Loving America

[FCTP]

I had a friend who was in the Event Planning business.  He helped me plan a big event for the “grand opening” of my consulting practice ten years ago this month.  He was a perfectionist and was well known in the event planning world nationwide.  He is a master at planning a party.

 

When the night came for our “grand opening” at a local club, he showed up after the other invitees were already enjoying the party.  I greeted him at the door.  His first question to me was “Is there love in the room?”  I was stunned by the question and asked him what it meant.  He replied, “When I plan an event, I want everyone in the room to feel loved.” 

 

As I looked back at the crowd and their happy demeanors, I assured him he had accomplished his goal that night. 

 

After that evening, everywhere I went I thought about that and wondered if I had left “love” behind me when I exited a room.

 

It is easy to turn a room into a magical night of wonder and beauty with lights, decorations and plants,  It’s not as easy to do that as a person because there are just some people who will not like you. 

 

You are too different from them.  Your upbringing might be polar opposite of theirs.  Your thinking did not match theirs.  They saw things from another viewpoint than you.  There are many reasons for people to get “cross-wise” with each other.  It’s just human nature.

 

We see it in the politics happening in America.  Polar opposites are trying to be in charge of the people.  The media and even our President have attempted to paint Occupy people as the same people who are in the Tea Party Movement.  The pictures, videos and behaviors tell the world that we are very different.  Some of the signs may read the same, but the people holding them are not the same. 

 

The tea party members have used the rule of law to expose corruption.  The Occupy members have used intimidation to expose corruption.  The tea party members have not used violence while many in the Occupy movement have.  The tea party members love our flag, our founding documents and our history.  Many in the Occupy movement feel these items are holding us back from “change.”

 

As mentioned yesterday, I wonder how all this will end.  It will end and when it does, America will be different.  If the difference is good or bad – time will tell us the end of the story.  It may not be in our lifetime but it will be in our children’s and grandchildren’s. 

 

My hope is the ending will be filled with love.

 

Love for America that has stood the test of time and opened her arms to those fleeing tyranny.  Love for our history that will determine our future.  Love for our Judeo-Christian faith that was the foundational footing of our Founding documents. 

 

If that is the love that is left behind in America, I will feel we have accomplished our goal.  It’s all about the love and no matter how different we are, we can come together on that one – can’t we?

 

The baby boomers of the Tea Party Movement are hippies from the 60’s and the 70’s.  We hung peace signs on our bedroom walls, painted them on our VWs and embroidered them on our hip huggers.  We were looking for the love during the Vietnam War and reality hit when our friends came home either in a casket or to a spitting crowd who hated them instead of the leaders who sent them to war.

 

As I look at the young people camping in parks, I see a few new hippies of today.  They are hanging out with some bad guys who are spitting in the faces of those who serve in the military and stomping on the flag that we love.  My prayer today is that we will begin to see a rising up of those seeking peace and love for America rising up within the Occupy movement. 

 

We will never forget what happened to our country during our lifetime.  We will stand strong against the forces of evil that once again is trying to take us down.  As for those young ones who seek peace, we encourage you to rally with us and feel the love of America’s greatness again.  Together we can overcome the evil that haunts the halls of our institutions.   There is a better way to do this – and violence will not end in peace.

 

Is there still love in America?  I believe so and I believe two very different groups can come together with one common cause.  That cause:  Loving America and all she stands for.  She deserves to be loved back as she loved us.

 

On November 6, 2011, the First Coast Tea Party will rally together with songs of love for America with our Tea are the World Concert starting at 2:00 PM.  Speakers who love America will be there beginning at 4:00.  You can find the details at www.fctpcommunity.org. 

 

We encourage all God-fearing, America-loving patriots to show up and stand together for the sake of our country.  Prayers from pastors will ring out and we are sure you will hear God Bless America at some point during the day. 

In the meantime, take a look at this beautiful video of the Elephant and the Dog.   When the human race can’t get it right – leave it to the animal kingdom to figure it out.  Which are you…the elephant or the dog?

 

[Steve Tikas]

I hope I'm wrong.  Ask my wife I don't like being wrong but this is one time I would love to be wrong.  No you are right the chains of bondage have not completely taken us yet which is why I'm in front of a computer typing and not on the streets fighting.  You are right there are more and more people getting into politics that believe in freedom and liberty and that gives me hope like I can't describe.

[Steve Tikas]

Mr. Upshaw no I'm not advocating violence just saying at a point it may be required.  As far as what point that would be when we have lost total control of our country and our vote no longer means anything or we lose the right to vote.

 

Please don't think I'm wishing for violence I'm hoping and praying for just the opposite.  I not only have that pretty women in the picture (thank you for the compliment by the way) but I also have three children and I don't want them to see violence.  More then my desire for them to not have to see violence is my desire to allow them to live their life in a country that values freedom, liberty, and the rule of law. Freedom and liberty are worth fighting and dying for if needed.  That is why I joined the military in the first place.

 

I can't join any military branch anymore I was in the Navy and I was medically discharged.  In my oath I took and I'm going to assume by your comment that you took as well we said we will defend this country from all enemies foreign and domestic.

 

When we talk about violence I'm not talking about violence for the sake of violence which is what the people in OWS are doing.  I'm talking about violence with a goal in mind you know like the violence our founding fathers went threw to give us all the rights that we have today.  If the time comes that we need to fight for those things again will I be happy that it came to that no not at all but will that stop me from fighting no. 

 

Let me change my question around a little bit.  At what point would this country need to get before you would take up arms or is there no point we could get to that would have you take up arms?

[Steven D.Upshaw]

Well lets hope you are wrong and people like Ron and Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Alan West, M. Bachmann and other patriots in our government can negotiate that change for us. The chains of bondage have not completely taken us yet.

[Steve Tikas]

Do I support the methods that OWS has used to this point?  No I don't as I don't think that vandalizing private property and disrupting small business is the way to get things done.  I don't support the goals that they have for this country either in case you had any questions about that.

 

I do support violence at a point though but it would not be directed towards the groups that OWS is directing their anger at.  Since I don't see the people on Wall Street or small business owners as the  people that are really to blame for the problems of this country.  From my last comment it should be clear who I think is to blame for the problems of this country.  Once it becomes clear that we have totally lost control of our government and our votes no longer hold any value violence will be needed to take back our country and at that point I will not only support violence but I will be a part of it.  Like I said though tt will still not be directed towards the same people as OWS. 

 

If you think I'm wrong please remember how this country was formed.  It is sad but true most major change only comes at the point of a sword, or gun, or tank.  I hope it can be avoided but as the days pass I feel less and less confident that violence can be avoided.

[Steven D.Upshaw]

Steve you have peaked my curiousity and my question to you is are you advicating violence or are you curious about something that you have never experience? In either case be very careful in what you wish for. Take it from an old dog that has been there it is a very ugly thing to be in a country pummelled by the violence of war. There is nothing noble about it and the loss of human life and damage that is inflicted is to say the least sickening. I say to you if you wish to experience violence of that nature join the Marines and volunteer for a tour Afganistan or may just buy yourself a ticket to  Africa where the population is being torn apart by war. But consider this what affect would the violence have on that pretty young woman in your picture there?  How would it affect your mother and the lives of the people you love? What would happen to your property and the things you have worked so hard for? So at what point do" you" feel that violence is needed. 

[Tracy]

@ Steve why do you ask? Do you support what OWS has done to people that have nothing to do whatsoever with what they are protesting? Like the vandalism and destruction of private property?The vandalism and destruction of public property which the tax paying citizens will have to be responsible for?Intentionally disrupting small business owners who are just trying to make a living?

[Steve Tikas]

Your welcome Mr. Langenfeld anytime I can help someone else stay strong in the Lord I try my best to help.

 

Tracy: Well the point about Washington is partially right.  They should be in Washington and on Wall Street, well they should really be in front of the Fed not Wall Street, but the problem is not just Washington.  The problem is the corruption that exist between Washington and the banking and mega corporations.  Banks and mega corps give untold amounts of money to campaigns for their select politicians which buys the politician and then the politician in question passes laws, rules, regulation, loopholes (or any number of other things) in favor of the industry, company, or group that hands them over money.  It is like a symbiotic relationship one could not exist without the other.  You know the Jerry McGuire saying 'Show me the money' that is basically what it amounts too.

 

We are talking about two different things as far as the fuel behind OWS is concerned.  Think of OWS like a fire.  To start a fire you need something that will ignite and something to light it (you also need oxygen too but for the sack of my analogy lets say you don't.  In OWS case the fuel is the economy and corruption and the light was the people that are controlling the movement.  You are right the people behind the movement (communist, socialist, etc) have convinced many that they are doing something good but what they are using as the fuel to start the fire of protest is the economy and corruption in Washington.  I hope this clears up my side of the conversation. 

[Kurt R Langenfeld]

 

thank you Steve for the encourging words and you are rite he gives us no more then  we can handle.

i've been walking with the lord for many a year and he has showed me and my wife his wonderous love and power. thank you once again.

[Tracy]

And besides that these people are in the WRONG place...They should be in Washington protesting the  tax abuses being handed out by those in charge.

[Tracy]

Steve, not attacking you just disagreeing about the motives behind the movement.Some of the people on the street may been duped to believe that they are protesting against the same things we are but behind the scenes the people who control the movement have an entirely different reason for promoting these protests. http://biggovernment.com/lstranahan/2011/10/10/meet-the-anarchist-l...