Free Republic

A Des Moines girl was suspended after school officials said she violated their weapons policy. Jazmine Martin, 12, brought an empty shotgun shell to school on Monday, a souvenir from a summer vacation to South Dakota. The shell was empty and had the word "blank" written on the front.

"We don't believe that human nature is perfectible; we're suspicious of government efforts to fix problems because often what it's trying to fix is human nature, and that is impossible. It is what it is. But that doesn't mean that we're resigned to any negative destiny. Not at all. I believe in striving for the ideal, but in realistic confines of human nature... The opposite of a common-sense conservative is a liberalism that holds that there is no human problem that government can't fix if only the right people are put in charge. Unfortunately, history and common sense are not...

"Common Sense Tea Party" Rally held in Downtown Kenton Saturday. - News Dept. on 10:41:23 AM EDT A "Common Sense Tea Party" Rally was held in downtown Kenton Saturday. The Tea Party movement is a grassroots political movement. It carries many specific messages but primarily it believes in smaller government, lower taxes, and fiscally conservative government spending. Its name is derived from the Boston Tea Party but also is and achronim for "Taxed Enough Already". Organizers of the rally in Hardin County relayed these messages among others Saturday in downtown Kenton. Among those who spoke to people in attendance were...

Again I come to you with an article about Sarah Palin. My turnaround regarding the former governor is perhaps as perplexing to you as it is to me. It is certainly so that the paradigm shift in the national dialogue and the sudden urgency that has arisen in the conservative base about the proper role of government has produced something of a change in what I perceive as a proper strategy. It has forced me to reassess what the practical should and could be — and the question of ends and means. But it is more than this, I think....

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin emerged from a two-month absence from public view with a private talk, heavy on foreign policy, to a group of investors in Hong Kong. Palin was paid an undisclosed amount, said to be in the low six figures, for the 90-minute speech. She has said one of the reasons she resigned was to pay legal bills that have topped $500,000. The speech was closed to reporters, but Palin later posted lengthy excerpts on her Facebook page. "This speech had very little to do with advancing her political career and more to do with advancing her...

Remember when the self-proclaimed most powerful woman in the world, Nancy Pelosi promised the most “honest, most open and most ethical Congress in history." But Pelosi must believe that being honest and open has nothing to do with reading a bill before it is voting. Back in June, Congressional Republicans introduced H. Res 554. The bill's purpose is to amend the Rules of the House of Representatives to require that legislation and conference reports be available on the Internet for 72 hours before consideration by the House, giving the members and the public time to read the bill before it...

COMMON SENSE CONSERVATISM Written by Sarah Palin Thursday, 24 September 2009 [Text of speech delivered at the CLSA Pacific Markets Conference in Hong Kong on September 23, 2009] You can call me a common-sense conservative. My approach to the issues facing my country and the world, issues that we'll discuss today, are rooted in this common-sense conservatism... Common sense conservatism deals with the reality of the world as it is. Complicated and beautiful, tragic and hopeful, we believe in the rights and the responsibilities and the inherent dignity of the individual. We don't believe that human nature is perfectible; we're...

Quite a contrast with the rogues gallery on display at the United Nations!While liars, terrorists and Jew hating psychopaths (you figure out who was who) spoke from the platform of the United Nations on Wednesday, Sarah Palin was in Hong Kong delivering a long awaited speech to Asian investors. She surprised even her critics, including the New York Times, which reported: A number of people who heard the speech in a packed hotel ballroom, which was closed to the media, said Mrs. Palin spoke from notes for 90 minutes and that she was articulate, well-prepared and even compelling. Though the...

This is an excerpt of Bob Basso as Thomas Paine with "Common Sense" for America and his visit to Kansas State University. We invite you to listen and comment.

At noon, on Tuesday, September 8, President Barack Obama will deliver a "back-to-school" address to students. The 15-20 minute speech will be broadcast via the web and on C-Span. You can learn more about this event at http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/academic/bts.html. The White House and the U.S. Department of Education did not involve the Georgia Department of Education in the planning of this event. A letter inviting students to view the speech was sent directly to principals and local superintendents, not to the GaDOE. There is nothing in state or federal law that would require or prohibit a school from showing this speech...

MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexico enacted a controversial law on Thursday decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and other drugs while encouraging government-financed treatment for drug dependency free of charge. The law sets out maximum "personal use" amounts for drugs, also including LSD and methamphetamine. People detained with those quantities will no longer face criminal prosecution; the law goes into effect on Friday.

GLENN BECK’S ‘COMMON SENSE’, by Glenn Beck. (Mercury Radio Arts/Threshold Editions, $11.99.) Thomas Paine-inspired thoughts on government. (†)

Now is the time for all good capitalists to shop at Whole Foods. Not only will you get great produce, fresh meat, fish and healthy to-go meals, but you'll irritate those who think that President Obama's health-care plan isn't quite progressive enough. John Mackey, co-founder and chief executive of Whole Foods Market -- green missionary and exemplar of corporate compassion -- has riled hard-core reformers by endorsing free-market principles over government-managed health care. Well, knock me over with a wakame frond. (That's seaweed for you tofu-averse.) ...If you're unlucky enough to live in a city without a Whole Foods store,...

The environmental lobby is downright nutty out in California, as they have shut off the water wells for Farmers, all because of some idiotic fish. Congressman Devin Nunes (R) of the 21st congressional district in California has fought against this since it was enacted, pushing for legislation in Congress, which would turn the pumps back on, as with them off.....farms are drying up, a man made drought is occurring, and unemployment is through the roof.

Thomas Paine was a great American. Below are only a few of his remarkable words. I encourage all Freepers and Lurkers to read up on Mr. Paine and his works. Remember that our fellow American's were up against something worse that an arrogant president, and a leftist, marxist bunch of democrats. It should help to know that Thomas Paine's words are calling out in time, if we will only take the time, to read them and hear them. We are Americans, we are fighters, and we can overcome this bunch and win this battle. Thomas Paine wrote two hit classics:...

The Conservative Creed I got this in an email and it inspired me to register so I could share it. ---------------------------------------- The Conservative Creed. For a long time liberals in the media have been crowing that the Conservative movement has lost its way and needs "a new direction". I don't see what was wrong with our old one. I believe in the free market, competition, and entrepreneurship. I believe no small number of government programs don't work as advertised (or just don't work!) I believe this country would be a better place if we had fewer lawyers and more engineers....

I got this in an email and it inspired me to register so I could share it. ---------------------------------------- The Conservative Creed. For a long time liberals in the media have been crowing that the Conservative movement has lost its way and needs "a new direction". I don't see what was wrong with our old one. I believe in the free market, competition, and entrepreneurship. I believe no small number of government programs don't work as advertised (or just don't work!) I believe this country would be a better place if we had fewer lawyers and more engineers. I believe America...

Welcome to the GLENN BECK television thread...Shake the cobwebs out of your brain...We are another day closer to the REVOLUTION! All comrades, infidels, sick twisted freaks and lurkers are welcome and are encouraged to participate in the thread!

In my family I am an island, the lone conservative and sole person to ever vote Republican. This has resulted in few political discussions coming up in my presence. However, the other day while speaking to my mother — a devout leftist who regularly refers to the hosts of [1] MSLSD by their first names — the beltway sledge seeped into our conversation. I could not resist expressing disgust over the bizarre cult that has formed around our shallow and foppish president, Barack Obama. I wondered aloud why leftists seem uniformly incapable of criticizing any of their co-religionists. My mother...

ALBANY - The Dougherty County Commission voted unanimously Monday to reject all bids on the construction of a new Public Works building, including LRA Constructors Inc.'s low bid of $650,390, after County Attorney Spencer Lee recommended such action based on constitutionality issues. Lee outlined for the Commission the reasons for his recommendation, noting that a 2008 disparity study conducted by BBC Research & Consulting of Denver found that a system calling for minority-based participation quotas and "good-faith" efforts was unconstitutional under existing federal law.

COURT OVERTURNS SOTOMAYOR; SIDES WITH WHITE FIREFIGHTERS

The Merriam-Webster definition of "common sense" is pretty straightforward: "sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts." The phrase originated in 1726 — 50 years before Thomas Paine penned his pamphlet, "Common Sense," and gave voice to the rising sentiments of American colonists before the Revolutionary War. Glenn Beck, Fox News commentator and host of a talk show on TV and radio, thought perhaps it was time for America to have a little more Paine — which is why he penned a 21st century version of the "Common Sense" pamphlet.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – House Democratic leaders are furiously lobbying their members and moderate Republicans to support a landmark energy bill in the face of resistance from some conservative members of their own party, and staunch opposition from the GOP — roadblocks that are making it difficult to find the 218 votes necessary to pass the measure, according to Democratic leadership aides. A vote on the Clean Energy and Security Act, which would restrict emissions of green house gases and require use of alternative energy in an effort to slow the effects of global warming, is scheduled for Friday. The legislation's...

SAN DIEGO -- SNIPPET: "Wiseman isn't alone. Emergency supply retailers and military surplus stores nationwide have seen business boom in the past few months as an increasing number of Americans spooked by the economy rush to stock up on gear that was once the domain of hard-core survivalists."

Seriously, I've figured out a plan that I think will work. It should not upset Conservatives as it does not raise any taxes. And it should not upset Liberals as spending is not cut, nor are programs eliminated. Best of all, it's simplicity itself, insanely easy to calculate, model, and follow. Are you ready for it? Peg annual Federal budget increases to be no more than inflation plus population growth. Read more at my simple little website, Simply Shrug.

Oftentimes when I get into discussions about moral issues with folks who know of my zeal for the LORD, I get branded like I need scripture as a crutch - kinda’ like everything I believe has to come from the scriptures. While the scriptures are indeed the foundation of Christianity - Jesus building His church on the Rock and that Rock being Christ and Christ being the WORD based on John 1, we Christians also have to be able to make judgments based on our reasoning. There are some things that aren’t covered in the scriptures and then there are...

Talking taxes in D.C.? View article...

Nevada governor refusing to greet Obama View article...

Good fortune doesn't make you God View article...

Score one for the tea baggers View article...

WASHINGTON (AP) - House Democratic leaders are scaling back their plans to cut the gases blamed for global warming and to transition the country to cleaner sources of energy. Rep. Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Rep. Henry Waxman of California announced Tuesday the outlines of a deal that they said would ensure the legislation will please both environmental and industry groups and have the support of moderate Democrats on the House Energy Committee.

Is Samuel "Joe the Plumber" Wurzelbacher really quitting the Republican Party? That's what a new Time article on the current sad state of the GOP says. "Samuel Wurzelbacher, better known as Joe the Plumber, tells TIME he's so outraged by GOP overspending, he's quitting the party -- and he's the bull's-eye of its target audience," the article says....

(Note: David MacDonald is a Christian singer/artist who recently revealed that prior to his conversion he had been heavily involved in the gay lifestyle. Read his testimony here: www.GayTestimony.com) I hate to quote statistics, but Canada's largest gay paper XTRA recently reported that, "A group of six Canadian queers is taking on homophobia in Canada's healthcare system by filing a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission." Gens Hellquist, one of the complainants, is the executive director of the Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition. She explained at length her concerns about the health status of homosexual men and women in Canada,...

Today, we mourn the passing of an old friend by the name of Common Sense. Common Sense lived a long life, but died from heart failure at the brink of the Millennium. No one really knows how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He selflessly devoted his life to service in schools; hospitals, homes, factories and offices, helping folks get jobs done without fanfare and foolishness. For decades, petty rules, silly laws and frivolous lawsuits held no power over Common Sense. He was credited with cultivating such valued lessons as to...

It's Finally Happened Washington has totally lost its collective mind and is drowning in a sea of make believe that transcends common sense and even political correctness. I'm going back to Iraq later on in the year, and I can't wait to see what the young men and women in the military think about fighting the "Overseas Contingency Operation." They actually thought they were fighting the War on Terror, but their new Commander in Chief and the bunch of politically correct, pantywaist loonies who serve under him are afraid of offending Osama bin Laden or some other scum-sucking, head-decapitating terrorist...

Today, the U.S. Government is completely BROKE and we have current spending plans that will double total U.S. debt in 5 years and triple it in 10 years. Does this make sense? Obama's proposed spending on a Global Warming Cap & Trade system + federal government managed Universal Healthcare + Dept. of Education run Universal Pre-k to College Entitlement for all will cost more than 7 TRILLION dollars and all three of these federal spending categories are brand new budget items, having nothing to do with mortgage defaults, Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae fraud, AIG, Credit Default Swaps, Karl Rove, George W....

Published online 4 March 2009 We cannot live by scepticism alone Harry Collins1 Harry Collins is director of the Centre for the Study of Knowledge Expertise Science at Cardiff University, UK. He is currently working on a book about tacit and explicit knowledge. Email: collinshm@cf.ac.uk Top of pageAbstract Scientists have been too dogmatic about scientific truth and sociologists have fostered too much scepticism — social scientists must now elect to put science back at the core of society, says Harry Collins. J. TAYLOR The term 'science studies' was invented in the 1970s by 'outsiders', such as those from the social sciences...

Congressman Proposes Bill: No Gitmo Detainee May Set Foot on U.S. Soil Tuesday, March 03, 2009 By Michael W. Chapman, Managing Editor (CNSNews.com) – Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) has introduced a bill that would prevent any of the detainees in the soon-to-be-closed Guantanamo Bay prison from being allowed into the United States. Back on Jan. 22, President Barack Obama issued an executive order mandating the closure of the prison, known as Gitmo, within 12 months. Gitmo holds nearly 250 enemy combatants from the war on terrorism. With the question in mind of where those prisoners will go, Rep. Shadegg introduced...

The Gods of the Copybook Headings AS I PASS through my incarnations in every age and race, I make my proper prostrations to the Gods of the Market Place. Peering through reverent fingers I watch them flourish and fall, And the Gods of the Copybook Headings, I notice, outlast them all. We were living in trees when they met us. They showed us each in turn That Water would certainly wet us, as Fire would certainly burn: But we found them lacking in Uplift, Vision and Breadth of Mind, So we left them to teach the Gorillas while we followed...

This obituary was sent to me today. An Obituary printed in the London Times - Interesting and sadly rather true. Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: - Knowing when to come in out of the rain; - Why the early bird gets the worm; - Life isn't always fair; - and maybe it was...

It’s like taking a bucket of water from the deep end of a pool and dumping it into the shallow end. Funny thing—the water in the shallow end doesn’t get any deeper.

« next » Cutting CostsHow A CEO Can Live On $500K A Year By Chris Walters, 2:50 PM on Tue Feb 10 2009, 11,256 views The New York Times breaks down the annual expenses of your average Fancy Pants Executive Type who lives in Manhattan. Private school: $32,000 a year per student. Mortgage: $96,000 a year. Co-op maintenance fee: $96,000 a year. Nanny: $45,000 a year. We are already at $269,000, and we haven't even gotten to taxes yet. As relatively poor people, we think we can help. Here's the Times-supplied expenses and our suggestions on where to cut...

Solution to crisis at the Bank of England: Female staff should wear lipstick and high heels By DAN NEWLING 02nd February 2009 A Bank of England summit held to tell women what to wear has been condemned as sexist As Britain plunges into its worst recession for 70 years, the economic superbrains at the Bank of England have been asking some searching questions. But while the vital issues of interest rates and bank bail-outs may have exercised the minds of many financial high-fliers, others have found time to turn their thoughts to an even more pressing agenda. Like ‘should I...

America voted to fill the halls of Washington DC government with what they consider to be our nation’s “greatest intellectuals,” political progressives. But they had best not confuse intellect with intelligence, or they will be sadly disappointed by the ignorant decisions already evident in the new Washington elite… (snip) Washington DC Needs a Transfusion of Intelligence We’ve had all the intellect we can afford! I refer to the new generation of intellectuals as the “arrogantly ignorant.” They have no idea what they are talking about, but they are damn sure of themselves, just the same. Today’s example of intellect over...

Excuse me, Mr. Obama...but... Traveling on business this week in California. Tonight, in my "down time" which is short and usually late and followed by hotel room-service dinners and flopping on the bed for 30 minutes from sheer exhaustion after driving from Santa Maria, to Orange County, I wiled away the minutes tonight by watching pundits on politics, news, and surfing related sites. OK, I heard something like this on the radio earlier today. It was a caller into one of those "right wing conservative" radio shows, which will be banned in the near future by the "fairness" doctrine -...

A Common Sense Solution to the Piracy ProblemThe recent terrorist rampage by Islamic supremacists in Mumbai shows that India's strict gun control laws work--for vicious Islamic supremacist terrorists. Even many of India's police were armed only with lathis, or bamboo sticks, and they learned the hard way that it is a bad idea to bring a bamboo stick to a gunfight. The epidemic of piracy off the Somali has underscored the same lesson for the world's merchant marines and passenger cruise lines: gun control works for pirates, corsairs, and buccaneers who freely ignore laws against the possession of destructive devices...

Worried about their jobs and warned that the cost of failure could be a depression, hundreds of leaders of the United Auto Workers voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to make concessions to the struggling Detroit Three, including all but ending a much-derided program that let laid-off workers collect up to 95 percent of their salaries Union leaders also agreed to let the cash-starved automakers delay billions of dollars in payments to a union-administered trust set to take over health care for blue-collar retirees starting in 2010. In addition, they decided to let the Detroit leadership begin renegotiating elements of landmark contracts signed...

Could the polls be wrong? Sen. John McCain and his allies say that they are. The country, they say, could be headed to a 2008 version of the famous 1948 upset election, with McCain in the role of Harry S. Truman and Sen. Barack Obama as Thomas E. Dewey, lulled into overconfidence by inaccurate polls. "We believe it is a very close race, and something that is frankly very winnable," Sarah Simmons, director of strategy for the McCain campaign, said yesterday. Few analysts outside the McCain campaign appear to share this view. And pollsters this time around will not make...

Good evening everyone!McCain /Palin are coming to n. OHIO again on Wed!McCain gave an excellent interview on Fox News Sunday, the U.S. Secret Service is reported to be angry about the Obama campaign unsubstantiated claims of death threats at a McCain rally last week, and the 7th game of the ALCS is tied in the 5th. 1

My parents told me about Mr. Common Sense early in my life and told me I would do well to call on him when making decisions. It seems he was always around in my early years but less and less as time passed by. Today I read his obituary. Please join me in a moment of silence in remembrance, for Common Sense had served us all so well for so many generations. Obituary Common Sense Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure...