I am NOT Ashamed

I'm not ashamed to say I'm a Christian. I am proud to be labeled a right-winged extremist just because I attended a tea party. I am not embarrassed to be fiscally conservative and I'm glad I have common sense. I am proud to stand up for the Constitution. I am sick of Government over-spending, taking away our freedoms, taking over businesses, insurance companies, banks, etc. Now they want to take control of our Health care system and push the propaganda of Global Warming. To steal a quote from our first lady, "For the first time in my adult life, I am ashamed of what our Government is doing to tear down this country" I am ashamed that I sat on the couch and didn't pay attention to the Government when they were growing more powerful and overstepping what they were intended to do. So for now, I'm proud to be called a Patriot and linking with others who feel the same as I do to fight what is going on in Washington.

Profound short paragraph

You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for. That my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."*

* Adrian Rogers, 1931*

*Perception* ...something to think about...

Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with
a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time
approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their
way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician
playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried
to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later:

the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the
hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his
watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes:

A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid
stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the
child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was
repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced
their children to move on quickly.

45 minutes:

The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a
short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace.
The man collected a total of $32.

1 hour:

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded,
nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest
musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever
written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua
Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station
was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about *perception, taste and people's priorities*. The questions raised: in a
common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we
do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the
world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most
beautiful instruments ever made.... How many other things are we missing?