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Wednesday, May 26, 2010

How far the divide...

As a conservative artist I get to see and hear both sides of many issues. I opt to stay out of conversations with my liberal artist friends as they are immersed in their belief system and surrounded by like-minded friends. Just as I am on the other side of the divide.

And a divide it is... a huge divide.

I was just scanning some messages on a social network account and saw the following comments regarding Somalia's lack of government per a Rachel Maddow interview (which I didn't see ;-):
Hey, sounds like the kind of no-government-society a tea bagger would love! I'm not rich, but I'll give what I can for air fare for my disgruntled fellow citizens to flee to this Eden.

don't worry, none of them will go. they want all of the benefits of big government with none of the responsibility (i.e. paying for it).

A few years back, I saw almost identical comments from conservatives about paying for tickets for libs to leave the country. I imagine there are still many who'd pool their resources to send libs to a country of their choice!

Aside from the obvious misinterpretation or misunderstanding of what conservatives want of and from their government, plus the fact that the majority of the big government they're referring to IS being paid for by conservatives whether we like it or not, the rhetoric sparked some neurons in my brain and got it all stirred up.

We all see the huge and growing divide between conservatives and liberals / progressives. Libs are proud to pop "so liberal you can't reach" or "liberal / progressive" or "as left as you can go" or "far, far left" on their political belief lines on Facebook and other similar sites. Just like conservatives do the same substituting "right" and conservative.

We have our far right radicals, they have their far left radicals. Both sides seem to be louder and shriller these days though.

I don't look at those involved in the tea party as loud and shrill. Tea Party participants are, for the majority, not far left or right. They are also middle class Americans for the most part it seems. They, or should I say "we", are peacefully rallying to share frustrations with the direction the government is going, asking, no begging, our leaders to adhere to the Constitution and the ideals our country was founded upon.

I do think however that the Obama administration and friends are hoping they'll tip over into the same kind of radical nastiness that we see from lib supporting thugs. I fully expect to see the Dems plant some radicals in our midst to throw rocks or break windows so they can make us look bad and / or have a reason to squash any gatherings.

It seems that the middle is getting bigger, too. People are shying away from being labeled as a member of either side, although they're often times ending up in the tea party middle. Democrats and Republicans are waking up, getting more and more irritated and / or angry about what the suits in Washington are doing. They're becoming independents, libertarians, contitutionalists in some form or other, and some unfortunately are just throwing up their hands and walking away from it all.

How much of the divide is being manipulated and created by those in Washington? Is this a big game they're playing to ratchet up the radicalism on both sides? Are they trying to create a semi-controlled crisis? Did the Tea Party movement surprise them, throw a wrench in their plans? Or did they rub their Simon Legree hands together in anticipation of how they could "use" the movement?

I'm just toying in this post, popping thoughts out as they fly through my soon-to-be-caffeine-soaked-brain.

I can speculate all I want but way, way down here in the land of the normal outside D.C. and political insider circles, it's impossible to know what in the heck is going on. Some day we'll look back through the prism of history, assuming it's still being written and we have a free society, and know whether any of my speculations hit the proverbial nail on the head.

I get frustrated when I hear my fellow artist's thoughts at times. I used to try and debate them, but they are locked into their beliefs as they think I am. They blackball artists who don't fit into their way of thinking. Being blacklisted doesn't bother me as there are tons of conservatives and non-political types who love my art (thank you). It does bother me that they can be so intolerant, so willing to walk in lock-step and not see how they are acting just like the people they think we are. Plus, it shows just how nasty they can be... and oh can they be nasty, mean and intolerant! So much for love, and live and let live, huh?

The person I quoted above who said we conservatives and tea party types wanted the benefits of big government without paying for it was soooo, sooo of the mark it rattles me. We don't want big government. We don't mind paying for what we get. We don't want government intruding in our lives, which is something the libs used to believe in.

When did the hippies and yippies and lefties start WANTING big government? It used to be that they espoused freedom, less government, less intrusion. Now they want government to do everything. Don't they understand that the bigger government gets the hungrier it gets? Arts will be the first thing to suffer. If you're not with the government you'll lose your funding and support. There will be rules saying what you can and can't paint, sculpt, create.

Look at history.

It's funny. Because Obama is in power they now want all the things they didn't want when George Bush was in power. However, when the next President is elected, lets assume (and hope) he's conservative. How are they going to react to that president having the power they are wanting to give to Obama? Regardless of how strongly they feel, there are more conservative leaning people in this country than there are progressives. If there's another election, and sometimes I wonder if there will be, chances are we're going to dance over to the right side of the aisle.

What then my liberal friends?

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Time to spend our money where our values are...

I heard a bit yesterday - second-hand - about the Hollywood guy who wrote and sang the Tea Party song. I didn't catch his name or exactly what he did, movie producer? However it started me thinking about the fact that he felt the need to be anonymous for so long because of the strong possibility he'd be blacklisted and his work would dry up. Based on the lack of support from his friends in the industry, I'd say he's probably going to be living thin for a while.

As I was thinking about his plight I popped onto Facebook to review the 100 plus folks waiting to be my friend. I review them all and so it can be a time-consuming process. I always look at their "Info" page and check out the groups they've joined, pages they've liked and check out their Wall posts if they share. It struck me that many, many Tea Party patriots, conservatives, involved Republicans and similar also "liked" a lot of movies, programs, stores, products that are owned, supported or involve some very liberal, outspoken types.

Which led me to think about this revolution that many of us are involved in. We're trying to get back to core values, make sure the Constitution has its rightful place in our government and across the country... we're working for less government... to support real freedoms as outlined in the founding fathers' documents... and more.

However, we're supporting those who would oppose the very things we are fighting against. When we go to certain movies, flip on some TV stations or programs, pick up the latest thriller chocked full of progressive garbage, buy a t-shirt promoting a product or movie, buy insurance from a company that openly supports socialism, progressives, or worse --- we are donating money to keep them prosperous.

We decry buying oil from terrorist (or terrorist supporting) countries, saying drill here, drill now... and then we do the exact same thing on a minor scale without a second thought.

I think it's time we examined our spending habits. We need to suffer a little bit on the home front for our values. So what if we don't watch NBC? So what if we don't go see the latest and greatest movie? So what if we use a different search engine?

We have a lot of power if we use it wisely and we combine our efforts. It's well and good if we donate money to our causes, but it's just as good if not better if we stop supporting those who would shut those causes down.

We need to do a little bit of research and find out where conservatives are working, which programs they produce, books they write, companies they own and support them with our purchasing power.

It's time to spend our money where are values are...

Monday, May 17, 2010

Christine O'Donnell for US Senate

Please help Republican Christine O'Donnell, a conservative, pro-life Christian is running for the US Senate in a primary against the most liberal Republican in the House, Mike Castle. Christine is a friend and a candidate who can win if conservative activists embrace her as you did Scott Brown. Help her by signing up as a Facebook fan at: http://www.facebook.com/#!/supportchristine?ref=ts. Then, please go to her website at: http://www.christine2010.com. If Christine can connect with conservative activists, and you'll inform your friends about her, she can win -- and win big. Thanks for your help.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Obama Choice for SCOTUS, Elena Kagan, Angers Pro-Troop Groups

Kagan Choice a Slap in the Face to Military and their Families
The nation’s leading grassroots military-support organization, Move America Forward, says military families and their supporters are extremely displeased to learn that President Barack Obama has chosen Solicitor General Elena Kagan to join the U.S. Supreme Court.

During a time of war, when America faces threats from Islamic terrorists, and when we have troops fighting on the ground in Afghanistan and Iraq, we need a judge who understands and supports our military. Elana Kagan is not that person!” said Danny Gonzalez, Director of Communications.

“Kagan was the last person from Obama’s short list that military personnel and their families want to see appointed to the Supreme Court. Not only has Kagan never even been a judge, she has a record of being radically anti-military, most notably in her opposition to the Soloman Act.”

When Kagan was Dean of Law at Harvard University, she expelled military recruiters from campus in defiance of The Solomon Act, which she has argued against in writing and speeches. She, along with 40 other law professors, argued to the Supreme Court against the Soloman Act, but her arguments were rejected by even the most liberal justices.

“President Obama should be appointing to the Supreme Court only those who truly appreciate the heroism and contribution to our freedom we get from the United States military. Kagan fails that test, and we hope she will be summarily rejected in confirmation by the United States Senate.” concluded Gonzalez.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Karl Rove is coming to Peachtree City!

I just bought Karl Rove's new book, Courage and Consequences, tonight!  I got home from the store and within half an hour had a phone call telling me he's going to be here in Georgia May 15th & 16th. So cool... I think he is brilliant, witty, and he's at the very tip top of my list of people I'd love to have dinner with someday. I could wax eloquent about how I admire him but I won't because I know 99.9% of my readers would agree!

Unfortunately for me, I have an art show that weekend and will be sitting at a booth selling my pottery right down the street while he is signing books. I am bummed that I'll miss him, but still excited he'll be here... yep that's called bi-polarly emotions. I'll be ten minutes away and won't get to see him. I'll be at the art show both days he's here in the Atlanta area.

Mr. Rove, if you happen to read this, stop by my booth at the Old Courthouse Art Show in Fayetteville (really, ten minutes, straight down the road from Books-A-Million in Peachtree City) and I'll let you have any piece of my pottery you'd like, even my award winners... OK, OK, you can have two pieces (www.Hummingbird-Hollow.com if you'd like to look before you decide whether it's worth coming)!!!  I'm gonna be famous one of these days and they'll be priceless family heirlooms you'll pass on to your favorite family member way, way in the future...

Ya'll know if Karl Rove showed up at my booth (#36, Fayette Fine Art Show, right on Hwy 54 East at the old Courthouse... oldest courthouse in Georgia... county seat of the biggest and most enthusiastic bunch of Republicans in the state...) I'd probably be so shocked I'd be speechless (and that'd be something most of my friends would love to see ;-)

I'm right on the street... you could pull up, come grab your pottery... have someone pick me up off the ground... take a photo of me with my mouth hanging open... sign my book if I could remember my name... call the medics to render CPR if I don't blink for more than a minute... then just jump back in your car and head straight down the road to the airport. It's only 20 minutes to the airport, too... straight shot from booth #36, Fayette Fine Art Show...

I am going to work hard to try and twist someone's arm to sit at my booth for a while so I can run down to the bookstore Sunday and get him to sign my book. It's a long shot 'cause there just aren't many who'd sit in a booth selling something they know nothing about... and who'd I'd trust with my money ... 

For my friends in Georgia who won't be sitting at an art show selling pottery, here are the places, dates and times Karl Rove will be here in Georgia:

Borders
Saturday, May 15, 12:00-2:00 PM
4475 Roswell Road
Marietta, GA 30062

Books-A-Million at Discover Mills Mall
Saturday, May 15, 4:00-6:00 PM
5900 Sugarloaf Parkway
Lawrenceville, GA 30043

Books-A-Million at The Avenue at Peachtree City
Sunday, May 16, 12:00-2:00 PM
258 City Circle
Peachtree City, GA 30269
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Twitter: @readmylipstick
A few of our other Political blogs:
http://jmacpolitics.blogspot.com/
http://barracudababes.blogspot.com/
http://republicancandidates.blogspot.com/
http://readmylipsticknetwork.blogspot.com/
http://republican-news-sweep.blogspot.com/
http://gfpteapartynews.blogspot.com/
http://statenationalpolitics.blogspot.com/
http://goodgovernmentga.blogspot.com/
http://politicalpitstop.blogspot.com/
http://politicalpotluckblog.blogspot.com/
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Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Quote that could spark a good blog or two:

There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities. - Teddy Roosevelt