Forget Big Brother, Facebook and Twitter are Watching!

  Usually, this week I would be writing to say Merry Christmas to all of my loyal readers. I still want to do that, but I think I have found something else to say first.
  The whole world it seems has been glued to the Duck Dynasty "controversy". Recently, in an interview with GQ Magazine, Robertson family Patriarch Phil Robertson made some comments regarding homosexuality. A&E, the cable network that carries the most popular reality show on television, promptly put Phil on "indefinite hiatus", whatever the hell that means. Millions of Duck Dynasty fans have come forward on social media not to necessarily defend Phil's comments, although some have, but to defend his right to say them. What he said was based on his beliefs as a Christian, and at least the last time I checked, we still enjoy the right of free speech in America.
  This past weekend, New York based public relations executive Justine Sacco was on her way to her native South Africa when she decided to tweet this little ditty, "Going to Africa. Hope I don't get AIDS. Just kidding! I'm white"! Whether she thought this was cute, funny, edgy, who knows. But what is known is that while Justine winged her way to her native land, that tweet went viral and the hashtag "#HasJustineLandedYet" quickly began to trend on Twitter. Could such a hashtag be interpreted as a threat? Quite simply, yes.
  Here is the problem. If you do not agree with Phil Robertson's beliefs, and you also think what Justine Sacco tweeted was inexcusable, that's fine. God(dess) bless America. What is not fine is the self-appointed Internet Police. It is a phenomenon that has sprung up with the advent of social media. People post comments and/or thoughts, and within a nanosecond, an entire group of nameless, faceless people have deemed what was posted acceptable or unacceptable. No one will condone the senseless disgusting remarks that Justine Sacco made, but within the span of time it takes to fly from New York to South Africa, her life was ruined. Some may say she brought it on herself, but that argument could be made about many things that many of us have said during the course of our lives. Facebook and Twitter allow a certain amount of anonymity. You can use any name you want, create any persona you want. And with that anonymity comes a certain amount of power. But should it be enough power to destroy lives with a keystroke? Justine Sacco's is certainly not the first life to be summarily judged and targeted by the Internet Police.
  So I guess my question is this. Who are these people?! Who do you think you are that you can, with a swipe of your magic wand, in the form of a keyboard, make some one's life miserable?? If you do not share Phil Robertson's beliefs, you have the right to change the channel. What you do not have  the right to do is to silence him. If you do not like what Justine Sacco tweeted, delete it. What you do not have the right to do is to destroy her life for something stupid it took her all of 5 seconds to tweet on the Internet.
  During this Christmas season, maybe one of the things we as Americans should be eternally grateful for, is the right to speak our minds where and when we want. With the acception of Western Europe, and a smattering of countries around the world, no other people on Earth enjoy the right of freedom of speech to the extent that we do. It is so precious, and can be eroded so quickly,

before we know what happened. Let's also remember the men and women all around the world, far from home and their families, who are keeping guard on our freedom of speech, and all of our other freedoms we hold so dear.
  And very quickly, to the Internet Police? Here I am. I will say what I want, when I want, and how I want. If you don't like it, don't read it. If that is a problem for you, then all I can say to you is, bring it.

Merry Christmas from The Conservative Cauldron!          

More Random Thoughts

  The next two weeks are always a slow time of year for writers and bloggers, especially of the political persuasion. Congress will vote on the budget bill this week, which is basically just more of the same. For Republicans, it avoids another government shutdown, and subsequently taking the blame for said shutdown. For Democrats, the deal is a two year one, which they believe will let them skate through the 2014 midterms. That is, until Obama care rears its ugly head.
  So I thought, I would just jot down a few things. You know, just enough to skate until 2014. Hey, if Congress can do it....
  First of all, the whole white Santa/black Santa thing. Besides the fact that there are a whole bunch of way more pressing things for the nation to tackle, this whole story has been taken entirely too seriously. Writer Aisha Harris, in her piece for Slate magazine, stated that the media's default portrayal of the jolly fat guy always being white caused her a great deal of pain and confusion as a child, and her suggestion was that Santa be turned into a penguin, so that children everywhere could identify with him. By reading Ms. Harris's piece, I assumed she was being tongue in cheek. If she really did experience such feelings as a child, I think she should be free to share those feelings, but perhaps she should leave out the penguin part if it is in fact an honest, heartfelt true story. Second, Santa Claus, what ever color he comes in, should be a welcoming sight for any child. I don't know of anyone who would have a problem with a black Santa. I certainly would have no problem with my child being bounced on the knee of an African American St. Nick. What is more important than the visual, is the idea. Maybe I am going out on a limb here, but don't most parents, no matter who they are, try to teach their children that Santa Claus is a representation of the Christmas season? He is about more than receiving gifts. He is about giving to your fellow man, and caring about and helping others. I would have to agree, that Santa Claus comes in all colors, because he is all people.
  Another random observation. News came out this week about the latest mass shooting perpetrator at a Colorado high school. Eighteen year old Karl Pierson was described by some fellow students as a "proud Socialist". It seems as though young Pierson has joined an infamous club. These kind of mass attacks at schools and other places, such as the Aurora Colorado movie theater appear to continue to breed copy cats. As the mainstream media contorts themselves into pretzels trying to tie all of these murderers to the Tea Party, and trying to find any sliver of evidence that they might be even slightly right wing, one big similarity is emerging. Not only do these guys have severe mental issues that failed to set off any bells and whistles with family, friends, or co-workers, at least not any that were loud enough, the one thing they have in common is their political leanings. From Pierson, to the Virginia Tech shooter, to Nidal Hassan, to James Holmes, who may have been a volunteer on the Obama presidential campaign, and a supporter of the Occupy Wall Street movement, all had political leanings that were fairly left wing. But you will never hear these facts from the likes of CBS, ABC, or CBS, and so on. Why? Is it to make sure that all Conservatives are painted with the same right wing kook brush? Is it to make sure that under no circumstances what so ever, Barack Obama is never made to look bad, and could not possibly have anything in common with mass killers? Who knows. One thing is for sure. Most of these guys always saw themselves as oppressed, victims, everyone out to get them. Classic Liberal traits.

  Unfortunately, the battle over Santas and Christmas will resume next year. Unfortunately, more of these copy cat shootings will no doubt occur. More than likely, they will occur in those extra special "gun free" zones.
  Kind of makes one wish for some smarmy politicians to write about. Then again, maybe my fellow writers and I should sit back and enjoy the break. Maybe I will pick a color, and go see Santa Claus.         

A Pattern of Persecution

  Last week, the Obama administration slapped itself on the back after talks between the United States, Great Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany produced a somewhat lopsided deal between the West and the Islamic regime of Iran. While Iran will get a possible $40 billion dollars in sanction relief, the United States and its allies in this deal, get an "agreement" from Iran that they will freeze key parts of their nuclear program, they will cease enriching uranium beyond 5%, and will stop development of the Arak nuclear plant. The U.N. will also get greater access to inspections. There is just one little detail, how are we guaranteed that any of this will actually take place? A great American once uttered these three words, trust but verify.
  But while President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry were all over the place making sure that the rest of the world knew what great Statesmen they were, there was another little deal going, or rather not going on, that flew right under the radar.
  Mojtaba Atarodi is an Iranian scientist, who was arrested in California in 2011 for trying to aid his country's nuclear program by circumventing western sanctions. Saeed Abedini is an American citizen, born in Iran, and a convert to Christianity, and almost certain death sentence in Iran. So what is the problem with this picture? Mr. Atarodi was released under this agreement, while no mention was made of Saeed Abedini, and two other Americans being held by the Iranian government.
  According to the American Center for Law and Justice Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, the Obama administration says that they are working on Abedini's and the others release" on the margins". And it is Sekulow who is asking the million dollar question, "Americans are 'on the margins', while convicted Iranian scientists are freed"? He also called it "a betrayal", saying that "Basically, Barack Obama and John Kerry turned their backs on their fellow Americans."
  This would not be the first time for such actions for either one. We can all remember during the 2004 presidential campaign, film of a much younger John Kerry, just back from 4 grueling months in Vietnam, testifying before a Congressional Committee, tossing his fellow soldiers right under the bus, accusing them of all sorts of wartime atrocities. And as for our illustrious President? One word need only to be said, Benghazi.
  Pastor Saeed Abedini had traveled back to his home country before. This time however, he was arrested and charged with compromising national security, but the specific allegations were not made public. He was to serve out an 8 year sentence in Iran's notorious Evin Prison. Last month, he was transferred to the Rajai Shahr Prison, where he will endure even worse conditions.
  There is yet another ominous pattern emanating from this administration. Saeed Abedini is being left to rot in an Iranian prison for his Christian beliefs. The Romeike family, a German family, also Christian, fled their native country because they wanted to home school their children, which is illegal in Germany, and are now facing possible deportation at the hands of Obama, Holder, and Company. What exactly is the Obama administration's beef with Christianity? The President claims to be a devout Christian. Is it a certain kind of Christianity that he feels threatened by? Perhaps it is the kind that is not in accordance with Black Liberation Theology. Is it any Christian doctrine that perhaps might not be heard in the Church of Rev. Jeremiah Wright? We don't really know. What we do know is that an American citizen is being persecuted for his religious beliefs. That should not happen to any American, at home or abroad, and it should be job #1 to get Saeed Abedini and other Americans being held in Iran home to their families.

 
  As of today, the ACLJ must rely on Europe to assist with Pastor Saeed's release. Is President Obama so willing to sacrifice a basic American, no human right, in order to make sure that Iran's Islamic regime is happy? If so, what or who will be sacrificed next?

To find out more about Pastor Saeed Abedini and his case, go to www.BeHeardProject.com                    

Thanks For The Small Stuff

  This is the week, the one week out of the year, that Americans take a day out of their completely impossible lives, to give thanks for their blessings. Most of us are thankful for a lot of the same things, our families, friends, still having a job, if we in fact, still do have a job. We are thankful for our health, and the health of our loved ones. We should absolutely be grateful for those things. But this year, I decided to go a different way. For those of you who know me, I know this is shocking. This year, I thought I would be thankful not just for the big things, but for some little things too. You know, those small little creature comforts that keep us off the ledge after a day that could not suck more.
  I don't watch nearly as often as I would like, but I am thankful for hockey. I have said many times that if I played, I am pretty sure that I would be an enforcer. I would not possess a tooth in my head, but I would be damn good at it. I am thankful for all of the great music on my iPod. Sometimes, I just gotta hear Ted Nugent, the "Peanuts" theme, and "Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" exactly in that sequence. I am thankful for warm summer days, when my car, a 2005 black Chevy Cavalier, is freshly washed and waxed. Having grown up with a dad who was a serious car guy, I see sheer beauty in shiny steel, just begging me to hop in and break a few speed limits.
  Since we are talking about Thanksgiving, we must of course talk about food. They don't call it comfort food for nothing. But not just the standard turkey and dressing. I think it is perfectly O.K. to give thanks for the perfection of an ice cold beer at a baseball game. Be thankful for your favorite cake on your birthday, or that one meal, whether it was something your Mom made you as a kid, something of your own invention, or a fast food favorite that you simply must indulge in every now and then. By all means, giving thanks for Jack in the Box tacos is acceptable.
  Thanksgiving means giving thanks for all of those completely stupid things our friends, family, and co-workers say and do to make us laugh uncontrollably. The best part being when someone else walks in, and there is just no way to explain what is so funny. I can think of a few, and you know who you are. A nickname of "Beckers", "what in the blue hell....?!", and "licking the taco", immediately come to mind. I wish I could explain, but I am laughing way too hard, and it would take way too long.
  Then there are those even smaller things. Your comfy clothes after a long day. A wagging tail attached to your dog who is always unconditionally glad to see you. O.K. Maybe there is just one condition, and it involves food, but it is a nice thought to entertain. Turning on the TV, and finding your favorite movie. Sure you have seen it 237 times, will 238 cause a break out of world peace? Probably not, so who is it hurting right?
  We are all thankful for the most important things and people in our lives. Being thankful for the small stuff does not make you selfish. It makes you human.
  Happy Thanksgiving from The Conservative Cauldron!  
 

A Moment In Time

  This week, America will mark the 50th anniversary of one of the darkest days in our history. Fifty years ago, to the day, John F. Kennedy, thirty fifth President of the United States, was assassinated. That Friday started out dark and rainy, but by late morning, the clouds had given way to a sunny fall day in Dallas. Kennedy was in Texas to bring together two factions of the Democratic Party. Liberal and Conservative Democrats alike had to at least give the impression of unity in order to snag the large number of electoral votes that Texas had to offer in 1964's presidential election.
  The whole world it seemed, had fallen in love with America's first couple. Jack Kennedy was young, good looking and, despite many who thought him too inexperienced, exuded the capability needed to lead one of the world's superpowers. Jackie Kennedy was one of the most glamorous first ladies the nation had seen in quite a while. She was beautiful, spoke several languages, and was always the height of fashion. As soon as Jackie was wearing it, every woman in America was wearing it.
  Those who were there on that awful day, know exactly where they were, and what they were doing. It would be another year and three months before this Blogger would make her debut, but from my husband, then a second grader who remembered the announcement coming over the public address system at his elementary school in the small town of Warrenton Missouri, to my mother, a young wife, who was busy with housework when CBS News, and a visibly shaken Walter Cronkite, broke into daytime programming with the first terrible sketchy reports.
  So many things began that day with the end of John Kennedy's life, and the end of "Camelot". The murder of a sitting President should have been a case with no mistakes, no stone left unturned, nothing left to chance. But in the fifty years since, it has become one of the most talked about murders, and possible conspiracy theories in American history. The Warren Commission, now looked at as just another government farce, wanted the public to believe that a drifter named Lee Harvey Oswald, a guy who had serious Marxist tendencies, had lived in the Soviet Union, brought home a Russian wife, and had a hard time keeping a job, had single handedly pulled off the crime of the century. Had he acted alone? Was  it the Russians? The Cubans? The Mob?
  But the events of that day go so much deeper. For many Americans, they can almost divide American history into pre-Kennedy and post-Kennedy eras. That day ushered in a new mentality, and it wounded the American psyche in ways that have never been able to be repaired. After Kennedy's death, the war in Vietnam escalated, and it brought out an ugliness in people. People who were quick to blame America, and looked to exaggerate each and every one of her flaws. The divide between Left and Right became wider, and the point at which words and actions crossed the line not only were pushed to the limits, but often became just plain unacceptable.
  What would John Kennedy think of the America that was born after his death? Many Conservatives  claim that Kennedy would be one of them today, citing his stance on tax cuts and the no nonsense way he dealt with the Soviet Union and Nikita Kruschev. But what would he think of the faction of Americans that are so quick to "blame America first"? The crowd who thinks that "fundamental transformation" is the best possible solution for a nation so unfair to 99% of its citizens? Would he scold them? Cheer them on? Or wonder what in God's name had become of a country he so obviously loved and gave his life for?
  John Kennedy, a man born of privilege, who could

 take advantage of everything America had to offer to a man of wealth and means, would most likely have this to say to the "blame America first" gang. Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.         

T.E.A = K.K.K.??

  It is always fairly easy to figure out when the Left is out of arguments. The race card is whipped out of any given Liberal's pocket as quick as the knife thrower at the circus. It is the last resort, to go to, old faithful.
  Most Conservatives, be they individuals or groups, have had the race card flung at them. It is almost a badge of honor. But perhaps no group of people has been branded with this accusation more than the Tea Party. Since its inception in 2009 immediately following the election of Barack Obama, Liberals have made it their mission to paint this group of ordinary American citizens as crazed gun toting, bible thumping, right wing extremists, who also harbored tremendous hatred for the nation's first black President, and in general, just anyone who did not look like them. You know, white people.
  But Liberal Democrats expend almost as much energy covering up their own shady racial past as they do trying to convince everyone that all Tea Party supporters have sheets hanging in their closets. Should we take a look at some of those less than harmonious episodes in the life of the Democratic Party?
  Well, for starters, the Ku Klux Klan was founded by Democrats. Nathan Bedford Forrest, and five other disgruntled Confederate veterans, thought it a much better idea to terrorize, lynch, and generally make life in the South a dangerous proposition for newly freed slaves, who just wanted to live their lives, and enjoy the freedom that for so long was denied them.
  But African Americans are not the only ones to enjoy the Democratic Party's steadfast tolerance of, well, anyone who just doesn't look like them. Almost immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor which drew America into World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a Democrat, issued an executive order, commanding more than 100,000 Japanese Americans to report to internment camps. People who had done nothing more than be of Japanese ancestry. People who were hard working, law abiding citizens. And what did they get for their trouble? Being herded like cattle into "bleak, remote camps surrounded by barbed wire and armed guards". In short, humiliation.
  And in the most recent past, after a debate, candidate, now Lt. Governor-Elect, Democrat Ralph Northam refused to shake the hand of his opponent, E.W. Jackson, a Republican, and oh, by the way, African American. But perhaps the icing on the cake, who can forget, in their zeal to help the Democratic Party, the usual suspects at MSNBC, editing video tape of a Tea Party rally in 2010. The tape shows a man standing in the crowd at the rally, a rifle resting on his shoulder. They were so careful to edit out the crazy right winger's hands and face. Had their editing job been the least bit sloppy, the world would have seen that the entire picture was of a black man at the Tea Party event. Just another face in the crowd. But a face that Democrats could not afford to let

 be seen. It would mess up the whole narrative.
  More and more minority Conservatives are coming forth and making their voices heard, in the Tea Party and elsewhere. Maybe unfortunately for Liberal Democrats, they are students of history.       

The Season of Ghosts, Goblins...and Witches!

  Well, it is that time of year again. There is a chill in the air, the leaves begin to fall, and it starts to get dark early. It is hard to put a finger on, but there is a certain something in the air. For a Witch like me, it is truly a magickal time of year, Halloween is here!
  For Wiccans and Pagans, Halloween is Christmas. Our highest of holy days, or Sabbats. Halloween is an ancient Celtic holiday called Samhain (pronounced sow-en). In addition to being the Pagan New Year, it is the third of three harvest festivals on the Pagan calendar. I could go on with a lot of history here, but that is not why we are here. I realize that I am up against about three hundred years of bad publicity, but part of what I try to do here at The Conservative Cauldron is not only to educate, but also to share my holidays. Why they are important to me, and how I can help people relate to them.
  Besides being a harvest festival, it is also a day in which we remember and honor our ancestors, our loved ones who have gone on to the other world. It is a day that we believe that the veil between this world and the other world is the thinnest. Halloween is a day that we might traditionally engage in some form of divination. Maybe some Tarot cards, runes, or perhaps and old fashioned form of apple divination.
  Unfortunately, it is also usually this time of year when the freaks come out, and not just at night. The mainstream media, always on the lookout for stereotypes which they deem "offensive", wastes no time in trotting out the resident Witch, more than likely, directly from "Witch Central", a.k.a., Salem Massachusetts, wearing the regulation flowing black robes, and way too much eyeliner. And let's not forget the over-the-top fundamentalist Christian Pastor, who is convinced that Halloween is nothing more than an evil Pagan celebration, it's only purpose, to corrupt and persuade good Christians over to the "dark side".
  What I would want everyone to know is this. There is no hidden agenda behind Samhain, or Halloween. I hope I have shown here that Wiccans come from every walk of life. We just want to practice our religion like everyone else. And just like Christians who like to decorate trees and bake cookies at Christmas time, we love the fun part of our holiday too.
  So when my Samhain ritual is finished, I will be on the lookout for fun size Three Musketeers bars, and maybe a few black and orange M&M's. And what card-carrying Witch's Halloween would be complete without watching a perfectly fun Witchy movie like "Bell, Book, and Candle", or my personal favorite, "Practical Magic".
  From The Conservative Cauldron, have a happy, fun, and safe Halloween!