Tag: United States

Wait! Aren’t these the Olympic Games-

~ JodiLea ~ 3 Comments

And not high school sports?… A Fallen Hurdle

I was speechless (and you know how rare that is…) when I read Steven Atwood‘s article supporting Lolo Jones.

I have taped the Olympic Games  since they started. Because hubby & I are trying to settle in to our new home, we have not been watching “live” or seen most of the events yet. I had no clue about Lolo’s publicity (most would call it media bashing), until now.

I am so confused.

To my knowledge, our country (and the media)  is diplomatic towards athletes competing for other countries. So now are we making fun of our very own?  Why are we tearing apart athletes that don’t crank out medals for the USA? These men and women are already crushed about this. They don’t need to read about how or why they “failed”. Failed? They made it to the OLYMPICS for crying out loud. Have you, ever?  In my book they have already made this country proud. And you shouldn’t try to take that away from them.

Shame on you!

I have some breaking news for the American press – Athletes are human beings too. They make mistakes, they have good and bad days, and even if they have a Gold medal they are nowhere even close to perfect.  Let’s say your middle-school English teacher got on the evening news and exposed your literary flaws and horrible spelling to the world? At one point she says, ” <your name here> was so awful at writing I thought English was a second language to him/her.”

Now people are laughing. They aren’t thinking “Wow! Look how much he/she worked to overcome illiteracy”. Of course the morning newspaper spreads the story, and your family members all over the country are now reading this. Colleagues give you a bunch of crap about it to amuse themselves, and the New York Times is digging up all kinds of skeletons in your backyard.

How are YOU feeling about now? Abused? Unappreciated? Wanting to bash the media – with a club?

Oops! Sorry about this rant, but I spontaneously combusted this morning – it could be the 103F temperatures we are having, or maybe this subject is too close to my heart. I ran track in high school. And, I loved running the hurdles. I sailed over them gracefully during practice, but would choke during the event. Coach explained to me that because I was so nervous, and my muscles so tight that I had to struggle to get over a hurdle and it destroyed my rhythm.

I had no idea the muscles he was talking about were my vaginal muscles.   I would have blushed for the rest of the school year had I known.  Good thing I was naïve, as well as a virgin…

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photo credit: aurelie_solenne via photo pin cc

We, The People

~ JodiLea

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These 3 words, mean much more than just the start of the preamble to the Constitution. Which is probably why the Founding Fathers wrote them so prominently…

We, the People.
Note that it does NOT proclaim: “We, the Senate” or “We, the Congress” or “We, the Republicans” or “We, the Democrats”. Nor does it say: “We, the Wealthy” or “We, the Middle-class”. “We, the Founding Fathers”  is not mentioned once.

Simply, People. Period. No buts.

Everyone of us has a stake in this country. We count. We matter. We get so mired in the politics and the warring “parties”, that we forget the beauty and simplicity of  “We, the People”.

So, in case you haven’t read it lately…

We, the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

A long sentence, and grammar check wanted to correct it, but I couldn’t have written it  better myself.

Happy Fourth of July!  American Flag

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To read the entire text:  Summary of Constitutional Rights, Powers and Duties

photo credit: Mr. T in DC via photo pin cc

I Don’t Remember Voting For That…

~ JodiLea

Is my memory getting bad, or did I miss the election where we voted about getting rid of “In God We Trust” on American money?

Wouldn’t there have  been a big hullabaloo months prior to voting? I do remember  how it was before we voted about gay marriage. So many phone calls, leaflets in the mail, TV and Radio ads. We were bombarded by everyone’s opinion every damned day.

Why didn’t hullabaloo happen about our money?  Because we the people didn’t get a say in the matter.  Something about separation of religion and government we were told. Oh poppycock! Our money doesn’t say “In Religion We Trust”. It has the word “God” on it.

When did “God” become an unmentionable word in the American language?  Hmmm… Oh wait – I know! When we started kissing the asses of every whiny group or organization that said America was infringing upon their right to not believe in Christianity– that’s when. How a dollar and change infringes anyone’s rights to their beliefs is puzzling to me, but by all means, let’s re-tool the mints and issue one dollar coins (because those Susan B. Anthony bucks were such a hit, ya know) that don’t have that word printed on them.

Why am I pissed off?  Because I learned how to say the pledge of allegiance in school, and we stood with our hands over our hearts and said it. Out loud. Every morning.  My granddaughters are denied the right to observe this American tradition. All because somebody was “offended”.

The ass kissing did not start, or stop at this trusting God on our money thing either.  America has been so busy trying to be diplomatic and not offending anyone, that we are infringing our own rights. We are shaping and changing our American traditions and culture to please others.

This scares me – a lot