What the hell happened to the Republican Party?

I started writing this piece several days ago, before the recent victories won by Senator Rick Santorum, that lent reason for some changes below, so I had to massage it a bit before publishing it.

When I was in my formative years in the Boston area, I used to hear my adult neighbors and relatives talk about lots of stuff. Back in those days, all I could do was listen, because they used to say things like, “children should be seen and not heard,” etc. I always despised such comments, however I did listen to the conversations, albeit often forced to do so from a different room.

The point is, I heard many sides of a lot of issues, and the guy that probably made the most impact on me from what I was able to hear was my Uncle Al. Al was the youngest of my mother’s siblings; he was a tough, rugged, take no prisoners, shot and a beer kinda guy that smoked camel cigarettes, and lots of them. Al was also a former US Marine, and he was a conservative thinking Republican through and through. He was a real man, a man’s man, and while he never knew it, because we just weren’t allowed to talk about such things, I loved and respected him probably more than any other male authority in my youth.

When he spoke, his words almost always rang true to me and he embodied what I believed the Republican Party was and ought to be; that being the clear thinking party of conservatives that wanted what was best for everyone in the country, and where everyone wanted what was best for the country. Some years later, I came across written platforms of each party which spelled out precisely how each stood on every issue, be it domestic, foreign, or whatever. Those platforms have expanded and been modified over the years as new issues have arisen, but the essence has always been the same. Which is to say, the Republican Platforms have always looked logical and workable as opposed to the Democrat Platforms always looking very touchy/feely with no real substance.

I’m a free thinker, so I can’t say that I’ve always agreed with the Republican Platform 100%, however, I do agree with the vast majority of it and very little of what the Democrat Platform offers based upon those overheard conversations of years past. As a result, I have always voted for Republican candidates in just about every election, because I thought that being a Republican meant that one agreed with and stood for that platform. And that might have been, one day, a long time ago, in a faraway place.

But this is now, and I’ve grown up and gotten very involved. I’m a active member of the REC, I attend meetings ad nauseum; I’m a leader of sorts in the 912 Movement and Tea Party, lots of people know me and what I stand for, and everyone of them will tell you that I love America and what it stands for. I’ve been on the buses to DC, marched up the Mall, I’ve met with candidates and leaders, attend and lead meetings, knock on doors, and wear out lots of shoe leather for the conservative cause. Heck, I was even recently honored, by virtue of being a member of the press, to moderate a US Senatorial Forum. In short, I’ve been doing my best to try to put things back the way the Founders intended.

And now the party that I’ve been faithful to for as long as I can remember is trying to do it again. We the People, (many of us in the GOP) have been screaming, marching, writing letters, running for office, getting involved, spending time away from loved ones, and doing all of this stuff, so that the party with the conservative platform….THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, would look among its ranks and come up with a leader that understands and believes in that platform. Instead, the money guys in the local REC’s, the state party wheels, and all of the power brokers just sit in the proverbial smoke filled rooms, sipping expensive Cognac, patting the white cats in their laps, and laugh at not only We the People, but also the party worker bees that do most of the heavy lifting. We’re getting the same old, same old, whether We the People like it or not. Maybe!

We need and asked for a man or woman like Ronald Reagan, or dare I say George Washington; someone with grit in their teeth and fire in their belly, that is more concerned with righting the ship than getting re-elected. Instead, they are trying to force feed us the likes of Mitt Romney, a liberal from Massachusetts that they call a moderate. What on God’s green earth makes him a moderate?! Apparently, in Massachusetts, (my home state) one is considered a moderate or a conservative if one is not quite as liberal as Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Michael Dukakis, Barney Frank, or Deval Patrick. All of them Democrats for sure, but just look at Scott Brown; a conservative he is not. I’m sorry, but in my book, that platform keeps coming back to mind, and Mitt ain’t standing on it. As you can see by this video, Mitt’s dad likely taught him well:

But wait a minute; if you don’t like Romney, no problem, the GOP has a back up. They’ve repackaged Newt Gingrich for you. Well, not really a repackage, since all they really did was get him away from the reflecting pool and sofa with Nancy Pelosi, and out of the ‘green’ room with Al Gore. Excuse me, but for all of his rhetoric and historical knowledge, he was there when a lot of the current crap was going down. He has also stated that his favorite politician of all time is FDR, (a liberal, socialist, democrat) followed closely by Woodrow Wilson, (and who doesn’t just get a warm fuzzy at the mention of that name) and of course Teddy Roosevelt, (while most people think of Teddy charging up San Juan Hill, he was a big government socialist of the highest order). If you don’t think these are Newts favorites, take a minute and listen to the following eye opening, kind of long video:

At the end of the day, both parties, with the only too willing help of the combined media have shot holes in those few that do hold on to the original platform, belief in the Constitution, faith in God, and solid conservative values. They wrongfully ripped Sarah Palin apart long ago, (SNL had a blast painting her the fool) guys like Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo couldn’t even get off the ground if they’d wanted to, even though a few weak and laughable lemmings such as Gary Johnson actually got some early media play. Unbelievably, his name was still on the ballot when I voted in Florida last week. Really, that ‘milquetoast’ dishrag that didn’t know islam wants to do us in was on a ballot?! Geez, I think the party needs to do some serious pre-screening.

But now I have to really get bent out of shape, because there is a candidate that for the most part, (he’s not perfect) embodies and believes in the platform that I used to think that all Republicans believed in. That one candidate is just now starting to feel the sting of the barbs and arrows of the party bosses, the other campaigns, and the only too willing media.

Senator Rick Santorum, Republican! Young, bright, good family man, Christian, (a hush falls over the readers) hard working guy from solid immigrant stock; his grandfather came here legally, asked for nothing, and assimilated into the American Fabric. He can handle himself in a debate, he’s not afraid to roll up his sleeves and call a spade a spade, and he talks the talk of We the People that have been screaming for a real conservative. So why do the power brokers in the party and media pretend he doesn’t exist? Well, this is again where I had to modify some, because the big shots and Mitt Romney just found out what We the People call a conservative, and he just got a lung full of new life. Thank God!

The excuses range from the new term that he’s ‘unelectable,’ doesn’t have ‘enough fire in his belly,’ and lots of other nonsense. I guess he showed them the other day just how electable he really is. However, the real reason they pretend he isn’t there is that the GOP has sold us out. That’s right, the old platform doesn’t mean a thing anymore, (it’s barely even a loose guideline these days). For the most part, our under 40’s youth, (a lot of whom sit in seats of power) have been fed a pile of socialist, liberal, mush for so long by the pot smoking, acid dropping, aging hippies from the 60’s who have infested the educational system, that they don’t know what real conservatism is.

They were never taught what the Founders had in mind, they don’t know or care what the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence have to say. They don’t understand that the country really was founded and based upon Christian fundamentals with religious freedom.

All most of our young know is the latest video game titillation, who won American Idol or Dancing With the Stars, which movie star has ‘come out,’ and all the other pop culture nonsense that has lulled them to sleep. Ask any High School or College Student even the most basic of questions about our founding and you’ll likely either get a bunch of blank stares or be baffled by some very under educated, and ignorant answers. It’s not their fault though. It’s mine, and yours, and all of our collective faults for allowing the liberal left to chip away at the fabric of our beautiful society and dumb our youth down so badly that what is right is now called wrong, and what is wrong is now called right.

Fellow Americans; Republicans, Democrats, Independents, whatever you call yourself, if you’re over 40, take a good look around and ask yourself what happened? If you’re under 40, talk to us that are over 40, read some real history, get a grasp on the reality that this was and could still be a great nation that was founded on solid Christian Foundations, by some really brilliant men and women. They may have dressed kind of funny by today’s standards, but they were never the less brilliant, and with His help, they built just a great country, I say the greatest the world has ever known.

We can fix this experimental thing called America. Simply put, we need to realize that it is just like anything else that gets broken; we need to repair it using the same materials it was built with. Just as a building made of concrete and steel, gilded with marble and glass cannot be repaired properly with popsicle sticks and paper mache, gilded with linoleum and plastic, a country built on a Christian foundation, solid work ethic, and conservative principles cannot be repaired with secular ideology, dependence upon others, and socialism.

Don’t let the parties get away with this. Make them give us a real conservative that unashamedly calls out to God to lead us. If we don’t, how can we look our children and grandchildren in the face and tell them we didn’t do anything when we had the chance? I guess by now you know who I think that real conservative is.

David DiCrescenzo

Publisher/Editor in Chief

The Puffers - The Video Interview - The Article

I get invited to lots of events on any given day.  Sometimes to report, other times just to be a guest, sometimes both.  Friday night was one of those times when I decided to do both.  I was invited to the West Park Baptist Church in Delray Beach for a little potluck dinner get together and to hear a two-piece ensemble after. 

I almost didn’t go, however I’ve been to that church on several occasions and at the urging of a friend decided why not.   

I’m real glad I went because it was a great way to begin the weekend.  The potluck dinner was great and there were some excellent offerings on the table.  Everything from salad, BBQ pork, sausages, and Chicken Parmesan to a special cream cheese and grape salad, and dessert was available.   

Having finished dinner, we all moved over to the sanctuary for an hour or so of some great comedy and music provided by ‘The Puffers.’  Bob and Darleen Puffer have been wowing such gatherings for around 24 years up and down the East Coast.  From what I could see, Bob can play anything that has strings on it.  Everything he picked up, from the smallest guitar and mandolin to the electric guitar and fiddle, Bob made each of the instruments come alive as if they were an extension of his arms and heart.  Each instrument also has a special comedic routine attached as well; at one point when he picked up that ‘smallest guitar’ that couldn’t have been more than two feet tall, he said, “see what happens when you don’t feed these things?” 

Their music ranges from folk to gospel and just plain enjoyably silly, and they bounce jokes off of each other as you might expect from a couple that has been around and together as long as they have.  Darleen accompanies Bob perfectly on the organ and there was a saxophone nearby, however she didn’t get a chance to pick that piece up.  Too bad, I really like saxophones; I guess there’s always next time. 

By the end of their set, I was left wanting more and was so thankful that they gave The Patriots Press a few minutes of time to chat.  For more information about this very talented duo, please visit their website at www.thepuffers.com.  You’ll be glad you did. 

David DiCrescenzo

Publisher/Editor in Chief

The Patriots Press

www.thepatriotspress.com

david@thepatriotspress.com

The Puffers

Click here for some wholesome, family entertainment: The Puffers at West Park Baptist Church

David will have an article to follow and match up with some more videos, such as 'Tom The Toad!' But, for now, here is a very funny bit. If you get a chance, look them up and have your church bring them in. Joy and Jesus, through and through.

I'm Baffled

I’m baffled I tell ya! Over the past three years since We the People started waking up, many grassroots groups have sprung up. We have The Tea Party, (which most have fallen under the general umbrella of in the msm), there are the 912 groups, DC Works For Us, Heritage Foundation, and the list goes on.

There are some minor differences that separates them all, however, the glue that keeps them all together seems to be fading today. Here’s what I mean; we, that is to say all of us in the movement, go to meetings, talk to people, write about ‘IT,’ have major conventions and rallies in places like Washington DC and elsewhere, and do as much as we can to get ‘IT’ done.

The ‘IT’ is restoring our nation to what the Founders originally had in mind. Correct me if I’m mistaken, but the Founders wanted a simplified and limited government, and that is why Madison wrote the Constitution as he did, and they approved.

We in the movement helped get some great people elected in local and state races, sent some great people to DC to get things back on track and get ‘IT’ done. Some of those people have already started drinking the ‘DC Water,’ and some are doing their level best to effect some major changes.

Here’s my problem today. All this stuff, the marching, phone calls, trips, time away from family; is/was it all for naught? The biggest race of all, that for POTUS, is sadly, a strong indication to me that we haven’t changed a thing.

There are now four candidates vying for the office, and to listen to the msm and the Republican Party gurus, there are really only two. They are telling us that our choice is between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, and they barely mention Rick Santorum or Ron Paul. It’s all part of the lie.

I’m here to say that Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich represent exactly what We the People have been screaming about and rallying against for three years now. Why, oh why would anyone in the grassroots movement consider either of them when we have a candidate like Rick Santorum that stands for what we’ve been looking for in a leader?

As I said, I’m baffled.

David DiCrescenzo

Publisher/Editor in Chief

Not Eligible

I know that many are getting tired of the 'eligibility' issue, however it can't and won't go away. Dear readers, please bear with us, the idea that an ineligible individual may have ascended the highest office of the land just sends shivers down up my spine and keeps me awake at night. Please, please, look into this and follow the link below:

OBAMA ELIGIBILITY COURT CASE…BLOW BY BLOW

This is not small potatoes, this is very likely the biggest ruse in the history of the nation.

All I ask is that you take a look at the real evidence. A usurper is very likely sitting in the White House.........our White House, and he's getting away with destroying our country.

David DiCrescenzo

Publisher/Editor in Chief

Marriage and Faith

Senator Rick Santorum on the importance of Marriage and Faith. This was in Stuart, Florida on Tuesday and filmed by our very own, David DiCrescenzo and edited by Matthew Kenney.

Looking for a Conservative, being force fed liberals

There’s a lot going on all the time in the world and it’s next to impossible for a reporter or anyone to keep track of everything all of the time. While my interests are varied, they do mostly revolve around my core values and platforms, which are Faith, Conservatism, and Patriotism. It’s hard to imagine anything not being grounded in one or more of those somehow.

Which leads me to this discussion. In a mere 286 days, except and unless we have another election such as back in 2000, most of the votes will all be cast and counted, and We the People will have elected a new president. Next Tuesday, the people of Florida will have a chance to start deciding whom they want on the ballot.

The big name frontrunners that have been forced down our throats by the party with help from the media are Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney. According to the party bosses and their media collaborators, neither Rick Santorum nor Ron Paul is ‘electable.’ My questions are “says who,” and “when did the term electable become part of the equation?” By the way, I don’t mean to anger anyone, but I believe that Ron Paul has merely been allowed to be there by the bosses as a distraction, (even though I think I actually prefer even Dr. Paul over Newt or Mitt).

Let’s see if I can unscramble things so we can have a brief look at this. The electorate is finally waking up and the conservative ideology and intent of our Founders is being embraced more and more by a growing grassroots movement. Which means that We the People are looking to seat conservative men and women who will go to DC and do what they say they will do when they are on the campaign trail. So what happens when any real conservative that won’t sell out their values shows up on the scene? Simply put, they are ostracized by the party and the media for not being ‘moderate’ enough. That term, ‘moderate enough,’ is synonymous with ‘liberal enough.’

To back up this point, look at what they did to Sarah Palin. She was and is a very bright, qualified, and experienced conservative leader that epitomizes what the Republican Party used to be and stand for. However, with the eager participation of the media, her own party turned their backs on her due to her strong Christian based, conservative stands on issues such as abortion, DOMA, energy, illegal immigration, and foreign affairs, etc. If you don’t think that’s accurate, ask any of your friends about her supposedly saying she ‘could see Russia from her back yard.’ By the way, she never said that; in a moment of not thinking things through clearly, Sarah’s campaign made the poor choice of having her go on SNL, in which that crew had a field day, and Tina Fey did a ‘look how dumb Sarah is’ bit. Sadly, a lot of people still think that Sarah actually said what Tina said and that she’s some sort of a dimwit. And she certainly is not a dimwit.

And this brings me right to Newt and Mitt. Neither of these men has a record that falls in line with the Grassroots movement or what the Republican Party used to be; in fact, they both fall far short of what We the People have been screaming that we are looking for. However, because the party bosses on both sides have it already decided and they don’t want any sort of change, these are the guys that are being forced on us. Please start listening to the video link below about Newt with some Mitt thrown in while you’re reading; I don’t think you’ll turn it off until it finishes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyeB36ctO5I&sns=em

On the other hand, conservative people like Sarah Palin are never shed in a fair light. Which now leads me to Rick Santorum. Unlike Newt and Mitt, Rick shares much with the grassroots movement.

At the end of the day, here is my assessment of the three. I can’t really see any real difference between Newt and Mitt, and to my way of thinking, they are both Obama light. Both represent big government, universal healthcare, and amnesty of one sort or another. Neither is 100% pro-life, and at least one of them, (like his buddy Bill Clinton) hasn’t been faithful to the one person on the planet that he should’ve been closest to. On that note, if anyone’s spouse cannot be trusted, what makes anyone think that person can be trusted at the helm of the nation? If you listen to the entire video, you’ll see that Newt’s favorite politician of all time is FDR, followed closely by Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, (all three extremely progressive). Pardon me, but that makes him also an extreme progressive in my book, and progressive is another word for liberal. Under Newt or Mitt, nothing will change despite their rhetoric to the contrary; they are both old school, establishment type politicians that will not steer us from the collision course with Socialism that we are currently on.

By the way, besides RomneyCare, check out Mitt’s position on the 2^nd Amendment. When he was Governor of Massachusetts, he extended a ban on so called ‘assault’ rifles, http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2836965/posts, and just try to get a Concealed Weapon Permit up there. Very tough to get even after one follows all of the outrageous rules. Also, both men feel that they don’t need to vet judges for any bias before appointing them. Neither of them has ever established themselves as any sort of conservative.

Rick Santorum however, while by no means perfect, shares most of the values of We the People. He is a God fearing man, 100% pro-life and pro-family, he considers marriage to be between one man and one woman, he’s the son of immigrants and believes in getting to this country the right way, and he’s tired of judges legislating from the bench.

Let me close with this thought. Before you vote in Florida, and ultimately vote in November, take a good long look inside to check, and ask yourself which of these men or Ron Paul best matches your values. Then vote for that guy based on that.

Forget the rhetoric that they’re feeding us that Santorum is ‘not electable.’ That’s one of those lies that if repeated enough becomes real to people.

We can’t take another 4 years of the current administration, and I fervently believe that the only difference between Newt, Mitt, and Barry is how fast the ship is going to sink.

Please consider the one true conservative choice. Rick Santorum.

David DiCrescenzo

Publisher/Editor in Chief

Rogue Dictator

Ah! Spring is just around the corner and oh what a wonderful time of year it will be. If there was to be a poem about it, it may go a little something like this:

The wind was blowin' and flying were bees,

Can't build here 'cause you'll poison the trees.

For your hybrid mobile they'll be plenty of cobs,

But no one will buy them 'cause there are no JOBS!

Welcome to the Keystone Oil Pipeline project!

I would like to say that I've been in the dark and that this is the issue that helped me determine the fact that the leader of the free world does not like America, or its historical ingredients. But it's not. 

I would like to say that it should carry a few extra votes away from him and not necessarily to the other side, because of this action of inaction. But, it won't.

This is a hundred year plan, Patriots! There are many new voters being created in a 'lab' called D.C. and there seem to be no worries about losing current voters. No worries at all!

When you read articles such as the one in the Strokes of Candor (1) about Jimmy Hoffa and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce both disagreeing with Obama about this project and it's ability to help our country's economy in so many areas and in so many ways, it makes you wonder who is still left in this guy's camp. 

The president of the Chamber stated, "We want President Obama to act in the best interests of our national security and our workers and approve the pipeline. We can put 20,000 Americans to work right away and up to 250,000 over the life of the project." While Hoffa's group, the IBEW, said, "At a time when jobs are the top global priority, the Keystone project will put thousands back to work and have ripple benefits throughout the North American economy. Our members look forward to being part of this historic project and pledge to deliver the highest quality work to make it a success.” Now, sandwich that with bi-partisan support from the House and the Senate and what do you get? What, you have now is a Rogue Dictator that is usurping as much power as he can to fuel his own self interest to help deconstruct what took 235 years to build.

They do eat their young!

When they run out of conservatives to go after they viciously attack themselves, don't they? It's not the Keystone Pipeline sitting in a time-out all by it's lonesome in at the corner of San Jacinto and Texas Ave in downtown Houston. No, we are at a different crossroad where it's one little marriage here, one New Black Panther freed here, one million more babies killed here, one Muslim Brotherhood beer summit here, one Solyndra over here, one Chevy Volt over here, one voter fraud here, one Arizona lawsuit here and one Marine over here locked up for being forthright about carrying his firearm.

It is the chaos they've been waiting for and the crisis they will never let go to waste. Oh, and it's not just the Democrats, as I used the word 'conservatives' above for a reason because the middle of the road, liberal RINO's are running with the wolf pack too. May even be providing good cover for them. Eh? But, I digress.

Hey, I've never quoted Grover Norquist before but I agree with him when he recently said in his Americans for Tax Reform email blast about the Keystone Project that is on the verge of construction and at the same time is about to be shot down, today by this president, that, "The Keystone XL pipeline is a commonsense project that would create thousands of jobs and improve America’s energy security. Transporting crude oil from Alberta, Canada to refiners in Oklahoma and Texas, the Keystone pipeline is a vital project."

Yeah, common sense. Remember that?

It's only about 830,000 barrels of oil coming into Texas every day. Jobs? We don't need no stinkin' jobs! Only about 20,000 to 100,000 right off the top leading up to and beyond 300,000. Me personally, I believe the president will use this opportunity in his second term after fraudulently receiving another 4 years by the people and for the people, he will then give unto you, the Keystone Oil Pipeline Project!

Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) Delivers Weekly GOP Address On Keystone XL Pipeline ~ January 14th, 2012

For now, the news is imminent (2) so stand up by getting down on your knees and say a little prayer for your country.

1) http://strokesofcandor.com/investigative/hoffa-and-us-chamber-disagree-with-obama-and-activists-on-keystone-pipeline/

2) http://www.ksat.com/news/politics/Keystone-oil-sands-pipeline-likely-to-be-rejected/-/2567674/8280868/-/v5x37c/-/index.html

*Map Photo by: Lars Karklis at the Washington Post

Full Time, Temporary Help Wanted!

That’s how the ad should read for President. I had lunch with a buddy of mine this past weekend. Dale, (his real name) is a very sharp guy; and just to prove it, he’s a commercial pilot. Anyway, we were chatting over a phenomenal steak sub up at Big Al’s in Palm Beach Gardens in Florida and we started talking about politics. We’d already discussed religion and women, so we figured, why not? It’s not as scary as it sounds since he and I are about on the same page on all three and I dare say, most other topics. During the discussion of this candidate and that issue, Dale hit on a really great idea, which while probably not new, I’ve never heard it put the way he did.

His idea is simple really. We’ve all heard the concerns about the current president’s credentials, or lack thereof, so Dale proffered the following suggestion. Why don’t we treat this very important job just like we would in the private sector and have each candidate start by completing a job application? You know, the same type that you or I, or anyone must fill out before being considered for a job, regardless of whether they provide a resume or not.

Owing to the gravity of the position, that application would include all the normal stuff such as name, place and date of birth, Social Security Number, (including the date and place of issue) marital status, previous employment, education, etc. However, it would also include much more enhanced information such as references from every stage and venue of life, educational records from as far back as Kindergarten, names of classmates, teachers, members of wedding parties, former landlords and neighbors, current and former friends, employers, and a comprehensive list of all relatives out to three times removed. While no one expects any candidate to be without blemish, some items hold more weight than others, but essentially, we need to know everything.

The biggest catch would be that all candidates understand that they need to first and foremost pass strict Constitutional muster; that is to say that each candidate must prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they have attained the age of 35 by election day, be a natural born citizen of the United States, and resided within the country for the past 14 years. If those three very basic items are not first verifiably and publicly satisfied, the rest would be deemed moot and the candidacy would be nullified, and they could face criminal charges for attempting to intentionally usurp the system and the nation. Additionally, the application must be as accurate as humanly possible, and that each application is to be fully scrutinized and verified by the Secret Service, FBI, CIA, or even better, Sheriff Joe Arpaio from Maricopa County in AZ. If any, let alone all, of these agencies deems, (and shows cause publicly) that the candidate could not be cleared to work so much as a menial job in the maintenance department of the White House, he or she would also not be allowed to serve in the Oval Office.

The rest of the election process, flawed as it might be and while corrections such as voter and polling integrity are constantly made, could continue as is. That is to say, it doesn’t really matter if the candidate is a democrat, a republican, an independent, or anything else. As long as he or she passes the documentation and background litmus test, the rest would amount to his or her winning over the hearts and minds of the masses through their oratory and marketing skills. And of course, very sadly, how much money he or she can amass. At very least, while we may not all be 100% behind the leader of the free world, we could rest assured that the process had a fair chance at working.

David DiCrescenzo

Publisher/Editor in Chief

The Patriots Press

So. Florida 912 Christmas Cheer

My dear friends Doug, Shannon, Tyler, Alexis, and Hunter Armstrong visited a local hospital again on Christmas Eve to spread a little happiness in the Children's Ward.

I wanted to share Doug's report of this very touching adventure with our readers; so please take a few minutes and click on or copy and paste the following link:

http://southflorida912.org/2012/01/02/update-on-the-hospital-visit-and-912-in-action/

God bless everyone involved with this from the Armstrongs to the staff at the hospital, and God bless those kids that have to spend so much time in a hospital and not in the comfort of their homes.

David DiCrescenzo

Publisher/Editor in Chief

The Patriots Press

New York City Gun Laws and the 2nd Amendment

On December 22, 2011, just three days before Christmas, Meredith Graves of Tennessee was in New York City and decided to visit the 911 Memorial Site. Nothing wrong with that, I’m sure by now, thousands of people do so on a daily basis.

Meredith is one of what I’m sure are many thousands of people in Tennessee that have a license to carry a firearm back in that state. Now I’m going to step out on a limb here and guess that Meredith drove up to The Big Apple, because if she had flown, she would have been stopped at the airport down there, and I would likely never have heard of her or be writing this article.

Anyway, the lady is used to packing heat, which I not only have no problem with, I applaud her. If more women did, there would be a lot less crime against women; for that matter, if more men and women did, there would be less crime overall. Meredith’s problem lies in one of the most important issues all firearms licensing instructors stress to their students; and that is, if you are traveling out of state and bringing your gun with you, check in advance to find out about the specific laws in the states you will be traveling through. This should have been especially apparent to her given that most people I know, (and I know lots) that carry firearms, recognize that New York City has among the most outrageous and restrictive anti-gun laws in the entire country.

Another little secret is this, if you have a license to carry a concealed weapon from any state, it should always be concealed and you don’t need to ever let anyone know about it unless you need to use it, and in that case, it’s do or die anyway. But even if you are licensed to carry a concealed weapon, there are some places that you are not supposed to carry your sidearm, and as a reminder, there are usually signs at the entries. Mind you, you’ll sometimes find metal detectors at some of these places, and you may or may not want to temporarily turn your weapon over to some of the rent a cops at these entry points. This is especially so if you are not in the state where you are licensed to carry, and the people manning the metal detectors are actual trained police officers. As Meredith quickly found out while trying to do the right thing, you can get arrested on the spot. Sadly, she is only one of many that make such mistakes every year.

Regardless of police presence and signs, and sans the presence of a metal detector, if you are carrying and there is a sign, (possibly arbitrarily posted by an owner) that says ‘no weapons allowed,’ you have two choices. You can simply ignore it, go about your business, and keep your mouth shut about something no one is supposed to know about in the first place, or you can make an about face and leave the area. Personally, I prefer the former option as opposed to the latter.

But now this story is going to address the bigger picture and real problem, and that is a matter of constitutional law. We have a thing called the Bill of Rights, which is made up of the first 10 Amendments to the US Constitution. All of these amendments are precious, however the second is the one that protects the other nine. We have countless groups in America that are designed to protect the Second Amendment from those who would diminish it, the NRA, The Second Amendment Foundation, GOAL, Armed Females of America, and so on. I call upon these groups to not only come to the aid of this woman and several other recent instances, but also to make this a really big issue during this election cycle. There should be no candidate for any office that doesn’t get grilled on this crucial issue. The Second Amendment says, “….the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed,” it does not include any exceptions due to liberal agenda.

David DiCrescenzo

Publisher/Editor in Chief