Giving thanks for self-reliant Americans
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! My syndicated column today expresses appreciation for those who live that time-tested virtue: Self-reliance. The reader whose life I write about today is Jen. She’s also a blogger and you can find her Double Nickel Farm site here.
Have a great day.
***
Giving thanks for self-reliant Americans
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2008
In The Year of Bottomless Bailouts, I am most grateful this Thanksgiving for Americans who refuse to abandon thrift, personal responsibility, and self-reliance. When the moochers and entitlement-mongers drive you mad, remember that our nation still serves as home to millions of citizens who do for themselves. Like our Founding Fathers, they are God-fearing people – the ones elitist pundits deride as “oogedy-boogedy” – who will never put their faith in The Cult of You Owe Me.
They are people like my reader Jen, who runs a family farm called the Double Nickel in New Mexico. Tired of hearing all the hand-wringing, “in times like these” rationalizations for unprecedented federal intervention in the market to rescue beleaguered businesses and homeowners, Jen wrote me a letter this week about her own plight and triumph over adversity:
“I am writing to you to share my story of how one can survive hard times and land solidly on one’s feet…
So here goes: My husband had an auto accident on 1 January 2005, and our lives and finances changed dramatically. Our income was cut in half as he has permanent injuries, and went from being a field officer to a desk job in a less fast paced career…”
Instead of staying in a home they couldn’t afford and waiting for a mortgage rescue from The Savior Barack Obama, Jen, her husband, and four children moved to New Mexico because of the much-lower cost of living and college tuition expenses. One of her sons is now a soldier – the third generation in her family to serve, including Jen’s father, who was killed in Vietnam. The other kids are home-school students (among a growing population of home-schooled kids whom The View’s condescending co-host
Joy Behar recently derided on her show as “demented.”) Jen continues:
“We sold our lovely home and bought a run-down, fixer-up place and converted it into a farm that could provide garden vegetables to can, and an area to have some animals to provide eggs, chickens, ducks, turkey, geese, sheep and goats…Freecycle and Craigslist turned out to be a wonderful asset as most of our animals came for free or for barter (and the children and I mucked out stalls on a ranch for sheep).”
Yes, they raise turkeys and other animals. And sell them for profit. This enterprise makes them, in eyes of the New York Times editorial board (which recently decried Alaksa Gov. Sarah Palin’s visit to a turkey farm), “executioners.” That’s language the Times would never think of using to describe, say, the Weather Underground terrorists who targeted police officers in cold blood. But poultry farmers? Brand ‘em with an “M” for murderers. But I digress.
Instead of awaiting the next stimulus check from the Borrow-Spend-Repeat-Panic politicians in Washington, Jen explains how the family has cut costs:
“…I have learned out to make my own shampoo, toothpaste, soaps, cloth napkins, dish scrubbies, potholders, skirts, (mend all clothes) and most meals from scratch. We heat our home exclusively with wood and I am currently growing a winter garden. The spring garden will be in containers in the last week in December to prepare for spring planting. I do not see this as a downfall or a tragedy. For those worried about holiday spending: I spent only $100 for a family of six last Christmas, and most of that [on] underwear, socks, and the meal.”
And she adamantly rejects the victim card:
“…This accident has been a blessing for my family. The pain that my husband has daily is not the blessing, but that he is alive and able to continue to watch his children grow into adulthood. It also has been wonderful to know that we live in a nation that affords us the opportunity to reinvent ourselves from suburbanites to country-dwelling farm family. I am ashamed to see the American spirit that made our nation so great now turned into nothing.”
Thanks to self-reliant Americans like Jen, that spirit lives. In times like these, they are our greatest blessing.
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Or use to describe Islamic terrorists.
Happy Thanksgiving, Michelle, and to all the commentors here!
Thank God for the will and Spirit that drives us to be Free.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and Jen and all your readers.
A wonderful example for us all.
Michelle,
Thank you for sharing a story that is an inspiration on this day of Thanksgiving. It shows that tragedy can be overcome by a willingness to improvise one’s situation and adapt to circumstances.
It makes me thankfull for what I have.
That is “hope and change” that I can believe in.
Happy Thanksgiving to Michelle and all who comment here. Jen’s story is truly inspiring, God Bless her and her family, they are the epitome of the American spirit, which is sadly lacking in today’s culture of gimmee, gimmee. Thank you for sharing that with us, it gives me hope that there are some out there who value the freedom that comes with self-reliance.
Michelle,
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. And to all your readers.
Some people “get it” and some don’t. Blessings to Jen and her family.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.
A Blessed Thanksgiving to you and your family, Michelle.
And a Blessed Thanksgiving to all of the readers, here.
Take time today to give thanks to God for all of the Blessings He has bestowed on you.
Jen, you’re an inspiration – the embodiment of American self-determination!
Happy Thanksgiving and wishes of peace, love, health, happiness and PROSPERITY to one and all – especially our “trolls,” whom I truly want to experience the unique blessings of this mighty nation so that they may better appreciate the opportunities she offers and encourage their continuance and availability to future generations.
What? Americans taking care of themselves, not whining about everything to everybody? Somebody bail that family out!
We will all feel so much better about ourselves. How will they survive in this cruel land without government busybodies telling them how their children ought to be raised, what they can eat and what to think? It’s as if these people believe that their lives are not the concern of 600 departments and agencies.
/sarc off
Happy Thanksgiving Michelle and family!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family Michelle, and to all of my commenter buddies.
I give thanks for the the blessings of God and pray for those who may not have all the “trimmings” of our society.
I give thanks for my loving wife, who without her I would be lost.
I give thanks for all of my extended family for without them I would never know the joys and sorrows of life.
I give thanks for those who willingly take up the call of sacrifice to protect us from danger, be it in the military or in our communities as police and firemen.
And Michelle, thank you for Jen’s story. She his truely an inspiration to us all.
God Bless all of you. May He protect us all in His loving arms.
God bless Jen and her family! A true inspiriation and example of the old pioneer spirit that made this country great. I pray this spirit will return to a country that has lost its way. I am doubly thankful on this day for my unbelievable blessings, and pray all of you are equally blessed. We have the cream of the crop on these blogs and I thank God for every one of you, and most especially our own Michelle Malkin!
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Great stroy Michelle, it just goes to show what you c an do with a little bit of hard work and dedication instead of having a pitty party for yourself.
Of course if you are a union autoworker you dont have to worry about such trivial things as layoffs and to think the big 3 want a bailout to help pay for it.
GOD bless you Jen and happy Thanksgiving to you Michelle.
This is what we’re are all about on this blog. Self-reliance and a can do attitude is what made this country great. Let the liberals wallow in their victim mentality. They’re the real losers in life. The joys that we receive from controlling our own destiny, far exceed the benefits of dependance and indulgences the government could give us. We are what we want to be, and the more government gets out of our way, the greater we can become.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
If I knew who they were, I would gladly send them something to help out this season. To give back… Because I have been so blessed.
Happy Thanksgiving to all! Enjoy time with loved ones and remember those overseas who cannot be with their families today because they are fighting to keep us free.
What?
No lottery scratch tickets? No weekly manicures?
I bet their TV is less than 42″ and that they don’t even have the good cable or satellite stations.
OMG! They probably have the cellphone that came out last year, the kind that doesn’t even have a QWERTY keyboard.
These people need a bailout to bring them up to the standard of living guaranteed to all of us in the Constitution, or the Gettysburg Address, or one of those history thingys.
*********************************
God works in mysterious ways (the secong time I’ve used that phrase in 2 days).
This family was dealt a misfortune that they turned into a positive for them.
Truly inspirational to know that there are still some rational, tough people like this in the world. Where once they were the rule, they’re sadly now the exception.
God bless them, our lovely hostess and all the readers and commenters here. Happy Thanksgiving from Plymouth, Mass.
How about a thunderous AMEN!
I’m gonna go pick persimmons for my pudding now.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you to Jen and her family for their strength, courage and yankee ingenuity. These are the values which build this country.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone here! Watching the Macy’s parade and will start the cooking in about 1/2 hour. There is a lot that happened this year for this family to be grateful. Plenty of food today, a warm house with a fireplace going, good friends/family. All smiles today. Blessings to Jen and Michelle. May God watch over and protect you.
The truth is that the self-reliant are an endangered species in America. The welfare state never contracts – it always gets more and more Americans to depend on it. This is a really tough Thanksgiving for those who realize where our country is going. It will be interesting, to say the least, when those expected to pay for those who rely on the welfare state are no longer willing and able to do so.
God Bless and thank God for Jen the Executioner of New Mexico. There are indeed a whole lot of tough and self reliant folks who our Drive By Media would never tell us about.
And a Blessed Thanksgiving to all, except for the Trolls of course.
Thanks for the great story Michelle; Happy Thanksgiving to all from a former self-reliant Canadian(Eh!) who became an equally self-reliant U.S. citizen on 12/07/2007(Pearl Harbor Day); God has bestowed upon this earth the greatest of nations, and I vow to do my part to keep it that way; But right now, I have a previous commitment with the 3 f’s, family, football, and food!; God bless.
Give thanks to the Lord our God for He is good and His mercy endures forever. Thanks to all for your sanity in such insane times, you are the pulse of the heart of this nation, Jen, Michelle, and the rest of you. (Except for the misguided trolls).
That sounds like my plan. Not to climb the ladder but to get off of it and retreat to a simpler, more rewarding life. We should all learn to be crafty, handy and learn how to garden. Unplug the TV and learn some skills. Self reliance my be a necessity in the future.
God bless Jen the Slaughterer.
God bless Michelle Malkin.
God bless America.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Even you, Omu.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I am thankful for living in a country that allows me to live in relative safety anywhere I want. And that I can buy ammunition and weapons to defend my home and family.
Pray for the People of India now as they are living through the horror of their “9-11″. Unfortunately, there are people celebrating the new war in Mumbai. Since owning weapons is illegal in India, they had to hunker down in their home with the lights, tvs and phones turned off, quaking in terror as the Muslims went through the streets of their city shooting/murdering anyone in their way. There are still hostages in two hotels and the Jewish Center according to the Indian news sources.
Oh – and thank God for George W Bush for leading our country and preventing this scenario(so far) in our country.
And please pray that the traitor, Christina Amanapour shuts her lying pie-hole and gets shipped to the Sharia center of her choice soon to guarantee that America is not subjected to her anymore.
Welcome bjc.
My cousin married a gentleman from Nova Scotia that served in the RCAF and the RCMP. Getting a seat near him will be a priority today, to hear his fantastic stories from his service all over the world. I’m sure half of them are lies, but it’s great listening to him tell the stories anyway!
At the risk of offending the hyper-sensitive PC types that might be lurking… ah, heck with that!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Michelle,
Will you post a way for us so that a contibution can be made to Jen and her family. I recognize that isn’t the purpose of her writing to you but in this season of thankfulness and blessings it would be an honor to send a donation to a family that epitomizes the American “can do” triumphal spirit.
Self reliance. Independence. Freedom.
We even make our own drinking water out here. We have a solar still that produces two to five gallons of pure water every day, with no moving parts, no high technology and I don’t have to worry what’s upstream or being leached into the groundwater. In fact, what we drink is essentially … rain water.
Our ranch house is rammed earth. Solar gain sited, modest sized. It’s a box-in-a-box design with a modest green house embedded on the south side and the heat generated there is looped up through the ceiling and down the walls into the rock filled crawl-space where the heat is stored to radiate into the poured adobe floors (incredibly durable and beautiful). We don’t have a mechanical heat source because we refuse to be reliant upon a Grid that costs and can fail. If ever the weather becomes so cold the design can’t keep up, our high tech wood-stove makes so much heat it will run you out of the house. But we’ve so far haven’t needed it in 25 years. A rammed earth design takes virtually no maintenance and is close to indestructible.
We make our own electricity which we feed in to the Grid and so far over the years we’ve rarely had to pay, almost always the meter is running backwards, but then we have two low flow hydro generators. I also built a large compost pile and generate hot water inside it, alongside the solar collectors. Compost heat is not weather dependent.
We keep a couple of beeves, always some chickens. We garden in the greenhouse for vegetables and herbs. I hunt. And for income we do lots of things none of which require us to sell the minutes and hours of our life to others.
Most everything listed above is now considered ‘green’.
But I’ve always called it being an ornery American cuss who won’t be hog tied to a life that requires me to sell my life to others in order to have the money to buy into their consumer lifestyles that enriches everyone but me. Our life is rich with purpose and meaning because we chose to live self-reliant and free. And btw – none of the above looks like Birkenstock Rainbow Family hippie commune dirt and filth. It’s a damn nice spread. I’m looking forward to making my own hydrogen fuel shortly.
Green should be about freedom, not political ideology. Green should be about self-reliance. Not Al Gore who is a lard ass.
And we thank God this uniquely American holiday for all His Blessings, especially that we live in America where we can be ornery cusses who refuse to live in a tract home and be tied to the beast.
Happy Thanksgiving Michelle and to your family as well.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who frequents this site including the trolls!
Happy Thanksgiving, Michelle.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours Michelle
Happy Thanksgiving all.
I live in a rural part of Texas where many of the people own and operate their own small business, farm, or ranch. They are offended by the welfare mooches and bailout beggars. Yet, they keep concentrating on providing for themselves. I recently learned of a woman who has a teenage son who has autism. She and her husband recognize they can’t depend on the government to provide for their son so they have set out to build a private non-profit farm for persons with autism where they can live, learn a trade, and be as self-reliant as they possible can. City folks would say it is out in the middle of nowhere because it is way out in the country but this mom and dad believe it is “home” for their son. I don’t detect a shred of self-pity or fear in this family!
Be nice to the trolls. They come here daily and make fools of themselves. They show us where the battle lines are drawn. They are part of the social ecology, like ticks on a deer.
On this day only, happy Thanksgiving trolls.
MY YOU ENJOY THE FRUITS OF OUR LABOR.
Be nice to the trolls. They come here daily and make fools of themselves. They show us where the battle lines are drawn. They are part of the social ecology, like ticks on a deer.
On this day only, happy Thanksgiving trolls.
MAY YOU ENJOY THE FRUITS OF OUR LABOR.
opps sorry!!! Double post.
Wow!!what a story, very inspirational
Happy Thanksgiving Michelle and to everyone
Happy Thanksgiving!
Many blessings on Americans like Jen. The spirit lives on.
(BTW, re thrift: my cell phone is 9 years old. People laugh at me but I have no debt!)
Happy Thanksgiving all.
Our family is scattered all over the world today…from opposite ends of Texas…to Japan…but we’re all together.
May you all be Blessed.
Oh…and Go Cowboys!!
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Michelle, you always have an inspiring item for all of us. There are millions of people in this country who will always do what is right and will not accept the mediocrity of government handouts.
Happy Thanksgiving. They’ve learned the lesson most Americans never do. You don’t own your possessions, they own you. Jen and her family are truly rich.
Consider sharing your Christmas with the truly poor. For a very small amount you can make a great difference in someone’s life.
http://www.gfa.org/gift
I am thankful to live in the best country in the world. I am thankful for all our military who serve and pray for their safety. I am thankful our President Bush has kept us safe from another attack like what India is going through. I am thankful for family, friends, a wonderful hubby, and being able to post here at MM. A very Happy Thanksgiving to all. Have a good meal, watch the games, take a nap, eat again.
God Bless us all.
L
Thank you, Michelle, for sharing that story. In adversity, Jen and her husband showed what they were made of. Their children will benefit from this resourcefulness and the depth of their character.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and may God bless you.
America is not set upon a precedent of “yes we can” America’s liberties and greatness are rooted in yes I can.
Happy Thanksgiving Michelle, to you, your family, to Jen and her family along with all Americans with her attitude and love for their country.
I wish no ill will to our site trolls, saying that I cannot and will not wish them a positive for the one reason they point out to us daily. They hate our country, whether you like it not they are our enemy. Not just another opinion, another idea, no, they want your life, to be the governments just as their’s is.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL(except)
I’ll never submit, NEVER
Happy Thanksgiving, Michelle and everyone!
I am a two time survivor of cancer and this story stirred a lot of emotions in me. Growing up, my Father always told me, *If you want to be happy, you will be.* That seems so simple but also difficult at times but if you refuse to look down or back and just keep looking up and forward, you’ll be just fine.
I have two lines I use as my Gmail signature and one that I used to have that follow:
Life is an occasion – Rise to it!
Live Life like a T-Rex – leave deep footprints so they will remember you!
and finally:
If you are knee deep in horse crap, look for the pony, but if ya got the pony, don’t drag it around by the nads looking for the crap.
Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving all.
Good on ya, Jen, for moving on from your tragedy and learning to live life to the fullest. May God bless you and your family and keep you all healthy and happy.
Happy Thanksgiving to all who comment on this blog.
I find this quote by Jen to be the most meaningful for me. There is always a silver lining and it just depends on the way you look at things.
Happy Thanksgiving
Agreed, he still has the most precious thing a human can have…their family.
Thanks for that inspiring story, Michelle.
It gives me hope that no matter what the libs do to control our lives, that they can’t crush our spirit. If we maintain thankful and cheerful attitudes, trusting in God’s promises, we will not only survive – but thrive.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, and may your hearts be continually feasting!
p.s. Go Cowboys!
Dear Michelle,
Kumusta Po Michelle!
Thankyou for that uplifting story! I really needed it.
The Base Commander has closd net access to all non-essentials frm all base computers. Youd be surprisd at the following you have here. The network guys hav setup a connection to a proxy & run it all on the QT. Still, theres not enough access to go around & bootleg DVDs of your TV appearences, & the daily rec.s of Limbaugh, Hannty, & Beck are hot items (all QT) amongst Conservs here!
Im here this Thanksgiving, 1/2 a world away frm my family, counting myself lucky: Im only TDY & my current actual posting is near my Dad & rest of our family.
The local LDS Ward has organized Thanksgiving Diners for us (incl. Non-LDS) at members houses this even though *Our* (the USs) Thanksgiving is somewhat unfamiliar to them.
When I spoke to my sponsor family, Mrs Chen said: We are thankful for the Savior, too! It is good that America has a day to thank Him for all hes blessed your people with!
I thought to correct her, tell her something was missed in translation. Her English isnt very strong, nor is my commnd of the nuances of her language as good as my Mandarin. Still, I considered telling her that Thanksgiving no longer means that in the US. In the end, Ive left things alone. It doesnt really matter that *we* have changd, because most of us havent, weve just been fed lies. People like you are The Watchmen, awakening those sleeping to the hordes trying to destroy Western Civ.
ThankYou Michelle for your work! I knw its hard, you&your family’s targetd for destructn. You may not know it, but you’re a role model. You’re an exampl in private life as Mrs. Palin is in public life. A persn, not always right, but *always honest&genuine*. All of us as humans err. Most people’s fear of being wrong freeze them up. You dont. When you’re wrong you just correct it & go on.
PDA buffer getting low. Cut this to the essentals-hope its intelligible.
Happy Thanksgiving! God Bless!
(originally posted to wrong thread. reposted here)
Exactly – no matter how bad a situation, it could always be worse!
Like Pollyanna’s “glad game,” it takes effort to see-/find the good in some cases but it’s there, and it’s often worth the finding.
I love it! Thanks for sharing, Michelle. This is an encouragement to those of us who wish to become more self-reliant…BlackFlag #32, hats off to you, too!
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, and thank You, God, for Your many blessings on this country…and for my family, friends, and even my enemies–they have shown me ways I can improve, and I am grateful for the learning. Thank you, God, for the health and love of my family, and for the good things You provide to us each day. Thank You for all who keep our nation safe and free, under Your mighty protective Hand. Amen.
Great column MM, reminds me a lot for MY FAMILIES THANKS this holiday… Gotta stop eating eggs, sausage, toast and coffee for breakfast, whenever I read one of your posts like this one the DAMNED breakfast makes my EYES WATER…
Somehow i don’t think she needs or wants…
Yo – Jen!
And two thumbs up to BlackFlag55. You running your computer on a compost pile or something? I’m, jealous. What a country…
Happy Thanksgiving.
Oh, saw the cutest thing last night in a Thai restaurant. A table with a local family of mixed – probably Asian – descent, and the little girl was wearing a pilgrim hat! It was great!
Jen’s words are so sadly true. If our systems were to collapse and we were forced back to a mostly agrarian society, we’d be screwed many times over. The migration over generations to the cities made most of us unable to fend for ourselves outside of Walmart, Home Depot and Safeway. Wow. And us, living in rural CO, still with modern utilities and transportation. Not a good situation. Praying God’s Mercy upon USA. We so desperately need it, now, more than ever. WISDOM! LOTS OF IT!
Wow!!! Thanks Michelle for sharing that with us. What on earth has happened to our Country and the people in it, that the story of a family like this becomes “unusual”? That family shows the spirit of what made this Country great. Compare that to the selfish entitlement mentality of tens of millions of Americans. Our Country is sick with entitlement fever, and political correctness/liberalism. It is nice to know that there are still Americans who adhere to the Conservative principles of self-reliance and rugged individualism. I would love to send a donation to them; not as charity, because I know that such a proud family as theirs would reject that, but as one like-minded neighbor helping another.
Michelle: Can you please provide an address to send a donation and a small note of encouragement to Jen and her family?
Thanks.
What a contrast to Peggy the Moocher(you-tube removed video)thanks for sharing, may Jen and her family be blessed and find strength to carry on.
Those with gratitude always find a way.
This country is being divided between those that have it with those that don’t and that is and has been exploited by the politicians.
Be grateful for what you have and do unto others as you would want them to do onto you. These are pretty good guidelines in life.
The moral of the story is… what exactly? That liberals are not self-reliant? Can’t there be both self-reliant Democrats and Republicans as well as lazy Democrats and Republicans? There’s a disturbing tendency in conservative media to personalize political issues, to make things about people and personalities instead of government and politics.
The problems in this country aren’t about you and me and whether or not one of us is more or less self-reliant, or whatever else, than the other. This could be the biggest catastrophe any of us will ever live through, and you’re bottling up. This is not a time to be making points about how salt-of-the-earth you are.
I love this blog, and I thank God for the people who participate. God has put us each here, at this time for His purpose, so that men would seek him, though he is not far from each one of us.
I thank God for redemption through the Lord Jesus. I thank God for being born in the USA.
I would love to send Jen a Christimas gift, is there an address for her?
..
Well..lib politicians definitely like em that way. This way they can demagogue, and promise to take from the rich and bestow other’s money upon the poor, marshalling votes and winning elections. This has been the Dem mantra for decades. Im sorry that you have your head in the sand. But the consituency of dems are made up disproportionately (not even close) of people who would rather live off the public dime, then pick themselves up and do it on their own. Think of the victim set in this country, and then ask yourself how many of them vote Republican. Case closed. Pls get a clue before you post with your emotions, and not facts. If the truth offends you, well what can I say.
Digshot said: (#63)
I think the moral is that some people are self-reliant rather than relying on the government, no matter the circumstances. To your second question, yes, there are lazy people in both and self-reliant people in both. However, it seems to me that there are more self-reliant conservatives than there are self-reliant liberals; and by and large the latter tend to vote for Democrats.
——————–
Happy Thanksgiving to all for those who like the holiday–no exceptions. For those of you who might be offended (why are you reading this thread?), belay my last.
God bless you and your family, Jen. You really are an inspiration.
You done good today, Michelle. Nice work.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Also remember the agnostic and atheist self-reliant, responsible, and ethical folks, like myself. One not fear any gods to have these qualities.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
…yes, libs are not self reliant. Worse, they teach others not to be either.
Bingo, and we have proof of such in this very thread
Happy Thanksgiving!
I’m thankful for the short time I owned a farm. I wish every day I could have that experience in my life again. Maybe someday.
I’m thankful for those blessed souls who are the foundation of this great country. Those who worship God, who still have morals, ethics, and principles, and pass those traits on to their children.
To the others, I pity you. You’ll never know or understand what you’re missing.
Well, Digs, nowhere in the story does it mention “Republican”, “Democrat”, “liberal” or “conservative”. You are imputing motives to Jen and Michelle. You are judging where you not ought. You are either really confused, cynical, or a liar.
The story does mention two generalized classes of people: “moochers and entitlement-mongers” and “God-fearing, resourceful, self-reliant Americans”. Since you’ve seen fit to bring up the labels of liberal-Democrat and conservative-Republican, I’ll let you figure out which people class goes with which label. Thanks for drawing attention to that.
You draw a distinction between “people and personalities” and “government and politics”. This is very telling of your core philosophy. Go back and read the Declaration of Independence, and you’ll find that the people ARE the government. Your statement belies your elitist belief that the government is OVER the people.
You say, “There’s a disturbing tendency in conservative media to personalize political issues…” Our form of government DEMANDS personal involvement, because – guess what? – political issues personally affect us, our families, neighbors, and countrymen. In your unfathomable wisdom, pray tell us in which non-personally affecting political issues would our involvement be acceptable?
By the way, you seem to labor under the delusion that Republican is equivalent to conservative. It is not. Republican is a political party that used to be associated with conservativism. Democrat is a political party that has become – not liberal in the true sense – but leftist. In my mind, Democrat is leftist and leftist is Democrat.
Thanks Michelle for sharing Jens story of a self reliant family in this age of moochers. This reminds me of how my wife’s family survived in Central Oregon when she grew up. They all worked on the land surrounding the home they rented (originally built until in 1908 and modestly improved by the hard work of my father-in-law) providing their own food through gardening, animal husbandry, canning, and by traveling to the Willamette Valley to work the fields picking crops for pennies and a small cut for their own consumption (so much for the jobs some American’s won’t do). Their home was also heated only by a single wood stove, that we spent more then one summer’s tour of leave at home to help cut, split, and stack. During hunting season my father-in-law always provided extra meat on the table by bagging an elk or deer. Up until the bad old days of the Carter years the local game warden would look the other way should a desperate family poach an elk or deer to make ends meet. Good honest hard working people clinging to their faith in God that would share all they had with you unless crossed and then they would be willing to defend what little they had with their well used and cared for firearms.
My family and I have much to be thankful for this year despite the daily drama associated with everyone’s personal family/work life and the perfect storm affecting the financial sector caused by greed, arrogance, and stupidity losing many people their jobs this year, which I expect to only get worse. We will join Jen and her family in doing more with less by starting our own victory garden this spring (can’t plant in the winter this far north), which my wife and her sister will can for the hard times ahead.
Hoping everyone had a pleasant Thanksgiving Day. For those brave enough to go out on this Black Friday stay safe and keep aware of your surroundings.
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE (mo-lone lah-veh) Translation: “Come and Take Them!”
What an outstanding example of the true American spirit. God bless them. I hope that others can learn from their example.
Couldn’t have said it better myself! Thanks Johnny
Jet Jaguar nails it. The story is about self-reliance in the face of adversity, not about who they voted for.
The founding fathers understood this. To them, in fact, it was a common occurrence – and common sense. There have always been moochers, even 300 years ago. There have always been diverse religious beliefs, too, for those here who feel the need to mention that they’re self reliant, but “different.”
That’s why Thanksgiving is a general thanks to God, and not to any specific religious belief.
Michelle’s timing is flawless here. Jen, like the Pilgrims before her, expresses thanks for being given what she needed to survive – not from the government, but from almighty God. She’s thankful that, unlike mooching from the feds, these blessings made her and her family stronger. That is no different than what those Puritans felt during their days of Thanksgiving and Harvest Home.
It doesn’t matter who she voted for – this is a uniquely American thing. Only the United States, to my knowledge, recognizes a national day of Thanksgiving to God.
If you’re an atheist, enjoy the football. Enjoy the meal. Enjoy “black Friday.” But please show the same common-sense restraint that every other cultured American has to not point out your *specific* religious beliefs during this holiday. Hindus don’t. Jews don’t. Episcopalians don’t. Lutherans don’t. Bhuddists don’t. Druids don’t. Catholics don’t.
Hooray for you if you are “self reliant.” Thank yourself the same way everyone else thanks God – to themselves.
I’m still unemployed.
I’m beyond ‘up to my eyeballs’ in debt.
I have no prospects for income or job.
I can’t even afford to buy my wife a Christmas gift.
But I did go back to school and finally got one degree out of the way.
What keeps me from going bezerk, using drugs, alchohol, or worse?
“God has been good to me” – a phrase a Baptist minister told my graduating class 20 years ago when God wasn’t an offensive figure in high school.
I keeps on keeping on. That’ the only way.
I am glad Jen has been able to improve her life and be happy with it. You represent the true American Spirit that built this country. Unlike the idiots who show up at the stores at 5am this morning and act like a bunch of idiots and kill someone.
People like Jen and those like her make the areas they live in a much better place. The idiots who destroy their area
will now move to Jen’s area because the local population is thankful and appreciate what they have and have made it a good place to live. Once they move there, they then turn it in to the place they just left, because they know no other way.
Best wishes Jen, Mr. Obama should be using you as an example and not idiots who just look to the gov’t to
helpsupport them.You go, Jen! You’ve got the same spirit our pioneer forefathers had way back. And if the American Experience is any proof, you’ll still find a way to become wildly successful (outside of the peace of mind success you already have) if you choose to.
This year, I’m more thankful than ever for having parents who taught us to live below our means and save for a rainy day. My mom was a “Depression Baby,” and frugality was a way of life that I’m so grateful to have learned.
I’m also thankful I found this blog and all the thoughtful/funny/witty/decent folks who post here. It’s a powerful thing to find other conservatives out there! Hard times are coming, but I believe we’re of hearty stock and will come out on the other side. The year 2012 is being forecast as “survival of the fittest.” Get ready now.
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Thanks for posting this, hopefully many people will learn this story.
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absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
don’t ever say thanks
to any of your Gods
they have done nothing for you
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absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
don’t worship freely
or take long dangerous trips
just to follow God your way
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All real freedom starts with freedom of speech. If there is no freedom of speech there can be no real freedom.
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Philosophy of Liberty Cartoon
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Help Halt Terrorism Today!
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USpace
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That’s hilarious. So it’s the religious types in this country that are extremely accommodating and respectful of everyone else’s religious beliefs? That’s not how things look from my perspective. Who are these atheists that want to talk about other peoples’ religions on Thanksgiving anyway? You can’t level those complaints about atheists in the same post where you say that the country ‘recognizes a national day of Thanksgiving to God.’ Didn’t you just get specific about your religious beliefs, right there?
During Thanksgiving, as American toiling masses traditionally give thanks to the government for what it has distributed to them, all conscientious members of community are required to experience the following emotions: (a) deep gratitude to the government for letting them exist; (b) utter unworthiness compared to the magnanimity of the state; (c) everlasting guilt for consuming what they have not produced, as well as for not giving back to the community according to their abilities. If you do not experience said emotions, you are not a conscientious member of community and shall be disposed of according to the Party Manual (Page 894, Paragraph 5) with all your belongings confiscated by the state and redistributed to the more worthy members according to their need. (The People’s Cube)
The hammer comes down on the bullying teacher.
corona – sound more like she was slapped with a wet noodle, not a hammer. Oh well, I wasn’t expecting much.
Happy belated Thanksgiving Jen and family. There is always a silver lining if we just look for it. I pray God will continue to bless your family.