Merry Christmas, my friend

North Star Liberty dedicates this poem to all active duty, Reserve, and National Guard soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guard who stand upon a wall and say, "Nothing's going to hurt you tonight, not on my watch." You protect our freedom so we don't have to. God bless you all this Christmas season, and always.

by Marine Lance Corporal James M. Schmidt (1986)

Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone,
In a one bedroom house made of plaster and stone.

I had come down the chimney, with presents to give
and to see just who in this home did live.

As I looked all about, a strange sight I did see,
no tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.
No stocking by the fire, just boots filled with sand.
On the wall hung pictures of a far distant land.

With medals and badges, awards of all kind,
a sobering thought soon came to my mind.
For this house was different, unlike any I'd seen.
This was the home of a U.S. Marine.

I'd heard stories about them, I had to see more,
so I walked down the hall and pushed open the door.
And there he lay sleeping, silent, alone,
Curled up on the floor in his one-bedroom home.

He seemed so gentle, his face so serene,
Not how I pictured a U.S. Marine.
Was this the hero, of whom I’d just read?
Curled up in his poncho, a floor for his bed?

His head was clean-shaven, his weathered face tan.
I soon understood, this was more than a man.
For I realized the families that I saw that night,
owed their lives to these men, who were willing to fight.

Soon around the Nation, the children would play,
And grown-ups would celebrate on a bright Christmas day.
They all enjoyed freedom, each month and all year,
because of Marines like this one lying here.

I couldn’t help wonder how many lay alone,
on a cold Christmas Eve, in a land far from home.
Just the very thought brought a tear to my eye.
I dropped to my knees and I started to cry.

He must have awoken, for I heard a rough voice,
"Santa, don't cry, this life is my choice
I fight for freedom, I don't ask for more.
My life is my God, my country, my Corps."

With that he rolled over, drifted off into sleep,
I couldn't control it, I continued to weep.

I watched him for hours, so silent and still.
I noticed he shivered from the cold night's chill.
So I took off my jacket, the one made of red,
and covered this Marine from his toes to his head.
Then I put on his T-shirt of scarlet and gold,
with an eagle, globe and anchor emblazoned so bold.
And although it barely fit me, I began to swell with pride,
and for one shining moment, I was Marine Corps deep inside.

I didn't want to leave him so quiet in the night,
this guardian of honor so willing to fight.
But half asleep he rolled over, and in a voice clean and pure,
said "Carry on, Santa, it's Christmas Day, all secure."
One look at my watch and I knew he was right,
Merry Christmas my friend, Semper Fi and goodnight.

Caucus for Carly

The fall season brings more than leaf raking, homecoming, and Honeycrisp apples. Senate District gala season is upon us (don't forget to register for the SD44 event on October 8), and a key leadership team that includes several west metro politicos has been announced for the 2016 presidential race.

As reported by Tom Scheck of Minnesota Public Radio, "Twenty-one people across Minnesota have been announced as members of a leadership team supporting Carly Fiorina as she runs for president." The group is co-chaired by state Sen. David Hann (R-Eden Prairie) and conservative activist Molly Corrigan Cronin.

West metro activists will perk up when they read further down the roster, released by the CARLY for America "super PAC." Among the names:

• State Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer (R-Big Lake)
• Mike McFadden, U.S. Senate candidate in 2014
• Judy Johnson, Plymouth city council member
• Randy Gilbert, former mayor of Long Lake and state auditor candidate
• David Strom, conservative activist and commentator
• Margaret Martin, Taxpayers League of Minnesota, and administrator of the True North blog, of which North Star Liberty is a contributor

The 2016 elections are over a year away, but the political parties will endorse candidates first. The parties endorse candidates through primary elections and, in Minnesota, at the precinct caucuses and conventions at the state Senate district, U.S. Congressional district, and state levels. Minnesota's precinct caucuses will be held on Tuesday, March 1. That leaves only six months for this team, and teams like them for the other candidates, to reach out and touch delegates and activists for their votes. As sure as fall colors and pumpkin pie, campaign season is upon us.

A new hope

The SD44 Republicans held their annual picnic in Plymouth Thursday evening. Just like at baseball spring training, hope springs eternal before caucus and convention season begins. This year was no exception, but the mood was palpably different this time due to the current large, credible field of Republican presidential candidates vying for the attention of delegates. We cast our straw poll ballots by voting for our top three favorite candidates.

A mixture of campaign veterans and new faces enjoyed a catered barbecue dinner, conversations about kids and grandkids, Gov. Dayton's proposed special legislative session, gas and property tax increases, and of course the two recent presidential candidate debates.

Chris Fields, Deputy Chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota, reminded everyone of our shared Republican values, thanked his fellow veterans for their service, and gave some encouraging news about the state party's finances.

Janet Beihoffer, National Committeewoman, Minnesota GOP, announced that the state party will conduct its precinct caucuses on March 1, which is shaping up to be a Super Tuesday of caucuses and primary elections that will determine delegates to the party conventions.

Jeff Johnson, Hennepin County Commissioner, assured constituents that the county has plenty of their money, judging by its questionable spending priorities, which Johnson often opposes.

SD33 Sen. Dave Osmek invited everyone to his one and only fundraiser for the biennium, which will feature special guest Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN6).

SD44A Rep. Sarah Anderson promised picnic-goers that the Republican-controlled House will not pass a gas tax increase, period-end-of-story.

Senate District chair Patti Meier announced these upcoming events:

September 26, 2015
Plymouth on Parade

October 8, 2015
SD44 Republicans Gala
Medina Country Club

March 1, 2016 "Super Tuesday"
Precinct Caucuses
Wayzata Central Middle School

July 18-21, 2016
Republican National Convention
Cleveland, Ohio

November 8, 2016
General Election Day

The results of the day's straw poll were posted on the senate district's Facebook page. Participants were asked to vote for their top three candidates.

21% Carly Fiorina
17% Scott Walker
13% Marco Rubio
12% Ben Carson
12% Ted Cruz

All others <10%

The bigotry of Glee

bigot – a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially :  one who regards or treats the members of a group with hatred and intolerance. —Merriam-Webster.com. Accessed January 14, 2015.

By definition, the writers of Glee, a comedy that airs on the Fox television network, and many liberal progressives, are bigots.

Glee is about a group of high school misfits from Lima, Ohio who find a home in the school's decidedly un-cool vocal music group, the glee club. The writers have assembled an outrageous mashup of archetypes, including: the diva Rachel, a Jewish American princess with two gay dads; the football star with heart, Finn, who joins the glee club to the chagrin of his teammates; Noah Puckerman ("Puck"), the juvenile delinquent; the wheelchair-bound Artie; the gay teens Kurt and Blaine; the strait-laced cheerleader Quinn; the African-American diva (and Rachel's frequent rival) Mercedes; and lesbian lovers Brittany and Santana.

With dozens of awards over six seasons (including Emmy and Golden Globe awards), often brilliant rapid-fire comedy, touching story lines, and terrific musical numbers that have spawned large album and digital download sales, a 3D concert movie and a live tour, Glee is as entertaining as it is controversial. Its teen and adult characters are hyper-sexualized, with gay, lesbian, transgender, and transvestite behavior (oh, and I almost forgot: hetero promiscuity) out and celebrated.

The not-unexpected irony of this very Hollywood production (filmed in L.A., not Ohio) is that one group of kids at the fictional McKinley High School is not treated kindly or even tolerated very much: conservatives. Conservative students are portrayed in ridiculous straw-man caricatures in several episodes.

Quinn, president of the Celibacy Club whose Glenn Beck-watching parents get lampooned in Season 1, ironically becomes pregnant. In the current season, the following scene pretty much sums up the liberal agenda of the show (the young adult main cast are all McKinley alumni now in the series storyline):

Puck walks in with Mercedes, Tina, Quinn and Sam to the Tea Party Patriot Club, calling them teabaggers. They put down muffins for them, Quinn explaining about their life in McKinley, saying how the Celibacy Club and the God Squad were popular. Mercedes asks if they're Christians, to which they reply they all are. Quinn once again says she only hung out with people just like her, Tina saying she [Quinn] changed for the better, after getting pregnant by Puck.

A member reveals that the TPPC is the most popular group in McKinley. Tina replies how horrible it is and questions what happens to America. The leader starts to reply, Mercedes listening to him, saying they’ve had the worst economic depression in history, stating that allowing equality in sexes and different ethnicities, has brought it upon them. Mercedes, looking horrified, repulsed by them, states how ignorant, homophobic and discriminating they are, to which the alumni agree. Puck, Tina and Mercedes walk out. Quinn walks up to them, taking away the muffins. Sam states how Quinn had sex with a Latina lesbian, from which he says he learnt [sic] in glee club, bumping into Quinn, causing her to laugh, as the TPPC go into chaos.

—Glee Wiki, accessed January 14, 2015, http://glee.wikia.com/wiki/Homecoming

In classic Revenge of the Nerds fashion, Glee humorously turns the lunchroom tables on the popular cliques at McKinley High School: the jocks, the cheerleaders, the popular kids, but it reserves a special vitriol for conservative Christians. Liberal bigotry starts as a cold slushy to the face on Glee, and graduates to misogynistic, ad hominem attacks on Sarah Palin and Nikki Haley. Rather than telling a story about bringing people together, Glee and its liberal bedfellows just use far-right bigotry to justfy far-left bigotry.