As we live in a world of milquetoast political leaders, we need to look back on a man who was not afraid to ruffle feathers and speak the truth. So many in office today are dwarfed by this man who could tell us the truth, help us love our country and guide us in the paths of freedom. Today’s political class is populated by moral midgets who have more concern for the next election than for the welfare of their constituents.

From time to time, it is good to not only read the words of Ronald Reagan, but to see the man and look him in the eye as we are called to greatness. Read, listen and grow… then act!

We the people tell the government what it is allowed to do.

Man is not free unless government is limited.

As government expands, liberty contracts.

America is freedom, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of enterprise. And freedom is special and rare.

Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged.

God bless America!

And an added note… we need to be certain that America is blessable.

On this 99th anniversary of Ronald Reagan’s birth, little can be said that would improve on the words of the man himself.  In listening to his First Inaugural Address, one can only marvel at how far we have fallen.  We can only be inspired and increase our determination that the damage to our country will not be permitted to stand and that we will, once again, be worthy of what America once was.  We have benefited so greatly from living in this wonderful country.  We can do no less than to pass the shining city on a hill to our children and grandchildren.

The men in this group are good men, and yet I am amazed that even now, they come around and ask what it is the people want. Could it be like a child who goes from one parent to another hoping to get a better answer to his question? Could it be the massive discontent among the people has not sunken in? Or could it be that they are looking for better ways to package what they want to do already in terms that make the populace think they are listening? I like this last answer the least, but when anyone has been inside the beltway too long, the question has to be asked.

The reason that I, as a voter, am offended by this attempt to find out what we are thinking and wanting is that it tells me what I already know… that I have ignored for far too long. I am not a lobbyist who can make good things happen for them. I am not a financier with a briefcase full of money to contribute. I am not a union boss that can deliver votes by the thousand. I am just one of thousands who gathered at locations around the country on April 15…. and now they ask us what we want!

Making matters worse, we are told that the message, methods and approaches that, when used properly gave us victories in the past need to be set aside. There is some truth to this… times change and circumstances change, communication methods change. The are even telling us our message has to change so it won’t offend people. The primary truth here is that conservatives have not been good at explaining WHY our approach is better. The government indoctrination centers called public schools have many convinced of the value of Big Brother’s intervention and interference in our lives.

We are told that we need to get over the glory days of Ronald Reagan. We are told that we should forget about the man who told us: “Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them.” and “The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much.”

We are told that his approaches won’t work today. I have no idea how they came to this conclusion as his philosophy has not been used in years. The fact that they are telling us these things on what is supposed to be a “listening” tour is indicative of the predilection of the political class to be in control.

What frightens me most is the nagging thought that some are simply looking to change the party’s’ marketing approach into something that sounds like what the people are looking for. It may just be market research. We have, for years, heard conservative messages from candidates, worked to get them elected and found them to something quite different once in office.

What we really need are the two qualities of integrity and courage… which is the one virtue that insures all the others. We’ve seen this in people like Michelle Bachmann from Minnesota and Sarah Palin, both principle driven ladies tend to make the old guard nervous but would be a great addition to this group, but have not been invited to take part.

All this does not mean we should not give them a chance to make amends for the past. If you have the opportunity to join one of these sessions, do it. Go in with the attitude of an employer doing a performance review. Don’t accept condescending answers that tell you you just don’t understand the big picture. Be polite, but remember they are the ones coming around trying to keep their jobs.