TonyRo76
Since May 30, 2002
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TonyRo76
Since May 30, 2002
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American by birth. Patriot by choice. Christian by grace.
The "76" in my handle refers to the birthdate of our beloved Country, 1776. It also recalls my first childhood memory of any major public event: America's bicentennial celebration in 1976. At that time my folks explained to me what it all meant, and I've been an enthusiastic Patriot ever since!
Above all things, I'm a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. He knows I'm not perfect, but by His grace I'm forgiven. To Him be all glory, praise and thanksgiving!
I believe God conceived and blessed the United States of America as a special Country, a nation born with a mission to bring the light of freedom and opportunity to all humanity.
I believe the Holy Bible and the U.S. Constitution both mean what they say, and say what they mean. I consider neither one open to whimsical interpretation by liberal scam artists—especially the ones in fancy robes.
As a conservative, I support Constitutionally-limited government, tiny taxes, personal freedom and responsibility, and our Judæo-Christian moral heritage.
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I believe government serves only at the pleasure of God as His earthly surrogate, an instrument of justice to punish wrongdoing and restrain the human taste for evil. As Americans we are blessed to have a federal government set up by Us the People, under social contract to preserve the freedom God gave us by [1] defending us in war, [2] preserving order, and [3] administering justice. It really doesn't need to do anything else, thanks.
I believe private property is the cornerstone of economic freedom, and capitalism is the best economic system ever devised. It leaves people at liberty to use their gifts, contribute to society, and reap material prosperity in return.
Accordingly, I believe free enterprise can do nearly every domestic task better than government can. This includes the mail, the arts, education, retirement, broadcasting, transportation, infrastructure, energy and the environment. It also means overseeing the quality of goods and services; tending to the sick; caring for the elderly; feeding and clothing the poor, and other charitable endeavors. I think the huge government bureaucracies that purport to do all these things are completely unnecessary, and usually do more harm than good. And in case anyone was wondering, they're also unconstitutional!
I believe the Second Amendment is the ultimate guarantee of our rights listed in all the other Amendments.
I believe "man-made climate change" is a total hoax. The pretext of protecting "fragile Mother Earth" from human activity is just another ploy by liberals to take away our freedom, impose new laws & taxes, and tell us what personal choices we must make. I ♥ my SUV! I like nice glowy incandescent lightbulbs, too. And BBQ grills. And wood-burning fireplaces...
In the interest of protecting our liberties and restraining the unchecked growth of government, I'm a proud supporter of the current Tea Party movement. Let's party like it's 1773!
Thanks for stopping by my homepage here on FreeRepublic. This is a great site, and a community I'm pleased to be part of. I appreciate all the folks here who've shared their wisdom with me. God bless Jim Robinson for getting it all started!
Some Awesome Quotes
“The Bible is the rock on which our Republic rests.”
—Andrew Jackson
“If men will not be governed by God, they will be ruled by tyrants.”
—William Penn
“It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded ... on the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
—Patrick Henry
“Our Constitution was made only for a religious and moral people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.”
—John Adams
“Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God?”
—Thomas Jefferson
“Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.”
—Benjamin Franklin
“To the kindly influence of Christianity we owe that degree of civil freedom, and political and social happiness which mankind now enjoys.”
—Jedediah Morse
“No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people.”
—Noah Webster
“A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.”
— Theodore Roosevelt
“Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.”
—Ronald Reagan
“We do not need more intellectual power, we need more moral power. We do not need more knowledge, we need more character.”
—Calvin Coolidge
“The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in a period of moral crisis remain neutral.”
—Dante Alighieri
“When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber.”
—Winston Churchill
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!”
—Psalm 33:12 ESV
“A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left.”
—Ecclesiastes 10:2 ESV
“[W]here the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
—2 Corinthians 3:17b ESV
“I would keep as much money in the treasury as the safety of the Government required, and no more. I would keep no surplus revenue there to scramble for...”
—James Knox Polk
“Collecting more taxes than is absolutely necessary is legalized robbery.”
—Calvin Coolidge
“If you pay people to be poor, you're going to have a lot of poor people.”
—Milton Friedman
“The winner of the Democratic primary is always the candidate who does the best impersonation of an American.”
—Ann Coulter
“Men occasionally stumble across the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.”
—Winston Churchill
“Man is not free unless government is limited.”
—Ronald Reagan
“Atheism and socialism ... are inseparable entities.”
—Jesse Helms
“I reject the kind of naive, wishful thinking that makes every delinquent a victim of society and every riot a social problem.”
—Nicolas Sarkozy
“Who ever said that it is the responsibility of government to make life easy?”
—Jim Geraghty
“I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born.”
—Ronald Reagan
“You shout four letter words at me; well,
I have two for you: S-O-A-P and W-O-R-K.”
—George Wallace, speaking to some hippies
“The income tax created more criminals than any other single act of government.”
—Barry Goldwater
“Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself.”
—Milton Friedman
“Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem.”
—Ronald Reagan
“With freedom comes responsibility!”
—Mr. Sharp, my 6th grade teacher
  
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“All the news that's fit...” for what??
We live in the so-called Information Age. What we think of as "the media"—the organs of mass communication—are vital vehicles for disseminating information throughout our society. But is the information that's being placed out there all equally useful? Or valid? Or even true?
It almost goes without saying, but I'll repeat it here anyway: Consider the source! Where news originates, now more than ever, is almost every bit as important as the content itself.
The Old Media—ABCNNBCBS, the New York Times, Washington Post, etc.—are staffed for the most part with urban, coastal elites. Many of them have a clearly palpable contempt for middle America. They dislike our country's traditions and institutions, and the people who make it great! This bias is pretty common currency among the glittery chattering classes in our society.
While everyone's entitled to an opinion, it's plainly evident the Leftist attitudes of these media elites have a way of spilling out like sewage into the pages and broadcasts of their "news." This results in an information stream that's poisoned with their particular prejudices. Yet they always claim to be objective? Hmm...
Is there a better way for normal, patriotic Americans to find out what's going on in the world around us?
Well, of course! For news that's relevant, useful and honest, check out...
And now, some stuff for my fellow Christians...
Are you a believer seeking to fellowship in a good church that teaches all the sound, Biblical doctrine the Apostles taught?
Sadly, many historic churches these days have abandoned basic truths—including the Divine creation of the world; our human sinfulness and need for a Savior; Christ's atoning work for us at Calvary; and even the factual reality of His Resurrection!
Such heresies stem from a failure to recognize the authority of God's inerrant, written Word.
Not surprisingly, these misguided church bodies are the ones whose leaders, professing "tolerance" above all else, are condoning sins like homosexual sodomy and abortion. And under the rubric of "modernity" they're willing to incorporate man-centered utopianism, New Age thought and other worldly doctrines into the church's message. They have substituted secular social activism for the genuine Great Commission.
If you are currently in one of these egregiously errant denominations, and you're fed up with liberal lies and heretical hogwash purveyed in the pulpit, then take heart my friends! Check out...
| If you prefer a church that is... | But you're tired of all the heresy and psychobabble in the... | You'll be delighted with the solid Christian teachings of the... |
| PRESBYTERIAN or REFORMED |
Presbyterian Church, USA (PCUSA) | Presbyterian Church in America Orthodox Presbyterian Church Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America United Reformed Churches in North America Reformed Church in the United States More good Presby/Reformed groups can be found here. |
| LUTHERAN | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) | Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod Evangelical Lutheran Synod Association of Free Lutheran Congregations American Association of Lutheran Churches North American Lutheran Church |
| ANGLICAN | Episcopal Church, USA (ECUSA) | Anglican Church in North America |
| CONGREGATIONAL or INDEPENDENT ("non-denominational") |
United Church of Christ (UCC) | Conservative Congregational Christian Conference Churches of Christ (also here and here) Evangelical Free Churches Evangelical Covenant Church Countless other non-denominational churches that preach the Word – check local listings. |
| To All Christians: The True Church (the actual family of Christ's followers everywhere) is invisible to us, seen only by the LORD Who in His wisdom can read our hearts. So while being mindful of Paul's advice to the believers at Corinth, please remember that sincere and faithful believers, as well as godly and dedicated pastors, can be found in any church—even those belonging to errant and corrupt denominations. Likewise, there are also liars and hypocrites to be found in any church—even among the “good” denominations. |
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| To Catholic & Orthodox Christians: My omission of Roman and Eastern liturgical churches here is not intended to be insulting in any way. Since Catholic and Orthodox churches do not teach sola scriptura, it seems that whether or not a church is solidly Biblical would be less crucial to folks in your faith traditions...that's all! :-) | ||
And just why is the Bible so important, you ask?
“For God so loved the world...”
Check it out!
Oh, and while we're at it...check out a really good English translation of the Bible here:
And now, some stuff for prospective college students...
Are you looking to further your education with a college degree, but not quite sure where to go?
Higher education in America can be a real minefield for young people. Most schools nowadays are controlled by the most radical elements of our society: old hippies who wallowed in the mud at Woodstock, marched for Maoism and Marxism, and burned everything from bras and draft cards to Old Glory and their own minds (on acid). Now "grown up"(?) and living a life of ease as tenured professors or college administrators, they're striving shamelessly to pass on their decadent, collectivist worldview to future generations.
Personally, I went to a very liberal Jesuit school with a faculty full of pompous elitists. Yet their efforts to "reconstruct" me not only failed, but actually steeled my patriotism and conservative views all the more.
Maybe you're up for the challenge of a four-year tussle with condescending ivory-tower leftists like I had, as preparation for life's battles ahead. If so, I commend you and encourage you to stand firm in your beliefs!
But looking back, it might've been nice had there been a resource where I could find the following information when I was 17. For a great education that actually nurtures your foundational values, check out...
| Naturally, the best schools in America are the Christian ones. But there are other terrific schools as well. |
| First stop for a superior education rooted in God's Word: The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU). The CCCU's 115 Christ-centered member institutions They include such famous schools as: |
| Some more outstanding schools, highly recommended: Liberty University Ashland University Samford University Grove City College Harding University Hampden-Sydney College Patrick Henry College Hillsdale College University of the Cumberlands St. John's College George Wythe College Virginia Military Institute The Citadel |
| There is also a wealth of information about good colleges (and bad ones, clearly identified) available from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, which has been working "to educate for liberty" since 1953. |
| To All Students: To be successful in life, a college degree is no guarantee. For unfettered happiness in your life's work, I believe the best recipe is passion. Doing whatever it is that you love to do, you'll find the rewards accrue naturally. College merely arms you with knowledge and discernment for the rest of your life. Which brings me to one last thing... For true wisdom, there is no better place to look than to Jesus Christ—the Seat of all wisdom and truth. No academic degree from any school in the world can ever match that! |
And now, some stuff for freedom-lovers everywhere...
Want to show the world exactly where you stand, and at the same time really irritate your favorite pinko-commies? Be sure to check out some of the best conservative gear here on the following links...
And now for those medically inclined, here's a quick neuroscience lesson...
In loving memory...
Ronald Wilson Reagan
1911—2004
Fortieth President of the United States
...and one of the all-time greatest!
Tradition-minded and loaded with historic charm, my hometown is considered the gateway to Ohio's Appalachia. It's where the hills start and all the modern "metro" stuff stops. Life moves at a comfortable pace. People are friendly and wave to strangers. Agriculture is alive and well. Boy Scouts, FFA, the American Legion and 4-H are thriving. European luxury cars are a rare sight. You're not considered weird for going to church or driving an old pickup truck. Hard work doesn't scare anybody. Even the Episcopalians there are fairly conservative! And yeah, my home county has voted Republican in every presidential election since the '60s, by nice fat margins. I miss home.
What does this flag really represent?
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In certain corners of our society, ignorant morons have co-opted the Rebel Flag to symbolize the supposed superiority of people with European ancestry or light melanin content. This is a distortion of history, and has nothing to do with the true heritage of the South.
In response, perpetually-offended liberals have made the Rebel Flag a target of their incessant whining and unhinged vitriol. Professional profiteers of the racial grievance industry, PC groupthink enforcers of academe, and mainstream media brownshirts have all called for the Rebel Flag's censorship.
All in all, these flag flaps could hardly be more misguided.
To me, the Rebel Flag stands for states' rights, self-determination, honor, courage, and bold defiance against authoritarian government. It's also a historic symbol of Southern heritage—a heritage in which I proudly share.
The Rebel Flag is a symbol under which Americans of the past fought bravely for their homes and families, against the growth and intrusion of a Leviathan bureaucracy on the Potomac. In that respect, lovers of individual freedom everywhere suffered a huge setback at Appomattox, as the meddlesome Nanny State in D.C. has grown with little hindrance ever since.
Long may the Rebel Flag fly. Deo Vindice!
A few personal details? Well OK, why not...
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One of the greatest blessings God has given me in life: a wonderful family. As rare as this seems nowadays, I try never to take any of them for granted.
I'm a huge fan of country music. I find it sincere, straightforward and timeless, while most of the artists are themselves God-fearing Patriots. While it's not the only music I like, country is definitely my favorite. Until I figure out a way to embed it directly into my page here, you can enjoy a few of my favorite tunes by clicking this link!
I'm a total football fanatic! It's the best sport ever invented, and one of the few reasons I find it necessary to own a television. And yes I'm talking real, American football—not that dopey game we call soccer.
I enjoy and support the responsible use of adult beverages. I see it as a matter of Christian liberty. It's hard to beat a finely-crafted brew or a good aged Bourbon whiskey. But while I'm not a teetotaler by any stretch, this is one area (unlike conservative politics) where moderation is actually a good thing!
I work as a writer in marketing communications. For obvious reasons, I tend to avoid the whole topic of politics at work ;-)
 My Roots  Paternal: I'm a 3rd generation American. Ancestors from Italy, early 1900s via Ellis Island. Stood in line, waited their turn, followed U.S. laws, learned the Constitution, and spoke English!!! Became proud Americans, fought in WWII, helped U.S. lay the smackdown on Mussolini. Maternal: I'm a 9th generation American. Ancestors from Scotland via Ulster, 1740s (Scotch-Irish). Settled in North Carolina, later fought in the Revolution. Other than that, mostly farmed the land, preached the Gospel, fanned out across the South, and raised lots of young'ns. |
My favorite sports teams:
| Your Political Profile: |
 Social Issues: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal Personal Responsibility: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal Fiscal Issues: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal Ethics: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal Defense and Crime: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal |
“The name of American, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism.”
—George Washington
And finally this...you can annoy a socialist today
by supporting FreeRepublic!!!
 Thank you for stopping by to visit! May God's peace be yours... ~TonyRo76 |
