Louisiana Has It Right!

Mama thinks that all states should adopt the same attitude and law as Louisiana...if you, as an adult, rape a child you should get the death penalty. Now Mama is NOT talking about that gray area of a 19 year old boy who has sex with a 16 year old girl... Mama is talking about grown men (and women) raping children.

Mama finds it just horrifying that people in this country (not all people) strive so hard for a woman's right to choose to murder an unborn baby, but fight so hard to get rid of the death penalty.

You tell Mama, then, what you think the fitting punishment (aside from do unto others....) you would have them go through, then?! There is no rehabilitation for sickos like this:

Missouri

The Carolinas

Mama is sure she could find other cases...but she just threw up and is now going to go clean herself up.

M is for manipulation

Mama decided to hop online today and use Write or Die and a new writing prompt generator. Imagine Mama's surprise when she received this prompt: Is the media manipulative? My, my...isn't that a loaded question?

It really doesn't matter which channel you watch for news nor which website you read for your news fix. If you do not have a basic insight on critical thinking, you can and will get sucked in to the media manipulation.

Take the swine flu, for instance. Mama had it almost three weeks ago. Mama lived through it. Did it stink? You betcha. Did Mama wish she didn't have it? You betcha. Did Mama get it because she didn't get her flu shot? No. Mama got it because Daddy brought it home from Vegas. Prior to the swine flu, Mama hadn't caught the flu in nearly six years...and Mama doesn't take the flu shot Is it a danger to those with weakened immune systems? Mama doesn't doubt it, but just for the record...the swine flu hasn't killed nearly as many people in its almost year long run as the regular flu kills every year.

When an article or a commentator uses words such as forever, always, and similar words...the sentences are just not true. Something is not going to be "always" the same. There will come a difference in every situation. Learn about those sorts of tricks and about red herrings...learn how they try and throw you off track.

The conservative media will take every story and not only give a conservative opinion, but tell you exactly why they believe the liberal media is wrong. The liberal media does the same thing...however it is Mama's opinion that the liberal media is far worse at mudslinging. Mama is not a fan of Palin, but to call her an Ava Perone? Really? Mama can't recall a time that the conservative media said something so incredibly sexist about Hillary Clinton. In fact, quite a few liberal women look up her. That sends the message to little baby liberals every where that women should put up with philandering men.

The liberal media will take every story and not only give a liberal opinion, but tell you exactly how everyone will suffer if we don't kill babies and save the whales...but if we kill all the little liberals then who will continue to save the whales?

Mama has a running joke with a friend...if you want the unbiased side of a story you read the story on both a liberal news website and a conservative news website. You weed out the obviously biased opinions and red herrings and ta-da...you might just have the actual story. Mama's grandmama always said there are three sides to every story...his, hers, and the truth.

It is the same. TV is something we are to control; it is not something to control us. To insist the media to be responsible for itself would be like Mama putting her stupid dog in a room full of squirrels with laser dots on them and insisting he not go for the dot. They feel like they are doing their "job". There is no such thing as true reporting....it is mostly opinion with just enough facts in it to make you think you are getting the truth.

Now if you will excuse Mama - her dog will jump near up to the ceiling to get that laser dot.

Creative Punishment

Grounding, time out, and spankings not working? Get creative! Recently Mama's older son decided that while he could do the work it was just too much of an effort to turn it in. He promptly went from an A to an F...in 6th grade reading. For the record - precious little sweetums reads and comprehends on a college level. He was not bored; his teacher lets him read what he wants to read. Mama's third grade little precious has developed a mouth. Grounding did not seem to truly solve either issue.

Yes, one little sweetums turned in his school work and brought his grade up to a B....but did he learn a lesson? Somehow, Mama doubted it.

Yes, one mouthy little sweetums stopped running his mouth for about a day, but went right back to it.

So Mama decided a little creative punishment was in order. When we do not get good grades, we do not usually go to college. While it is possible to get a good job without a degree (Dear Old Dad is a fine example of that), it is a bit more likely that one would be able to move out of the basement if one had a college degree....note that Mama said "more likely" because she does know what the economy is like. When we get mouthy with a boss, we lose our job. Either way - the work one can eventually do is very limited.

To prepare them or expose to them to their probable future Mama had them move the table, the dog crate, and the dog food out of the kitchen. Our kitchen is rather small. Those were the only things Mama could get away with making them move without being accused of abuse.

They each took a turn sweeping the floor...even under the cabinets. Then, Mama made a sink full of Mr. Clean with Febreze and a rag. Yes, that's right. Mama had her precious little sweetums scrub the floor on their hands and knees.

Idle hands at school = not so idle hands at home. Smart mouth at home = needing something to keep the mind busy.

We are the proud owners of a sparkling kitchen floor and should it be required...we do have two bathrooms.

They have decided that school work and holding of the tongue are far easier than scrubbing a floor on their hands and knees.

God help us...

Jesus, I come to you right now in Your Precious, Precious Name and I ask You to bring peace beyond understanding to the families involved at Ft. Hood. Keep them, be with them, and comfort them as only You can. We don't know why people do the things that they do. It's a fallen world and we are all sinful. Thank You, God, for contending with those that contend with Your people. Above all, we praise You because we know that You love those families and the people involved more than we could ever possibly conceive.

IN Jesus' Precious Name....

Please, little darlings, keep Ft. Hood and those involved in your prayers. Prayer warriors - rise up!

Discipline - The Parental Stimulus Package

Parents - are you tired of your 26 year old kid with the Masters degree living in your basement with no job? Parents - are you tired of your six year old pitching fits in the middle of sprawl-mart that make you wish you could literally stick duct tape over their mouths?

Mama and the Conservative Liberal would like to introduce all of you parents to an excellent stimulus package. As a matter of fact she agrees with Mama that the best way to save the nation in the future is to start working on it now. What does that consist of?

It consists of parents stopping the nonsense of being their child's "friend" and realize that they are the parent. It consists of parents realizing that discipline is a good thing. Would you just let your dog pee in the floor? No, not if you are a normal, sane person. Would you just let a dog bite your kid on the leg? No, not if you were a good parent.

So, America, the question is why aren't you parenting? This Mama and the Conservative Liberal did not give birth to your children and as such....we do not wish to be subjected to ill tempered, misbehaving, self-centered brats in public. Yes, Mama and the Conservative Liberal both understand that melt downs happen. Sometimes that two year old just will not stop crying. That does not mean that you beat them in the middle of the store...but you do take them out of the store and you leave your stuff behind. Mama does not care if it makes extra work for you...if you had them, you need to raise them. If they are old enough to know right from wrong you have two choices - remove them from the situation or do not be afraid to exercise your parental control in public. Mama is not above swatting a behind in public and neither should you if the situation warrants it.

Think of it this way - disciplining your children gives them moral and ethical responsibilities. Do you want a self-centered child choosing your nursing home or do you want a rational, compassionate adult child choosing your nursing home?

Moral of the story - do not be above disciplining your child in public. Mama agrees that not all children respond to the same type of discipline. Spanking is not child abuse, but you do not spank for every single offense. Yet time out does not work for every single offense; neither does grounding. In short, get to know your child and discipline accordingly.

What does it take to get to know your child? Spend time with them. By spending time with them you build a relationship with them. Mama does not agree that quality will necessarily beat quantity. Do you really think they are going to remember the one time you took them to the amusement park or the fifteen times you played Slap Jack with them while they were sick with strep throat?

So just how does one discipline after getting to know their child? The answer is not simple as there are many forms of discipline. One my precious little sweetums responds better to grounding and one responds better to time out. The key to ensuring a better next generation that will not run our country into the ground is follow through. Do not just say, "You get over here or I'll....." You go get them and you follow through.

Mama's experienced one too many parents look at her in church and say, "How do you get my child to mind you so well? They don't listen at home." They key is follow through. If Mama gives a warning and tells a child if they do it again there will be a consequence (such as a naughty spot or not getting to color) then Mama follows through. Sure they will test you...but you've been here longer......so you better have more will power.

Parents! Parents! Parents! Discipline is your friend. There's nothing wrong with making a child feel good and praise them. That's part of the stimulus plan for a better nation. Children must know that you approve of them or that they have done a good time, but don't lie to them. The problem with the feel good generation is that they think they are good at something when, in reality, they suck. We, as Americans, cannot compete with the Japanese or other advanced nations if we continue to just pet and praise instead of poke and prod.

Ghandi (pick a spelling...Mama found two on the 'net...Gandhi and Ghandi) said that we should become the change we want to see. Do you want your children to react with more patience and self control? Then show them how by being a good example instead of medicating them into oblivion. Medication is not discipline and should only be used after many, many, many opinions, visits, and consistent follow through.

Mama suggests that you should read the following books:

How To Behave So Your Children Will Too

The Bible (Mama thinks that you would be surprised to find the great parenting advice in there...regardless of whether or not you are a Christian)

Short of it - if you want a national stimulus package that will work for generations to come....be a parent instead of a friend. They will have plenty of friends...they will have only one set of parents.