A New Day, A New Way!

Last May, I blogged about a conservative political candidate I supported: Dr. Marion Thorpe. My one regret was not that he was running against Alcee Hastings (I was quite pleased with that). Rather, I wished that I could have had the opportunity to vote for him -- but he wasn't running in my district.

In our current political climate, Hastings was a very difficult incumbent to challenge, even for another African American that fit the district's demographics better than the incumbent. I thought Dr. Thorpe had a great opportunity, but unfortunately, Hastings' "normal" amount of support was greatly bolstered by the turnout to elect Obama. (Most likely, had it been a "normal" year for Hastings, the number of votes Dr. Thorpe received would have easily catapulted him past Hastings.)

However, I am glad he lost that race. Because of that loss, one year from November, I may get the opportunity to cast my vote for Dr. Thorpe in another, bigger race! Wednesday, January 7, Dr. Thorpe officially announced his intent to run for one of Florida's two seats in the U.S. Senate! (The one being vacated by Mel Martinez.)

To say I was excited would be a gross understatement. It's been quite awhile since I've gotten to vote for a true conservative -- in any office. I've had to vote for the "best" of the worst for so long, I didn't expect to have the opportunity for vote for a candidate I can support. I knew Dr. Thorpe had been considering the idea of running for some seat in government, but he'd been waiting to make sure his friend, Jeb Bush, wasn't interested in any of the same offices in which he, Dr. Thorpe, might have an interest. That Wednesday evening at church, he told me (and a few others) Jeb didn't seem to be interested in the Senate seat, and he'd finally decided to throw his hat in the ring. Did you notice, I said "at church" was where he told us? Well, Dr. Thorpe is one of a minority of politicians that makes no apologies for his belief in God.

In very few politicians, or even candidates for that matter, will you find a person with enough conviction to regularly attend church services. If you do find one, it is the rare individual that feels any responsibility to attend a service on a week night as well as just Sunday morning (when they can shake more people's hands). Throughout all of last year's hectic campaigning, Dr. Thorpe made the time to regularly stop and "recharge his spiritual batteries" with us.


I do know my blog may suffer, but I'm going to help in this race even more than the last -- as much as I'm physically and mentally able (without disrupting my commitments to my church and the provision for my family). My professional experience "happens" to be in small business consulting; thankfully, several of my past contracts have given me some experience that may assist Dr. Thorpe in keeping track of the finances of his campaign.

There are still papers to be filed, and an "official" fund-raising campaign to begin (it will actually help accelerate the filings if unsolicited donations started mysteriously "rolling in"). If you, or anyone you know is interested in supporting Florida's first Republican, African-American candidate for the U.S. Senate, please (for those that know me personally), let me know. For those that don't, but have a FaceBook account, you can join the Dr. Marion Thorpe for US Senate group. And for those that only have internet access (or just want more info on the candidate), you can visit Dr. Thorpe's site directly. Support can consist of your time, your skills, your money, or any combination of the three. Whatever it is, it won't be turned away.

Troubling Things

During the last election there were many that said Bush "stole" the election due to the fact he won only by electoral votes. I know how the electoral college works; Obama won it on votes, and unless the electoral college breaks precedent, next year Obama will be voted in as the next President.

How the electoral college works doesn't "trouble" me a bit, what has been troublesome this year is having listened to several people relate how easy it was to register more than once (everyone one I heard interviewed said they were voting for Obama). Now I'm hearing people also voted more than once. Take, for example, this fine upstanding citizen (Ron Jones) of Philadelphia who stated he "decided to come back and vote a couple times."

(This video was copied from YouTube.)
Hopefully, he just misspoke? Perhaps he meant he came back several times until the lines weren't long? but after listening to it 5 times, it still didn't sound that way to me.

Last month I was unhappy to see a precursor of the Youth Brigades Obama has touted. (If you haven't seen it, watch it on YouTube, or message me for the video.)
Seriously, who in their right mind would allow their child to be involved in any group that encouraged them to march around in a quasi-military outfit spouting political rhetoric purporting adoration of their anointed leader? When I watched that video I was immediately hit with visions of Hitler's Brown Shirts.

Then last night I was extremely upset to see this video of a teacher "brow beating" her class into submission to conform to her personal opinion:

(This video was also copied from YouTube, and no, I haven't any clue what language the people at the beginning are speaking, nor can I read the subtitles.)
What irked me most was her statement "I can support whomever I want to support, as long as I don't, uh, browbeat another person for the candidate they supported..." (In my not-so-humble-opinion, she is surely pushing the envelope.)

As a side note, I find it strange that most videos of this "type" (the anti-obama type) are not remaining online very long. They seem to have been "reported as offensive" by so many people that YouTube has pulled them down: de facto censorship -- by the masses. (As I find videos I may want to share or watch a second time I have begun saving them to my computer.)

I don't like conspiracy theories, I generally find them so far-fetched as to be amusing, annoying, and too "incite-ful" to be worth wasting time on. However, I have found at least one thing every day that is illegal, bordering on illegal or just out-right troubling. Is anyone else finding (at bare minimum) one thing -- every day -- since the election happened as well? Am I paranoid? perhaps crazy? or does it look really look like "1984" is a possibility?

In closing, I'm least concerned about dying (yeah sure, go ahead, threaten me with heaven). I'm also not "worried" by whomever is "in control" in America from anything other than a political or economic standpoint (I do, however, like to see my kids eating regularly). Nor am I particularly concerned about the rapid introduction of radical, communistic mandates by the soon-to-be new government. I think what concerns me most is the apathy of the general populace regarding what is "right" and "wrong" (i.e. legal vs. illegal) and why it is "OK" to stifle, hide, or attempt to stamp out altogether the ideas of conservatives -- be they fiscal, social, or political conservatives. But -- it's "unconscionable" to even mention a single irregularity when discussing a left-wing viewpoint -- whether they're slightly progressive, liberally socialistic, or full-bore "hyper-radical communists" (the "lunatic fringe").

A Matter of Trust

As I've stated in the past I'm not overly impressed with all aspects of either candidate, I WILL, however, be voting for the candidate that is (and has been) the most transparent in all aspects of their political career, their education, their long-term associations, and future aspirations.

I cannot conceive of anyone entrusting the office of President to any person that is unwilling to unveil their entire life to public scrutiny. Whomever assumes the office of President of the USA will be "in charge" of the world's only remaining superpower. That is a HUGE amount of responsibility and MUST NOT be taken lightly. One of these 2 men (McCain or Obama) is going to be left holding ALL the keys to ALL the "locks" that hold back the most advanced military in the history of the world. I would NOT give a set of car keys to ANY person that I could not trust explicitly, nor should anyone with any semblance of common sense vote to elect a commander-in-chief that has yet to demonstrate any degree of integrity. Additionally, I refuse to vote "present" by voting for some impossible-to-elect 3rd-party individual merely to show my disapproval for both major parties and "teach them a lesson" (whomever "them" happens to be at the moment). That type of "teaching" is never teaching, it is the selfish, irresponsible, and highly arrogant antics that stem from prideful immaturity.

With so much at stake this election, anyone not voting for the candidate that will most closely follow the principles that brought our country TO greatness, is not only voting to take our country FROM greatness, but is also voting FOR the destruction of all we have, all we hold dear, and all that is unique to us as Americans. I realize that this "destruction" may, or may not happen in the next four years, but each individual that fills a term as President leaves a mark (for better or for worse) on our nation.

As a Believer I'm required by God to be a good steward of everything with which HE has entrusted me; my citizenship in this nation is one of those blessings. As a citizen, I am responsible to exercise my right to vote, and as a voter, I am responsible to do what is best (long-term) for my country.

In conclusion, I think the words of Sir Francis Bacon sum it up the best, "Hope is a good breakfast, but it is a bad supper."