Why ESPN Needs You to Hate Jameis Winston and the Florida State Seminoles

*** Source ---> secexposed.wordpress.com/ article titled "Why ESPN Needs You to HATE Jameis Winston and the Florida State Seminoles"

It has been a wild and crazy past week for the Florida State Seminoles. Their QB, a magnet for controversial news ever since his stint as quarterback for the reigning national champs began last year, once again was at the top of the headlines after being suspended by FSU for a half, then a whole game, for being spotted in the student union yelling a vulgar popular online meme. While we have seen the outrage on TV and on social media forums, and even the anger coming from a small contingent of FSU alumni, we are going to tell you all something you probably didn’t realize and that never occurred to you.

ESPN and the SEC-enamored media desperately WANT you to hate Jameis Winston. They need you to despise him. They’ve been working for you to hate him for a long time. If you don’t hate him by now, you are either an FSU fan or really disconnected from the online and sports entertainment television world. Is it because Winston is one of the most disgusting, criminal minded, moronic menaces to society in sports history? Or is it because the sports media, especially ESPN, is manipulating the public into believing what they need you to believe for their own benefit and the benefit of the SEC? We are going to show you in this article why it is the latter. We are going to lay out why we believe that ESPN and the mainstream media are working overtime to destroy this kid’s character and bury his school so that they never “steal” another championship from the SEC in the near future. And we are going display to you their hypocrisy in encouraging this witch-hunt of a player whose greatest faults pale in comparison to some SEC stars who came before him.

You don’t need to be an FSU supporter to truly see what is going on here. The mainstream media, led by their “worldwide leader in sports entertainment,” is vocally railroading one of the greatest talents of our sports generation simply as revenge for him not launching his stardom in their beloved SEC. And they will not stop until both he and the team that has owned the SEC in recent years pays the ultimate price. FSU and Winston are villains to the SEC. ESPN and other media hacks are now prepared to make them YOUR villain too. If you repeat things often enough to the public in the media, ultimately they begin to believe it as truth. ESPN has been hammering away at the integrity of the FSU star around the clock since the middle of last week when news of the “scandal” broke. And public perception was definitely impacted by the biased coverage of the cursing incident. Before long, people from coast to coast were “outraged.” Outraged that a 20 year old college student cursed loud enough on campus for people to hear. [Pause for perspective to set in.]

Who is this Jameis Winston kid anyway? This horrible menace to society that has ESPN analysts screaming and pounding their makeshift desks about. When we filter out the over-the-top ESPN-driven media bias, it becomes much easier to see who he really is. Jameis Winston is a socially immature and naïve youth in a tremendously gifted athlete’s body. His athletic and on-field leadership ability is head and shoulders above his peers; he plays football like a man among boys. However mentally off the field, he is a boy among men. This is clear to anyone following along with his antics. He doesn’t take things as seriously as people think he should. Perhaps he rose too high to fast. Or perhaps he has simply just always been the “class clown” life of the party and lacks the filter necessary to know when he has gone too far. Or maybe he really is “dumb as a box of rocks” as has been suggested by multiple “respected” media personalities. (Which if true would support our position of SEC recruiting standards since Winston was heavily recruited by much of the SEC before spurning them to choose Florida State.) Much like his Heisman predecessor Johnny “Football” Manziel, Winston is showing us all why freshmen should no longer be allowed to win the Heisman. They can’t handle the attention, the pressure or the expectations that often come with the award, as it all might be too much for a 19 year old kid to process. Nothing Winston has done up to this point (sexual promiscuity, squirrel hunting with BB guns, sneaking soda from a fountain with buddies, taking crab legs from a grocery store “hookup”, or yelling out an obscene phrase from a popular internet meme) could be considered “criminal mischief” for the average 18-19 year old kid. However, Winston is not an average 19 year old kid. Much more is expected of him, and children may look to him as a role model whether they should or shouldn’t. The minute he became a football superstar, he traded in his “average joe” card. Unfortunately, he acts as if nobody told him this. Or maybe they did and he refuses to accept it. The point we are trying to make here is, Jameis Winston is not a lethal criminal mind. He is a simple and very naïve young man who refuses to let his stardom change him. And that may be his biggest mistake, because with athletic stardom comes responsibility. In turn, the media is using every single one of Winston’s mistakes, no matter how minor, as another opportunity to crucify him. We all know, this is how it works in the spotlight for sports stars. The media builds them up so they can tear them down. However, in this situation, some of the greatest effort ever witnessed is being put forth by the media, particularly ESPN, to assure that this kid not only gets torn down, but that he never plays the game of football again at FSU. Their tactics are wrong, their motivations for doing it are wrong, and the manipulative ways they are doing it are wrong.

Let’s start with their tactics. First there were the around the clock rotations of analysts one by one bashing Winston’s integrity on air. Then there was the ESPN analyst Zubin Mehenti who gave an angry rant full of racist overtones against Winston (Listen here: http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=11547749). Then there was response from ESPN defending Mehenti’s rant as “free speech” (try to ignore the irony of this excuse here). And who can forget ESPN’s Mark May laying into Winston’s integrity. (Looks like the Gameday attendees in Tallahassee Saturday didn’t let him get away with that hypocrisy without some fact checking though…)

Thursday night during the Kansas State-Auburn game, one of ESPN’s favorite SEC Shills Pollack was chatting with his co-shill Palmer up in the analyst booth. Their back and forth kind of revealed much of what ESPN behind the scenes really wanted…

Pollack: I’m not sure if I’m happy about only a half game suspension for Winston.
Palmer: I am.
Pollack: I think it should be the whole game.
Palmer: Oh yeah, because then they could lose!

I’m sure you can only imagine the immense disappointment from ESPN when Clemson could not deliver ESPN’s genie wish for them.

Winston has faced far more scrutiny than likely any other college athlete who has done wrong in the media. And despite never being charged for rape because there was no evidence, even after a prosecutor dug until his nails bled trying to get notoriety for being the guy that could put away the great Jameis Winston (Source: http://secexposed.wordpress.com/2013/11/25/why-a-successful-black-non-sec-college-football-star-is-getting-railroaded-in-the-jim-crow-south/), ESPN continues to report THAT story as if it were an actual prosecuted crime! For many at ESPN, Winston is not only guilty until proven innocent, but he is even guilty WHEN proven innocent!

This begs the question, why is ESPN and the lapdog media so hungry to bury the FSU quarterback? Let’s pretend for a minute that we don’t know about their heavy campaigning to eliminate all SEC threats so that the conference their money is invested in will never have to face a real quality opponent in the four team playoff. Where is the ESPN outrage over the sheer volume of arrests (>50% of all college sports arrests) occurring out of the SEC? (Source: http://secexposed.wordpress.com/2014/07/18/criminal-talent-recruitment-and-media-collusion-make-strange-bedfellows-indeed/). Or better yet how about the closest SEC neighbor to FSU? Where was the media outrage at the University of Florida, an SEC team whose 2008 squad won the national title with arguably the most number of criminals on a championship team in NCAA history (Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/07/sports/ncaafootball/hernandez-among-many-arrested-at-florida-in-the-meyer-years.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0)? Where were the self-righteous ESPN announcers demanding that a title be stripped when it consisted of players arrested for “under-age drinking, disorderly conduct, violations of open-container laws, aggravated stalking, domestic violence by strangulation, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and fraudulent use of credit cards”; compound that with racism, rape, domestic violence and murder once these stars got to the NFL. According to the NY Times, UF had “a roster of 121 players, 41 of whom have been arrested, either in college or afterward, and sometimes both. That number included 16 players on that season’s final two-deep roster, nine of whom were starters, as well as a kicker, punter and returner.”

Perhaps these ESPN hacks would say they are only hammering away at Jameis because he is a Heisman winner and should show better judgment and meet the moral requirements of a Heisman candidate. To that I would respond… really? REALLY? How quickly our convenient memories have forgotten about the SEC’s great Cam “Scam” Newton? Unlike Winston, who has never been arrested for anything despite all the “supposed” this and “we heard him say” that, Newton was actually CHARGED with felony grand theft. From stolen laptops, multiple academic violations, being bounced from UF for cheating, to soliciting payments from the highest bidder to decide where he was going to take his talents (Source: http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/feed/2010-11/cam-newton-probe/story/chizik-auburn-ad-defend-cameron-newton-amid-allegations), Newton was a walking rap sheet highlight reel. Yet he DID win the Heisman. And today? A successful NFL quarterback with a Gatorade endorsement. Look at what being a SEC media darling can do for you no matter WHAT crimes you commit!

How quickly our convenient memories have also forgotten about the SEC’s great Johnny “Football” Manziel? This guy wasn’t simply reported on twitter for saying curse words in public. He has had actual PICTURES floating around the internet of most of HIS transgressions! Numerous off-campus drinking binges… a barroom brawl arrest (complete with a shirtless mug shot)… oversleeping the prestigious Manning football camp due to a drunken bender from the night before that was chronicled in photos all over the internet… ONE HALF game suspension for NCAA rules violation of selling his autograph as a student… chugging beer on live TV waiting to be drafted by the NFL… a marijuana possession arrest… flipping off the opposing sideline during an NFL preseason game WHILE he is playing in it. Yes sir, this young man for certain looks like the poster boy of good behavior. Why can’t Jameis Winston be more like THAT? Good thing that despite it all, the media still adores him. After all, Snickers certainly does, as he now has their endorsement.

Meanwhile, I think its fair to say if Jameis Winston so much as passes gas in public at this point, the NCAA is likely to make FSU vacate some wins.

What is truly interesting about all this is probably how much of an impact the media assault on Winston last week actually WORKED! FSU’s administration passed down a half game suspension for Winston cursing in public. Honestly, it was appropriate to suspend him, less because of the actual crime and more because the kid needs to stop thinking he can get away with everything Manziel did and rather needs to start holding himself to a higher standard. However, the media onslaught was so intense that the FSU upper brass caved in to the pressure from all the rumors and innuendo being peddled on TV and radio, following up with an extension of the suspension to a FULL GAME on Friday evening. The late night decision even had some speculating that there was “new information.” What folks would soon learn is that there wasn’t and didn’t need to be new information; the media had done their job and done it well enough to make the University think the transgression was worse than it sounded. Perhaps maybe the media didn’t do it as well as THEY would have liked though, because FSU won the game. And the media has been furious about it ever since. Their latest anger? That Winston had pads on while helping the team warm up BEFORE the game. No folks, we aren’t kidding. This is seriously how egregiously ridiculous this media-powered witch hunt has become.

To illustrate how powerful the media is in a case like this, let’s look at how the story broke last week. FSU students tweeted out what happened. Immediately the sharks in the media water pounced, contacting these students to get all the dirt. Then the media outlets released their stories. And the chest thumping outrage at ESPN and on radio shows around the nation soon after began! However as these poor eyewitness students were being thrown under the bus by the media, and outcast by some of their football crazy peers at FSU for their tweets, a funny thing was happening. The media was MAKING UP THEIR OWN DETAILS of the story and NOT telling the whole truth! And as you can see below, an original student eyewitness became just another a victim of the anti-Winston media propaganda machine…

Interesting that a tiny blog site like ours knows more than over 90% of the media about this story, particularly the incorrect accusation that Winston “jumped up on a table” to yell his obscenities to the world as opposed to just happening to stumble upon a busy corridor while jesting with his pals. How did everyone miss this part of the story? Could it just be because all sports journalists are lazy hacks, or could it be that they NEEDED to make a bigger story out of this to achieve an end result? We need not look any further than last year’s false rape accusations against Winston and the media lies and omissions about THAT case to answer that question. (Source: http://secexposed.wordpress.com/2014/04/16/new-york-times-muck-rakes-fsu-as-media-takes-first-swipe-at-sec-threats/)

If FSU and their coaching staff can learn anything from this incident, it is that they need to keep their QB hidden and away from public interaction whatsoever until his time at FSU is complete. Jameis Winston, meanwhile, just needs a better group of friends. Folks that won’t “dare” him to say or do funny things, friends who will remind him when he is going a bit too far. He needs a good mentor… someone who can help him process what is truly right and wrong to do when you are in the public eye 24 hours a day. Jameis Winston is public enemy number 1 to ESPN and every SEC-obsessed media hack out there. They won’t rest until this kid goes down. Jameis needs to understand this and let it motivate him. More importantly, Jameis needs to begin taking notes about all the slander and libel going on around him and start planning legal action. The media sharks are going too far and they are threatening what could be a very exciting NFL career for this kid, making this a very reasonable defamation of character claim to be filed against everyone who has spoken or printed lies, lit up the airwaves with racial rants by attacking his African American vernacular, or spent hours on end insinuating he is a criminal or unintelligent.

Unfortunately for FSU, while this incident may have come to a close for them, the attacks on the program will not end until the Seminoles are out of the picture and out of the SEC’s way. That means when the media barrage fails, the NCAA will be the next jumping onto them to help finish the job. We’ve seen the pattern before against USC and Ohio State. When non-SEC teams get too big, the NCAA intervenes to adjust the playing field. Prepare for that next, FSU fans. We assure you, it will come.

We would also caution Oklahoma and Oregon to be on high alert as well. These SEC-driven sports media hitmen are gunning to seek and destroy the credibility of anyone standing in the way of their favorite conference to get full control of this four team playoff. That is why they have been so thick with their propaganda to show why the SEC is such a better conference, so that the committee will feel forced to ramrod two if not three SEC teams into that final four. (Source: http://secexposed.wordpress.com/2014/09/16/propaganda-parades-poll-collusion-and-playoff-committee-manipulation/)

The SEC came really close to eliminating one of their biggest “villains” after this most recent coordinated media attack last week. Too bad for them that they came up just short of accomplishing their goals. Rest assured folks, they aren’t done trying. Isn’t that right, Paul Finebaum?

You still mad, bro?

*** The Sheepdog shared this article from the SEC Exposed blog on Wordpress to offer another, interesting perspective on the world of college football. Some will agree with it. Some will disagree with it. My reasoning for sharing the article was to give my readers something to think about. However, the writer of the article does touch on some things that I've been saying for the last few years - i.e. the sports media is biased in favor of the SEC.

"Is America Still a Good Country ?"

Is America still a good country?

Pat Buchanan : Nation is sharply divided on serious issues of morality (from WND.com)

“Not until I went to the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”

So wrote Alexis de Tocqueville.

Yet, judged by the standards of those old “pulpits aflame with righteousness,” is America still a good country?

Consider the cases taken up this week by the Supreme Court.

Pat Buchanan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In one, the court is asked to rule on California’s Proposition 8, where voters declared marriage to be solely between a man and a woman. In the second, the court is asked to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act, which forbids federal support for same-sex marriages.

Whatever their beliefs, the justices, one trusts, will leave this to the states and people. For Roe v. Wade, where seven justices found the right to an abortion lurking in the penumbras of the Ninth Amendment, poisons our politics to this day. We don’t need a re-enactment of that civil war.

Still, what America decides about same-sex marriage will reveal much about what this generation believes to be a moral society.

Traditionalist America has always held homosexuality to be unnatural and immoral, ruinous to body and soul alike, and where prevalent – as in Weimar, Germany – the mark of a sick society.

This belief outrages millions. Yet it is as old as mankind and was held universally in the Christian West until this century. Moreover, it is grounded in biblical truth, tradition, natural law and Catholic doctrine.

Before 1973, the American Psychiatric Association regarded homosexuality as a mental disorder. Most states treated it as a crime.

The new morality argues thus:

For a significant slice of the population, homosexuality is natural and normal. They were born this way. And to deny homosexuals the freedom to engage in consensual sexual relations, or the right to marry, is bigotry as odious as was discrimination against black Americans.

Yet, though gospel to many, this belief has only the most shallow of religious, moral and philosophical roots. It seems grounded in a post-1960s ideology that holds that all freely chosen lifestyles are equal, and to discriminate against any is the true social sin.

Needless to say, the traditional morality and the new morality are irreconcilable.

But if the new morality – that homosexuality is normal and same-sex marriage morally equal to traditional marriage – is true and valid, Frank Kameny was a prophet and Christianity is indictable for 2,000 years of ostracism, persecution and suffering imposed on homosexuals.

Or perhaps we believe that moral truth evolves – that, for example, adultery may be immoral for one generation, but not so for the next.

The issue here goes beyond what the Court decides.

For even should the advocates of same-sex marriage prevail, their victory will not be accepted by believers in the traditional morality, but simply be seen as but another step in America’s descent down a slippery slope to hell.

Indeed, for millions of Americans, this society – which has eradicated Christianity from its public institutions and enshrined secularism in its place, which considers abortion a woman’s right, which is blasé about 53 million unborn children destroyed since Roe, which puts homosexual liaisons on the same moral plane as matrimony – is a society that has lost its moral bearings and is rapidly losing its mind.

Which raises a serious separate issue.

If we Americans cannot even agree on what is right and wrong and moral and immoral, how do we stay together in one national family? If one half of the nation sees the other as morally depraved, while the latter sees the former as saturated in bigotry, sexism and homophobia, how do we remain one united nation and one people?

Today, half of America thinks the country some of us grew up in was bigoted, racist, homophobic and sexist, while the other half sees this morally “evolving” nation as a society openly inviting the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah and that is hardly worth preserving.

A common faith and moral code once held this country together. But if we no longer stand on the same moral ground, after we have made a conscious decision to become the most racially, ethnically, culturally diverse people on earth, what in the world holds us together?

The Constitution, the Bill of Rights?

How can they, when we bitterly disagree on what they say?

By throwing out the old morality and embracing a new morality on abortion and same-sex marriage, America tossed her sheet anchor into the sea. And from the turbulent waters we have entered – our illegitimacy rate is above 40 percent, and no Western nation has a birth rate that will keep its native-born alive in anything like the present numbers – America and the West may have set sail on a voyage from which there is no return.

** The Sheepdog's note - while I have disagreed at times with Pat Buchanan, his article above, written and published last week, provides much for all of us to think about and ponder. 

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Guest Column - Dale Flowers

RUMINATIONS ON PREJUDICE

One of the most ridiculous endeavors and wastes of human energy is to engage in prejudicial thinking. The only person that it injures more than the object of the prejudice is the person who demonstrates prejudice. I grew up in a time period when prejudice was rampant. It hasn’t changed.  Politicians use it constantly to win votes. Already in the Presidential election we are seeing it used. It comes under the disguise of  “rich vs. poor”, “educated vs. uneducated”, “agricultural cultures vs. industrial cultures”, “regions vs. regions”, “religion vs. religion” and the list goes on, and on, and on.

Politicians use prejudice at every opportunity to attract a block of potential voters. Preachers play on prejudice to build up congregations. In society there are many parts of the population that are both guilty of and targets of prejudice. It is destroying our nation.

 

It is in direct opposition to Christianity. Paul pointed out that in the eyes of God it made no difference about the economic status, racial status, or gender of a person. Those who wear the name Christian must avoid prejudice like the plague.

Sadly, prejudice is handed down from parent to child. If a politician can win a vote using it, they will freely put it into action, whether they kiss the donkey’s nose or elephant’s snout. It is as rampant today as it was in the turbulent years. Today it is even crueler because it is hidden behind the disguise of education. The worst that exists is prejudice against Jews and Christians.

 

What can we do about it ?  Expose it for what it is when we see it. We can let politicians know that we will not support any form of prejudice in their campaigns. We can let preachers know that they can’t preach hate for a class of people and love at the same time. We can let the educators know that we will not allow the degrading of any religion in the schools. We can leave newspapers in the racks that support any form of prejudice by their selection of coverage. This is something we can all easily sink our teeth into. For the sake of our children, we must put a stop to it now.

Dale C. Flowers

P.O. Box 904

Hendersonville, TN  37077

toestomper@att.net      

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Guest Column - Dale Flowers

April is Donate Life Month. It's a time when a renewed focus is placed on the importance of organ and tissue donation. Therefore, The Sheepdog's posts for April will only be about two things - Mondays will continue to be Music Mondays, and all other days will be devoted to organ and tissue donation advocacy.

Last week, I gave my two cents about former Vice-President Dick Cheney's heart transplant. I was happy to learn yesterday that V-P Cheney is now at home recovering nicely from the surgery (click here to read article). Today, my buddy Dale gives his. Amazingly, he and I are basically on the same page. Who woulda thunk it ?

RUMINATIONS ON MEDIA IGNORANCE

The ignorance of the main stream media never ceases to amaze me. They see an event that could possibly enhance their agenda and run with it. They don’t check sources. They rile up the public over the report based on a vacuum of ignorance. Local papers generally know what they are talking about, because their readers also know about the subject of the report.

Recently, the printed and oral major news media showed their total ignorance of the heart transplantation process by blasting the heart transplant Vice President Chaney received - anything to attack the conservatives is fair game, forget the truth. Here is the truth concerning heart transplantation. Am I an expert ? Yes. I am a heart recipient. I know how it works.

The waiting list protocol is simple. First on the list are those who are in the ICU. Second on the list are those in the hospital. Third on the list are those at home who receive constant care. Last on the list are those at home who can live almost normal lives. I was on the fourth level. There is only a four hour window from the time the person is pronounced brain dead until the time the heart is beating in the chest of the recipient. The size of the heart must also be considered. It must fit into the chest cavity. The heart must be a match for the recipient. The recipient, if living at home, must come to the transplant hospital in their area to be prepared for the surgery. While this is going on, the donor’s heart must be removed, examined, donor services notified, and the heart transported, sometimes over 100 miles, to the transplant hospital. It is then placed into the recipient who needs it the most, meets the criteria, and is the best match. Also, the heart must get to the transplant hospital and into the recipient within the four hour window.

The recipient of the heart cries. They cry, not because they have life, but for the family of the donor. I honor my donor above all people. No one took the donation from him / her. They gave them freely. They belong to those who throughout history have made it possible for others to live through their death. And for the main stream media to use that process for a political agenda is despicable.

Dale C. Flowers
P.O. Box 904
Hendersonville, TN 37077
toestomper@att.net

Related articles

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Guest Column - Dale Flowers

While I was away on sabbatical, my buddy, and fellow heart transplant recipient, Dale was hard at work. He just kept on "ruminating." Today, I share one of his latest articles containing his thoughts on New Years' Resolutions. Enjoy.

RUMINATIONS ON RESOLUTIONS

We welcome in the New Year with a prayer that it will be better than the past year. This is the year we will determine the direction our nation is going. Therefore, we need to make some serious resolutions.

Why bother making resolutions we will just break ? The problem is not making resolutions but the type of resolutions. A long list of resolutions is pointless. Instead, narrow it down to one resolution. Look at that long list and more often than not, there will be one resolution that will cover the others. Write it on an index card and tape it to the mirror you look at every morning. In short, make the one resolution a goal of excellence. Keep it before you all year. Concentrate on it.

In addition, put first things first. If an activity or project does not help in meeting the goal of excellence, then that activity or project is not all that important. Each morning make a list of goals for the day, in the order of importance. If only the first daily goal is met that day, the most important task was completed.

Furthermore, put aside all things that will interfere with the resolution. Don’t get side tracked. When a moment is gone, it is gone forever. Don’t shoot opportunity full of holes by killing time. Stay focused.

Pray constantly about your resolution. Keep God in the equation. God will help open doors. If a person wants to get help from the influential, the influential will probably put their own needs first. But when we seek help from God with a reasonable goal that is in accordance with God’s Word, He will help meet that goal. God will open doors if the person has sense enough to walk through them.

Do not allow fear of failure to get in the way. Those who have God working for them will succeed. Being confident and expressing confidence is not a character flaw. It is the mark of a successful person.

Now comes the hard part. The successful person will work every day as if it were the last day of their life toward their goal. Success is a two tandem road. God will do His part, but mankind must do their part. Mankind must work in tandem with God. Only then will the resolution meet with success.

Dale C. Flowers
P.O. Box 904
Hendersonville, TN 37077
toestomper@att.net

"Whoever lives under the shelter of the Most High will remain in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, "You are my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust. "  (Psalm 91:1-2)

"We will fight if we must when our cause is just, for this is our motto, in God is our trust." 4th stanza of  the STAR SPANGLED BANNER.

Guest Column - Dale Flowers

My buddy, and fellow heart transplant recipient, Dale recently spent a few weeks out of commission due to a health issue. However, he's back in the saddle, back to "ruminating," and still riled up a bit. Let's see what he's "chewing" on now.

Welcome back Dale

RUMINATIONS ON PAIN

It was bad enough to be laying there with my lower right lobe removed from my lung. Being loud and long winded, I did and will miss that organ, but I won‘t miss the cancer that came with it. And then I had to lay there and listen to the stupidity that went on in Washington.

Allow me to draw a parallel. When I visited my lung specialist the first time, we discussed the FACT that I had a strange nodule growing in my right lower lobe. We had three options. We could ignore it, and let it grow until it killed me. We could remove the nodule. We could then test the nodule, and, if malignant, remove the rest of the lobe. Since it was my life on the line it was my decision to make. Considering the fact that I had survived the “widow maker” heart attack at 42, had bypass surgery (30% chance of survival) at 56, and finally a heart transplant at 65, I saw no reason to stop now. “Jerk the thing out” because God isn’t through with me yet. I can live on four lobes. There are those today who are living productive lives on less than one lobe. So, let’s solve the problem and full steam ahead.

While in the hospital, I watched the “budget battle." This is when the major pain kicked in. Our nation has a major budget problem. Sadly, the powers that be want to argue party politics rather than facing the FACT that we are going broke and need to solve the problem. There was the problem of pride – the “I can’t let you win” attitude. Their pride does not allow them to remember that it is the people on the street looking for work that are the real winners or losers.

One group had their feet on the ground. They recognized there was a serious problem and were prepared to take the painful steps to solve the problem. Unfortunately, there were several other groups who wanted to ignore the danger the nation was in. When I was a freshman at CHS in Cookeville, we learned in our economics class that we had to live on a balanced budget, but most of us already knew that. I had to make the $2.50 off my paper route last me all week. It is painful that many in our government do not have the financial knowledge of the average working teenager.

In order to go home, I had to have the tubes removed from my chest.  There was only one way to do it – pull them out. I have never felt such pain, but I would do it again to come home. When we recover from a sickness, we often experience pain. Our nation must recover from a spending spree of money we didn’t have. I hope we have what it takes to do it.

Dale C. Flowers
PO Box 904
Hendersonville, TN  37077
toestomper@att.net

Guest Column by Dale Flowers

RUMINATIONS ON “SORRY”

When I was in the army we had a philosophy. There were times when we needed to take some form of action but were not in a position to get permission from our superiors. The philosophy was to go ahead and take the action because it was easier to say “I’m sorry” than it was to get permission. I am glad to see that philosophy is still alive and well today (sarcasm added). For example, NBC leaves out the phrase “Under God” in the pledge. They said they were deeply “sorry” and did not intend to offend. Another perfect example of the philosophy. Earlier, President Obama left out the words “by our Creator” in quoting the Declaration of Independence. Of course the apology was quickly forthcoming after the uproar. Another example of “Running it up the flagpole and see who salutes it.” How long are we going to tolerate such actions that are an insult to our intelligence ?

How much longer are we going to be insulted by the “thinkopotomuses” of the world who belittle the basic fabric upon which our freedom is based ? They take five steps forward with their actions and then comes the “I’m sorry.” They are like a child that keeps on testing the patience of their parent until they see a stormy look. They then shyly lower their gaze, shed a tear or two, and say “I’m sorry”.

Well, people can be “sorry” alright. The attempt to remove God from our culture is indeed a “sorry” thing. “But we are not trying to remove your god from the culture, we are just trying not to offend anyone else.” I’m not sorry that there are those that are so easily offended. Perhaps they need to grow up. No matter where we go or what we do, someone will be offended. We live in a time when the focus is on "ME.” It is all about “ME” and “MY FEELINGS.”

I recently attended a graduation in the Philippines at a Catholic school. The students, as part of the ceremony took communion. One young student, who was not Catholic, did not want to participate. In America, her parents might have hired a lawyer and gotten the ACLU on board to block the school from having communion during graduation. What did she do ? She didn’t participate. How did the other students and faculty react ? They didn’t.

Why can’t we respect each other ? Learn to read. The first amendment does not protect the government from religion but protects religion from the government. Perhaps if “Little Johnny" is traumatized by a prayer the parents need to take action, not by blocking the right to pray, but by teaching “Johnny” that there are things that will happen in his life that will be offensive. Get over it. That is life.

“I’m sorry” is not acceptable when our national documents are misquoted intentionally leaving out the God in whom we trust. Washington, the courts, and the media need to learn that. Leave our heritage alone.

Dale C. Flowers
P.O. Box 904
Hendersonville, TN 37077
toestomper@att.net

Guest Column - Dale Flowers

RUMINATIONS ON SOCIAL SECURITY

Dale Flowers

There is so much worry and concern about social security. Since that is my source of income I am very concerned. Not for me but for my children. People fifty and younger do not expect it to be there for them.  There are a few things we must realize about Social Security. In the first place, it was never intended as a complete retirement fund. It was only to be a supplement for savings that the individual made. But several things have happened along the Social Security path.

Social Security was established under Franklin Roosevelt. It was supposed to be voluntary. Participants who chose to participate would only have to pay 1% of their first $1400.00 into the fund. The money the participants elected to put into the program was Income Tax Deductable. The Social Security Card was not to be used for identification. My first card boldly stated that on my first card back in 1956. The money placed into program was to be placed in an independent trust fund. It could be used for no other purpose.

If this plan had been continued Social Security would be a great investment. But sadly, it is no longer the case. What happened ? I believe in giving credit where credit is due. Who has been responsible for the changes made in Social Security which has put it in danger of insolvency ?

Lyndon Johnson made the first change in the program. He had the trust fund moved into the General Fund.  Since individuals are now required to pay Social Security Taxes, this amounts to a fraud. If it were a private investment firm, the CEO and Board would be in danger of serious jail time. Congress, thanks to President Johnson, is running a Ponzi Scheme on the working public.

Under President Clinton, it was decided that benefits could be taxed. Leave it to the Government to not allow any income source to be untaxed if possible. Of course those who paid the funds into Social Security had already paid taxes on them. This amounts to double taxation.

What about people raiding the Social Security Fund who never put a dime into it ? Today, immigrants can move into the country and never pay a dime into Social Security, yet, at 65 they can begin receiving payments. The credit for this boondoggle goes to President Carter.

Let’s review because we want to give credit where credit is due. Credit goes to Lyndon Johnson and Al Gore who cast the deciding vote to tax Social Security Benefits. The Democratic party eliminated tax deduction for paying into Social Security. Jimmy Carter opened the fund to those who never paid a penny into the fund. The score is: Democrats  4, Republicans 0.

Social Security is in trouble today because of these decisions. But rather than receive the applause for their actions the Democrats want to give all the praise to the Republicans. Isn’t their humility heart warming ?

Dale C. Flowers
P.O. Box 904
Hendersonville, TN  37077
toestomper@att.net

Dale's thoughts are timely when considering Mr. Obama's recent remarks that Social Security checks might not go out in August if the Federal Government's debt ceiling isn't raised.

The Sheepdog 

Special July 4th Guest Column

My friend and fellow heart-transplant recipient, Dale Flowers, has been "ruminating" again and written an article that, in my opinion, is perfect for this Independence Day Weekend. He makes some good points and takes some people to task as he lays out what he thinks are some of the problems facing our country today. His points are especially fitting when we consider that by the time we celebrate the 2012 July 4th, we will have began the primaries for selecting the country's next president. Dale gives us some things to think about as we celebrate our freedoms this weekend. Enjoy.

RUMINATIONS ON PATRIOTISM

Theodore Roosevelt stated that “Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president.” This definition came at a time when, like today, politicians were more concerned with “party loyalty” rather than “national loyalty.” Young men and women are dying because they are patriots. They are fighting for their country. People today support these young men and women for that reason.  They are doing the job they signed up to do – defend the Constitution of the United States of America. They do it for the same reason other veterans have done it, to stand by their country.

John F. Kennedy challenged the nation to be patriotic: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” Far too often the reverse is the attitude today. We wear our feelings on our sleeve. We look out for number one. We will act like a child kicking and screaming, because we don’t get our new toy. This selfish attitude of “me first” is destroying the very thing that these patriots in uniform are fighting to protect. It is destroying the very fabric of our nation.

Do we still have patriots today ? Yes, the nation is full of them. They teach us, protect us, heal us and clean up after us. You can find them at a disaster with food, blankets, and chain saws. You will find them raising funds, giving their time and energy in service projects. You will find them at town hall meetings, politely asking questions and keeping the speaker’s feet to the fire. Churches and service organizations are full of patriots...

Patriots want to “give back” to the nation. Their reach is outward, not inward. They are involved with service projects because they want to leave a better nation for their children. They stand and take off their hats when the flag passes by or the national anthem is played. They are prepared to make any sacrifice in order to preserve this country for their children.

Why, then is our nation is such bad shape ? The answer is simple. We have made the mistake of placing people in a position of power whose focus is inward and not outward. They are not interested in the good of the country. They are interested in the good of their party and what is best for them. They seek to gain and maintain power. The only interest they have in the “little folks” is to be sure they keep them in power. These people are destroying the very fabric of our nation. They chip away at our freedoms with regulations and executive orders. They ignore the first amendment regarding religion.

What can we do ? We can elect patriots instead of career politicians. We need statespersons, not party hacks. We need to send people into positions of power who love both God and country. We need to elect those who still believe we are “One nation under God”.

Dale C. Flowers
P.O. Box 904
Hendersonville, TN 37077
toestoper@att.net

The Sheepdog wishes everyone a Happy 4th of July. When you're celebrating, cooking out, and watching fireworks, I want to encourage you think about why we are still able to celebrate our nations birthday 235 years later. It's not because the President, Congress, or The Supreme Court say we can. It's because thousands of brave American men and women have fought and died to protect our freedoms through the years. They did so because they were patriotic Americans who believe in the same founding principles that the country's Founding Fathers did over 200 years ago. Whenever you see a veteran this weekend, be sure to go up to them and say a heartfelt, sincere "Thank You." Then, when you go to the polls next year, do your part to protect freedom by only voting for candidates who have those same founding principles and values. 

Guest column by Dale Flowers

RUMINATIONS ABOUT GOOD MANNERS
  
Recently, at a Town Hall meeting, I was shocked at the harshness of some of the people present. I was shocked at use of the word “liar” shouted at the speaker. I was shocked at the rudeness from some of the people trying to shout down the speaker, or after asking a question they talked over the speaker as the question was being answered. I couldn’t help but wonder if these adults (?) trained their children in such a way. Perhaps it is to be expected. These adults (?) were still young enough, for the most part, to have heard the shouts of angry parents at the officials at their little league games.
 
We hear angry customers, with their children in tow, giving a cashier a “piece of their mind.” Children see and hear the vulgarity of fans in the stands. Perhaps they too often witness the stressed out adult get in a horn blowing contest, along with gestures, in heavy traffic.

How can children learn respect for authority when they don’t see it in adults. How can they learn respect for government officials when they hear their parents screaming “liar” at them ? How can children learn respect for the flag and the Star Spangled Banner if their dads’ can’t take off the “sacred” cap or stand up when the flag passes by in a parade, or when the National Anthem is being played ?

What has happened to civility in our society ? Have those claiming to be Christians forgotten the basic rule for a civil society ? Do we still try to treat other people the way we want to be treated ? What has happed to Mr. Roger’s magic words, “Please and Thank You ?” What has happened to being able to have a civil discussion with those with whom we disagree ? Don’t we realize that when we start raising our voice it means we have lost the argument and will now sink to bullying ?

Isn’t shouting at a speaker who is trying to make a report a form of bullying ? Isn’t shouting “Liar” a speaker who is no position to defend himself or herself a form of bullying ? When we adults bully public officials, sports officials, clerks in stores and servers in restaurants by being verbally rude to them, can we expect less of our children ? Perhaps the bullying problem in schools is directly related to the rudeness of adults toward other adults who can not defend themselves.

In a society that is already stressed out over the economy, the war, and problems in leadership, wouldn’t it be a grand idea not to use language that just fuels the fires of unrest ? No gentleman would ever call a lady a liar, or raise his voice to her. Neither would a lady do that to a gentleman. Why not listen to what a person is saying before interrupting, talking over, or shouting at them ? Why not practice the basic rule of good manners, treating other people the way we want to be treated ? Perhaps then, this uncivil society would once more become civil.

Dale C. Flowers (pictured above)
P.O. Box 904
Hendersonville, TN  37075
toestomper@att.net