Because I am an American

I went to a tea party today. It was a peaceful rally held in Southlake TX - for taxpayers who feel like they have been Taxed Enough Already. Because today is "tax day", hundreds of rallies are occurring throughout the United States. It is a grassroots attempt by people just like me to get their ever expansive government to pay attention to them.

I carried a sign. My father came with me. My 3 yr old son was by my side.

I must say, I left feeling even more proud to be an American. I was moved to tears as a prayer was said at the opening. The pastor prayed for our leaders. He prayed that they would have soft hearts and be receptive. He prayed for them to be guided and directed in good. He prayed for our military.

This prayer was said in a PUBLIC square, in front of SEVERAL HUNDRED people - I am not of the same faith of the pastor. I am not of the same faith of the person standing next to me. However, I was filled with such pride and hope and patriotism at that moment. The tears streamed down. I wiped them away. They continued to flow as we said the Pledge of Allegiance and sang "God Bless America". I love my country.

It brought to mind this scripture:

Alma 10: 22-24

Yea, and I say unto you that if it were not for the
prayers of the righteous, who are now in the land, that ye would even now be
visited with utter destruction; yet it would not be by flood, as were the people
in the days of Noah, but it would be by famine, and by pestilence, and the
sword.

But it is by the prayers of the righteous that ye
are spared; now therefore, if ye will cast out the righteous from among you then
will not the Lord stay his hand; but in his fierce anger he will come out
against you; ... and the time is soon at hand except ye repent.

And now it came to pass that the people were more
angry with Amulek, and they cried out, saying: This man doth revile against our
laws which are just, and our wise lawyers whom we have selected.

I went to a TEA party because I feel passionately that OUR government has gotten too big. I see similarities with the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. I see similarities of the collapse of Russia (a SUPER POWER) after the Cold War. I see similarities with the French Revolution. I don't know what the future holds. I don't want to be condemned to repeat the past.

I want my children to have the same freedoms I was blessed to have.

I feel strongly that hardships BUILD character. Entitlements enslave the recipient. The biggest government handout I have ever received was in the form of a low interest federal student loan while my husband finished grad school. He has a job. I am a mother to our 3 children. When money is tight, we cut frivolous spending, and if it is still tight, I find ways to bring in some extra income. We have never gotten WIC, or been recipients of any government programs. We own our cars - they aren't flashy, but they are PAID for! We live in a house we can afford. We don't spend money we don't have to uphold an image we can't afford.

We are taxpayers, and I believe we are the forgotten man.

This is Me & Nate with Mark Davis - local talk show host. (see my poster?)