Personal worship is a right that everyone should have. Having been raised in the Christian church, we heard stories of those “Southern Baptists” and how extreme they could be in their beliefs but we were still taught tolerance for other religions no matter how different they were from their own.

This exercise in building a mosque near the World Trade Center is at the very heart of what the original immigrants who came to America envisioned, people of different faiths being able to follow their religion without interference from others. For a mosque to be built on the bleeding wound of 9/11 would take the most understanding that can be expected from any society. We have to separate who the terrorists were from their religion. No truly religious person can have these beliefs if they believe in what the best of all religions teach; love, kindness, acceptance, forgiveness. If they’ve been led into the darkness by others, it’s because they were being used by people who have their own dark motives and are hiding behind religion. Everyone makes a choice and they chose badly.

I am a very tolerant person. I am a very understanding person. I will accept whatever the relevant parties decide. Let me propose this: wouldn’t it be tolerant, understanding and accepting of facts that cannot be changed in regards to the lives lost at this location, if this mosque was built as an inter-denominational building? A place of worship where all could come and worship. Wouldn’t this be the best of all worlds?

This one miraculous act would show the terrorists that they cannot dictate how we live our lives through their fear tactics. This would be the ultimate memorial to all those people who died and who were of different nationalities and religions, that we all came together and their sacrifice was not forgotten through this extraordinary act of the faiths coming together.

Nothing can bring back those who died, but rather than rub salt in the wounds of their relatives, as well as a nation, commit an act that can be a salve to our wounds. Create an atmosphere/place of worship where all can come and be joyous in their beliefs. Wouldn’t this be the ultimate example to the middle east also, of all faiths coming together in peace?

First of all, the Declaration of Independence states:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…

No matter what anyone says, this by itself should guarantee equal rights in our country, anything added since such as ammendments to the Constitution were just clarification/additional statements to satisfy those groups that felt were at risk of being treated in an unequal manner due to their ethnicity, age, sex, sexual preference. While these statements all are insurance in our society, the basic Declaration should be enough.

Next it is time to take our country back from those in power. No longer should we be ruled by our fear. I don’t believe the country can get much worse. Our government is a government of entitled individuals. Government officials make higher salaries and their benefits are realized through very little time on the job. There isn’t a middle class anymore. I’ll be lucky to retire by the time I’m 70 with very little guarantee that I’ll be able to collect the social security I will have contributed for over 50 years of work. This needs to be phased out over several generations and people’s retirement decisions put back in their own hands and without government interference.

We need an administration that is made up of the common people, who want to reduce budgets, cut fraud and waste, eliminate duplication of effort between the various agencies, and believes in the common principles of truth and honor as they represent our country. Representation that doesn’t listen to the fearmongers and special interest groups and who simply represent their constituents’ basic values and principles back home.

Please join us in our quest for change … change for the better!

I don’t know if I’ll have anyone to vote for in the primaries. I will be evaluating all party candidates in the fall elections and making an informed decision no matter party affiliation.

Please don’t feel like you are wasting your vote if you vote for a less likely candidate. It is time to stand up for what we want in this country. If we don’t, the situation will only grow worse. Do what is right! Vote for your candidate of choice! Make that difficult choice! We owe this to upcoming generations!

I was watching American Idol last week and they showed a film clip of Elliott Yamin’s return to Angola after a three year absence. He traveled to revisit an orphanage there and the progress they’ve made and are making in assisting the local people there.

Also, I was struck by an article I saw in Archeology magazine, “Common Ground”. The story tells of how Muslim and Jewish people are peacefully working together to uncover their entwined histories through archeological digs.

On Top Chef Masters, contestant Jimmy Bradley, was competing for his charity, Charity Water. This is a non-profit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations.

There have also been numerous stories this last week of people taking in stranded airline passengers trying to get home and unable due to the Icelandic volcano that is active.

While there are numerous challenges that are affecting us, there are also opportunities to rejoice! Please join me in helping make the world a kinder place!

A government cannot run efficiently when almost half of its citizens are not contributing to it’s upkeep. We are and have been creating generations of citizens who are slaves to their government. Suddenly the “work hard and you’ll advance” ideology has been replaced with “Cry hardship and the government will help if you vote for us” ideology. What they are actually doing is controlling the poor, minorities and anyone with special interests.

It is wrong to penalize those 70% that make over $300000. My household makes a little over $100,000 and we pay around 10% federal tax. We need to put in place a straight tax plan that everyone pays a flat tax. A system which doesn’t help or hurt any bracket more than any other. I pay my fair share and want everyone to share this burden whether you are poor or rich. Even a tiered system with the poorest of our society paying the least would be fairer than the cumbersome system we now have.

There is a basic priniciple at work here that is overlooked. Pride. If you take someone’s pride away from them, you leave them with little confidence that things can change. If they help contribute to the upkeep of this country, they can have pride that they helped make America the country that it is. Without a basic tax, they become passengers – not drivers of their future, children – not parents in its’ development, slaves – not shareholders of America. Let’s stop this society of victims. Let us all become strong through equal treatment in our country.

I believe that principal should guide everything a politician does. If he/she changes their vote for a deal, they’ve sold out their constituents.

I believe Social Security needs to be protected. No longer can politicians use the monies for the hiding of true budgetary figures.

I believe Washington needs to be down/right-sized. In this day and age of technology, our state representatives should be able to telecommute from their state therefore saving money. IRS code needs to simplified with straight tax. Foreign troop presence needs to be reduced. Government agencies needs to be able to share information making them more efficient. Every government office/activity needs to be evaluated for efficiency by independent professionals. All of the above will result in savings, less government.

I believe if a bill is presented, it should be able to stand on its own merit and not have any special deals attached.

I believe in simple government. The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights should be all that law is based on. Our legal system has become too cumbersome.

I believe that American is still a land of possibilities. With hard work and determination, people should be able to advance and live a life they desire.

I believe that America is a tolerant society. People of all ethnicities and backgrounds, should be able to seek a better life here as long as they don’t spread fear and hate.

I believe we owe future generations and must leave our country in better shape than when we inherited it.

I believe we need to think globally and be good planet stewards.

I believe we need to stop forcing our beliefs on other countries. We can be a friend and keep communication doors open, but everyone has their own beliefs and we need to respect that. Having said that we need to remain diligent to anything that threatens America.

But who’s the bigger fool here? I guess I am. I’ve been the silent majority, trusting that our experienced, elected officials would listen to us and truly represent their constituents. Stupid me!

I won’t be fooled again. I’m not a very vocal opponent of big government. Never again will I sit by while those who are elected vote what they think we need and not what we desire. Never again!

We’ve started this blog to voice our opinions, suggestions, hopes for the future. We will be researching all candidates before elections and voting for who represents us. New blood is needed. Unexperienced but ethical representation is preferred over experienced and unethical representation.

Let’s take our government back! Voice your opinions! Cast your votes!

I’m shouting NO to this Health Care Bill and my represention is not listening. I’m so frustrated and disheartened that America has come to this point. What future do my children/grandchildren have?

Great article but it makes me sick! If social security would have been hands off and protected during the last 20+ years, all the surpluses would have been building up rather than been raided to mask true government spending over all these years. The government beaurocrats are responsible. Why didn’t anyone say this isn’t right? Why didn’t anyone stop this fraud being perpetrated on Americans year after year?

I don’t know what the future holds for any of us unless we elect people to Washington that care more about the people that elected them than the private interests they represent.

The system is broken people! Wake up and vote appropriately this fall! Vote all encumbants out. I’d much rather have an inexperienced person in Washington who cares than one who is working the system.

Wouldn’t a more efficient process involve data collected from the IRS during the yearly tax ordeal? They have people’s names/addresses. A cross reference of social security would give them birthdates/ages. The ethnicity questions are offensive to me but I would imagine this is obtainable through social security also. WAIT! This is the government. They don’t share information between agencies. Silly me!

Or in this technologically advanced age, why couldn’t this be done online? I would imagine more than half of all citizens have computers or access to computers. A year before the census mailing, give people a month to get online and fill out their information. After receiving information, the people who didn’t respond can be mailed the census form, saving money on the initial mailing and less follow up visits by census takers.

We need to start demanding more value for our dollar. Dollars are wasted right and left out of our government and it is time to say STOP THE INSANITY and DO IT RIGHT!

If the current policy makers don’t understand this, let’s put the common man/woman who does in their seats.