March on Harrisburg, PA for Fiscal Responsibility

Dear Patriots,

The time has come to bring our voice home to the Harrisburg Capitol! From the very inception of our great nation, Pennsylvania has raised the voice of freedom to a world filled with chains and slavery. William Penn invited settlers to come to the New World and find freedom by settling in "Penn's Woods" and some 300 years later I am inviting you to join us in Harrisburg on November 14, 2009 to once again stand for freedom! To once again stand against chains and slavery - chains of debt and slavery to an irresponsible government that would spend us into oblivion.

Saturday, November 14, 2009 will be a state-wide March on the Harrisburg Capitol for Fiscal Responsibility! We expect that buses from all over the state will arrive at City Island at 1:00pm and starting at 2:00pm Freedom loving Patriots will begin to March toward the Capitol building - we will continue the March until we have gone around the building 7x letting our leaders know that like the walls of Jericho - the walls of high taxes, increased spending and irresponsible government must fall!

The March will end with a rally on the Capitol steps with speakers from Pennsylvania and the National stage. And we will reinforce that our government is a government of the People, by the People and for the People. And our government should answer to us!

It is time for you to join the cause - the PA Budget MESS, the lack of Property Tax reform, the overall fiscal irresponsibility of the Pennsylvania leadership demands that Patriots from Erie to Philadelphia and every city in between rally to Harrisburg for FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY!

Don't forget to wear Red, White & Blue and carry your PA flag, your Culpeper flag or your Dresden flag. Hope to see YOU there!

For Liberty,

Tea Party Welcome for Senator Specter

This past Tuesday was a remarkable moment for Lebanon, PA! 2000 +/- people gathered in downtown to express their opinion of President Obama's health care agenda. Most of the locals were against HB 3200 and most of them had in fact read the bill or at least large portions of it. Despite the "spin" version of national media outlets, the Town Hall meeting was actually an example to the nation as to how questions could be asked to elected representatives, even in dissent, with respect and decorum. Two minor details that marred the event included Mr. Miller's stumbling tirade about not being able to speak (as if everyone in the 250 people were going to have 5 minutes to spend with the microphone - by the way that is about 20 hours!) and the fact that Senator Specter should be on "Dancing With the Stars" with the way he avoided answering the questions he was asked! Although the Meeting itself was exemplary, the rally outside was the real story.
The planned Tea Party Welcome for Senator Specter was a locally driven event that brought out extreme amounts of concerned citizens right from Lebanon. In an orderly fashion, with no confrontations, no arrests, really very little difficulty keeping the street open and with great energy the patriots of Lebanon County raised their voice in protest to the President's social agenda. Citing concerns about higher taxes to pay for the plan, public monies being used for abortions, mandatory end of life counseling for those over 65, plus issues regarding health plan choices, the effects on small businesses, and the state training of Doctors, nurses and counselors, friends and neighbors from all over the Lebanon Valley spoke their voice and it was heard!
No matter what the mainstream media wants to focus on, we should not lose focus on the fact that "Lebanonians" made a difference on the national scene. And for that we should be extremely proud. I know I am.

Tea Parties: One Lump or Two?

The impact of last week's bevy of Tea Parties will not be known for sometime. The coverage before during and after April 15th certainly covered the gamut of support, criticism and ridicule - much of which I understand. I attended the Harrisburg, PA Tea Party and was astounded to see the radicals that were represented.
As a Bible-believing Christian, I certainly blushed at the impromptu preachers that stole their turn on the soap box. Honestly, I agree with much of what they were bellowing into the bullhorns however I did not agree with their opportunism. What was accomplished? Was anyone challenged by their message or were they simply tolerant of the extra "noise". Truthfully, I wish they had held their own rally because they did a great injustice to citizens and the Word of God by painting themselves (and by association the rally) as the tool of Radicalism.
As a Patriot, I was proud of the opportunity to stand with fellow citizens in peaceable assembly and rally together against the free wheel spending of Big Government. Note, NOT democrats but Big Government. There are many, many Americans who recognize that the problems our country is facing are not related to partisan issues, but rather to ideology. Collectivism, Regulation, Excessive Spending and even Socialistic ideals will lead to the economic struggles we face and they are not exclusive to Democrats or Republicans. The Tea Party was defined and presented as an assured right by the United States Constitution - and by the way it was not a revolt.
Unfortunately, I can foresee a possible revolution in the United States but it is not now and should not be about the issues we face. We have a proper way to redress grievances and we will and should follow that method. The vast minority - maybe two signs - calling for revolt were misplaced and inappropriate. However, calls to remove some from office by vote or impeachment were properly placed and represent our next call to action.
Finally, as a Citizen of the world, I was proud to see many races, creeds and beliefs represented. Clearly this is NOT a problem of WASPish America! The diversity represented as many of our speakers challenged real issues of government (like overspending, overtaxing, unaccountability of government) was refreshing and truly amazing.
As a Human Soul, I was touched by one specific member of the crowd - a dear elderly lady. Watching her hunched in the rain, hood on her head, and one singular, wrinkled hand held in the air. Her sign was just a scrap of cardboard taped to an old paint stick, her message scrawled in a shaky hand. The words didn't matter - her presence did. This is not a rally to revolt, it is not a rally of radicals - it is truly a rally of redemption by those who are finally stirred to buy back the freedoms that our country stood for and someday will again. God bless America!