Make-A-Statement Commentary Blog

    I constantly hear people say they had to hold their nose and vote for McCain or that they couldn’t make themselves vote for McCain because he was too liberal for them resulting in Obama in the White House.  The fault for this lies in the hands of the hierarchy of the Republican Party but also in the hands of the people.  
    Part of the problem is that the Republican Party lets anyone run under their banner who wishes to—they don’t have to stand with the Platform—which the Party needs to change.  But, another part of the problem is that many people either didn’t vote in the primary or they followed the advice of Rush Limbaugh and crossed over.  Myself I can’t understand anyone choosing to do either.  I say that because to me voting in the primary means I get my say in who represents the Republican Party in the general election.  The other reason I can’t see it is that to me this is not a game we are out to win—this is all about who represents us in Washington and to me that determination should be made based on each individual candidate’s ability to do the job the way we the people want then to.
    So, now that the election is behind us and we have the most liberal/socialist leaning President we could have found, we must learn from this.  Over the next four years those of us who wish to save this country from irreparable damage but work constantly to keep up with what is going on in Washington.  We must keep calling, emailing, and writing letters to our elected representatives and tell them what we want them to do, and then in 2010 we must hold them accountable by sending them home if they don’t do the job we want them to do.
   
    There is something else we need to do—we need to find out who is running in the next elections which affect us and find out who they are and what they stand for.  Then we must decide who we support for each office that is up for re-election.  Then we must support them the best we can—our country desperately needs it.
    No longer are the days when you can trust that the letter behind their name says anything about them, but gone also are the days when we can leave politics out of our every day lives.  That is, of course, if you want this country to remain a free nation where your children and grandchildren can still decide their own future, in Toto.
    So, if you are part of the silent majority, stop being silent!  Stand up and speak out for what you believe in, for the sake of your children, your grandchildren, and your country!   Support true conservative candidates, when you can, with financial donations or donations of your time and/or your own expertise.  We must work together to save this nation or we will watch it fall as the Soviets watched their crumble.  
    No, I do not exaggerate by comparing us to Soviet Russia.  Already our government took a step toward socialism with the bailout.  Already Barack Obama is planning another step toward socialism—a much bigger and much more personal attack on our rights—socialized medicine where the government bureaucrats decide if, when, and by whom you get any medical treatments you might need.  If you think that might be a good thing, ask an injured soldier about the care he receives—military medicine is socialized medicine so they know, and they suffer.  And you, and your family, will join them if socialized medicine becomes the way of life for America.
      So, everyone out there, please protect our rights, and our great country and SPEAK OUT!  And if you don’t feel like making a lot of noise, put your money where your mouth is and help those who are spread the word—your country depends on it!  Please don’t abandon it now!

Posted by hillpehle at 07:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

You would think that with all of the lay-offs, business closures and what not happening around the country, that the people still working would have some sense of urgency about them concerning their jobs. I’m not finding this to be true.

In fact, I am beginning to think the world is actually going mad. Slowly, but surely.

We finally sold our house, it took almost two years, but we did it. Yesterday I called the storage place where I have a storeroom. I asked them if a five by five was the smallest they had. They said yes it was. I asked how much and they said it was sixty dollars a month. I told them I already had a five by ten at their place and it was only costing me fifty dollars a month. They guy didn’t bat an eye and said… “Yep, doesn’t make any sense does it…but that’s the rates.” I believe I will stick with what I have.



Took my laptop in for repairs. They said they could have it for me in about four or five days. I told the folks that I was going to be out of town for a couple of weeks and for them to take their time. That was a big mistake. I called yesterday to see if I could pick it up and they said … “in a couple of weeks….we’re running behind.” Why tell me four or five days, when it’s going to end up being a month? This will be the last time I go to this place.

After you sell a house, you have to find someplace to move. So, I call a new apartment complex just down the road from us. The lady answers the phone and I tell her I am looking for a two bedroom with two baths. She says she has it. I ask her how much and she tells me they start at $1400 a month and go to $1900 a month. I ask her how big these units are. She tells me again… “They are two bedrooms with two baths.” I tell her I want to know the square footage of the units. Obviously, two bedrooms with two baths in 2,000 square feet is a lot different than two bedrooms with two baths in 600 square feet. The young lady didn’t know and rally didn’t seem to care that I was asking.

I called another realtor to ask about a house for lease. His company had one for lease in the paper, but did not list the square footage. I call him and ask how big the house is, he tells me. I tell him it’s too small. He says “OK” and hangs up. Doesn’t take my name or ask me what size I was looking for. All of the realtors have access to databases that tell them where the houses are, so it wouldn’t be any big deal for him to type in my size and pull up the listing that might work. I guess in today’s economy he must be making so much money he doesn’t need anymore.

Now when you are looking for a house to lease, you do the same things that you do when you are buying one. You drive around neighborhoods and write down phone numbers of the houses that have ‘for lease’ signs in the yard. This is not rocket science. Then you call the agents whose names are listed on the signs and you say something simple like… “Can I see the house you have for lease at 1234 Main St ?” More often then not, you get someone’s voice mail with a message that ‘ they will get back to you as soon as they can’. This usually means about forty eight hours or not at all. When they do return your calls you have to listen to a variety of excuses as to why they can’t meet with you anytime soon. Their excuses range from…. ‘My son has tee ball this afternoon’ to ‘ I have to get my hair done’ to “I don’t know if I have that listed or not…’

Sometimes I feel as if I would get more intelligent answers if I were asking about some television program such as “24” or “American Idol” than something to do with real life. How do these people make any money…..or better yet…do they?

Some how I don’t think so.

Comments go to pperry@austin.rr.com

Posted by hillpehle at 07:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Press Release          Contact: Prof. Raymond Tanter

For Immediate Release                                202-249-1142                                                          

26 January 2009          rtanter@iranpolicy.org

                                                                     

EU Delists Main Iranian Opposition

that Bush Administration Listed as Terrorist

Washington, DC—On Monday, 26 January 2009, the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers decided not to renew the terrorist listing of the Mujahedeen-e Khalq (MEK), the main Iranian opposition group. The decision came on the heels of the delisting of the group in the United Kingdom and several European Court of Justice decisions that found insufficient evidence for the EU designation.

According to IPC President and former member of the National Security Council Staff at the White House, Professor Raymond Tanter, "The EU decision represents an important example for the Obama administration of one means for reaching the Iranian people if Washington reaches out to Tehran with a new diplomatic initiative. The rulings in Europe are consistent with IPC research and could serve as justification for Washington also to delist the MEK as a terrorist organization."  

According to General Thomas McInerney (Lt Gen, US Air Force Ret, Chair of the IPC Advisory Council), "The continued designation of the main Iranian opposition groups as terrorist organizations by the U.S. State Department is unwarranted by the historical facts, contrary to the rule of law, and incompatible with the American interest to counter the threat of a surging Iran. Now that the European Union decided the Mujahedeen-e Khalq, (MEK) should not be listed as a terrorist organization, U.S. designation is out of step with our primary allies. Such continued designation encourages Baghdad to extradite the leadership of the main Iranian opposition groups from Iraq to Iran where they could be subject to persecution and provides a rationale for countries unwilling to accept the rank and file members of such opposition groups for fear of being threatened by the Iranian regime."


As the EU reaches out to the main Iranian opposition, Tehran pressures Baghdad to disperse MEK members from their camp in Iraq. On Friday, 23 January 2009, Iraq's national security adviser, Muwafak al Rubaie, while in Tehran, stated Baghdad's intention to extradite Iranians, who have protected persons status, to Iran, where they would likely face persecution: "Some who have Iranian blood on their hands we can hand over to Iran."

Rubaie went on to say, "Over 3,000 inhabitants of Camp Ashraf have to leave Iraq and the camp will be part of history within two months." MEK members at Camp Ashraf, Iraq were awarded protected persons status by the United States in 2004. In this respect, such dispersal may be incompatible with the Fourth Geneva Convention, notwithstanding Rubaie's acknowledgment of "international humanitarian regulations and international laws."  

According to MG Paul Vallely (US Army Ret, IPC Advisory Council), "Now that Iraqi Security Forces have responsibility for Camp Ashraf and some 3,000 plus Iranian residents, the Iranian regime's modus operandi clearly suggests that there will be increased pressure from Tehran to extradite Ashraf residents in violation of their protected persons status under the Fourth Geneva Convention. Given the political climate in Baghdad, the pressure could be too great for Baghdad to resist."

Gen. Vallely continued, "At the time that Tehran is promoting violence by Hamas in Gaza, it is continuing to fill a vacuum in Iraq as the United States Forces is gradually drawing down. As well, Iran is moving closer to having deployable nuclear weapons and now is not the time for the United States to make concessions to the Iranian regime by ceding responsibility for the main Iranian opposition to Baghdad."

According to IPC Board member, Captain Chuck Nash (Ret, USN), "As a result of expulsion or extradition of MEK members at Camp Ashraf, the United States would lose an historically valuable intelligence asset, an important conciliator between U.S. Forces and Sunni insurgents, and an effective mediator between Sunni and Shiite Iraqis. Furthermore, because the United States military continues to play a monitoring role over the Camp to ensure the security of protected persons, Washington could be implicated in any human rights violations that befall protected persons forcibly sent to Iran."

According to R. Bruce McColm, President of the Institute for Democratic Strategies, IPC Board of Directors, "The Fourth Geneva Convention protections of the people in Camp Ashraf and declarations of Amnesty International dictate that Ashraf inhabitants should not be sent involuntarily to Iran. Membership in the MEK is constitutionally illegal in Iran, and MEK members continue to be executed in Iran; despite assurances from Tehran to the contrary, extradition is bound to result in severe harm to residents of Ashraf."

McColm states, "The way Baghdad treats the main Iranian opposition housed in Iraq could be a bellwether of its independence from Tehran; such independence is in the U.S. interest because of the growing danger of a de facto political merger of the Islamic Republic of Iran with what would become a sister Islamist regime in Baghdad; such alignment would threaten the moderate Arab Gulf States, including Saudi Arabia, as well as American bases in the region, and the State of Israel."

Paul Welday, IPC Board of Directors, former chief of staff to Rep. Joe Knollenberg, said, "The EU decision to delist the MEK provides an example for how Congress could follow its European counterpart, the EU Parliament, to forge an evenhanded policy with respect to the Iranian people and the Iranian regime. With the advent of the 111th Congress, delisting the main Iranian opposition would provide an opportunity for Congress and the Obama Administration to stand with our European allies for liberty and against the tyranny of Tehran."

###

Posted by hillpehle at 07:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I find myself seriously concerned about the future state of this country and the few freedoms we have left being taken from us.  This is not an empty concern as many of you might think and let me tell you why.
    Have you ever thought about the fact that so much of what many Americans consider to be rights either require a license or a permit or some other form of government involvement?  For example, if you want to hunt you must have a hunting license, to fish you need a license, to drive or even to get married you need a license.  You need a permit to meet with a group of others in a public place, and often the permit has to be approved.  If it is your right to hunt or fish to feed your family why does the government feel the need to make you buy a license?  If it is your right to drive a car or get married why do you have to pay the government for the privilege?  How does the government being this deeply involved in your life make you free?  It doesn’t as is obvious when you realize that the word license means “formal permission from a governmental or other constituted authority to do something”.  Therefore, the government has given itself the power to deny you the right to hunt, fish, marry, and drive along with so many other things which are your rights endowed by your Creator and by the Constitution.
   

When this country was founded they did not have this kind of government intervention in mind, especially not on a national level.  The only thing the government is supposed to do is see to national security while the people carry on their everyday lives.  Back then you didn’t have to have a license to hunt; you only had to have a gun. The need for a hunting license didn’t begin until the middle 1800’s, long after the Founding Fathers were gone.  For that matter, you didn’t need a marriage license until around the same time.  
    In other words you have been slowly but surely losing your freedom and they did it so subtly, and with such good excuses, that we just let it slide.  Now we are looking at an even greater threat to our freedom.
    Now we have a President Elect who not only believes in Socialism, he also believes in globalism which hands the true control of the United States over to the UN, one of the most corrupt and incompetent organizations this world has ever seen.  That in itself isn’t bad enough as he is also supported by a Congress who is majority Democrat.  Granted, all of them may not believe in socialism but they do believe in standing with the leaders of their party, especially after what happened to Sen. Lieberman when he had the audacity to disagree.
    This great nation has already taken a step toward socialism—the bailout which gave the Secretary of the Treasury the right to buy into the banks that were in trouble and the bailout of the automakers.  The government was never intended to control the financial activities of this country—that is socialism.  The government was never intended to buy out big corporations either as this is supposed to be a capitalist country where you are able to earn big money by making big risks pay off.  However, when taking big risks there is always the risk of losing everything—that is capitalism also known as the Free Market System.
    The next step that the President Elect wants to take is to socialize medicine.  This means that the government bureaucracy gets to determine what doctor you see, what hospital you get to go to, and what treatments and medicine you may or may not get.  So you get a really good idea of what socialized medicine truly entails, look at the care our soldiers get when they return from the battlefield wounded.  They are not getting the care they need, and then when they appeal the decision it takes years for an answer.  Is that the kind of medical care you want for your children and the rest of your family?  Keeping in mind of course that the wheels of government turn at a snail’s pace but medical problems do not and you, or someone you love, might not survive the wait required to actually get a necessary treatment.  Not to mention that the elderly might not get the treatments at all as they wouldn’t be considered a good investment for the government to make, and that 86 year old man who needs open heart surgery that the government refuses due to age just might be your father or grandfather.
     None of this should be acceptable to any of us, and yet up to now many of us have done nothing more than sit back and buy our licenses, obtaining government permission to do what should be our right to do, but now we have to stand up and take back this country from those who wish to destroy all that we hold dear.  Or do I just believe that others treasure the right to free speech, the right to bear arms to protect your family (yet another right our President Elect wishes to take from us), the right to move freely about our country without governmental approval, the right to choose which doctor you entrust with your life and that of your loved ones, and all of the rest?
Abraham Lincoln spoke words for citizens of all generations to remember when he said, “We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.”  And Thomas Jefferson once said, “What country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to the facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.”  I’m not saying we need to pick up our guns and go to war against the government.  I’m saying we need to take back the government.  We need to call about what we want them to do or not do, and then we need to remember what they do.  And by that I mean that even the silent majority needs to speak up and say what they feel for as Abraham Lincoln said “To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men.”  
Are you willing to become informed about all of the politicians on your local ballot?  Are you willing to fight, with your vote, to maintain the liberties that our soldiers fight and die for?  No truer words have been spoken of this country than these espoused by Abraham Lincoln when he said, “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”  Are you willing to sit back and let America fall and become a socialist state?
We need to stop voting for those who only say they are for the people and then vote against us when the time comes.  A revolution doesn’t need to be an act of violence or civil war; it can also be achieved through our elections.  But a revolution is what we need before we become the United Socialist States of America.  


This is Melissa Pehle-Hill writing for make-a-statement.org. 

Posted by hillpehle at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

    Here I sit addressing the actions of the liberals in Washington and their desire to remove our right to bear arms and protect ourselves and our families.  I knew, on Election Night, that this was coming but I have to say I’m surprised it came so soon.  I honestly thought they would wait six months or so and try to slip it past us.  
    I also received an email yesterday with a link to watch a U-Tube video about protests going on in the UK.  Guess what the video said!  They said that first they let the government take their guns because they thought it might actually reduce crime, and they soon realized that it had the opposite effect as the law-abiding citizens had turned over their guns and the criminals then knew they were unarmed.  That wasn’t what the protests were about—they were about the government’s desire to end fox hunting.  
   
Now you and I might not think that is something worth protesting for hours over, but I do understand why they would think so.  For them fox hunting is a tradition which spans back longer than any of the people protesting, or those trying to take away that right, have been around.  This is something they have heard about from their grandparents and their history books, a tradition that has a lot of importance to the people, and it is something that a few members of their government apparently don’t like so they have decided, with the help of their cronies, to remove it.  
    Now, the question I have is; do you think they want to remove it because someone thinks it wrong to chase down a fox on horseback and then shooting it?  Or do you think it more likely that the guns remaining in the hands of law-abiding citizens are for the purpose of fox hunting?  In other words, if they remove the fox hunting they remove this reason for having guns so those citizens could now also be disarmed.
    George Washington said, “The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference - they deserve a place of honor with all that's good.”  The people of England have learned that this is true and that their government was wrong when it claimed otherwise.  Now do you have to see this great country in more dire straits from armed criminals against unarmed citizens before you do something about it and stand up and tell your representatives and senators that you don’t want your second amendment right stripped or removed?  
    Call your Congressman, or email them, or write them and tell them to vote against H.R. 45 bill, also known as Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009 (named after a teenage boy who was shot and killed).  If you are one of those people who realize that neither the law-abiding citizens nor the guns themselves are to blame for the actions of armed criminals and therefore shouldn’t be punished then call and help us fight this attack on our Second Amendment Rights.  If you don’t get it then feel free to turn your gun in at the nearest police station in hopes that they will get enough of your guns that they’ll leave the rest of us alone.

This is Melissa Pehle-Hill writing for www.make-a-statement.org.  Have a nice day.

Posted by hillpehle at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It didn't take take the Dem's long to show their true color. YELLOW  The cowards are already attacking the 2nd Amendment.  President "O" is not even in office yet and HR-45 is set to be presented.  HR-45 intends to require massive licensing for owners of almost every gun.  I believe they left the BB Gun off the list but it will probably be in the final draft.  Read the WND story on it:

 

Here is another piece of information all of our 2nd Amendment supporters need to read.

Pay close attention to highlighted area on page 2

1. Gun-ban list proposed

Slipping below the radar (or under the short-term memory cap), the Democrats have already leaked a gun-ban list, even under the Bush administration when they knew full well it had no chance of passage (HR 1022, 110th Congress). It serves as a framework for the new list the Brady’s plan to introduce shortly.

I have an outline of the Brady’s current plans and targets of opportunity; we’re working on getting that news out ASAP after these ban lists and will probably be ready in the next few days. It’s horrific. They’re going after the courts, regulatory agencies, firearms dealers and statutes in an all out effort to restrict We The People. They’ve made little mention of criminals.

Now more than ever, attention to the entire Bill of Rights is critical. Gun bans will impact our freedoms under search and seizure, due process, confiscated property, states rights, free speech, right to assemble and more, in addition to the Second Amendment. See what 250 of your peers thought during our recent Bill of Rights Day event at the Wrigley Mansion in Phoenix :http://www.gunlaws. com/BOR-Day- 2008-Report. htm

The Democrats current gun-ban-list proposal (final list WILL be worse):

 

Rifles (YES and copies and duplicates):

· M1 Carbine, Sturm Ruger Mini-14, AR-15, Bushmaster XM15, Armalite M15, AR-10, Thompson 1927, Thompson M1;

· AK, AKM, AKS, AK-47, AK-74, ARM, MAK90, NHM 90, NHM 91, SA 85, SA 93, VEPR;

· Olympic Arms PCR; AR70, Calico Liberty, Dragunov SVD Sniper Rifle or Dragunov SVU, Fabrique National FN/FAL, FN/LAR, or FNC, Hi-Point Carbine, HK-91, HK-93, HK-94, HK-PSG-1, Thompson 1927 Commando, Kel-Tec Sub Rifle;

· Saiga, SAR-8, SAR-4800, SKS with detachable magazine, SLG 95, SLR 95 or 96, Steyr AUG, Tavor, Uzi, Galil and Uzi Sporter, Galil Sporter, or Galil Sniper Rifle (Galatz).

Pistols (or copies or duplicates):

· Calico M-110, MAC-10, MAC-11, or MPA3, Olympic Arms OA, TEC-9, TEC-DC9, TEC-22 Scorpion, or AB-10, Uzi.

Shotguns (or copies or duplicates):

· Armscor 30 BG, SPAS 12 or LAW 12, Striker 12, Streetsweeper.

Catch-all Categories (for anything missed or new designs):

A semiautomatic rifle that accepts a detachable magazine and has (i) a folding or telescoping stock, (ii) a threaded barrel, (iii) a pistol grip (which includes ANYTHING that can serve as a grip, see below), (iv) a forward grip; or a barrel shroud.

Any semiautomatic rifle with a fixed magazine that can accept more than 10 rounds. (except tubular magazine .22 rimfire rifles-unlike New Jersey which bans these too!).

A semiautomatic pistol that has the ability to accept a detachable magazine, and has (i) a second pistol grip, (ii) a threaded barrel, (iii) a barrel shroud or (iv) can accept a detachable magazine outside of the pistol grip, and (v) a semiautomatic pistol with a fixed magazine that can accept more than 10 rounds.

A semiautomatic shotgun with (i) a folding or telescoping stock, (ii) a pistol grip (see definition below), (iii) the ability to accept a detachable magazine or a fixed magazine capacity of more than 5 rounds, and (iv) a shotgun with a revolving cylinder.

Frames or receivers for the above are included, along with conversion and/or completer kits.

Attorney General gets carte blanche to ban guns at will:

Under the proposal, the U.S. Attorney General can add any “semiautomatic rifle or shotgun originally designed for military or law enforcement use, or a firearm based on the design of such a firearm, that is not particularly suitable for sporting purposes, as determined by the Attorney General.” Note that Obama’s pick for this office (Eric Holder, confirmation hearing set for Jan. 15) wrote a brief in the Heller case supporting the position that you have no right to have a working firearm in your own home.

In making this determination, the bill says, “there shall be a rebuttable presumption that a firearm procured for use by the United States military or any federal law enforcement agency is not particularly suitable for sporting purposes, and a firearm shall not be determined to be particularly suitable for sporting purposes solely because the firearm is suitable for use in a sporting event.”

In plain English this means that ANY firearm ever obtained by federal officers or the military is not suitable for the public.

That presumption can be challenged only by suing the federal government over each firearm it decides to ban, in a court it runs with a judge it pays. This virtually dismisses the principles of the Second Amendment.

The last part is particularly clever, stating that a firearm doesn’t have a sporting purpose just because it can be used for sporting purpose -- is that devious or what? And of course, “sporting purpose” is a rights infringement with no constitutional or historical support whatsoever, invented by domestic enemies of the right to keep and bear arms to further their cause of disarming the innocent.

If these near-total bans aren’t enough, the most dangerous part may be the phrase “pistol grip” because: “The term ‘pistol grip’ means a grip, a thumbhole stock, or any other characteristic that can function as a grip.” In other words, any semi-auto long gun with a grip (that’s ALL semi-auto long guns) would be banned under the existing proposal. It’s not clear what they hope to achieve by deceptively banning guns with grips instead of just calling to ban the guns -- even an idjit can tell it’s the same thing.

I didn’t cover here all the magazine bans, transfer bans, dealer record-keeping and centralized reporting, and a host of nuisance details -- there will be time enough for that when the new lists are released soon: “As soon as President-elect Obama is inaugurated and the 111th Congress is sworn in,” according to Ms. Brady. Congress is set to be sworn in on Jan. 6, Inauguration Day is Jan. 20.

No one expects the new proposal to be less abusive than the current one supported by the party of the Democrats. Remember -- these bans were proposed when the congressional anti-rights crowd had no chance of success. Now they are ready to run wild, or according to Sarah herself, “I have never been so confident.” The “news” media has failed to report on any of this, preferring instead to blare that the incoming president supports the Second Amendment and commonsense (gun) laws..

To see the whole bill, go to http://thomas.. loc.gov and search for HR 1022, (switch to the 110th Congress if the 111th has begun).

The excellent Firearms Coalition started by the late Neal Knox and now run by his family members makes these important points about the upcoming Judiciary hearings for AG nominee Holder:

 “The Democrat members of the Judiciary Committee are all sworn enemies to the Second Amendment and are unlikely to be swayed at all by any firearms related arguments, but might hesitate to confirm based on Holder’s participation in the pardons of 16 Puerto Rican terrorists and billionaire financier and arms merchant Marc Rich [and perhaps the Elian Gonzalez abduction by federal agents Holder authorized]. Any letters to Democrats should focus on those issues..

 “On the Republican side, Arlen Specter, the ranking Republican on the committee has never been a friend to gun rights, but he owes his reelection to NRA support and has expressed concern over the pardon issues.  Among the other Republicans, most are relatively reliable votes, but only Coburn has routinely taken a leadership role on Second Amendment matters.  All of them need to be pressed hard to do everything they can to block the appointment.

“For more information about Eric Holder and why his appointment must be fought tooth and nail, go to our web site at http://www.Firearms Coalition. org.”

Posted by hillpehle at 08:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It seems to me that just about all of the instructions you need to get through life can be found in the bible. Perhaps I’m crazy but I think that somewhere in there it says that we would be better off teaching a man to fish than feeding him a fish for one day. This might be in the book of Hesitations, but I can’t be sure.

Anyway, I’m certain that the lesson is in there somewhere, even if I have gotten it all wrong so far. The point is that we are all better off teaching others to take care of themselves rather than giving them a hand out day after day, year after year.

So, how did I arrive at this topic for this week? Easy, the birds. You remember that movie that Hitchcock put out years ago? Well, that’s the scene at our house. We are overloaded with doves. The majestic birds of peace.

And the majestic birds of poop.


Several weeks ago, when the first cold snap came through, I took pity on the poor creatures and thought I would do a good thing and fill up all of the bird feeders. I usually don’t do this until the spring, but for some reason I broke my own rule and loaded them up the brim. This was a big mistake on my part.

Now we have flocks of peaceful doves roosting all around our house dining at the conveniently placed feeders scattered throughout the property. They have become almost tame. It’s almost like those pigeons you see in from of St. Peters cathedral in Rome. They walk along side of us as if we are their new found friends.

Which I guess we are. Although I don’t want to be and I didn’t mean to be.

I cannot help but wonder how these birds survived all of these winters when I didn’t feed them? Where have they been up until now? I’m sure this species has been around for thousands of years, after all doves are mentioned in the Bible. You think John the Baptist put out food for the ones he had? Probably not, come to think of it, he could have just told Jesus and birdseed from heaven appeared just like the loaves and the fishes.

I wouldn’t mind them so much if they were just a little more careful about their toilet habits. The ones that roost out in the trees in the yard don’t bother me. The ones that roost over the walkways and my roof need to move as soon as possible. Our walkways, porches and roof are spattered with daily presents from our feathered friends. We have to wash these on a regular basis to keep the place looking nice since our house is for sale. The birds have either not gotten the message that they are causing me a lot of grief and extra work or they simply don’t care. I personally think it’s the latter.

The water coming into our house has about 100 lbs, of pressure. I’ve taken to going outside about 4 in the morning and spraying the trees with our hose in the hopes of driving them away to somewhere else, like our neighbors. Not the ones we like, the ones we don’t get along with.

I’ve had zero success. My loving wife thinks if I continue to spray the trees with the water hose in this freezing weather, their little claws with freeze closed on the branches and they will be stuck there. Perhaps they will freeze all over. One can always hope.

I finally found my pellet gun and thought about just popping off a few pellets into the trees just before I go to bed, but then my good wife reminds me that ‘these are the birds of peace.’

I’m thinking these are the same kinds of birds I have hunted for years when dove season opens. What, pray tell is the difference? I suppose I could just unlimber my old twelve gauge and knock down some for dinner, but the neighbors are sure to complain and besides there’s probably a law against doing such as this.

There’s a lesson to be learned here for all of us. I’m certain those birds were doing fine for themselves before I came along. Now, I am the symbol of their nutritional bailout. For these birds, I am equal to the government. They will probably be around for years to come, unable and unwilling to leave my yard to fend for themselves.

I cannot allow this to happen. I cannot deprive these creatures of their God given talents to go out into the world and seek out their fortunes or failures without any help from me or my family. In short I will cease the food hand out program I have started. I know this will be a great shock to them and hope they can see the wisdom of my decision, but it must be done. For their own good….

I will keep you informed as to my progress. Wish me well.

Comments go to pperry@austin.rr.com

Posted by hillpehle at 04:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There was a story going around a few weeks ago. One of those annual holiday ‘feel good’ things that we all get from time to time. Anyway, this one had to do with some famous violin player in Washington, D.C. Anyway, this accomplished musician (Joshua Bell) set up shop in a subway and played some of his most difficult pieces for a couple of hours. I checked this story out on one of the urban legend websites and it came back as being true.

During the couple of hours this guy was there he collected some 32 bucks in tips, but no one recognized him or the fact that he was playing on a violin worth over 3 million dollars. His performances are usually sold out with tickets going for $100 and higher.

The point of this was an experiment in how we perceive beauty. Given that Mr. Bell was not in his natural environment, it is somewhat of a surprise to learn that no one stopped to appreciate the work and artistry of this person.


This is the beginning of a new year. I’m thinking I need to slow down and smell the roses or the coffee or whatever there is to smell before it’s too late. I have found myself driving slower these past few weeks and enjoying it more. Not to save gas, but to look around instead of just getting from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’. It’s amazing what I’ve missed over these past years.

I am determined to get up earlier and stay up later. If I get up earlier, I get a head start on the day and don’t have to rush so much to get everything done that I need to finish. I find that most of the stress I deal with on a daily basis is mostly of my own doing. So, my new motto for the coming year is to not sweat the small stuff and to consider it all small stuff.

I really should only worry about the things I can change or do something about. Most of the things that I encounter in a normal day I can’t fix or do anything about, so why should I waste my time fooling with these things in the first place? As expressed in the beginning paragraph, there is beauty in everything around us, if we just take the time to look around and see it.

Sure, we get angry about our economy and our thieving politicians, but aside from voting and writing letters, what else is there for us to do? I will never stop expressing my opinion for as long as I live and couldn’t care less if someone takes offense to it. That’s one of the benefits of growing old. You get to do what you want and for the most part, say what you feel like saying when you want to say something. At least as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone’s feelings that you care about. I put that last part in so everyone won’t think I’m a total curmudgeon. I love that word.

Anyway, the point of all of this is that life comes fast and furious, folks get born and folks die off every year of our being here on planet Earth. Some of them get gone before we have had a chance to even know what they were all about. Personally I think that’s a shame and I intend to do something about it. This year I am going to listen more and talk less. I want to know what is on people’s minds and what they are all about. Everyone has a story to tell and all of us need someone to listen to our story. If we’re lucky we get to live a long time. How sad for us if we don’t take a few minutes to stop and look around us and see all of the good things in our world. Lord knows we see enough bad.

So, look for me to slow down and listen more than I normally do since I think I’ve been missing some of the beauty of my lifetime. Never too late to play catch-up is there?

Comments go to pperry@austin.rr.com

Posted by hillpehle at 09:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)