TR and Today's Issues

I was browsing through the History Channel's website today and came across an interesting quiz, The Citizenship Quiz. I took the full version and scored a 98%. I didn't know the number of Representatives in the House and I didn't think about the history question on wars of the 1800's.
There was a link to the official USCIS website and I found this on the FAQ page:

"What study materials are available to help applicants prepare for the new test?
USCIS has a range of study materials available for the new naturalization test. These include the 100 civics (history and government) questions and answers in English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, and Vietnamese; Civics Flash Cards for the New Naturalization Test, and Learn About the United States: Quick Civics Lessons for the New Naturalization Test. Additionally, there are vocabulary lists that contain the terms that will be used for the English reading and writing tests."

This started me thinking about English as the National Language issue. That lead me to look for the Teddy Roosevelt [one of my two favorite presidents] quote about being an American. I found several interesting quotes at Brainy Quotes.
"Every immigrant who comes here should be required within five years to learn English or leave the country."
"There can be no fifty-fifty Americanism in this country. There is room here for only 100% Americanism, only for those who are Americans and nothing else."
And
"We can have no "50-50" allegiance in this country. Either a man is an American and nothing else, or he is not an American at all."
"The man who loves other countries as much as his own stands on a level with the man who loves other women as much as he loves his own wife."

If people want to be American citizens let them speak English in public. If they wish to speak their Native language at home, with other immigrants from the same country and teach it to their children, FINE. But let there be no more bi-lingual signs in public spaces, no more bi-lingual government forms. Either you are fluent in English or you LEARN, but there will be NO more pandering by government to non-English speakers. Does the Mexican government print their forms in English and Spanish to accommodate English speakers? Do they allow illegal immigrants from El Norte to remain in Mexico, working there? I think NOT.
Also, there should be a ban on terms of “Something – American.” You are either a citizen or you're not. You may have come here from another country, but once you have gone through the process of becoming a CITIZEN, you are an American. Part of the process of Naturalization is swearing allegiance to the US of A, ONLY. Not to Mexico and America, or China and America or anywhere else and America. One of the responsibilities of a Citizen is to be LOYAL to America.

And if you are Black, and born here, you are an American! Not an African- or Afro-American. Your ancestors were freed from slavery here in America more than 140 years ago! If someone high up in your family tree was captured and sold by Mohammedan slave traders or a rival tribe in 17- or 18-something, that doesn't make you African. It makes you an American.

Now TR was our 26th President and took office in 1901 after McKinley was assassinated. 100+ years later, I think we could use some “retro- sensibility”. We need to remind ourselves and everyone we know what this wise man had to say about immigration, the law and the economy.

The issue of immigration, for me anyway, comes down to a question of fairness. Why should we reward illegal activity, by any immigrant, by granting them amnesty? What about the millions of citizens who immigrated LEGALLY? Why did they have to wait years and years in some cases to be legally admitted to this country? Because they were following the LAW.

TR had these thoughts on the law:
“Obedience of the law is demanded; not asked as a favor.”
“No man is above the law and no man is below it: nor do we ask any man's permission when we ask him to obey it.”
So why are we allowing 12 million ILLEGAL immigrants to break our laws? Why are we not clamoring for the current laws to be enforced?

And the economy?
I feel certain TR would have carried his “big stick” into the halls of government if he had heard of the proposed [and implemented in part] economic policies promulgated by the current Administration.
“The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life.”
“It is difficult to make our material condition better by the best law, but it is easy enough to ruin it by bad laws.”
I think the above quotes are self-explanatory in relation to our current economic crises. Or maybe I'll expound on this in a subsequent post.

Catchin' Up

I've missed y'all! But it has been a BEAR of a month! Some good, some bad, all busy. After spendin' last week with the Floozie, I had to come home to rest up.

The first week, y'all already know I was down in Killeen. I blogged about that before I left to go to Mizzou. I arrived at Flo's Monday, the 8th. I had left home about noon, and after a few stops on the road for gas, to put the top up on the car after the sun went down [along with the temp] and one for food, I rolled into her driveway around 10:30. Of course we stayed up talkin' til about midnight.

Tuesday mornin' found me accompanyin' her to her usual Curves class. Then we set out with the gals for a shopping trip to Hannah's Hobby Shop. This place is in a CAVE. It's part of a whole complex of shops and offices. It's was a bit disorienting, though. The air pressure or the constant hum of the generators, something gave me a bit of a headache. Getting back above ground, cleared it right up. I did manage to shop just fine, however. Got a present for my Grands. It'll help them keep track of the days until Christmas. Yeah, like a couple of kids really need help with THAT! To rebuild our strength after all that shopping and laughing with the Curves gals, Flo and I went to have lunch at Fazoli's with her friend Carol, whom I had met before and her [Flo's] Mom, Margaret. I got to meet Flo's Sister Lisa and another friend, Nancy, too.
Nancy was a hoot! She used to work with Carol but is retired and lives in Denver now. She travels a LOT. She also has a wicked sense of humor. We played off of each other like we'd been friends for years. After lunch, Flo took us to Doc's. I have never had Ice Cream so good in my life. Not here at home at Beth Marie's, not homemade ice cream, not Blue Belle, not anywhere have I had Ice Cream to equal the perfection of Doc's! Then we did some MORE shopping. I got some handmade soaps. And we all got some really cutey towels with pithy sayings on them. I'm keepin' the one that says, "I UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPTS OF COOKING AND CLEANING, JUST NOT AS THEY APPLY TO ME!" And I may keep the one that says, "I'll have a cup of Cafe Mocha Vodka Valium Latte, to go, please". Angel Baby Girl and LaP...y'all are gettin' one, too.

Wednesday was Tequila Harry's for Mexican Food and Margaritas after Carol and Nancy came out to Flo's house. Nancy had never seen Flo's Dream House. I kid y'all not. Her KSA [Knight in Shining Armor] helped build this house that Flo had been planning for years. Every room has some kind of special feature to it, but probably her favorite room is her Master Suite. She has a double-sided fireplace between her shiatsu garden tub and her "pouting" room. There's also a fireplace in the bedroom. Her walk-in closet is absolutely to die for, with shoe racks, double racks, long racks and wrap-around shelves.It's also bigger than her husband's closet.
After Nancy sees the Master Suite, and all the matching linens and furnishings, she looks at Flo and asks, "Who made YOU Queen?"
Those of you who know the history of my friendship with Flo are laughin' your butts off right about now, those of you not in the know, trust me, it was a MasterCard Moment!
After lunch, Flo, Carol and I headed over to Kansas and the Nebraska Furniture Outlet in KSA's farm truck. Something y'all should know about me, I never met a clearance section I didn't love. I came out with two chairs I was afraid I would have to drive home topless with in order for them to fit in the car. Flo said she could make them fit AND get my top to close. She was right. Good thing, too. I'll explain, later.

Thursday, we hung out with KSA for a while. Flo indulged me by letting me take her and KSA to IHOP for lunch. I'd been dying to try those cream cheese filled crepes. So she and I had those. Then we went home and KSA played with his dump truck and I made Flo some deviled eggs.

Friday was Breakfast! Flo has a group of friends she has breakfast with on Fridays. I had been to this divine b'fast before so I knew what to expect. I had a hot cinnamon roll and an order of bacon. Carol and Flo laughed. Turns out that is one of Flo's favs! Who knew? Then we went home and I made Flo a peach cobbler. After I was finished, I told her it was my first peach cobbler. She didn't believe me. I explained that the theory is the same whether you're makin' cherry, blackberry, or peach. It's the crust that Really matters.

Saturday, I tried again to pay KSA for gettin' my flat tire fixed. This had been an ongoing task since Tuesday. He had taken my tire in when he took his dump truck in to get new front tires. He maintained they fixed my tire for $1.37 since he had bought two tires. So, I finally let it go in trade for some hand lotion he liked and the promise of a steak dinner when they come visit NYE.
It was thunderboomin' when we had all rolled out of bed Saturday mornin'. I kept puttin' off packin' since I didn't want to leave in the middle of a thunderstorm and heavy rain. KSA went and checked the radar report on the 'puter. The storm was about an hour of passin' over and the rain was slackenin' off. So I got packed and loaded. Sure enough, those chairs DID fit in the back seat, upside down, and the top fit over them with a couple of inches to spare. So now I have replacements for the two chairs that got broken last year and nobody will have to sit on the sofa and eat off the coffee table at Thanksgiving. Hurray! And, I saved a bunch o'bucks.

So, now y'all know what's been goin' on with me! What's been goin' on with y'all?