I'm an American Mom and I'm Offended

I'm an American Mom, I'm not ashamed of it, I don't hide it, and I don't deny it. The freedoms I enjoy as an American Mom include: * Well, let's just start at the top - Obama, I don't have a problem with his color, I have a problem with the fact that he is illegally holding office. By his own book bio and college ID, he's a Kenyan. I also have a problem with him apologizing for me and every other American to other countries, bowing to them, and then turning around and promising more $$ to them. He alleges to speak for the American people, and being one of those American people, I find that offensive. * As a Texas born mother, I have a problem with the immigration issue. 180 men gave their lives to make sure that the western half of the United States wasn't Mexico. So, Californians, how about a little show of gratitude, would it kill you? I don't have a problem with Mexicans at all, but some of you sheeple easily overlook the "illegal" part of immigrants. Every American is a descendant of an immigrant, BUT an immigrant that went through the process legally to become an American citizen. Being a mother to a new baby, I have a problem with those from other countries bringing diseases that we beat down in the last century because they won't get their children innoculated. I have a problem knowing that we can barely scrape by but don't qualify for any assistance while right down the road in many states, ILLEGAL immigrants are living off US assistance. Siding with illegal criminals against law abiding US citizens - I find that offensive. * Guns - I have them, I use them, and I teach my kids to use them. The fact that criminals use them for criminal purposes sounds like a law enforcement issue to me. Guns don't kill people, criminals do. I find that offensive. * Pit bulldogs - LOVE THEM! Their history involves them being kept by the rich as a status symbol of wealth in England and as protection for the children. I have absolutely adored every one I've owned and had no problem with them around my son...EVER. Some cultures, and we'll refer back to the previous point on this one, use them to fight. I find that offensive. * I've been called a racist for pointing out obvious double standards and for demanding my rights as an American citizen. Why is it ok for one race to scream about the slavery issue when all races, at one time, were kept as slaves, bought, sold, beaten, and killed just the same. Why is it ok for it to be called a hate crime from one color but not the other? Don't you have to really thoroughly dislike someone or hate them to kill them no matter what color they are? Why can't I have some pride in my heritage just like anyone else? I've been called a racist for not liking the current president. I find the whole subject offensive. * Unfriending me on fb for my political views - I don't expect anyone to agree with me, although it makes life easier on everyone if we do, just like I don't expect anyone to like the color combination of teal/brown as much as I do. It's that simple, being American and living in America where our American soldiers fight for our rights to have differing opinions is what all this is about. * Disrespecting our military in any way, shape, or form - I find that offensive. * Child molesters and abusers - please see my third point. As inept as our current justice system seems to be, your chances of surviving long enough to be arrested are slim. Some of you are released early to become repeat offenders. I find that offensive. * Network Media - I have so many issues with this entire group. Want a race war? Sure, the media will spin it for you. Want to make our American troops look bad? Sure, the media will spin it for you. Want to cover up a bill snuck through Congress that violates rights of Americans? Sure, the media can do that for you. Want a criminal to be given rights? Sure, the media will spin that for you too. I find every single one of them offensive. * Rural America - it's what feeds you people! The current administration has made several attacks on the US agriculture industry. What better way to make a country dependent on its government than to take away their ability to feed themselves and their families. I am highly offended. * Some people are going to be crying and whining about this entire blog about how I have offended them. I, AS AN AMERICAN MOTHER, FIND THAT OFFENSIVE.

Making Unpopular Decisions

At different times in everyone's life we are faced with making difficult decisions. Although these decisions may seem gut-wrenching and awful to the ones having to make them, outsiders without all the information will feel the need to add their two cents. At this point, a bad situation can turn toxic and volatile. This causes the original decision maker to have to make another difficult, but necessary, decision to cut these negative influences out of the decision making process and also cut them completely out of their lives in general.

Basically, what I'm saying is, if you don't have all the facts, keep your mouth shut. Throwing in your unwanted, unsolicited, and uninformed advice on how to fix the situation only makes it that much harder for the folks having to make the decisions. Didn't your mother tell you "if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all"? Guess you'll be pretty dang quiet for a while then won't you?!?!

When one is faced with a constant barrage of negativity piled on top of an already negative situation, we tend to fight. The hardest thing to do is sit back and let that particular negative individual make a complete a** of themselves, because you know they will. I don't have any great advice for these situations, having grown up with family like this, I'm at a total loss. I don't remember ever, in my entire life, ever hearing my mother say she was proud of me for anything. Did that define my entire life, no, of course it didn't. In fact, it made me push harder to be exactly the opposite of everything I was ever taught. It's also what gave me my sparkling with and sense of humor. After all, if you can't laugh at your crazier than bat sh** family, who can you laugh at?!?!

It's really easy to sit on the outside and judge and tell people what they ought to be doing. It's a whole lot harder to be on the inside making the unpopular and tough decisions with the peanut gallery throwing insults and rotten vegetables. In the end, it's about what's best for yourself and your immediate family. That's all that matters, the rest will either figure it out or go on down the road. If one sits around worried about what everyone else thinks about them all the time, when does that one get to live the life they want? NEVER, because that one will NEVER be what everyone thinks they should be. And is that so bad?! I don't think so.

If you're living your life to please other people and what you think they want you to be, you are absolutely wasting the life God gave you. This is YOUR life, it was given to you as a gift, why spoil it trying to please people here on Earth? Pleasing everyone else should never be on anyone's To Do List. Pleasing God should be at the top of your To Do List.

Hmmmmmm......

Just curious...if you don't like how cattle are treated, just how do you think you got that burger? if you don't like coal fired power plants, are you going to volunteer to live without electricity? If you don't like packing houses here in the US, why do you complain about them being worse somewhere else? If you don't want oil from overseas, you don't want us drilling here, are you going to walk everywhere?

The answer to all of these questions is agriculture, what are all of you protesters going to do when you lose any of these items? Are you going to be able to survive having to pump & carry your own water, are you going to be able to survive eating the plants that you don't know how to grow, are you going to be able to survive with no money because you can't get to work without transportation, are you going to be happy having to read a real book by candle light or oil lamp, are you going to be able to use the bathroom without industrial made toilet paper? Are you going to be able to kill livestock to feed your family when there are no local grocery stores, are you going to be able to do any of the work around your place without using livestock to help, or would these chores still be considered cruelty to animals?

All of you anti this and that folks say you have all the answers but all you've really done is paint yourselves into a very tight corner. None of you are self-sufficient in any way shape or form, just who do you think you're going to have to come to in order to have these needs met? That's right - farmers & ranchers. Didn't think about it that way now did you? And just how obliging or helpful do you think we're going to be given your past treatment of us and our lifestyles. As a matter of fact, you wouldn't even be here if it hadn't been for pioneers that did all of the same things that farmers & ranchers are doing right now.

You're so set on doing away with the supply without understanding that you're doing nothing but increasing the demand. I would wager to bet that none of you would do without electricity, water, food, and yes, even toilet paper. I also seriously doubt that any of you would be willing to or be able to tolerate the personal attacks and threats from a group as ungrateful and uneducated as yours. Keep shutting us down and those of us that are left will be so outrageously expensive to deal with that you won't survive. Doesn't seem very smart to me.

All I'm saying is a little horse sense and aforethought are in order, try not to hurt yourself.

Slaughter or no?

I hosted a segment tonight on what I knew was going to be a very hot topic. I knew it would raise tempers, eyebrows, and blood pressure. I will be the first one to admit I found myself staring at the cracks in the floor of the office at times, but I did make a point to answer every caller I could in the time I had set aside. I did my best to stay civil and made my stance on the issue very clear at the beginning. Because I have an opinion one way or the other does not mean that I cannot hear others or will blast them for it. I don't have to agree with their opinions any more than they have to agree with mine. I listened to them extol the virtues of the horse, the noble steed, the ever present companion for over an hour and a half. I'm almost certain most of those folks don't own a horse or have ever been in an economic situation in which they had to choose between feeding their family or feeding the horse. It is unfortunate that due to the influx of calls from one particular group of friends that I was not able to accept more callers. I'm sure it would have gone on for hours, and to be perfectly honest, I have horses to turn out and had to cut the program when I did.
I did not say I was pro slaughter, I am pro-option to kill in a humane fashion. In light of recent economic times, what are people to do when the local rescues are full? There are numerous newspaper articles lately telling of horse owners and foreclosed properties having domestic horses just turned loose to fend for themselves. This being a particular problem in Nevada and California where bands of wild horses still roam. They're not friendly, they're not like dogs and walk up and sniff each other's rear end and say, oh, you're cool. The domestic horses are set upon by numerous members of the band and not allowed in. Many of these domestic horses are severely injured from these encounters or are hit on the highways by oncoming vehicles.
I understand overbreeding is a problem, I get it. I know of many breeders that have opted out of new foal crops for the last couple of years because they can't sell them and if they do, they won't get what they're worth.
So, what is the solution according to the anti side of things? They don't have one. If it were up to them, each and every single horse would be "rescued" to live out its days laying under a shade tree until the day they peacefully passed on. But here in the real world, no one on this planet can afford to take on such a daunting task. Horses have been known to live to 35 years, they are a long term commitment. The economic strain alone is staggering. Several callers mentioned "hay banks". I've never heard of such. We're lucky we get enough rain to sustain our own hay crops and now I hear these people have a big old place where they're just giving this stuff away! Yeehaw Nirvana!
If not kill plants, then what? It is not going to be possible economically or physically to adopt out every single horse that needs a home. It's just not. Are there some horses sent to the packer that don't belong there, of course. Does there need to be newer and stricter regulations regarding the sale and transport of animals to the packer, of course. At some point these anti organizations have to stop bashing and provide what will be an agreeable alternative to all.
So, for those of you that called in because someone told you to but you didn't listen to the beginning of the segment or you didn't call or listen and just knew we talked about it and felt you had to get ugly, please go back to the beginning, you evidently missed the most important part. Thank y'all for making this my most popular segment EVER!

How to make it without being able to make it

First of all, to lose just about everything you own in 6 months due to a series of unfortunate events that fell like dominoes, is a very humbling experience. I'm learning who my friends really are, who is really there to support me and my endeavors, and family members that are better left at a distance. The bills keep coming in the mail, the lights are still needed to get through the day, same as the phone. Basically, you find out just how "little" you can make it on. There's no extra spending that can be done, no eating out, but lots of home cooking and home-made Christmas present projects going on. The important lesson that I am learning is that the attitude I wake up with and carry on my day with is completely up to me. Nothing, short of winning the lottery, is going to fix the financial situation at this point, but I don't have to sit around and fall apart over it. I built my "empire" once, and I can do it again. My faith is strong enough that I know none of this junk is fatal, it won't kill me, it may make things uncomfortable for a bit, but that's the worst of it. My question is: if we're broke, how come I'm still fat?!?!?!?

New Chapters

As I sat there, day in and day out, just a cog in the corporate machine and daydreaming about the things I used to hate as a kid on the ranch, I realized something. I DON"T HAVE TO TAKE THIS!!! I don't have to live like this. I realize I do still have to work, we do have bills you know. BUT I don't have to be miserable doing it. So, after a year of harassment and no support from management, I decided it was time to hit the road. Staying to prove a point, seemed well, pointless. The higher road to take was to quit or stay and stoop to their level of mudslinging and name calling and that's just not my style. I dress for better than that, even on my bad days.

I made a few phone calls, got some leads, and with God's help, I am now on the right track to what I should have been doing in the first place: talking about ranches, cattle, horses, and cowfolk! And thus, U Spur Radio was born and another opportunity is in the works with a well known ranch magazine. So, no matter how bad it is, does it really beat flipping burgers? If you're unsure of the answer, it's time to make a change.

Good luck in all your decisions, seek God when you're floundering, and all will work out exactly the way it is supposed to.

I may only be standing on principle, but I'm still standing

The internet is such a great social networking tool and we get to meet so many new and different people.....That being said, lots of people post bible verses as their daily status, others thank God every day for their blessings, etc. I support those individuals because, like me, they're standing. Everyone has their own ways to contribute, my way, which works best for me is that I choose not to support movies, tv shows, actors/actresses, or businesses that go against our Christian beliefs. Not saying it's for everyone, just saying it's what we do in our family. There are plenty of Christian individuals and businesses to fill in that gap and then some.

I made a comment today that I no longer support Sam Elliott since his Golden Compass movie. I thought it was a bad choice on his part and I'm not entirely sure he knew the full story behind the story. Atleast, that makes me dislike him a little less. I'm no fanatic, I try not to cuss, but the reaction I got was that I had attacked someone's facebook page. Needless to say, I was quite shocked, I was even unfriended by two women for it. Really? The explanation one used was that it was "just a movie". Well, that seems to be the reaction to just about everything against God these days: it's just a role he's playing, it's just pretend, it's really not that bad, prayer is unconstitutional, we might offend someone if we pray at a football game, National Prayer Day will not be celebrated on the White House lawn. See how these things progress? I did not attack the person, her opinion, or her religious beliefs and yet got that in return under the guise of tsk'ing me for sitting in moral judgment. Because I won't support an atheistic movie or the actors in it? Really?

As I said, everyone has their own way of supporting the cause. If someone is offended that I choose not to support atheistic propaganda, well, buckle up kiddies, it's gonna get salty!