I originally sent this just to my parents, but they've given me permission to post it on my blog. I never really thought much about what I post until recently, when my mom made the comment that her life was posted on my Face Book. I do that because I ask my friends for prayer requests, but her sister finds out and then calls her and asks for ALL the details and then chews her out for not telling her. Mom's not one for calling anyone on the phone and telling them all the details of her life.
But, I digress. I sent my Dad an email, sort of like a short blog, telling him how I appreciate him, and in addition my mom. I couldn't find a card that said what I wanted it to say. Mom paid me, I guess, the highest compliment. She said it was like the Hallmark cards I had always found in the past that seemed to say just what I wanted it to say.
Well, we had an argument with a friend in church this morning. It made one of the facts of my letter to may dad stand out for me, so I decided to post it here. I had originally told Dad I wouldn't, but they said they didn't mind. So, first, the letter for Father's Day:
______________
Dad,
I was trying to remember what all you've taught me over the years. Never put the ice cube trays back empty. Always give a firm handshake. No one likes a dead-fish handshake. Always tell the truth, even when it's inconvenient to do so. Never start a fight, but if someone else does, you fight like hell to finish it. Never let a bully get his way, or he'll try to get everything from you. Be decisive, and once you've made a decision, stand your ground. But if the situation changes and new facts come out, be brave enough to correct mistakes if there are any. A mistake because of wrong facts is not a character flaw. Refusing to bend because of new facts is a character flaw.
Did you teach me these by words? No. You taught me these by your actions over the years. You, together with mom, have been the reason for my strength. God knew exactly what He was doing when He gave me my parents.
Happy Father's Day
________________
My lesson for today is the last one. Sometimes we all make a decision based on the information we have at hand, believing it to be the best decision we can make. But then new facts may come out that prove that decision to be wrong. It takes a very big person to admit they made a mistake because of wrong facts. It means that they were duped, basically. It's hard not to put the blame on someone else. You have to come out and say, "You know what, I know I really championed this opinion, but I discovered new facts, and I'm reversing my opinion." What you need to stand for more than pride is the truth.
I can give you an example from my own past. I was raised a Democrat. But I am a Christian. When I started paying attention to politics, I realized that their platform didn't conform to my values. I am pro-life. The Democrats are for abortion. I can't support a candidate that votes for pro-choice policies. I also believe in one man/one woman in marriage. They support gay rights. I believe that low government spending is needed and that we need to cut taxes in order give the people a reason to spend the money they have. If you raise taxes, people won't spend it in the economy. The Democrats are for raising taxes in error thinking that it puts more money in the government. It makes people lose jobs. You can't get money into the government coffers if people don't have jobs. Instead you're paying them unemployment...it's leaving the government coffers. So I fixed my mistake...I switched to Republican so I could vote for the right people in office. I just can't reconcile my faith with voting Democrat.
I have to admit, my dad may not have made this leap yet....from Democrat to Republican, but he has taught me the lesson of correcting mistakes. He has become an Independent. His lessons of correcting mistakes may not have been in the political arena, but they're there. The point was, there are people out there who should be asking themselves that same question. Why do I vote the way I do? What are my values and does the Democratic party represent that? If the Democratic party does indeed represent you, great, by all means get behind their candidate. But don't come crying to us, who don't want a Marxist USA, when that's what we get. Don't come crying to the 1/3 who are fighting with pen and keyboard to keep the red, white and blue flying and the blood out of the streets, when this nation falls. It's going to come down to taking sides. You're going to have to pick a side, and it's not really Democrat or Republican anymore. The Democrats aren't my dad's party anymore.
You have to read between the lines, though. "We support women in the workforce, getting women in high offices" is not always a good thing. If you're for women's rights, shouldn't you also be for women's right to stay home? They're tearing our families apart with anti-family laws. Supporting all black colleges is supporting segregation. Shouldn't you be for getting the colleges on equal footing and integrated so there's no difference? Why not work on getting our black hero's taught in the school system? It was the Democrats who removed them, after all?
I say we have a call for truth in platforms. They don't actually list what they pass legislation on. It doesn't list on their platform anywhere that they are pro-choice, pro-gay agenda, pro-raising taxes to pay for things, because you would never vote for that. You have to stay off the propaganda site and go to Thomas.gov and look at what bills have actually been passed by Democrats vs Republicans. You have to get books written on history and see that no civil rights bill during the civil war was passed by a Democrat PERIOD including a PRESIDENT.
Like I said, it takes a strong person to reverse a decision. I reversed mine over 20 years ago. Do you know Democrats who haven't read David Barton's Black and White? I was told by my friend that if I handed that out to the black community, it would get me killed. I don't know if he meant because I'm white, or just that things are that bad. He said the only reason he let us (my husband and me) slide is because we're friends and we were in church. He also knows we can have political discussions and agree to disagree. So is it a pride thing? I'm asking anyone out there to be strong like my dad taught me. It's not a character flaw to correct a mistake because of new facts. Help me get these facts out. WE, who haven't been taught about the heroes of America, need to learn about them, even if they were purple with orange stripes. Not because of some validation stupid crap. But because they were good men who need to be told about. Don't dis' their memory.
Lori Ann Smith
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