Thank you to the DAV for all your hard work!

What is the DAV? What many people do not realize is the Disabled American Veterans organization is chartered by the United States Congress. It has been established for the express purpose of helping disabled military veterans of the United States Armed Forces. It is there to help veterans and their families. What we, as Americans, need to realize is when a veteran returns home and is disabled it is not only the veteran that is affected it is the family as well. After all when our service men and women go out there to protect and serve this country, their family is doing the same because they are the ones left behind to pray and worry about their loved one until the day they come home again.

When was the DAV formed? Many people have no idea when or why the DAV was formed. It all started after World War I. So many veterans returned home disabled with very little government support, what a surprise. Records show we had veterans returning blind, deaf and even with mental illness. We had some 204,000 American military wounded during the war. Where was our government when they needed them? Believe it or not it was at a Christmas party in 1920 when the idea to form the DAV came to light.

Originally it was called the Disabled American Veterans World War (DAVWW) now that’s a mouth full. It was officially formed September 25, 1921 at the first National Caucus, in Hamilton County Memorial Hall in Cincinnati, Ohio.  The first DAVWW convention was held in Detroit Michigan in June of 1921. It was at this time the first national commander was appointed. Since this was the idea of Cincinnati Superior Court Judge Robert Marx who saw the need for such an organization to be there for our veterans, he was the one who publicized, promoted the organization and the one who appointed the first National Commander.

During the Great Depression the DAVWW struggled with raising funds. The country was in a depression, the money wasn’t there in the private sector and even in businesses to make donations but the DAVWW continued with their work. They had a mission, a vision to be there for the disabled veterans who needed their help and were quickly being forgotten by the government and the people they fought to serve. Everyone was trying to put the war behind them and they didn’t want to be reminded. Yet how could they not whenever they saw a disabled veteran struggling to get by? After eleven years of working hard and struggling to keep their heads above water, the DAVWW was issued a federal charter by Congress in June of 1932.

Once we entered World War II in 1941 the DAVWW needed to expand and officially changed their name to DAV in order to encompass the new war and include all those coming back in need of help. In 1944 the DAV began offering National Service Officer Training Program. This program was the first step in educating those who would be helping our veterans. It was held at the American University in Washington finishing off with a two year mentor-ship program.

In 1941 the DAV had a direct mail campaign in which they distributed “Indento Tags.” The idento tags were made to look like miniature license plates. People could and did attach them to their key ring which was great because the message on them was if lost keys were found please return them to the DAVWW. They would then return them to the proper individual. The program was so successful that in 1945 the DAV expanded the program. They started manufacturing in house and brought the program outright in 1950 which proved to be highly successful. This program not only brought in donations that help keep the DAV afloat but it also gave jobs to veterans in manufacturing with about 350 people employed by 1952. Their donations climbed to over 2 million dollars a year which was definitely needed since the number of disabled veterans in this country had increased with the Korean War which was still active at the time.

Between the 1950’s and even into the 1960’s the DAV took a hit. Lack of leadership and funds hit them hard but they didn’t give up. When our Viet Nam Veterans returned home the DAV rallied around them. They pushed hard to working for POW’s and MIA’s. Viet Nam veterans stepped up and soon they were taking control of the reigns and filling the diminished ranks of the DAV. Times were changing and so was the DAV. They moved their headquarters to Cold Spring, Kentucky in 1966 and decided it was time to change the Idento Tag program and moved onto address labels going out in direct mail with a request for a donation to be sent in the DAV.

Changing of times meant the DAV had to make changes in order to keep moving and growing so they would be there to help our veterans when they were needed so in 1993 it had an overhaul. Internal arguments about governing of the organization led to an election which turned the administration over to new hands and the program began its overhaul.

The DAV is there for our veterans and provides services to them free of charge. There are branches throughout the nation with more than 1900 local DAV Chapters. If you are a family member or friend of a veteran you feel needs a helping hand then advise them on the help they can receive at the DAV.

The DAV will help with The Disability Transition Program. This means they will help free of charge assist service members at Intake Site (Pre-Discharge Claims Assistance) locations at military installations by Disabled American Veterans Transition Service Officers with treatment records, filing initial claim for VA benefits and they will confer with the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Departments of Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. Department of Labor in the transition process from military life to civilian life.  Think what you want folks but the transition isn’t always an easy one. Our Veterans see more then we can ever imagine and for some it’s hard to let go and need all the help they can get in order to get back to a somewhat normal life.

There is a list of items the DAV have available to help veterans, service members, or survivors with so please check with your local chapter. Don’t give up because of all the red tape. There is help out there and some amazingly caring people who have been there themselves and give their time and experience freely to help others in the same situation.

There is a Mobile Service Office Program which is designed to bring assistance for disabled veterans and their families who live in an area where there may not be a chapter office. They will help veterans with benefits, filing claims and services closer to home. It’s an office on wheels.

Not sure if the DAV can help you, then educate yourself with a Veterans information Seminar designed to help veterans, service members, and survivors. It is exactly what it says it is an information seminar designed to help and educate and in doing so will show you where to go to get the help you need.

The DAV also works with the Federal, state, county, and city governments to develop programs to help homeless veterans. They can support homeless veterans with necessary services to help them find housing, become productive, self-sufficient members of society giving them back their independence and dignity. They work with the VA to get health care, treatment for substance abuse, and mental health services. All veterans deserve the chance to come back and enjoy the life they fought so hard to give to each and every one of us.

In my lifetime I have had the honor of meeting and talking to many veterans dating back to World War II. There was a time in my life where I volunteered at the Teaneck Armory during the deployments of Iraqi Freedom. Not all injuries are seen with the naked eye. Yes we have veterans come back wounded, others lose their eyesight, their hearing, limbs, but then there are those whose pain and injuries we cannot see. Not because they are covered with clothing but because they are the ones that weigh heavily on the minds of those who were there. Each and every veteran who needs help needs to know there is someone at the DAV who is willing to listen to them and lend a hand if they need it. Sometimes they just need a friend to show them the way.

Instead of looking down at the homeless man sitting on the curb begging for food, why not ask him if he served this country? Why not try and help out a fellow human being who gave so much and came back completely changed? The next time you see a young man or woman hit the deck because they believe they heard a gunshot instead of laughing why not reach out a hand and let them know you understand. Sometimes it just takes someone caring enough to show them the way for them to get the help they need to be whole once more.

I want to personally thank all those at the DAV who give their time and energy in helping their fellow veterans find their way back to us. Your work is greatly appreciated. Anyone who wishes to be of service to our veterans and their families please reach out to your local DAV chapter. I am sure they could use a lending hand.

May God Bless America and all our service members and their families 

Brief explanation of the United States Congress

Today let’s talk about the United States Congress. As we all know Congress is made up of the Senate and the US House of Representatives. They are the legislative branch of our government. What are the duties of Congress? Congress’ primary duty is to write, debate, and pass laws. After they pass these laws they are then sent onto the office of the President of the United States for his approval and final signature. Sounds like it should be an easy process right? Well it doesn’t always work out that way because like so many other children, some of our elected officials don’t play well with others.

They are voted into office not for their own benefit but for the benefit of the American people. They are there to represent us as a voice of the people and the states. Congress can hold hearings to inform the legislative process and conducts investigations to oversee the executive branch.

Our Constitution gave Congress the power to determine the size of the House of Representatives as well as dividing the representation according to the state’s population. The more heavily populated states have more representatives then the smaller states. Every state is to be represented no matter how small. In other words every state will have at least one representative.

With the population in this country the way it is today this means there will be one representative for every several hundred thousand people. Alaska, Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming have only one representative. The state with the most representatives is California.

You may be thinking how they go about figuring this out. As required by the Constitution under Article 1, Section 2, a census is taken every ten years to see if a state’s population has increased in size which would then give a state more or less representatives in the Congress depending on the new size of the population of said state. I know we all hate to take the census but as you can see it is the only way for the government to know how many people are in the state and the only way to get the correct number of people to represent your state.

There are currently 435 Representatives in the House with full voting rights, who will serve a term of no less than 2 years. There are 5 delegates representing the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. We also have a resident commissioner of Puerto Rico.

So what is a Delegate? Delegates have served in the House of Representatives since the office of the Delegate was established by the Continental Congress through what is knowns as the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. This order was a bit sketchy to begin with since it didn’t so much as outline the duties of the position or which Chamber of Congress the Delegates should belong to. As usual there was a debate between the Senate and the House in which it was eventually decided all Delegates should serve the House of Representatives. Like members of the House of Representatives Delegates are elected every two years and they represent incorporated territories I have listed above.

What is a Resident Commissioner? This position was not created until 1900 by Congress but only after securing Puerto Rico and the Philippines as territories. Resident Commissioners are also a part of the House of Representatives as they represent unincorporated territories. At this time the only unincorporated territory we have is Puerto Rico. Resident Commissioners are elected to serve a 4 year term.

There are differences from being a House of Representative Member, a Delegate, or a Resident Commissioner. Delegates and Resident Commissioners do not vote on the House floor. They are able to introduce bills and make amendments to them on the House floor since it will benefit their constituents, plus they can vote on them in Committees but not on the final passage of legislation. The reason for this is stated in Article 2, Section 2 of the Constitution where it defines what a Member of the House of Representative is: “shall be…chosen every second Year by the People of the several States.” Since Delegates and the Resident Commissioner do not represent States of the Union they do not have the power to pass or reject legislation.

The House of Representatives have responsibilities only they can perform which are initiating bills imposing taxes and decide if a government official should be on trial before the Senate if they commit a crime against the country.

Of course they can be re-elected again and again since there is no term limits at this time. Currently we have a member serving in the House since 1965, Representative John Conyers, democrat of MI. I mean really folks this was not meant to be a life time position. It’s too bad when they set a term limit on office of President of the United States no one thought it was necessary to set one for Congress.

The requirements to be a member of the House of Representatives is stated in Our Constitution. In order to be a Representative you must be at least 25 years old, a United States citizen for at least 7 years, and you must live in the state in which you will be representing.

Next part of our Legislative Branch is of course the Senate. Regardless of the size of the state each state gets to elect 2 members to Senate. This gives the Senate equal representation from each state. The way the election is set up each Senator holds his office for a term of 6 years. Of course it wouldn’t be smart to have both Senators leaving or coming into office the same time because then it could cause confusion and issues with getting things done for your state so the election is staggered. 

Meaning only one Senate seat is opened every 6 years. Of course we can all do the math and figure out that at any given time there are 100 Senators serving in Congress today since we have 50 States in the Union.

Because of the way the elections are set up this would mean that every two years approximately one-third of the Senate is up for election. So that means we then have a chance to make changes or not. Most people tend to keep voting for the same person again and again not because they know their voting record but because they figure let’s not mess with what’s working. But it’s not working folks just look at the shape this country is in today.

The requirements to be a Senator are in accordance with Article 1, Section 3, clause 3 of the Constitution which states “no person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained the age of thirty years and been 9 years a citizen of the United States, and who shall, when elected be an inhabitant of that state for which he shall be chosen.” Remember when Hillary Clinton decided she wanted to run for Senator of New York, she moved there, became a resident, and ran for Senate.

Just like the members of the House of Representatives our Senators can be voted in again and again since there are no term limits. In case you are not aware of this we have a member of the Senate who has been in office since 1975, Patrick Leahy, and Democrat from Vermont along with other members who have been holding office since the late 1970’s. Again way too long in office. If we really want changes then we are the ones who have to make the changes and stop electing again and again the same people. It’s time to make a change and start making demands as an American citizen for the betterment of this country.

Being separate from the House of Representatives the Senate has certain responsibilities the House does not have. Some of their responsibilities include agreeing to treaties and confirming federal officials such as Supreme Court Justices. Right now they are making a decision on the next Supreme Court Justice who will serve the highest court in our land. The person they are trying to make a decision on is Justice Neil Gorsuch. Funny thing about this is they aren’t doing it the way it was meant to be done. They can’t be because we are hearing Democrats ask for their fellow Democrat Senators to vote against Justice Neil Gorsuch even though so many around the country have said he is the best choice for this position in the nation, once again playing politics. They are pitting Republicans against Democrats and playing checkers to see who comes out the winner when they are supposed to be deciding what is best for the nation not their party. We will see just how well this Senate works for the betterment of this nation when all is said and done.

So the House of Representatives and the Senate makes up Congress. Our Constitution grants Congress “all legislative powers” in the national government. This is under Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution which gives Congress control on federal taxing and spending policies, coining money, maintaining military, declaring war on other countries, and regulating interstate and foreign commerce.

So this is a brief description of Congress and some of its responsibilities. There are more but I leave it up to you to finish some research on your own and educate yourself. Of course any member of Congress can introduce a bill but before a bill can become law it must pass both houses of Congress with no changes to the bill.

A bill is introduced in either house and is assigned to a committee in order for the bill to be reviewed. If the committee decides nah this bill isn’t ready yet then it is set aside. If the committee decides the bill is worthy then it is sent to the entire house for debate. If the bill passes it is then sent to the other house where a joint committee works out any differences the two houses have concerning the bill. Once both houses agree on the bill then and only then will the Speaker of the House and the vice president sign it. In order for a bill to get to the President’s office it must be approved by both houses and signed by the Speaker of the House and the Vice President.

Our Constitution gave us a check and balance system but one thing it did not do was put term limits on those who serve in the House and Senate. If we can have term limits on the office of President then we should have them on all branches of our government because as you can see with just this brief explanation of our Congress, they have the power to make changes and improvements or to do damage in the name of their party under the pretense of helping the American people. When people hold an office too long they become too familiar with the system, too comfortable and forget they are there for the American people not for the betterment of the government or their pockets.

I beg each and every one of you to take a look at your Congressmen or Congresswomen and see how long they are in office. Next check their voting history, find out where they stand on the issues that are important to you and the good of this country. If they are not holding up to your standards put the pressure on them. Call their office and let them know what you think of their service but most importantly when it comes time to vote, then if you feel it necessary, vote for a change. Get out there and help the candidate you feel is there for the betterment of this country instead of the same old, same old. The American people have the power to make the changes in their hands every election day. Don’t take your right to vote for granted. Get out there and vote, let your voices be heard.

May God Bless America and guide our leaders towards a better tomorrow. 

Matias Ferreira: A real American Hero

In my eyes Matias Ferreira is a real American Hero. Born in Uruguay Matias Ferreria moved to Atlanta with his family at the age of 6. In an interview he gave he spoke of going to the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996 with his father and seeing the men in uniform and how much he respected them at such a young age.

After the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 Matias and his friends talked about going into the service but they were still in school and had awhile to go before they could join up and join up he did just one year after graduating from high school. In May of 2009 Matias joined the United States Marines where he served his country with pride and honor.

Just two years after he joined the Marines Lance Corporal Matias Ferreira was injured by an improvised explosive device (IED) blast during his deployment in Helmand which is a province in Afghanistan. Unfortunately he lost both of his legs in the blast and broke his pelvis. At Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C. Ferreira had a long road ahead of him and being the fighter he is he didn’t stop at just walking.

During an eight month period of surgeries and therapy he pushed himself to keep going. With the use of prosthetic legs he completed a marathon, entered bike races, and even reached the top of a climbing wall but there is a lot more to this amazing young man who always wanted to defend those who could not defend themselves.

While he was at the rehabilitation center Matias played on the Wounded Warriors softball team. One day the team was out celebrating winning a tournament in Smithtown. While his friends were in the bar celebrating Ferreira stepped outside to make a phone call. He had no idea his life was about to take a turn for the better as he struck up a conversation with a young woman out walking her dog. Sometime later, that young woman saw him on the news and recognized him. She sent him an email, thanking him for his service to our country. Tiffany, the young woman, and Matias were later married and now have a baby girl.

In 2015 Matias Ferreira risked his life once again but this time he was in Queens when a car crash behind him. Upon hearing the screams of the mother, who was trapped in the car, calling out for help for her baby he jumped out of his car. Matias was leaving his wedding rehearsal when the crash took place. He didn’t stop to think as his fiancée’s father and his brother got the mother and father out of the vehicle Matias squeezed in the backseat and rescued the baby from her car seat.

Always wanting to help people, to be there for those who could not defend themselves Matias Ferreria decides he wants to be a police officer, to once again serve and protect. He took the police exam scoring a perfect 100. His fellow recruits later elected him class president. On March 24, 2017, at the Suffolk Police Academy Matias Ferreria was sworn in as a Suffolk County Police Officer, joining that blue line of courage and strength.

No one took it easy on him because he was a double amputee. If he wanted to be a police officer than he had to prove himself. He met all the requirements expected of him doing 38 sit-ups and 29 push-ups and running the required mile and half in 12 minutes and 29 seconds. If anything he pushed himself hard to prove he could do the job just as well as anyone else. Matias Ferreria is believed to be the first fully active duty double amputee police officer in this country and an inspiration to many, I am sure.

He understands the challenges he faces but he is confident in his ability to the job just as well as any other police officer. While he was in the academy he was asked by someone what would happen if he broke his leg. Mattias joked back saying, “If I break my leg, I go to the trunk and put on a different one and keep going.”

I have read every story I could find about Matias and each one inspired me more and more. He knew what he wanted to do from he was a young boy. His need to serve and protect drove him to join the Marines just a year after graduating high school. Even after he lost his legs he didn’t give up but found strength deep inside himself along with the love and strength of his family. He knew he had a long road ahead of him but instead of seeing darkness he saw a light at the end of the tunnel and set his sights for it. He does not see himself as disabled but said, “The only disability we have is the ones we make,” smart man.

I cannot imagine the horrors and fear that filled his parents hearts when they received that phone call and the agony they went through as they watched their son fight to come back and fulfill his dreams. Never giving up although he knew it wasn’t going to be easy.

Men and women of our Military, veterans like Matias Ferreira and so many others, are the reason we stand up and salute our flag and proudly sing out national anthem. A small way to pay tribute to all of them. Every night before I go to sleep I ask God to please watch over the young men and women in uniform be it our US Military or Police and Firemen and bring them home safe to their loved ones.

I know the pride his family must have felt to see him fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer as he took the oath on Friday because it was a little more than four years ago I stood and cried as my son took his oath to serve and protect. Imagine seeing your child come home from serving his country and losing his legs then a few years later proudly taking the oath to be a police officer and promising to once again protect and serve those in need. He is a true inspiration to all.

Never giving up, always pushing Matias Ferreira has proved there are no limits, only goals. If you can dream it, you can achieve it. We should never give up on our hopes and dreams because there is always a way to get to the finish line. You just have to figure out how to start and not stop till you get there.

I would like to take this time to Congratulation Officer Matias Ferreira and to thank him for his service to our country and for his service to Suffolk County even though I do not live there. You are an amazing man and an inspiration to all.

Semper Fi!

May God Bless America and watch over Officer Matias Ferreira and his family.

Thank you to those who organized MAGA MARCH!

Make America Great Again March was held around the country on Saturday March 25, 2017. It was a time for all Americans to stand together and stand up for America and in doing so, stand up for President Trump, Vice President Pence, our Military, First Responders and our Veterans. It was not a protest but a chance to come together and show your support for this amazing country we have the honor of living in. It was a time to show all those who fight to keep us safe and secure our support.

This was a march formed in unity from state to state. The vision of a few became the voice of many. I watched many videos on the marches and gatherings that took place across this great nation and for the most part it was peaceful on the part of those who marched to show their support of this country and our administration. To see so many come together across this great land with one common goal proves it can be done. No reason to make everything a battle. We are all here for the betterment of the people of this great nation and we all need to understand in order to get there we must listen and hear what the other side is saying.

At one of the marches a woman was asked about her thoughts on the March. She along with others felt this was not a way to get people to talk and settle things but what got me most was the way she said it. “We’re all for unity but for different reasons. We’re not on the same page. They’re completely opposite of what I feel and what I believe in,” she said as she points at those who have come together to march in support of America. With a mindset like that there is no coming together because there is no meeting in the middle to talk. That is what this was all about. No more fighting and saying my side or yours it was supposed to be about one side, the side of this country and how to pull it all together to make it work and stop thinking left or right and start realize we need to meet in the middle so we can once again balance each other. There has to be a little give and take in order to fix what is broken.

Still it was an amazing day with dozens of rallies from California to New York, and even Alaska taking place to show support for this great nation and get behind President Trump. The point was to get people talking and coming together. It would have been a perfect day but of course we all know there are those who have to throw a little sand and kick up a fuss as some of the marches were met with counter-protesters who came for the express purpose of clashing with Trump supporters. So sad people can only see their right to make a statement or freedom of speech and no one else’s.

The March in Philadelphia had a counter March scheduled for the same day called Disrupt MAGA. Really? Why did they find that to be necessary? The organizers asked protesters to “protect your Identity” seriously. If they were so proud to be out there and disrupting things then take off the mask and show yourself. I will not give them any further credit by posting their call for marchers here but I will say if they are not happy with America then they need to leave because they are not a part of the solution but they are the problem. Of course Philly was not the only place that was met with resistance but it was expected because for some reason the left feels they are the only ones with the right to free speech but unlike those who Marched for Unity and Support of this great nation, they marched with their faces covered afraid to show who they are because they really are not brave enough to stand up for what they believe.

This nation was built under the laws of our Constitution and every big mouth in the land has a right to his or her opinion and we have the right to like it or not to like it. If we chose not to like it they do not have a right to bully and attack you. This Make America Great Again March I believe was a great start to bring people together and needs to be done again and again because each time we get a group of people together to stand up for what is right and best for America as a whole, we will find our numbers grow. People who have been afraid to say I am a Trump Supporter and proud of it will see they are not alone and they can openly express themselves.

I have the most adorable six your old great-niece who is quiet and shy. She started kindergarten this year and in November they had a mock election in school. When she came home from school she told her mother she voted for Hillary Clinton but she really wanted Donald Trump to win. Why? Because even in kindergarten she felt the pressure and was afraid to say she supported Donald Trump. Kindergarten folks!!!!! Really???

I was not able to join this march but I will work towards being at the next one. I am not afraid of confrontation especially when it comes to showing my support for this great nation and all those who serve and protect us. I call for everyone, on both sides of the fence, to stop being so closed minded. Nothing will ever work if we see things only as left and right, Democrat or Republican. We have to see it as we are all Americans and somewhere in the middle is where we have to meet.

I am not saying give up all your morals and your beliefs but we have to bend in order to work together to get the voices heard and messages out there to bring us together for the betterment of all. Fighting in the streets isn’t and never was the answer. We are not gang members who are trying to protect their turf we are all American Citizens fighting to preserve our rights and Constitution. Fighting for the privileges granted us by being in this great nation. We should not be fighting one another but banning together to get the government to see what “We the People” need in order to have a better quality of life, jobs, housing, and benefits. The ability to put food on our table and feed our families. The chance to help our children grow in a country with a brighter future then we ever had.

This is America where anything can happen for the better of the people and we should not allow it to be pulled down because there are those who wish to see us fail and they are fighting to do that from within our boarders. Don’t let that happen folks, join in the movement to Make America Great Again and keep it that way. Fight for every right our Constitution has given us. Nothing is ever perfect and our forefathers made mistakes but they also left room for us to fix it. We cannot be blinded by hate but need to open our eyes to possibilities or everyone coming together and working on a dialog so we can talk to one another without pounding our chest as if only our view matters.

For eight years many Americans were up in arms about the lack of change in this country except for the negative. People rioting in the streets in support of thugs and against police, people doing little to nothing to bring jobs back to this country while unemployment climbed, people just wanting to better their lives and finding no one there to lend a helping hand. The American way was being tossed in the trash and we wanted it back.

We wanted a change for the better and now we have a chance for that change and still there are those who would rather see the chaos then the unity. Now we have a President who isn’t even taking a salary and people think he is in it for himself. Are you really that blind? Even his personal plane is better than air force one. He gave up so much to try and help this country that he loves and the people in it. So everyone needs to grow up and put their big boy or girl pants on and start getting along and learn how to talk to one another.

What none of you are getting is you can have all the fights you want in the streets, get your butt arrested, thrown in jail, have a record, and those who are representing us in Washington are still going to be there. We have people in Congress there for forty years and they have done nothing to fix what is broken but they have sold us all a bill of goods with their lies and deceit on how things are not bad in this country and how they promise, during their re-election campaign, to start making changes as soon as they get back to their office. Really? Why haven’t they fixed things yet? That’s what “We the People” should be asking. That’s what we should be talking about. So instead of fighting in the streets because your party didn’t win remember it’s not about Republican or Democrat it’s about America and what benefits all of us.

Thank you to those who organized this MAGA MARCH. I hope to see more and more in the future because we do need to let our law makers know we are here and we are not afraid to speak up and be heard but we will not fight and cause chaos because we want to improve this nation and bring it back to all its glory.  We want to show support for our President, Vice President, Military Veterans and First Responders who do not think twice and willingly serve and protect us. We need to keep reminding people America is a country of honor and respect for one another, our flag, and our country. Politics in this country have become dirty and deceitful pitting one side against the other and we need to ban together to meet on common ground so we can all stand in support of one another, the nation and our President. We need to honor all who have served this nation and put their lives line so we can be free.

May God Bless America and all those who love, serve, and protect each and every one of us.

Republicans should be ashamed of themselves

The first big legislation to hit the House of Representatives under President Trump and still the Republicans who could have gotten this bill through the House and into the Senate for further negotiations didn’t pass. Just shy of 10 to 15 votes House Speaker Paul Ryan had no choice but to pull the bill, instead of seeing it defeated, just minutes before the vote was taken.

Of course we have heard things from the left concerning President Trumps promise to repeal and replace Obamacare on his first day in office and look he’s already two months in and didn’t get the job done. Well cupcakes, we all know he started day one working on this but without the cooperation from the right and the left together he can’t get it passed without you morons. That is why our government is set up the way it is. We have a President not a King as you all thought Obama was.

I have no doubt President Trump will get this passed but unfortunately many people are going to end up losing out before this is allowed. All those in Congress who just don’t want to see him succeed have just shoved the people of this great nation into the sea to drown under a healthcare plan that can no longer stay afloat. For all those who feel this is a victory for the American people, you are out of touch with who the American people are. It’s not just one small group of people who are struggling through the day to make ends meet its many different classes of people struggling to get healthcare they can afford and still be able to take care of their families.

I know people who have to pay a fee on their taxes every year because they cannot afford healthcare. They cannot afford to go to the doctor when they are sick so how can they afford to pay the penalty for not having healthcare. That penalty helps pay for all those low income people who don’t have the money to pay for their health insurance. It’s a ring around the Rosie game, you know, ashes, ashes, we all fall down. That’s what is going to happen. Obamacare is going to come tumbling down and there are going to be so many without healthcare.

So what was everyone so against in this bill? Good question, I understand the fear of rising costs, that goes without saying for anyone but there was more than one part to this bill. This was only the start that would now have the tax credits given be based on age not income as in Obamacare. The tax boosts that Obama had imposed on higher-earning people and health care companies would have been repealed. Of course everyone is afraid to have that happen because they are afraid it is giving to the rich instead of screwing them. Oh, just in case you are wondering I live below poverty level so I am one of the low income people and get no help from the government. What, you may ask! Well, I don’t fall into the right group of people, hence no help.

Another item the bill would have ended was Obama’s Medicaid expansion and it would have trimmed future federal financing for the federal-state program. One of the things I liked about it was instead of just giving Medicaid to people it would let states impose work requirements on some of the 70 million beneficiaries in this country. Imagine having to work for your healthcare.

Let me tell you a story that happened to me the other day. I was in the laundromat with my husband and someone overheard us talking in support of President Trump. Of course this someone, whom I never met before, waited for my husband to walk away. He then started to verbally attack me for my support of our President and asked how I felt about the American Care Act. He called it “Trumpcare” which I immediately knew he only heard about it through the news because if he took the time to learn about it he would know the real name of the bill. I told him I supported it. He got all upset and told me his mother already got a letter her Medicaid was in jeopardy. I asked him why she was on Medicaid. He stomped off making comments how I couldn’t understand and I told him about family members who are paying through the nose to get healthcare for their family. I also told him I was totally disabled and not on Medicaid I was on Medicare and had to pay for any additional insurance on my own which I cannot afford. Then I asked him again why his mother was on Medicaid he finally told me she retired early and was entitled to it. Well the buzzer went off in my head as I said to him, “No she’s not entitled to it. Medicaid is state funded she didn’t pay into it all her life. It was originally for people with dependent children who needed healthcare, the sick and disabled but now people are abusing the system. Your mother will get Medicare at 66 and 4 months.” Flustered he walked away quoting figures he obviously heard in the news and I told him, “Well, you’re entitled to your opinion and I am entitled to mine. That is the glory of this country.” Done, shut him up, he didn’t know what to say to that.

The point to this story is people are uneducated. They don’t do the homework themselves they wait to see what the news reports when all they have to do is go to the page for whatever bill you want to know about and research it. Read it, see what is in it, read the summaries, from there do additional research and then make an educated decision on if it benefits you or not. But think on the broader picture too, you are not the only one living in this country so you have to see if it is best for the majority not just the chosen few.

Yesterday we heard about the Freedom Caucus again and again. How if their leader was against it they would all follow. Wow, another group of politicians who can’t think for themselves or for the people that voted them in. What is the House Freedom Caucus? It is a congressional caucus consisting of conservative Republicans who are, of course, members of the House of Representatives. When was this caucus formed? You would think it’s been around forever right? Nope, it actually was formed in mid-January of 2015 at the Republican congressional retreat in Hershey, Pa. As if congress isn’t messed up enough during this congressional retreat 9 conservative active Republicans members of the House began planning a new Congressional caucus separate from the Republican Study Committee and the House Republican Conference. The reason the group of nine (Rep. Scott Garret of NJ, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Rep. John Fleming of Louisiana, Rep. Matt Salmon of Az., Rep. Justin Amash of Mich., Rep. Raul Labrador of Idaho, Rep. Mick Mulvaney of S.C., Rep. Ron DeSantis of Florida, and Rep. Mark Meadows of N.C.), their plan was to be willing to vote against then Speaker of the House John Boehner on legislation the group opposed.   They were involved in the resignation of Speaker of the House John Boehner. You see the members of this caucus put the pressure on Boehner calling him out on his unfairness and accusing him of cutting them off from positions in the Republican Study Committee among other things. It became increasingly difficult for Boehner due to the fierce opposition of the Freedom Caucus so out with Boehner and in came Paul Ryan with the endorsement of the Freedom Caucus, well most of it, since the group couldn’t reach the 80% approval it needed to give an official endorsement so it announced a supermajority support for Paul Ryan.

In the 2016 election one of its members, Congressman Tim Huelskamp, who was a Tea Party Republican from Kansas was defeated in the primary election by Roger Marshall who was backed by GOP Establishment PACs. Many of these PACs were opposed to Donald Trump spending to the tune of nearly $ 2 million to defeat Huelskamp. So where do you think Marshall’s allegiance lies? I say we follow the money and that will go with most of these politicians today. You know the old saying “Money talks and BS walks,” well most politicians backed by big money will say whatever they need to in order to get elected. Once they are in office the money takes over and “We the People” are royally screwed.

If the Freedom Caucus would have come together on the Republican bill to repeal and replace Obamacare, their own party, it would have had a stronger chance of passing and never would have had to be pulled.  Hey it’s ok because when the time comes and everyone is running around saying they didn’t know Obamacare was going to crash then the Republicans will be able to toss it out the window and start fresh. They already have a good foundation all they need to do is listen to everyone’s concerns and improve on it.

We have not seen the last of this bill but for now it is on the back burner as President Trump moves ahead with tax reform and bringing jobs back to this country. Make no mistake about it, the squeaky wheel gets the job done so, I will say this again, educate yourself. Find out what bills are in Congress ready to be voted on. If you don’t understand something ask, research, find your answers and make an educated decision. Do not let the media do it for you. President Trump needs our support in order to get the job done. He is not a one man team, he has a country behind him. Show your support by letting your Representatives know how you feel once you understand everything that is being done. Don’t let propaganda scare or fool you.

I don’t consider the pulling of this bill as a loss for President Trump I see it as a disgrace that the Republicans had the power to come together and do what was best for everyone in this country but instead they pulled up short and let their personal feelings get in the way of what was best for everyone. Maybe they did us a favor because now we will have the chance to do it up right and say goodbye to Obamacare for good. I want to thank all those who tried so hard to improve healthcare for the people of this country. I don’t think we have ever seen a President work so hard and so close with Congress. Maybe they just need to learn he is always willing to talk and work things out but there has to be a little give and take on both sides to make things right for all.

May God Bless America and help our lawmakers see working together is the only way to fix what is broken and restore this nation to all its glory. 

Where Have the Morals, Integrity, Values, Principals, and Intelligence Gone In This Nation?

A young girl, 14 years old, is savagely raped by illegal immigrant in the state of Maryland and what do the law makers in this safe do? They pass the Maryland Law Enforcement and Trust Act which would prevent state and local law enforcement from helping federal immigration authorities. What the hell is going on in this country? How the hell could anyone in their right mind vote yes for such a bill?

State legislator Marice Morales said, “This bill is about constitutional rights of Marylanders.” Wake up moron, illegal immigrants are not a legal resident in your state or anywhere else in this country. Passing this bill is like rubbing that poor child’s face in her attack day after day.

Thank God Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has the intelligence to know this bill is unacceptable and has vowed to veto it. I don’t want to drag this story on because this young woman has been through enough. It’s not what I want to talk about but the decision of these so called lawmakers leads me to this question. Where have the morals, integrity, values, principals, and intelligence gone in this nation?

As children we are taught right from wrong. Actually if you were to take a few minutes and observe even a young child of six months old you will find they have the understanding of knowing right from wrong. Grabbing at something they shouldn’t and hesitating to see if someone says no shows you they are learning right from wrong. We all try to get away with things or think we can pull the wool over our parents eyes but truth be told our parents know us better than anyone else because they taught us, molded us, into who we are.

I was brought up to think about my neighbor, to care about someone in need, to help someone who was being picked on by a bully, to love my family, neighbor, friends, and my country. I was taught to appreciate all I was lucky to have in life no matter the struggles it took to get here because I was lucky to be growing up free and in America.  

America didn’t start out with 50 states in their union. We started out as a group of colonies across the “pond” but still a part of Great Britain. Yeah I know, most of us know this story. We fought the American Revolutionary War with some of our allies, the French, Spanish and Dutch, by our side. In case you’re trying to figure out who won it was the PATRIOTS. Yep, the colonies were now on their own. Our forefathers had integrity, I think we all have to admit that. Well anyone who understands what integrity is would have to admit that.

Integrity is the quality of being honest and have strong moral principles. How do you think our forefathers would react to the decision of the Maryland legislatures? These men who fought for our freedoms, who wrote the Constitution of this great nation to protect the rights of American Citizens. True we all came here one way or another from immigrants it just depends on how far back you can track your heritage but we came here legally for the time of our arrival.

What ever happened to morals in this country especially with those who are in charge of governing? Morals are a person’s standard of behavior or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for them to do, right from wrong. We all know it but so many of us choose to look the other way while a crime is being committed as long as it doesn’t affect them. Our leaders, law makers, from state to state seem to have forgotten right from wrong, lost sight of their morals, in their excitement to move up the political ladder. They have forgotten they were not voted into office to make things better for themselves but to improve life here for every AMERICAN CITIZEN born on this soil or NATURALIZED. Their lack of morals, their example of right from wrong has been a toxic spill all over this country.

What ever happened to values? Values are a person’s principles or standards of behavior, one’s judgment of what is important in life. You know obey the laws of the land, loving and protecting your family, being the best person you can be, and love for your country are a few examples that come to mind. Values today seem to be lost or misplaced. When lawmakers can pass a bill giving someone who is here ILLEGALLY protection from the law what are they teaching our children? Not right from wrong if they can support this type of legislation. No, they are teaching disrespect and deceit as a means of getting what you want no matter who it hurts.

What ever happened to principles in this country? You know principles the fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation of a system of belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning. To me it seems as if half of our elected officials have lost all their principles if it doesn’t benefit them.  So now what lessons are we as parents and American citizens teaching our children by electing and re-electing the same people over and over again into office? It’s just not acceptable to go with what we know because it has become comfortable. We need to start bucking this system everyone has gotten so comfortable with and start remembering why we are even lucky enough to be living with the freedoms we have taken for granted. It’s not because of the congressmen and women we have voted into office today but because of the Patriots who took up arms in order to make a better life for their families in a new land.

If the Patriots never fought and won the American Revolution we wouldn’t have the freedoms our Constitution has provided for us. If it hadn’t been for all the Patriots who have fought wars since then to preserve our freedoms we wouldn’t be able to speak our minds, carry a gun, practice religion as we choose etc. But somewhere along the line all this has been lost on our so called lawmakers many of whom give little or no thought to the American people and this legislation passed in Maryland proves it.

I know a lot of people will not agree with me when I say I believe President Trump and the cabinet he has been fighting hard to put together are our Patriots today. They are there to fight the system from within and bring back integrity, morals, values, and principals to the laws of this land so we as Americans can once again hold our heads high.

What are these bleeding hearts so up in arms about? Why are they so against bringing this country back to all its glory? Are they afraid they are going to have to start doing things for the betterment of the people? Take a look at Congress today, at state legislators and check to see how long they have been in office. Check their record and see how they have been voting as your representative, your voice, your standard of right from wrong, integrity, morals, values, and principles. If they aren’t doing the job then it’s time to make a change.

To the people of the state of Maryland, the ones who understand right from wrong, you know this legislation is wrong. It goes against the morals, principles, values, and integrity of this great nation. It mocks the intelligence of the people of Maryland and the federal laws upheld in our Constitution. I have said this before and I will say it again, anyone who harbors a criminal, such as a thief, murderer, even an illegal alien should be arrested and punished to the fullest extent of the law. Any lawmaker who even suggests a law should be passed to harbor a criminal needs to be removed from office.

I will do my part and call my Representatives, write letters, emails and anything else I can do to make my voice heard in the state capitol in which I live and in Washington, DC. Anyone can take to fb, write a blog, but what matters most is you get out there and do the job and make your voice heard.

May God Bless America and watch over all the victims of violent crimes and their families so they know they are not alone. 

San Fransico Politicians think they are above America's Laws!

As I read through the news articles today I couldn’t help but shake my head in amusement thanks to San Francisco’s lawmakers. It seems they proposed a bill on Tuesday that would prohibit the city from doing business with construction companies who seek to put in a bid to work on the wall President Trump wants to build.  

The headline caught my eye of course because I feel we need a wall. We need to protect our boarders but as I read the article I found myself laughing and shaking my head at some of the comments these politicians made. Supervisor Hillary Ronen made a comment according to KTVU in which she said doing business with such companies would be out of the line of the city’s values. At first I took a breath and I thought, “What values, this is a city that harbors criminals!”

So now they are holding honest businessmen hostage by not allowing them to do the work they are experienced in doing because it is against their politician’s moral values. According to Ronen the legislation is being introduced so companies who are interested in still doing business in San Fransico understand they are expected to uphold the basic principles of compassion and dedication to human rights. Not word for word but that’s the gist of it.

It’s a good thing I don’t curse because right now I am doing a mental list of words I would like to say to this Hillary Ronen. Maybe it’s the name Hillary, they just don’t get it! For her to use words compassion and dedication to human rights is ludicrous when she isn’t thinking about the American people who have had to suffer by the hands of some of the ILLEGAL aliens they choose to harbor.

My question to you Hillary is what gives San Francisco or any other city, county, or even state to go against our immigration laws or any freaking laws of this great nation? Who the hell do you think you are? In case you missed this somewhere along the line ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IS A CRIME!!!!!

According to 8 U.S. Code 1324 – “the penalties for knowing harboring, encouraging/inducing, or aiding and abetting, the basic statutory maximum term of imprisonment is 5 years, unless the offense was committed for commercial advantage or private financial gain, in which case the maximum term of imprisonment is 10 years.” It goes on to read, “Involving serious bodily injury or placing a life in jeopardy. Moreover, if the violation results in the death of any person, the defendant may be punished by death or by imprisonment for any term of years.”

So how is it San Francisco or any other place that deems themselves sanctuary cities, counties, or states, seem to think they are above the laws of this great nation. The laws were made to protect the people of this country not the criminals and make no mistake Hillary coming into this country ILLEGALLY automatically makes you a criminal. I am sorry but I have no compassion for anyone who breaks the law even if it is considered a misdemeanor. Laws are meant to be upheld not broken.

Every year our Border Patrol agents apprehend hundreds of thousands of aliens who just seem to think its ok to walk across our boarders and ignore our laws and listening to you I can understand why they have no respect for our laws. Illegal immigration is not a victimless crime like the left wants us to believe. It is a drain on our society, on public funds. The few illegal immigrants who do decide to apply for a TIN number from the IRS and pay taxes does nothing to help with the cost of taking care of all the ILLEGALS in this country.

Think about the drain it puts on our school system, overcrowded schools because these children now attending school are undocumented so the schools are not prepared for the influx. There are so many American citizens either born here or naturalized that can use the help of the government in affordable housing, health care, food stamps, but it’s not there for them because of the needs of the poor unskilled illegal immigrants who will move ahead of the line and get the help they need and please don’t insult my intelligence by telling me that doesn’t happen. If that’s your claim you are out of touch with reality.

This influx of ILLEGAL immigrants you seem to hold so high on the shelf takes jobs away from the unskilled American worker, the low income worker who would be willing to work two and three jobs just to keep their family taken care of. They hold jobs so many of our high school students used to do and now there is little to no work for them. Oh, yes I know you are going to try to make a point of how they work in the fields and pick the crops, which Americans won’t do. Well, before we had such a huge influx of ILLEGAL immigrants, guess what the job was being done by Americans who just wanted to make an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work. There have always been Americans who would travel around to do these jobs and care for their families. Proud Americans, proud to have a job and be able to stand on their own two feet.

I call upon all Americans to get behind our President and defund sanctuary cities and arrest anyone who feels they are above the law by harboring ILLEGAL Aliens. We want jobs brought back to this country, we want our country back in the control of the American People. It is not going to happen if we stand aside and let people like Hillary Ronen and the crooked politicians of this nation try and take control by bullying people with illegal legislations. The only way to control ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION is through law enforcement and seeing to it that anyone who disobeys the law is punished to the fullest extent of the law. Laws which have been in the law books long before President Trump took office. The thing that has everyone up in arms is he is the only one with the nerve to uphold the laws. This scares many of those in office today because they know they can be next on the radar with all the back room deals that were made in the past.

The way you stand behind the criminals in your state, the ILLEGAL ALLIENS, you should get behind American Citizens. You talk about compassion, what about the families who have lost loved ones at the hands of someone who has been in this country ILLEGALLY, not once, not twice but multiple times and found refuge in your city. I know you are thinking there are American’s who commit horrible crimes too but news flash, they are our responsibility from the start because they belong here and it is up to us to see to it they are punished. No one harbors them so why do you feel you are above the law and can harbor ILLEGALS and then threaten businesses not to do business with the government on the wall.

I don’t know about you but that legislation you are putting forth to stop contractors from doing business on the wall or they will be prohibited from doing business in San Francisco is EXTORTION! You know the practice of obtaining something through force or threats!!! I am looking forward to the day San Francisco loses all funding from the federal government for being a Sanctuary city but most importantly the day I see you and all those who agree to this legislations of extortion arrested and charged with crimes against American citizens.

Folks just because they have the power to pass legislations doesn’t give them the right to use scare tactics against honest, hardworking, American companies who are only trying to get work for their American employees. People like this need to be removed from office and definitely charged to the full extent of the law. I am so done with all these bleeding heart liberals who seem to think the laws of this country don’t apply to them.

President Trump is in office all of two months and in the short time he has been busy at work for all Americans we have these politicians playing backdoor games trying to get around him. We had a President for eight years who allowed morons like this to do everything and anything they wanted as if our laws didn’t matter and they didn’t. Now we have President Trump who isn’t going to allow this craziness to continue so they are all running scared and putting BS out there trying so hard to turn people against him. Please stand strong because not only does President Trump need your support, our children and grandchildren need us to stand strong. America needs to unite and stand together in order to win the fight President Trump started on the campaign trail to Make America Great Again.

America has always been a country of honor and pride. Having politicians like Hillary Ronen and her cronies bully companies into complying with their illegal extortion is a disgrace to this great nation. They are the people we need to remove from office and replace them, once again, with people of honor and pride in their country and dedication to the American people.

I don’t know about anyone else but I want my country back. I want America and its people to once again thrive and we can under the leadership of President Trump. So let’s get behind him, stand united, and help him drain the swamp by voting out those who are fighting so hard to drown America.

 

May God Bless America and help us drain the swamp!

Department of Veterans Affairs and bill H.R. 1259 VA Accountability First Act of 2017

So all our battles have been discussed and we are well aware there are more going on around the world today. Our military, thanks to the past administration, has been depleted so we keep sending the same people back out there giving little thought to their wellbeing. If our government was considering our military personnel they wouldn’t be putting them back in harm’s way again and again. Some you can see the physical scars but others you will never see the scars they carry home with them because they are hidden within the body and mind.

For years people thought our veterans have it made. I mean after all they get healthcare at the Veterans Administration so what else do they need. Well, let’s talk about the V.A. It was set up long before all the bureaucrat’s got involved and added red tape and confusion to the mix. There are records showing the first settlers, the Pilgrims, agreed to take care of the soldiers who were disabled during their fights with the Pequot Indians. It was their way of thanking them and seeing to it their families had what they needed.

Throughout American history there has always been some form of support for our disabled veterans in the form of pensions for the service to their country. As time went on it started to include medical care and even expanded the benefits to the family, widows and dependents of the veteran. As time went on Congress realized our veterans needed more help. They needed better care on their return home from war so they could continue to live productive lives so they introduced a new system after World War I which included disability compensation, insurance for service personnel and veterans, and vocational rehabilitation for disabled veterans. With this came the development of more bureaucracy with the introduction of the Veterans Bureau, the Bureau of Pensions of the Interior Department, and the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. Still this was not enough to handle what our returning soldiers were going through battle after battle which mean things needed to improve in order to give our veterans the care they not only needed but deserved.

Fast forward to today, to my own experiences with the V.A. and how they treat our veterans. My ex-husband was retired from the Navy when we met. He was having some problems with his stomach and of course being used to the military way of doing things he decided he would use the local VA to get checked. Well it’s not like your doctor’s office where you call the office in the morning and they see you by the afternoon. Nope, our veterans get to hurry up and wait yet again. It takes months to get an appointment and once you get there you sit in a room with everyone else who has the same date and time you have. So expect to spend the day.

When you finally get in to see the doctor who happens to be there that day you go through your list of ailments and they order the tests they want done but they don’t set up the appointments for you even though they are going to be done right in the same facility. Nope you go down the hall to schedule your tests. Now the first time I went with him and we had to go to another office to set up an appointment. We entered a room filled with about six desks all occupied with people who seemed too busy to even pay attention to us. The girl at the first desk asked us what we needed and he told her. 

She directed us to the woman to her left. As we were standing in front of this woman’s desk she was scurrying around while sitting in her office chair from the computer on her desk to the printer across the room, getting him the papers he needed to take with him the day of his tests. I, being the gullible person I am, thought how amazing this women was to be disabled and working so hard. As we left the office I turned to say something to him about it and couldn’t get over the look of surprise on his face as he cracked up laughing but before he could say anything to me this same woman came walking out of the office to go on her coffee break. She wasn’t disabled at all, just doing things the lazy way.  

Test after test was taken and they kept telling him there was nothing wrong. They had no idea why he was going through any of the symptoms he had and he did what the doctors told him to do. Each new appointment was three to four months out at least and by the time he went back he had a different doctor to see because the same doctors aren’t always at the V.A. they rotate in and out. I remember one doctor telling him there was nothing wrong with him and he needed to just get over it. This infuriated me because as I sat in the waiting room I listened to the other veterans who were sitting there who also served in the Gulf War. Every one of them had the same or similar complaints and every one of them was getting the same answer, nothing is wrong, go back to work. This upset me to no end so I did my own research and it didn’t take long for me to discover not only was the V.A. aware of these unexplained illnesses the veterans were suffering from but they named it, Gulf War Syndrome.

I was stunned no one talked to us about this since he had many of the symptoms which included fatigue, headaches, joint pain, indigestion, insomnia, dizziness, respiratory disorders and memory problems. Yet when we brought it up to a doctor on his next visit we were told there was no proof it actually existed.  No proof but there was an office full of veterans all suffering from the same or similar ailments. No one was listening to these veterans.

The idea of the V.A. is for doctors who are familiar with service member’s illnesses to be there to care for them. If that is the case then why are these doctors on constant rotation from other facilities and not employed by the administration so they get to know their patients? I know these doctors can only do what they can while they are putting their time in at the V.A. but it’s not fair to our veterans not to have the proper care.

I know so many people feel our veterans would be better off if there was no veteran administration hospitals but that’s not true because the average family doctor is not aware of what these veterans have been through. They have no idea of what they have come in contact with during their tour of duty that could be causing them the physical problems they are facing let alone the emotional stress they are under. Doctors who serve at the V.A. are made aware of what our service members have had to endure during their time served. Their military health records are on file for them to review but like anything else they are not always as caring as they should be and some end up clumping all together because they have heard it all before, day after day.

The problems with our VA started a long time ago and have only grown worse over the years. Now we have a President in office all of two months and people are expecting miracles demanding to know why he hasn’t done something about a system that has been busted and ignored for a long time. If you were to ask a veteran they will tell you nothing the government ever does for the betterment of the people will ever be done with the snap of a finger because the bureaucrats won’t allow it. They need to argue it to death before they can decide to back it or not because they have to see what is in it for them.

I believe fixing the Department of Veteran Affairs is one of the, if not the, biggest problems President Trump faces. Once again in my opinion, the problem is going to be weeding out who is actually there for the betterment of the veterans and who is there to line their own pockets. Over the years it has been reported that the VA health system is plagued with waste, fraud, and mismanagement.

President Trump’s first step in his plan to fix the VA is to nominate Dr. David Shulkin who was the undersecretary in the Obama administration which is a good idea because he is already aware of the problems which need to be fixed. Dr. Shulkin was sworn in as the Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary on February 14, 2017 and he has his work cut out for him.

The House just pasted H.R. 1259 which is the VA Accountability First Act of 2017 geared to institute necessary reforms at the Department of Veterans Affairs. It provides the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs the authority to remove, demote or suspend any VA employee for performance or misconduct. Which I cannot understand needing a bill for since he is the Secretary and is held responsible for Veterans Affairs. How could he do his job if the government ties his hands? As I read this bill I sat in shock that it even had to be passed because I cannot understand how the points covered in this bill were not already in the authority of the Secretary to begin with. How can you keep a department working correctly if you have no control over what is going on? Who was the one responsible for all of this in the past? Who watched over the fraud, waste, and corruption of the V.A.? Logical question since someone needs to be held responsible. So the person serving as the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs was more or less a figure head with the supervisors of different departments being in charge of the daily routine. That’s the way I see it since a bill had to be passed in order to give the Secretary the authority to do his job the right way. If that’s the case then the animals were in charge of the zoo and it’s no wonder things were turned upside down leaving the veterans to suffer.

Remember not every veteran is 100% disabled. They go to the VA so they can be treated for illnesses they received while on active duty but many still hold a job so to go and spend the day at the VA they are either taking a sick day from their job, a vacation day, or a day without pay. Trust me the few dollars the VA gives you back for your travel doesn’t help pay the bills if you lost a day’s pay to go sit in the VA, see a doctor, have tests ordered and start the process over because once the tests are back and they call you to make yet another appointment three to four months out. In the private sector we would never tolerate being treated that way. No one should ever be pushed aside and made to wait when their health is on the line and our veterans didn’t tell us to wait when they were called to serve. They did what they needed to do to protect us and we need to do whatever we need to do and see to it they are well taken care of. In the White House, right now, we have the right man for the job.

Here is a link to the page that shows the bill passes the house: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/115-2017/h168  on it you will be able to read the bill as well as see who voted for and against it. Remember those who voted against helping fix this mess when election time rolls around again.

We all need to get behind our President. He is working hard to do the job he promised he would do. He has already taken a step in the right direction to help our veterans. I am sure there is a lot more work to done here but I know he will not give up and I will stand behind him and support him every step of the way.

Thank you President Trump for working so hard to improve the lives of so many.

May God Bless America and May God Bless our veterans, past, present and yet to come. 

Communism, Socialism, Capitalism

What is Communism? I was taught communism is a system of government where a single party controls state-owned means of production with the aim of establishing a stateless society. I learned communism was both a political and economic ideology based on Marxism. A totalitarian system of government. What is a totalitarian system of government? My fifth grade history teacher, Ms. Mary Murray, would love me right now. A totalitarian system of government is an imposing form of government where the political authority exercises central control, complete power, over all aspects of life. In other words the state controls every aspect of a person’s life and you have no power to fight it, to make decisions for yourself. 

Many people think Communism just popped up one day but history will prove you wrong. It has been around for a long time. As a matter of fact the term communism was first defined by French philosopher Victor d’Hupay in 1777. In his book he pushes the philosophy of enlightenment to the principles he lived up to during most of his life. In his book he defines this lifestyle as a commune and advises to share all economic and material products between the people of the commune so everyone may benefit from everybody’s work. It does not say everyone must work to benefit.

So how does communism work today? We don’t live in a perfect world. We live with heartache and struggles. Families struggling to stay together, parents trying to find work to keep everyone together, food on the table and roof over their heads. A perfect world would provide just that including no sexism, racism or any other forms of oppression. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Well pipe dreams often do and with them come a price.

So let’s follow the ladder not up, not down, but into the middle where all is supposed to balance. Communism is a theory in which everyone in society receives equal shares of the benefits earned from labor. The idea is to allow the poor to rise up and gain financial and social status equal with the middle class. This would mean the wealth would need to be redistributed so that the members of the upper class, the educated, high paying workers, are brought down to the same financial and social level as the middle class. In a communist state no one can own their own business or produce their own goods because everything is owned by the state.

I don’t know about you but if I worked hard to earn a degree, struggled to move up the ladder, did all I could do to make life better for my family, I would not want to live in a state where I would then have to turn around and give it away to people who did little or less than I did but still get the same financial benefits from the fruits of my labors and the lack of theirs.

Next up Socialism, what is it? It is a Utopia where everyone in society is equal both socially and economically. Sounds good, once again, doesn’t it? So let’s take a quick look and of course you are always welcome to dig deeper because I am just scratching the surface. Even though there has been a theory for a very long time that the perfect society does exist there is no real idea of how to come about it. Lots of theory but nothing that has worked to date. You see in order to have the perfect society then everyone must cooperated in order for all to benefit.

What would the governments roll be in this socialist form of governing? Well they would be in complete control of production as well as distribution of goods. The reason being if the government is in control of everything it would eliminate competition between the people and put everyone at the same level. You know that dream of buying a house, you won’t have it because no need for you to own private property as far as the government is concerned. So the break down would be everyone receives equal earnings regardless of whether or not you go to work or stay home, have a high school diploma or a doctorate. Everyone has equal medical care, and any other necessities.

Socialism reared its ugly head in the United States in the early 1900’s but it’s growth here was hindered by the Espionage Act in 1917 which, in all honesty, came about due to our government’s fear of a communist way of life. Yet there are some programs in existence today in the United States that stem from the socialist inspired programs of yesterday. Remember socialism calls for the redistribution of wealth and that is done to the tax payers of the United States because the money they pay in taxes is redistributed to support a welfare system and Medicaid as well. Some would argue Medicare is also part of that system but the people who receive Medicare pay into it even when they are receiving it. It’s not just given to them. Still we have the freedom to buy a house, a car, work hard and keep the money we earn to support our families. In a socialist economy that would be lost. Your freedoms will be lost. Try protesting for that to be turned around.

Now let’s look at Capitalism. Capitalism is a free market, private property, which would include ownership of the means of production. Made in the USA once more sounds great to me. We have heard this a lot over the last year or so from President Trump.

If you live in a Capitalist society you live where those who work the hardest, study and move ahead, push to get it right and then push some more, get the best results, get more resources. The only way to keep a capitalist society going is to keep improving on it. To keep building up the resources, to create, develop, and produce what is needed. To improve on technology, agriculture, electricity and so on. Take that away and they system will fail.

How could a productive system fail? Take away tax which supports a government much needed to oversee the laws of the nation. It will knock society off balance by allowing the rich to get richer and the poor to remain where they are never being able to pull themselves up. There are reasons we have regulatory interference in corporations. It’s important so companies cannot build up monopolies and keep driving prices up, a lot like what is happening with healthcare confined within the states to date. If the market were opened and people could shop for the best quality then the price of health insurance would come down. Simple and easy, we all know it, but so many don’t want to admit it.

In my opinion in order for Capitalism to continue to work in this country we need to bring jobs back. We need to improve our schools and educate our children allowing them to use their creative minds once again. To teach them to think outside the box and not just within the internet. Allow them to explore and discover new ideas in order to be a creative and productive society. Help the entrepreneur start a business and not need to have $ 50,000.00 a year in profit already. If they had that they wouldn’t need the government to help them.

I grew up in a small town Belleville, New Jersey where we were proud of the fact the industrial revolution started right along the First River. Inventors like Thomas Edison worked hard to improve our quality of life. We have become a society of uninformed, lazy, do nothings because it’s easier to sit home and complain then go out and do something to improve your life. Think about all you wouldn’t have if Thomas Edison thought that way, then imagine all you can have if you just got up off your behind and worked for it.

I raised three children as a stay at home mom. There were times I had three and four jobs I did from my kitchen table till all hours of the night getting just enough sleep so I could take the kids to school and start fresh in a few hours. I was very proud when I started my business in my house and was finally able to open a store some six years later. For personal reasons that store didn’t work out but I never gave up. I am here pushing again, even at my age, to get yet another business off the ground. I am disabled, struggling, and unwilling to let anything keep me down. I know life isn’t easy and it would be great if all I had to do was get up in the morning and read a book, collect money from the government, and live out my life but then what kind of a message am I sending to my children and grandchildren?

The only chance for a free and balanced society is Capitalism in my opinion. These young people protesting they want this for free or that for free don’t get it. So they get free college because some socialist promises it will be a better life and they buy into it. Then they graduate college after 4 or more years of hard work and dedication to their field. They find a job and now they have to pay the huge tax bill pushed on them so they can now live not much better than they were when they were attending classes because the next group of kids have to go to school an those who just don’t want to, need to eat and live so they have to share their earnings to help them survive. Where is that balanced?

Nothing in this world is ever perfect and we can find fault with everything and everyone but our government was set up for the people to grow and prosper. We have freedoms other countries can only hope for. In my opinion, I don’t want to live in a society where the government tells me what to do and how to do it. I enjoy my freedoms, I enjoy my life. I have always struggled but it has taught me the value of life and not to expect things to be handed to me but for me to be diligent and work for it. I am proud of who I am and how I got to be me. Each step I took brought me closer to understanding what truly is important in life. My family first and always, then life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  

May God Bless America and help President Trump Make America Great Again.

The Travel Ban

So we don’t need extreme vetting, we aren’t being fair to people who seek refuge in this country, and the ban on travel is unconstitutional. These are things people have been saying but have they checked the facts or really listened to the people who know what they are doing and why, or are they doing the usual? Are they just listening to the whiners whine, kick up a fuss, and cause chaos or are they actually thinking for themselves? Are they remembering all we and other nations have lost at the hands of terrorists? I don’t see how they could be.

Looking back the terrorist’s attacks on our own soil between 1960 and 1969 there were 13 in that ten year span with the most memorable for many is the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. President Kennedy was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dealey Plaza in Dallas. While trying to escape Oswald also killed a Dallas police officer. The next decade was no better from 1970 to 1979 there were 16 terrorist attacks on U.S. soil with the two worst being in 1975 the bombing of LaGuardia Airport and in 1977 when Hanafi Muslims hijacked three buildings in Washington, D.C. taking 149 hostages. From 1980 to present time terror attacks on our soil have not lessened. There were eleven in the 1980’s, a staggering twenty two in the 1990’s, from 2000 to 2009 we were hit with twenty seven with the worst being September 11, 2001 with more than 2977 dead and over 6,000 injured. From 2010 to present day there has been a staggering forty one attacks on our soil. Granted they have ranged from bombings, hostage taking, suicide attacks, shootings, and assassinations but no matter what they are, they are still terror attacks be it foreign or domestic. True not all attacks resulted in the loss of lives or even injury but that doesn’t matter because someone is still out there trying to instill fear in the hearts and minds of the American people.

Over the last eight years there have been increased rioting in the streets, people have lost their homes, the businesses, all in the so called name of peace. I am sorry but that is domestic terror and no one should have to live that way. No parent should have to fear for their child’s safety because some spoiled brats wants to stamp their feet and hold their breath in order to change things in this country. If they really wanted to make a difference then they would find themselves a job and stop all this craziness.

How soon we forget the lives lost and changed forever on September 11, 2001. People are up in arms because we have a President who wants to put a hold on allowing people who cannot be vetted properly into this country. For all those who feel this is unconstitutional I have a question or two for you. Number one, can you tell me what you were doing the morning of September 11, 2001 when the first plane struck the World Trade Center? I know where I was and I know what I watched on television for the next week at least. I know men and women who volunteered to go and help at ground zero only to lose their lives later due to illness’ they got for their good deeds but that didn’t matter to them because their country needed them. Number two where in our Constitution does it say that people who are not American born, share the rights of our constitution? Nowhere, our Constitution states, “We the People” of this great nation. It does not extend our rights to anyone who is visiting or wishes to visit or is here illegally.

Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress the power to regulate immigration. In 1952, Congress passed a law empowering the president to deny entry into the U.S. to “any class of aliens” considered to be “detrimental to the interests of the United States.” In case you don’t get it that means a danger, threat, to America. It is true that in 1965 there was a subsequent immigration law that states no discrimination based on race, sex, nationality, place of birth or place of residence.

Once again we have become a nation of acceptance. We are more concerned with hurting people’s feelings then we are about the safety of this great nation. I may not be able to recall every last terror attack on our soil but to be honest even one attack over the last forty years is too much. The way this country pulled together after the attack on September 11, 2001 was classic America. Strangers helping strangers, no one questioning why just doing for the better good.

Now, we have a group of crybabies that want to know what’s in it for them instead of helping out where needed. Everyone suddenly feels they are entitled and that also means anyone who wants to enter this country has the right to do so regardless of our laws and security. No, it doesn’t work that way. There are laws for a reason. The laws set forth in our Constitution are for our protection, for national security.  Why would we suddenly open the doors and let anyone and everyone in?

Here’s a question for all you bleeding hearts, if we were to let in anyone who wants to come into this country without a job or a place to stay are you willing to open your door and allow them to stay in your home with you and your family? Would you be willing to allow them to stay with you, rent free, no job and as your responsibility to see to it they have everything they need just as if they were your child, your family? I think not! You know why you wouldn’t because you have no idea who they are or what they could get themselves into that you would now be responsible for. Let’s not even mention the fact you have no clue if they would cause any harm to you or your family. Your security would be in danger.

Well, that’s what is going to happen if we just keep opening the doors and allowing people in without the proper vetting and papers needed to be here legally. I do agree if someone has been in this country a long time and can prove it, has been an honest, hardworking person without a criminal record and has family ties due to having children born here, then let’s help them find a way to become legal in this country. Anyone with a criminal record no matter how minor, should be deported. I do not feel we should be easier on one than the other.

We, as a nation, need to stand together and stop letting the whiners bully their way to the front of the line just because they can, so they can be heard and all logic goes out the window. The mainstream media is never going to be happy with anything President Trump has to say or wants to do. My God, I listen to them during their news casts and they refer to him as Mr. Trump which is disrespectful since, newsflash folks, he won the election in November and was sworn in, in January. No you were not dreaming! It’s really time to wake up folks and come together for the good of all.

We have seen enough destruction on our soil and we don’t want to see anymore. Americans are a strong breed, we stand strong, together, and united. We have never run from a battle and we never will. The big mouths today who want to have their way have no idea what it is truly like to be an American. To all these followers out there I want to say the next time you stand in protest why not ask the person next to you to show his or her face instead of hiding behind their mask. They aren’t brave and fighting for a cause they are cowards and fighting to bring chaos and destruction to our land. Don’t allow yourself to be fooled, don’t trust anyone who makes promises to give you something for nothing. Those people out there destroying your neighbor’s property, business, and your neighborhood aren’t doing it for the good of this country. They are out there trying to push for our destruction and as a proud American I can tell you, it’s a fight they will lose.

I stand behind the travel ban not because I don’t want a certain class of people to come here but because I want those who are already here and those yet to come to remain safe and protected on the shores of these United States.

May God Bless America and show all those so easily fooled.