Update & Roundup

…You ought to use the greatest caution, even in doing good things. For it may be that, in carrying out some good works, you are seeking only the favor and good graces of men: or the desire of praise may overtake you, and what is done for outward effect, fail in its inward reward.
- Pope St. Gregory the Great (Homily 12 on the Gospels)

“Hypocrisy in anything whatever may deceive the cleverest and most penetrating man, but the least wide-awake of children recognizes it, and is revolted by it, however ingeniously it may be disguised”
- Tolstoy
quoted by The Anchoress

Update: You may remember my post, "Numbers And Humanity" from January. It was inspired by an email I received, which I quoted to begin the post. I had no idea who wrote it, but knew it was good, as all inspiration seems to be. The author of the essay found my little blog, and that post, and commented. Paul Marek has his own blog, which I can recommend, and left me the address for the post from which my own post was inspired. Please, head on over to Celestial Junk, and take a look at the original, "Why The Peaceful Majority is Irrelevant". Then add some comments!

Thanks, again, Paul!

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Patrick's recent post, "The middle-class vs the commies", quotes Frank Luntz, sometime Republican Pollster, and corporate communications adviser.

"It was only 14 years ago that nearly 20 million voters rejected both Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush in favor of H. Ross Perot, a little man with big ears and a big idea. Perot's principal claim on their allegiance in the presidential election of 1992 was his insistence that government should be competent, sensible and honest about its finances. His supporters were mad as hell and weren't going to take it anymore. Those voters -- 19 percent of the electorate -- demonstrated that there was a potent political movement of fed-up Americans.

Two years later, millions of Perot voters switched to the Republicans and helped them grab control of Congress. They stayed with the GOP for a decade because the party represented "good government." But red ink budgets, earmarked appropriations for bridges to nowhere, endless ethics scandals and a debacle of a war made them mad once again. In 2006 they deserted the GOP in droves and turned control of Congress back to the Democrats."

Patrick goes on to talk about 'single issue' religious voters thus,

The GOP needs the religious right but ordinary Americans dislike interfering busybody nosyparkers like Falwell and Robertson, who rightly or wrongly, are perceived to be pulling the GOP strings. But middle-class Americans especially dislike the Democrat socialist elites who keep their positions by manipulating their underclass of "poor pitiful victims." Ordinary Americans aren't "victims." We're winners and we just have to keep pointing out that the Dems are losers and whiners.

Read the post, and tell Patrick what you think.

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Debbie at Right Truth asks, ""What about personal responsibility?" She begins:

Governments now want to decide what we can eat, drink, read, watch, and probably soon, what we can wear. I want to know whatever happened to personal responsibility? It's not the government's place to decide these things for us, or for our children.

Continuing, she notes:

In the United States of America you can 'choose' to kill an unborn baby, but you can't 'choose' to eat something greasy if you want?

I think parents should have the right to educate, feed, clothe, entertain their children without the government butting in. Just my opinion.

Yes there are health issues, the cost of health insurance, etc. But I think the government is getting way too big for it's britches.

A short, solid post. Head over and read the whole thing. See also her post, "Tainted Food Supply and Illegal Aliens". It might ruin your appetite.

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Gazing At The Flag is the blog of a new visitor to the Writing Pad. As her header describes,

"The first thing I see when I look out my window is my flag of the United States of America blowing in the breeze. Often, I will sit and gaze at the flag - great focus for thinking. These are my musings and ramblings, and, on occasion, rants... I am unapologetic in my support of our military, our country and my devotion to God. I will honor them and pay tribute to them here."

This Artist from central Oregon does just that, my friends, posting tributes to our Warriors. What could be a maudlin exercise she turns into a moving and uplifting display of the best this nation turns out. She also does some travelling through this great land of ours, and provides images and descriptions of the sites. I highly recommend this site!

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In "Pakistan Makes a Deal With The Taliban?" AubreyJ says:

The Victory Caucus has this post today that you might find troubling. I’ll agree in part with Dave, who wrote the post, that if this report does comes out to be true, Pakistan has truly become far more dangerous than we ever thought before. Now... about becoming the focal point of the War on Terror... I wouldn’t go that far with it but it is one of the several major fronts in which we fight it on.

As she says in her header:

"No matter what your political views might be... One thing is for certain. In these days of fast news and even faster life styles... We all seem to have forgotten those moments in history that so abruptly and tragically changed this beloved Country of ours............ 911- How soon we forget......"

All too true! Go visit.

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Always On Watch has her "Question Of The Week", which garners a slew of commenters (this weeks' is "Lying"), and a post titled "The Killing of Non-Muslims Is Legitimate", where she notes, "How much plainer can it get? Here we have the Islamofascist definition of innocent." AOW is always worth the time. She's a teacher and a thinker - no, that isn't always the case - and she writes well on topics we need to follow closely. Go! Hurry! Go!

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Blandly Urbane has "Coalition Against Illegal Immigration - Posts to Make You Cry", if you haven't gnashed your teeth enough, this week. Plenty of maddening links regarding things that are going on in our country that shouldn't be. Read it and weep! Then check the sidebar on the right and check out his other posts. An odd sort of blog setup, but it works! Go visit!

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Not happy with the odd writings and political perspective at Wikipedia, why not try "Conservapedia"? Jon Swift posts about this new attempt at a more conservative online information base. This is a long post, so take your time. He also posted "Exploiting Wounded Soldiers at Walter Reed", in which he relates the scurrying of the leftist MSM to play this for all it's worth against GWBush and Republicans.

A two-part series in the Washington Post, written by Dana Priest and Anne Hull, claimed that some Iraq War veterans are getting substandard care at Walter Reed Medical Center. The articles described overcrowded facilities infested with rodents, cockroaches and mold, lost paperwork and patients who are discharged too early. "There are cockroaches," said one soldier suffering from a psychological disorder. "The elevator doesn't work. The garage door doesn't work. Sometimes there's no heat, no water. . . . I told my platoon sergeant I want to leave. I told the town hall meeting. I talked to the doctors and medical staff. They just said you kind of got to get used to the outside world. . . . My platoon sergeant said, 'Suck it up!' "

Read it and weep. What a sad world the MSM lives in.

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Also recommended is Kathi's blog, "MAIL CALL!Supporting the Troops". Images and prose. All to keep us thinking about those in Harm's Way. Heartbreaking and uplifting. Visit and comment.

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Finally, the two blogs that got me blogging. These are daily visits for me, as are some others. Make them daily visits, too.

If you haven't been to Sister Toldjah, put her on your list of daily blog visits. Many topics, and plenty to see. "On the “you’re questioning my patriotism” cry" is a keeper.

Don't forget The Anchoress. Tremendous prose, deep thinking, and common sense that is so uncommon these days. Check out "But don’t call her a 'fringe liberal'" for her look at Liberals' responses to them. Yeah, The Anchoress can get a touch snarky!