American Exit Strategy: Book 1 (2 page)

Karen tried to encourage him. "You still have your furniture restoration hobby, and I still have a job. The house is paid for, we don't need much."

"I know baby. But it will be hard to save much money just buying and selling used furniture on Craigslist." Matt replied. "And I hate your job. It‘s not safe at all. You shouldn't be there."

"We have to be grateful for what we have for now Matt." said Karen.

"I am. I just wonder if I'm fulfilling my job as a husband by staying in this area. The crime just keeps getting worse and worse. There are few prospects and little hope of things getting better. It’s a social decay that comes from the people who live here. The mentality around here is like a cancer. People are mean, rude and they all have the entitlement attitude. People aren't like that back in Kentucky. There are a much larger percentage of folks that believe in Jesus, and that makes a huge difference. You can feel it when we go home to visit my folks."

Karen hated to hear that speech. She didn't like the people around here either but she hated the cold winters in Kentucky even more. Matt knew how she felt and that is why he stayed.

CHAPTER 3

“The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.”

- John Adams

Boise, Idaho church Pastor John Robinson walked out to the pulpit of Liberty Chapel on Sunday as the last worship song finished. The congregation lowered their heads as he prayed. "Father, our country has strayed so far from your side. We have kicked you out of our school systems and out of our courtrooms. We have done things our own way and become our own gods. Just as you promised in your Word, we are reaping the consequences of those choices. Our schools have a dropout rate of nearly half. Those who do finish school have little hope of finding employment. Violent crimes have spiked in recent years to the point it’s not safe to go out after dark in many of America’s cities. We need your help God. We need you to intervene in the coming election. We must choose a leader that will set an example by following your Word and your way. Thy will be done Father, in Jesus name, Amen."

He looked up at the congregation. "Church, we have filed the proper forms with the IRS to forfeit our tax-exempt status. I have prayed and fasted about this decision. It did not come easy and it certainly won't be without a cost, but I refuse to be held hostage by a tax break. Jesus said you cannot serve God and money."

Applause broke out that drowned out the sound of the murmuring.  Everyone could still sense a large portion of the congregation disagreed even though they couldn't hear it.

Pastor John continued "The non-profit tax exemption has been held over the heads of God fearing church pastors for too long. It has been used as a tool of Satan to keep us quiet on perhaps the most important topic of our day. I believe that if we are to affect our culture, pastors must be free to offer biblical perspective about specific candidates. We need the freedom to tell our congregations why each candidate measures up or is found wanting when they are held up to our plumb line, The Bible. As he is the only candidate that has taken a stand to defend the life of the unborn, and as he is the only candidate that has taken a stand to protect the Constitution, the document that guarantees us our God given right to worship our Creator hear today, I will be laying out my case today for why I believe Senator Paul Randall most correctly represents God's Word. He has the type of character that can lead us back in the direction from which we have fallen."

The auditorium was nearly full. The 20 or so people who walked out after the announcement were barely noticed because of the nearly unanimous standing ovation that Pastor John Robinson received. Pastor John's church was well south of the Idaho panhandle where patriotism was as thick as pea soup, but his church was well known for taking the Bible and the Constitution as meaning exactly what they said. The church even had a shooting range where firearms safety courses and concealed carry classes were given on Saturdays.

CHAPTER 4

"When governments fear the people there is liberty. When the people fear the government there is tyranny."

- Thomas Jefferson

Two weeks before the election- Presidential Election Debate on Cable News Channel, CNC.

New York Democratic Governor Anthony Howe gives his closing statement. “If we want a truly civil society, we must care for the less fortunate. If we want a truly civil society, we must keep firearms out of the hands of criminals. If we want a truly civil society, we must protect women's rights to make their own decisions.  If we want a truly civil society, we have to forge a new America where equality is not just a buzz word, but is guaranteed by the state. If we want a truly civil society, those who have more should expect to kick in their fair share. How many houses can you live in? How many cars can you drive? We have a huge public obligation to provide food, shelter, and health care for our citizens and to keep our streets safe. We cannot accomplish our mission while the greedy hoard their pennies in their castles and the rest of America goes without. Senator Paul Randall speaks of a fair tax. What is fair about the level of income inequality in America? If he abolishes the IRS, what recourse will the oppressed have against their oppressors?  Congressman Marcos advocates a tax cut for the rich in the face of dire economic shortfalls that threaten the basic services every government owes to its people; nutritional programs for the poor, social security for the disabled, health care for the young who can't find jobs and housing for those who just need a helping hand. Will they really rob poor Americans to line the pockets of those who have more than they need? Will you give them that power, or will you stand together in solidarity and demand what you deserve? We have come so far under the leadership of President Al Mohammad. He has brought us into the civilized world by implementing a health care plan that is the envy of the nations. Unemployment is the lowest it has been in over a decade. But we need those who have made their riches on the backs of the poor and middle class Americans to help out a little bit more. My tax plan asks people who earn $100,000 or more to contribute to a 60% tax on earnings over $100,000. It is a fair and equitable way to sustain our American dream.

Our dream will not be turned into a nightmare by guns. I intend to sign an executive order banning all semi-automatic firearms upon my inauguration. Citizens who consent to our strict registration and monitoring programs will still be allowed to have single shot and pump action shotguns as well as revolvers and bolt action rifles for hunting and home defense, but military weapons belong on the battle field not the street.  I challenge you to share in making this dream a reality."

The moderator, CNC correspondent Amy Stein betrayed her feelings as she wiped a tear of inspiration while she thanked the Democratic New York Governor for his participation in tonight's debate. "And now we will hear the final words from California Republican Congressman Juan Marcos."

"America, all is not lost." Marcos began. "We can work together to find a middle ground. We can reinvigorate our economy by reducing corporate taxes that will allow companies to hire more workers. Those workers can buy homes and prop up our, once again, deflating housing market.  We can find a middle ground on abortion laws. By limiting abortions to early term pregnancies and offering counseling to pregnant women, we can reach a compromise.

I intend to work with congress, to come up with responsible gun laws similar to the ones we have in California. It is a middle ground that will limit the capacity of magazines while still allowing sportsmen and gun enthusiasts to enjoy responsible gun ownership. We are not two nations. We are not the extremist left nation of Governor Howe and the extremist right nation of Senator Randall. We are one nation under one flag. Extremism seeks to alienate and destroy your opponent. A democracy seeks to find a path that we can all travel on together.

I also have a plan to reform the health care law to get it back on a sustainable track.

My plan will sure up our national security. Our defense budget has been devastated by the austerity measures placed on us by the UN and IMF in our bailout agreements. I am working with representatives from the IMF even now to begin paying back our obligations to them so the restrictions on military spending can be lifted. Once that is done, we can begin to build ships and planes and repair our military infrastructure. This will create jobs for everyday Americans like you. It will reaffirm our presence as a global force for good. We will work to sustain the intelligence networks that have kept our country safe from terrorism for so long.

Once these new economic engines are in place, we can begin to scale back the level of support that we are required to expend on social programs that have been draining our budget for the past eight years. We will pass new work bills that will get everyone in America a job to do. We will get our roads and bridges back up to standard. We will reopen our schools and put teachers back to work, training our next generation. We will rise from the ashes and return our country to its former glory by our American spirit.”

The camera caught Amy Stein as her eyes were rolling at the congressman's speech. "Thank you for your participation in tonight's debate congressman." she said.

"Thank you for allowing us this opportunity." Marcos replied.

"Now we will hear the closing arguments from Texas Republican Senator Paul Randall... I’m sorry, Senator, I meant to say 'Independent', I have gotten so used to calling you a Republican over the years." the moderator exclaimed.

Randall said "That’s alright Amy. Technically, I am still a Republican Senator, but I am running as an independent in the presidential election."

"That’s because I got the Republican nomination Amy" Juan Marcos interjected.

Senator Randall bit his lip to keep from saying something he would regret. He knew Marcos was baiting him. Juan Marcos had been using these tactics on Randall all night. Paul Randall sat silent for a minute. Amy Stein reminded him "You may proceed whenever you are ready Senator."

"Yes, thank you Amy." Paul said finally. "I had an excellent speech that we had worked on all day, but the closing remarks made by Governor Howe and Congressman Marcos have hit harder than I expected. These men do not represent what our forefathers had in mind when they risked their lives to build you this country, America. Our forefathers had in mind to build you a nation on faith that was anchored by morality and law to ensure liberty. The framers of the Constitution spent years to create a document that would ensure our liberty and guarantee our God given rights. They had just thrown off the chains of tyranny and hoped to guard you against that same oppression. Governor Howe and Congressman Marcos sought to put this document behind them, the document upon which the entirety of our legal system is founded. Without the Constitution, we have nothing but anarchy, for all the powers of government are defined and prescribed by that document. These two men go beyond nullification of the Constitution; they seek to take away the rights given to you by your Creator.

Let's look at just a few of the infractions against our founding principles. The Declaration of Independence so eloquently speaks of the right to life. Both of these men have infringed upon that right for millions of unborn children. They condone murder of the most defenseless. I know they don’t think that it is a life. They think that it’s just a blob. Have you ever seen an ultrasound Governor Howe? Does that look like a blob to you? It looks like a person to me. I see tiny arms, legs, a head, fingers and toes. So when does life begin? I say at conception. You say at some other time, but you can't tell me when. If you can't tell me when, then you cannot say definitively that it does not start at conception. Therefore, you can't tell me definitively that abortion is not murder. If we’re going to pick a time that is convenient to say when life begins, let's just say it starts when you wake up from being a liberal or a neo-con.

Both of these men have been involved in passing laws that infringe on your Second Amendment rights. The amendment says 'A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.'  What part of ‘shall not be infringed’ don't you gentlemen understand?

Our country has been reduced to begging for handouts from the IMF and UN because of the continued welfare spending proposed by Governor Howe and the warfare spending proposed by Congressman Marcos. If we want to regain our national sovereignty, we’re going to have to cut defense spending to a sustainable level. That will not include Congressman Marcos 'Jobs' plan that pilfers the taxpayer to enrich the military industrial complex. It also won't include the constant growth of the surveillance police state that ‘protects’ us from terrorism. Do you know the odds of dying in a terrorist attack Congressman Marcos? It is 20,000,000 to 1. Do you know the odds of being struck by lightning? 6,250 to 1.  Lightning is 3200 times more likely to kill you than a terrorist. Do you know how many lightning rods and rubber shoes we could buy with the $300 billion dollar intelligence budget that we use to spy on our own citizens through programs like Prism? But that doesn't matter, because it’s not about saving Americans from terrorism, it’s about controlling them.

We are also going to have to turn welfare back over to the church. Government can't handle welfare and it is not their job. This is the job of the church. When a person is in need of financial help, there are usually other factors at work. Sometimes it may be drugs or it may just be poor money management. Sometimes it‘s just that they need help through a hard time. But they need the church to counsel them and find out what the issue is. The church can then help them get back on their feet. If they’re just freeloaders, the church can discern that and kick them out the door. Government can't do those things. They just get people stuck in a cycle that they can't or won't get out of. Government has no ability and no desire to help people who are down. The liberals get dependants to give up their freedom for an Electronic Benefits Transfer, or EBT card and insure their votes and our nation’s demise.