What Would You Be Willing To Give Up?

(This will be the one and only political comment you hear from me…I tried to post something similar before, but the time wasn't right and I deleted it...but every once in a while, a girl just has to say what’s on her mind…)

We have a dinner-time tradition at our house…when we are blessed enough to sit down as a family, usually several nights a week, Scott or I try and come up with a question for the kids that will help in-still a Biblical worldview.

For instance, last week we talked about civil disobedience in light of Scriptures that tell us to submit to the government in authority over us…another time we talked about Romans 12:1-2, where we are told to not be conformed to the world, but transformed by the renewing of our mind and we discussed what it means to live conformed vs. transformed…

So last night at dinner, Scott had a question for us… “Considering the Constitution, what 3 freedoms or rights would you NOT be willing to give up? Which are most important to you?”

(Quick summary: freedom of… speech/press, religion, assembly, to petition; right to… vote, bear arms, for due process…there’s more, but these are the highlights)

Wow…what a question! For the kids, it was a little harder to answer, but I knew immediately… Freedom of religion, speech/press and the right to vote…although, right to due process is a close fourth….

Freedom of religion and freedom of speech have been on my mind A LOT lately…

It started with an incident at the Democratic National Convention when an ABC News reporter was arrested for filming high powered D. senators and donors leaving a private meeting at a hotel in Denver…the reporter was outside the hotel…if you click on this LINK, you can read the story and see the video of what happened…when I saw it, I thought, “Surely not in America.”

And then the latest incident with Joe the Plumber…I realize there are a lot of questions about Joe the Plumber… Who is he? Is he licensed? Some have even accused him of being a plant by the R. party…Who knows? I mean, D. candidate O, was in Joe’s neighborhood, Joe didn’t come to him…but in politics, anything is possible…

So for argument’s sake, I’m willing to pretend that he is not licensed and that he is a plant, maybe his name is not even really Joe… But my question is, SO WHAT? Joe didn’t make Candidate O, say what he said, “I think when you spread the wealth around it’s good for everybody.” O said that all on his own…from the overflow of the heart, come the words of the mouth…

But instead of holding O accountable for what he said, he still hasn’t explained it…the liberal media, even O himself, is attacking “Joe.” His name is being smeared… The focus is being totally deflected from what was said!

So here’s the thing…frankly, I’m not thrilled with either candidate! Usually, I vote for the candidate who most closely reflects my views on the most number of issues…this year though, I don’t really care for either candidate, so I had been planning to vote for the man that I saw as the least bad choice of the two…

Until these incidents…now, I will strongly, and with great confidence vote for the man whose actions do not in any way threaten my freedoms. Now, you might argue that O is not directly responsible for either of these incidents…maybe, maybe not...So, I'll even give you that he's not directly responsible, but his party clearly is!

At the very least, I don't want that said party in control of both the Congress and the White House...Rumors of the Fairness Doctrine (you'll have to google this one, this post is already long enough) keep floating around...it was re-introduced, shot down...but H. Clin*ton, John K*erry, have all acknowledged they would support it's return and while O. says he opposes it, he hasn't gone so far as to commit that he would veto it! I'm just not willing to risk my freedom of speech.

Here’s the bottom line, if I’m in prison because I choose to worship as I believe, my focus won't be on the economy...

So, you might be thinking…this chick is a little extreme...how did she go from a news reporter being arrested to losing her freedom of religion? Fair question…but did you watch the video?

That was one slippery slope that got stepped on...and one thing living has taught me, when you step onto a slippery slope, you’re almost always going to end up on your behind at the bottom…

Once freedoms are abridged on the small stuff…it’s not a very far leap to abridge them on the big things…that’s the bottom of one hill I NEVER want to see!

Am I afraid of what I'm seeing? You bet! Do I trust God more? ABSOLUTELY...whatever happens is because He allowed it and I'm not living for this lifetime anyway...but I have children and while I can, I have a responsibility to speak up...so I spoke...and now I promise, no more politics!