Sometimes a Poptart Is Just a Poptart

Or, One-Size-Fits-All Rules Really Don’t

In the past week we’ve had some stellar (and dreadful) examples of “one size fits all” rules being broken, and the sheer idiocy and loss of life that can result.

Case in point #1: A small boy nibbles a Pop-Tart, trying to make it look like a mountain. Being a 2nd-grader, it ends up looking not so much like a mountain, but rather somewhat like a gun (photo here, you decide; it looks rather like Idaho to me). Teacher promptly suspends child for two days, because, according to Fox News:

“[A] student used food to make an inappropriate gesture.”

I’ve got yer inappropriate gesture right here, folks.

Case in point #2: A teen who should be hailed as a hero is, of course, suspended from school. The boy and two classmates tackled another student who was pointing a loaded gun at yet another student.

“I think he was really going to shoot him right then and there,” said the suspended student, not identified by WFTX because of safety concerns. “Not taking no pity.”

The student said the suspect, a football player, threatened to shoot a teammate because he had been arguing with his friend…

That’s when, the teen told the station, he and two others tackled the suspect and wrestled the gun away. The next day, all three were suspended.

Case in point #3: In this one, strict adherence to the rules led to the death of an 87-year-old woman. In Bakersfield, CA, an elderly woman collapsed at her retirement home. A staff nurse called 9-1-1 for assistance, and the dispatcher determined that the woman wasn’t breathing and required immediate CPR in order to survive until the ambulance arrives.

[The dispatcher] pleads for the nurse to perform CPR, and after several refusals she starts pleading for her to find a resident, or a gardener, or anyone not employed by the home to get on the phone, take her instructions and help the woman.

“Can we flag someone down in the street and get them to help this lady?” Halvorson says on the call. “Can we flag a stranger down? I bet a stranger would help her.”

Not only did the nurse refuse to give CPR, she also refused to ask anyone else, even outside the home, to assist. As a result, the elderly woman died.

Folks, I just don’t know where to begin here. We as a culture are rapidly losing the ability to think for ourselves, to make the tough choices, to stand up for what is right — see Case in Point#2 for what happens when you actually do the right thing.

Common sense and the ability to do the right thing are being educated out of our children, regulationed out of our professionals, and bred out of our natures.

Society now has so many guidelines and regulations now that inhibit independent thinking, that stifle creativity, that punish good deed doers. That these rules are applied across the board, without thinking, and apparently without either common sense or compassion bodes ill for the future of society.

The present isn’t looking all that hot right now, either.

Stoutcat

Riposte

SooperMexican does a great job of updating the “So God Made a Farmer” clip by Paul Harvey, most recently seen as a truck commercial in last week’s barnburner of a Super Bowl (even though the Pats didn’t play, it was quite a game).

The genius of SooperMexican brings us, “So God Made a Liberal”.

Enjoy. Share. And follow SuperMexican on Twitter: @SooperMexican

Stoutcat

Saying Goodbye to A Dear Friend

It is with heartfelt sadness that we report the passing of our friend and co-blogger, Gerry Ashley.

Gerry lost his battle with a brain tumor earlier today after a months-long fight against the growth and emerging lesions on his brain.

We will write more later but right now we are dealing with the grief of losing our dear friend.

May flights of angels (including Carl and Dennis Wilson) sing thee to thy rest, Gerry.

Stoutcat

The Wrong Analogy

In the months and weeks leading up to the election, I had been thinking about the situation this country is in by likening it to being on a crashing plane. On the one hand, we had the current pilot who wasn’t able to control the plane, and the fact that it was crashing was due in large part to his piloting incompetence. On the other hand, we had a passenger who had a great deal of piloting experience, who was volunteering to take the controls. In his previous piloting experience, this volunteer had saved another plane from crashing. If we could get him in the pilot seat, well, we may have still crashed–the situation was definitely dire–but there was at least a possibility that we’d end up relatively okay… alive and standing on the wings of the downed plane in the Hudson River, a la Chessley Sullenberger, if you will.

I really thought that our fellow passengers would come to realize our plight, and vote to put an experienced pilot at the controls. But I was wrong. Far far too many of us either don’t see how dire are the straits we are in, or have convinced themselves, despite overwhelming proof to the contrary, that more of the same policies will keep us aloft.

So I have had to re-think my analogy. Now, the plane we are flying in is headed straight toward the Statue of Liberty. It is being piloted by a man who wants to radically transform this country. He knows exactly what he is doing. The cockpit door is locked, and this pilot has Czars and Cabinet Secretaries with boxcutters standing guard. Many of us realize that this is a one-way trip, and that we won’t get out of it without a huge crash and terrible things happening. But once you realize you’re definitely going to crash, the way you crash, well, it matters a great deal.

So here we are, just over half a nation of free-stuff moochers; just under half a nation of Todd Beamers. I’m hoping that all of us Todd Beamers will have the courage to do whatever it takes to avoid having our plane crash into and demolish the most potent symbol of freedom in the world.

And perhaps in the smoking wreckage of some Shanksville, a few people will emerge from the smoldering ruins and begin the arduous task of re-building our nation.

Let’s roll, people.

Stoutcat

At Least There Will Be No Rioting

Well, we all saw what just happened.

What’s next? Well, Conservatives and Republicans will prove once again that they are as gracious in defeat as they are in victory. Small comfort, maybe, but it does mean something. And so I congratulate President Obama on his victory, and wish him the very best in guiding our nation for the next four years. I will be praying for him and the country.

So now, it’s time to re-group. Maybe now the press will finally start to cover the stories they should have been covering all along: things like Fast & Furious, and more recently, the debacle in Benghazi, and more widely, the President’s disastrously weak foreign policy. Okay, well that gave me a little chuckle anyway.

But it is clear to me that the very notion of America has changed dramatically. We are no longer a center-right nation, and the people have figured out that they can vote themselves bread and circuses.

So be it. It has happened before in world history, and I have no doubt it will happen again. Problem is, this time, it’s happening to us. I don’t want to end up like Greece, with rioting in the streets. I’m not afraid, but I don’t want it to happen here.

What I am afraid for is our Constitution. Four more years of President Obama means at least two more Supreme Court justices that he gets to choose. Just think about that for a moment.

Honestly, dear readers, I don’t know what we will be facing over the next four years. But if we can weather them, I can only pray that we will come through them stronger as a nation than before.

Right now, that’s what I’m praying for. Because that’s all I’ve got.

Stoutcat

Vote

Vote as if your nation depended on it.

It does.

Stoutcat

In the Voting Booth, Nobody Know’s You’re a Democrat

If you’re planning on voting for Mitt Romney, this post is not written for you. It’s written for every would-be Obama voter.

There’s a great article in the Jewish Journal by David Mamet, entitled, “A Note to a Stiff-Necked People“. In it, Mamet asks a series of questions that liberal Jewish parents should be prepared to answer for their children’s sake as they vote for Obama tomorrow. It applies just as well to liberal non-Jewish parents, as well as to any thoughtful voter who is considering casting a ballot for Obama tomorrow. I strongly recomment that you read the entire article, but his closing point is this perfect gem:

“Please remember that we have the secret ballot and, should you, on reflection, vote in secret for a candidate you would not endorse in public, you will not be alone.”

If you’re planning on voting for Obama because you voted for him in 2008, even if you’re not thrilled with his performance, but think maybe another four years will help (it won’t); if you’re voting for him simply because you always vote for the Democrat on the ticket; if you’re voting for him because all your friends are; please stop and think. If you have any hesitation, any doubts at all, you have the opportunity to cast your vote for the man who advocates voting for love of country rather than voting for revenge. And if anybody asks who you voted for, it’s nobody’s business but yours.

You will not be alone, I guarantee it.

Stoutcat

Conservative Principles: The World As It Is

This video is for those of you who have decided to cast a vote on Tuesday for a third-party candidate–Ron Paul, Gary Johnson, whomever–or who refuse to vote at all. I know you are standing on principle by your planned action or inaction. I know you believe that your protest vote or lack thereof will send a message to the party that not everyone is pleased with the choice of Mitt Romney as a candidate, and that we could, and should do better.

If you’re thinking along these lines, then please, for the sake of the nation, watch this video, and then, with clear eyes viewing the world as it is today, act according to your conservative principles.

The entire future of our nation depends on each and every one of us. We need you now.

Stoutcat

Reeking of Desperation

All other things aside, which man would you rather see in the Oval Office?

He may not be Reagan, but if we can get Romney into office, we may just see Pre-Dawn in America.

Twelve more days, folks. You know what to do.

Stoutcat

Defending the Constitution, First Amendment Edition

By now you have probably seen the photo of the midnight raid in which the maker of the film which is allegedly causing the “ruckus” in the Middle East was “politely” “requested” to “go downtown and answer a few questions”. The photo itself begs to be captioned, and this being the 21st century, voila, instant Quick Meme, entitled, “Defend the Constitution.”

All the captions pointedly call out the blatant disregard of the officials of our First Amendment rights (as far as I know, we don’t have any anti-blashpemy laws on the books… yet). But of all the images listed at the link, I think I found this one the most disturbing:

As you recall, the very next day after the Ambassador was murdered, President Obama jetted off to Las Vegas for a fundraiser. And these days, our leaders are spinning like crazy by insisting, in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary, that the Cairo and Libya uprisings were simply spontaneous outpourings of indignation against a ridiculously crappy 15-minute video trailer, which had been online and available for protesting for at least a month prior.

As I mentioned in a tweet yesterday, when there is gun violence, the Left blames guns and tries to quash the Second Amendment. This is simply the logical next step… An American diplomat is murdered, the Left blames a video and tries to quash the First Amendment.

Unrest in the Middle East, murdered Americans, attempts to trample our basic rights. This isn’t over yet.

Stoutcat