Posted by fl on December 6, 2009 under 9/12 Candidates, Updates | 
Michael Yost is running for U.S Congress in Florida’s 3rd District. He is recently married to Debra Youmans and has lived in Jacksonville for over 3 years. He is just an everyday average man, leading as normal of an American life as he can. He is tired of what has happened to our country, the control, regulations, and the loss of our liberties. He has made the decision to represent the great people of Florida’s 3rd District to help rebuild our State and this great nation. 
Mike has started from the bottom of the totem pole in his grandfathers automobile dealership, from sweeping floors to cleaning auto parts. He understands work ethic and that is what enabled him to start his own business. He understands how to run a company and now wants to take that experience and help run our great State of Florida.
Mike is ready to bring common sense back to Florida and our Congress. He feels that you don’t need a ton of lies and bad campaign promises to get elected. Its about honesty and the great people that will stand behind someone that can make a difference. Mike Yost is that person. He is willing to stand up for the people of Florida’s District 3, and to take this ethics, values and principles to help remold and rebuild our District and make it a better place.
If the people of District 3 are ready for REAL change, and an honest conservative candidate, then Mike Yost is your candidate.
Campaign Website *** Contract *** 9/12 Platform ***
Posted by fl on October 31, 2009 under 9/12 Platform, Updates |
Principles & Values
Principles
America Is Good.
America is the greatest country in the world because of the Constitution. It allows Americans the freedom to pursue Life, Liberty and Property.
I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life.
I believe that there is a higher power that gives us the guidance we need to make the right choices in life. There is a code in life that most people live by. It tells us to do onto others as you would have them do onto you.
I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
People need to be able to feel that they can take you at your word. If you break that trust it is very difficult to regain it.
The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
It is not the responsibility of the government to control the actions of each family in America. Freedom means that we have the choice and the responsibility for the decisions that we make as a family.
If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
People see that there are 2 sets of laws in this country, one for the average citizen and another for the powerful and famous. This breach of the public trust needs to be mended. People need to see that justice is blind and it does not matter who you are. If you do the crime you must do the time.
I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.
All men are created equal. If someone works hard and is persistent then they will be successful. If we allow success to be penalized then we will stifle creativity. This country was built on the creativity of its citizens.
I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.
If the government takes from one to give to another that is not charity its theft. Americans are charitable and do not need the government trying to control us.
It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.
There needs to be more honest discussions within this country about the problems that we face. We must allow free speech. If we start to limit what Americans can say then we are going against the constitution. It takes an honest debate to solve the problems that we have.
The government works for the people. The people do not answer to the government, the government answers to the people.
Politicians are not listening to the people. If a citizen has questions it is the responsibility of every elected official to give them an honest answer. Politicians should give a truthful response even if the people may not agree with the answer.
Values
Honesty
The most important aspect of a politician is that the people believe that they are honest when they speak. You can tell by the approval percentage that this is not the case.
Reverence
We need to have respect for all. We may not be able to agree on everything but we need to respect each other. Right now the current politicians do not have respect for the people they represent.
Hope
It is hope that enables us to keep fighting when the odds are great. It gives me strength and resolve to continue down a difficult path.
Thrift
This means that we should not waste anything. When the government is spending your money they need to have this value.
Humility
I am humble and know that I don’t have all the answers. I also know that by listening to people and the knowledge that they have we can come up with solutions.
Charity
American’s are charitable. We all want to help those in need. It is that aspect which makes this country great.
Sincerity
This value goes with honesty. You must believe that your elected officials are sincere in what they say.
Moderation
With many things in life excessive behavior can lead you down the wrong path.
Hard Work
It is only through hard work that America became the greatest country in the world. We will need hard work from all Americans to return to greatness.
Courage
Courage means that you face the difficult decisions in life without fear. Politicians must have courage to do the right thing even if it is not the popular thing.
Personal Responsibility
Personal responsibility is the key to our form of government. It is only when people take the responsibility to take care of themselves that will free ourselves from the need of the federal government. The federal government should have the same goal.
Gratitude
I am thankful for the opportunity to take on the challenges that this country faces. This is a pivotal point in the future road that this country will travel. I welcome this challenge.
Posted by fl on October 1, 2009 under Updates |
Hello fellow Floridians….
I just wanted to give you a heads up that late next week, 9/12 Candidates will have a big announcement.. Please be sure to check back, as I am sure many of you will really want to know!
Thank you for your continued support!
Posted by fl on August 14, 2009 under 9/12 Candidates |
9/12 Candidates is proud to announce Bernard Sansaricq for U.S Congress, District 23-FL. 
Bernard Sansaricq is running for U.S Congress in Florida’s district 23. He is married to Alejandra and together they have three lovely daughters, Sandra, Pascale and Nicole.
Bernard has seen the struggles of human rights personally and has fought for them much of his career. He witnessed the killings of 13 family members by the Duvallier regime in 1964 inHaiti and was almost assassinated himself in 1987, but he managed to get to the Argentine Embassy for safety. From there he rose up to become a top leader in Haiti, and eventually the President of the Senate. While there, he was able to do so much for the people of Haiti, such as introducing the living wage for many, and improved the U.S relations with Haiti. In 1994, Bernard decided to return to the United States.
Bernard wants to use his experience in Haiti, to help the great state of Florida’s district 23. He will fight for small businesses, and human rights.
When asked why he is running for Congress, Bernard stated:
“First of all, I believe in the principles of personal responsibility and self motivation. I also believe that families provide our youth with the optimal conditions for success. I also believe that the Republican Party has been more willing to stand up to the brutality embodied by the Castro regime and more willing to pressure the Haitian government to take action against the horrific child labor abuses throughout its countryside. But what my campaign is about, is ensuring economic excellence, strengthening the ability of families to achieve the American Dream and reforming the justice system so that we stop making career criminals out of previously non-violent offenders.”
Bernard is for a strong military, law enforcement and intelligence agency support. He will fight for lower taxes, and help fight to keep jobs in America. He is pro-life and believes that life begins at conception. He would also like to use the “Voucher Program” for the schools in this district, so parents can allow their children to attend better schools, while they strengthen the other schools to make a better educational system for the children. He is also for strong immigration reform and to keep our 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms.
Mr. Sansaricq, we are proud to have you as a 9/12 Candidate!
Campaign Site **** Facebook **** Facebook Fan Site
Contract **** SKYPE: Bernard.Sansaricq2
Posted by fl on August 5, 2009 under 9/12 Candidates |
Alexander Snitker is running as a candidate for the United States Senate in 2010 for the State of Florida. He is married to his high school sweetheart Kelly since 2000, and together they have a 21 month old son. 
He served for 8 yrs in the Marine Corps. This provided him with leadership training, ability to deal with pressure, endurance, a sense of pride in this country, as well as the ability to look at a situation and develop a solution. He was able to travel around the United States and around the world. This showed him that the decisions made in Washington have ramifications at home and abroad. His time within the government and currently in his civilian career has also showed him that the government can waste money and we need to make sure that fraud and abuse is kept to a minimum in every aspect of it. He also learned a sense of honor, integrity and commitment. If he says I he will do something then he will keep his word.
When Alex got out of the Marine Corps in 2001, he became a salesman for AXSA Document Solutions, Inc. This job has taught him that if you work hard for what you want, you can make it in this country. He had the opportunity to visit many different businesses to see how each of them operates and what the concerns of the small business owners were. He also was able to see that we need to get manufacturing jobs back into this country.
“That is the only way we will be able to have a productive middle class. I also have many non-profit business customers that have show me that there is an overwhelming need in the community.”
His career has also shown him the consequences of the decisions made by government and how they can damage or help all of the families that depend on a job for their well being.
He is an independent Candidate, with no party affiliation. He believes that the 2 party system that we currently have, has failed us as a country and we need citizen-legislators in Washington to put US back on track for liberty and prosperity for all Americans. When asked “why” he was running for U.S Senate he wrote:
“Like most of you I have watched politics lately and realized that there are few politicians that are listening to the people. I was calling their offices to find out how they stood on the Fair Tax. These officials will not directly answer this question… This is not an acceptable answer for me. I need to get straight forward answers to my questions. I now realize that this will never happen because this system is broken. But the great thing about this country is that everyone in elected office can be replaced within 6 yrs. That means that individuals can rise up and replace them with people that will make the changes that are really needed. I don’t care about democrats or republicans. Party affiliation shouldn’t be the only way to get elected and it seems to me that the one thing they both can agree on is that there is no room for anyone else. ANYONE ELSE REPRESENTS MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT COULD VOTE. Does anyone really think that these parties have done a good enough job to deserve exclusivity in the political process?”
Alex is for establishing the Fair Tax, term limits for both the Senate and the House, balance budget amendments, strong illegal immigration reform, boarder control and energy independence. To see more about Alex, you can visit these sites:
Campaign Site *** Facebook *** Twitter *** Linked In
Contract
Posted by fl on under 9/12 Candidates |
Jose Ruiz is running for U.S Congress in Florida’s 19th District. He is married to his wife Kelly, and together they have 3 children. 
Jose was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. From Puerto Rico, Jose moved to Massachussettes, Nova Southeastern University, where he gained a Masters of Business Administration with Honors. Currently he is a professor at Kaplan University, teaching Business/Management.
Jose has a proven track record of being able to motivate and organize others. He states he is performance-oriented, driven by goals, timeframes and benchmarks. He has also over 20 years of experience in computer information systems and technologies.
Jose is running for Congress because he feels he has a moral obligation to his family and others, to protect their right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
“Clearly, during these most difficult times in our Nation’s history, most in Washington do not relate to those who elected them to start with. There is a real disconnect between the Washington politicians, and politics for us in our home state. Many have lost their jobs, their homes, their lifelong savings, and to this day I have not seen help “trickle” down to those in need. We have serious problems here in Florida District 19, and we need solutions to these problems.”
Jose wants to protect the 2nd amendment, as its a fundamental right of every American citizen. He would like to help our great nation become energy independent and break away from our foreign dependence. He is for fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, and immigration reform.
Jose is running as a Democrat, and is proud to be the FIRST 9/12 Candidate for the Democrat party. He feels that elections shouldnt be about party affiliation, but about the person you are electing to represent you. He stated that we need to break away from the two party system, and focus on the PEOPLE. Only then, can we get away from the He said/She said, party blaming that is happening now.
Jose we are proud to have you as our first Democrat for 9/12 Candidates. Hopefully you can break the mold, and we can start getting real “Statesment” back in office, that care about the people they represent, not just which way the wind blows!
If you would like to get more information on Jose, you can see it on these links:
Campaign Site *** Facebook *** Contract
Posted by fl on August 4, 2009 under 9/12 Candidates |
Paul McKain is running for U.S Congress in Florida’s 2nd Congressional district. He has been married to his wife Ruth for Over 28 years, and together, they have 3 children. They live in Tallahassee and love to take advantabge of all that the Great State of Florida has to offer, such as camping and surfing. Paul has lived here for over 50 years. 
Paul is a registered member of the Florida Whig Party, and will be their first candidate on the ballot for the next elections in 2010. He has a BS in education and a minor in physical science. He was a teacher for three years before joining the Sunrise Florida Fire/Resuce Dept. (SFFRD), where he worked for 23 years until he retired. While working as a fire fighter and paramedic, his spare time consisted of developing several businesses, such as one that he invented a vacuum release system that is now, by law, required in all public pools and spas. This release system is added to the vacuums to prevent loss of life/limb or other bodily injury. This success inspired him to write a book called: “Successful Failures: So You Have an Idea, Now What?” to help inspire other inventors to success in their ideas. Has has teken this as his motto: “Find a problem, Fix a Problem”
Paul is ready to take this motto to Washington. He has found the problem, and wants to fix it. He wants to represent the great people of District 2, and help fix these problems they, and the rest of us in America are facing.
Paul would like to see better fiscal responsibility, he is for less government, a safe and secure boarder, and for the fair tax. To see more about Paul you can contact him on these sites:
Campaign Site *** Facebook *** Twitter *** Myspace *** Blog *** Florida Whig Party
Contract
Posted by fl on August 3, 2009 under 9/12 Platform, Inspiration, Updates |
Principles & Values Richard W. Pait
9 Principles
- America Is Good.
America is defined by her people. Most people never leave the city they were born in. I’ve traveled tremendously. Most of my travels have been throughout the Southeast and South America. I’ve lived from Washington D.C to Florida. I’ve had the opportunity to live from San Diego, CA to Charleston, SC and travel from Key West north through upstate New York. I’ve been straight through the center of the U.S. north through Atlanta, Arkedelphia and to Minneapolis. Between those travels and 11 years of teaching in 6 schools I can tell you with 100% clarity and conviction; The American People are a great and noble people. We are generous in our time, money and forgiveness. The American spirit is healthy, capable, determined and willing to follow impossible dreams if someone would just step up and “boldly go where no one has gone before.” America just doesn’t want to be lied to.
- America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great. ~ Alexis Charles Henri
- America represents something universal in the human spirit. I received a letter not long ago from a man who said, “You can go to Japan to live, but you cannot become Japanese. You can go to France to live and not become a Frenchman. You can go to live in Germany or Turkey, and you won’t become a German or a Turk.” But then he added, “Anybody from any corner of the world can come to America to live and become an American.”Ronald Wilson Reagan
- Simply put, freedom is the absence of government coercion. Our Founding Fathers understood this, and created the least coercive government in the history of the world. The Constitution established a very limited, decentralized government to provide national defense and little else. States, not the federal government, were charged with protecting individuals against criminal force and fraud. For the first time, a government was created solely to protect the rights, liberties, and property of its citizens. Any government coercion beyond that necessary to secure those rights was forbidden, both through the Bill of Rights and the doctrine of strictly enumerated powers. This reflected the founders’ belief that democratic government could be as tyrannical as any King.
Few Americans understand that all government action is inherently coercive. If nothing else, government action requires taxes. If taxes were freely paid, they wouldn’t be called taxes, they’d be called donations. If we intend to use the word freedom in an honest way, we should have the simple integrity to give it real meaning: Freedom is living without government coercion. So when a politician talks about freedom for this group or that, ask yourself whether he is advocating more government action or less. ~ Ron Paul
2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life.
When Moses asked God to tell him His name, so he could tell Pharaoh, God simply said, “I am.” Not “I was” or “I will be”. “I am” is the Alpha and Omega, Beginning and the end. God is the architect of life. He is the redeemer of life. He is the foundation of freedom and the creator of our Constitution.
I’ve leaned on God’s strength more times in my life than I can count. It’s easy to rely on God’s strength, peace and comfort in stressful and painful times but how many of us continue to praise Him when the times are great? That’s the time that should make us trust and rely on Him even more.
- “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” ~ Psa 14:1a
- For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. 1 Th 2:13
- But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. ~ Hbr 11:6
- Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ~ 1 Th 5:16-18
3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
We all lie, everyday. Let’s just call it what it is. Whether it’s the smallest ‘untrue’ to protect your loved one’s feelings or the lie you have to tell to keep your job. A lie is the same as murder in God’s eye. It’s all sin and sin separates us from Him who loves us. No one should ever trust anyone in public service. Anyone in public service should be willing to have their life open to scrutiny and questioning. Teachers and Postal workers are held to a higher moral standard than politicians yet receive a fraction of the pay. That just seems odd.
- For all have sinned and fallen from the Glory of God ~ Rom 3:23
- If we say that we have no in, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ~ 1 Jo 1:8
- For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin. ~ Ecc 7:20
- “No man has a good enough memory to make him a successful liar” ~ Abraham Lincoln
4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
Most people associate the word sacred to do with religion. As it happens the family unit under government control does have pre-imminent authority under Ancient Israelite and Anglo-Saxon common law, which is what our Constitution is based on. The 12 tribes of Israel was broken down into 60,000 groups of 10 families. Moses wanted all the problems settled under the authority of the families. He also wanted the matter settled as close to the source as possible. He wanted the families to handle their problems. Even the Iroquois Indians had a Common Law based on the family unit as the source of ultimate responsibility.
- In truth a family is what you make it. It is made strong, not by number of heads counted at the dinner table, but by the rituals you help family members create, by the memories you share, by the commitment of time, caring, and love you show to one another, and by the hopes for the future you have as individuals and as a unit. ~ Marge Kennedy
- The reason grandparents and grandchildren get along so well is that they have a common enemy. ~ Sam Levenson
- When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years. ~ Mark Twain
5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
IF only this were true in America today. I agree with these statements 100%. The theory is sound on paper but in practice it is an entirely different scenario. We are finding this out when we elect an adjunct Constitutional Law Professor and lawyer as President who then completely ignores the Constitution with violent spending and nominations of unqualified and unaccountable Czars. He also nominates people, who don’t pay their taxes to be in charge of collecting taxes! The political elite class in this country is certainly ‘above the law’ and that has to end. It can end if we elect the right people with the right moral and constitutional backbones.
- Somebody recently figured out that we have 35 million laws to enforce the Ten Commandments. ~ Attributed to both Bert Masterson and Earl Wilson
- This is a court of law, young man, not a court of justice. ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
- The trouble with the laws these days is that criminals know their rights better than their wrongs.
- Bad laws are the worst sort of tyranny. ~ Edmund Burke
- It is not a Justice System. It is just a system. ~ Bob Enyart
- The United States is a nation of laws: badly written and randomly enforced. ~ Frank Zappa
6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.
My dad used to tell me, “You can have anything you want, you just can’t have everything…choose well.” I tell all my students, “If you don’t control yourself and then stand up for yourself and what you believe in then someone else will be more than happy to do it for you. It will be another person, company or government.” You have to figure out what you want in life. Prioritize your convictions then follow your passion. You’ll make what you’re supposed to make as far as income is concerned. Everyone should have the same opportunity to show up for the same audition. It doesn’t mean you’re going to make the band. If you really want it practice more than everyone else.
It’s your life and you can make it whatever you want. In America you can even have as many chances as you’d like. I know many people who have gone through the process of losing it all and worked hard to gain their lives back. It gives you perspective to know that the physical properties we cling to are easily just dust in the wind. No two people are equal. I have an identical twin brother. We are genetically identical yet we were born slightly different. I was born with a bicuspid aortic valve that required surgery. If I, as an identical twin, can say we are not physically born equal who can say it’s true? Our end result is the ultimate compilation of a lifetime of morning choices as we put our feet to the floor. Who am I going to be today? Every day we choose our future with that simple question. How will I treat the least among us? Is the second most important question we ask ourselves as we head out the door.
- All the wars ever fought, All the holocausts ever perpetrated, All the plagues that ever raged, All the bombs that ever dropped, All the famines that ever laid waste to the land, put together, have not killed the number of human beings wiped out by abortion. ~ Father Frank Pavone
7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.
Government can force us to be charitable. They do it every day. We are even so charitable we now fund abortions in other countries. See how charitable we are? IF government is going to be in the social services business we have the technology to allow people the ability to allocate where their money is to be directed. If the government is going to steal money and give it to people at least give us a chance to say to whom it goes. We have the technology. It’s called a bubble sheet. It’s also called transparency.
- The desire of power in excess caused the angels to fall; the desire of knowledge in excess caused man to fall; but in charity there is no excess, neither can angel nor man come in danger by it. ~ Francis Bacon
8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.
Accountability 101. It is a long lost art in America. The church I grew up in had a ministry where people had accountability partners. People who were given express permission to set their partner straight on any subject. Where has that been lost to? Political Correctness. Politeness. Joe Moore said, “The people to fear are not those who disagree with you, but those who disagree with you and are too cowardly to let you know.”
Some people believe in Lao Tzu’s philosophies and the ancient Chinese proverbs of staying quiet and not fighting the natural world. Lao Tsu taught that all straining, all striving, are not only vain but counterproductive. One should endeavor to do nothing (wu-wei). But what does this mean? It means not to literally do nothing, but to discern and follow the natural forces — to follow and shape the flow of events and not to pit oneself against the natural order of things. The Taoist sage has no ambitions, therefore he can never fail. He who never fails always succeeds. And he who always succeeds is all- powerful. Wow. We have leaders that actually believe this. We elect these people. This is a difficult concept to explain to Americans who want to engage in debate.
I encourage everyone to question everything about people seeking to represent them. NEVER believe them. Never believe any of us. Assume we are all lying to you and question us. The truth is the truth. It can handle questioning and debate. If a leader assumes you are attacking them because you are asking questions about their reasoning or motives then you should start raising red flags immediately. I’ll give you my opinion. Sometimes my opinion is wrong, that’s why it’s an opinion and not a fact, Jack.
- The actions of those in power can have enormous consequences – a price that they themselves almost never have to pay. ~ Barack Obama
- It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong. ~ Voltaire
- I’m sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and disagree with this administration, somehow you’re not patriotic. We need to stand up and say we’re Americans, and we have the right to debate and disagree with any administration. ~ Hillary Rodham Clinton
9. The government works for the people. The people do not answer to the government, the government answers to the people.
Oh, how I wish this was true in reality and not just a principle on paper. Our government has been hijacked and bought by Wall Street bankers. The banks of the Federal Reserve bought this country into slavery in 1913 on Jekyll Island off the coast of Georgia. This country was founded by the people and for the people yet we allowed it to become incorporated into a company. It is no longer a country but a multi-national corporation acting like a country. Freedom is an illusion for millions of Americans today. The banks and money lenders are our masters. It is these groups that we have to place back into their rightful position and retake this country as the leaders. The will of the people has to become greater than the will of the dollar. When that happens it will be possible to free our people from the bondage the banks have on us. The government works for the people but the government works for the banks. We need the banks to work for the people once again. That just made me a target. It’s a good thing I have nothing to lose! If I die, I die. Been there before.
- “[The people] are in truth the only legitimate proprietors of the soil and government.” –Thomas Jefferson to Pierre Samuel Dupont de Nemours, 1813.
- “Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” –Thomas Jefferson: Declaration of Independence, 1776.
- “I am sensible that there are defects in our federal government, yet they are so much lighter than those of monarchies, that I view them with much indulgence. I rely, too, on the good sense of the people for remedy, whereas the evils of monarchical government are beyond remedy.” –Thomas Jefferson to David Ramsay, 1787
12 Values
- Honesty
As a teacher I tell my students the same speech every year with few variations or updates. I tell them, “I give everyone 100% trust day one and it’s yours to lose at your discretion. You don’t have to do anything to earn it. It’s a gift from me to you. I expect to earn your trust and respect but I freely give you my trust without reservation. Don’t do anything to ruin it. Once you lose my trust it’s a long and difficult road to earn it back. That is not a road you want to go down.” Most kids take that promise seriously and there’s always a few who don’t. Honesty. Once lost. It’s a tough road.
- The people “have a right, an indisputable, unalienable, indefeasible, divine right to that most dreaded and envied kind of knowledge – I mean of the character and conduct of their rulers.” ~ John Adams
- Teach me how to live, O LORD. Lead me along the path of honesty, for my enemies are waiting for me to fall. ~ Psa 27:11
- Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people. ~ Spencer Johnson
- No such thing as a man willing to be honest – that would be like a blind man willing to see. ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald
- I have found that being honest is the best technique I can use. Right up front, tell people what you’re trying to accomplish and what you’re willing to sacrifice to accomplish it. ~ Lee Iacocca
- “An honest man can feel no pleasure in the exercise of power over his fellow citizens.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
- I am persuaded that in the case of elected officials, the overwhelming temptation is to conclude that it is more important for your constituents that you be reelected than you deal honestly with them. ~ James L. Buckley
2. Reverence
It means Respect, just simple, humble honor given to another. It’s a deep, unflinching, jaw dropping respect for something other than yourself. It could be God, a talent, a skill, an art form, an ability, an accomplishment or an event like witnessing the birth of a child. I’ve stood in awe of many people. My father, Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis, Bunky Green, Bill Prince, Roger Breland, Jim Henson, George Lucas, Phil Driscoll and just too many others to list. Musicians who have humbled me in an artistic way that made me proud to be in the same room they were in. A resounding “Thank you sir, may I have another musical beat down!” Let me learn from you. I am not worthy. The second you think you’re good enough…you realize you know nothing. It’s like that in any industry. Learn constantly or start slowly dying.
- “In the process of moral decline, reverence is one of the first virtues to disappear, and there should be serious concern about that loss in our times.” ~ Howard W. Hunter
- Spend enough time around success and failure, and you learn a reverence for possibility. ~ Dale Dauten
- Let parents bequeath to their children not riches, but the spirit of reverence. ~ Plato
- Reverence for the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. The rewards of wisdom come to all who obey Him. ~ Psa. 111:10
3. Hope
Hope was the battle mantra shouted by millions of obama’s followers during the elections. My question was always hope for what. Finish the sentence. Some actually answered. Hope for a better tomorrow. Hope to get rid of Bush’s policies. Hope for my family. Hope for lower taxes. Hope for relief. It seemed no one could agree on what they were hoping for. But they all were sure they were hoping for something to change. You can have all the hope in the world but if you don’t have the proper discipline to engage that hope, it’s useless energy.
The Definition of discipline does not include corporal punishment to your children. Discipline means to “To train by instruction and practice, especially to teach self-control to.” I discipline my students through a method of internal motivation not external discipline like a prison guard or a drill sergeant. I help the kids find the discipline from within and release that discipline to its full potential. Once that happens I get out of the way. They can literally ‘will’ themselves to a much farther place than I could ever command them to go. I just need to give them the motivation and the tools to do it.
- Discipline your children while there is hope. If you don’t, you will ruin their lives. ~ Pro 19:18
- “Whatever else history may say about me when I’m gone, I hope it will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears; to your confidence rather than your doubts. My dream is that you will travel the road ahead with liberty’s lamp guiding your steps and opportunity’s arm steadying your way.” ~ Ronald Reagan
- LORD, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me. My only hope is in your unfailing love and faithfulness. ~ Psa 40:11
- There are three things that will endure – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love. ~ 1 Cr 13:13
4. Thrift
Stop spending money you don’t have. Read the bill before you sign it. Throw away your credit cards unless you are disciplined enough to only use them in emergencies or you pay them off every month. My wife is the thriftiest person I’ve ever met. She can go into a store and purchase $30 worth of products for $2.23 because of coupons and buy one get one free offers that she looks for. But there is an Art to being frugal and thrifty. You can’t just be frugal. You have to practice at it. You have to discipline and organize yourself to that way of thinking. It can’t just be an occasional hobby, it has to become a way of life and an extension of your complete personality. Money isn’t a bad thing. Profit isn’t a dirty word. People end up thinking that these words are somehow evil. Greed and extortion for money is wrong. Doing whatever it takes for money is wrong. Loving money more than your agenda is wrong. Earning what you are worth is called capitalism. Believing you are worth more than you really are is a mental disorder and you need medication.
“You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot help small men by tearing down big men. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot lift the wage-earner by pulling down the wage-payer. You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot establish security on borrowed money. You cannot build character and courage by taking away men’s initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.” ~ William Boetcker 1916
- When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan. ~ Pro 29:2
- Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. ~ Ecc 5:10
- No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. ~ Mat 6:24
- “They will throw away their money, tossing it away like worthless trash. It won’t buy their deliverance in that day of the LORD’S anger. It will neither satisfy nor feed them, for their love of money made them stumble into sin. ~ Eze 7:19
- So they come here pretending to be sincere and sit and sit before you listening. But they have no intention of doing what I tell them. They express love with their mouths, but their hearts seek after money. ~ Eze 33:31
- For the love of money is the root of all all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. ~ 1 Ti 6:10
- Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never forsake you.” ~ Hbr 13:5
5. Humility
I truly despise this word, it means to know where you stand in the ‘pecking order’ order of life. It’s the ignorant battle cry of class warfare. I had to learn this lesson the hard way, twice. The first was from the world’s perspective and the second time through God’s perspective. The world views humility as a quiet meekness that knows his place and rank in the world. You don’t boast about your greatness but you let others do it for you. In order to be humble you have to be humiliated and that sort of thinking is just so wrong on so many levels. The second chance I got to learn about humility was when I faced my own mortality twice and was given the chance to continue on this earth. I then realized that without people better than myself I am no better than the person next to me. I seek out counsel in people I feel are superior to me in many different ways….always. To me humility means realizing what you don’t know but not being too arrogant and still be receptive and willing to learn all you can.
How does a trumpet player kill himself? He climbs up his ego and jumps off. People have tried to ‘teach me humility’ my entire life not realizing you have to be arrogant to play the trumpet. A trumpet should never play an uncertain sound. It is the instrument that calls the armies together. It’s the bugle call to arms. It’s the TAPS at the end of the day. A trumpeter has to be full of confidence and sure of himself and his art. Some consider this an ego trip. Humility comes in many forms but one thing I’m most certain of; you cannot look at someone else and decide that that person should be taught humility.
You cannot teach humility to someone. It has to be earned. Humility finds the student when the student is ready to learn.
- “True humility is intelligent self respect which keeps us from thinking too highly or too meanly of ourselves. It makes us modest by reminding us how far we have come short of what we can be.” ~ Ralph W. Sockman
- Assuredly, Loving Souls, you should go to God with all humility and respect, humbling yourselves in His presence, especially when you remember your past ingratitude and sins. ~ Alphonsus Liguori
- Do you wish to be great? Then begin by being. Do you desire to construct a vast and lofty fabric? Think first about the foundations of humility. The higher your structure is to be, the deeper must be its foundation. ~ Saint Augustine
- The first test of a truly great man is his humility. By humility I don’t mean doubt of his powers or hesitation in speaking his opinion, but merely an understanding of the relationship of what he can say and what he can do. ~ John Ruskin
- Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor. ~ Pro 29:23
- You younger men, accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, serve each other in humility, for “God sets himself against the proud, but he shows favor to the humble.” 1 Pe 5:5
6. Charity
Another word for charity is love. But charity is love in action. Charity is a gift freely given by some and reluctantly received by some. Some people are great givers but horrific receivers. Unfortunately the way in which we receive charity from someone can either ruin the blessing for the giver or can reinforce the blessing they receive by being a giver. I have been on the receiving end of charity and I am not a good receiver. It is a fault of mine. I am horrible at requesting donations to this campaign. It is the most difficult portion of this entire dog and pony show. Asking people for money. I would rather beg for money to build a music program. Charity is a two way blessing street; one side for the giver and one for the receiver. If either engages in charity without a pure motive the blessing becomes cursed and soured. I would rather teach a man to fish than to just give him some fish. Education will help a person for the long term only if that person is willing to learn and apply that knowledge.
- “Charity is injurious unless it helps the recipient to become independent of it.” ~ John D. Rockefeller
- “True charity is the desire to be useful to others without thought of recompense” ~ Emanuel Swedenborg
- I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience; and the last to be more than the first. ~ Rev 2:19
7. Sincerity
This is the art, or the disciplined practice, of speaking the plain truth regardless of the consequences. It’s the ability to tell a parent that their child isn’t good enough for a solo in a school play and have the parent thank you for understanding! It’s the ability to be able to accept criticism because you have earned the right to give criticism through honest and forthright critiques in the past. It’s the history you’ve developed with people who seek your counsel because they know you will shoot straight with them and not play games or play a part in deceptive tactics. What you say you, you mean, and you will follow through. Your word is your bond and it doesn’t require a signature on a piece of paper.
- I have been given the authority over you, and I am not the best of you. If I do well, help me; and if I do wrong, set me right. Sincere regard for truth. ~ Abu Bakr
- If you write songs and if you write music that’s very sincere and very honest, it’s pop music, but it is pop music with a lot of honesty and a lot of heart. ~ Jon Secada
- Not compromising the music, but there is a way, by just showing the people that you’re sincere and honest with what you’re doing, and by talking to them. ~ Chuck Mangione
- Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
- We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have been honest and sincere in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, no on our own earthly wisdom. That is how we have acted toward everyone, and especially toward you. ~ 2 Cr 1:12
- But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere. ~ Jam 3:17
8. Moderation
This is another one of those words I dislike because of the constant word-smithing that takes place. It means so much too so many people. To some it means to not try too hard and not to be too successful. Excess is greed and that’s a sin. You can actually have too much of a good thing which makes it bad. To me it means on your journey to your goal of success don’t be in a hurry. Take life one day at a time. Take time for your friends and family. Your job is important but not to the sacrifice of your family’s future. Don’t worry about tomorrow when today has enough problems of its own. Moderation as an excuse is a grave fault of character. Moderation as a temperament to keep from rushing into ideas or situations is an art form I work on daily. It also means don’t take advantage of the generosity of other people.
- Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue. ~ Barry Goldwater
- “Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice.” ~ Thomas Paine
- I am aware that many object to the severity of my language; but is there not cause for severity? I will be as harsh as truth, and as uncompromising as justice. On this subject, I do not wish to think, or to speak, or write, with moderation. No! No! Tell a man whose house is on fire to give a moderate alarm; tell him to moderately rescue his wife from the hands of a ravisher; tell the mother to gradually extricate her babe from the fire into which it has fallen; — but urge me not to use moderation in a cause like the resent. I am in earnest – I will not equivocate – I will not excuse – I will not retreat a single inch – AND I WILL BE HEARD. The apathy of the people is enough to make every statue leap from its pedestal, and to hasten the resurrection of the dead.
- If moderation is a fault, then indifference is a crime. ~ Jack Kerouac
9. Hard Work
I was raised on hard work on farms in North Carolina and Virginia. Hard work doesn’t have to mean hard labor it just means you work hard at whatever you do. As a musician I worked very hard for very long, lonely hours, perfecting a single tone. Happiness can come from working towards a single goal. Sincere pleasure and satisfaction can be had when you slave away at a task endlessly to finally see a result that you’re proud of. Sometimes you fail in the end. That’s okay too. Not getting up from the failure is worse than the failure. The greatest baseball players of all time failed 70% of the time at bat! The best and most consistent salesmen in the country fail about 75% of the time! So even with hard work and great effort you can still expect to FAIL MOST of the time!
If you are looking for happiness in the final product of your labor you will always be disappointed and discouraged. True happiness comes from the daily effort we entrench into our lives and into the lives of the people we engage with.
- The kind of commitment I find among the best performers across virtually every field is a single-minded passion for what they do, an unwavering desire for excellence in the way they think and the way they work. Genuine confidence is what launches you out of bed in the morning, and through your day with a spring in your step. ~ Jim Collins
- The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense. ~ Thomas Edison
- Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave. ~ Pro 12:24
- Wealth from get-rich schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows. ~ Pro 13:11
- Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. ~ Pro 21:5
- Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. ~ Col 3:23
10. Courage
It’s what the Lion sought and wanted more than anything else; the unique ability to stand his ground with conviction and determination. The Lion, in The Wizard of Oz, represented the Politicians who were too scared of the bankers influence over the financial industry. The politicians wanted the money to be backed by the gold or silver ounce, or oz for short. The Politicians had no backbone because of the depression and feared losing their jobs. The story was written as an allegory to the economic conditions during the depression and the country’s effort to back money with the troy oz. Unfortunately, in history, they failed. In the story, he succeeds and the Wizard (The President) gives the Lion his courage in the Emerald City. The City represented Washington D.C. and was green to represent the greenback dollar.
Today’s politics takes more than ordinary courage. It takes bullet proof, carbon fiber, stainless steel courage of an iron clad will and a determination to engage the other wing of this three headed eagle we call a Republic. This bird isn’t going to fly right if the two wings don’t start working together. Not compromising but understanding and working through engagement and debate. The compromising has to end.
- Ain’t it funny how many hundreds of thousands of soldiers we can recruit with nerve. But we just can’t find one politician in a million with backbone. ~ Will Rogers
- The word ‘politics’ is derived from the word ‘poly’, meaning ‘many’, and the word ‘ticks’, meaning ‘blood sucking parasites’. ~ Larry Hardiman
- Without precise meanings behind words, politicians and elites can obscure reality and condition people to reflexively associate certain words with positive or negative perceptions. In other words, unpleasant facts can be hidden behind purposely meaningless language. ~ Ron Paul
- Politics, as a practice, whatever its professions, has always been the systematic organization of hatreds. ~ Henry Adams
- No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the LORD your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below. ~ Jos 2:11
11. Personal Responsibility
Who is to blame? Who’s at fault? Who started it? Who did it first? All questions not even worth answering. It always takes two to fight. If you are fighting or debating yourself and you lose seek medical attention. You have a disorder. Someone has to own their life. If you don’t control yourself somebody or some corporation or government body will be more than happy to control you, for you, on your behalf. If you are going to accept full responsibilities for everything that goes right in your life then you must be mature enough to accept full responsibility for everything that goes wrong.
I wrote a paper in college about submission in marriage. I denied that marriage was a 50/50 split in responsibility. I argued that marriage was a 100/100 split and both partners had to be willing to carry the entire load if the other ‘fell’ and/or got injured during the marriage. My professor actually argued against it. My thesis was that in order for a healthy marriage each partner must accept full responsibility for everything in the household. Dividing the chores and responsibilities does not alleviate that individual from ownership, or stock, in those activities. We are to support each other in marriage. Some weeks your spouse is only going to be able to accomplish 40% of their half of their accepted chores. What happens to the other 10%? Does the other spouse sit back and say, “It’s not my job?!” No! That would be selfish and disrespectful to that person. We are to carry each other’s burdens. In sickness and in health, for richer for poorer…etc.
The chances of no one accepting responsibility for someone’s lack of judgment is an opportunity to step up and be a leader to make sure that the right thing gets taken care of, on time, and under budget. “Never waste a good crisis”….. of bad judgment to do the right thing. I believe that that is what the liberals in Washington were trying to say but there is no word to translate the concept “right thing” in Washington at this time.
A home improvement company I worked for had a chronic problem of shifting blame. First to the Project Manager, then to the Project Coordinator, then to the Finance Manager, then to the Warehouse, then to the Factory, then to the Delivery driver, then to the installer, and finally if it was still wrong they actually blamed the homeowner for being too picky and difficult!!! No one would assume ownership of the customer’s problem and solve the issue. I was stunned stupid for almost 5 years of the spin and double talk from everyone including the local building inspectors who passed off on siding that was installed upside down!!! I would take ownership of the worst case problems and raise the devil, or show the homeowner how to reach the right people, until a resolution could be made. I just never saw a need for it to go that far. I expected adults to admit mistakes and make it right by all means possible. Sometimes it was just an apology yet grown men couldn’t muster the courage to just apologize to a widow. It was sick.
- “The holier-than-thou activists who blame the population for not spending more money on their personal crusades are worse than aggravating. They encourage the repudiation of personal responsibility by spreading the lie that support of a government program fulfills individual moral duty.” ~ Patrick Cox
- “It’s about food. It’s about your home. It’s about your life. The government is worried about all of the above. All I’m saying is you should be worried they’re worried. Here’s why: They’re telling you that you can’t take care of yourself. You can’t be trusted with what you put in your mouth or what you sign on the mortgage dotted line. So they’ll tell you what to put in your mouth and they’ll save you from what you signed on that dotted line. Does anyone see a trend here? Personal responsibility has now become government responsibility.” ~ Niel Cavuto
- But in this Congress, accountability is just a catch phrase, usually directed elsewhere. Demands to personal responsibility or corporate accountability abound, but rarely congressional accountability or fiscal responsibility. ~ Melissa Bean
- Our responsibility is never to oppose the truth, but to stand for the truth at all times. ~ 2 Cr 13:8
- If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. ~ Rom 12:8
12. Gratitude
This is the gift that makes immortals out of mortals. This is the art that truly creates Kings among mankind. If you can truly show a sincere gratitude towards people who serve the cause you fight for they will move mountains and drain oceans for you. Unfortunately this is truly a lost art in corporate America. We are but Human Resources left to be recycled and used over and over again as the market dictates our services on demand. Layoffs and employment fairs abound. Humans are NOT resources. Paper, pencils, folders, disposable napkins, toilet paper, soap, paper clips, ink toner are all examples of resources. Resources are to be used up until there is no longer an inherent worth them then discarded with no thought of where they go. Human Assets are a different story. Human Assets are to be invested in and made into the best employees we can get so that will make the company stronger, faster, leaner and brighter.
Gratitude is the attitude of being sincerely thankful for what we have not for what we wished we had or thought we had. Gratitude only exists in the present not the future or the past. It is the art of existing completely and fully in the moment of now with a full and happy heart. Not pining for what should have been and not longing for what is to come. Ebenezer Scrooge learned a great lesson of gratitude from the spirit of Christmas present.
- “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.” ~ Cicero…. And it is something we often lack though it is the easiest to have.
- “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…. It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ~ Melodie Beattie
- Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; ~ Hbr. 12:28
- No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. ~ 1 The 5:18
- Are any among you suffering? They should keep on praying about it. And those who have reason to be thankful should continually sing praises to the Lord. ~ Jam 5:13
Posted by fl on July 18, 2009 under 9/12 Platform, Updates |
9 Principles 
1. America Is Good.
America is the greatest nation that has ever existed in the history of mankind. It has been the source of the greatest liberties, the greatest inventions, the greatest medical breakthroughs and the greatest military army. Instead of using our military might to conquer and take over countries, we have only used our military when we have had to displace dictators and despots and to defend weaker nations that were being threatened by bully nations. If it weren’t for America we would probably all be speaking German and there would be some races that would have been totally eradicated. We even helped rebuild Japan and much of Europe after WW II. We have no reason to apologize for this great country. America is not perfect, but because of our faith in God our creator who has endowed us with “…certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…” and because of our Constitution we are the closest thing to perfection that has ever existed in the governing of men
2. I believe in God and He is the center of my life
I had a profound life-changing encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ in 1981 and have followed Him ever since. Prior to accepting Christ as my Lord and Savior, I was a selfish and self-centered individual who had no purpose in life. I was a user and a taker. Ever since my spiritual rebirth, I have learned to love God, to love myself and then to love others. I now have a purpose for living and it is to serve others while living by the 10 Commandments and the golden rule. Even though I am a Godly man, I still have feet of clay like everyone else and the knowledge of that keeps me from becoming self-righteous. I may not like the action of others, but I am to love them with the love of God.
3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
Honesty requires a moral framework and America’s moral framework comes from it’s Judeo-Christian beliefs. Honesty is one of the greatest attributes we can possess. It defines who we are. It let’s others know whether we are trustworthy. A dishonest man is a liar and cannot be trusted. It is a sad commentary on our nation, but the truth is that there are very few men and woman in the United States Congress who are trusted by the American public. I live my life everyday as a man of integrity and honesty and if elected to Congress, I pledge to help restore American’s faith in Congress.
4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
I have five children from ages 10 to 19 and my children do not look to the government for their authority they look to me. The primary role God has given me is to take care of my children. To feed and clothe them, put a roof over their heads and to protect them. But more then that, I am charged by God to give them the love, nurture, guidance and discipline they need to grow up as healthy human beings. So many children today have skewed and misshapen personalities because of the lack of Godly caring parents in their lives. Our juvenile centers, jails and prisons are full of them. Even though I am divorced, I am a single parent to my three youngest children and I take that responsibility very seriously. I give you my word that I will never vote on legislation that in anyway encroaches on the life of you and your family.
5. If you break the law, you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
We have the greatest legal system in the world. And even though it is not perfect, it is still the best. I will always fight to see to it that the law remains blind and that it provides equal justice for all. It bothers me that there are so many men and women in the banking industry and on Wall Street who broke the law and are responsible for this economic meltdown that is affecting our entire nation. As a U.S. Senator, I would fight to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law those responsible for this economic disaster.
6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.
The Declaration of Independence says “…that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Even though we are all created equal, and we are all guaranteed the same Rights, we are not guaranteed equal results. The results will for the most part depend on our skills and abilities and our willingness to work hard and to save and invest. The degree of our success also has to do with the favor of God.
7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with whom I want to. The government cannot force me to be charitable.
I do believe in a strong work ethic. I also believe in sharing with those who are less fortunate. I wouldn’t be where I am today if others had not willingly invested in my life. The saying that it is better to give than to receive. But the government has no constitutional authority to determine if or how much I give. That is one of the fundamental problems with the 16th amendment. The government is taking part of my income and then giving it to others who I do not believe deserve it and in some cases it violates my conscience. That is why I believe we should implement the Fair Tax then repeal the 16th Amendment.
8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.
The First Amendment to the Constitution gives all Americans the Right to freedom of speech; of the press; of peaceable assembly and the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievance. This is one of the most important rights we have and yet more and more we see the government infringing on these rights with the concept of political correctness and with the racial double standard that exist is this country. The Reverend Jeremiah Wright is a perfect example of this double standard. He can spew vile racist remarks from the pulpit with impunity yet if a White pastor were to say the same thing about Blacks they would be arrested for hate speech and lose their tax-exempt status.
9. The government works for its citizens. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.
We are reminded in the Gettysburg address that ours is a government of the people, by the people, for the people, and yet how quickly do our elected officials forget that they work for us, not the other way around. Most of them do not have the spiritual or emotional maturity not to succumb to the intoxicating allure of the power that has been entrusted to them and before long they have become obstructions to the Rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. The Declaration of independence goes on to say “That to ensure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundations on such principles and organinizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
12 Values
1. Honesty: Honesty is one of the most fundamental of all human values. It determines whether we are trustworthy or not. It is sad to say that we live in a time when honesty among our political leaders is a rarity. Instead of people saying what they mean and meaning what they say, all we get out of Congress is spin and political correctness. I pledge to the American citizens that I will always be a man of my word and that they can always depend on me to say what I mean and mean what I say.
2. Reverence: Reverence toward God is foundational. It is the wellspring from which our other values flow. When we reverence God then we respect his authority and we desire to live by his Commandments.
3. Hope: Hope is a joyful, confident expectation of our future and it is based on a belief in a loving God and the belief that god will conquer evil. I have hope that regardless of the darkness of this hour that America is facing, that the men and women of faith will pray and be willing to take a stand for righteousness sake.
4. Thrift: Thrift is a basic fundamental of prosperity. Congress has become so corrupt that they have abandoned these very basic principles of prosperity. Consequently we have a deficit of over a trillion dollars and our national debt which exceeds 11 trillion dollars. I pledge to reign is spending and do everything in my power to eliminate the deficit and the national debt. By mandating immediate national energy reform to include, nuclear, drilling for our own oil and natural gas, wind, solar etc., we can save the 600 billion dollars a year that we give to our enemies and we can create many jobs that will help revitalize our economy.
5. Humility: Humility is a word that has lost its meaning in the U.S. Congress because only those who truly believe in God almighty can evidence a spirit of humility. From the day that I bowed my knee to the King of the Universe, I understood true humility. I understood that I am nothing without Him but that with God on my side that nothing was impossible and that in the end He is the only one worthy of praise, glory and honor. I pledge to always humble myself under the mighty hand of God and to consider it a divine honor to serve Him and His people.
6. Charity: I believe that it truly is “…more blessed to give than to receive.”and we are instructed by the Holy Scriptures that “Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver.” It is the individual’s responsibility to give to the need of others and not the governments responsibility.
7. Sincerity: It is important that leaders demonstrate that they are sincere in wanting to truly serve their constituents. They can do this by spending time with their constituents and really listening to them and their suggestions. Then they can show their sincerity by working hard to accomplish the greater good for those they represent while staying true to their core principles and the Constitution of the United States.
8. Moderation: I believe in living a moderate lifestyle. As leaders, we are to live our lives as examples to our children and to the world that is constantly watching us.
9. Hard Work: I believe in hard work and it is obvious that Americans are some of the hardest working people on the face of this earth and that is one of the reasons whey we are the most prosperous nation on earth. The free market economy rewards hard work and creativity allowing us to pass on to our children a quality of life. From the time I was eight years old I was working selling newspapers to make money. My mother instilled in me a hard working ethic. As your U.S. Senator, I pledge that I will work as hard or harder then any Senator in Congress for my constituents and my country.
10. Courage: I have survived one of the harshest environments on the planet. I understand what courage is all about and there is no one I fear but God almighty. I will stand and I will confront evil wherever I find it whether it be an individual, a party or a special interest group. I pledge to fight to my last breath to defend the constitution of the United States.
11. Personal Responsibility: I absolutely believe in personal responsibility. As your U.S. Senator I want you to hold me personally responsible to do everything in my power to fight for the freedoms guaranteed to us by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and the Amendments. I believe that every able bodied American should be responsible for themselves and that it is not the government’s role to take from one person and give to another.
12. Gratitude: I love the United States of America and I cannot express in words how grateful I am to have been born a citizen of this great country. Not only because of the freedoms to which my citizenship entitles me, but to the hope that it gives to the billions of people all over the world who hunger for such freedom.
Posted by fl on under 9/12 Candidates, Updates |
I am pleased to announce Troy Stanley as a 9/12 Candidate for U.S Congress in Florida’s 4th District!
A twenty year veteran of the U.S Navy, father of three and a husband to his high school sweetheart, Troy Stanley has now decided to defend his country from the tyranny currently in Washington, by running for U.S Congress.
Troy has become a 9/12 candidate because he was brought up on these principles and values and simply put, as he stated: “Why wouldn’t a candidate sign this contract?”
Folks, this is so true… I personally feel that we need to hold our candidates and elected officials to these principles and values, and if they are not willing to sign this pledge, stating that they WILL uphold these, then that should be a clue to the voters that the candidate wont be true to the constitution, and the people they represent. By signing this contract, these candidates wont give in to lobbyists that will try to buy them off in office. Troy Stanley folks, is the real deal!!! Troy is one of the friendliest people I have met, and he is willing to work for YOUR vote, by going door to door, meeting with his voters, whatever it takes!
He was born in Lucasville, Ohio in 1964, and his family decided to move to Florida for a change in their life. They settled in New Smyrna Beach. In 1984 he got married and soon enlisted in the Navy and began his career in the military.
“There must be a voice in Washington to defend the citizens from the tyranny of career politicians. We need citizen legislators who aren’t continually running to save their jobs but rather looking to ‘ensure the blessings of liberty‘, as our Constitution states. Bailouts, buyouts, stimulus packages, the result is inevitably economic tyranny- not liberty”
Troy faces a tough road ahead of him, running against current Republican incumbent Ander Crenshaw. With a rough economy, he hopes to win the hearts of the people, and create a new standard of campaigning. He is willing to stand up to the “Washington Elite” and fight for YOUR rights as his constituents. Lets give him a helping hand.
He stands for Congressional Term Limits, the Fair Tax, and Smaller Government!
Mr. Stanley, we thank you for your service and we are glad to have you as a 9/12 candidate!
