Wag the Dog

Of all of the things America needs right now -- of all the help -- Obamacare is one of the last. Americans did a pretty good job of conveying that concept – of bringing validity to their opposition to Obamacare; however, our wonderful elected officials in all their wisdom and insight forced it upon us anyway.
If the list of things America needs right now was, say, 1,000 items long, Obamacare would be in the high 900’s.

Don’t just take my word for it; consider some of the facts:

California for instance is currently running a $20 billion deficit. Obamacare forces $3 billion in new government mandates upon the already bankrupt state over the next three years. This directly equates to more constrictive business practices, more jobs lost, less businesses hiring, and higher state mandated fees and yes, even more taxes.

Obamacare forces major employers such as AT&T, John Deere, and Caterpillar to pay taxes on the new federal subsidies that are being forced upon them. A (unintended I’m sure) consequence of this is they are going to have to write off billions in losses for the year. The bottom line negative effect of this: more jobs lost and less hiring.

Medtronic, just one of many medical device manufacturers, announced they may have to fire about 1,000 employees as a result of the new 2.3% tax on certain medical devices imposed on them by Obamacare.

The list goes on and on. For brevity sake, I'll leave it here. However, I can easily compose a page or more dedicated to the maleffects of Obamacare -- and probably will do so in the near future.



Obamacare, with all of its horrendous complications, mind numbing costs, and unpopularity has been thrust upon the country at probably the worst possible time. Our countries economy is still reeling from approaching the brink of disaster in late 2008, unemployment is still at record highs -- costing us $10 billion per month in unemployment benefits, and some states like Michigan and California are at the door step of complete economic meltdown. We are occupying two separate theaters of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Iran has nukes while this administration astonishingly snubbs Israel -- our ONLY ally in the middle east.

What is it about this administration that possesses them to force Obamacare through despite its unpopularity and the fact that a fundamentally altering our entire health care industry is not even one of the top things America needs right now?
What is it about the American Dream that Democrats find so vile and in need of destroying anyway? Their policies and actions represent a mindset consumed with taking from those who produce, create, and work and redistributing to those who don’t or won’t – regardless of the negative side effects.
By observing Democrats in action, one can easily make the case (if they didn’t know any better) that the American Dream is an entitlement for those who are not legal citizens, don’t speak English, don’t pay any income taxes, and/or don’t want to work. This version of the ‘American Dream’ is to be handed out by a government that takes from those who worked hard to achieve and redistributed to those that do not achieve.




Honestly, we shouldn’t be so naive to act shocked or surprised at this. Entitlements are the opiate of the people and government is the pipe. People of this mentality rely on this type of government so they can quite literally sit at home, smoke from a pipe and still collect a check.



Any bum can attest to this concept in practice. If he is on a corner that isn’t subsidizing him anything, he moves to one that does. Once he finds such a corner that provides him whatever he feels is necessary he stays put. I witness this every day on my way to work as I drive through down-town Denver. Typically, it is the same bums on the same corners. Why would they put in the effort required to find a job or better their situation through hard work when they are being supplemented by others on a regular basis?
Interestingly enough, I have observed the occasional entrepreneurially inclined bums dabbling in a form of target marketing by brandishing signs with particularly zany or comedic message in hopes of pulling in more business. Some of my personal favorites: “Need parts to repair my space ship”, “Saving for a hooker”, and of course the always candid – “No excuses, just need a beer”.



Of course some sales-enterprising inclined bums will attempt to improve their plight by peddling in crowded areas, and more impressive yet, some artistically persuaded bums actually have a unique act or musical talent they display to the masses in hopes of compensation.

Unemployment benefits show us the same proof of reliance on entitlements. The longer unemployment benefits are offered – the longer people tend to stay unemployed.
I wonder how many (well intentioned yet misguided) people actually walked into doctors offices across the country the day after Obamacare was passed and expected to receive some sort of treatment completely for free...
What is more interesting to ponder is the kind of “Are you effing kidding me?” looks doctors’ office personnel gave these people…

If you support Obama and Obamacare – God bless you, but I challenge you to exercise some of Obama’s hope and change into a practical application next time you go out to eat. Hilarity will ensue – I promise, and the wait staff and restaurant management will especially appreciate your shining example of Obama’s vision for America.

Here’s what you do:

Make sure to go out with as many people as you can gather in an effort to drive the bill to a nauseating level and the waiter and staff will have to really work to accommodate everyone.
Order anything and everything you want, especially if you have no intention of consuming it. Have drinks, appetizers, main dishes, more drinks, and be sure to stay there a long time – making double sure the staff has worked extra hard to keep everyone satisfied.
When the bill arrives, inform the waiter that you won’t be paying. Announce that you are putting Obama’s vision for America into practice and that actually, it will be the responsibility of the individuals who worked to accommodate your table to cover the bill -- the cooks, bartenders, waiters, and possibly even management for covering the bill in its entirety.
Furthermore, inform the waiter that you will only pay the tip on one condition: that it is given to the homeless guy outside on the corner because he is clearly in greater ‘need’ of it. Despite the staff’s overwhelming disapproval of your decision, the economic nonsense and glaring illegality of your scheme – be sure to INSIST this is the ONLY way this business can be transacted from now on.
Let me know how that works out for ya!

Of course, it’s laughable to think this would ever happen in the real world; however, congress just passed Obamacare. What was once laughable is now law. In essence, they just enacted this little practical application (joke) into law, except their version is on a gargantuanly larger scale and the place that we all get to go to now will be a grease-spoon diner instead of a five star restaurant – and some will die waiting in line…

C.S. Lewis on Tyranny

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. They may be more likely to go to Heaven yet at the same time likelier to make a Hell of earth. Their very kindness stings with intolerable insult. To be ‘cured’ against one’s will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level of those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals.
—C. S. Lewis, God in the Dock

I love this quote!
Every time I read it I am encouraged. I am encouraged to know there are people out there who ‘get it’ – past and present. One can find many similar quotes like this from Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and many other founding fathers. These people understood the dangers of big government, and established a Republic, a form of government of the people with many checks and balances in order to circumvent it from getting out of control.

In a time when our media is saturated with a homogonous, left-leaning slant that ostracizes even the most innocuous opposition to their agenda, in a time when our current president is not a center-governing president of the People but rather an ideological president only of his own party, in a time when the people who oppose our current staggering lurch to the left have become the “infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals.” -- I take comfort in quotes like these.



Not because of the content of the quote – for the content, true as it is, is not encouraging by itself – I am comforted because I know there are millions of other Americans out there who feel the same way. Actually, last I checked, the people who are “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the current direction of the country are in the minority. Check any non liberal-rag pole right now for verification.

Better yet, don’t even look up the polls. Go out and ask people. The lame stream media is a total inverse barometer of what people really think. Other than Fox, getting fair and balanced news is about as futile as asking for a glass of ice water in Hell.
And congress?
They have proven themselves to be an incompetent mass of inept partisans bent on radically altering the fundamental nature of our country. Go talk to the people. Read their blogs. Find out for yourself. My contention is that there are a lot more people out there that grasp the aforementioned C.S. Lewis quote that you may have thought.

Future Question for Democrats: Was it all worth it?

Picture an interview a year from now. The November 2010 mid-term elections over, ObamaCare solidly locked into law, the post ObamaCare ego-messaging, sycophantic, gushing media praise replaced by undeniable public outcry and disillusionment that is fully reflected in the polls. The reality of what was done finally staring to sink it, and the question “was it all worth it” needs to be asked answered.

A future question to the 220 individuals who voted yes for ObamaCare in the House:

Was it all worth it?

• Was losing the democratic super-majority in congress worth it?
• Was tainting the democratic reputation in Washington, possibly for years to come, worth it?
• Was painfully passing a horrendous bill by unorthodox and unethical means worth it?
• Was deepening the American discord with “Washington-politics-as-usual” worth it?
• Was the fallout of health insurance companies being forced to RAISE rates as a consequence of this bill – even after you PROMISED your bill would lower rates worth it?
• Was burying 16% of the nation’s economy in more red-tape, bureaucracy, regulation, and government programs – further deepening American’s forced dependence on government worth it?
• Was presenting the nonsensical notion that a trillion dollar price tag would reduce the deficit by 1.3 billion over ten years worth it?
• Was labeling the opposition to your bill as stupid and uninformed worth it?
• Was sidestepping accountability for an extremely unpopular and unwanted bill worth it?
• Was taxing citizens immediately for elements that they will not see for three more years worth it?
• Was lying to the American People worth it?




Unfortunately for America, the answer from any far leftist focused on the ideological premise of altering America into a more socialized, Marxist-looking country will be a quite emphatic: Yes!

President Obama made multiple references to not caring about the political fallout of passing his administration’s party-line health care reform bill. Astoundingly, he even made reference to not really caring how procedure was handled in passing the bill. Shocking! The President of the United States – a former professor of constitutional law – doesn’t care how the biggest change to the American political and cultural landscape since FDR’s New Deal came to be law. The most insulting aspect of Obama’s apathy to America’s disapproval of ObamaCare is how he had the audacity to claim during his interview with Fox News Correspondent Bret Baier on 3/17/10 that the American people don’t really care how the bill gets passed anyway.

What a day we live in! We elected a president who ran a campaign under the hope of changing Washington, and he has the ignorant nerve to say we don’t care how comprehensive, sweeping, trillion-dollar legislation gets passed! Is that the "hope" and "change" he was referring to?

Remember how low Bush’s approval numbers had been in the end? How could any campaign that promised the exact opposite of the Bush years possibly lose? We were promised no more politics-as-usual under the Obama administration. We were promised a lot of wonderfully sounding stuff that was read with conviction from a teleprompter, but the bottom line is: We were lied to.
Anyone who can’t see that by now is a staunch left-leaning ideologue, or just a good old fashion moron. Either that, or you are willingly ignorant and just don’t give a crap. I’ll take the morons or the willingly ignorant any day; at least they are typically more likeable…

The president and his administration not only took Washington-politics-as-usual to horrendously new lows with the passage of ObamaCare, they scoffed at the overwhelming American disapproval of the bill, and knowing full-well what the negative political ramifications were going to be – forced it on the People anyway.

All name-calling and venting aside, I am hopeful that this will be a wake-up call for Americans. We cannot hit the snooze button anymore and hope our elected officials will do what is best for the country. We have to take our country back. We cannot sit idly by while our country is altered into a Marxist nanny-state with the federal government at the helm of virtually every aspect of our lives. Who else is going to stop the out-of-control government spending of our money (and money that doesn’t even exist yet), the growing of government bigger and bigger, and the weakening of American strength and position in the world?
They already forced themselves deep into the banking, automobile, and health care industries. They want to take over education. With the passage of Obamacare, they just helped themselves to absolute control over student loans.

They aren’t done!

They still want to give amnesty to illegal persons living in our country, completely infiltrate and destroy Wall Street, "reform" the entire banking and financial industry, and render as many citizens as possible dependant on the federal government with even more entitlements.

Unemployment benefits right now are costing us $10 billion a month. Apparently, in America one can live off of the government (working citizens tax dollars) for over two years as long as they claim they are “looking” for a job. I remember when Obama would use the $10 billion per month figure as an atrocity when making a talking point in ending the war. Well, financial accountability or responsibility under his administration is the joke of the generation. Nobody will ever refer to the Obama administration and financial responsibility together unless it is to show they are the antitheses of one another. Yet, Obama consistently makes references to how we need to be more fiscally responsible. I can’t decide if he is on drugs or just so deceived through the intoxication of his own power that he really believes the crap that comes out of his mouth.
Obama: the face of economic recklessness – the face of liberalism – the face of change for America:
Change from a strong, independent, wealthy, secure nation, to a mediocre, dependent, struggling, and second-rate nation.

This is supposed to be a government of the people by the people for the people. This means: We the people are the government.
American’s have a duty and civic responsibility to keep our government in check and bring balance back to where balance has been lost.

God may have decided America is not worth His grace and favor anymore, and truthfully, I think it is more like America decided God is not worth her time or effort anymore; however, America is still our home and we have to do the best with what we have. Americans looking for a good way to start rebuilding American strength and prosperity, preserving individual liberty and personal freedom should at the least consider the following:

Stop voting Democrat!

Let the Beatings Begin

One of the main reasons Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of Obamacare – an unprecedented takeover attempt of our health care industry – is because we don’t want to have to deal with an enormous D.M.V-on-steroids for our health care.
Every time I hear a liberal democrat on TV talk about Obamacare I notice at some point in the conversation an insipid comment about how the American People are just uninformed – they don’t really know what is in the bill, and thus popularity for the bill is marginal. How out-of-touch and snobbish do you have to be to actually believe that load of sanctimonious crap? In reality, Americans know EXACTLY what a federal government health care takeover entails: AND WE DON’T WANT IT! Pure and simple!

George Will explained it perfectly when responding to Robert Reich on ABC’s This Week on 3/7:
Will: You say they [insurance companies] have huge profits. As you know, confiscate all the profits of all the health insurance companies, with those profits you could finance our healthcare for 48 hours. What you do for the next 363 days I don’t know. Second, you say there’s not enough competition? Fine, let them compete in a national market across state lines.
Reich: Yes, let them compete across state lines, fine. But not a race to the bottom. Set minimum federal standards because we’ve seen over and over again that the recipients of health insurance don’t know what they are buying very often. Until there are common standards, minimal standards, then people are going to be taken. And that is what’s happened over and over again.
Will: There you have the premise of this legislation and the core of today’s liberalism: the American people are such dopes they can’t be counted upon to buy their own insurance.

And it is exactly this snobbish, aristocratic, arrogant attitude that the American people are rejecting. Liberal democrats/Obamacare supporters basically presume the reason Obamacare is so unpopular is because we are too stupid to understand why we don’t want the federal government running our health care and we are too stupid to know how to buy our own health insurance. According to these people, we are too dumb to realize that a federally ran health care industry will revitalize the industry, lower health care costs, decrease the deficit, create jobs, and all the other baseless, counterfactual, talking points they have been using since before the first time they couldn’t pass it. Insurance company-bashing has been a prevailing element for the last several weeks too, as if companies that profit from health care are fundamentally evil.
I hate to have to insult the intelligence of my vast and fine readership, but apparently I need to make a statement to clear the air concerning opposition to Obamacare.

Being anti-Obamacare does not automatically equate to being anti-health care reform. This is a boring and counterfactual claim liberal democrats love to throw around.



Of course Americans want reform, but we want REAL reform. Write a bill that will help bring down the cost of health care, insure more Americans without becoming a massive entitlement program, and establish measures for tort reform. How about writing a bill that does not have a provision for federally funded abortions, or a bill that doesn’t insure illegal aliens living in the country?
The majority of the country is quite clearly adamantly opposed to giving our entire health care system over to the federal government – roughly 16% of our entire economy. We all know the government’s track record running massive entitlement programs and bureaucracies – failure! Not only does the government fail miserably in running massive entitlement programs (social security and medicare are bankrupt) but they the programs seem to have a nasty way of gradually getting larger and larger, encompassing more and more, ultimately leaving less and less of your liberties intact.

Some analogies:
Line up 100 Brits and 100 Americans– have them smile – and YOU tell me what teeth you like better…
Find 100 terminally ill cancer patients in Canada and ask them, if they had the choice, where they would like to receive treatment …
Starting to catch my point?



Questions:
Why haven’t the democrats in Congress made any effort toward writing a bill that will actually lower health insurance premium costs instead of attempting a comprehensive health care industry takeover? Why haven’t they entertained republican ideas which introduce fair market principles to the health care industry by opening cross state competition? Fundamental economic principles teach us competition drives costs down, while at the same time, delivers increases in innovation and invention. Why doesn’t the Obama administration just admit they are trying to ram a health care industry takeover through without the consent of the People?

Answers:
Because, it is all part of the plan. Don’t get me wrong, I am not an aspiring conspiracy theorist: I am a realist; I can read the writing on the wall.
Like millions of other Americans that are worried about the current direction of the country, I can read between the lines of the Obama administration’s vision for hope and change in America. The vision is an America with government running virtually every aspect of our lives – an America with a limited private sector, diminished strength in the world, and entitlement programs encompassing everything from what car you drive to where you go to school to how you get your health care. Sure it sounds great to say Americans are entitled to these things, but at what cost?

Furthermore, since when do Americans have to be dependant on the federal government for a living? Here is the rock-solid truth: the government does not create anything in and of itself – the private sector does. Although I personally wouldn’t dream of attempting entrepreneurialism under the current economic conditions and political climate, entrepreneurs and free market principles are the creators of jobs and wealth. Government jobs, programs, and entitlements use tax dollars. It is a transfer of money – basically a wash (actually in America’s case a deficit). The bottom line is, government does not, nor has it ever created wealth, nor can it truly stimulate the economy. What the government SHOULD do to stimulate the economy is get out of it, and bring the out-of-control spending to a screeching halt! Loosen up on corporations and small business, and yes, give them tax breaks and incentives to grow, and for the love of God and all that was once great about American Exceptionalism – stop trying to take over the entire health care industry!.
Unfortunately, these are concepts that many Americans do not fully grasp, and as a byproduct of our ignorance and apathy, government has been able to grow to a size and scope that it was never supposed to reach.



Obamacare lies debunked:
We debunked the lie they attempted to force feed us about the alleged “40-some million people” in the United States that do not have health insurance. Just do some research on this – the actual number of uninsured, legal citizens, who actually want health insurance but cannot afford it is less than 6% of this fabricated 40-plus million lie.
We debunked the lie of “no federally funded abortions.” The language in the bill clearly states otherwise. In pure black and white on page 2071, lines 10-18 of H.R. 3590, look it up for yourself if you dont believe me.

We debunked the lie “if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor”. Under Obamacare, your doctor may not even be practicing anymore.

We debunked the lie of “80% of Americans like their doctor, not their insurance”. No – 80% of Americans with health insurance like their health insurance. Of course we like our doctors. If we don’t, guess what, we find a new one: Something that we will not be able to do under Obamacare.

Plea to any legislators on the fence about Obamacare:
Although the American people are against a government takeover of our health care system, (just look at any major accredited pole available) we are not against true health care reform. We only ask that you do what is right and good for the country and stop the government’s attempt to take the health care industry over.
The opposition to this bill -- the majority of the American people, are not stupid. We do not oppose this government takeover attempt because we don’t know what it entails; we are against it because we know EXACTLY what it entails. You were elected to listen to your bosses, the American people whom you represent in Washington. If you decide to ignore what we want, we will take appropriate action to ensure you never represent us in a legislative or political capacity again!

Politicians Smother Cities

Politicians Smother Cities

Teabaggers Beware…

This is just too funny; I couldn't resist!

Oh Tiger, My Tiger

***WARNING***
The intention of this letter is NOT to focus judgment on the sins of Tiger Woods, or any other celebrity for that matter. I want to pose a question:

Since when does Tiger Woods, or any sports figure or celebrity owe you and I an apology?

Sure, adultery is wrong, and should always be labeled wrong in society – always has. However, when did society decide that celebrities need to publically punctuate apologies for their uncouth behavior? I don’t feel I am owed an apology. I didn’t all-of-a-sudden start having crappy days ever since the last chapter of Tiger-infidelity came out. I certainly don’t think my 83 year old Grandpa is losing sleep over it. I don’t think Tiger directly wronged the guy down the street who just bagged my groceries; yet I guess according to the Lame stream media, I could be wrong. That guy down at the grocer could be so hurt, so offended, so utterly heart broken and miserable over what Tiger did that he desperately needs an apology.
Ya… Ya, right.

Actually, I do not so much believe that society demands apologies from celebrities as the Lame stream media does.
In my opinion, I see the root of the issue being how the media treats us – how it tells us what to believe. It forces a deception in our faces and in our living rooms that whatever they flash across the screen is what you and I need to be concerning ourselves with. In reality, I believe Americans are (or should be) more concerned with the rock-solid concepts of life such as faith, family, home, kids, and career, rather than the sand of celebrity drama and who happens to be going into “sex-addiction rehab” this week.

I don’t give a crap about Tiger Woods apologizing to us. Furthermore, and I know some will disagree with me here, I feel true role models are parents. Parents and teachers to a lesser degree, but definitely parents. Of course Tiger is a household name and should not have been living his life like an out of control frat boy, but who are we to pass judgment! Moreover, it is the parents at home who should be teaching the kids that his behavior was wrong. I also want to point out how the media usually viciously condemns the individual rather than the behavior. We are all sinners. None of us are perfect and therefore none of us have room to cast stones at anyone; however, the Lame stream media has honed its stone-throwing practices to a virtual art form. If you are not a staunch democrat or publically liberal and you so much as breath in the wrong direction, they will pounce on you like a frenzied cat, eviscerating every ounce of character you thought you had. Contrastingly, if you are a democrat or flaming liberal – then your crude behavior is generally promptly forgiven, and in many cases praised. Hell, sometimes you are even exalted as one of Americas finest. Just look at David Letterman and Bill Clinton – both men adulterers with women half their age – both men forgiven by the media and looked up to. Hey, but it’s ok, they're liberal democrats – hip, smart and funny! Role models for youth!



Pure unbridled hypocrisy at its finest! **finger in mouth gesture followed by puking sounds…***
Just another mind-numbing example of the double standard, two faced, hypocrisy that is perpetually flowing from the left.
Anyway, Tiger, God will forgive you, just repent and seek Him. The media however will not, so I am sorry you had to pointlessly apologize to millions of people whom you did absolutely nothing to.
Now, get back on the links so I can have something to take a nap to on Sunday afternoons…

Mother Nature and Environmentalist Global Warming Alarmists Don't See Eye to Eye

NASA scientists have determined that the earthquake in Chile on Feb. 27th has likely shifted the earth’s axis by three inches. This is in comparison to the same model they used to determine the Sumatra earthquake of 2004 shifted the earth’s axis by two and three quarters inches.
My only question:
How long before this is blamed on Bush? Seriously! I predict there will be some totally deranged, liberal, whack-jobs out there that will make murmurings about how in some crazy, sick, twisted way, Bush was behind this sinister plot to shift the earths axis with a series of extremely destructive earthquakes in an effort to debunk the man made climate change alarmists forever.

Because, you know, if we cannot control Mother Nature (as Obama just said this week in response to the Chile quake), objectively speaking, any man made counter action to man made global warming is a total sham anyway – right? Realistically speaking – I am not even trying to be sarcastic here.
We can't control Mother Nature – the President of the United States just said it – so why the hell are they claiming that climate change/global warming is induced by human beings, more specifically, American human beings with our large SUV’s, wasteful lifestyles, fat butts, and addiction to oil. By the way, the oil thing is foreign oil because the same nut-jobs that chastise our use of oil scream and carry on about how we can’t use our own domestic oil due to their claim that (insert whiny, nasally, snotty voice here) – “it’s too destructive for the environment.” But importing it from outside the U.S. at the cost of American jobs and billions of our dollars is apparently just fine.

Let’s follow this rabbit down the hole further…
If we cant control Mother Nature, why are they claiming that we can reverse this man made global warming/climate change disaster by legislating how we live our lives, drive our cars, eat our food, light our homes, flush our toilets, etc, etc, etc.

I just want to see if I have this right…
According to the environmentalist crazies and global warming alarmists, human beings are responsible for climate change and/or global warming. However, Obama just said that we cannot control Mother Nature, (one of the most logical things he has said since he was inaugurated as President).
The very rational and common sense sentiment that claims human beings cannot control nature is in direct conflict with the preposterous notion that we are to blame for climate change. But wait! The very same wackos that claim we are responsible for changing the earth’s climate also claim we can redirect nature from this fabricated path of destruction we have beset it upon – thus the attempts to control nearly every aspect of our lives in the name of an environmental crisis.

What a load of dung! Not only is it a load of dung, it has been roundly scientifically debunked, and I would be happy to write an entire article dedicated to how the “evidence” for man made global warming has been utterly debunked by science, and furthermore how these nut-jobs who project their “findings” on to the public have done so fraudulently on more than one occasion. Global warming, specifically man made global warming, is nothing more than liberal-code for "tax and control". Because that is all they attempt to do while standing on their shaky at best soap box of the global warming fraud. Actually, now that I think about it, I do need to dedicate a whole article to showing the evidence that debunks this environmental alarmism crap...



Mother Nature just dealt a painful slap to the face of man made global warming or climate change with the recent Chile quake. She is saying, “See, I do whatever I want, whenever I want, and if the climate changes or the earth’s axis moves because of what I do – so be it!”

Like I said, these environmentalist zealots are going to be the same nutters that will blame Bush for these catastrophic earthquakes, and you know what the scary thing is? They will truly believe themselves…

"Dont Tread on Me", an American Motto

Enough with the old (and wimpy) saying: As American as apple pie. A more accurate and bold saying should be: As American as a rattlesnake on a flag sporting the motto “Don’t Tread on Me!” As a Marine, I take a special interest in the historical Gadsden flag because its roots can be traced back to the first Marine companies established in the fall of 1775.

For starters, apple pie is found throughout many parts of the world – the rattlesnake, or more accurately, the American Timber Rattlesnake -- only found in one part of the world: America! Although Old Glory evokes a medley of patriotic emotions from most Americans, the message of The Stars and Stripes is interpreted much differently by some inside America and abroad. The message conveyed by the Gadsden flag however, is unmistakable!

The Gadsden flag -- yellow banner, centered rattlesnake in striking pose traditionally with 13 rattles, with the foreboding statement “Don’t Tread on Me” is older than the Republic itself. This symbol of the American fighting spirit was proudly carried before The Sons of Liberty long before The Declaration of Independence was even composed. Before the Federalist Essays were published, and The Constitution ratified, this flag, and variations of it, served as a prominent emblem of freedom and independence throughout America’s revolutionary beginning and founding. This statement of bold independence and defiance of tyranny resonates throughout our young nation’s history as a reminder to those that that would oppose the most basic American value: Liberty! And the Reminder? Don’t mess with my Liberties – Don’t Tread on Me!



The flag carried by the Culpeper Minute Men of Culpeper County Virginia during the Revolution helped to immortalize Patrick Henry’s famous words by putting “Liberty or Death” above “Don’t Tread on Me.”

Some history:

By the fall of 1775 the Continental Army was desperately short on ammo and arms. They had been fighting courageously against a vastly superior force – organized British infantry – since June, but by October, they were weakening and in great need of resupply. Fortunately, the rebels received some decisive intelligence; the British had dispatched two cargo ships bound for America loaded with gunpowder and arms for the British occupying forces. The rebels knew they needed the ammo and arms more than the British – so they decided on the most pragmatic and American solution: seize the ships!
With that crucial decision, the Continental Navy, comprised of four ships was founded along with five companies of Marines. The newly enlisted Marines apparently did not take their role lightly. They carried yellow colored drums depicting a rattle snake with 13 rattles, and the motto “Don’t Tread on Me”.
The four ships, the USS Alfred, Andrew Doria, Cabot, and Columbus, along with the sailors and Marines with them went on to accomplish some of the most distinguished and important triumphs of the American Revolution.

Esek Hopkins, a salty 57 year old commander with a distinguished naval service record in the French and Indian war was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Navy by Colonel Christopher Gadsden and the Continental Congress. Hopkins’ ship was the USS Alfred – his personal standard: The Gadsden flag, presented to him by Gadsden himself.
Hopkins and Gadsden must have felt that a deadly snake coupled with the motto of “Don’t Tread on Me” would convey the proper attitude to the opposing British while instilling a stout sense of courage for the sailors and Marines sailing off to wage a war that would ultimately decide the independence or servitude of their nation.



So, when I say, enough with the old (and wimpy) saying: As American as apple pie. A more accurate and bold saying should be: As American as a rattlesnake on a flag sporting the motto “Don’t Tread on Me!” I full-heartedly mean it!