General Relif Society Meeting

Last night although I was all the way exhausted I decided I would go down to the church to attend the Relief Society Meeting rather than just watch it at home. Prior to the broadcast from SLC we had a local stake RS meeting, so it was more in support of that than anything. I soon found my friend who what equally exhausted, and we just sat off to one side chatted and caught up a bit, and then went on into the chapel for the General RS meeting. As it started, I had a different feeling than normal. Usually I don't really care for these meetings, for one reason or another, but the biggest being, I don't see myself as being old enough to be in RS. The feeling I felt this time was the same feeling I had about 13 when all of my sisters were together in Boise and we all attended together. For some reason I really wanted to be sitting with all of them right then. Soon the meeting started, I felt the spirit and enjoyed the talks, mostly the straight forwardness of them. They were very bold about what we should be doing. Something I am very thankful for. One of the best quotes was by Sister Barbra Thompson who quoted Joseph Smith. "If you live up to your privileges, the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates. When I herd that one I was ready to jump up and head out and get to work again. I always knew I had extra help, now I knew it was a promise. The next time that really caught me off guard was during the song "Now Let Us Rejoice" just about the end of the first verse, I knew I was united with all of my sisters in singing this song, it was the same broadcast at the same time and I knew they were all there with me singing this song, so I just sang louder. (apologies going out to everyone who had to hear the earthly tones of my heart) It has been a while since I went to the church to watch the broadcast with, but it sure felt good and I am very glad I went. I think I am not starting to get RS, what a wonderful program here for everyone, not just the "RS" type.

My name is Joe Porter. I live in Champaign , Illinois . I'm 46 years old,
a born-again Christian, a husband, a father, a small business owner, a
veteran, and a home owner. I don't consider myself to be either conservative
or liberal, and I vote for the person, not Republican or Democrat. I don't
believe there are 'two Americas ' - but that every person in this country
can be whom ever and what ever they want to be if they'll just work to get
there - and nowhere else on earth can they find such opportunities. I
believe our government should help those who are legitimately downtrodden,
and should always put t he interests of America first.

The purpose of this message is that I'm concerned about the future of this
great nation. I'm worried that the silent majority of honest, hard-working,
tax-paying people in this country have been passive for too long. Most folks
I know choose not to involve themselves in politics. They go about their
daily lives, paying their bills, raising their kids, and doing what they can
to maintain the good life. They vote and consider doing so to be a sacred
trust. They shake their heads at the political pundits and so-called 'news',
thinking that what they hear is always spun by whom ever is reporting it.
They can't understand how elected officials can regularly violate the public
trust with pork barrel spending. They don't want government handouts. They
want the government to protect them, not raise their taxes for more
government programs.

I've never found a candidate in any election with whom I agreed on
everything. So when I step into that voting booth, I always try to look at
the big picture and cast my vote for the man or woman who is best qualified
for the job. I've hired a lot of people in my lifetime, and essentially
that's what an election is - a hiring process. Who has the credentials? Whom
do I want working for me? Whom can I trust to do the job right?

I'm concerned that a growing number of voters in this country simply don't
get it. They are caught up in a fervor they can't explain, and calling it
'change'.

'Change what? ' , I ask.
'Well, we're going to change America' , they say.
'In what way? ', I query.
'We want someone new and fresh in the White House ', they exclaim.
'So, someone who's not a politician?' , I press.
'Uh, well, no, we just want a lot of stuff changed, so we're voting for
Obama', they state.
'So the current system, the system of freedom and democracy that has
enabled a man to grow up in this great country, get a fine education, raise
incredible amounts of money and dominate the news and win his party's
nomination for the White House - that system's all wrong?'
'No, no, that part of the system's okay - we just need a lot of change.'

And so it goes. 'Change we can believe in.' Quite frankly, I don't believe
that vague proclamations of change hold any promise for me. In recent
months, I've been asking virtually everyone I encounter how they're voting.
I live in Illinois , so most folks tell me they're voting for Barack
Obama. But no one can really tell me why - only that he's going to change a
lot of stuff. Change, change, change. I have yet to find one single person
who can tell me distinctly and convincingly why this man is qualified to be
President and Commander-in-Chief of the most powerful nation on earth -
other than the fact that he claims he's going to implement a lot of change.

We've all seen the emails about Obama's genealogy, his upbringing, his
Muslim background, and his church affiliations. Let's ignore this for a
moment. Put it all aside then ask yourself, what qualifies this man to be my
president? That he's a brilliant orator and talks about change?

CHANGE WHAT?

Friends, I'll be forthright with you - I believe the American voters who are
supporting Barack Obama don't have a clue what they're doing, as evidenced
by the fact that not one of them - NOT ONE of them I've spoken to can spell
out his qualifications. Not even the most liberal media can explain why he
should be elected.

Political experience? Negligible. Foreign relations? Non-existent.
Achievements? Name one. Someone who wants to unite the country? If you
haven't read his wife's thesis from Princeton , look it up on the web. This
is who's lining up to be our next First Lady? The only thing I can glean
from Obama's constant harping about change is that we're in for a lot of new
taxes.

For me, the choice is clear. I've looked carefully at the two leading
applicants for the job, and I've made my choice.
Here's a question - where were you five and a half years ago? Around
Christmas, 2002. You've had five or six birthdays in that time. My son has
grown from a sixth grade child to a high school graduate. Five and a half
years is a good chunk of time. About 2,000 days. 2,000 nights of sleep.
6, 000 meals, give or take.

John McCain spent that amount of time, from 1967 to 1973, in a North
Vietnamese prisoner-of-war camp. When offered early release, he refused it.
He considered this offer to be a public relations stunt by his captors, and
insisted that those held longer than he should be released first. Did you
get that part? He was offered his freedom, and he turned it down. A
regimen of beatings and torture began.

Do you possess such strength of character? Locked in a filthy cell in a
foreign country, would you turn down your own freedom in favor of your
fellow man? I submit that's a quality of character that is rarely found,
and for me, this singular act defines John McCain.

Unlike several presidential candidates in recent years whose military
service is questionable or non-existent, you will not find anyone to
denigrate the integrity and moral courage of this man. A graduate of
Annapolis , during his Naval service he received the Silver Star, Bronze
Star, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. His own son is now
serving in the Marine Corps in Iraq .

Barack Obama is fond of saying 'We honor John McCain's service...BUT...',
which to me is condescending and offensive - because what I hear is, 'Let's
forget this man's sacrifice for his country and his proven leadership
abilities, and talk some more about change.'

I don't agree with John McCain on everything - but I am utterly convinced
that he is qualified to be our next President, and I trust him to do what's
right. (ed. note: Can any Democrat say this about Obama?) I know in my
heart that he has the best interests of our country in mind. He doesn't
simply want to be President - he wants to lead America , and there's a
huge difference. Factually, there is simply no comparison between the two
candidates. A man of questionable background and motives who prattles on
about change can't hold a candle to a man who has devoted his life in public
service to this nation, retiring from the Navy in 1981 and elected to the
Senate in 1982.

Perhaps Obama's supporters are taking a stance between old and new. Maybe
they don't care about McCain's service or his strength of character, or his
unblemished qualifications to be President. Maybe 'likeability' is a higher
priority for them than 'trust'. Being a prisoner of war is not what
qualifies John McCain to be President of the United States of America -
but his demonstrated leadership certainly DOES.

Dear friends, it is time for us to stand. It is time for thinking Americans
to say, 'Enough.' It is time for people of all parties to stop following the
party line. It is time for anyone who wants to keep America first, who
wants the right man leading their nation, to start a dialogue with all their
friends and neighbors and ask who they're voting for, and why.

There's a lot of evil in this world. That should be readily apparent to all
of us by now. And when faced with that evil as we are now, I want a man who
knows the cost of war on his troops and on his citizens. I want a man who
puts my family's interests before any foreign country.

I want a President who's qualified to lead.

I want my country back, and I'm voting for John McCain.

It is not a black and white issue, it is a right or wrong issue.

It is late, I am tired, but I wanted to post some thoughts from listening to stuff on the elections today. If I didn't know any better Obama could really win me over. But in the back of my head every time, he says more government jobs, (only he doesn't say government) it is stuff like, jobs on highways, jobs to help better educate our children, there is another one I just can't thing of it. so basically government jobs. I think higher Taxes. Then when when this AIG thing came aboard and I can't remember if it was Obama or Biden that said, "If Bush hadn't gone all happy about cutting regimes, we (the government) would have had the power to just step in and help, with out it having to go to congress. Wow that was scary. Now for a side note less government, less regimes (btw regime means: A government in power) So when Obama wants more regimes that means he wants More power for the president, or government, with out having to go through the people, (congress)

Now on the other hand I really don't agree with a lot of what McCain is doing, but I do sort of agree with the comments that McCain's party had to say over Obama's. My favorite by far is what Ron Paul's group had to say. Let it be, and yes it might hurt a bit, but it will work it's self out. Lets think about this, if I forget to go to Church on Sunday, and nobody is there for the nursery lesson, and to set things up and so on. Heavenly Father isn't going to step in and make it right, just because others might have to suffer because of my negligence. No someone would realize I wasn't there, and they would try to cover for me.

Just as one last thought, I think America really messed up when Ron Paul had to step down.

One sunny day in 2009, an old man
approached the White House from across Pennsylvania Avenue ,
where he'd been sitting on a park bench.
He spoke to the Marine standing guard and said,
'I would like to go in and meet with President Barack Obama.'
The Marine replied, 'Sir, Mr. Obama is not President and doesn't reside here.'
The old man said, 'Okay,' and walked away.
The following day, the same man approached theWhite House and said to the same Marine,
'I would like to go in and meet with President Barack Obama'.
The Marine again told the man, 'Sir, as I said yesterday, Mr. Obama is not President and
doesn't reside here.
' The man thanked him and again walked away.
The third day, the same man approached the
White House and spoke to the very same Marine, saying
'I would like to go in and meet with President Barack Obama'
The Marine, understandably agitated at this point, looked at the man and said,
'Sir, this is the third day in a row you have been here asking to speak to Mr. Obama.
I've told you already several times that Mr. Obama is not the President and doesn't reside here.
Don't you understand?'
The old man answered, 'Oh, I understand you fine. I just love hearing your answer!'
The Marine snapped to attention, saluted, and said, 'See you tomorrow, Sir!'

Who next

Dear Mr. Obama,

It is August 30, 2008. My name is Mark Gregg. I am a 50 something conservative white male. I have followed your campaign closely, including the speeches you and others made at the democratic national convention. I am respectfully providing you with seven simple (probably shallow) reasons why I could never vote for you. I believe my opinion is shared by many people. While there may not be quite enough to prevent you from becoming president of this nation, I do think there is an awakening to the fact that you are not a (the) messiah that the media and liberal Hollywood entertainers are trying to portray you.

1. I hear your mantra of change, change, change. Yet, you picked a long term, liberal, Washington insider (Joe Biden) to be your running mate. This is NOT change. It is a move that hypocritically refutes the very thing you supposedly stand for. Your campaign then slammed McCain for picking Sarah Palin, apparently, because she is NOT a Washington insider. She is a maverick who cleaned-up Alaska’s quagmire of political scandals. Which way is it, Barack? Is it okay for you to pick a Washington insider under the mantra of “change”, but not okay for John McCain to pick a smart, aggressive, reformer?

2. You have the single most liberal voting record in the senate. This indicates to me and others like me that you may very well be an angry black man seeking to punish our country for sins of a different generation. I am not racist. I have some biases just like you and every other human alive. Unlike the Democratic party who claims to be for the minority (but their record heavily refutes this), I will give any person who truly needs help, help. I married a “minority” girl 35 years ago (she is Hispanic) and have seen the evils of prejudice first hand. However, I have also seen my wife and my children and others in her family throw off the veil of self imposed prejudicial bondage and move ahead. They love our country and do not view themselves any different than I view myself as a citizen of this country. Your lovely wife so disappointed people like me during this campaign when she stated it was the first time she had ever been proud of this country. She apparently never noticed the massive aid we give dozens of other countries. She apparently never noticed the sacrifice of literally millions of veterans who helped make this country a free nation and helped liberate other nations from brutal dictators such as Adolf Hitler. She apparently does not remember that she attended Ivy League universities with scholarship money that ultimately (at least some of it) was paid for by our taxes. This troubles me more than you know. She is an angry black woman who appears to not like her country very much. I don’t want her representing me to the rest of the world.

3. You claim Christianity but apparently do not realize that the Bible teaches that he who does not work, does not eat. The Bible does not say or even suggest that he who CANNOT work, should not eat. Yet, your liberal policies reward people who are capable of working, but choose to not do so. This bothers me. I know that if you are elected our taxes will spiral upwards. You should heed the words of Winston Churchill: “We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.” If I like anything about you, it is your campaign promise to balance the federal budget. Unfortunately, we have heard this a huge number of times from a number of different politicians and we realize that when you energize the very liberal Nancy Pelosi, Robert Byrd, Ted Kennedy, etc, etc, and the many other Democrats like them, a balanced budget will never, ever happen on your watch.

4. During your question and answer session with Rick Warren of Saddleback Church your answer concerning the question of where does life begin, stunned me: “Above your pay grade?” Does this mean when something bad happens as President of this nation that you are going to look at your salary to determine if you can respond? I am sorry, but this was the most serious gaffe I have seen you make. Frankly, it shows me that you are pandering in the most obvious manner. You will choose your words not from your heart, but from an agenda that I believe is still hidden from the American people.

5. If anything stands out about you it is probably your appeasement mentality. In this era of rampant, radical Islamic extremism and with the latest stunt pulled by the re-energized Russian government, I am not sure appeasement is healthy. I again revert to the words of Winston Churchill: “An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.”

6. You and your party tacitly believe that a 13 or 14 year old girl must have the parents approval to have the school nurse provide them with a Tylenol when they have a headache at school. Yet, this same girl can become pregnant and the school can skirt her off to a clinic and abort the child in her body without the parents knowing or being notified. This scares the hell out of me. You have two little girls. Would you be upset if this happened to them and you were not informed? Then why do you stand for this? It makes no sense to me.

7. My seventh and final point (for now) is your supporters. I have watched the Hollywood entertainers that support you, systematically embrace Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and others like him. I see the continuous smut and garbage produced by Hollywood, the very people who promote you the most vigorously. It is not a positive point to me and others like me to see these over-paid, bizarre, poor examples of human existence fawn over you and push you and your liberal agenda as hard as they do. The way that I see it; When the devil is for you, we should question whether or not we should be against you.

In closing, I just want you to know that you scare me. I cannot vote for you. It is not because of your skin color. It is because these items and many, many others like them. Do not claim that my dislike for you is race based. It is because I do not feel you have the best interests of this nation at heart.

Respectfully,

Mark A. Gregg