Obama’s On Again off Again Pledge To Israel

Obama’s On Again off Again Pledge To Israel
Al Ritter

My dear old departed mother once told me not to judge people by what they tell you but rather by their actions. Unfortunately our president wants us to believe the words and to forget the actions. After telling the world at AlPAC that America has “Israel’s back” three days later Jay Carney retreated and diluted the comment saying that that phrase didn’t mean any specific action just offered support.

The really sad part in all this is the disrespect Obama is showing to Bibi Netanyahu. Netanyahu is being used as a pawn in Obama’s reelection campaign. Netanyahu is smart enough to know he can’t count on Obama to support him despite all Obama’s claim to the contrary.

It’s especially sad when the Obama administration constantly views the threat of the extinction of the Jewish people as merely a bargaining chip in the world court. Then to claim that he has done more to help Israel than George Bush ever did is reprehensible. His narcissistic rants never cease to amaze me, and his school yard boasts repulse me.

I want to look into Barack Obama’s face and holler……..”You need to grow up and act like the leader of the free world instead of the childish brat you presently look like!”

I WANT, I’M ENTITLED

I WANT, I’M ENTITLED
Kevin Bryant

It’s really hard to admit the truth sometimes. There are several reasons why we sometimes don’t. We don’t want to hurt the feelings of someone else or we don’t want to paint ourselves as being “that person” who makes simple or stupid mistakes. Sometimes we don’t do it because it will expose our own shortcomings. Whatever the reason is, it usually makes sense to the individual but leaves those around them scratching their heads. We also like to think of our children in the best of light and heaven forbid someone else have a more perfect child. Let’s be honest, there is no such thing as a perfect person and there certainly is o such thing as a perfect child regardless of age.

When my siblings and I were little, if we wanted something, there was like “maybe” a 5% chance we would actually get it when Christmas rolled around. When we were teenagers, if we wanted something, we had to earn the money and pay for it ourselves. My brother and I did so many different types of odd jobs growing up I could write a whole column just on that. Besides the odd jobs, we both were substitute bus drivers and worked at a bottling plant while in high school. We both roofed houses during the summer and even tore down a couple. My sister worked at KFC while going to high school. The bottom line is, we didn’t expect anyone to give us anything. We knew we had to earn it if we wanted it.

Growing up in a small town back in the 70’s and 80’s, the spoiled kids in school who got everything they wanted were few and far between. Those who worked for their stuff never complained that anyone owed us anything. Had I told my dad that he owed me something, I would have been lucky if all he did was knock me out. My mother, she wouldn’t knock me out but would certainly reminded me of who way paying for the roof over my head, the bed I slept in and most of the food I ate and clothes I wore.

Today far too many younger people believe they are owed something by either society or the government. Many believe that if society doesn’t give it to them freely, then the government should take from the haves and give it to the have not’s. Sadly, many who believe they are owed something got this mentality while growing up. Parents spoil and give into children’s wants more now than ever before. Government has gone to great lengths to remove parental rights and choices and enforce the beliefs they know best what a child needs.

Our own President believes in Social Justice. What exactly is Social Justice? All I see when I hear that term thrown around is take from those that work hard and give it to those who don’t. What I see is class warfare with a twist. If someone today told me that growing up, my family was middle class, I would have a hard time believing the bar went down so low that we were included. Now we have upper class, middle class and lower class kids whining and crying about having to pay back their student loans. They demand government force companies to give them an $80,000 a year starting salary with absolutely no experience. The demand government provide them a house and pay for their utilities. Where do these 20 something year old kids think the money is going to come from to do all this, the government? No. It’s going to come from their parents. Every time I hear the words Social Justice, Their Fair Share, Entitlement(s), Right of Basic Needs and every other form you can twist class warfare against those who actually worked for their money, makes me just want to go out and slap one of these young punks because they are basically stealing from their own family and using the government to do it for them.

Wall Street Occupiers, Most Berkley and other Liberal College Students, The 22 year old Welfare Recipient in better shape than I am. Why are they the “I WANT, I’M ENTITLED” generation, we created them.

I have three kids. Two of the three disagree with the Wall Street movement. Two of the three disagree with the idea of “Social Justice”. Unless things change with the third one before I grow old, the day I die, only two of my three kids will inherit anything and everything I have. The third one is specifically slated to receive a dollar, and that is only for the purpose of making it difficult to practically impossible to contest the will. I may have failed to instill good work ethics and principals, but my child knows what and how I think and I’ll go out with the last word.

ADDENDUM: I want to make something clear. I certainly do not hate my daughter nor am I just punishing her for her views. There is a lot more involved regarding my “entitlement” minded daughter than just her stance on this issue. Those issues are personal in nature and do not belong outside the family.

Obama May Be Right about Oil Prices, But Only Partially

Obama May Be Right about Oil Prices, But Only Partially
Al Ritter

Obama went on the offensive last week to proclaim that Republicans will have three objectives to lower the price of oil….drill, drill, and keep drilling. Oil drives the economy of this country and not just to fuel our houses and cars. Everything we have around us uses oil. The petro chemical industry uses oil for production of plastics and other uses. In fact oil is used in the production in 80% of the items sitting close to you right now.

Oil is also a national security problem, as the oil we import usually comes from countries unfriendly to the U.S. For these countries to use this product as a wedge between something we need for the furthering of their cause challenges our security.

Reducing our dependence on foreign oil secures our future as a sovereign nation. This should be our #1 aim as a nation, to reduce our dependency on foreign oil.

President Obama claims that it’s the unstable Middle-eastern fear that drives up the price of oil and that in part is true. The big question is what has our president done to calm those fears? Supporting Hamas while pledging allegiance to Israel? We have supported the over throwing of foreign governments and the subsequent establishment of the Muslim Brotherhood? We have supported the removal of one regime for the installation of a worse regime. We have sat by and tried to put in economic sanctions against Iran while they build a nuclear weapons program to annihilate Israel.

What exactly has Obama done to calm the Middle East?

If you are like many Americans you see the price per barrel of oil and you think, well the price of gasoline wasn’t this high the last time a barrel of oil cost this much what has happened? The last time oil was this high per barrel our dollar bought more. We have printed so much money to accommodate our national debt and deficit that our dollar is worth much less now.

When our country defines what is or isn’t inflation, two things are taken from that equation, food and gas prices. Why is that you ask? Obviously it’s to bolster the politicians in office. Eric Bolling from Fox news has surmised that if food and gas were figured into the equation that inflation would stand right now at 5 to 7%. That’s radically different than the government claimed 2.9% isn’t it?

Obama claims that the cry from Republicans is out of his control, that may be partially true but all the situations leading up to it have been within his reach, and yet he has taken an active role to drive that price up whether he admits it or not.

The Iranian Hostage Crisis Part Deux

The Iranian Hostage Crisis Part Deux
Al Ritter

On November 4, 1979 The Iranian revolution took 52 hostages in the American Embassy and held them for 444 days. They were upset at two actions the Americans took to support the Shah of Iran. President Carter toasted the Shah at a state dinner in Washington extolling the Shah’s popularity in his home country. Later when the Shah asked for a received medical treatment in America, the militants over threw the government and stopped oil production. Later the oil production restarted but never recovered to the pre insurrection rate when the Shah was in power.

The result was a fuel shortage not previously seen in America. At that time the price of oil per barrel was at a low $15.85! Once Ronald Reagan took office in 1980 some 30 minutes into his Presidency the hostages were released. Reagan also took active steps that drove gas prices down in a 20 decline. Mexico, Nigeria, Venezuela, and Russia all increased production to minimize the drop in production from Iran. Drilling in Prudhoe Bay along with the Alaska Pipeline further dropped prices, and reduced our dependency on foreign oil.

Flash to 2012, now Iran wants nuclear weapons, and the world court doesn’t want them to have those weapons. The new version of the human hostages of 1979 is the Strait of Hormuz, as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has threated to close the main water way that transports every one in 5 barrels that are exported from that region. The mere threat has already been felt in America as the price of gas is skyrocketing.

There is one major difference now, the President we have in our Whitehouse hates fossil fuel, especially oil that we produce! He recently denied passage of the Keystone XL pipeline, because there “hasn’t been enough time to study it.” 35 years in the making and the result would mean tens of thousands of American jobs and an alliance with a country friendly to America, rather than radical Islamic counties.

The hostages in this picture are the Strait of Hormuz and the American people. It’s rather hard to differentiate between one hostage taker and the other Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or Barack Obama they both seem bent on destroying America. I only hope we will have a modern day equivalent of Ronald Reagan to ride in and save the America we know and love in 2013.

Where Are Our Heroes?

Where Are Our Heroes?
William Grant Burmer

Over the many years I have lived upon this earth I have had the privilege of being introduced to various characters of fame and fortune; many of no fame or fortune, and most all from books, fairy tales, and most importantly Scripture. Many of the stories and their characters portrayed in them might be considered worthy role models for a young “skull full of mush,” as Rush Limbaugh does so often pontificate. Not all could be categorized as heroes, none the less most demonstrated a core moral code worthy of imitation.

Where oh where might this code of conduct come from, what is it that creates for us the character we all can agree upon makes us want to follow, or be followed as a person worthy of such honor? For most reading this commentary the answer is obvious but let me continue.

Many of our role models of today come from the Movies we see, the actors, singers, sports and Political arenas, and even some of the video games we play. Unfortunately too many of the individuals thus portrayed, after careful scrutiny, are eventually discovered to be hollow substitutes, unworthy of example, or the esteem given them, especially by today’s media. I am being kind by saying they are for the most part course in their language, abusive to themselves and others, and lack any moral character; all the wealth and power in the world notwithstanding.

Who am I to make such a statement? Being imperfect, a Christian living in a politically correct society, as a casual observer, a conservative by nature, concerned citizen, and one who served honorably in the service of my country which I love, and a historian, methinks qualifies or justifies my previous remarks.

I will conclude pontificating with this statement, God lives, we are his children, America is and has been great because men like myself and many of you, concluded over two hundred years ago that we could live in a Republic, even our founders. Our Constitution, our Declaration of Independence from England declares our belief that all men are capable of self government. We are far more capable than a single individual, or group might declare or dictate. Our Country is great because of our Christian Faith, our hard work, and belief that goodness and virtue exists and should be taught from an early age. Heroes are found in our homes, our churches, and communities. They ought to be found in our government institutions by those worthily elected to protect and serve us. Remember this, our next President is elected to protect and preserve our right under God to live worthily of ourselves. He will also need a Senate and Congress who feel like wise. Be--Always Faithful.

Contraceptive Mandate

Contraceptive Mandate
Al Ritter

There are so many facets to this issue that it begs further scrutiny. First you have an Administration that thought they would extend to female citizens the economic advantage of not having to pay for contraceptives out of their pocket. The administration knew that the largest portion of Catholic women defy the church and use contraceptives anyway, so this could be a feather in their hat if they supplied them with something for “free.”

Unfortunately nothing in this world is “free,” someone always has to bear the cost, especially when it involves a product produced by a private company. This is no debate on this, it is a fact of life. Let’s look at an actuarial chart of all insurance companies. All insurance companies supply a service based on mandates by governments whether they be federal or state. The rates are based on what services the government deems necessary. When you add a mandate or a service, that service is figured into the entire pool which the annual rate is determined from. More services or mandates equal higher cost. This is not up for debate either it is a fact of life.

Mandates are voted on by congress, not demanded by Presidents. There is no legal precedence for President Obama to keep demanding services and decisions based on his social guilt. This is a country of laws, and Obama constantly denies and ignores them based on some sort of idea of social injustice.

It is my opinion that this is one major issue that the Obama Administration has misjudged. He is now being attacked by both sides on his waffling of the issue. Sebelius has already told Obama that the issuance of contraceptives will be a major cost to health insurance, but Obama has ignored that advice.

Now let’s consider the religious side of it for a moment. Religious leaders from all religions and backgrounds testified on Capitol Hill yesterday to put their support behind the Catholic Church, that this mandate violates the first amendment, whether they believe the same way about contraceptives or not.

Not only is this a first amendment violation, it violates the Supreme Court ruling of the separation of church and state. You may view this from many different angles, but the underlying argument from the left is that a “woman has a right to choose.” That is all well and good and the law is on their side with that for now.

This mandate is strictly about “who pays” and the answer is we all do through increased health care costs at a time when they are increasing at a rate faster than our salaries.

Massive Hypocrisy Part 4

Massive Hypocrisy Part 4
Al Ritter

On March 1, 2010: “In the 21st century, high schools shouldn’t just make sure students graduate—they should make sure students graduate ready for college, ready for a career, and ready for life”….President Obama.

What a difference two years made as President Obama made the decision to allow 10 states to opt out of President Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” initiative. This initiative was enacted to make graduating prerequisites more stringent, and to raise the bar on students. One fifth of our nation is now exempt from a program designed to make our children once again competitive in the world market. What kind of signal does that send our children? That subpar performance will once again be accepted in the job market?

There is no affirmative action in the world hiring market that will assure our American children over the more educated children of say China. The world doesn’t work on a “bell curve” the way Obama assumes it does.

I have a better question still……why should students of the other 40 states be held to a higher standard than the ones from the 10 excused states? I thought Obama’s war cry said that everyone should be made to play by the same rules……Hypocrisy?......You bet cha!

Obama’s quote: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/obama-speeches/speech/190/

Obama’s initiative: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/02/09/no-child-left-behind-waivers-let-team-obama-seize-control-your-childs-education/