"The Star-Spangled Banner"
O! say can you see by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming.
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner, O! long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
Francis Scott Key, 1814
About Me
- MamaJ
- SINNER. Saved by GRACE. Living out life as a Mom, Wife, Daughter, Sister, and Friend. I love Jesus, my husband, my children, books, homeschooling and large quantities of coffee.
Showing posts with label government. Show all posts
Showing posts with label government. Show all posts
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Monday, December 14, 2009
Not to keep beating a dead horse...
Standard Disclaimer on a military post: For those of you who may not know or remember, I was IN the military, MET my husband while working together and saw numerous other women meet their spouses/ex-spouses there. I also saw LOTS of marriages being destroyed by women and men working together in those environments. I am not just giving an opinion, I am stating facts that I witnessed and experienced first-hand. That being said, let's continue on, shall we?
*Sigh* When is it going to stop being a surprise that women returning from combat or military duty ARE NOT DOING WELL?? Remember when I wrote about this one? Well, here's another article...
"Back from combat, women struggle for acceptance."
"The Defense Department bars women from serving in assignments where the primary mission is to engage in direct ground combat. But the nature of the recent conflicts, with no clear front lines, puts women in the middle of the action, in roles such as military police officers, pilots, drivers and gunners on convoys. In addition to the 120-plus deaths, more than 650 women have been wounded.
Back home, women face many of the same issues as the men, but the personal stakes may be greater.
Female service members have much higher rates of divorce and are more likely to be a single parent. When they do seek help at VA medical centers, they are screening positive at a higher rate for military sexual trauma, meaning they indicated experiencing sexual harassment, assault or rape. Some studies have shown that female veterans are at greater risk for homelessness."
Now, the greater risk for homelessness was a new one to me. That's very disturbing.
Here's something else that should bother you...
"Genevieve Chase, 32, of Alexandria, Va., a staff sergeant in the Army Reserves, said the same guys who were her buddies in Afghanistan didn't invite her for drinks later on because their wives or girlfriends wouldn't approve.
'One of the hardest things that I had to deal with was, being a woman, was losing my best friends or my comrades to their families,' Chase said."
Did you catch that? The woman states that she "lost her best friends to their families"! Should those returning husbands and fathers be out drinking with their former comrades, or home reuniting with their wives, and children?? Of course their wives and girlfriends wouldn't approve! Why would they want to share their husbands with another woman? But, essentially, that's happening when you place men and women together in these situations!
Not only do these soldiers grow to rely on and trust each other, they become emotionally invested in each other during "down time." If someone is going to be willing to die for you, and vice versa, it's nice to get to know who you're fighting for. Right? So, it isn't all that surprising that SSgt. So-and-So complains to Corporal La-Ti-Da about his wife's nagging letter, or how she wants him to get out of the military as soon as this tours ends, etc. etc. It's the same scenario played out all over the world, when people start to get emotionally intimate with co-workers. Being in the military just amps it up a few notches. Working together in life or death situations, where you are often together for 12+ hours a day, and possibly in secluded areas, it can cause all sorts of hormonal/emotional issues. God never, never, never intended for women to have relationships with men - other than their OWN husbands - that were intimate and emotional.
It's heart-wrenching to read about. It's harder to watch it personally. There was a line drawn, a time when men wouldn't think of fighting beside a woman in combat. When women were supposed to be protected and fought for. Feminism successfully blurred that line. I'm not doubting the validity of the work these female soldiers have done. I definitely think some have undergone post-traumatic stress and their lives haven't been easy in the military. I'm just wondering why we were ever there at all?
The results of women in the military have been devastating and the effects, well, we'll be seeing those for a long time...
*Sigh* When is it going to stop being a surprise that women returning from combat or military duty ARE NOT DOING WELL?? Remember when I wrote about this one? Well, here's another article...
"Back from combat, women struggle for acceptance."
"The Defense Department bars women from serving in assignments where the primary mission is to engage in direct ground combat. But the nature of the recent conflicts, with no clear front lines, puts women in the middle of the action, in roles such as military police officers, pilots, drivers and gunners on convoys. In addition to the 120-plus deaths, more than 650 women have been wounded.
Back home, women face many of the same issues as the men, but the personal stakes may be greater.
Female service members have much higher rates of divorce and are more likely to be a single parent. When they do seek help at VA medical centers, they are screening positive at a higher rate for military sexual trauma, meaning they indicated experiencing sexual harassment, assault or rape. Some studies have shown that female veterans are at greater risk for homelessness."
Now, the greater risk for homelessness was a new one to me. That's very disturbing.
Here's something else that should bother you...
"Genevieve Chase, 32, of Alexandria, Va., a staff sergeant in the Army Reserves, said the same guys who were her buddies in Afghanistan didn't invite her for drinks later on because their wives or girlfriends wouldn't approve.
'One of the hardest things that I had to deal with was, being a woman, was losing my best friends or my comrades to their families,' Chase said."
Did you catch that? The woman states that she "lost her best friends to their families"! Should those returning husbands and fathers be out drinking with their former comrades, or home reuniting with their wives, and children?? Of course their wives and girlfriends wouldn't approve! Why would they want to share their husbands with another woman? But, essentially, that's happening when you place men and women together in these situations!
Not only do these soldiers grow to rely on and trust each other, they become emotionally invested in each other during "down time." If someone is going to be willing to die for you, and vice versa, it's nice to get to know who you're fighting for. Right? So, it isn't all that surprising that SSgt. So-and-So complains to Corporal La-Ti-Da about his wife's nagging letter, or how she wants him to get out of the military as soon as this tours ends, etc. etc. It's the same scenario played out all over the world, when people start to get emotionally intimate with co-workers. Being in the military just amps it up a few notches. Working together in life or death situations, where you are often together for 12+ hours a day, and possibly in secluded areas, it can cause all sorts of hormonal/emotional issues. God never, never, never intended for women to have relationships with men - other than their OWN husbands - that were intimate and emotional.
It's heart-wrenching to read about. It's harder to watch it personally. There was a line drawn, a time when men wouldn't think of fighting beside a woman in combat. When women were supposed to be protected and fought for. Feminism successfully blurred that line. I'm not doubting the validity of the work these female soldiers have done. I definitely think some have undergone post-traumatic stress and their lives haven't been easy in the military. I'm just wondering why we were ever there at all?
The results of women in the military have been devastating and the effects, well, we'll be seeing those for a long time...
Monday, December 7, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Obamacare for old folks: just 'cut your life short.'
Apparently Obama's health care plan includes a recommendation for the elderly, in essence, "Just cut your life short." The plan includes end-of-life ideas and recommends counseling sessions to inform the elderly of their "options." Here's the article at WorldNet Daily.
The version of President Obama's universal health care plan pending in the U.S. House would require "end-of-life" counseling for senior citizens, and the former lieutenant governor for the state of New York is warning people to protect their parents from the measure.
At issue is section 1233 of the legislative proposal that deals with a government requirement for an "Advance Care Planning Consultation."
Betsy McCaughey, the former New York state officer, told former president candidate Fred Thompson during an interview on his radio program the "consultation" is no more or less than an attempt to convince seniors to die.
Hm.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Texas Legislation Update.....HSLDA
Here's the email we received from the HSLDA about recent Texas legislation... I am especially excited to see the Jury Duty one!
"The Texas Legislative Session adjourned on June 1. HSLDA focused a generous amount of time and effort into watching the legislature closely for any bills that would have negatively or positively
affected homeschool rights. Largely through the efforts of HSLDA Legislative Council, Tom Sanders, and HSLDA members, we are happy to report that many bad bills did not pass.
Tom Sanders worked tirelessly on our behalf going from office to office working to kill the bills that would have restricted our freedoms, including a Children's Bill of Rights bill, a daytime curfew
bill, and a mandatory kindergarten bill. In addition, he made sure the bill allowing homeschoolers an exemption from jury duty, passed.
A summary of the bills we worked on are below:
House Bill 319: Exemption from Jury Duty
This bill provides an exemption for homeschoolers from jury duty. HSLDA supported the bill and it passed!
House Bill 1886: Enforcement of Juvenile Curfew Ordinance
This bill would have authorized the sheriff of each county in which the municipality is located to enforce a juvenile curfew ordinance. HSLDA opposed this bill, and it did not pass!
House Bill 188: Rights for Children
This bill would have guaranteed certain rights for children and the education of parents regarding their duties as parents. The problem with the bill was in the vague language, which included giving
children the right to "quality education," and the "right to be free" from "any form of discipline that humiliates or demeans a child," which could be interpreted against homeschools or parents who spank
their children. HSLDA opposed this bill, and it did not pass!
Dallas City Daytime Curfew Ordinance
Despite our efforts, the curfew passed with a vote of 12-2. City officials have indicated that the curfew was scheduled to take effect May 18, but will not be enforced until the beginning of the 2009-2010
school year.
Thankfully, language was inserted at the last minute into the ordinance that will require the council to review the curfew by June 1, 2010. In addition, the curfew will be subject to council review
every three years.
Also, the latest version of the ordinance that passed on May 13 included several changes to lessen the severity of the ordinance by allowing for a few more defenses to prosecution, and requiring that a
police officer had to allow a business two warnings before the officer could ticket. The added defenses included in the ordinance were exemptions for medical appointments, work study, and school-sanctioned
functions.
House Bill 948: CPS Reform
This bill would have reformed CPS investigations by giving the parent more power through the investigation process. HSLDA supported this bill, but it died in committee.
Senate Bill 1064: Weakens Families' Rights During CPS Investigations
This bill would have authorized DFPS, without filing suit, to seek a court order in aid of investigation. Fortunately, this bill died in committee.
House Bill 316: Mandatory Kindergarten
This bill would have required mandatory attendance in kindergarten in the public schools. Fortunately, this bill died in committee.
House Resolution 1438: Requires Government Oversight on Homeschoolers
This resolution urged the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to implement in the state regulations a policy to require schools to use academic indicators to demonstrate adequate yearly progress. The policy would
have required the TEA to track all students, including students who withdrew from the public school in order to homeschool. Fortunately, this resolution died.
Senate Bill 466: Excluding a Child from the Immunization Registry
This bill would allow for a child to be excluded from the immunization registry. HSLDA supported this bill, but unfortunately, it did not
pass.
House Bill 351: Tuition Refund for Homeschoolers
This bill allowed for an exemption from or refund of tuition and fees for lower-division students enrolled in a general academic teaching institution who maintain a high grade-point average. HSLDA supported
this bill, but unfortunately, it did not pass.
House Bill 2084: Parental Rights Restoration Act
The bill would have modified the grandparent visitation law in favor of parental rights. The bill would prohibit a grandparent from suing a parent for access to the grandchild unless the grandparent provides
proof that the child's physical health will be endangered, and the child's emotional well-being and development will be impaired, if access is not granted. HSLDA supported this bill, but unfortunately,
the bill did not pass.
Thank you for your stand with us in fighting for homeschool freedoms!
Sincerely,
Christopher J. Klicka
HSLDA Senior Counsel"
"The Texas Legislative Session adjourned on June 1. HSLDA focused a generous amount of time and effort into watching the legislature closely for any bills that would have negatively or positively
affected homeschool rights. Largely through the efforts of HSLDA Legislative Council, Tom Sanders, and HSLDA members, we are happy to report that many bad bills did not pass.
Tom Sanders worked tirelessly on our behalf going from office to office working to kill the bills that would have restricted our freedoms, including a Children's Bill of Rights bill, a daytime curfew
bill, and a mandatory kindergarten bill. In addition, he made sure the bill allowing homeschoolers an exemption from jury duty, passed.
A summary of the bills we worked on are below:
House Bill 319: Exemption from Jury Duty
This bill provides an exemption for homeschoolers from jury duty. HSLDA supported the bill and it passed!
House Bill 1886: Enforcement of Juvenile Curfew Ordinance
This bill would have authorized the sheriff of each county in which the municipality is located to enforce a juvenile curfew ordinance. HSLDA opposed this bill, and it did not pass!
House Bill 188: Rights for Children
This bill would have guaranteed certain rights for children and the education of parents regarding their duties as parents. The problem with the bill was in the vague language, which included giving
children the right to "quality education," and the "right to be free" from "any form of discipline that humiliates or demeans a child," which could be interpreted against homeschools or parents who spank
their children. HSLDA opposed this bill, and it did not pass!
Dallas City Daytime Curfew Ordinance
Despite our efforts, the curfew passed with a vote of 12-2. City officials have indicated that the curfew was scheduled to take effect May 18, but will not be enforced until the beginning of the 2009-2010
school year.
Thankfully, language was inserted at the last minute into the ordinance that will require the council to review the curfew by June 1, 2010. In addition, the curfew will be subject to council review
every three years.
Also, the latest version of the ordinance that passed on May 13 included several changes to lessen the severity of the ordinance by allowing for a few more defenses to prosecution, and requiring that a
police officer had to allow a business two warnings before the officer could ticket. The added defenses included in the ordinance were exemptions for medical appointments, work study, and school-sanctioned
functions.
House Bill 948: CPS Reform
This bill would have reformed CPS investigations by giving the parent more power through the investigation process. HSLDA supported this bill, but it died in committee.
Senate Bill 1064: Weakens Families' Rights During CPS Investigations
This bill would have authorized DFPS, without filing suit, to seek a court order in aid of investigation. Fortunately, this bill died in committee.
House Bill 316: Mandatory Kindergarten
This bill would have required mandatory attendance in kindergarten in the public schools. Fortunately, this bill died in committee.
House Resolution 1438: Requires Government Oversight on Homeschoolers
This resolution urged the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to implement in the state regulations a policy to require schools to use academic indicators to demonstrate adequate yearly progress. The policy would
have required the TEA to track all students, including students who withdrew from the public school in order to homeschool. Fortunately, this resolution died.
Senate Bill 466: Excluding a Child from the Immunization Registry
This bill would allow for a child to be excluded from the immunization registry. HSLDA supported this bill, but unfortunately, it did not
pass.
House Bill 351: Tuition Refund for Homeschoolers
This bill allowed for an exemption from or refund of tuition and fees for lower-division students enrolled in a general academic teaching institution who maintain a high grade-point average. HSLDA supported
this bill, but unfortunately, it did not pass.
House Bill 2084: Parental Rights Restoration Act
The bill would have modified the grandparent visitation law in favor of parental rights. The bill would prohibit a grandparent from suing a parent for access to the grandchild unless the grandparent provides
proof that the child's physical health will be endangered, and the child's emotional well-being and development will be impaired, if access is not granted. HSLDA supported this bill, but unfortunately,
the bill did not pass.
Thank you for your stand with us in fighting for homeschool freedoms!
Sincerely,
Christopher J. Klicka
HSLDA Senior Counsel"
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Is this the road we're heading down?
I was trying to find this in the news when I realized Ellajac beat me to it. Great minds think alike, eh? Here's the link to her blog, where you'll find Glenn Beck telling us what the Russians think about this "changing" America...
Friday, May 15, 2009
Congratulations American Taxpayers!!
You could now OWN a portion of California (I'll take mine near San Diego, please), a trucking company (that will come in handy), several Life Insurance Agencies, a car company or two, and a few banks! Aren't we blessed with such a generous government?!!?!
Welcome to the United Sates of BAILOUT!
Welcome to the United Sates of BAILOUT!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Confused?
This is too funny!! Anyone else confused/irritated that we get a "free" economic stimulus payment that comes out of our own pockets?? Look at a small sample of what the Headmistress at the Common Room says...
Friday, January 23, 2009
In Your Face Reality
I blatantly stole this from my cyberbud Ellajac. I hope she'll have pity on me because the constant coughing going on has rattled any new writing material right out of my brain! But it is SOOOO GOOD, you have to press play!!!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Inauguration Day
Well, it's here. The day that Barack Obama will become our president. We might soon see some drastic changes in our country. We might see the "Freedom of Choice Act" signed. We might see guns and ammunition increase 500% in cost. There are plenty of things we might see happen.
But, in Ecclesiastes 1:9(ESV), we are reminded that,
"What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done,
and there is nothing new under the sun."
There have been people in leadership who made wrong/evil choices before, there will be people after this one as well. The best thing for us to do is to PRAY, and to stay the course with our own families, teaching our children God's laws and commandments. I am getting ready to go watch the inauguration news with XMan and explain to him how much this president needs our prayers. Prayers that God will convict his heart and open his blind eyes....
But, in Ecclesiastes 1:9(ESV), we are reminded that,
"What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done,
and there is nothing new under the sun."
There have been people in leadership who made wrong/evil choices before, there will be people after this one as well. The best thing for us to do is to PRAY, and to stay the course with our own families, teaching our children God's laws and commandments. I am getting ready to go watch the inauguration news with XMan and explain to him how much this president needs our prayers. Prayers that God will convict his heart and open his blind eyes....
Friday, January 9, 2009
Outrageous!!
This is just too ridiculous! I heard about it a while back, when Goodwill asked people to stop donating toys, due to the "lead testing law" that was affecting them. I didn't realize it was soon to be a national issue!! It will apply to all clothes and children's toys, even handmade ones! It should have been more directly aimed at toys imported from China, land of the lead-based everything. Instead many small business owners, and families who make and sell handmade goods, will be shut down due to the astronomical testing costs. Apparently lawmakers are too busy making up new rules to consider how this will effect the economy, and especially small business owners.
"The new regulations take effect Feb. 10 under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, which was passed by Congress last year in response to widespread recalls of products that posed a threat to children, including toys made with lead or lead-based paint."
LATimes Story
Handmade Toys Alliance
"The new regulations take effect Feb. 10 under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, which was passed by Congress last year in response to widespread recalls of products that posed a threat to children, including toys made with lead or lead-based paint."
LATimes Story
Handmade Toys Alliance
Monday, December 15, 2008
Belgium Already Using "Assisted Suicide" on Terminally Ill Infants and Children
WOW. I had this article sent to me today, and confirmed it by doing an internet search. The country of Belgium has been committing mass-murder in the form of "assisted suicide" since 2002.
"Since 2002, Belgium has allowed doctors to terminate the lives of infants under the age of 12 months if they feel the baby is somehow disabled or deficient, and is likely to suffer in life as a result. More than half of the Belgian babies who die before they are a year old are killed by deliberate medical intervention. In 16% of cases, parental consent was not even considered."
"Unfortunately, the program has been deemed so 'successful' in Belgium that in March 2008, the government began considering legislation that would also make assisted-suicide available to teenagers and younger children who are terminally-ill."
"Unfortunately, the program has been deemed so 'successful' in Belgium that in March 2008, the government began considering legislation that would also make assisted-suicide available to teenagers and younger children who are terminally-ill."
Here's another article published by the Lancet, which shows 3 out of 4 doctors in Belgium are in favor of euthanasia for children who might have a "poor quality of life."
So, who is to decide the degree of "suffering" these children might endure or what will constitute a poor quality of life? Apparently the doctors are. Think it won't happen here?
"Obama A: I am in favor of palliative medicine in circumstances where someone is terminally ill. ... I'm mindful of the legitimate interests of states to prevent a slide from palliative treatments into euthanasia. On the other hand, I think that the people of Oregon did a service for the country in recognizing that as the population gets older we've got to think about issues of end-of-life care...."
Don't believe me? Go google "USA, euthanasia."
Don't believe me? Go google "USA, euthanasia."
Friday, June 20, 2008
Child Protective Services? More like Government Baby Thieves
CPS takes 2 day old baby from the arms of mother. You can go watch this one, but I have to warn you, it's heart-wrenching.
Here's another one, interviews with CPS workers who have seen the "light."
Mass CPS Corruption
Lord, help us.
Here's another one, interviews with CPS workers who have seen the "light."
Mass CPS Corruption
Lord, help us.
Energy Saving Lightbulbs
Congress and their important issues! Have you heard about the mandatory light bulb switch in a few years? The old Edison ones won't be available anymore. Pay close attention to how they describe the proper disposal of the new CFL lightbulbs....
Friday, May 16, 2008
You have to go read this!
Go read this story! It will blow your mind. Well, maybe we're all getting used to seeing stuff like this, though....
6th Grade Poll at a Mississippi School
6th Grade Poll at a Mississippi School
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Things to check out
Here are some interesting things I have seen lately. I honestly don't know who I am voting for yet, and I don't want to spark a debate here. I definitely think we should be well informed, though! Please don't go off of the fancy commercials and the amount of signs you see posted in people's yards! Go find out more about the candidates and their actual voting history!
A website to check out!
http://knowbeforeyouvote.com/
A post over at Life in a Shoe.
http://inashoe.com/?p=2007
A post about government over involvement in our lives
http://tnfarmgirl.christianagrarian.com/?p=538
Ok! That should keep you busy while I think of something funny to write about! See ya!
A website to check out!
http://knowbeforeyouvote.com/
A post over at Life in a Shoe.
http://inashoe.com/?p=2007
A post about government over involvement in our lives
http://tnfarmgirl.christianagrarian.com/?p=538
Ok! That should keep you busy while I think of something funny to write about! See ya!
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