortion has been
legalized by governing entities without regard for God and His commandments.
Scriptures state repeatedly that people will prosper only if they obey the commandments of God.11 Individuals will prosper only when they walk in faith and obedience to God, who said: “I, the Lord, … built the earth, my very handiwork; and
all things therein are mine.“And it is my purpose to provide.…“But it must needs be done in mine own way.…“For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare.”12
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has consistently opposed the practice of abortion. More than a century ago, the First Presidency wrote, “We again take this opportunity of warning the Latter-day Saints against those … practices of foeticide and infanticide.”13 Early in his presidency President Spencer W. Kimball
(1895–1985) said: “We have repeatedly affirmed the position of the Church in
unalterably opposing all abortions, except in two rare instances: When conception is the result of forcible rape and when competent medical counsel indicates that a mother’s health would otherwise be seriously jeopardized.”14 Current policy now includes two other exceptions—incest and if the baby cannot survive beyond birth, as determined by competent medical counsel. Even these exceptions do not justify abortion automatically. It “should be considered only after the persons responsible have consulted with their bishops and received divine confirmation through prayer.”15

Why do I bring this up? Because there is a bill that President-elect Barack Obama has said "The first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. That's the first thing that I'd do." -- Senator Barack Obama, speaking to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, July 17, 2007."

The Freedom of Choice Act will do the following:

According to Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), sponsor of FOCA stated in a press release that the following laws would be invalidated:

"-- Laws restricting government funding of abortion. (The Hyde
Amendment prohibits federal funding of most abortions, and many states have
similar laws. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1980 that these laws do not
violate Roe v. Wade.)
-- Laws prohibiting abortions in public hospitals. (The Supreme Court ruled in 1977 that such policies do not
violate Roe v. Wade.)
-- Laws requiring that girls and women seeking abortion receive certain information on matters such as fetal development and alternatives to abortion, and then wait a specified period before the abortion is actually performed, usually 24 or 48 hours. In her press release, Boxer referred to these as "antichoice propaganda lectures." (The Supreme Court said in its 1992 Casey ruling that such regulations are constitutional as long as they do not impose an "undue burden" on obtaining an abortion.)

In addition to this, and this is where the issue becomes of importance to our family. Please read carefully:

-- All laws allowing doctors, nurses, or other state-licensed professionals, and hospitals or other health-care providers, to decline to provide or pay for abortions. (Such "conscience rights" with respect to abortion are generally protected by certain federal laws, and by the laws in many states. Supporters of the laws usually call them "conscience laws," but pro-abortion groups refer to them as "refusal clauses.")
-- All laws prohibiting medical personnel other than licensed physicians from performing abortions would be invalid because they may "interfere with" access to abortion. (All but a handful of states currently enforce such "doctor-only" laws, which are specifically authorized in Roe v. Wade itself.)
-- The provision of the FOCA that prohibits any government agency or official from taking any action that would "discriminate against the exercise of" the FOCA-created legal rights, with respect to any "benefits, facilities, services, or information," would leave government officials open to lawsuits for anything that anybody thought "discriminate(s)" against abortion. Johnson observed, "This sweeping mandate could cover everything from rural health clinics, to health education programs in public schools – and even to pro-life speeches by public officials."

This means that the Catholic hospital which my pro-life husband works for would be mandated by law to perform abortion on demand. My husband, a physician, has stepped out and politely asked the patient to seek the services of a colleague as performing an abortion or providing anesthesia for an abortion is against his morals. If FOCA is passed, his right to step aside will be null and void. He will have to participate in something that he deems immoral and unethical.

Now for those of you who say "Oh abortion doesn't matter." Does it matter to you now?

Teacher browbeats student

My father is a retired Marine Officer, who served 20 years in the military and did several unaccompanied tours. I absolutely appalled at the treament this little girl received from her teacher because she was a McCain supporter. How dare the teacher tell this girl, who's father is serving in Iraq, that her father is going to be in there for another 100 years. When you are in the fourth grade, and your parent is deployed, for heaven knows however long and whether or not they are coming home alive or in a body bag, the last thing you need is your teacher, a respected authoritative figure telling you that your parent is going to be in Iraq for 100 years. The nerve of this teacher!

Teachers are in the classroom to teach the facts, not indoctrinate, belittle or downplay our children's beliefs. If teachers are going to present controversial subjects then they need to do it in a non-threatening manner and in a way that facilitates discussion.

Post Election

I won't lie, and it's no secret that I am not too happy about the presedential election. Oh well, you can't have everything. In reaction to the results, I have bought myself a hardbound copy of the Constitution of the United States, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, and the Federalist Papers. I also purchased a copy of the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Declaration of Independence to display in my home.

I honestly believe that come January that these things will be obselete. The thread that these sacred and inspired documents were hanging by has been cut. Also talk radio will be a bygone of old, as prominent members of Congress have promised to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine.

All I can do is hug my children, and pray to God that government will not infiltrate the walls of my home, and get out of my way of raising them. God will not be replaced by government within these walls. Government does not know better than I or my husband. Government is not all benevolent.

I am happy that Proposition in California will be passing. At least for a short time longer, the family and institution of marriage will be protected.