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Rants!

The Soap Box:  Foaming at the mouth, kicking, cursing, spitting, and other offensive and otherwise unlady-like behavior.          Enjoy.

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Take a Hike.

2/27/2014

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Hey Crybabies!!!
For the love of God, grow up.  Remove your diapers and wipe your own buttocks and put your big boy/girl pants on for once... 
Perhaps then, we can have an intelligent conversation about what's right, what's fair, and what's just in our society, because let's face it - it's just not a fair argument when you're dealing with people that have the collective mentality of a 3 year old. 

All this time, you're the ones that have cried out "injustice!" and "intolerance!" and "discrimination!" - and you couldn't be more WRONG.  

Intolerance?  Ha!  As a conservative, I have long suffered through and tolerated your selfish, spoiled sense of entitlement.  Long have I bit my tongue because of my value system and Christian upbringing:  if anything I should be commended for my moral aptitude, not punished for it.   Despite your ill-educated perception, a huge part of my conservatism is that I realize that YOU do not share MY views or lifestyle, and out of respect for you and your freedoms, I do not seek to ram what I believe down your throat.  
In fact, I often cut myself short of giving my full opinion on many issues because you're too quick to shame me for disagreeing with you.  You take my disagreement as a personal insult on you (rather than viewing it as a lifestyle choice for me), and you follow it with vicious personal attacks.  It’s selfish, rude, and entitled behavior on your part, yet I TOLERATE it.  You claim to be the party of tolerance, when in fact, you're methodically destroying the Judeo-Christian values that made this nation so inclusive to begin with.               

Injustice?  Ha.  Long have I sacrificed my constitutional right to the pursuit of happiness to ensure that you can continue yours.  Let me take a moment to explain this to you:  Money that
I have rightfully earned is quietly ferreted away from me and placed in your pocket.  You eat lobster, get free education, healthcare, housing and cellphones on my dime while I sweat over whether I can cover the mortgage, grocery bill, and my student loan payment.  With your squeaky wheels shouting the orders, the government has put more regulation and control on all aspects of American life, and it costs me more money by the second.  Now, they're deciding what's best for us because you've made it clear (with all your attention-grabbing boo-hoo-ing) that we're incapable of making decisions for ourselves.  Meanwhile, I am forced to sacrifice family time because I must work harder than ever to stay ahead of the growing number of people I am having to take care of against my will.    Further, I'm in a losing battle, because the time I spend working cannot be sacrificed to fighting this out-of-control government.  

Discrimination?  Ha.
  Discrimination is a necessary evil in life; you'd do well to learn to deal with it.  That's right I said necessary and deal with it.   It is as basic to human survival as being hungry or tired.  Discrimination is how we've made it to the top of the food chain.  You use it everyday whether you're educated enough to realize it or not. "Oh," you cry, "we mean discriminate against people by denying goods and services based on color, gender, or orientation."  And I say look around, people!  There are clubs I can't be a part of because I'm considered Caucasian.  There are buildings I can't go into because I'm a woman.  There are religious places I'm not allowed in because I'm a Christian.  I've been kicked out of college classes because I'm a Conservative.   I've been passed over because I'm blonde, given dirty looks because I've dressed provocatively, and refused service because of my children!!!  Surprise!   Discrimination is happening on all levels and it's everywhere; so you've got to stop thinking that you're the only ones on the receiving end.   Stop being a crybaby.  Stop being a victim!

"But EVERYONE should be included!" you say.  And I say:
careful, children.   Don't slip and break your neck on that slippery slope.  Because when the government FORCES us to serve EVERYONE, what's next?  Christian women demanding to set foot in mosques?  Straight couples demanding service at an exclusive All-Gay Club?  Vegans demanding there be special food for them at a BBQ joint?  How about a skin head demanding a KKK cake from a black baker?   

Like it or not:
  FREEDOM MEANS WE HAVE A RIGHT TO SAY NO.  That works both ways.  Bakers can say "no gay cakes here" because they feel it would be sacrilege.  And Gays can say, "Oh, no you didn't!" and take their wallets to another baker.  Then they can also go to their Facebook pages and rip the guy a new one, and possibly end his business through the power of social media.    The Government need not be involved.

So, tell me, liberals;  explain yourselves:  We have the freedom of choice, so why don't you have the balls to take the high road and just walk away from the things you don't like?   Why do you have to cry to Washington about it?  Why would you demand government involvement, when you know it will only bring regulation, corruption, and waste with it?   Is it just easier for you to cry than be strong? 
 
Given the choice, I would prefer to be strong.  I'm a conservative.  I believe in common sense.   I believe in working hard to get what I want.  I believe in keeping what I earn.  I believe in accountability.   I believe in freedom.  And I believe in the power of choice, even if I don't agree with you on
your personal choices. 
I'm not going to force myself on someone because they don't like me or
demand that they include me in their value system. I'm not going to cry to the government and rally for them to reform laws so they can regulate people and their businesses... especially not over something so trivial as a cake! 

I'm a conservative.  I'm not going to go and cry about the mountains in my way.  I'm not going to demand that someone move them for me.                   I'll just
walk over them.


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Read & React.

2/25/2014

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Yet another example of how the Liberal Media has managed to rope in the followers by taking a conservative's sarcasm out of context and using it for political gain.    Above is the original message from Steve Martin...  and the ONE WORD that liberal yellow journalists seize on is "Host," which they use as a demonstration of the Republican party's "War on Women."   If any of these left-wing followers would actually READ the post, they could almost smell the sarcasm.  But they don't...  and thus, the knee-jerk reaction:   
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As a Conservative woman, I am sick and tired of idiot leftist men acting like they actually have grounds to stand on when it comes to women's rights.   Sorry boys - grow a vagina and then we'll talk.   Better yet, GROW A HUMAN, and we'll talk.   Even better - PRODUCE MILK, and then we'll talk.   
Until then, step away from the issue before I stomp you down with my stilettos. 

If you really cared about WOMEN's RIGHTS, you'd protest OBAMACARE.   
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Clicks for Controversy: the case of Chrissy Stockton

2/15/2014

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PictureChrissy Stockton, TROLL
About a month ago, a woman calling herself "Amy Glass" wrote an inflammatory article regarding the traditional role of women in our society.  It was ridiculous; poorly written and void of intellect, I initially passed it up.  But as the internet chatter, reposts, and even national news media retorts began to circulate in full, I gave the post a second look to see if I had missed something.  
Even in my second read, my perception of the post remained the same.  I found it distasteful and misguided; so much so, that I questioned whether it was written in parody.   The surprise for me was the comment section; it was completely overwhelmed with an angry backlash.   I questioned how such a poorly written testimony would garner such a reaction amongst supposedly intelligent people.   After I heard Sean Hannity mention it on the radio, I was so compelled that I actually took a few minutes to compose my own response... ("An Open Letter to Amy Glass").  

Then, I realized that it had all been a trap....   
After I posted my comments, I took the opportunity to explore the rest of the "Thought Catalog" website, looking for clues as to why this particular blog had garnered such a visceral response, especially given that the majority of the website was pure junk... things just didn't add up.   And then it hit me:  Amy Glass was a troll.  

Not only does Amy Glass not exist, her opinions are fake as well.   The post was actually written by a blogger named Chrissy Stockton, who also happens to be the producer for the Thought Catalog's content.  (convenient.)  She created the identity of "Amy Glass" to write the inflammatory post, and the results were quite in her favor.  For every angry woman that responded, clicks were registered and counted.  And you can be sure that the clicks were worth plenty of pennies.

On one hand, I have to applaud her evil genius:  create a fake identity, write something that would enrage a bunch of people, and then laugh her way to the bank as the advertiser checks roll in.   
On the other, I'd love to slap her for being a disgrace to humanity, for preying on people's emotions, and for inciting a reaction through false witness for her own financial gain.  

It's despicable.  

Worse, it's scary.  Think:  How many other troll bloggers are out there?  Turning profit on your emotions?  Vying for your clicks in the faux-social sphere of the internet?  Or even worse - turning opinions based on false information?  Creating fake controversy?  Spreading lies or rumors? 

Is this the future?  Clicks for controversy?  How can we know what we are absorbing from the internet is truth?   Evermore, we must be diligent about what we read and we must continue to think for ourselves. 

As the news that Amy Glass was really Chrissy Stockton began to circulate, she eventually came out in a second post in which she lamely tried to justify her actions.   The anger she cultivated for Amy followed her.
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An Open Letter to Amy Glass

1/29/2014

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Dear Amy Glass,
Your post went viral, and alas, I stepped in it – quite accidently, I assure you.


At first, I had to laugh at myself a bit – normally I don’t find this sort of internet fodder worthy of consideration; especially since the ironically named “Thought Catalog” is nothing more than a trolling base.   But as I peeled back the layers of your post, I found something quite disturbing.

The post was more than just a misguided perception of what it means to be a woman (so misguided, in fact, I would argue whether you really are a woman or whether you ever had a decent female role model in your life) – it was a reflection of a growing selfish cultism that seems to be infecting our society.  More and more, it seems that the needs and desires of individuals are usurping the needs and traditions of the community.  The advocacy for absolute selfishness amongst today’s youth is frankly quite frightening.      

To use your own example, a woman who chooses to hike across Asia is more worthy of celebration than a woman who chooses to spend 9 months growing and birthing another human being, not to mention the commitments that follow that event.  Like a majority of mothers, I disagree with you.  Motherhood, though commonplace, is the single most exceptional thing that we can experience as human beings; and it is a milestone of life well worth celebration.  It is the nearest thing to God we could ever hope to be in our lifetimes.    
 
Hiking across Asia, though an accomplishment in its own right, is nothing compared to the sacrifice and commitment of becoming a mother.  A hike is a luxury – a frivolity of experience across weeks or perhaps months.  Being a parent is a true challenge that requires every ounce of dedication you can muster – for the rest of your life. 

It is the sacrifice of parenthood that is exceptional.    Sacrifice - it is the concept that your life isn’t about making you happy – it’s about choosing to make others happy.  It’s choosing selflessness over selfishness.   It is the satisfaction in giving rather than receiving.   It is the discovery of self-worth through empowerment rather than entitlement.     

Your “I’m not sorry” post is riddled with ridicule for the art of sacrifice and those of us that have mastered it; much like many of the other egocentric posts on the website regarding love, marriage, parenthood, and friendship.    And that is why I fear for you, and those that think like you. 

 I may not be a worldly traveler; rather, I chose to become many other things that are of more value to me:    I am a mother.  I am a wife.  I am a homeowner.  I am a business woman.  I am a contributor.  I am a warrior.  I am an innovator.  I am a creator.  I am an advocate.   I am everything I ever set my mind to be.   I am without regrets.  And oh, yes - I am exceptional.  Even better, is that I am not alone.  There are plenty of successful women like me, who have gladly made the sacrifices necessary to surround themselves with everything they ever wanted in their lives, and they are making it work every single day.   I assure you that we are well above the pity or judgment of an immature, inexperienced blogger such as you. 

Good luck to you, Amy Glass.  May you discover more than just yourself in your journey. 
You have my prayers as I wipe your post from beneath my heel. 


With sincerity,
Rachea Pendley


To read Amy Glass' article, click here

 



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No satisfaction for the devil

4/16/2013

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Martin Richard, 8, lost his life in the blast.
In the dark recesses of my heart lurks a terrorist.  I have a temper; I have immoral thoughts.  I have hatred in my soul.  I know the faces of spite, malice, and jealousy; I accept that they are part of me.   

But I’m also a Christian, and I know that love and forgiveness, grace and respect, compassion and wisdom are far better swords to wield in my daily endeavors.  I make the conscious decision to use these gifts over the devil’s twisted workings in my soul.  And therein lay the truth of what makes us individuals – our choices.

In every human soul, there is a precious dichotomy; a timeless struggle on a razor’s edge between what makes us evil, and what makes us good.    

I choose good.    

Most of us do, really.  Most of us make a true effort to choose humanely in our daily trials through life. 
We stand by our spouses, we respect others; we are honest, caring, and devoted. 

Some people are quick studies:  they grow to the Light naturally, and serve as trail guides for others (like me), who sometimes lose their footing, or struggle with which path to take next.  And then, there are the unfortunate ones.  The ones that have supple minds and hearts, and fail to resist the seductions of an evil life. 
They are the low hanging fruit within easy reach of the devil’s distortions.   They choose poorly.

A poor choice was indeed made yesterday, when someone planted bombs at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.  What was a place of sunshine, celebration, and triumph was, within seconds, transformed into a maelstrom of fear, confusion, and tragedy.    In the aftermath, we look at the resulting carnage and in our shock we ask why?  And to what end?   Who would do such a thing?

The answers, for me, are simple: 
Why? To terrorize us. To what ends?  To kill innocent people. By Whom?  An individual who is morally defaced.

Some would say terrorist, but I can't submit to that anymore.   It just seems as though “terrorist” is becoming too broad a term – as by definition, anyone seeking to instill terror in others is a terror-ist.  My four-year-old would most likely define me as a terrorist.  I would define Michael Moore and Rush Limbaugh as terrorists.  My sister’s cat is definitely a terrorist. 

Moreover, in the more mainstream sense of the term, most individuals that are labeled as terrorists are probably proud of the designation.  From their perspective, it’s like a coronation or a title – it’s as if the media has awarded them with a blue ribbon for their efforts.  Surely, they get some measure of satisfaction from it.  Surely, they feel revered for fulfilling the ultimate terrorist goal:  gaining absolute captivation and power over an entire nation.  Surely, they’re enjoying the achievement of taking away some things (like joy, happiness, camaraderie) from the society they hold a hatred for, and replacing those things with the emotions they want us to feel – fear, terror, hopelessness.  To put it to a finer point: they’ve controlled us.  We are the ants in the mound they stepped in, and I assure you they are relishing a sense of godliness over us as they watch us scramble to recover.      

With that in mind, I can’t help but feel that the people that would commit a crime so horrific as Boston are worse than terrorists.  They are profoundly corrupt.  Morally defaced.  They are lower than vermin, with the animalistic sensibilities to match.  They have chosen evil over good in their hearts, and have gone so far into the devil’s twisted lair that they cannot be saved from themselves.    

In my heart, I am angry.  I want these villains captured and I want them to suffer, violently, and in like fashion as those that they maimed and killed on the sidewalks of Boston.  Let them die as horrifically as Martin Richard, who was only 8; make them suffer like his mother who sustained a brain injury or his baby sister, who lost her leg.  The terrorist in my soul is leaping for opportunity, rallying for revenge, thirsting for blood!  Find them, kill them!  Make them pay!

And yet, somehow, I manage to find the Christian in myself.  I listen to the guide in my heart that says I would do well to focus my hopes and thoughts to those that need healing and recovery.  Despite my anger and fear, I still manage to come back around to love and forgiveness - the choice for good - and I know it is a bane to those morally defaced villans that would want me to feel otherwise.    I thank God for faith, for His guidance, for my upbringing; for my parents, for my church, my past teachers and youth counselors, and most importantly, my husband and family…  they are my support system, my guides on the path of life.   I find I cannot deny their influence on my ability to choose between the halves of my soul. 

In doing so, my thoughts land on that person or persons that found themselves amongst guides of a different nature – a wicked, malevolent nature – and they were led astray, pointed down a dark path in life they can never return from.    Strangely enough, I find I can spare a prayer for them, too. 
Conversely, I feel evermore blessed, knowing that my choices are sound.

The terrorist in me shall always go unquenched.


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Bang Bang... ... my head against the wall.

3/10/2013

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We are fully immersed in the gun culture – it is a huge part of our lives, especially being that Mike is a law enforcement officer, I am a member of a women’s shooting club, and we own a tactical resources company which provides training and consultation services to gun owners.  It’s safe to say that our daily lives revolve around guns.

So I’m not surprised that Max plays guns. I would almost expect it, given our lifestyle.  It’s not all the time, mind you – only on occasion, when he’s playing.  Mostly, he has finger gun “blasters”  - like he sees in Star Wars.  He pretends to be Han Solo and rescues his toys from the Storm Troopers.  I allow it; first of all, it’s just damned cute, and secondly, I have no problem whatsoever with him desiring to be a hero figure.  Role playing is a healthy activity and I think it helps build character and moral fiber.  And, if he’s ever emulating his daddy (anyone remember playing cops and robbers as a kid?), I encourage it even more. 

So…. what to do, what to do, when Max’s teachers say he’s pointing finger guns at other kids in class and “shooting them?” 

My first reaction – was he being disruptive?  Was he goofing off when he should have been completing his school work?  Was he pretending his friends were storm troopers and distracting them from their school work?  For me, the issue should have been about whether Max was following schedule and/or instructions (play time vs. school work time).

Ah, but I know better.  That’s not the problem they’re having with him. 

I bite my tongue as they explain to me, in seemingly the most condescending way possible, that “in today’s world, using finger guns is inappropriate child behavior.”  Essentially, it feels as though they are demonizing him - trying to categorically put him up there on the shelf with Lanza.  “He can’t shoot his friends. Even if it’s pretend. He shouldn't even be making the gun with his hands.  It’s not okay.”  They further warn me that this kind of behavior will get him tossed out of Kindergarten in the fall.  “So it’s best to try and curb his behavior now.”

At this, I’m incredulous.  Throw him out of school?!  For finger guns?  I know it's not okay to shoot at friends (which we certainly will be discussing with him), but simply forming the gun with his hand is now an offence, too?!   Surely my son isn’t the only child to make finger guns?!  In response, they decline to tell me whether other kids do it – they only say he is the worst offender of the class.

Then, I’m embarrassed – tortured.  I feel certain that’s what they wanted.  It seems like standard operating procedure for them….  Reprimand the child, extend the failure to the parents.  

At first, I let them get away with it.  I even agreed that Max needed some reform; we have goals to work on.  But then, as I pictured myself taking away Max’s Nerf gun, and telling him that finger guns were bad, and that he was no longer allowed to point his finger or “shoot” at anything, I saw a future for him flash before me… 
and it just wasn’t right.

The more we take something away, the more he wants it.  By denying him, we’re actually reinforcing the desire for the taboo.   I know my kid well enough to understand this and avoid it if possible.

We already use every precaution in our home to keep our weapons secured from the kids, and we are also adamant about educating them that guns are not toys.   But we must also accept that our children are going to have a natural curiosity about guns, and Mike and I want to cultivate a healthy, well-educated environment for that curiosity to grow – eventually building a bridge into responsible gun ownership when they reach the right age.    

Making guns forbidden or unmentionable is not going to do this. Most parents know that if you try to hide something from kids, they want it even more (take alcohol as an example).  Plus, in that scenario, there is a missed opportunity to properly and positively educate your child.  Secondly, what message are we sending about all the heroes – Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Texas Rangers, Wild West Cowboys, the Armed Forces, Law Enforcement Officers, and even the Founding Fathers – if the guns they use are bad?   If these heros aren't okay, which ones are?     Firefighters?  Wait, they have axes...  and you know what happened when Lizzie Borden got that idea.   And this brings up the third point: guns aren't bad.  But people and their choices can be.  Children need to understand the power of choices - not that inanimate objects are inherently evil. 
And finally, for God’s sake:  Boys.  Will.  Be.  Boys.

So, as I sat there, listening to Max's teacher tic off all the negative things she had to say about him, I screwed up my courage for confrontation…   
I suggest that completely breaking Max of playing guns is unrealistic, given his home environment – citing my husband’s employment as exhibit A.  I further argue that trying to take it away at this point is only going to feed his desire to do it.  Plus, the finger gun shouldn’t be the issue – goofing off during study time is.  Perhaps we should try the methodology of ignoring the behavior?  If we don’t make it a big deal, he may not be incensed to test the limits.  “Perhaps we can work on telling him not to be fooling around during academic time periods”. 

Well, that flew like a brick.  They countered, saying, “Gun stuff is not allowed at anytime.  Besides that, Police officers use guns to protect us; they are not for shooting ‘our friends’” (which is how we are obliged to refer to Max’s classmates).

Ugh.  I can see that my argument is wasted on them.  Saying, “He’s 4.  He’s playing.  He’s not really shooting them” would be a waste of breath.  Instead, I end the conversation, saying “I’ll talk to him.”  I can see the topic is too sensitive.   PC wins again. 

But – is it PC, or have we become the victims of overreaction?     

Obviously, there’s a heightened sensitivity in the general public about kids, guns, and schools right now, thanks to Sandy Hook and other school tragedies.  And I am in no way trying to trivialize those events....  but the pendulum must stop somewhere.    

We can’t take away heroes.  We can’t take away the 2nd Amendment.  We can’t disallow children to be children. 

We’d only create more monsters.


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Lip Smack

3/5/2013

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What is wrong with people? Tonight I'm in HEB, and as I stroll down the cosmetic isle I see a woman (late 30's) and her daughter (17/18ish) looking at the pencils. They were acting "sneaky" for lack of a better description... And as I looked for my own items, I saw what the mom was up to : opening up all the colors and trying them on, then placing the unwanted ones back in the stack. I don't kn...ow if she/they were actually stealing, but in my opinion they might as well have been. The tampered products end up getting tossed as "losses" and in their own way, this "shrink" drives up the cost for consumers. Plus, it's just gross! I stood back for a few minutes and debated what to do. It was obvious they had no issue with having me as a witness- they proceeded to open four more pencils while i stood there 5 feet behind them. So, I finally walked up to the woman and said, "Excuse me. You can't do that." She looked at me as if I was the one with some nerve ... Then she complained that there we no "testers" so thereby HEB was leaving her with no other choice than to open all the colors and try them before she bought one. So I rolled with it and disagreed. The caps were clear plastic so she could plainly see the colors. If she wanted a professional color match, she should visit a make up counter where sampling was part of that process. I proceeded to tell her that not only was she costing other people more money for products, it was also just nasty that she would knowingly put her DNA all over something and then put it back for the next unwitting victim to procure. The woman acted shameless - as though she didn't care, so I held back the other issue I had with her: the example she was setting for her daughter. I simply left her by telling her that she should take a long hard look in the mirror - because no amount of lipstick was going to make her a prettier human being. I then went to find a manager and led her back to the scene of the crime (the culprits had fled by then) and she proceeded to throw away over $60 worth of pencils that had been opened... What a waste, and on so many levels.... Sure it's just lipstick, but this junk happens way too often these days. Sad.

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