The 2007 neglect scandal at Walter Reed Army Medical Center ignited a firestorm of controversy and public outrage with the media reporting every area of concern. People were fired and replaced and an effort was made to correct the apparent failures. Seven years later and it seems that things concerning our veterans have only gotten worse. It is doubtful that this administration will improve the situation.

Wars ignited by politicians and bureaucrats are fought by American heroes and without these brave veterans, we surely would not have been able to maintain the freedoms of our land. Freedom to disagree with the wars that are fought, and freedom to dissent are secured by the readiness of our patriotic veterans who sacrifice life and limb. The ‘greatest generation’ gave their all in order to keep the war from our shores. They defeated would be invaders in bloody battles on many fronts. They have faced the enemy in every condition. They surrendered comfort for the sake of duty. They have placed their patriotic beliefs ahead of personal goals. These selfless heroes have come home to fight a war that they never imagined. Their training prepared them for combative environments; but how do you cope with an  invisible enemy in a battle that you do not even realize is being waged against you?

The horrific revelations of VA practices causes anyone of conscience to be filled with revulsion. How dare the administration consign these valiant people to a system that would dispose of them as if they were yesterday’s leftovers! How dare this government allow them to die while waiting for vital medical attention! And all of this, at a time when the blood sucking politicians give themselves the best possible medical attention. They are abominable!

The Hippocratic Oath says, “first do no harm” but VA doctors work for a government agency and must follow the protocol which is determined by agency regulations. The shame of the system is that the people in charge are vapid, soulless bureaucrats who do not seem to understand that those who need the VA services are America’s quiet heroes. The abuses inflicted upon them are most likely worse than the rigors of war they have already endured. Required medical attention should be administered with dignity and respect; instead these warriors for freedom are discarded while respect is given, with bonus, (is that where the extra VA money went?) to the overpaid administrators who gain their bonuses by gaming the system and, in essence, murdering the heroes who trust them. How can anyone be so evil and without conscience?

Liberals like to count the body bags of war in order to deter possible involvement in a conflict. How will they honestly count the number of fatalities from their own failures of administration? And how many more ordinary citizens will be counted similarly under Obamacare. After all, if politicians mistreat those who have defended and protected their rights, how much less regard will be given to us with the new government controlled healthcare. Take a number, America.

This is a copy of an e-mail I received:

The Solar thing just got a little more interesting… REALLY!

The Tonopah Solar Company in Harry Reid’s Nevada is getting a $737 million loan from Obama’s D.O.E.
The Project will produce a 110 Megawatt Power System, and employs 45 Permanent Workers.  That’s costing us just $16 million per Job.

One of the Investment Partners in this endeavor is Pacific Corporate Group (PCG).The PCG Executive Director is Ron Pelosi, who is the brother to Nancy’s Husband.

EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD KNOW HOW THEIR MONEY IS BEING STOLEN.

Not wanting to be a rumor monger, I checked Snopes and Truth or Fiction. Both sites gave a “partly true” or “partly false” if you will. The semantics being caught up in “loan or loan guarantee” and 45 permanent workers, since it would obviously require more than 45 workers to build the facility; and the loan guarantee would only cost the government if the company defaults. Semantics be damned! My comment is: SOLYNDRA. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. The problem is that as ordinary citizens we are at the mercy of ruthless and greedy politicians and bureaucrats. The back room deals are criminal. The American people are tired of having to pay for corruption at the highest levels. The guarantees for these enormous loans should come from the politicians who make and are affected by the deal. If it goes bad, the politician should have to forfeit his pension and every other government benefit until the loan is repaid. God knows we already pay dearly for their perks. This is the equivalent of incurring a gambling debt and then forcing someone else to pay up.

No wonder we have an entitlement society; it is run by entitled politicians who never pay for their mistakes or take responsibility for their misdeeds. America is going bankrupt because of their greed for money and it is becoming morally bankrupt because of their greed for power. Vote them out, you say? I wish it were that easy. It appears that the votes of honest Americans are cancelled out and usurped by corruption in our voting system. My prayer is that “True the Vote” will bring us back to the Founding Fathers’ intended representation; both by its citizenry and by its constitution. God bless America.

This is the time of year when we are all required to “render to Caesar”. I’m pretty sure that this president said he would not raise taxes on people making less than $200,000.00 per year so I did not worry because I have never had a six figure salary. Well, you can add that line to the, “You can keep your doctor” lie. Technically he did not raise our income taxes, he just let the old tax rate expire which automatically reset the tax rate to a higher level. Semantics for him, higher taxes for us. Not only did I have to pay more than last year, but I had better not die because inheritance taxes have increased and my children will probably have to pay the government for my demise.

The original tax rate of approximately 3% was imposed in 1862 to help pay for the Civil War. Before that, certain items like gold, silver, and jewelry were taxed but that tax was eliminated in favor of imposing tariffs on imported goods.  In 1872 the income tax was eliminated but revived again in 1894 – 1895 although 1895 saw the U.S. Supreme Court declare the income tax unconstitutional because of the way it was designed to be collected. In 1913 the sixteenth amendment changed all of that and gave us the burden we now know and dread.

There are literally hundreds of taxes that we pay today that did not exist before 1900. Somehow the greedy, lying politicians, who all speak in double entendres, have managed to secure a good life for themselves by taxing the ordinary citizen to death. Every tax is not necessarily called a tax. We all know about state taxes, property taxes, school taxes, sales taxes, luxury taxes (what the heck is a luxury?)  and those that are openly referred to as a tax. But then there are licensing fees which really are just another tax. Do you want to get married, go fishing, go hunting, own a dog, drive a car? The double entendre here is “license” which is really more money for the bureaucracy; therefore, just another tax. Then there are taxes imposed on things you use like gasoline, utilities, cigarettes, liquor and other commodities. These taxes are built in to the cost of the product so that you do not see the word “tax”, you just have to pay a higher price for their use based on what politicians have determined. Candidates  who want to increase taxes on big oil are advocating a higher price at the pump. Taxes on big oil will be passed on to you, the consumer. This kind of palaver is for the undereducated. Mandates  also create a kind of tax because if you do not comply with the mandate, you have to pay a fine (fine is another word for tax as defined by the U.S. Supreme Court when its decision on the constitutionality of Obamacare determined that the fines referred to in the health care act were actually a tax). Highway and bridge tolls were intended to be used to keep them in good repair, but we were convinced by our government that we needed a stimulus to repair our infrastructure.  Where has all of that tax money gone?

With all of the fees and taxes collected, there is never a full accounting of what happened to them. If you want to know that, good luck with your hunting; various departments cannot account for millions (maybe billions) of our tax dollars.  The law abiding,  citizens continue to be ripped off by the people they elected. And the people they elected live like royalty, voting raises and perks for themselves at will. The insult is that many government employees do not pay their taxes. This kind of puts a new spin on the term, “crime does not pay” ergo, those who do not pay their taxes are criminals.  What happened to government officials being “public servants”? It certainly no longer applies. If you want to press an issue with your congressman, you can expect a form letter in reply; that is, unless the congressman can figure out a way to tax, fine or mandate its imposition. Lobbyists are particularly good at providing convincing arguments for their causes and because they grease the wheels of government, they are given preference. What happened to the people’s lobby? Senators and representatives were elected to carry out the will of the people. In that respect they should be considered the people’s lobby. Instead they sell their power to the highest bidder without a consideration for the citizens who elected them. They are whores of the worst kind and their actions are felonious. The only way to make them pay is by voting them out.

We are once again in an election cycle where politicians will begin to champion their causes. A favorite is “education”. It sounds as if they really care about our children. What they care about is getting elected and they use our concern for our children to bait us into voting for them. Before I go any further, I have tremendous respect for good teachers. A good teacher deserves recognition in the form of higher compensation and acknowledgement of their teaching abilities. Unfortunately, since teachers were allowed to unionize, test scores have fallen and much of our younger generation are not learning.

Education is defined as: the process of giving systematic instruction. When I went to school, we learned reading, spelling, mathematics, later came grammar, history, and geography. Because I went to a parochial school, the day started with a prayer followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Our classroom was not chaotic and our teachers were dedicated. I do not need ‘spell check’ to compose a letter. I do not need a calculator to compute a 20% tip. No one tells me what to believe because I learned how to think and how to reason as a result of those dedicated teachers.

Learning is: the acquisition of knowledge or skills. In my humble opinion, learning is a lifelong process. The misconception today is that, if you attend school from your earliest days through college graduation, you will have become learned. That is blatantly false. A college education will add some letters after your name, it does not mean that you have automatically been imbued with common sense. Education in America has been dumbed down. Our children are not being taught the rich history of America, proper grammar, long division and fractions; instead they are allowed to bring calculators into the classroom for math and what student doesn’t have a cell phone capable of spell checking or sharing answers with a friend. Students no longer read the classics, their curriculum encourages them to read books about sex and rape. Their so-called education teaches them about abortion and their rights as a citizen, never mind the fact that they are minors, oh, and forget about your parents’ rights. Then the teachers wonder why the students are out of control. Well, DUH, you taught them that they have rights and do not have to listen to authority.

There is a segment of the student population who strive to understand everything. They may or may not have a college degree but they never stop learning. Kudos to them. They are the Einsteins of tomorrow. That curiosity to learn cannot be bought; and all of the money in the world cannot educate those who refuse to learn. A good teacher can and should be an inspiration; generally you will find them in schools which are not unionized.

When a politician speaks about education, he means that he wants the backing of the teachers’ union and will favor them when he is elected. That money does not mean better teachers, it means greedier teachers who will go on strike if their demands are not met. They will bring children out of the classroom to propagandize on their behalf. Does that sound like dedication to you? To me it sounds more like extortion.

America’s justice system has become a three ring circus with Eric Holder as the ringmaster. He performs in each ring according to his audience. To the general uninvolved public, in the first ring,  he appears to be the epitome of jurisprudence. He challenges state laws and refers to “the law of the land” as rebuttal. He is quick to assert himself into any situation that might be considered a grey area, often corrupting the meaning of the intended law. There is almost immediate retribution for an infraction committed by anyone who is not a person of color; while he defends and excuses the lawless actions of those who are people of color. Example: Black Panther intimidation near a polling place in Philadelphia, dismissed. I could go on but this should give you a general picture. He seems to think that it is HIS decision which laws to enforce and which laws to ignore. That does not sound like equal justice and representation to me.

In the second ring, an audience filled with people of color, he whines about inequality, adding himself and the president to those who feel disenfranchised. The truth is that neither he nor the president are descendants of those whose ancestors were American slaves. The president is half white but decided his white heritage would reduce his chances of success. They have chosen to take perverse advantage of people of color in order to advance their personal ideals. How sad that the two highest ranking people of color prefer to keep their devotees under their thumb so they can enrich themselves. Both the president and the Attorney General should be touting the benefits of learning, as a means to lift oneself out of poverty. Instead, they use their bully pulpit to extract sympathy and work the crowds into a divisive frenzy. Where they should set an example of Americans united; they further divide the masses and cast aspersions on any whose opinion differs. An opposing point of view is not met with a discussion of each side’s reasoning, it is met with an accusation of racial bias. This may be an approach used by the unschooled; however, the educated person who uses such an approach is most definitely attempting to incite a riot. Divided we fall.

The third ring is filled with smoke and mirrors. It is not likely that anyone will know what is inside of that ring until some future date. This Attorney General, the first ever in American history to be held in contempt of Congress, prevails by delaying requested data, claiming ignorance of the facts, (although he is quite intelligent) and alluding to the information as being a security risk thus redacting almost every word of any documents he has presented. Quite an about face from the whining search for sympathy he displayed in ring number two.

“Fast and Furious”, “Benghazi”, “I.R.S.”, and “S.E.C.” inquiries and litigations  will undoubtedly go on ad infinitum. The lawsuits being filed as a result of his violations of our Constitutional rights will insure his job security forever; and, since they were the result of his actions as Attorney General of the United States, the legal proceedings will most likely be at the expense and burden of the American taxpayer.

Since the birth of our nation, people have emigrated to its land because of the freedom it offers. They have come from all parts of the globe to escape every kind of oppression. They have come to begin anew. They have come to fulfill their hopes and dreams. The legacy of this current president and his administration will have changed their dreams into nightmares. The freedom of America is being supplanted by the ideals of extremists. Unless Americans are brave enough to stand up for freedom, our children will suffer the same oppression that their ancestors tried so valiantly to escape. God help us!

This phrase is used when observing similarity of action from parent to child. It can be cute, to quirky, to deadly.

In the case of our president, it has become the death knell of American freedom. The history of his parentage and mentors boasts of anti-american associates. From his earliest years he looked up to those who would destroy the American way, whatever their motivation. Ingrained in his personality is a desire to bring down America. Somehow, he does not seem to realize that it is America that has allowed him to achieve the most coveted position in the world. An even scarier thought is: maybe he does. The pain he inflicts on the populace, the restrictions imposed on our businesses, the immorality of laws forced on unwilling citizens, are crushing. All of this while he takes advantage of the many perks and privileges of his office.

I was cautioned as a child to choose my friends carefully because people judge you by the company you keep. No such admonition or judgement for the president. In fact, he surrounded himself with the most radical idealists;  and his appointees mirror his agenda to bankrupt and destroy the American dream and replace it with a change that only he knows. He is well versed in the nuances of the constitution and is careful to avoid an open defiance of its principles, which denies his opposition a legal attack based on malfeasance of the presidential oath. Instead, when faced with a controversy, he offers  a seemingly patriotic platitude while his czars or appointees devise a plan to distract from the crisis. (e.g. Benghazi/video)  Another tactic is to delay legal information and processing. (IRS/tea party)  And, of course, when all else fails, there is no way to prove he knew of the dastardly deeds. (plausible deniability) Add to this the adulation of liberal media refusing to hold him accountable for ANY improprieties, a penchant for misrepresenting the truth, quantitative easing which is devaluing our dollar, and an  incalculable national debt. America  is confronting disaster!

There are those who have been in the company of  the president and speak of his intelligence, then give him  the benefit of the doubt by saying he does not understand the consequences of his actions or inactions. Isn’t that contradictory?

I think that intellectual Americans have come to a different conclusion. This president has chosen to inflict pain and  divide our country. He has governed by intimidation and deception. His lack of leadership while affording himself the luxuries of office has turned the White House into subsidized housing and the largest government  welfare program in American history. People who expected a change for the better are disappointed and expressing their disdain.

The internet gives voice to individuals. Letters to D.C. are met with nothing more than a form letter reply. Citizen’s concerns fall mostly on deaf ears. With the internet we have freedom of expression and an opportunity to connect with those who are like minded. I believe that in his entire life, this president has never battled such criticism, and rather than defend his position, he wants to silence the dissenters by re-assigning control of the internet to a less free society. No other country in the world can boast of similar freedoms. Way to grow your fan club, Barry.

Everywhere you look there are articles about obesity. Statistics show which states or cities are the most obese; fad diets, miracle pills and programs guarantee a more slender you. All of it blames the individual; none of it looks for the reason why some people are obese. It is assumed that people are too lazy and stupid to know what is best for them. My observations on “the battle of the bulge” found that that is not always the case and there may be a lot more to consider.

Europeans have long had a diet of rich foods yet do not have the same problem of obesity. The body requires nourishment in order to function optimally. Sadly, processed foods seem to remove the fuel we need, replacing it with chemicals that add taste but lack nutrients. The additives in food do not trigger the response needed to produce the effect of fuel injection.  Furthermore, consuming those chemicals puts an added stress on the bodies’ ability to process what it has ingested. In short, the changes made to our foods under the guise of helping our physical condition, actually do more harm than good. Artificial sweeteners, also, do not assist your body in producing the insulin response. So you drink more diet soda, believing that it won’t hurt because it is not sugar. In my opinion, the added chemicals are toxic. Understand that sugar is an addictive substance  and should not be excessively consumed. If you learn to be moderate, it won’t hurt. When God created man, He created all of the nutrients our bodies would need. We  were not meant to eat or drink the chemicals so rampant in our food supply today. In short, eat natural foods.

Our sedentary lifestyle is a factor in choosing good health. You do not have to go to the gym or run a marathon. Walking will do the trick if it is done daily. Walk the mall in bad weather, walk the neighborhood where you live, walk to the store when you can. Enjoy your walk, window shop, look around. Appreciate your surroundings. Let it be a joy and not a chore.

One other possibility of an obese condition is micro-organisms. I gained about 25 pounds after being infected by a tick. It took 12 years for my eventual diagnosis but by then my liver and immune system were both affected. Lyme Disease is under-diagnosed and the same tick that gives you Lyme Disease can give you a number of other infections like Babesiosis, Bartonellosis, Ehrlichiosis, and RMSF to name just a few. For every one person with Lyme, there are ten people who have Lyme and have not been diagnosed (CDC statistics). There is NO accurate test for Lyme Disease in humans. Most of today’s doctors tend to prescribe pills for the symptoms you present rather than trying to find out WHY you have the symptoms in the first place. Lyme Disease causes a slight swelling of the brain which affects the hypothalamus, a body systems regulator. It can also cause an insulin resistance which could account for the increase in type 2 diabetes. Until we learn to live without all of the products that have an extended shelf life, and until the medical profession advocates for the patient rather than the pharmaceutical companies, obesity will continue. If you don’t want it to become your new normal, be selective in choosing what you put into your body.

The definition of “uniform” is: not changing in character; remaining the same in all cases. A military uniform is one worn by our soldiers. Each branch of our armed forces has a uniform that characterizes that particular branch of the military. A recent edict proclaims that it is now acceptable for our soldiers to wear a beard or other ethnic accessories that give them comfort. Are you kidding? My understanding  of being in the military is that they are ready to do battle for their country, The United States of America. What part of “battle ready” sounds like we should differentiate the ethnicity of each individual? They represent ONE indomitable fighting force. The security and trust of being a member of the armed forces is sharing the knowledge that you are part of the same fighting force; equally trained and recognizable to one another. Insert differences and you insert mistrust which lessens their ability to face the enemy. Or is that the intended consequence?

This president has incrementally eroded the essence of our monetary, economic, moral, and now military systems. Is this affront to our military a way of garnering sympathy for Major Hasan, the Fort Hood jihadist? Sympathy and loyalty should be reserved for the brave Americans who fought and died in that attack and in ALL anti-American attacks like Benghazi.  Their families should be properly honored. This administration appears to have more empathy for terrorist factions than for its own citizens. Apparently the czars appointed by this president have been quietly changing the rules and rulebooks of American institutions. Are the changes promised in “hope and change” meant to improve the lives of Americans or transform them into a subservient populace? Are the changes meant to protect Americans or lay them at the feet of their enemies? None of us want war; but when we are faced with attacks, our response should be a united front, not a segregated facade. I am proud of our soldiers, their willingness to serve America, and the sacrifices they have made in defense of America. I am truly grateful for the freedom that their actions have afforded me and I pray for their safe return when they are deployed. Changes to the regulations that have made them so superior in the past might  diminish their resolve in the future. Americans would not want to relinquish a reputation for being a fearsome opponent in favor of being seen as an entourage of Corporal Klingers. May God bless the brave men and women who protect us.

Dear Mr. Rove,

Your mathematical genius is a wonder to behold. Your ability to compile statistics is amazing. Why do you suppose that your numbers were incorrect when it came to predicting the outcome of the 2012 election? Could it be that you presume an accuracy based on honesty? Does it not occur to you that “the fix is in”? How do you calculate the values of x,y & z when there is no formula? I postulate that “x” is the number of dead people who voted, “y” is the number of disqualified felons who voted, and “z” is the number of illegal aliens who voted. We won’t include the number of dishonest people who voted more than once.

When I was young, there was a local police commissioner who was later elected mayor. No one liked his tactics, yet he was elected. People used to say, “What do you expect? Everyone in the cemetery voted for him.” I was young and did not see the possibility. Now that I have watched at least two good congresspeople lose their seats, I have a different perspective. Scott Brown was elected to fill Ted Kennedy’s seat. No one expected him to win but he did. The DNC did not take kindly to this unexpected turn of events. They pulled out all stops to install Elizabeth Warren, even defending her alleged Native American claims. In FL  Allen West, a true patriot, was replaced by Debbie Wasserman Schultz, DNC chair. Furthermore, it is hard to believe that anyone in the military would vote for this Commander in Chief because of his willingness to dispose of them and any benefits they may be entitled to. By your own reckoning, in the 2012 presidential election one million voters who had voted for the president in 2008, chose to not vote for him in 2012. And yet he won. Do not blame the voters for RNC shortcomings. We are tired of having some bureaucrat determine who we should vote for. Nice guys finish last. We need a firebrand. Someone who truly represents the people’s will rather than someone “electable” as seen by political hierarchy. And, please, stop referring to us as a demographic. It is extremely offensive to be thought of as a number in a particular class. I am a senior citizen; when you refer to me as a category, it is offensive. I am capable of free thought as are most of my peers. When you consider all of the above, maybe you can invent a way to make my vote count. Think “out of the box” if you can.

Incidentally, there is something nefarious about the Obamacare website. Does it integrate with the voter registration site? Can their numbers be inserted into the electronic voting machines? A possible “two for one” deal? With my limited tech savvy, I know that computers can do anything they are programmed to do. Surely, we cannot allow ourselves to be distracted from the possibility. I want your calculations to be a reflection of honest voters. Our freedom as a republic is at stake.

It must be nice to be a liberal and parse the words of the constitution so that they fit your agenda. For the benefit of the under educated, our first amendment guarantees freedom of religion. This was particularly important because the Church of England had become the only permissible religion in England. If you were not a member of the Church of England, you were subject to imprisonment and possibly death. Many of the pilgrims became branded fugitives and left their homeland to follow their religious beliefs. The First Amendment was written to ensure that the government would not force a particular religion on the citizens of the United States of America. Now, this administration  is forcing Christians to abandon their beliefs and bow to the government. Is this their version of freedom of religion?

Secular progressives have, for years, twisted the words of the First Amendment to make it seem that God is not allowed to be a part of American life, when the opposite is true. Groups like the ACLU have fought to remove any reference of God from schools, public meetings, sporting events, and even from our military by misrepresenting the phrase, “separation of church and state”.

Now, let us look at Obamacare. Here they are, in effect, trying to unite “church and state” by forcing religion to be a part of the government via health care. It appears to me that you should not be able to have it both ways. This administration has eroded many of our freedoms; particularly if you believe in Jesus Christ. Oddly, Christianity  is being persecuted while Atheists, Agnostics, Buddhists, Hindus, Unitarians, and Muslims (to name a few) are all able to practice their beliefs. Most of these are benign in their practices but part of the Islamic law encourages Muslims to kill those they consider to be infidels. According to them, an infidel is anyone who is not a Muslim. That pretty much encompasses at least 60% of Americans. Muslim extremists have killed and maimed innocent people who have done them no harm.  In the minds of these extremists, the people they kill, must be killed because they are infidels. Funny how they have more freedom than we do; and more government defenses than we do. The illustrious Eric Holder has intervened on behalf of many of these abhorrent terrorists. And our president must agree with the actions taken by Holder or he would have spoken out against those actions or removed Holder from the office of Attorney General of the United States.

Now, I remember our president saying that when he was in college, he was a Muslim. I am under the impression that you are not permitted to “quit” being a Muslim. Why are so many legal actions taken against Christians (infidels)? One case in point is the prosecution of a Coptic Christian whose video was wrongfully blamed for the massacre in Benghazi. Another case begs the question, “Why were Palestinian refugees (Muslims) given sanctuary in the US?” There are numerous examples of pro-Islamic actions being taken by this administration.

It seems that a free America is heading for the past. This once great country is being dismantled little by little with presidential fiats, changes in our literature, and policies that undermine our standing in the world. There is a total disregard for the rule of law as established by our Constitution; this disregard is a blatant malfeasance of office. If you think that America is too great to succumb to these tactics, these attacks on our freedoms, then you are part of the problem.

Think about this question: How do you eat an elephant?

The answer: One bite at a time.