(by Kelly Smith) Toastmasters International Speech, March 2012

Have you ever had an argument with someone over whether a movie was good or not? I like movies like Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark. My wife likes those stupid Twilight movies!

But no matter the movie, I like watching the movie on how they made the movie! I recently viewed the making of Pirates of the Caribbean two and three. Wow! What an adventure!

Over 1000 crewmembers were needed to make these movies; The Director was flamboyant and demanding; They had all kinds of problems because the scriptwriters wrote the script as they went along; Although they had huge budgets, many things were cut back due to budget constraints; Giant boatloads of equipment were shipped all the way from Los Angeles California to the Caribbean islands. They built a giant water tank out a small harbor to control the water and film the ships according to the actions on the script. An unscripted hurricane came in and wiped it all out and they had to start over. The combination of live-action footage with computer-generated imagery is seamless and stunning and really expensive.

It’s astonishing how much money it cost to create these movies!

But I didn’t come here to urge you to watch making-of movies. I didn’t come here to give you a feel-good message about thinking and growing rich or changing your attitude. I came here to share an idea that may change your understanding as to who you think you are.

Over the last 150 years there has been a great debate regarding the creation of the earth upon which we dwell and they all fall into two basic camps: creation one one side and evolution on the other, and each side has said some of the most preposterous things that we are expected to believe.

Some Creationists say that God created all we can see, even with the Hubble Telescope in 7, 24 Hour periods, from nothing. Nope.

The Evolutionists say that somewhere in the distant past there occurred a big bang, a giant explosion or expansion sending out particles of matter in all directions. Somehow this matter coalesced back together through gravitational and other forces and magically created ALL the Galaxies, Our Solar System, our Sun, each of the planets, our Earth and all life on the Earth . . .by CHANCE! For REAL? I mean come on!

That’s like saying that this pencil created itself! It, and 9 of its buddies got together and formed themselves and the package they came in and they even delivered themselves to the store where I bought them! Why didn’t they just deliver themselves to my junk drawer?

Nothing in the Universe can create itself. Nothing! Show me anything that can. They don’t exist. Everything that is designed, formed and created requires a Designer and a Production system. They have now discovered a place in our Galaxy where Stars are created in an almost factory-like setting. Just this year the BBC News reported that scientists now believe there are more planets than Stars and since there are over 100 Billion stars in the Milky Way alone, there may be over 800 Billion planets!

Near Geneva Switzerland there is a giant collider call CERN that is used to smash particles together at super high speeds in an effort to discover the beginnings of the universe. Einstein taught us that nothing can go faster than the speed of light, but CERN has discovered something that does. Scientists are puzzled and seriously questioning the results. It will change everything we know about physics. The script will have to be re-written.

But there is ANOTHER profound principle that for some reason all of evolutionary science completely ignores, and I can find no writings that even discuss it.

Everything formed, designed or created requires focused energy to do so.

The amount of energy required to create this pencil is more than you think. The amount of energy required to create a car or skyscraper or and aircraft carrier is far more than you realize, but the amount of energy required to create this earth is more than any of us may ever understand.

The earth was created somewhere else and placed in a precise orbit at the exact livable distance around the Sun. It was tilted 23.5˚ to give us our seasons and a beautiful little moon was placed in an exact orbit to give us our timing and tides. Seeds were sown. Animals were placed on it. The Earth was created with a powerful Magnetic Field that protects it from the radiation of the sun, and is like no other planet. None of these things, nor a Thousand, Million, Billion others could have occurred by chance.

How come so many people with a PhD try to persuade us not to believe in a G.O.D. and that there was a purpose to Earth’s creation? I find it interesting that everyone is so concerned about not offending one another; yet care nothing about offending our Creator and even completely denying His existence. Everything on this earth bears witness that God lives. Every Design of a snowflake, Pattern of a leaf, Shimmer of a crystal and every order of life testify of a Director following a perfectly planned script.

Every explosion I have ever seen left nothing but a chaotic mess. There never was a “big bang” because the Universe is Infinite-there is no end. Besides, there is no center to infinity and they cannot show you where it was supposed to begin. Laws of the universe may be conveniently ignored for political or scientific gain, but eternal laws will always win.

Remember, Nothing in the Universe can create itself. And, just as it took vast amounts of money to create movies like Pirates of the Caribbean, it absolutely must have taken an astonishing amount of energy to create this earth! Besides, we are all brothers and sisters, children of Heavenly Parents! It was created for US!

Have you ever done something for someone and they were ungrateful for it? How did that make you feel? Just as watching a “making of” movie gives us a better appreciation for what went into making the movie, I am hoping that our little glimpse into what God has done for us should help us be more grateful. Its been said that Ingratitude is the beginning of all sins. Go home this day and give thanks to GOD, THE DIRECTOR for what He has created for you.

It’s WAY more than you realize!

++++++

Intelligent Design

The Director, Evolution vs Creationism, Intelligent design, creation of the earth, evolution, adam and eve, how earth began, hubble space telescope, God, Charles Darwin, people who oppose intelligent design,

Welcome to life in Rome, 100AD. We are in the darkened Coliseum witnessing the duel, complete with beasts and weapons, gladiators and all. So what are we, the movie watchers? We are nothing more than those in the stands cheering for our favorite slave and demanding blood. Bread and circuses, and even a Caesar running the show as we watch it all from a very shaky hand-held camera.

I have few complaints with the Hunger Games movie, per se (they could have spent a few more dollars in the CGI department as you mentioned), but more with the whole context of it all: society has divided itself so dramatically into the ultra-rich and the dirt poor and the way they have decided to keep the “poor” in line is with a game where teenagers fight each other to the death, thereby giving them ‘hope” that they can eventually get out of the dungeon they live in every day.

I always judge a movie by how I feel after its all done. I didn’t feel good after the Hunger Games. I didn’t want to do something good for someone. I didn’t have more hope for mankind and our future.

Yet, in reality, this kind of thing is going on in our current society every day. We have gangs of teenagers fighting for territories and ruthlessly killing each other every night in this country. Life has become valued less and less and families have lost their way, being torn apart at every opportunity. We are not living in a manner that will bring happiness.

Stark portrayal of Rich and Poor in The Hunger Games

I just long for a good movie. One that has a good moral to it. One that makes me want to do better, have hope for the future and build me up. I haven’t been to a really good movie in over a year. John Carter was pretty good and my fav from last year was True Grit, but I am getting less and less willing to part with my hard-earned dollars for mere entertainment that does nothing for me.

Why not just wait for 4 months and get the Hunger Games from RedBox for $1.29?

Sorry to disappoint the die-hard fans who read the book (my son included) but the dark message of the Hunger Games ruined it for me. Yes there is some excellent acting; interesting portrayals of the rich/poor; they mostly avoided the violence with some very notable exceptions; a really good setup for Part 2.

I just hate the thought of kids fighting kids in The Hunger Games.

The Lorax – A movie review

No matter how cute and funny the “Fish” are in the movie, The Lorax, it is the most over-the-top, wacko environmentalist movie I have ever seen. It looks like it was produced by Al Gore, directed by Michael Moore and marketed by Green Peace.  I don’t mind a reminder that its important to be good stewards over our earth and even a little jab at those who have over-used the earths resources can sometimes use a little conscience adjusting, but this move it beyond all of that.

Practically from the opening scene we are thrust into a world where everyone who is rich is evil because they got that way from destroying earths resources, mostly the beautiful trees. The cleverly written and toe-tapping songs tell us that we as a society are also to blame as we accept a plastic world without a single real tree in our sight. We accept living behind walls that block out “the outside world” and are contented to live without nature and are less than sheep, supporting anyone who has money or power.

Mind you, The Lorax is pointing at YOU and you are to blame for all of this.

With a movie like The Lorax, the environmental movement is out to brainwash our kids with a 100% left-wing agenda and therefore I cannot recommend it. There is NO BALANCE whatsoever in this movie as it is told from a totally one-sided perspective. We are to blame because we are alive and on the earth and are as valuable as an empty, crushed, plastic water bottle.

Yes, it’s a cute movie with some wonderful graphics and even some funny scenes. My 9 year old liked it and if it just hadn’t been so over done I could still recommend it. But as it stands, The Lorax makes you feel like you just got rolled over by a giant steam roller of environmentalism which makes you want to run right out and burn some tires. Its like drinking from a fire hose of a super preachy naturalist and it gets real old real quick, and it never lifts up.

Lets give some balance here. For what was the Earth created for anyway? According to the environmentalists (and thus The Lorax):

• Earth was all created by chance and no purposeful God brought it about.
• We are the product of evolution and apparently a mistake has occurred in that we have too much power over the earth and have over populated it and threaten to destroy it.
• Because of that we need to do all we can to eliminate the growth of the “humans” before they destroy the “natural” wonders chance created.
• We are polluting the planet and causing the seas to raise and the glaciers to disappear.
• We are a blight on the future of this wonderful globe and every means necessary must be employed to slow down, stop, reverse or even eliminate our existence. Contraceptives must be free for all and if, heavens forbid, someone gets pregnant through having sex without thinking about it because it cannot be withheld by the masses who have no ability to resist the urges, then by all means an abortion must be provided for free at any time during the pregnancy, and even if the child survives, it must be killed to prevent another blight on mankind because it wasn’t wanted anyway.

The reality is that this earth was created by God. He proposed a plan to all of us, His children, whereby we can gain this profoundly important physical body. He started the process by placing Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and commanded them to multiply their posterity to fill the earth. It was created for us. We were given dominion over it and allowed to use its resources for our betterment, our enjoyment and our profit. We were to act as stewards over its resources and would be held accountable for the decisions we made, so none of this was to be done without thought or consequences or to extremes.

But the reality is that we are here for a purpose. Humans are the reason the earth was created at all! We have an eternal destiny and we needed to come here and gain this physical body.

The Lorax says something entirely different, along with most of the environmental nature movement that rules the media today. Since God created this earth, and He IS God, then He knows what the future entails and provided for the necessary resources to sustain His children. Most of the problems we have in all societies today are the result of Governments headed by ruthless dictators and false systems of religion that prevent people from getting the needed food and supplies to live, or to create the needed housing and crops to survive on their own. They withhold support and prevent the advancement needed to move forward and want to keep control over their populations for 2 main reasons: power and money.

America was set up to show the world the right way to govern and provide for their people. When capitalism is run by people who have a belief in God and understand their purpose and be allowed to prosper on their own and provide for themselves without a ruling class hovering over and dictating every decision, things can be great. Proper systems of self management, prosperity, sewage, sanitation, distribution and life can all be created for the benefit of mankind. Its in places that dictators rule where the greatest damage is done.

And in one sense that is how The Lorax is correct: a city (or country) ruled by a dictator can definitely screw things up. But I saw no means in that movie where they grew the food needed to sustain the people in it. Everything was plastic, steel or concrete. Everything outside the city was destroyed. How did they grow food? The cutting of a single tree is viewed as a crime beyond reason and since they wiped them all out, nature suffers and mankind lives in some plastic world with no realization of what is going on outside.

The Lorax a Movie of Extreme Environmentalism

We have more trees in our country today than we did 100 years ago! We have amazing sewage systems that clean everything, water systems that provide good clean water, heating systems that don’t rely on cutting down every tree in existance: compare THAT to what they do in other countries where sewage and water supply intermingle or anything that can burn is cut down for heat. Yes, the conditions may be poor in other countries, but the cause is lack of understanding and leadership that prevents growth without having some control over it or making free money off of it.

We are here for a purpose. This earth was created for mankind. We are to do all we can to bring Heavenly Fathers children here so they can gain the physical bodies they need to progress for eternity. If we try and prevent them from coming and shortchange their potential, we are as Satan himself whose goal is just that: to stop our growth.

In many ways, the environmental movement is on the same side as Satan’s and have the same goals. So no matter how many false theories they portray as to how to be happy, they completely fall short. And no matter how cute and cuddly The Lorax is portrayed, he is in reality The Devil in disguise and not an Angel ascended into heaven once all the trees were gone.

But 5 stars for the Fish in The Lorax – they are great!

WHO IS SATAN?

One of the most misunderstood individuals in all of history is Satan. He who seeks our destruction and knows how to make us miserable, never teaches us how to be happy. Ask just about anyone to describe him and you’ll come up with as many different answers as the number of people you ask. This is all good news for him because if he can confuse you, that gives him extra power over you.

My goal here is to clear up many of the misconceptions about who or what he is and give you some ideas of how to keep him from having more influence in your life.

First of all, here are a few things regarding what Satan is not. Satan is not a beast with horns, fiery eyes or teeth like a saber tooth tiger. He’s not green, red or a host of other colors. He isn’t a snake, serpent, Dragon nor does he have wings. If you could see them today, he would look like any other human being.

And apparently, Satan is very good looking.

Where’d he come from? This is very important for you to understand. For some reason, most people do not know what I’m about to tell you. You may think this completely strange or even weird because it will probably be new to you, but it is the truth.

In Isaiah chapter 14 there is a detailed description about Satan describing how he had fallen from heaven and was a son of the morning. What does “son of the morning” mean? It means someone who had been chosen to do great things and was one of the early ones in God’s plan. But he rebelled against God. He said, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mountain of the assembly of the gods, in the farthest north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most high.”

Satan had ambitions rooted in pride and glory. He wanted to be above God and he wanted God’s power.

In the book of Revelations 12:7 it is said that there was a War in Heaven and Michael and his angels fought against the dragon who was Satan (dragon is symbolic, as are all references to him as some sort of other being).

So this brings up an interesting issue: When did all this happen? Who was involved in this War in Heaven?

The reality is that this all happened before we were born. You and I were all there in his pre-mortal realm as we are all children of Heavenly parents. Satan was one of those children. Satan was chosen to do great things and had been given great power to accomplish those things, but he decided that he wanted more and even sought for the throne of God.

Jesus Christ was also one of those children and in fact, Scripture states that he was the firstborn of all of those children of God. Heavenly Father needed a savior to redeem mankind and take upon himself all of our sins. Heavenly Father presented Jesus to all of us as His choice for who would be our Redeemer. LUCIFER became very jealous of this. He was jealous of the love shown to him by the Father. He wanted the glory that would come from doing such an amazing feat, but he did not have the love of his other brothers and sisters that would be needed to be able to perform it. He tried to devise another plan, a plan where everyone would not have to choose and everyone would make it back to live with our father in heaven again.

You see, God’s plan requires that we have agency or the freedom to choose and in order to do this, we would not have the memory of living with God and what it was like. Only in this manner we have total freedom want and what we were like and what we would become. If we could remember what it was like to live with God that would take away our freedom so a veil of forgetfulness was placed on our minds to cause us to be in that position of real choice.

This would cause all kinds of problems. We would have war, disease, cheating, lying, adultery, theft and all the ills of mankind. Life would be unfair and justice seem unattainable. People would search for power and money and the lusts of the flesh and because of those choices and because nothing that is sinful in any degree cannot live in God’s presence, we would either need to pay for the sins ourselves or rely upon the mercy of another who could pay that price. The outcome would be that many would not make it back to live with God again. God would lose many of his children who would choose a different path and accept something lower than what He desired to give them.

Satan’s plan would force everyone to do the right thing. There wouldn’t be any of these ills and life would be much easier, if we could just give him the credit for this great thing he wanted to do.

Although his plan had an appeal it could not come to pass. We cannot live this life and we wouldn’t want to and this brought about the War in Heaven. It was a great debate and discussion back and forth over which plan would be best, and we all had the opportunity to choose. Would we want the opportunity to choose our own future with all the risks that would be a part of that? Who would want someone else to make all the hard decisions for us and miss out on the growth that would come from the difficulties of the other plan.

Apparently one third of all of Heavenly Father’s children chose to follow Satan and his plan. Everyone that followed him was cast out of heaven, unable to progress any further in their eternal quest to become better. They were damned. They were also cast down to this Earth and became our tempters because they did not have physical bodies like we do, nor would they ever.

This great debate and war in heaven over the choice between Satan and Jesus Christ has now moved from the pre-mortal spirit realm to our earthly station. Although the location is different, the discussion remains the same in all the heated arguments back and forth between freedom and force.

Our Father and Our God - JESUS CHRIST

All those who follow Jesus Christ had the opportunity now to come to this earth and gain a physical body. This physical body is one of the most valuable things you will ever have throughout all eternity. This physical body is something that Satan will never have and he tries to use it against us. He tries to have as misuse it and abuse it. He tries to tempt us with the things of the flesh and the pleasures of the world.

And that is why Satan is here on this earth.

There must be opposition in all things for without opposition there could be no growth. Satan and his minions are spirits that runaround this earth trying to persuade us to do wrong, evil and wicked things. God cannot create evil but evil was needed to provide the opposition for that growth, therefore God used the choice that The Devil and his minions have made to act as a mechanism to provide the growth we need.

But all of us on this earth have an eternal future glory and beauty and tremendous potential ahead of us. Satan does not. If we will but choose the right, repent of our sins through the atonement of Jesus Christ we may live with Heavenly Father again.

Joseph Smith taught us that all beings who have physical bodies have power over those that don’t. Satan cannot gain control over us except for what we let him.

And Lucifer will do anything to destroy our future. There is nothing that he will not do try to prevent us from reaching our potential. The only thing he can offer us is misery and so he tries to do everything he can to make misery look good. The Devil is very clever and his influence is very much in the words and thoughts of the people of the world.

I would recommend reading the Screwtape letters by CS Lewis. I would also recommend reading The Bible, The Book of Mormon, the Doctrine & Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints. That last book, The Pearl of Great Price gives us the most clear knowledge regarding Satan’s past and his ability to influence us today than any other book. It is truly a valuable insight into our adversary.

Once we understand exactly who Satan really is and we recognize that he is nothing like all the images portrayed in the multitude of movies over the years, it gives us better ammunition to protect ourselves from his temptations. Yes, Satan is real but so is Jesus Christ and the love of God that is in all of those who seek to do his will.

One of the greatest of human desires is a feeling of happiness. We want to be happy, successful, fulfilled, and loved by others. We spend much of our time seeking ways to feel better and to improve our lot in life. Why is it then that so many people are unhappy or depressed?

We recently heard about the sad death of the great singer and songwriter Whitney Houston. A woman with an incredible voice and an amazing talent that provided beauty for all of the rest of us to enjoy. She had money, fame, recognition, popularity, adoring fans-all the things that people think are going to bring someone happiness.

Did she know how to be happy?

With all of those things that she enjoyed why did she turn to a life of alcohol and drugs? Why did she marry someone that definitely wasn’t good for her? Why did she continually lie to others about her current state of affairs and the conditions of her life?

Sadly, there are many more examples similar to hers of not showing us ways of how to be happy. I need not rehearse them here, just look in the paper tomorrow and you’ll find another one. Any of the latest issues of the tabloid magazines relish these type of stories. It’s almost as if we look at these pitiful stories as a way to make our humdrum lives seem better. “The rich and famous have it worse off than I do,” probably crosses most peoples minds while reading them.

But reading these stories does not help us learn how to be happy because seeking these things will never make us truly happy.

Remember when you were a kid? If you don’t, just be around some young kids for a while and it may strike a memory. Let’s take a trip back to childhood memories for second. Watching my own children as made me realize that I must’ve thought some of the same things when I was their age.

KIDS KNOW HOW TO BE HAPPY

Kids love to play and enjoy toys of a huge variety. Most children do not care what the condition of the toys are in. They don’t have to be latest fanciest or flashiest gizmo. Many times a simple toy truck with a broken wheel can provide hours of enjoyment. Girls can play with dolls that have had a previous unflattering haircut by their former owner and not care anything about the type of clothes they have on. I remember when my youngest daughter would cut out pictures of bras or bathing suits and tape them to her chest when she was three years old.

We see kids all over the world in deplorable horrific Third World conditions playing in the streets. A ball can be made out of almost anything and they can have fun kicking it around amidst the squalor. Kids will give things to others without thought of payment or value and enjoy the act of giving. Reading or telling a story can be as entertaining as any videogame or high production Hollywood movie.

Kids know how to be happy. Kids know the secret and we’ve just forgotten it.

It our mixed up world, we place great value on things that have little eternal value. What dying man can purchase even one more breath with all of the money he’s acquired throughout his life? (Og Mandino) What money can soothe an aching heart of guilt and remorse that has been acquired through a lifetime of lying, stealing, cheating and theft? Who can restore the loss of virtue and innocence that has been stolen by someone seeking personal pleasure through severely mixed up priorities?

Many of us find great interest in stories about celebrities who have fallen like Whitney Houston because we’re all seeking the same answers to the question is how to be happy. We look at her life and think that we would be happy with everything she had, but the fact is we wouldn’t. We would suffer the same fate.

Are you ready for the secret of how to be happy? Are you willing to put aside all your preconceived notions for a moment, all of the things that you’ve read today that promise a release from pain and the gratification of pleasure if you’ll just purchase such and such product? Are you ready to be revealed one of the most profound and simple truths of all eternity?

Finding Peach, Happiness and Joy

Here is the great secret of how to be happy. Here is the ultimate source of peace and contentment in a loud and noisy world. Don’t be shocked if you’ve heard it before because it’s been talked through the ages by thinkers, poets and prophets alike.

The great secret to of how to be happy is service to others.

Service that is freely given without pay or even desire for a return. Service that is unselfishly given and the more anonymously given, the greater feeling of peace. It’s just as Jesus when he said (paraphasing): “when you give to your brother, make sure that no one sees you, so that your Father in Heaven can reward you”.

I attended a church once and I noticed on the side of the bench a name engraved on a plaque attached to the bench. In fact as I looked around, every bench had a plaque on them. I also noticed bricks on the floor with names on them, columns holding up the ceiling and walls with names engraved in them, posts, basins, picture frames, doors, etc. all with names engraved on them. It was obvious that the church was trying to give people motivation to give to their church with the reward of people noticing their name, even long after the time that they died where they would be remembered and thought about.

Sadly, their reward did not go with them. They had received that reward in life and have been deceived. They received adulation and adoration for the money given as a donation. Because they had received that reward their Father in Heaven had nothing to give them.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints I have worked many times with the youth in our wards. Many youth programs in other churches spend a lot of money creating opportunities for kids to go on trips to Disneyland or Magic Mountain or even foreign countries. The LDS church looks of such activities as not being very spiritually profitable. With extremely limited budgets we spend all our time trying to find ways to bring the spirit into their lives and service projects are one of the greatest ways to do so. Cleaning up an elderly woman’s yard, fixing the roadway along the bike path, shoveling the snow from off the walkway of an invalids home, bringing food to someone stricken with the disease — there are endless ways to serve mankind.

And every single time we have felt the spirit and been happy.

Yes I know it would be wonderful to be able to spend our time in service to one another and not have to worry about paying the bills and working for a meager sustenance, but you can still be happy in whatever profession you are involved in. It’s great to have a job where you feel happy and love going to work. But if you don’t, just know that if you want to know how to be happy, start thinking of someone else. Every person in the world can find someone worse off than themselves. Everyone has burdens to bear and would love a tender smile or complement or kind act from an anonymous source.

How to Be Happy

Jesus was right. If we want to know how to be happy, give of yourself.

Dear President Obama and Fellow Americans,

This is an open letter to you. My name is Kelly Smith and I’m from Sparks Nevada. There are a lot of things on my mind and I was hoping that somehow this video would get to you and those who are thinking the same way I am.

For the first time in my life I am petrified and scared to death as to what I see happening in our country. I am frightened for my children’s futures and there are a number of things that need to be done.

First of all Mr. President Obama, let me compliment you on a couple of things: number one, thank you for the amount of deportation efforts you have done with illegal aliens. Thank you for stepping up and doing something about that. These people are causing a severe drain on our society and our economy. You’ve made a step in the right direction. We could use some more. I think anyone that commits a crime as an illegal alien should be deported within days. Although this is highly unlikely to happen, its what should happen. So I want to compliment you on that.

President Obama, another thing I want to compliment you on, is that a lot of people criticize you for taking too long to make a decision. In one sense I’m like you, we are both thinkers and we have to weigh things out of our mind to come up with a decision and then we go forward. And so I want to compliment you with that too in not making rash decisions but to think it out.

You’re also a good example of the family man with your two daughters. I have five kids and I know what it’s like to raise them in today’s world and it looks you are doing a pretty good job there.

[You also once condemned Super Pacs and I agree with you, but then you have gone full swing into supporting them and I guess I can understand why.]

President Obama, you are a likable person and you don’t come across as mean or angry. You come across as likable. [I would love to sit down with you and have a Root Beer some time (since I don't drink Beer) and we could have a good conversation.]

[Everybody can be complimented about something and you deserve some compliments so] I don’t want to leave you with only criticisms because I do have some criticisms and this is what I’m nervous about. First question:

President Obama, Why do you seemingly hate America so bad?

What is it about our country that you just want to completely change it? From something that worked to something that doesn’t work? The reason we became such a great country was because of freedom, because of capitalism, because of the Constitution and because of our freedom of religion. The principles espoused in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, those two need each other and go hand-in-hand together.

But it seems like almost everything you do is to destroy all that, and I don’t understand why. Please help me understand what’s going on here. You claim to be a constitutional scholar and that you read it at Harvard and studied it and your degree is related to it. I have a question for you:

What Constitution were you reading? It doesn’t seem to be the same one that I have read and I love.

Maybe President Obama, you’re similar to Ruth Bader Ginsburg when she told the people in Egypt when they said they were going to build their Constitution and she told him NOT  to model it after the United States Constitution. How can a Supreme Court justice who determines the validity of our laws and sits on the bench go and claim to another country not to follow those same laws? If there is a legal way to remove that judge, she should be removed. That was an absolutely unacceptable answer and a frightful thing. As President, you swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution. I don’t see you doing that!

President Obama, you have stated before that the way you can tell about who you are and what you are as a person is to see who you surround yourself with.

You said that years ago. Well, if that’s true then we have some severe problems. There are a lot of people that you surround yourself with that are just not who I expect a leader of our country to have supporting and guiding them. You have appointed all of these Czars, many of them are radical, liberal, left-wing, communistic and socialistic people that aren’t going to do anything good for our country as they do not follow the principles of the founding fathers who created it. And then you’ve given them powers that are unconstitutional. They’ve gone forth and exercised a number of things and mandates from you that are against everything we stand for as a country.

Another thing: You recently commented and made this big deal about how the Catholic Church and other churches have to follow these certain rules that provide abortion or contraceptive care for everyone, for free. Well, you know that raised quite a ruckus and the reason is that its against the Constitution! What right do you have to tell any church what to do or believe? You don’t. But the interesting thing about this is that you made it look like it’s a religious issue because there are people that don’t want to provide contraception. No. What’s happened here is that you’ve infringed upon a religions right to act according to its belief and conscience and then mandated that insurance companies also provide that care just like in Obamacare.

President Obama, what right do you have to tell insurance companies what to do?

You don’t have that right! You do not have that right! Yet you are mandating it and saying that this is going to be done. This is not fair. This is not right. This is all unconstitutional.

What other things are you going to do next year if you get elected again? What other constitutional principles are you going to remove, erase or blot out? Are you going to go after the second amendment? The right to hold and bear arms? Is that what your plan is? What other things are you going to do? Completely eliminate all personal privacy? Make “gay marriage” the law of the land when the vast majority of the country does not want that? Hire more and more Federal Agents and government workers to place additional burdens on those who work for a living? I don’t know. The possibilities are endless and frightening.

The direction that you’re going, the things that you are doing now, even when you’re trying to get elected are astonishing. So what are you going to do next time if you don’t care about getting elected? I am petrified. President Obama, I’ll be honest- I am scared to death of what you will do or what your attempts will be after the next election if you are our president.

Now another thing President Obama, our country is suffering severely under an economic malaise. You keep blaming George Bush for these things. Frankly, in some cases, you’re right. I wasn’t happy with a lot of the things George Bush did either. He freely went out and spent all kinds of money which shouldn’t have been spent. Now granted, there’s 9/11 and we can give him some leeway for that, but the fact is, he way overdid it.

But your criticism of him doing that doesn’t hold any water. Why? As Senator Obama you voted for those same expenses and you as President Obama have outspent him in only three years what he took eight years to do! This is absolutely unacceptable! We are turning into Greece!

President Obama, have you watched what’s happening to Greece?

All of these people have been given all of these things for all of these years, expecting the government to provide everything for them, and they got everything. They got their paycheck, their health care, free dental care, vacations and who knows what else they got and now the government can’t afford it anymore.

Capitalism is the engine that provides the money and energy for our government, or any government President Obama. That’s the way it should be. Government should not be in the business of being in business. They should be in the business of protecting our country, our rights and regulating only a few minor things as outlined in the Constitution. [Most of the time spent by Congress and the House and even especially the Executive Wing are unconstitutional and should be repealed because of that.]

Why are you espousing principles that will turn us into West Greece President Obama?

Why? You can see the direction it’s going to go. We’re not going to be any different. At least Greece has someone to bail them out. The European Union got together and send them some money as long as they made some big cuts, but nobody’s going to bail us out! Please stop this! Stop this assault on our capitalism. We need a leader to make the hard decisions so we can have a future!

And you’re even making it worse President Obama. You’re saying we’re going to make it fair for absolutely everyone. Everyone’s going to have a fair shake. Everyone’s going to be equal.

There is no such thing as equality in this manner. Not like that. There never has been. President Obama, when you tell every single millionaire and billionaire in our country that we’re going to tax you to death, is that going to make more millionaires? No. It’s going to make less. It’s going to remove all incentive too for anyone who would do the work to get there.

Money is going to flow where it is appreciated and it can grow.

If our country doesn’t want to millionaires and billionaires in it, okay, we will have our wish. They’re going to go where they’re wanted and appreciated and can succeed the way they want to. We’re going to lose them all and it will be your fault President Obama. There will be no reason to stay here so they can have the freedom to make the money they want.

Society, financially, has always been unequal and every attempt throughout history to make it equal has resulted in disaster. President Obama, you claim to be a scholar of the Constitution and history, but have you looked at history? Have you seen what’s happened? This idea that you’re espousing is nothing new. It has been tried hundreds and hundreds of times! Socialism has failed every time it has been tried!

And that’s the beauty of what America was when it was founded. It was founded on the idea that people could regulate themselves, when they had the freedom away from government and let them do what they want on their own, by their own initiative that they could accomplish something, they could do something, they can be rewarded for something. In the aftermath of that, what did they do? They gave to their neighbors. They helped their friends, they build them up, the churches took care of a lot of people like that.

We can’t provide for everybody from a government point of view. Look at all the waste, fraud and abuse at every level of government. Why would we not more of that? Why are you doing that? Why are you assaulting our capitalistic society? Our Constitution? Our religious freedom? The Freedom to make money and do the things that we want to do? Why? I don’t get it! I don’t understand the motivation President Obama!

You have been criticized a lot for going to the Rev. Jerry Wright sermons for 20 years. And then you came out of there and claimed she didn’t realize what he said. You can’t attend the ministers preaching for 20 years and not know where he stands. I’m sorry President Obama, I’m going to call you on that one. That is not accurate, fair or even logical. Looking at his teachings and some of the things he said may give us an idea of some things that you believe.

President Obama, I am begging you to stop this assault on our foundations and freedoms!

PRESIDENT OBAMA REJECTS KEYSTONE PIPELINE LIKE THIS ONE IN ALASKA

You need to do something about our economy. You had an recent opportunity to do something that would greatly benefit our economy by approving the Keystone pipeline providing oil from Canada to our oil refineries in Texas. It’s the safest way of the world to transport oil. It’s safer than anything. It’s safer than trucks, it’s safer than oil tankers, you name it, it’s the safest way there is.

Instead, because you’re bowing to one group of people that are frankly wacko environmentalists, you stopped this project. If these environmentalists were really concerned about the environment they would vote for this pipeline in droves because it does more to save the environment than anything. They’ve got this idea that somehow if they can stop this pipeline then Americans will burn less oil. No! We won, we can’t. We have to heat our homes, we have to drive our cars, we have to teach our buildings, we have to produce things all the time it takes energy to do so. President Obama, as much as you promote solar and wind power projects, they are not always on! Oil is the only thing that is totally reliable. It takes energy to create anything, energy that needs to happen with a switch. To remove this pipeline and say that it might affect an environmentally sensitive area of Nebraska? Okay then, go around it! I don’t get it!

President Obama you can help our economy in drastic ways to make us less dependent upon nations like Iran, who we’re paying money to for this oil from their country and they want to kill us! I don’t get it! What is the point?

So now Canada, looks like they’re going to take that oil and sell it directly to China. We won’t receive any benefit from that. Not only will it not help our country reduce our expenses on oil, we will help our enemies get stronger. China, I’m sorry is an enemy. Be very cautious of what China thinks, says and does because they’re not who they say they are. Now they’re going to get the benefit of all that Canadian oil and we won’t. We’re going to pay even higher gas.

President Obama your policies are killing our country! I’m begging you to please stop this. Make a big change. You want to be elected this year? I know you do. You keep saying you don’t and you said that if you can turn this economy around three years then you don’t deserve a second term, well, I’m sorry you don’t deserve a second term by your own words! Under those parameters you don’t.

But I think I know you. I know that’s what you want is to be reelected. Then make a switch. Turn around, and recognize these policies and decisions that you made that are incorrect. Please! I’m begging you. I’m just a normal one little guy out here in Nevada. I’m just one American citizen. I am one vote! That’s all I am to you or any politician, one vote.

President Obama, if you want my vote then make some CHANGES so that we can have HOPE for the future of America!

This is Kelly Smith, signing off. Thank you, President Obama.

Soon after I received the Aaronic Priesthood at 12 years of age, and was ordained a Deacon, my father was ordained a Bishop in the newly formed Sparks Fifth Ward. In his quest to better understand his calling he took our family to attend General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Salt Lake City, held in the Tabernacle at that time. Between the sessions of conference we toured Temple Square and I noticed a large beautiful compass inlaid in the concrete between the Tabernacle and the Salt Lake Temple. I stood at the center of that compass, aligned myself to the brass pointer that was pointing north and stretched out my arms pointing east and west.

True North Compass Salt Lake City (photo © Ursula the Sea Witch)

It was almost as if I understood for the first time where True North was.

On our way home back to Sparks Nevada we traveled along desolate Highway 50 and visited Lehman Caves in far eastern Nevada. It was a beautiful experience to see all the stalactites, stalagmites and other natural formations. It was a maze of tunnels that twisted and turned in every direction. Eventually our group of about 150 visitors found ourselves in a very large cavern. Our tour guide then did an interesting thing; he turned off the lights! For the first time in my life, I experienced absolute complete darkness. I am sure it was the first time for several of the other attendees.

HE TURNED OFF THE LIGHTS WHILE WE WERE IN THE CAVE

In the midst of the darkness he asked us to point where we think true North was. He gave us about 15 seconds to get our bearings and turn the way that we thought it should be. I envisioned the inlaid compass on Temple Square where we had come from, turned around, and pointed in the direction I thought it would be. When our tour guide turned on the lights we noticed a very interesting thing: no one was pointing in the same direction, and the only one that was correct was me.

Everyone else had, in reality, just pointed directly in front of them.

I have never forgotten that experience which occurred almost 40 years ago. I have also never forgotten the lessons. Most people think that they’re going in the right direction and that they know the way to go. They think they’re doing the right thing and everyone else is either doing it wrong, or it doesn’t matter which way they go. It reminds me of the scripture in the Doctrine and Covenants 1:16 where, “every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god.” As far as I could tell I was the only person that was pointing in the right direction because I had aligned myself to the compass on Temple Square first. In that way I knew which direction True North was.

There is also another powerful lesson. The words we hear delivered from the Prophet and leaders in Salt Lake City in the Tabernacle and now the new Conference Center are the words that will lead us in the right direction back to our Heavenly Father. They are the same words that Jesus Christ would speak to us today if were living among us.  While there are lots of voices in the world urging us to go one way or another, only the true words from our Prophet, Apostles and other general authorities will tell us the right way to go. This is also true of listening to our local leaders such as Bishops and Stake Presidents because they also receive their instructions from those same leaders.

When the prophet speaks we need to listen. He is speaking the words of Jesus Christ.

How many of us would be in better shape temporally or financially if we had heeded the words of President Hinckley in 1998 urging each of us to get out of debt? He said, “I am suggesting that the time has come to get our houses in order.” (1) He said this just before the spike and subsequent fall of the dot com era. The financial world has never been stable since. I wished I had listened better to his words.

How many of our families would be stronger in the Gospel if we had given heed to the words of the prophets to study our scriptures together and pray as a family every day? How about learning about Jesus Christ and trying to be more like him? How many of us are prepared for a future day when the guidance of obtaining a years supply of food, fuel and money has been given? How many of us are doing our part to warn our neighbor and share the gospel with them as requested by President Monson?

I have known many people over the years that, although they have been fairly faithful members of the church (in my limited vision), they have decided not to follow the advice of the prophets and leaders of the church and now find themselves in precarious positions. They have decided to follow after their own God and not Jesus Christ. 

• Some have not given heed to the urging of us to support governmental legislation limiting marriage between one Man and one Woman. We now face the very real threat of the destruction of the time honored tradition of the institution of marriage and that may destroy our country as noted in the Proclamation on the Family.

• Some people in the world who have become so intellectually entrenched in the teachings of the world that they have fallen victim to the ideas espoused by Korihor in the Book of Mormon and now find themselves outside the Church. Some have even claimed that they would do things differently than God has done, thereby saying that they know more than He does. Nephi warned, “When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not.” (2 Ne 9:28)

• Some families have it as their entire goal was to have their children get college scholarships at any cost, including attendance at Church, Mutual, Scout Camp or service activities. If something got in the way of achieving their beloved scholarship, it was cast aside. The sad thing is that not only did their children not achieve the desired scholarships, none of them are active in the church today. We always need to keep Christ as the center of our lives and stay in the mainstream of the church. Once priorities are misplaced, severe problems can occur.

• Some people justify their addiction to a plethora of products promoted in the world today to eat and drink because they are not specifically mentioned in the word of wisdom. They have ignored the true meaning of that Scripture and feel that it is perfectly okay, not recognizing a loss of the spirit because of their actions. The obedience of all commandments will bring the promised blessings to those who desire them. They have replaced the spirit of Jesus Christ with temporary substances.

I’m sure you have seen examples in your own lives of similar experiences, each one directing his way from True North-type principles espoused by our prophets and leaders. In many ways this analogy is similar to the multitude or masses of people feeling there way towards the great and spacious building and away from the simple peace obtained by achieving the fruit from the love of God, the blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ in the Tree of Life as mentioned in 1 Nephi Chapter 8.

Everyone in these groups are doing what they want and not what they have been directed to do.

In reality, peace and safety in a world of torment and confusion can only be found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is only through Jesus Christ that we may achieve true happiness and peace, forgiveness of our sins and weaknesses and obtaining hope and faith in a better world to come. While many of us may find ourselves in literal or spiritual darkness for a portion of our lives (similar to being in the large cavern in Lehman caves) if we will hold the iron rod, which is the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, including the words spoken by our prophets and leaders spoken from our local leaders and those in Salt Lake City, we will find our way back to live with our Heavenly Father.

Our Father and Our God-JESUS CHRIST

It is my testimony that Jesus Christ lives and that He is the only way whereby we may achieve salvation in the celestial world to come. It is my testimony that Joseph Smith was a true prophet, Thomas S. Monson is also a true prophet and if we will give heed to the words from all of the prophets and apostles of our day, we will be blessed to know we are heading in the right direction.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

The things that have been held dear for thousands of years are now tossed out with the daily trash. The values of our Judeo-Christian teachings, the power and simplicity of the Constitution, the wonder and beauty of marriage, the faith and hopes of generations are all seemed to be valued as used toilet paper.

What stuns me is witnessing the absolute determination by a dictatorial regime to destroy our laws and turn America into a nation of dependents. While those who seek for power or money are rarely stopped at all, we are losing our freedoms on a daily basis. Telling religions that they MUST to do this or that; courts saying that what the voters in California voted on TWICE to establish what IS Constitutional regarding marriage is now ruled incorrect by a super-small minority; the attack on our society to make choices on their own as to how they want to live; the killing of millions of unborn children each year for conveniences sake; the skyrocketing of debts that can never be paid back and which has bankrupted our country and burdened our children for generations; the purposeful destruction of Capitalism and switch to Socialism absolutely MUST Stop! 

What has happened to my country? What is in store for my children’s future? I didn’t raise them to live in West Greece or Sodom and Gomorrah.

There is only one way to fight back and that is to educate and teach the masses, one person at a time, the realities of what these decisions will mean and what the consequences of them are. All of these things have been prophesied of in times past, I just didn’t think I would live to see them or that they would happen much later in my life.

God established America and directed its founding and Constitution. Every nation or people that live on this land are to worship the God of this land who is Jesus Christ and unless they do, they will be swept off and it will be given to another. This has already happened TWICE before and recorded in the Book of Mormon.

The things we are seeing today are the same as recorded in that volume but the final destruction came about because the people did not serve a government of the land, they became Anarchists and so there was a tremendous Civil War that destroyed them all. The people fell into terrible sins and degenerated into severe immorality, thus causing the loss of The Spirit of God. We are about to lose that spirit and our protection.

How long will He wait? How long will he continue to support us amidst such terrible wickedness? I don’t know but I do know that things are not better today than they were in the past. We are about to witness the wrath of God upon our nation if we do not change course and go back to what we know to be right.

The ruling today by the California courts that say that the CONSTITUTIONALLY MANDATED ban on Same Sex Marriage is somehow Unconstitutional, is appalling.

MARRIAGE IS BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN ONLY!

How can activist judges like this have such sway in our land? Those judges need to be removed from office for dereliction of duty and by not supporting the Constitution.

It also  marks a terrible trend in our country if not reversed. As mentioned, children have a RIGHT to be born to real parents who love and care for them as mentioned in the Proclamation on the Family and commented by Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles who said, “It was then and is now a clarion call to protect and strengthen families and a stern warning in a world where declining values and misplaced priorities threaten to destroy society by undermining its basic unit.”

We need to support marriage and those willing to bring God’s children into this world. We need to support Marriage between One Man and One Women ONLY!

Marriage is ordained of God.

Why do some people say they refuse to vote for Romney, but won’t admit the reason is because he is Mormon?

Some even say they will vote for Obama over Romney, even though they are Republican.

That makes no sense whatsoever!

They even try to make the claim that Romney and Obama are somehow the same type of person. How in the world did they arrive at that conclusion? Some have even stated that they would rather vote for an Adulterer than a Mormon. Really? Who isn’t flagging the hypocrisy in that statement?

In reality, I think it is because of an unspoken hatred towards members of the LDS Church that somehow swells up inside of them whenever religion is brought up. It’s OK to join almost any church in the world, as long as it isn’t the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Yet it has been that way since the beginnings of the church. When Joseph Smith first told a pastor about his experience of seeing God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ in vision a few days before, the man blew up and yelled that it was all of the devil and that God did not appear to man today!

Apparently nothing has changed.

Romney is a good man whose only real fault (in the eyes of many) is that he is a Mormon. Do you like Harry Reid? He is also one, although you could hardly tell as power has gone to his brain and his only desire is to retain that power. He is practically like Saul of old. Maybe the same will happen with Romney? Maybe he will turn against everything he has been taught and become a flaming liberal in everything he does and says.

So what would you rather have? A man who stands for his faith and has even said that he will not deny his faith and to vote for someone else if that is what you want, or, one who will do and say anything to get elected and stay in power?

Let me ask you a question or two: Do you know any members of the LDS Church? What are they like? Are they evil, lazy or mean? Do they try to hit on your wife? Did they steal your car?

Even if you know a Mormon that did any or all of those things (and more) aren’t most member of the LDS Church nice, polite, hard-working and friendly people? Do you think this is just a guise, a ruse or a deceptive practice? If not, then maybe they are just taught to be that way from the teachings of the church. Maybe they are actually living the Gospel as taught by Jesus Christ so long ago. Maybe they are trying to do the best they can and want the best for you in the process.

For some reason many so-called “Christians” have this deep-seated hatred and enmity towards members of the LDS Church. Who is it that causes these feelings in people? Who is it that hates everything that comes from God and is the cause of so much evil in the world today? Who will do anything to get people to fall and lose the spirit of God in their lives? Why did that preacher yell at a 14 year old boy that he had been deceived by the Devil and was in reality just jealous that he himself had never had such a vision?

Are you listening to him too?

The next time you look at or talk to a member of the Mormon Church, remember the scripture: “By their fruits, ye shall know them.” If they are good people, then support them. If they are working hard and trying to raise their family in a wicked world, say something nice to them. If they are trying to live the Gospel by their words and deeds, learn where they got that Gospel and make it part of your life.

Mitt Romney is not a perfect person, as we have only had one that ever lived on the earth with those qualifications. If Romney ends up winning this election and turns into another Harry Reid, I will do all I can to get him removed from office. If he keeps his covenants and lives the gospel, I am going to support him as long as his policies are Constitutionally based.

But not voting for him just because he is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is just plain dumb as we will end up with another 4 years of the worst president in US History. The “fruits” of his service are evident everywhere and he has no record to run on.

Elect Romney. Put aside your bias. Think with your head. Save our country!

It takes a long time to build a building like a skyscraper. It also takes a lot of money. A design must be created, permits acquired, contractors and workers hired, machinery directed, electrical and plumbing resources supplied and years of blood sweat and toil to create something to reach the sky and fulfill a purpose. Once built, this skyscraper can house and employ hundreds or thousands of people. Services can be rendered and profits made. The original investor can make a return on his investment.

And it can all be destroyed in minutes as witnessed on 9-11.

Those who build things are the heroes in this world. Those who create and produce are to be heralded and held up as inspirations to all others. Those who do it honestly should be regarded as saints. Whether it is building a family, a business, a community or a nation, we need to support them. Those who destroy them are the scum of the earth. Osama Bin Laden got his just rewards and eternal justice is now his fate. It took millions of dollars to build the World Trade Center. It would take billions to replace it today. Yet it only took a few thousand dollars to destroy it.

That’s the unfortunate balance of power wielded by those who create vs. those who destroy. It is far easier and cheaper to destroy than create.

In our technologically wonderful society are we using such power to do any good today? Have you ever tried to express your ideas on a website, forum, Facebook or Twitter? What comments did you receive from those of an opposing view?

I submit that going to an online forum to express your opinion is like going into a minefield. The comments made by those who hide behind a fake name and cutesy avatars are ruthless and cruel with no sense of decency or humanity. They say things they would never say to a person face-to-face. As they hide behind such cover, their small minds are running wild with the basest of thoughts and words, most commonly 4-letter ones with unusual variations and all in the guise of being “clever.” There is little humanity, let alone decency. The boundaries have been removed as they feel they have a voice for the world and want to be seen as sharp-witted while skewering their opponents with fiendish delight.

The power of a mask can be most damaging.

Where is the good-natured intellectual banter that can stimulate an interesting discussion? Why can’t someone with an opposing point of view be allowed to speak without impugning the motives of his own mother? Instead, its cloak and dagger, stab and run, slash and burn. It’s like most violent video games I have seen; the opponent is just expected to vanish after you have blasted them with a hand-held sub atomic pistol.

Now witness the growth of something new: Super PACs

In our politically charged world we now see something never before seen in the history of politics with Super PACs. These were at first announced as a first amendment victory for anyone of any income to say as they wish and not be stopped. Now it appears that not all is as hoped. Since we are in an election year and the only ones vying for first place are Republicans, Super PACs have been formed to be the voice of a contender and say things he cannot say. They skewer the opponent under the guise of freedom of speech, with or without the permission of the one they supposedly support whether they are true or not. The law states that the contender can have no contact or say in what the Superpac says as that would be a violation. Mitt Romney decried them and wished that they could just give the money directly to the campaigns so they could be responsible for what was said in their behalf and could remove or change it as necessary.

And just today (FEB 7, 2012), Obama did a total about-face and decided to support Super PACs, something he vehemently denounced last year. But since he desperately wants to get elected, he told all of his supporters to send money to Super PACs that support him.

People emotions and excitement about the future of politics has never been lower and Super PACs will not help matters, but only make them worse.

It’s a race to the bottom as to who can dig up the most dirt, smear the most mud and cut the legs out from under the other the fastest. Sadly, the candidate is held responsible for the actions of someone they cannot control, let alone even talk to. Lies and innuendo are strewn about with abandon and we are left to pick up the pieces. No wonder it becomes difficult to trust those in power as they misuse their money in such a manner.

The other day I tried to get on a forum to defend something I saw written against Mitt Romney. I had never had so many names and slanderous terms thrown at me in all my life. None of the replies had anything to do with the question. I hadn’t read that many 4-letter words among everything I had read in the entire past year. I might as well have been a fish thrown into a meat grinder as no one cared one minute what I had to say or thought. No one defended my position. No one read anything beyond the name Mitt Ro… I was toast. Yet every one of those detractors used a pseudonym and avatar to hide behind. I was the only one who used my name and actual photo. With wolfish delight they used my name for the rest of the day as one who was off-base and should be shunned. My name became a cliché and a euphemism of derision.

There was no desire to listen to any opposing point of view. Obama is their King and anyone who looked like he supported a contender was nothing more than a bug that needed to be squished, dissected, dismembered and burned. How can anyone live under such conditions?

DOES THE STATUE OF LIBERTY STAND FOR SUPER PACS?

Is there anywhere two people can have a real discussion anymore? Can we find a way to work out our differences and come to a conclusion based on sound principles? Is there any hope left for the future of America? Is there any humanity left outside of helping your own friend?

I believe there is. I hope there is and I invite everyone to quit hiding behind a mask and ignore those who do. Quit hiring or supporting those whose only desire is to hit and run. Show who you are and stand up for truth and what you believe in. Be open to opposing points of view. Act like a human and treat others humanely.

Lets build an America that will last, one that will survive and head in a positive direction, founded on the principles of our founding fathers. Of course we have to stand up to falsehood and not compromise on principle, but just because the opposition is doing the exact opposite of what we want, does that make them someone that needs to be hung because of their opinion? Do we still need to tar and feather those who are different? Do we still need to crucify those who may be better than we are because we are jealous of what they are or say? Let’s stand up for what is right and with understanding, listening and kindness, win over those with opposing points of view.

You can’t build and destroy at the same time.

Thats also true with Super PACs.