The Heart of a Nation

“If you say that we should not educate children who come into our state for no other reason than that they've been brought there through no fault of their own, I don't think you have a heart. We need to be educating these children, because they will become a drag on our society." These were the words heard around the nation. Truer words have never been spoken and yet, here they flow, from the mouth of a Republican Presidential candidate. And not just any candidate but the current front runner. Before you cast judgment upon this man, I encourage you to educate yourself on the topic instead. A topic that is sure to be the center piece in both the 2012 Presidential Republican Primary and the general election. Like any good Thanksgiving dinner table lined with everything from fresh yams to a succulent, seasoned turkey, the Presidential race will have a little of this and a little of that but a few items on the table will sure to be the main attractions. The piece de resistance. Like or not, immigration will be just that. So grab a bib, a fork, and a chair.The dinner bell's a ringin'.

TEC 54.052(a)(3). That's right. Let me say it again. TEC 54.052(a)(3). Look familiar? It should. It's what all this hoopla has been about. It's part of the Texas Education Code and it's what grants undocumented students access to in-state tuition in the great state of Texas. I don't think it would be a stretch to say that most people who brought out the grammatical army of harsh words and sly remarks to try and shatter the walls of Rick Perry have never even heard of this code nor have they bothered to familiarize themselves with it's contents. It's amazing how people are all too quick to wage a war on the unknown. Words are powerful. Throughout history, wars have started simply over the explosive nature and intent of  something someone said. I suggest to everyone, everywhere to only arm yourself once you know the whole story. Because in Texas, every young person, every student sitting in class this very moment with lofty dreams of walking the hallowed halls of academia, has a story. I feel so much pride as an American and someone who used to live in Texas, that I actually have the chance to vote for a man to be our next President who understands this. He understands people are not merely numbers on some chart in a newspaper or some headline on CNN or Fox News, nor are the people of Texas, his people, a mere sound byte.

If you are sitting there reading this, sipping a glass of iced tea while the kids are playing in the backyard and you are still unconvinced, let me present to you the cold hard facts. The fact is in 2010, according to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, 16,476 students qualified for in-state tuition under TEC 54.052(a)(3). Sound like a lot? This actually means that only ONE PERCENT of enrolled students in public universities in Texas fall under TEC 54.052(a)(3). With more than a million students in public universities in Texas, 16,476 is but a mere speck on the map. So minute, it's not even on the radar. Except for the radar of those who will do anything and stop at nothing to try and defame the one man, who by all accounts, will be our next President. Scared are those who scramble and claw at figures who set out to overshadow their own prejudices and misguided ways. 

I have also heard recently the chatter of those in the background stating that the "Darn Mexicans" are going to get themselves a good ole' American education and then cross the border and use their new found book smarts to work and prosper in Mexico. Wait. Hold up. Let's revisit TEC 54.052(a)(3). Therein this code lies a simple fact. One that will unfortunately shatter those ill-informed beliefs. It states undocumented students are only eligible for in-state tuition if they have provided their institution of choice a signed affidavit indicating an intent to apply for permanent resident status as soon as they are able to do so. They also must have resided in Texas during high school and have done so for at least 3 years prior to their high school graduation.

Put your prejudices aside for a moment and think back when you were a senior in high school. You had your friends, you were involved in maybe the yearbook club or JROTC. Or perhaps you were the athletic type who led your team to victory at each and every game. And still on some nights when you had a particularly tough day at work or bills are causing your stress level to skyrocket, you can still hear the sounds from the stands of all those people, your fellow students, chanting your name. Things seemed so easy back then. The world seemed so new and full of potential. Anything, at that moment, was possible. As we get older we lose a little of that magic and that hope. We either become everything we hoped to be, a little of what we hoped to be, or we become what we hoped we wouldn't. Just a person. Living an average life, living paycheck to paycheck. Same routine day in and day out. Almost as if we are in a race with time and time, unfortunately is winning. But through all that despair and regret, we still cling to that young hope filled person we used to be back in high school when we just knew we were meant to conquer the world. Just imagine, for a moment, you are once again that student. The one who worked hard all throughout high school, the one who made plans with your best friend in science class that you two were going to experience college together. Maybe even become roomies and pass through that threshold from teenager to full fledged adult together. Living on your own, and yes, along the way making a few mistakes, but coming away from the collegiate experience with a whole new outlook on life and with the tools necessary to make your way in this crazy mixed up world. Now, what if someone told you that your dream was just that. A dream. Because, in a way, you are being punished for the sins of your father and of your mother. You may have been 5 at the time when your parents brought you from your homeland to the arms of the Red, White and Blue in hopes that you, their child, might grow up to have a little better than they did and hopefully be afforded all the opportunities in this, the life they gave you, should you work hard, work smart, and be all that you can be and want to be. Governor Perry said it right. If you want to rip that dream out from under a person simply because of the mistakes their parents made is heartless. Because when it comes right down to it, if we were to look in the closets of our parents, a skeleton or two or a dozen are sure to fall out. Should those skeletons then make their way into our lives? Cowards are those who throw stones at a mirror image of themselves in hopes of rewriting the past.

I've been told that I should write more "traditional" pieces. Maybe have more of a "campaign" writing style. But that's not me. I like to put my heart and soul in every word, every syllable. Because, in the end, that's what's wrong with our country. Somewhere, along the way, through all the wars and economic woes, and facts and figures being thrown at us on a daily basis, we forgot what this great nation was founded upon. A love for this land. A love for freedom. A love for each other. Making a difference is tough. People who choose that path are constantly beaten down and pushed aside, but the ones, like Rick Perry, who have a heart and truly love this land, will make a difference. On election day we need to remember that Washington doesn't need another fancy talker or slick politician, what Washington needs most and what it yearns for is simple. It just needs a little heart. That's all. A heart.

Power of the People

Eva Peron once said, "Where there is a worker, there lies a nation." That saying still rings true today in politics because wherever there is someone willing to work for a cause they believe in, therein lies the heart and soul of any organization.

What do people want in an election? Fancy signs? Controversial television ads? The answer is simple. The people, the voters, want just one thing. To be part of the process. In our lives we all dream, even if just for a moment, of walking down the red carpet at a Hollywood premiere or rocking it out on MTV or accepting a Nobel Prize thus establishing our place in history. As we grow older we all eventually come to the realization that, while anything is possible in life, we may never get to the Academy Awards or fly to the moon or win an Olympic gold medal, but the one thing we can do, the one thing we can count on, is using the power of our voice to help bring about positive change for ourselves and for those who shall inherit this world long after we are gone.

All too often political parties, groups, and clubs get so caught up in their own internal struggle between good and evil they end up creating so much unnecessary and unwanted drama, turmoil, and strife. Campaigns, elections, and politics in general are not about a political party chairman or committeewoman or some executive board. They are about the people. The average American man who gets up everyday at 5am to go work a 12 hour day just to support his family. The average American woman who, during the course of any given day, manages to balance family, work, and the daily stresses of bills and money woes. These hard working Americans are what the political process is all about. Our country was founded upon the sacred God given right that we, as Americans, have a say in our own future and destiny.

I am a Republican and a proud one at that. I truly believe that if people all over this great nation from the Pee Dee to California who share the same core principles and values of the Republican Party take a stand in 2012, we will take this country back. Will it be easy? No. Not at all. The average American views the political world as an elitist one. From black tie fundraisers to the infamous blue blazer wearing politicos who line the walls of any political event, the public's perception of politics is that of some secret society where one must go through some right of passage to enter. I'm here to let you all in on a little secret. There is no secret handshake, no tapping on some back door. Oh no. The only requirement to get involved in politics is simple. You need a desire to make a difference. The human voice is different from any other sound. Even when it's not shouting. Even if it's only but a whisper. One person, one voice can make a difference. A voice that is speaking the truth and speaking from the heart can be heard even over the loudest of sounds because in the human voice lies the key to change. Strength, determination, and the will to make the best out of this life we are given.

I like to think of myself as an outsider looking in from the inside. I've seen the good, the bad, the ugly and even the occasional undesirable atrocity. From sexually charged staffers and candidates to backstabbing operatives, navigating the maze that is South Carolina politics over the past two years has been interesting, that's for sure. Through all the ups and downs I have experienced I have a message for everyone reading this. Everything you have heard about the political world is true. And probably even worse than the media portrays it. But the ray of sunshine in this dismal scenery is this. All those backstabbers? Don't worry about them. Their bark is worse than their bite. Those who is stand in judgement while posing in their Ralph Lauren suits and Armani sunglasses? Don't worry about them either. They are just fakin' it 'till they make it. The entire political world is full of pomp and circumstance. Don't let that dissuade you from getting involved. All of you reading this have a voice. Let us remind this great nation those seats in Washington belong not to the chairman of some local political group nor do they belong to some random executive committeeman. They belong to the people. It's time our voice is heard. I challenge every Republican reading this now to Google a few candidates and campaigns both locally and nationally. Research your candidates and find the ones you truly believe in and get involved. Email their campaigns and offer your help. From making phone calls to putting up signs to talking to your friends about them, all these Republican candidates need our help. Let's reclaim our country and put the Red White and Blue pride back in DC. In closing, I leave you with hope. Hope that change, it is a comin'....

Return to Innocence

With all the stresses of every day life from bills to traffic to what to make for dinner we somehow, along the way, lose ourselves. On a recent visit to the beautiful city of Myrtle Beach I knew I had to see the ocean. The ocean signifies rebirth, renewal, and new beginnings. Standing there, basking in the glory of all the infinite possibilities the ocean brings with it with it's roaring thunder, I had an epiphany. I may have been standing there alone in that moment in time, but I am not alone. None of us are. Every person we meet and have met leaves an impression on us. We are but tiny vessels traveling briefly through time and space and we are doing so together. Our friends, family, acquaintances and even strangers. Our fates are all intertwined. We are all one. Friend and foe.

Reveling in the delight of the warm sun, listening to the sounds of the waves crashing against the shore as I walked along the beach on this steamy afternoon, I had a spiritual experience. Several years ago my grandmother died tragically and unexpectedly in a car accident. Not only were we close, but we were very much alike. Sometimes too much so. We had our moments of strife but we always realized the reason we didn't see eye to eye was for the simple fact we were one in the same. Both stubborn, bullheaded, outspoken, opinionated loud mouths who would stop at nothing to get what we want out of life. My grandmother had the power of the written word. Her lifelong dream was to become a well known published author. As with many people, her family came first and sadly, her dream never came to the forefront in her life. She left this mortal world leaving behind a family who loved her but she also left behind what so many leave. Their unrealized dreams. As the years pass by and I begin to get a little older and more preoccupied with the mundane that is everyday life, her memory at times, seems to fade. I know her, I love her, but, as much as it shames me to say it, I forget her. On this day that changed.

As I slowly turned my back to the ocean symphony, I looked towards the sky. The clouds formed shapes that captivated my imagination. They seemed to be there solely for my entertainment. They danced and shifted with the tide and I was in awe. As I turned to take one last glance at one of God's most awesome creations, I had an overwhelming sense of every emotion known to man. From sadness to joy, from heartache to heartbreak, I felt it all. I sat down and closed my eyes for only a few minutes. But those solitary moments felt like a lifetime. When I opened my eyes I knew I wasn't alone. My grandmother was with me. Somehow she knew at this moment, on this day, I needed her.

Even though no words were spoken, I could feel in my heart and down to my soul what she wanted me to know. With each step I take each and every day, part of her remains with me. Her tenacity, her drive, and her gift of writing. She wanted to remind me that, even though she has transcended this mortal world with a dream unfulfilled, I can pick up where she left off and realize that dream for her and for me. And then I came to the realization that throughout the years, I've let her down. Here I have been given such a blessing to have had her in my life and an even more important gift of what she has left with me. Her legacy, her talents, and ultimately.. her voice. As suddenly as all this began, it was over. The clouds once again overtook the sun and darkness fell hiding my tear stained face. What do I do now? What do any of us do when we realize those who have gone before us want only to see us be everything we can not only for ourselves but so they know that even if they didn't realize their dreams, their next generation did.

We all share the common thread of frustration that is delicately woven into our lives each and everyday. With frustration comes resentment. We resent the way things turned out, the house we live in, the car we drive and even, at times, the family we were given. But instead of focusing on the negative we need to focus on the positive. Our souls are like patchwork quilts made of pieces of all those who came before us. Extraordinary people who did extraordinary things and because of those people, we are who we are today. Let us not waste the gift of life we have been given. As Friedrich Nietzsche once said, "One has to pay dearly for immortality; one has to die several times while one is still alive." Each day we live inside a life we are unhappy with we die a little. Our spirit begins to crack. I for one intend to trade in that unhappiness for that ultimate goal we all should strive for. To live, love, and die as one remarkable human being. Then and only then shall we achieve true immortality.