tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56131972875165626062024-02-20T08:29:26.580-08:00Red VoicesRed Voiceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17402082596356261506noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613197287516562606.post-50489726490765118672009-04-10T23:13:00.000-07:002009-04-10T23:25:04.175-07:00California 2020<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: italic;font-family:'times new roman';"> <!--StartFragment--> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal">By Rob Hightower </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">California is at a crossroads.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">It has been said before—but not in generations has California found herself in the dire straits it is in today.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Not since Sacramento was caught in the clinched fists of the railroads, has California needed such drastic change as it does today.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Not since the post-Watergate years have California voters been as apathetic and distrusting of government as they are now.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Not since the Depression has California and our nation faced such financial despair.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Almost a century ago a young former prosecutor took over the reigns of California’s government.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Hiram Johnson sought to do what no one dreamed possible: to kick the railroad company bosses out of the pockets of Sacramento.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">He did it.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Not with the backing of Sacramento political hacks; but with the people.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Governor Johnson recognized that legislators were out of touch with the needs of regular Californians.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">He took his message to the streets of San Diego, Fresno, Bakersfield, Riverside, Stockton, and, yes, even Sacramento.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Voters are in the same mind-set as they were so many years ago.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The current governor proclaims to be the People’s Governor—but is sorely uninformed as to what really drives the needs and desires of everyday Californians.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Revenue enhancements and deficits are not what Californians concern themselves with night after night.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">California voters have real-world concerns and the solutions are painfully obvious, but notoriously difficult for entrenched legislators to enact.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">They are simple—and it is time that we, as voters, take back our state with the same solutions that we use at home to get our house in order and prioritize the things that matter most.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Priorities.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">This is the appropriate word—not “cuts.”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The reason: when times are tough, the average family must prioritize before deciding the areas to become more frugal.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">For most, these basic, unwavering, priorities are easy: food, clothing, house, car.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">But they really apply in a broad sense to every family: livelihood, security, and necessity.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Our legislative and budgetary goals must reflect this in the same sense as the family checkbook does.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">We must keep our streets safe.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Like clothing and a home, without being secure and not left to suffer in the cold, we are nothing as a people.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">We leave ourselves vulnerable to attack and weak in times of when we need strength the most.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">We must protect jobs—like food into the body, depriving Californians of their hard-earned jobs leaves them helpless and in need of outside assistance.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">We must invest in the tools that encourage productivity and channels of innovation.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Like every Californian who must keep the family car, we too must ensure that the modes of commerce remain protected an open.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">So, what does this mean when it comes to fiscal policy?</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">It is really quite basic.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Public safety, business, and transportation.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">When these priorities are funded primarily—all other social concerns become less and less burdensome on California taxpayers.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The budget drainers – government-backed health care, education, welfare, the environment—can all become remedied by creating a solid foundation on those three priorities.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">By reducing the crime rate and making our streets safer we provide a better environment for children to learn, make them recognize the impact getting an education can have and reducing the appeals of gangs.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">All the while, reducing the costs of future violence—as many scholars have noted that crime can often become cyclical unless dealt with earlier on in life.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">If we foster business and encourage entrepreneurship by way of offering tax credits we provide a genuine incentive for companies to offer services like retirement plans and lifetime health coverage. By telling businesses that California is both a business and eco-friendly atmosphere, we make companies a part of the solution—rather than placing the blame at their feet.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Making business a partner in the social fabric of our state will bring employers back to California—thereby increasing tax revenue, reducing unemployment, and creating a happier, healthier workforce.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Placing our money in transportation to repair broken and battered freeways, reducing tolls, and allowing businesses to move into suburban areas not only sends a message that we are serious about economic recovery, but also provides Californians with an easier road (literally) back to a career.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">We make earning money—whether it be for the line assembly worker or the company as a whole—simpler and smoother by investing in infrastructural projects.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">All of this will provide a quicker means of increasing revenue to the state treasury.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">These must, and should be, California’s priorities in times of economic hardship.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">When drafting budget proposals in these few difficult years, the above priorities come first—to get California moving again as we approach the future: California in 2020.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Without getting this right—we risk too much.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The status quo has hurt us too long and at too high of a cost.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Like the railroads some 100 years ago, California is once again gripped by special interests. It is time we take back our state, establish what will fix it, and leave the rest to the skill and wisdom of those who made our state great—the everyday Californians.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">California 2020 can and should be a bright place—the true shining city on a hill in America.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> <p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Red Voiceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17402082596356261506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613197287516562606.post-62243958273851790852008-12-10T20:18:00.000-08:002008-12-10T20:23:18.508-08:00Republican Members Voting YES on Bailout<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><u><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Republicans Voting YES on Bailout</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"></p><ol><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Barton (TX)</span><span style="mso-tab-count:1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Buyer<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Camp (MI)<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Capito<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Castle<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ehlers<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Emerson<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">English (PA)<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Frelinghuysen<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Hoekstra<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Hunter<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">King (NY)<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Knollenberg<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">LaHood<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">LaTourette<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Lewis (KY)<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Manzullo<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">McCotter<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">McCrery<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">McHugh<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Miller (MI)<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Murphy, Tim<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Porter<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ramstad<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Regula<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Rogers (MI)<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ryan (WI)<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Smith (NJ)<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Souder<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Upton<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Walsh (NY)<br /></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Young (AK)</span><br /></li></ol><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><br /></p> <!--EndFragment--> <div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">E-MAIL YOUR MEMBERS NOW: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Source: US House Roll Call 690: http://clerk.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.asp?year=2008&rollnumber=690 </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Red Voiceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17402082596356261506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613197287516562606.post-38710334414494622072008-12-07T13:52:00.000-08:002008-12-07T13:53:12.829-08:00Running Without The One<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Running Without “The One”</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"> by Rob Hightower</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Three more elections—and three more reasons why the Democratic Party is anything but on the road to an electoral monopoly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The question remains—what will the Democrats do when an election occurs and George W. Bush isn’t President and Barack Obama’s name isn’t on the ballot?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>What will be their message? How will they court the right of center independents?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>How will they appear to a conservative America?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Earlier this week, Democrats were touting their “race to 60”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>They were now within sight of a cloture-guaranteed Senate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But the conservative voters struck back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Saxby Chambliss won decisively.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Then, on Saturday, Republicans held a swing seat in the Shreveport-based Louisiana 4<sup>th</sup> District against a well-funded and highly touted Democratic challenger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>On that same day, in the heavily Democratic Louisiana 2<sup>nd</sup>, New Orleans voters rejected scandal-riddled William Jefferson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>They sent the first ever Vietnamese American to Congress—a Republican.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Democrats will attempt to spin these losses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>“Georgia is one of the most conservative states in the Union.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>“We always knew retaking the 4<sup>th</sup> District would be challenging.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>“Rep. Jefferson was going to have a tough fight.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Democrats will ignore the truth, however. Georgians went for McCain by only five points—and yet Chambliss won by an even greater margin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The DCCC poured a tremendous amount of money into the 4<sup>th</sup> District.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And Jefferson having a “tough fight” never stopped voters from sending him back to Congress in the midst of controversy two years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But Democrats will never acknowledge these facts.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The problem? Democrats won in 2006 because used George Bush to frighten voters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In 2008 they had the benefit of Obama on the ballot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>2010 will pose a number of challenges—not the least of which will be an election without Obama’s name to draw voters to the polls and Bush to bash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Another challenge will be that from 2009 to 2010, Obama will no longer will able to obfuscate and dodge sensitive issues—he will have to take a stand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He will have to choose between the Liberal special interests who got him into the White House and the centrist stances that will enrage the left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">If Obama bows to the special interest—conservatives (most voters) will shoot back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>If Obama goes to the center, the liberals who now rule Congress will be forced to vote against Obama’s policies (facing electoral defeat) or suffer the consequences of liberal malaise with MoveOn.org throwing up their hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Our role as conservatives cannot change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We must remain vigilant and stand for principle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We are not like the President-elect who claimed he is not “governed by ideology.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Ideology is important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Without a basic ideology and governing set of principles, the citizenry will never know who and what principles are governing this country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Limited government, responsible elected officials, faith, family, and freedom are the principles that reign supreme with Americans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And with a continued effort, as has taken place in these recent elections, we will continue to succeed at the ballot box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The road to victory has already begun—and our principles have and will continue to guide us.</p> <!--EndFragment-->Red Voiceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17402082596356261506noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613197287516562606.post-3025019416576911312008-11-29T21:45:00.001-08:002008-11-29T21:55:11.040-08:00Silent No More<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Silent No More</b><br /><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">by Rob Hightower </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Silence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It can speak volumes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And on Thanksgiving, things were remarkably silent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">The President stated that he his advisors were following the situation in Mumbai “very closely.” The President-elect issued a statement:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">“President-Elect Obama strongly condemns today's terrorist attacks in Mumbai, and his thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and the people of India. These coordinated attacks on innocent civilians demonstrate the grave and urgent threat of terrorism. The United States must continue to strengthen our partnerships with India and nations around the world to root out and destroy terrorist networks. We stand with the people of India, whose democracy will prove far more resilient than the hateful ideology that led to these attacks.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">The leaders in India made their situation known.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>They knew very little about who might have caused this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It could have been Al Qaeda—or a Pakistani connection. They just didn’t know.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">I don’t know what they all were trying to say, but I know what the result was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Silence.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">But what is the cost of this silence?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There are more people who are silenced tonight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But they have no voice with which to speak.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">There is a young child tonight, hopefully sleeping soundly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>A young, Jewish toddler by the name of Moshe was the son of two dedicated young Jews.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He was living in Mumbai with his parents, Gavriel and Rivka.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Gavriel was born in Israel. His family moved to the United States when he was nine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He became a rabbi, married, and moved to Mumbai in 2003.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>They ran a synagogue and devoted their lives to the Jewish population in the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>They provided religious instruction, counseled those addicted to drugs, and fought against poverty. They were a young, vivacious couple. A few days ago—terrorists attacked their Center.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Then, a half of a day after terrorists struck that Center, Sandra Samuel heard something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Samuel was a cook at the facility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>She heard a toddler screaming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>She ran into the room and grabbed him. His pants were soaked with blood. Samuel remembered four people lying dead. She fled with the toddler—Moshe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Moshe was not silent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But Moshe’s parents were silenced, it was confirmed today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The two were killed in the terrorist attack. Gavriel was 29, Rivka was 28. Saturday, November 29, 2008 will be Moshe’s birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He will spend it alone, without his mom and his dad.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">So I ask the question—how long can we remain silent?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Eight years since September 11<sup>th</sup>, 13 years since the World Trade Center bombings, and 25 years since the Beirut attacks, how do we still stay silent?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">This past election has diverted our attention. Voters focused on the economy and Wall Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>September 11<sup>th</sup> was a memory to most. The war in Iraq was more or less on track; Afghanistan not far behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But what most Americans fail to remember—we’ve been fighting this war since the hostages were taken in Iran in the late ‘70s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And what have we done for 30-some odd years? We “condemn” the attacks, we launch “mini-wars”, and “monitor the situation.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">The test has arrived for our new President.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And we must hope that he will rise to this occasion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Jews, Americans, British citizens were targeted by these terrorists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We cannot remain silent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Gavriel and Rivka shouldn’t have died.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Moshe should not have to grow up with merely stories and photos of his parents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">We must remember that freedom and this country are an idea. Democracy is a privilege and we must fight for it—as we have for 232 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We must stop “condemning” and start acting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The American people will understand—but first they must have a leader who is willing to tell them the hard truth—which is this, in three basic points:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"></p><ol><li>Attacks on westerners are attacks on the West—nothing more, nothing less.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We take each attack on one of them as an attack on all.<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Verdana;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore"></span></span></li><li>Attacks on religious freedom are an attack on democracy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Without the right to choose our faith, we lose our rights as people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We must stand for not only religious freedom here, but also everywhere.</li><li>Terrorism may be a fight for our lifetime. This is not a war against a nation, with flags and leaders. It is a day-to-day struggle, against people who are willing to blow up themselves and their children to kill Americans, Brits, and Israelis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We must understand this, prepare for it, and stand up to those who commit these horrors.</li></ol><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">We have accomplished much in America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Over 140 years since the end of the Civil War, we elected an African-American President.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In the late 1940s, just a few years after the horrors of the Holocaust, we took the lead in recognizing the state of Israel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">But, like a great man’s not so long ago, there is a new dream in America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I dream of a day where Islamic extremism is at an end. I dream of a world where little boys like little Moshe grow up without ever having to be rescued while covered in the blood of those who did nothing wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I know that I may not reach that Promised Land—but someday, with courage and determination, the democratic people of this world will get there.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in;text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Rob Hightower is the Editor and co-founder of Red Voices. He currently serves as a Deputy District Attorney, where he is assigned to prosecute sexual offenders and child abusers. He previously served as a Legislative Aid for two Members of the California State Assembly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In 2008, he served as the Inland Empire Regional Chair for the McCain/Palin 2008 presidential ticket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He grew up and still lives in Riverside County. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He can be reached via e-mail at </i><a href="mailto:rhlaw2006@hotmail.com"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">rhlaw2006@hotmail.com</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">. <o:p></o:p></i></p> <!--EndFragment-->Red Voiceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17402082596356261506noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613197287516562606.post-38664302094670144542008-11-29T21:40:00.000-08:002008-11-29T21:42:15.106-08:00Red Voices<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">RED VOICES<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; "></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; ">By Rob Hightower</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">With the selection of Barack Obama as president, a new generation of Americans has been introduced to the political scene in America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>With this new movement comes a need to redefine, or rather reinforce, the ideals of the Republican Party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Democrats have long been known to nominate party icons, those that can be held up as shining examples of liberalism at its finest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Republicans in recent years have mimicked this behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The problem: We are a party of ideas, not people—of principle, not personalities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">During this election we watched in near shock as rank and file Democrats, media elites and left-leaning world citizens praised the Democratic candidate with near religious fervor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Democratic Party heralded their nominee as a force of change wrapped in sound bites and high-minded oratory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Indeed, Obama was chosen to bring all the world’s woes to an end with a wave of his hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Republican Party would be wise to avoid seeking out our own “One,” avoid seeking out that Messianic figure in whom we can place our faith and future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Rather, we need to take some time to find our core values again, and reinforce what makes us Republicans in the first place, and find our voices once more.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">We are the party of discipline, socially and economically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But inherent in this is that we must be disciplined in our message as much as our policies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In this election cycle, we found ourselves swept in waves of “change”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Rather than swim through the wave, we fought the tides, and lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Voters sent the Republican Party a clear message: they are no longer interested in the politics of self-interest and are ready for change. Obama and the Democrats exploited the message of “change” that our country sought, however this nation is still conservative, voters still want lower taxes, less spending, and ethical lawmakers.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">The problem was simply that voters didn’t trust us to carry their values to the executive and legislative branches of power across the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>They saw us as an echo—not a choice. We fooled ourselves into believing that government could be the solution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This is not us. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Our problem was not our views, but our message and messengers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Voters did not return a complete referendum on Republican views, but on Republican officials.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The victory of conservative principles is evident in the passage of California’s Prop 8, the constitutional amendment that defined marriage as strictly between a man and a woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Conservatives, true conservatives, are for personal responsibility, both at home and in business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Voters are clearly angry that irresponsible corporate greed that was fostered under the Clinton administration and nurtured during the Bush years has lead to economic crises.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>What truly has them enraged, though, is the enormity of the bailouts that continue to be pushed through Washington and are being forced onto Main Street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>To so blatantly endorse government intervention in the private sector served only to further voter alienation and reinforce the notion that Republicans are merely out to be the party of intrusive government—never able to stay out of an issue and always looking to tighten the grip of power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This has come to show Republicans as apt to betray their core values once the lure of power becomes too strong to ignore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">We must show that we are here to serve all Americans, to ensure that while we will protect them and their freedom, it is up to them to properly manage their lives, and we will stay out of it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">We are for life—at all stages. This is not a bumper sticker phrase, this is fact and must be recognized as such.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It is not simply religious, but fundamental humanity that dictates the protection of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Laws to protect people from harm should be common sense. It is an undeniable fact that life is sacred.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Under that same notion, it is inherent that we must never take the life of the unborn under any circumstances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We can never relent in our vigorous pursuit of safety in America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Violence is rampant nationwide and most trends do not suggest that it will curb anytime soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Proper laws that aid in public safety are key, and that includes common sense legislation that allow those who are so inclined to own a weapon and be free to use it in self-defense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Ultimately, we must embrace the fact that we are not simply a party of faith, but a nation of faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This is not to say that government must be intertwined with Christianity or any other religious institution, but the voices of the faithful in this nation should never again be ignored or silenced during an election. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>While hindsight is 20/20, it still must be acknowledged that those who count themselves among the faithful should not have been cast aside as they were in this election, and doing so seriously affected its outcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We are not a Godless nation and should not aspire to become one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The former Soviet Union, China, North Korea, these nations have cast faith out of their midst and in doing so also opened the door for other freedoms to be quashed, and the same should never be acceptable here.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Yes, we lost badly in this past election.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But it has come and gone and we will remain steadfast in our beliefs, we will continue to fight for what we believe and will continue to serve in whatever capacity we can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>As Republicans, as conservatives, as Americans, we must look to the future and continue our quest toward greatness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We’ve experienced setback before and overcome, and we will do so again.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">We will find our red voices again, we will take back our country, and we will succeed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It will be trying, but we have faith in the people, faith in our country, and faith in God to see us through.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">“Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled…” (Psalm 46: 2-3.)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Rob Hightower is the Editor and co-founder of Red Voices. He currently serves as a Deputy District Attorney, prosecuting sexual offenders and child abusers. He previously served as a Legislative Aid for two Members of the State Assembly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In 2008, he served as the Inland Empire Regional Chair for the McCain/Palin 2008 presidential ticket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He grew up and still lives in Riverside County. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He can be reached via e-mail at </i><a href="mailto:rhlaw2006@hotmail.com"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">rhlaw2006@hotmail.com</i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> <o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p> </o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Red Voiceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17402082596356261506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5613197287516562606.post-88571680607201804902008-11-29T21:39:00.000-08:002008-11-29T21:40:10.126-08:00Red VoicesRed Voiceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17402082596356261506noreply@blogger.com0