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Rally in Tally Epiphany!
Rally In Tally Epiphany!
Getting up at 2am to take a bus ride to your state capitol is not likely a top 10 item on most people’s list of “things to do”. However, March 8th thousands of Floridians did just that. In the parking lot of a local Target we met early Tuesday morning to head to our capitol for the opening day of the legislative session.
We stopped in MacClenny to pick up more patriots for the journey. Despite the early morning hour, everyone was energized and ready to participate as engaged and informed citizens.
We arrived in Tallahassee and found more patriots waiting for the doors of the capitol building to open. Once the doors opened we filed in through security and began looking for the offices of our representatives and committee rooms. What a great site, patriots recognizing that it is essential to be engaged in the process and, with our elected officials, complacency is not an option.
On the other hand, this was an eye opening experience. I am a mom, grandmother, and veteran. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought there were people out there that would choose to ignore reason and pragmatism. This is exactly what I encountered during our trip to Tallahassee.
As the time for the noon rally drew near, our group decided to head out of the capitol building to get something to eat. Inside the capitol the principles of our constitution - fairness, reason and civility - prevailed. Outside the capitol we found a very different picture. Across the street the “Awake the State” rally was going on. The walk to a sandwich shop offered an opportunity to speak to some of these individuals. I stopped to speak to a man holding a sign that stated “Florida is Drowning in Tea” and he stated that Governor Scott was destroying the middle class by offering tax breaks to the wealthy. I tried to explain to him that tax breaks for companies would bring jobs to Florida and help all Floridians. He again repeated his talking point, so I asked him “Who creates jobs?” and, with that, he turned and went back to the other side of the street.
While this gentleman crossed to the other side of the street another one, Danny Gordon, was behind us listening to our conversation. I turned around and introduced myself and he did as well. Mr. Gordon stated he was against Governor Scott because he did not have a car and wanted the high-speed rail to go through. I conveyed that the majority of Americans prefer their cars and a train system would end up under utilized and heavily subsidized by taxpayers. He cited mass transit in foreign countries and I used the analogy of a “balance sheet” with assets and liabilities to demonstrate the negative impact of such a project. After a lengthy and courteous conversation we shook hands and wished each other well and I joined my group at the sandwich shop.
Afterwards, we headed back to the capitol and found the “Awake the State” rally had grown both in size and in anger. As none of us wished to create confrontation we found it best just to head to the “patriot” rally. Unlike our sentiments of remaining civil and recognizing the right of all points of view, the other rally participants felt it necessary to have presence in our group. The “Florida is Drowning in Tea” individual was quite vocal and unfortunately one of our patriots felt it necessary to engage. Immediately news photographers focused their cameras on the altercation, which was getting loud. I walked up to the patriots, rested my hand on their back and asked firmly, “May I step in?” and the patriot’s backed away to let me speak to the “agitators.” I asked one of them, a teacher, why she was protesting and she stated, “Governor Scott is stealing from teachers” as this is what her sign stated. She said that she did not steal money from the pension fund so why should she have to pay into it now. The wealthy citizens of Florida should be responsible for paying the increased liabilities. I asked her why is it not fair to ask public sector employees to contribute to their pensions. She replied that it is unfair because 5% of the people in the country possess 90% of the wealth. I stated that almost 50% of Americans pay no taxes, therefore, are already being subsidized by those who do pay income tax. She replied that my ideology has misrepresented facts. I responded by asking her to verify this on the IRS website and she stated it is probably skewed to look that way. She also added that she, as a teacher of 28 years, pays more income tax than Governor Scott. She guarantees that! I stated that facts and statistics on government websites disprove her views. It is at this time we agreed to part on friendly terms rather than get into an unproductive argument.
In short, this trip to Tallahassee provided an education I could not have received from any institution or book. Although I rely on facts to both support and counter views, pragmatic discussion to discover and exchange ideas, and love of country to share in the gift we have in America, I learned that there exists in our country a danger far greater than any war or invasion and it is the distortion of our education system. The mindset of the wealth redistribution group does not recognize reason or facts and this, my fellow patriots, is our GREATEST DANGER. If I had said to one of these individuals that the sky is blue and it did not coincide with their beliefs, despite the physical representation of the fact, they would say it is my ideology, my misrepresentation of facts, or my attempt to change their mind. Sadly, there is no foundation to even open a dialogue with such individuals.
My request, to all patriots, is to get involved in what is being taught in our schools at all grade levels – from elementary to doctorate degrees - and who is doing the teaching and PRAY!
God Bless America
Views: 60
Comment
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Comment by Debbie G on March 14, 2011 at 4:08am
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John, great point, we must keep in mind the concept of liberalism is our target and not the individual. All we can do is present the facts in a non-confrontational manner and pray that a little seed of introspective contemplation is planted. We, humans, are a stubborn lot and do not take lightly any challenges to our beliefs.
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Comment by JL Gawlik on March 13, 2011 at 5:08pm
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Oh, my... the truth hurts! It is painfuL to watch but ALL who went to TaLLy with the TeaParty come off a LOT smarter than these poor fooLs... can we say KoOLAiDe? DeLUSiONAL? Go check this out, by the way it is great to be on their mailing list:
http://shark-tank.net/2011/03/08/protesters-attempt-to-spike-governor-scotts-tea-session/
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If each one of us, posted the truth on blogs, when we can and just post the truth, it would make a difference. We must also write all of our elected representatives serving in the peoples' seats, also about our concern with the unions being involved in our government making policies, these are people that we did not vote into office.
We need to let them know we are very upset that our very history is being undermined by these people and our freedoms, liberties and our U.S. Constitution are all in danger because of this.
They ALL swore an oath to uphold and protect our country, our U.S. Constitution against foreign and domestic threat. Apparently we are being greatly threatened domestically and we need them to stand up against this assault.
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Comment by Roy G Callahan on March 13, 2011 at 1:23pm
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If they are teaching the United States is a Democracy, they are teaching the wrong stuff. The United States is a Constitutional representative Republic. What makes us a Republic is 50 independent republics called states that are "individual" make their own laws and, short of the socialist NE. do things differently.
A democracy is two wolves and a small lamb voting on what to have for
dinner. Freedom under a constitutional republic is a well armed lamb
contesting the vote -.Benjamin Franklin
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Great comments, i think by sticking to the truth and the facts then you counter the lies and the deception. I have found as Debbie pointed out in the above original post when someone states their platform, what their belief on the issues is, then when you bring up the facts, the truth, hopefully they will see the lies that they have been fed. That is the beauty of it all about these progressive liberals, they have no principles or values worth having, many obviously have no moral compass, they are just floating in a sea of lies that have been told to them and they need to learn how to question, how to think critically, and in that we can give our children in teaching them how to think critically, to give them a moral compass and teach them the TRUE history of our country and the principles and values of our founding fathers and most important of all the incredible documents they wrote for us to use as guidelines to keep what they fought so hard to give us, our liberties, freedoms and inalienable rights given to us by our Creator, what makes our country such a exceptional country, it's people.
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Comment by Valerie Sawyer on March 13, 2011 at 10:27am
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I have been shocked to see how, for many people, their union is absolutely their religion. That is what they put their full faith and hope in. It's very, very sad. I am also beginning to believe what Michael Savage says is true...."liberalism is a mental disorder".
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Comment by Armando Delgado on March 13, 2011 at 10:15am
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Mental delutions cannot be countered with logic. If that were possible, mental assilums and psychotropic medications would not exist.
Our best defense...and offence is to educate the public at large, support OUR legislators, and not lose heart.
Dealing with organized, well funded groups like the unions, we suffer the disadvantage of lack of money and "loose" personel to send to demonstrations. Yet, we possess a clear vision of our just cause, a vision shared by the American people at large--as the last election illustrated. Our task is to make every American recognize that our vision is their vision.
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With such a circumstance of perverted "mindset," how is it possible to counter this distortion of facts and reason? I have many people ready to help with the We The Moms group in education issues, but with so many regulations and restrictions that accompany acceptance of grants or federal dollars the states and local institutions hands are tied.
For anyone wanting to help with the education efforts our email address is wethemoms@yahoo.com
We are going to have a meeting shortly after the March 22nd election cycle.
May God heal our land.
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When people convince themselves that they are entitled to some material commodity, be it someone else's capital or property, they will not listen to logical arguments. Attempts to disuade them of their ideas will not only be fruitless but will result in the induvidual becoming outraged. After all, those arguments challenge their perceived ownership of those entitelments. Thus, it is not surpising that the unions are reacting with protests and violence.
For us, the tax payers who are being "robbed", the best option at this time is to support those legislators who try to change the system, and to not be intimidated by the forces who want to maintain or advance the socialist agenda.
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Comment by Morgan Orlins on March 12, 2011 at 7:08am
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Valerie: "
I have often told Joshua that our greatest challenge is not the politicians in this land, but the chunk of Americans who now actually believe that Socialism is okay. Our greatest battle is with fellow Americans, sad to say. Will that be the next civil war?
It could be, and it's one worth fighting. Otherwise, our nation as we know it is dead!
Steve Myers, are you saying that the top 50% of earners aren't "working people."
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