Go Jari, Go Jari

Did you see the new television ad by Lt. Governor candidate Jari Askins? Wow. It was great. No patriotic music, cowboy boots, or kissing babies. She looked right into the camera and set the record straight. It may not catch the attention of all viewers, but it was perfect for those of us that are political junkies. I got up and did one of those Tiger Woods fist pumps!

Thinking back

What do you remember about people after they pass on from this life? I have been thinking about that recently. Mostly, because both of my grandparents on my dad's side passed just in the last year. They were amazing people. (Everyone says that, huh) No, but really. My grandma Margaret always made my cousin, my brother, and I hand painted Christmas ornaments. We each had a hand sewn quilt as babies. When I was in college, she would make me dinner a couple times a month.

Grandpa Johnny B. was always so happy to see you. He was never too busy even though he worked until he was into his 90s. I thought it was cool that I inherited the "B". In the summers when I was young and mom was off cooking for the kids at camp, I would stay with them. I remember grandpa getting up to go work at Kerr McGee really early. I always wanted to get up and have breakfast with him. We would have oats and toast. Not oatmeal, but oats...the real deal. [try this recipe - good for the heart: Cooked oats, little bit of milk and sugar, then break off some buttered toast in the oats. Thats a real country breakfast.]

He had a great sense of humor. Something funny always happened with grandpa's dentures. He offered them to my friend who was missing his front teeth. He bit into a fried pie that was too hot and spit teeth and all out. He loved to perplex us little kids by popping them out every once in a while. I guess we were easily entertained!

I'm sure everyone thinks their grandparents were special. But, those are my memories, and thats what matters to me.

Run for the Border

Remember those Taco Bell commercials with the line "run for the border". That would not go over very well in the current political climate. Republicans are in a pickle! On one hand they want to be the party that protects America's borders. On the other the Chamber of Commerce is in their pockets reminding them that their political coffers are being filled by business owners relying on cheap labor. In my opinion, the Republican party has an easy choice. Go after the working class vote that wants a wall built around America. So you make the big business mad. What are they going to do...vote Democrat?!

Calvey has garnered the endorsement of the Minute Men Militia. Mary Fallin says she is for "Faith, Freedom, and Family" which is pc talk for guns, god, and gays. Cornett says that President Reagan is his hero. What was more heroic, selling guns to guerilla warriors or exploding the national debt. Denise Bode came out with a commercial saying she was one of the first to support ending granting citizenship to children born in the US. Wow! That's one way to make yourself stand out among the army of "true conservatives" running for Congress.

The greatest political news this week was the exchange between Bode and Cornett. Bode put some negative ads out against the mayor. Before a public event, Cornett confronted Bode. Luckily some cameras were close to catch the action. Bode tried to smile and look around to see who heard him, but said "We'll talk later". So Cornett pulled out his phone and asked for her phone number. Ouch! Bode was asked later about the exchange and commented that Mick had not been in politics much and did not understand the need for policy debate. (She meant to say he had not been in politics long enough to lose his conscience!)

How about the Lt. Governors race. My advice, throw your support behind Askins. She is a sharp cookie and well respected in Oklahoma government. If the the House had not flipped last election, she would have been Speaker. I don't know much about Regan, but I would rather see him have some state government experience before jumping into the co-pilots chair. Hobson has been in some trouble.

There's my advice for today. Take it or leave it!

Hello Out There

Well, it has been a while. Its not that I have nothing to say. I have just been a slacker when it comes to the internet. I just checked my email from December! No more excuses. Things are getting exciting on the political front. The Republicans are leaving Bush out to dry and the Democrats and keeping their mouths shut. Politics is a funny thing. On one hand you do not want your opponent to succeed; however, you don't want your nation to fail. So why would anyone want to be a politician? - Their too ugly to work in Hollywood!

Some Constitutional Principles

In the past few years there has been increasing interest in making amendments to the US Constitution, as well as growing interest in the way the document is interpreted. Whether someone is a strict constructionist or views the Constitution as a living document has become a partisan issue. This issue has become even more prevalent as the Bush administration has had trouble getting Senate approval of judicial appointments.

Judicial activism has become the new dirty word. Republicans support conservative judges who will "strictly" interpret the constitution, while charging that liberal activist judges are legislating from the bench. I am not denying that some judges have overstepped their bounds, but lets call a spade a spade. We all know that the extreme Right, the neo-conservatives, intent to appoint judges that support overturning Roe v. Wade. I do not support abortion for the sake of abortion, but it is the law. It should be the law until the legislative branch changes the law.

So should they change it with a constitutional amendment. I say no. The Constitution and Bill of Rights are intended to give freedoms, not take them away. It has never worked out very well for the Constitution to take away liberties whether in fact or interpretation, e.g. slavery, women/black vote, prohibition.

Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and an Anti-Abortion Act should not be amended to the Constitution. Making laws is one thing, but making the mistake again of using the constitution to restrict freedoms is setting a bad precedent for future amendments.

Hey, if you disagree.....prove it. I'm open....kind of!

Don't Shop There!!

You can boycott a store that posts "Happy Holidays" and not "Merry Christmas". Will you stop buying gas, shopping for groceries, renting movies, and buying books from stores that sell pornography? Will you boycott convenience store that sell tobacco and beer to underage kids? (They all do it) Can you stop trading at pharmacies that sell the morning after pill? What about businesses that use sex to sell their goods?

We might have a hard time buying anything anywhere unless we only shop at Mardel's or Hobby Lobby. So lets stop being so hypocritical. Either treat all stores with the same level of criticism, or acknowledge that these are secular companies. Companies don't have a relationship with Jesus, people do.

The Case for Christmas

Retail sales and "Merry Christmas" go together like. . . Britney Spears and teenage girls. We start next year's Christmas shopping as soon as we throw away the wrapping paper from this one. It seem like this season has become more and more about stuff and not the true meaning of Christmas. I am not saying anything new. This is what we have heard over and over from Christians fed up with companies making increasing profits off Christmas.

Now we cannot stand that secular companies are using Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas in their stores. I could be wrong, but I think we should be more grateful. Maybe stores are unknowingly helping us preserve the purity of Christmas, the celebration of Christ's birth.

So how should people greet one another this year? It would be better when someone said "Merry Christmas" that they meant for that person to have a blessed time with family and friends celebrating the birth of the Savior. Or is it beneficial for Christianity to have every lost soul saying "Merry Christmas" but only mean to have a great weekend and hope you get some nice gifts? I think we as Christians can get so zealous about "preserving our national heritage" that we can cheapen our religion.

So what is our objective after all this commotion? I heard a story about a Christian book store owner that made some rubber bracelets that say "Just Say Merry Christmas". I hear that they are selling like hot cakes all around the country.

What better way to take a stand against the perversion and secularization of our great nation than to buy some cheap jewelry!