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During the Henry Gates Officer Crowley racial controversy there was a telling picture of Crowley assisting a disabled Henry Gates as both walked a few paces behind the ever haughty and imperious Barack Obama. As Obama was strutting before the cameras championing racial equality, the Officer, who had been portrayed as a racist by Gates, relinquished pride and exhibited compassion for his accuser. If what Michelle Obama professes is the truth and "actions speak louder than words," the picture of Crowley compassionately aiding and guiding Gates down the Rose Garden steps said a mouthful. Officer Crowley's empathy, as compared to...

In defense of Bill Clinton, their democrat president, the liberal media campaigned to convince Americans that character does not matter. In the midst of the Clinton scandals, I was shocked to hear even a minister say Clinton's affairs were a personal matter and did not affect his presidency. The media spin worked. An extraordinary man was featured on the Glenn Beck TV program, Jon Huntsman, founder of the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Asked by Beck to share, Huntsman told a tale of amazing integrity. In the 80s, Huntsman sold his business for 54 million dollars. The buyer's lawyers were slow. In...

Apologies to all of my FReeper friends for an extended absence from the forum. I have checked in now and then, and did not want to answer some pings and not others, so have merely participated in 'spectator mode' these past few months. I am offering the following as a Christmas wish for all of you -- some of whom I have known here for longer than ten years. Despite long silences over that time (often on both ends), I believe we all share a timeless common bond, formed by a love of country that will not die ... and...

"Leaders of high moral character are indispensable in the preservation of liberty. But in a democracy, is not the character of its leaders essentially a reflection of the character of its people? Leaders are elected by the people, albeit through an imperfect system that often obfuscates candidates' character, ability, and intent. Nevertheless, if the people elect leaders who lack the character to apply self-restraint, then the people are ultimately responsible for the results. To borrow a phrase from the technical world: "garbage in, garbage out." When candidates lacking character are elected, the results are predictable. The marble halls of Washington,...

- By Ian RansomThere's little doubt that many are disgusted by the subterfuge that accompanied the passing of the "Pelosi Care" bill. If you're like me, you might even feel a tad sick, even after the encouraging signs of revival in VA, NJ and, yes, NY 23, where the GOP lost a battle so that authentic conservatism might soon win the war, as it were. Sarah Palin's response to the bill via Facebook, however, is inspiring enough for all of us and remains a potent warning. Her point about how the nation is speeding to the point of unrecognizability is...

Generation Cynical Sarah Carlsruh, November 6, 2009 “Cynicism exists. It’s toxic,” said Michael Josephson at an October 29th presentation on “High School Character” at the National Press Club. Josephson is president of the Josephson Institute of Ethics (JIE), which recently released its study on the link between high school attitudes and subsequent adult conduct. In its study, the Institute found that “younger generations are significantly more likely to engage in all forms of dishonest conduct than those who are older.” This raises the question, is the study measuring the increasing moral degradation of society or simply the fact that older...

Note: The following text is a quote: THE BRIEFING ROOM THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary -------------------------------------------------------- For Immediate Release October 19, 2009 NATIONAL CHARACTER COUNTS WEEK, 2009 - - - - - - - BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION In communities across America, people are working together to see our country through challenging times -- educating our children, caring for the sick, and extending a hand to those in need. They remind us that the true character of our Nation is revealed by the good we do when the moment is...

(IsraelNN.com) Judge Richard Goldstone, whose recent United Nations Human Rights Council investigation purported to find evidence of Israeli war crimes in Gaza, once indicted a fictional Serbian character and a dead man for war crimes as well. As in Gaza, those indictments were also allegedly based on "eyewitness testimony." The problem for NATO forces in tracking down the serial rapist was that Gruban from Bijelo Polje, also known as Gruban Malic, is a fictional character. established by the United Nations in 1993. In 1995, one year into his term as chief ICTY prosecutor, Goldstone presented an indictment of several Serbs...

TAKE ACTION... Filling out the form on the right and sending a letter to the Department of the Interior is the next stage of the "Drill Here, Drill Now" campaign. Here’s why:

Suborned in the U.S.A.The birth-certificate controversy is about Obama’s honesty, not where he was born. By Andrew C. McCarthy Throughout the 2008 campaign, Barack Hussein Obama claimed it was a “smear” to refer to him as “Barack Hussein Obama.” The candidate had initially rhapsodized over how his middle name, the name of the prophet Mohammed’s grandson, would signal a new beginning in American relations with the Muslim world. But when the nomination fight intensified, Obama decided that Islamic heritage was a net negative. So, with a media reliably uncurious about political biographies outside metropolitan Wasilla, Obama did what Obama always...

Obama's biggest character flaw James Lewis The President of these United States recently expressed his love for "the Urdu poets," a piece of inspired BS that nobody in their right minds believed for a second. But then the P was narrowcasting to Pakistan, he thought, and Americans weren't supposed to be listening. Yet character is revealed in those little snippets of Obama's mind -- his glorious fantasy life, his everlasting hope that somebody will fall for another piece of schtick, and his essential fraudulence as a human being. Obama's biggest audience is himself, and no doubt he preened and pranced...

Candidate Palin has character problemGREGG ERICKSON Last Modified: June 27th, 2009 06:42 PM **SNIP** That's why it was so refreshing when Sarah Palin, a woman who had stood up against corruption in the Murkowski administration, made openness and transparency in state government a central theme in her 2006 campaign for governor. In November 2006 Palin defeated Murkowski. As Palin's first Juneau press conference as governor was breaking up, she called my wife and me aside. With apparent sincerity she asked us why we had had so much trouble getting public records from previous governors: "Why wouldn't they want you to...

I have to still believe in Santa Claus or how else would I be able to explain my receiving the following email. It was written by Muleshoe ISD’s Special Education Director, Brian Arnold. I read the email and then opened the attachment and found the message that he had written to the staff of Muleshoe ISD on the eve of school dismissing for the summer. A tear comes to my eye each time I read Mr. Arnold’s message. I knew immediately I wanted to share this with you but that permission had to be granted. I requested and received not...

The purpose of the Church and of Catholic education is to turn us into little Christs, to continue the process of our transformation in Christ that began in our baptism. How can Catholic schools help to develop, in both students and staff, the character of Christ. Sanctity is not reserved for a few. Jesus, by His Incarnation and death on the Cross, merited the means of salvation and sanctification for all who believe in Him. He did not give the precept "Be you perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" to a chosen group of persons. . . . He...

Last night, quite late in the evening, and on the show, the girl who has pledged to sell her virginity for the highest bid, convinced her to not "give it up" if a higher bid - individual or cumulative comes in to top the present $3.7 million offer that has been registered. Having done MANY interviews declining similar offers, Natalie Dylan (not her real name) has agreed to remain a virgin, and give ALL of the proceeds (that she had previously agreed to use towards graduate school) instead--to stopping the horrific practice of child sex trafficking.

The news reports seem to vary from day to day. Either condom-based sex education works, or it doesn't. Either abstinence should be the focus, or it shouldn't.But, according to government-supported research at the Heritage Foundation, one thing is clear: Teens who abstain from sex share some characteristics.The National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health identified eight personality and behavioral traits that were associated with both abstinence and academic achievement:• Future orientation, with a focus on long-term goals. • Willingness to postpone current pleasures for larger future rewards. • Perseverance, as in the ability to stick to a task or commitment. • A belief that...

Looking for this week’s classic American tale? Forget the rise of Barack Obama. It’s the fall of Flight 1549. There, lined up on the wings of a sinking plane like kids patiently waiting for the school bus, was the real America. Not to name any names, but there are those who believe American society is broken, that our national soul needs healing, that our citizens lack the character to even set our own thermostats. But I believe that the nation this unnamed person will be sworn in to govern on Tuesday is a much better place than many of his...

Don't let it be misunderstood. Those who serve in our nation's military espouse values that confuse the left, confound their purpose, and leave them unable to understand, much less resonate with our service men and women. This week I saw why.

DON'T CLOSE THE BLINDS Just please read and ask yourself what will you do when they come to your door? The other day, my nine year old son wanted to know why we were at war. My husband looked at our son and then looked at me. My husband and I were in the Army during the Gulf War and we would be honored to serve and defend our Country again today. I knew that my husband would give him a good explanation. My husband thought for a few minutes and then told my son to go stand in our...

I get a big kick out of Democrats insisting that the Republicans should concentrate on the issues instead of focusing on Barack Obama’s own words and affiliations. They call it negative campaigning. It reminds me of 1948 when the crowds would exhort Harry Truman to give the Republicans hell: “I don’t give them hell,” he replied, “I just tell the truth and the Republicans think it’s hell.” According to the Democrats, nobody is supposed to mention Obama’s hostility to his own white relatives; his black hate-mongering religious mentor; his political alliance with unrepentant terrorist Bill Ayers; his work with Saul...