Hiatus: I’ll be back…

I know I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus lately, but look at the title of the blog, College Conservative!  Yeah, it’s exam time and the semester is winding down.  I’m kind of shutting down any thoughts of politics and that of a social life, but I promise I’ll be back beginning in 2 weeks!  I’ve got plenty to talk about.  I’ll also be moving into my new apartment on campus in January, so I’ll have plenty of time to spend with the wonderful world of bloggers.  See you soon.

Hey, don’t forget! –> Just to give everyone a heads up…there are more items available for sale at the College Conservative Shop.  Looking for holiday gifts that are high quality AND cheap?  Look no further, we’ve got plenty of items for Republican and Conservative friends alike.  Here’s the site:

http://www.cafepress.com/educonservative

It’s Here: We have an apparel shop!

I am pleased to announce that College Conservative has launched a new apparel shop through Cafe Press.  The very 1st item is up and ready for sale.  You can find the shop at http://www.cafepress.com/educonservative.  1st item is Obama Care: It’s to die for – Trucker Cap.  It’s on sale now for $12.99!  Get them while they last.  More items to be up soon.  Be on the lookout!

#1 Post: Obama Not Saluting Flag

This blog has been in the works for a few years now.  In the beginning I wanted to simply talk about political issues.  Of course, the blog is still about those issues, but I have noticed a trend in my own rants and writings.  It seems like every single post is about Barack Obama.  There’s nothing wrong with this in my opinion, I have simply noticed that all of my “dashboard stats” have come from one single post.  My most popular post is about Obama not saluting the flag.

Why is this the most interesting one to my readers, or those who just happen to come across this blog?  For me, my favorite blog update was about the woman who called into the radio station and admitted voting twice.  I know, it’s not about what I like.  So, I’m trying to get this image of Obama not saluting the flag of these United States of America out of my head, but it’s not happening.

In the post that I am writing about now (strange thing it is to write about something you wrote about) I also mentioned that Obama said he would not wear an American flag lapel pin.  Has anyone else noticed what he wears on his left lapel?  Right, its “that thing” which he said he would not wear.  He mentioned something about him not having to wear a flag to symbolize his patriotism.  I guess Michelle Obama wasn’t so shut-mouth about her patriotism saying, “For the first time in my adult life…”.

What’s the point?  I have not point.  Why have you been reading this?  Well, I guess that if you read this far you may be interested.  Can anyone show me a picture of Obama saluting a flag?  I would be interested to see it.  I wonder if he’s changed a lot of his beliefs since being in the White House?  Well, I hope he does.  We’ll see what the next 3+ years delivers us.

Glenn Beck: Center of Controversy

Facebook is a great resource of networking.  That would be me stating the obvious.  However, I like to think of Facebook more like a platform.  A platform to share information.  Whether your information is about your dog spot, your daughter’s piano recital, your favorite sports team, or in my case your political views.

As of right now I have 777 friends on my Facebook page.  Do I expect all of my friends to share the same opinions on issues?  No, of course not.  I like to use both this blog and my Facebook to vent a little bit about our current government.  Today in my Mass Media Law and Ethics class, my professor discussed “sedition.”  I figured this would be the appropriate time for me to chime in on my blog.  Back in the late 18th century, you could be thrown in jail for sedition (Alien and Sedition).  I turned to a classmate and my best friend and asked, do you think I would be thrown in jail?  He proceeded to tell me I would be killed.

Was this a wake up call?  More recently, I have heard rumblings of banning “sedition” and fining bloggers for anything that they say against the government.  Events leading up to this moment have caused me to believe that this may happen.  Remember the White House posting an email address on their site for citizens to email them with concerns of other citizens being “confused” about health care?  ”Confused?”  This sounds very similar to SS Police in Nazi Germany.  First Amendment rights?  Has Obama cared about anything else in the Constitution?

Okay, so let’s reel the Facebook topic back in.  Why did I bring up Facebook in the first place?  Well, in the past few weeks, many of my friends have commented on various statuses of mine claiming that I was being “hateful, narrow-minded, and a bigot.”  Wow, such harsh words.  Obviously, I was not deterred.  The point I want to make is not simply that of a political statement but more along the lines of FREEDOM OF SPEECH.  That is my Facebook page.  If you find something that I say offensive then don’t comment on it.  Do not be my friend.  I don’t hate you, I just wish you would take into consideration the Freedoms of our Constitution.

Call me a crybaby, if you will, but enough is enough.  I have spent countless hours in the past repairing my “reputation” and defending my arguments.  I shouldn’t have to defend myself on my own page!  I completely understand that if I post something on someone else’s wall or status that I should be prepared to explain my thoughts and theories.

Oh, the woes Facebook has brought upon us.  So, anyone of my Facebook friends that reads this needs to understand my ranting and raving.  It’s my status, wall post, link sharing capability, and note.  If you don’t like something I say don’t be my friend or ignore it.  Trust me, there are plenty of things that you say that equally make me angry.

Status that inspired this blog post:  “Mike loves Glenn Beck and doesn’t care what you people think.”  This was in response to another status that said, “I….freaking….hate….Glenn Beck!!!”

Political Babblings…

As I begin blogging in the wee hours of the morning my thoughts are scattered, my mind racing, and my stomach in knots.  I get so worked up when talking about politics with those who disagree with me.  Many of my friends would say I have an authoritative voice, a “big personality”, if you will.  So how can someone like me go “tight-lipped” when having a good political discussion online?  That answer still haunts me.  This blog has become my outlet, my one source of true political friendship.  I have many friends who agree with me on my various political views.  In fact, I would go so far to say that a good majority of my friends share the same views.  I am a firm believer in having political debates to sharpen ones own beliefs.  Sitting in my college classes I can have a great talk with another student and many times seem to “win” or have closure on the discussion.  Rambling a bit at this point, but I’m reeling it back in.  I was online tonight, Facebook to be more exact, and one of my friends made a comment about a prominent television talk show host.  Of course, it was against my liking, otherwise, why would I choose to blog?  I began to say how I felt about the matter.  Suddenly, it seemed like all out war.  I couldn’t get my point across.  I felt like I was being scrutinized by the entire Facebook community.  My brain and typing fingers began to shut down.  Was I backing down from the argument?  No, I don’t think so.  Then what was going on?  Maybe it was the emotion that I like to put into my discussions.  I felt like typing an “argument” at this point would be meaningless.  So, why am I boring you with this blog?  I don’t know, but if you’re tired of reading you can click the little “x” in the top right hand corner.  In all seriousness, I think this is why I choose to blog.  My blog is a place where I can share my feelings and not have to deal with anyone yelling at me.  Do I like political debates and people yelling at me?  Of course, it makes politics more interesting, but every once in a while I need to unwind.  I need to pour out the very being of what’s being placed upon my heart.  I have typed 400 or so words at this point and it seems like my thoughts are scattered, and they very well may be.  Often times when I get up to give a speech I feel like my thoughts are in left field, then somewhere around home plate.  During those speeches I generally make a lot of sense, but I don’t feel like it.  Maybe this is one of those times.  What I am trying to say is this: We all need an outlet.  We need something or someone that we can go to and share our thoughts.  A blog works for me.  Maybe it doesn’t for you, but try to get your feelings out there.  I sincerely believe that our country is changing fast, and not for the better.  Why are we so much different today then we were in the past?  I will tell you why.  Citizens of this great nation are shutting their mouths.  We have allowed our leaders to dangle treats in front of us when they want something from us.  We play dead, we roll over, we sit, and we stay for our politicians.  It’s about time that we take this country back.  Who’s with me?

Michael Jackson’s Death > Yours

Read exactly like it looks.  Michael Jackson dying is more important than your own death, or anyone’s for that matter.  On the eve of Jackson’s memorial service at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California seven soldiers were killed in Iraq.  Tuning into all major network televisions including CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, and ABC News I heard nothing of the sort.  In fact, several people have died over the past few weeks.  Have we heard as much about them as we’ve heard about the self-proclaimed, “King of Pop?”

Celebrity Deaths in 2009: Senator Claiborne, Steven Gilborn, Pat Hingle, Olga San Juan, Griffin Bell, Cheryl Holdridge, Carl Pohlad, Don Galloway, Cornelia Wallace, Henry Endo, Jon Hager, Andy DeMize, Tom O’Horgan,  Pedro Aguilar, Patrick McGoohan, Ricardo Montalban, Andrew Wyeth, Gordon “Whitey” Mitchell, Bob May, David Newman, Billy Werber, Martin Delaney, Kay Yow, James Brady, John Updike, Billy Powell, John Martyn, Ingemar Johansson, Clint Richie, Miller Fullard, Payton Jordan, Philip Carey, James Whitmore, Molly Bee, Blossom Dearie, Betty Jameson, Robert Anderson, Jeremy Lusk, Estelle Bennet, Alison Des Forges, Beverly Eckert, Coleman Mellett, Gerry Niewood, Brad Van Pelt, Conchita Cintron, Dorothy Bridges, Joe Cuba, Mike Witmarsh, John Kanzias, Larry Miller, Robert Quarry, Socks the Cat, Paul Harvey, Howard Zieff, Tom Sturdivant, Alan Landers, Sydney Chaplin, Jimmy Boyd, Leonard Bernstein, Hank Locklin, Ralph Mercado, Milan Stitt, Ron Silver, Whitey Lockman, Eddie Bo, Natasha Richardson, Mel Brown, George Weber, Walt Poddubny, Steve Doll, Jade Goody, Johnny Blanchard, Marilyn Borden, Andy Hallett, Dan Seals, Tom Braden, Dave Arneson, Jack Wrangler, Jane Bryan, Nick Adenhart, Mark “The Bird” Fidrych, Harry Kalas, Les Keiter, Merel Harmon, Ken Annikan, Marilyn Cooper, David Kellermann, Timothy Wright, Bea Arthur, Dom Deluise, Dom DiMaggio, David Carradine, Dolla, Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, Billy Mays, Steve McNair, and Robert S. McNamara.

Why do we not hold a huge funeral service for our soldiers who have given their lives in Iraq?  I understand the whole phenomena of famous people like Michael Jackson getting a huge service, but it’s almost sadistic.  Why do we not honor those who have fallen?

Jackson’s memorial service has been filled with other singers, actors, and celebrities giving a tribute to Michael.  I am at a loss for words.  Why can I not let this go?  I hope you have the same feeling.

Rebuilding the Party?

Republicans suck. Let me fix it.

I’m not sure where to begin with this next entry.  I was surfing the latest political news websites looking for something interesting.  I came across this whole “South Carolinian Governor Scandal.”  The headline, as well as the topic as a whole, isn’t that interesting.  It’s what I found inside the article that seemed to strike the wrong note in my Conservative blood.

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty had a few words to say on the issue.  I agree with his point of view about the situation regarding South Carolina’s Governor Mark Sanford.  He states, “Any time you have leading figures who are engaged in behavior that is sad and troubling and hypocritical, other people are going to look at that and say, ‘Hmm, they don’t walk the walk.’ And so the words and the actions don’t ring true.  It certainly hurts the brand.”  Indeed Governor Pawlenty, we should hold our leaders up to the standard they place on their party.  This is where you played the wrong note.  He went on to say, “I think I can make a contribution, in a positive way, for trying to rebuild this party. And it needs it.”

Pawlenty isn’t worried about the actual situation.  He’s looking for an opportunity to knock down his own party so he can ride on his white horse and save the Republican party.  He’s taking a shot at his own people.  Seriously, a Democrat won the election.  Nothing happened to the voters in our party.  Nothing has happened to the core values and belief system that we have.  This is what has happened.  We have a lack of leadership.  Folks, Rush Limbaugh is a great Republican and a strong leader, but HE IS NOT running for office in 2012.  We can’t depend on Rush to keep our party thriving.  The few leaders we have now (Mitt Romney, Bobby Jindal, Michael Steele, and many more) aren’t what they need to be in order to run this party.

My beef with Pawlenty (virtually an unknown in the political realm) is his idea of knocking down others to make himself look worthy.  Not happening Governor!  Not only did I want to smack Pawlenty for opening his trap, but it made me realize that our party will need rebuilding if someone doesn’t step up.  Who have we had to look towards since King Obama took over the White House?  Is there not one Republican out there willing to step up to the plate? 

Is it just me?  Do Republicans look like feeble old men on Capital Hill trying to fight Obama and his agents of CHANGE?  Where have all the real men gone?

Enough is Enough Already

I have never understood the way “honorary doctorates” work.  I have never agreed with giving someone an honorary degree because they have done something great or even because they hold a high office.  This is all across the board.  George W. Bush received doctorates, and now Barack Obama is receiving an honorary doctorate.

So, besides the fact that I think that it is dumb to give these out there are many other reasons why I can’t stand them.  Think about the students who have worked hard for years to attain this goal.  They pour their lives into getting a doctorate degree.  Why do people like Obama and Bush get honorary doctorates?  Some people argue that those people in power who receive these “degrees” wont ever have to use them because they are set for life.  That brings me back to the initial point.  WHY GIVE THEM?

Now that I got that off my chest, there is one particular instance of giving an honorary doctorate that seems to erk me.  This Sunday, Barack Obama will be given one of these degrees at Notre Dame University.  You know how I feel about them already so lets delve deeper into the story.  The wording on the piece of meaningless paper seems to bother me too.  Let’s think about it for a minute.  Like our teachers also said, let’s go back and discuss what we’ve learned.  Obama has been president of this country for 115 days.  He hasn’t done much of anything as far as changing the face of the nation.  He’s made some moves but nothing too major.  With that in mind read these words.

Here are the words on the honorary degree.  “…inspiring this nation to heal its divisions of religion, culture, race and politics in the audacious hope for a brighter tomorrow.”    It continues, “A community organizer who honed his advocacy for the poor, the marginalized and the worker in the streets of Chicago, he now organizes a larger community, bringing to the world a renewed American dedication to diplomacy and dialogue with all nations and religions committed to human rights and the global common good. Through his willingness to engage with those who disagree with him and encourage people of faith to bring their beliefs to the public debate, he is inspiring this nation to heal its divisions of religion, culture, race and politics in the audacious hope for a brighter tomorrow.”

Oh really Mr. President?  Every time someone disagrees with you, you seem to count them off as ignorant or just merely stubborn.  How about the time you said and I quote, “I won, so what I say wins.”  Remember that?  Seems that I am not the only one who feels this way.

George Weigel, a catholic theologian said, “I don’t see any evidence that President Obama takes the moral arguments of those who disagree with him on the life issues seriously, this was most clear in his address at the time he announced the federal government’s stance on embryonic destructive stem cell research.”

I want you to examine the words in the above paragraphs.  First of all does Obama deserve an honorary degree for becoming president?  He’s only been president for 115 days.  Only 8 other presidents have received this honor from Notre Dame.  What about the other 35 presidents of these United States?  Lastly, has Obama really listened to everyone?  Does he just discredit the Right because we disagree with him?  I thought he said he would be a bipartisan president.  Thank you Mr. Obama.

YGC Radio: Punches Indeed

I would like to take a moment to give my friends over at YGC Radio a shout out.  Let me start out by saying that I have never been one to get online and take the time to listen to talk radio.  In fact, listening to music is rare for me.  Long story short, a friend of mine told me about this radio show that focused on politics, more importantly it focuses on conservative issues.  Being the skeptic I am, I listened carefully for the first couple of minutes.  I expected that I would become bored and continue surfing the net.  However, I became so involved in the radio station that I was hearing.  I was yelling at the computer screen, saying AMENS, and rolling on the floor laughing.  The voice I heard was saying things that I so desperately wanted to say, but just couldn’t.  Recently, the show was on a bit of a hiatus.  Their return show was scheduled for April 13th.  They claimed that this show would pull no punches.  My friends, on April 13th, the punches were flying!  They’re back and better than ever!

I take every opportunity to tell my friends and family about this awesome radio station.  Even better, it’s an online station which means you can listen from anywhere in the world.

YGC also has an online store where you can purchase apparel, bumper stickers, and much more. (http://www.cafepress.com/YGCRadio)

This wasn’t an impressive article by any means.  I am just hoping that more and more of you will tune in and enjoy what these guys are saying!  It’s this type of grassroots effort that will keep our party, and it’s values, alive and well. 

YGC Radio, which stands for Young Gun Conservative Radio, can be found on blogtalkradio.com.  Here’s the official link: (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YoungGunConservative)

Change is here…

Today is a great day for Republicans, or Conservatives if you prefer! Since November 4th, this world has been somewhat of a dismal place for the RIGHT. Who do we look to? Many names have been brought up, and many people have stepped up to take the role of the new leader of the Republican party. Names like Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Michael Steele, Mitt Romney, Bobby Jindal, Newt Gingrich, and John Boehner come to mind. Let’s take a look and see what the poles show. An MSNBCpole stated that Michael Steele leads the votes with 31% and Rush Limbaugh is a close second at 30%. Shockingly, Sarah Palin received another 10% of the votes. The rest of the above mentioned names were less than 9%.

Okay, I can see Michael Steele and Rush Limbaugh. We need someone to take the helm and get us ready for 2012. Who could that person be? Many of my friends have been sending me messages and calling me about their experiences today at their local “Tea Party.” It sounds like there was an awesome turnout at many of the events. I even read that Atlanta had 20,000 at their event. Speakers from around the nation, preachers and government officials alike, inspired each of us on this new day. This is the first time in a long time that April 15th has actually made me happy.

Today’s events tells me one thing. The republican party is indeed alive and well. We are fired up beyond a shadow of a doubt. We are the ones ready to change the nation. We’re talking about REAL CHANGE, not the change of the LEFT. We are going to make this a better place for our children to enjoy. We will not sit around on our hands letting the government reach its thieving hands into our pockets and spend our money on things we do not believe in. It’s time we stand up and take back this country. Today is just the beginning of a grand revolution my friends. We can do this.

Back to my question about the new leader of the Republican party. I think I found my answer just as I began writing this article. The answer is us. The republican party doesn’t need a savior. We don’t need one individual to stand up and tell us what we believe. We are an entity ourselves. We will band together and be stronger than ever before. Rush Limbaugh and Michael Steele are more than welcome to lead us in that direction, but folks, let’s not let them bear the weight. We will carry this weight on our backs all the way to Washington, D.C.. Our children need us now more than ever! In the words of Mr. Beamer, “Let’s Roll.”