Judged by Associates

                    The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is the necessity to be willing make a judgment about situations and the individuals, groups, and organizations that support them.  My parents were like many other parents, including myself; they told me that I should be careful about choosing friends because I would be judged by the words and behaviors of my friends.

For over a month Occupy Wall Street (OWS) and similar demonstrations have taken place in many cities across the United States as well as like-minded ones in nations across the world.  All kinds of problems have been reported about the demonstrators including public exposure of private parts, public masturbation, defecating on police cars, defecating and urinating in public, rape, drug sales, loss of jobs, problems in business establishments, etc.  None of these behaviors are appropriate or wanted by most American citizens.  Yet many public servants including President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and US Representative Nancy Pelosi have supported them.  In addition, other individuals and groups have announced their support by word or action:  Communist Party USA; American Nazi Party; Ayatollah Khomeini, Supreme Leader of Iran; the government of North Korea; Louis Farrakhan, Nation of Islam; Hugo Chavez; Revolutionary Communist Party, Black Panthers, CAIR, Communist Party of China, Hezbollah, and many others. 

                    When looking at the names of people and organizations who declare support for the demonstrators, I must judge the Occupy movement to be anti-American.  For this reason, I am concerned about what these people will eventually do to our nation.

Zombieat pjmedia.com created a list of all the people and groups who support Occupy Wall Street.

                                        "The Occupy Wall Street movement has received so much media coverage in recent weeks that it's

nearly impossible to keep abreast of all the developments.  So many endorsements and criticisms coming from

all the developments.  So many endorsements and criticisms coming from all directions enter the news cycle in

such rapid succession that even the most dedicated news junkies may have missed out on many of the pronounce-

ments.  Supporters and detractors of OWS both might find it useful to have a handy all-inclusive list of who has

endorsed or embraced the protest. 

        "To satisfy that demand, we hereby present a list of groups, organizations, individuals and entities

                    that have expressed their support for, sponsorship of, or sympathy for the Occupy Wall Street movement.

                                        "Note:  All entries on this list are real and verified.  Below each entry you will find a series of

                    source links documenting the support for OWS.  We have striven in almost all cases to reference either first-

                    hand statements by the groups or individuals themselves, hosted on their own Web sites; or videos of the

                    people in question voicing their support for OWS at various Occupations; or news reports from reliable main-

                    stream networks; or articles by publications or organizations sympathetic to the Occupy movement; or

                    indisputable evidence, whatever the source.  As a result, it cannot be claimed that these statements of support

                    were made up or distorted by detractors of the Occupy movement."

                    Zombie will continue to update the list as entries are verified.  I suggest that you take a look at the Zombie list now and check back from time to time to see who gets added to it.  The liberties and freedoms of Americans will depend on our being awake and alert to people and organizations behind demonstrations such as Occupy Wall Street and the statements of their supporters.

                   

                                       

                   

Tea Party vs. Occupation

                    The tea party movement has been working for approximately three years in an effort to save our constitutional republic.  Members of this group became aware very early in the Obama Administration - and even before - that our nation was in danger of being "fundamentally transformed" into a socialist/communist one.  Numerous tea party-supported conservative members of Congress were elected in 2010 because the "silent majority" of Americans woke up.  Conservatives joined together to replace moderates in Congress with good conservative constitutionalists.  These constitutionalists "drew a line in the sand" and slowed the liberal/progressive march toward socialism/communism in spite of the fact that too many liberal Republicans - RINOs - remain in Congress.  Liberals/progressives realize that they cannot win in the arena of ideas and truth; therefore, they resort to dishonesty, cheating, violence, revolution, etc. to move the country in their desired direction.

                    There were numerous tea party events, some of which drew hundreds of thousands of conservatives to Washington, D.C.  They brought their American flags and their families.  All were dressed appropriately, well behaved, and respectful of civil laws and authorities while discussing ways and means to protect our Constitution and to restore the morals and principles of our Founders.  They never "occupied" any place but simply gathered for a few hours at a time.  At every event, tea partiers left the areas as clean - or cleaner - than they found them.  In spite of these facts, the Left and mainstream media maligned and lied about conservatives and even said tea partiers were unpatriotic, racists and terrorists. Now these same folks are saying that the tea party is irrelevant and fading away.  Tea partiers are American patriots who love our country, and we are not going anywhere.  We will continue doing as much as we can for as long as we can to save our American way of life.

                    Realizing the power of the tea party - "We The People" - the left tried from the beginning to stop the efforts of the tea party using tactics straight out of Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals.  Meanwhile they were searching for an equivalent to the tea party.  The Coffee Party was just one of their numerous attempts.  During the same period of time, socialist/communist professors were indoctrinating college students in revolutionary ways. 

                    Mainstream media joined the Left in comparing the Occupy Wall Street mob to law-abiding tea partiers.  The protesters on Wall Street and numerous cities across our nation and other countries are the exact opposite of the tea party.  While tea partiers held United States flags high with love and respect for our country, occupiers walked on the flag to show their disrespect.  Whereas the tea parties were true grass root events with Constitution-loving, freedom-loving, law-abiding patriots participating in events at their own expense, the occupiers are urged by professors and union leaders to join the "revolution," provided food and paid money by left wing organizations, and encouraged in their protest by the Obama Administration, members of Congress, Hollywood stars.  At the same time, they destroy business and property as well as provoke police to attack them.  The occupiers have been joined by members of the Nazi Party and the Communist Party.  My parents and leaders always said that we are judged by the company we keep; therefore, we can judge the Occupy movement by the people who join them and support them.

The unwashed masses have been on Wall Street about a month, and businesses are complaining of demands and theft made by the occupiers.  The protesters are creating a health hazard in the area because they are so unclean - even urinating and defecating in public places.  I saw a picture of a guy with his pants down and leaning against a police car!  (I would link to the picture except for the fact that I want a family-friendly blog.)  Then they had the nerve to protest moving in order that their mess could be cleaned.  They are receiving free food - expensive food like $16 a pound smoked salmon - and even being paid wages to occupy the area.  The occupiers are not even close to be like the tea partiers!

Phillip Dennis has more on this subject as well as pictures comparing the separateevents. 

Ann Coulter has a different name for the occupiers; she calls them the flea party.  See her article here.  

More pictures of Occupy Wall Street protesters are here.  

 

If We Do Not Doubt

Children gain courage and families grow stronger when parents know what we believe, stay strong in our faith, and show our faith by our examples.  We can show our faith by being precise in prayer, in scripture study, in keeping covenants, in dressing modestly, in being totally honest, and in honoring the Sabbath.  We must help our children to put on the whole armor of God by our examples and teachings.

I was reminded today of a story in the Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Christ about a group of exemplary young warriors who were exceedingly valiant, courageous, and strong in defending their nation.  Their leader was a prophet named Helaman who considered his 2060 stripling warriors as his own sons.  He described the young men as being "men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him" (Alma 53:21).

These young warriors lived in times much like our own challenging days.  They were in difficult and dangerous circumstances as their enemies were threatening to overthrow their government and to kill the citizens of their nation.  Just as in our day, the youth were called upon to defend the physical and spiritual liberty of their people.  Paul could have been describing both their day and ours when he wrote, we "wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12).

Strong parents and leaders who will teach the truth are needed at all times but especially in challenging times.  Children and youth need to know the truth that stripling warriors of Helaman knew:  "If they did not doubt, God would deliver them" (Alma 56:47).

There is a revolution in our nation at the current time, and this revolution may result in another civil war.  If our nation divides into war once again, it will not be like the Civil War that took place in 1860-1864.  It will be a war between the classes - the have nots fighting the haves, the unemployed against Wall Street and Main Street, neighbor against neighbor, community against community - and it may expand to city against city, state against state.  Anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear knows that there is a great divide in our nation that has been growing for many years.  This divide continues to grow wider as one side attempts to maintain freedom, religion, morals, principles, laws, and our nation's Constitution while the other side tries to replace our Constitution with a "living Constitution, and destroy our faith in God and many of our freedoms.  We must decide which side we will support.  I personally choose the side with morals, religion, freedom, and the rule of law.

This revolution was caused by teachers and professors who encourage their students to rebel against authority and who destroy the faith of their students.  Union leaders urge and inspire their members to cause unrest in our cities such as the situation in Wisconsin earlier this year when unions opposed Governor Walker's attempt to balance their state budget; union members are part of the Occupy revolution.  Even the President of the United States, members of his Administration, members of Congress and leaders of states and cities encourage class warfare and revolution by their words and actions.  This President has made such a mess of our nation that I actually feel sorry for the next person elected to the office of President of the United States - if there is actually another election.

Occupy Wall Street was not simply a spontaneous demonstration, but it was well planned and prepared for months ago.  The demonstrators on Wall Street are being paid to be there.  Food is being brought to them.  They even have their own newspaper!

They are demonstrating against banks and corporations because they have huge student loans with no income to pay them back.  The students should be rebelling against their colleges and universities for their huge student loans because of the highly expensive tuitions to be there.  College and university tuition has grown more than twice as fast as inflation.  The cost of higher education has increased faster and higher than health care or anything else in our nation.  Why are not these institutions being blamed for the expense of education just as doctors are blamed for health care costs and banks/corporations are considered greedy.

Parents pay the high tuition in order that their children may receive educations, but the students are simply being indoctrinated with liberal, progressive, socialist and even communist ideas.  Did you know that 71-85 percent of Christian students lose their faith while at college?  Each of my children paid their own college expenses, but this loss of faith is very familiar to my family.  Four of my six children attended Brigham Young University where their faith in God was strengthened and increased, but two of my daughters attended secular schools where they were indoctrinated with very liberal/progressive ideas.  One of my daughters married a man who attended BYU, and she has continued strong in our faith in spite of her more liberal ideas.  The other daughter married a young man who grew up without much religion and attended the same secular university; she became inactive in our religion.  All my children have careers in the service industry and are much involved in making their communities better.  These two daughters are much more concerned about social justice and helping those who are considered less privileged, but they, like their siblings, contribute much good in our society.  For this I am very grateful!

The stripling warriors gave their mothers the credit for their great faith and courage.  I believe that there were other righteous adults involved in their training also.  At any rate, these young men knew the value of covenants.  They knew that their mothers recognized that strength comes through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  They knew that their mothers truly believed the teachings they gave their children.  Their mothers were instrumental in preserving the lives of their sons because they stood strong in their faith.  Like the mothers of the stripling warriors, we too must stand strong in our faith and keep our covenants; by doing so, we can uphold, nurture and protect our children and youth in these challenging and dangerous times.