The horrific tragedy in Arizona is being exploited by politicians who want to restrict “violent” rhetoric – and in the process irrevocably change the intent of the First Amendment.

I am heartsick and hopeful as I pen these words. Colleagues and friends have shared tragic stories of emotional and physical pain. At the same moment I am absorbing their concerns, I am happily awaiting the arrival of my adult children for Christmas. My heart is bursting with gratitude for my family and breaking with empathy for some friends.

When I observe the shenanigans in Washington DC – on both sides of the aisle – I feel like I am living in an M.C. Escher print or a Salvador Dali painting. Nothing is as it seems. We have Nancy Pelosi berating Republicans for adding debt that our children and grandchildren will have to pay back to China. Of course, her leadership only added about $3 trillion to the price tag! We have “conservatives” making sure their earmarks are in place. It feels like Nero is fiddling while Rome burns.

I do tilt a bit toward the conservative side; however, our problems are not solved by histrionics or vague appeals to principles. President Obama meets with sympathetic billionaires while small business leadership is ignored. Meanwhile, extending the current tax rates becomes a flash point for berating the rich, while basic economic realities are ignored and our foreign policy is in shambles.

The Holiday Season of good cheer is not the time to introduce austere realism, but here are “thoughts for the thoughtful” that I hope will stimulate intelligent and passionate communication from the grassroots to the “representatives” in Washington, D.C.

• Americans are allergic to socialism. We are not adverse to government activity, but we have an organic allegiance to personal liberty and property.
• Americans do not want to be part of a “global governance” scheme where self-appointment elitists (Soros, et. al.) tell us what we must do as a nation.
• Americans are compassionate. We want to help those in need and the unemployed need assistance and training.
• Americans love the military. Waving flags, wistful strains of Taps, and the courage of women and men stir us deeply. We also want our troops fighting battles they can win. Bring them home with dignity, Mr. President.
• Americans are self-starters. We want equal opportunity, not a system rigged by social engineers.
• Americans are religious, but they do not want a government cowering in the face of radical Islam or regulating what can be said in the public square. We are especially upset that Judaism and Christianity can be excoriated while Islam gets a free pass from the Left.
• American love scientific and technological innovation, but not at the expense of humanitarian principles.
• Americans are learning to leave racism behind and live joyfully with diversity. We do not need to be reminded daily of past transgressions. We want to build a better future.
• Americans believe in traditional marriage. Utah left polygamy behind in order to enter our Union. Redefining this term will ultimately open a Pandora’s Box of confusion and state control.
• Americans are tolerant. People of all faiths or none, and people of all orientations can live peaceably with their deepest differences. This is what the First Amendment is about.
• Americans are children of immigrants and we are hospitable. We just want entry and participation to be legal, safe and non-subversive of our national principles. Secure borders and opportunity for all the “huddled masses yearning to be free” are compatible.
• American believe in balancing the checkbook, even though they have been on a credit-card binge for half a century. Hopefully our leaders at City Hall, State capitals and in Congress can set a new tone.

As we welcome longer days, remember the courage of the Maccabees and celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, let’s open our hearts and homes, looking for ways to encourage each other, honor the dignity of each person and create a better future.

We now have a President in favor of tax breaks for all…and the Republicans are again on their heels in the perception game. Add to this the earmarks that even Rand Paul is approving and you have the pathway to a Democratic victory in 2012.

The lack of courage by both sides is appalling. Democrats will not fight for their constituencies and the newly-elected Republicans seem unwilling to make the hard choices that will turn the economic ship around for the long-term.

We do need dynamic dialogue that will forge new solutions. We should not expect much of a lame-duck session close to the Christmas break. We should be alert, however, to Executive Orders and appointments that circumvent normal channels and represent the despotic tendencies of those afraid of losing power.

There is no way forward without serious sacrifice, including deep cuts in certain facets of military spending, major adjustments for Medicare and Social Security and an overhaul of federal and state public employee pensions. Our elected officials should not be set for life for serving a few years in Washington. They should not receive waivers from the new health plans. At the same time, we do need oversight of corporate ethics, banking practices and reasonable environmental policies that allow for wealth creation without regulatory strangulation or rapacious exploitation.

As we make systemic adjustments to global economic realities, we need to re-empower local and state governments and remind ourselves that we are a nation conceived in reverence for God and respect for the sovereignty of the people. We need to retrain millions for the 21st century and invest in the future. Our path ahead is difficult but doable and “politics as usual” will not work. I call on millions of Americans to have the courage to speak out, act compassionately and generously and hold our leaders accountable for OUR national checkbook!

Today is December 7th – a special tribute is due to all veterans and to the surving WWII vets that witness to a courageous moment in our nation’s history.

As we enter the Advent Season and attempt some moments of normality (“normalcy” was a new term coined by then-Presidential candidate Warren G. Harding in 1920), I offer the following reflections on current events:

• Wikileaks is not a crusade for righteousness, but one more group of arrogant elitists with an agenda. They are happy to expose any and every national leader, but will not reveal the names of their supporters or the Bilderberg Group of globalists. What they are doing is part amusing, historically interesting but ultimately concerning to all who value some measure of confidentiality.
• The new Congress will be on a short leash and the expectations are high. If the current “deficit panel” can only recommend changes that save $200 billion, we will continue to drift toward economic oblivion. The cure for our current disease is real movement toward a genuinely balanced budget.
• The number of waivers for Obama Care may end up exceeding the number of people assisted! Major unions are bailing and support is only found among the hard-core Left and the uninsured. There has to be a better way.
• The 2012 race is already interesting. Their are only two questions: Will Hillary or another Democrat make a serious run at Obama? Will the Republicans find a charismatic and electable leader who can offer an alternative to the mushy middle the party elite seems to gravitate toward every four years?
• “Bring him [her] home.” This needs to be our theme for the brave women and men in the military. Let’s bring them home with dignity, remain a presence against Middle Eastern terrorism and forge a new future in foreign policy. No more bowing to national leaders. No more apologizing for our history. Warts and all, America is still an exceptional place, especially since we confront our problems and work on them!
• Israel should suspend settlement building. But the future of any peace accord with teeth in it rests on the moral integrity of Palestinian leaders who will unequivocally acknowledge Israel’s right to exist and initiate full diplomatic exchanges and recognition. If the West Bank is returned (the Oslo Accords) and Israel’s security concerns are addressed, there is hope. The PA must give up the demand for a “right of return” for all the descendants of the 1948 conflict. There is only safety for Israel if she is a majority Jewish State.
• Positive changes in the America begin with each one of us choosing ethical, gracious, hospitable and wise pathways that secure for our neighbors the opportunities and rights we desire for ourselves.

Let’s find a million families devoted to God, family and community. We do not want a communist or fascist state, but a free people enjoying the fruits of their faith and hard work and learning to live with their deepest differences as well as finding common cause against injustice, poverty and hopelessness.

I am still an optimist, because there are enough people who can make daily choices to turn this nation in a new direction.