Weekly Opinion/Editorial

THE AMERICAN DREAM IS ON LIFE SUPPORT!
by Steve Fair

Is the American Dream dead? James Truslow Adams first used the term—The American Dream— in his book The Epic of America that was written in 1931. Adams stated: "The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not necessarily a dream of famous cars, nice homes and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman would be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable—to live up to their potential—regardless of who their parents are or their station in life upon birth.”

To the pilgrims coming to America in the 1600s, The American Dream meant religious freedom-even though the new land wasn’t yet called America. In the 1700s, more settlers seeking the right to worship freely along with those seeking adventure and wealth braved the over three month journey across the ocean to the new world. In the 1800s and early 1900s, America’s industry and ingenuity attracted people from throughout the world-all seeking their piece of the American Dream. While their motivations might have been different, they were united in their goal to live a better life in a better country. America’s first immigrants believed in personal responsibility. They didn’t come to America to get on welfare rolls or to panhandle. They were the best and brightest in their mother country, but personal liberty had eroded in Europe and across the globe until these risk takers left their home to live the American Dream.

It appears the American Dream has become a nightmare. American-the country noted for rewarding personal responsibility and ingenuity- has now started to reward people who are reckless and irresponsible. President Obama has proposed a two hundred and fifty billion dollar program where taxpayers would pick up some of the tab for people who are behind on their mortgage. That’s un-American! America doesn’t reward irresponsibility. Let the lenders and their customers work it out. The problem is the mandating of bad loans by the Clinton administration forced some lenders to make bad loans.

This week, Obama proposed we bail out Citibank-actually buy 40% of the stock in the mismanaged company. What about the banks that made good loans? The ones that did their due diligence and wouldn’t make the high-risk loans? They of course will be forgotten. America is fast headed to a Collectivism state.

According to Jeff Landauer and Joseph Rowlands,"Collectivism attempts to see a group of individuals as having a single identity similar to a person. ... Collectivism demands that the group be more important than the individual. It requires the individual to sacrifice himself for the alleged good of the group." This is taught in college today as “teamwork,” but the stark reality is that true teamwork requires unselfishness on everyone’s part- not just a few. Obama’s mortgage proposal is socialism- pure and simple.

This “Robin Hood” mentality Washington Democrats are engaging in forgets one unmistakable fact- Robin Hood was stealing. As much as I love the story, the real fact is Robin Hood was a thief- a criminal. Sure we have those in our country who are poor and in need and those of us who are blessed with plenty should help the truly deserving. But it’s not government’s job to mandate citizens help their irresponsible neighbors. This type of legislation will encourage more irresponsibility.

Abraham Lincoln once said, “You cannot help the poor, by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen the weak, by weakening the strong. You cannot bring about prosperity, by discouraging thrift. You cannot lift the wage earner up, by pulling the wage payer down. You cannot further the brotherhood of man, by inciting class hatred. You cannot build character and courage, by taking away men’s initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently, by doing for them what they could and should, do for themselves.”

James Adam’s definition of the American Dream didn’t stop with the statement- a land in which life should be better, richer and fuller for everyone. He continued and added the dream rested on the initiative, ability, ambition or achievement of each individual. The American Dream of our forefathers may not be dead, but it’s on life support and with it’s death will go our capitalist way of life.

WILL SAYS AMERICA HAS ENTITLEMENT MENTALITY

Washington Post editorial writer George F. Will spoke at Cameron University tonight in conjunction with their centennial celebration. Will said that America is in danger of subsidizing failure with the current attitude in Washington of bailing out private industry. Will pointed out that most Americans have an "entitlement" mentality. "When the government begins to think they can distort the genius of the free market, we are going to see a dependence agenda," Will said.

Will pointed out that in the last decade Americans rate of savings is now negative. He pointed out the average credit card holder has nine cards and the average credit card debt in America is $12,000 per household. Will said both liberals and conservatives want to return the the 1950s, but for different reasons. "Conservatives want to return to the life style of the '50s, and liberals want to work like it was the 1950s," Will said. "Liberals want to return to the days of Big Labor," but those days are behind us," Will said.

"We have a crisis in the welfare system in this country for two reasons. The population is aging and by the year 2030, the average age in America will be greater than the average age in Florida now," Will said to a laughing crowd. He pointed out that the increased life expectancy and increased amount of money spent on health care are the two reasons the welfare system is strained. "We spent just six percent of the our GNP on health care in 1960, but that is now 17%," Will said. "Twenty three percent of Medicare patients have one or more chronic illness and 46 out of every 100 dollars spent on health care in our country is government money," Will said.

Turning to the IRS, Will pointed out the top five percent of America taxpayers pay 60% of the nation's taxes. "The bottom 50% pay only 3% of the taxes," Will said. Quoting Oklahoma's favorite son, Will Rogers who once said about the correlation between death and taxes, "Death doesn't get worse every time Congress meets."

Contrasting the difference between what constituted wealth, Will said 200 years ago, that was land. "A century ago, wealth was defined by industry- steel, railroads, manufacturing," Will said. "Now it's human capital-education has become the wealth of our current society," Will said.

Defending capitalism and free markets, Will said that after WWII, a great example was conducted on the European continent with the division of Germany. "We had one section advocating Collectivism and the other Capitalism." "We survived and they didn't, Will said. "Capitalism does not just make us better off, it's makes us better," Will concluded.

Will answered several questions and when asked about his recent "dinner meeting" with President Obama, he declined to reveal what was discussed. "I facilitated the meeting with President Obama and several conservatives to promote civility in Washington. I believe to divulge what was discussed would be counterproductive to what the objective was," Will said cagedly.

Will was engaging, gracious and funny. A huge fan of baseball, he included in the lecture a couple of stories about Major League managers. When asked if he wanted to be the next MLB Commissioner, Will answered, "My good friend Faye Vincent is the current commissioner and he can stay as long as he likes."

I purchased Will's new book, One Man's America, and he inscribed it. I also got a fuzzy picture with the writer. It was a great evening and the one hour lecture was informative and educational. I commend Cameron for bringing George Will to Lawton and to the McCasland Foundation of Duncan for sponsoring the event.

HARASSMENT IN THE HEARTLAND!

Often times those of us who live in Oklahoma believe we live in an area of the country where conservatives don't face opposition or harassment. This story illustrates no one is immune- even in Sooner country.
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An overzealous liberal OKC police officer who obviously has a limited education pulled over an OKC driver with a sign in his car that said "Abort Obama Not the Unborn," took the sign and then told the driver he was going to turn the sign over to the Secret Service. The idiot officer thought the word abort meant "to kill."

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According to Websters, Abort means "to end a plan or process before completion." Where does OKC get their police officers? This moron should be fired! Anyone running around violating a citizen's right to free speech should not be enforcing ANY laws! This is an embarrassment to the state of Oklahoma and the OKC police department in particular.

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You never read about a citizen being harrassed for having an ANTI-BUSH bumper sticker on their car, but when Obama became President, the rules changed. Read this entire story at:

http://www.newsok.com/okc-officer-pulls-man-over-for-anti-obama-sign-on-vehicle/article/3347038?custom_click=headlines_widget

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Read another bloggers take on this incident at:

http://pirate-king.com/episode/4458

WHILE AMERICA BURNS, PELOSI ROMES!

What is Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi doing in Rome? Where are her priorities? Certainly not doing her job. The Pope gave her a piece of his mind today about the rights of the unborn- read the complete story at link below. http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D96E13500&show_article=1

IF IT AIN'T BROKE- WHY FIX IT?

Fair endores JONES/LAPLANTE!

By Steve Fair

Gary Jones, the current State Republican Chairman, is seeking re-election. Angie LaPlante, the current 5th district Chair of the State Party, is running for Vice Chair. The two are running as a team. I am wholeheartedly supporting this ticket because it's critical that Oklahoma Republicans continue to set the example of building the grassroots- precinct by precinct,county by county and district by district. The Republican National Committee could learn a valuable lesson by looking at what has been accomplished in Oklahoma in recent years.

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Gary Jones has had his detractors during his tenure as State Chair. He has been maligned by conservative political Pharisees, undercut by powerful GOP elected officials, and bypassed by political pragmatists, yet through it all Jones has maintained his cool and been remarkably effective. The primary reason is that Gary doesn't hold a grudge and can forgive and move on better than anyone I know. That's a rare quality and one I wished I possessed. Gary believes in "the cause." Gary wants to leave Oklahoma a better place for his kids and grand kids. During Gary's tenure at the State Party, Republicans have taken the majority in the State House and the State Senate. Last cycle, Oklahoma was the reddest of the red states-all seventy seven counties in Oklahoma voted for John McCain, the State Senate became RED for the first time in state history. We won both Corporation Commission races and returned Senator Inhofe to the Senate. Gary wasn't given sufficient credit for those accomplishments, but rest assured if Oklahoma Republicans would have performed like most of the country, Gary Jones would have been singled out by party hacks and chumps as the reason for the failure. The inconsistency of that slays me. Every good election can't be the result of the consultants and elected officials great strategy and every bad election can't be because Party officials failed. But we didn't fail in 2008 and a major reason for that was the leadership of Gary Jones!

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Much of the success Republicans have enjoyed at the polls in the past few years is due to Gary's understanding that GRASSROOTS and GROUND GAME win races. It's not just about money and Gary understands that. Don't misunderstand- Gary is a successful fundraiser and has kept the Oklahoma State Republican Party in the black during tough economic times. Gary is fiscally conservative. He isn't wasteful with Party money. Jones is innovative and embraces new methods of reaching the voter. Gary is an ethical, principled man with strong family ties-he and his wife have been married over thirty years. Oklahoma Republicans are blessed to have a Chairman who is inclusive, fair-minded, and easy to work with. Those three characteristics are the reason I can unreservedly recommend Gary Jones for re-election.

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Angie LaPlante and I have worked together for several years. We are both District Chairs in the State Party which allows us to serve on the State Executive Committee. Angie is an enthusiastic individual whose proven leadership in the OFRW resulted in amazing growth in that organization. Angie is a grassroots person-she knows that elections are won by engaging the voter-not debating among ourselves or preaching to the choir. Angie spearheaded a drive to distribute thousands of pieces of literature in Oklahoma County. Her program was not unlike the model the Stephens County GOP has used to engage voters. In 2008, dozens of people showed up every Saturday in Duncan to pass out literature for every local candidate on the ballot all across the county. They went house to house, street by street. They put RUBBER TO THE ROAD! Angie puts action behind her words. She helps candidates get elected by raising money and helping them get their message to the voter. Like Gary, Angie is easy to work with and fair-minded. I recommend that Angie LaPlante be elected Vice Chairperson at the State Convention April 18th.

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Those that know me-and there are a those who think they do, but don't- recognize that I believe the answer to Republicans getting back into the majority is embracing GRASSROOTS involvement and emphasising a strong GROUND GAME in campaigns instead of raising obscene sums of money, and using mass media to get their message out. Because few voters are paying attention, BIG MONEY often works, but it's a short sighted strategy that will result in an oligarchy. An oligarchy is a form of government where political power effectively rests with a small elite segment of society often distinguished by wealth and family. If the average citizen is not awakened and energized by what is going on around him, only the elite will have any voice in elections and the principle of SELF-RULE is dead.

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The Oklahoma Republican Party in the not too recent past-before Gary- embraced the oligarchy method, but when Gary was elected Chairman, he begin the task to build the grassroots. Political consultants and hirelings viewed that philosophy as old school and out of touch and tried their dead level best to insure Jones' failure. But if you do your research and check where Republicans have performed best in Oklahoma the last four years, you'll find it was in geographic areas where GRASSROOTS and a strong GROUND GAME was emphasised.

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Gary and Angie and their philosophy of political leadership is one of servitude and graciousness. What better way to attract uninvolved conservative citizens into becoming more active than by being nice? You don't have to compromise your convictions or change your value system to be civil to people. Jones and LaPlante are mature adults and understand that simple premise. Gary and Angie are not confrontational individuals or unpleasant to deal with. They can disagree without being disagreeable. Those are critical characteristics in effective leaders. If you are a delegate, I urge you to cast your vote for Jones/LaPlante at the Oklahoma State Republican Convention on Saturday April 18, 2009.

In July of 2007, I wrote an editorial entitled, "THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE ISN'T FAIR! With all the hype on this issue and Congress looking to HUSH RUSH, this article is worth reviewing. Click on the link below to access it.
http://stevefair.blogspot.com/2007/07/fairness-doctrine-is-not-fair-oklahoma.html

My co-host on The Grapevine, Georgia Williams-who is also a long time political activist has a post on her blog dealing with the Broadcast FAIRNESS? issue. I recommend your accessing it. The link is: http://thruthegrapevine-grapevine.blogspot.com/

Weekly Opinon/Editorial

APATHY FITS AMERICA LIKE A GLOVE
by Steve Fair

Last week, the Stephens County Republican Party held precinct meeting and the annual County Convention. There are over eight thousand registered Republicans in Stephens county, but less than a hundred showed up. Several new people were in attendance and indicated they plan to become involved in their government. Three of our local legislators spoke at the Convention. Despite the fact the local party paid for a large ad in the paper, sent several emails to those on the county email list, and contacted several hundred, less than one tenth of one percent of the registed Republicans in the county attended the meeting—and Stephens County did better than most counties in the state.

Why don’t people show up at political party meetings? The most common excuses are, “I don’t do politics,” or “I don’t have time,” but those same people are involved in a variety of actitivites not nearly as important as getting involved in their government. Some mistakenly believe that getting involved in politics requires one to compromise their own convictions. They believe politics is dirty and that ethical, principled people should stay out of that arena. While it’s certainly true that politics has its fair share of snakes, crooks, and cheats, so does every other segment of society. The point is, not all politicians are unethical people and involvement in the process by honest people will serve to help make sure more of our elected officials are principled, ethical people.

If you are “on the fence” about your political involvement, allow me to point out several reasons you should be involved in the political process:

First, America is based on the principle of self rule—when self-governance of nation-states is discussed, it is often called national sovereignty. As more and more of individual personal freedoms erode away, it’s critical that Americans pay attention to what is going on in their government. As late President Ronald Reagan said, “History will record with the greatest astonishment that those who had the most to lose did the least to prevent its happening." Getting involved in ones government is fundamental to changing government. Americans must take ownership in our government; otherwise we will cease to be self-ruled or sovereign as a nation.

Second, Christians are commanded to be involved in their government and submit to government. Read Matthew 15 and Romans 13. Liberal activists would have us believe our founding fathers were terrified at the prospect of Christians participating in the political process. This led them, we're told, to establish a wall of separation between church and state, but there is no mention of a separation of church and state in the U.S. Constitution—only the right to worship without government interference. When Christians ignore their responsibility to be involved in their government, they get poor government.

Mike Griffin Sr., Senior Pastor of Liberty Baptist Church in Hartwell, Georgia says Christians have four “obligations” to be involved in politics—spiritual, social, moral, and eternal. Griffin says, “This means we have to be involved in the political process of our country, even if it means running for public office, and even if it means you will lose.” “There is more at stake than an election. We, above all people, have an eternal obligation to righteousness that transcends this earthly life into eternity itself!”

Third, we should be involved in politics for our children and grandchildren. U.S. Senator Tom Coburn said in 2004 during a debate, “If we steal from our children, when we don't have to, that is a problem. We have decision-making often being made that centers around the politician and not the next generation. Our decisions ought to be long run and we ought to be caring for the next generation rather than the next election. And the expediency of spending money we don't have hurts now but it also hurts the next generation.”

The “bailout” and “stimulus” monies being thrown around like candy at a parade will have to be paid back by future generations. Would you charge money on your credit card and expect your children and grandchildren to pay the bill after you are dead and gone? Of course not, but that is the type of reckless, irresponsible behavior Congress is engaging in. If for no other reason, this should be sufficient motivation for those who care about their family to get involved in their government.

US educational philosopher Robert Maynard Hutchins summarized the concerns about political indifference when he claimed that the "death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment." Christian author Bodie Thoene says, “ Apathy is the glove into which evil slips its hand.”