I have said many times, that because many Americans believe that personal protection is the job of the police, that Americans have become more willing targets of crime. It only takes one person to change a terrible situation into a victory. That is why I call David Benke a Great American. School Teacher David Benke has been involved in teaching children drills in case of a shooting at his Littleton Colorado school in order to allow students to have a better chance of survival instead of being sheep at the slaughter. This is a mindset that others should adopt. The ability to ask the question, "if something happens what would I do?" David Benke working at a school near Columbine - the site of a great American tragedy - asked himself this question several times. He told himself that if something happens he would do what he could to stop it. So when the time came in a shooting at his school he did just that.

On 23 February 2010 David Benke tackled a gunman who opened fire on students near the school. He didn't have to ask himself whether or not to do something when he turned the corner and saw the gunman, because he had already answered that question. After having done this his only regret was that he didn't get to the gunman fast enough to prevent a second shot. Because of his action no one was killed. Let me say it again...No one was killed. Surely if Mr. Benke had not acted, we would be talking about another Colorado School shooting tragedy. Many will call David a hero, but I would respectfully disagree. The reason we have a hero complex in America, is because so many people have become so helpless that acting with responsibly and honor has become a strange event that only the few undertake. There is no doubt that David is a great American. This used to be and still should be how Americans think. Most survival experts talk about the psychology of survival as just as important if not more important than circumstance. If Americans continue to live a life of learned helplessness we will soon cease to be a society of great hope. Next time you think of some terrible situation you heard about don't just say "I hope that never happens to me", instead ask yourself "What would I do?" and make a plan. Hope for the best and prepare for the worst!

Thank you David Benke for doing your duty. May God bless you and your family.

The American Spirit

I have become increasingly angry with the tone that the Federal Government has taken with the people of America. I have a bone to pick and I want to get it off my chest. I am tired of being lectured by people who have never held a job other than politics. I have done many things in my short life. I have logged trees, cared for over 50 horses, and farmed in northern Wisconsin. I have attended college, worked as a carpenter, spent five years in the Marine Corps during war time, and am now a contractor working with military units. This is only part of the list. I have accomplished all these things without someone telling me how to think or live. I have been dirt poor and not asked for a handout. I have fallen and not asked for a safety net. I help people who need help.

I imagine that whoever may read this most likely has a similar list of various professions, experiences and accomplishments that are unique. The skills and experiences that people gain in there lives tend to be useful long after they have been learned. The same goes for career politicians. Barack Obama has not held a practical job since college. That leaves nearly 30 years of non practical experience in the political arena. Nearly 30 years of ideological development. Nearly 30 years of learning how to create policies that tell you how to live your life. I realize that he was voted into office by the American people. It is my belief that this happened because people were scared. Mostly scared of the uncertainties of an unstable economy. Every time I hear Obama speak all I hear is disdain in his voice. He constantly complains of the mess that he inherited, while forgetting that he begged us for the job. Inheritance is a passive event and a campaign is an active request for the job. This is not leadership!! In fact it is the definition of poor leadership. Leaders unite people. He has divided them. I know 19 year old Marines who know more about leadership than you Mr Obama.

Its not only him, but he is the one setting the tone. I would venture to say that there are few people in America who would look back on our wonderful history and say, "Wow, it was the government that has made this country so great". I would argue that it is the human spirit, or more specifically the American spirit that has inspired much of the world. Friedrich Hayek wrote a book called The Road to Serfdom in 1944. In the book he describes the inevitable dangers of socialist policies. He talks about the loss of economic and personal freedom, as many argue, but he touched upon an interesting concept. Of the changes socialism brings about he said, "The most important change ... is a psychological change, an alteration in the character of the people." His point is that social policies kill the spirit of a free people. It makes them less likely to innovate, or be creative to improve their lives. As John Stossel points out it is also called learned helplessness. Policies that are written in the spirit of doing for you rather than creating an environment for you to do for yourself, kills your desire to do for yourself.

The more this type of ideology continues, the more America will lose. The more people will become apathetic, and the more the government will do what it wishes regardless of what you think. It creates a why bother attitude. No thank you…not me. Some time ago I heard Glenn Beck say that he was done throwing his vote away. When I heard him say it, I didn't quite agree with it. But now I understand…I will no longer vote for someone who has not had a successful career before politics. I will no longer vote for someone who has been in office too long. I will not allow politicians to sit in office fat and happy while feeling like they can ignore the people, because they will just be reelected anyway. I will no longer vote for the person who is most likely to win. I will vote for the one who will reward success, allow failure, and harness the American Spirit, not crush it. If you want to continue voting for people who squash everything you have worked for…that is your choice. At least for now. Because the longer this goes on, your precious power of choice will become more and more narrow. It will choke the life out of you along with your money.

Usually in my posts, I go to painstaking detail to explain the reasoning behind my point. But this is not an explanation. It is a proclamation. I am not going to sit and listen to the Lecturer in Chief, imply that I need to just shut up and get on board with whatever he says. Next time he speaks, listen to what he is really saying. YOU DON'T MATTER! GET OUT OF THE WAY! I have survived this long without you Mr President…and I will survive long after you have left that office. And I will never get out of your way.