Why should those who can cross a river get in when those who are under more horrific dictators be denied due to distance and airfare? The ones that are coming now are clearly more middle class and not just the “I’ll be your maid types.” Instead of changing their system, they are abandoning it to reap the benefits here. DO IT legally - apply and take your turn. Bring in some Sudanese and Congoans, Iraqi’s etc.

Looks like we are alllll evading the issue, huh? Is it cuz we hope it is somebody else’s fault and someone else’s problem to fix? Well it is close to my home. And I am still trying to figure out just how many more mouths I can feed when I can’t pay my $1000 dentist bill on a $930/month check. And my tenants didn’t call or pay rent for 2 months and never come to the door and they ARE legal. I love everybody, wish I could house them all and I enjoy practicing my Spanish but somehow we don’t apply the general attitude to Iraq which is: that is THEIR problem and stay out of it, to our friends south of us and keep them THERE to solve it THERE. My kids may not get social security, should someone who got here illegally?

While taking a college course in Mexico, went on a date with an older Mexican man who took me out to a house somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Several men were there. Offered me Taquila - I drank soda instead, didn’t flirt or “hang on him” so eventually they gave up and just took me back to my host home. I was 20 and stupid. I am convinced I was rescued by angels in that instance from pure gullibility and possible gang rape. Traveling “blondies” as they call all of us even with brown hair - BEWARE!!!

You may need to limit to a region of the US you are talking about to get better usable responses.

Great how to video. I weaned myself off horoscopes years ago, so wish we weren’t there, but I’ll tolerate for discussion.

I saw you on Charlie Rose too. That’s how I found you. Come on women we can lead. I also love To the Contrary on PBS. Will some black conservative sisters please give more input to balance the scales? I also ache to hear from mas chicas who have lived here all their lives and are politically involved. I’ve had a head injury and don’t read books much any more too hard to concentrate, so web good and talk shows PBS style helpful but still a little too left. Also don’t believe in President bashing no matter who is in office - thank God anybody wants to run anything so I respect the office and don’t blame them personally for local issues. A lot of what we think we know about them is filtered through some pretty biased media. Check out Bush’s speech to the UN never mentioned on national news some time last year or before that basically chewing them out for knowing what to do to protect the women and children of their nations from pornography, sexual trafficking, and abuse and turning a deaf ear to it. I wish I owned the tape. Anybody have it?

Ooops, I do know how to spell government - thoughts ahead of my typing and need to take time to proofread.

Forward all these to our candidates - all levels of gorvenment and then offer to help them with solutions.

Finally paid $6 for a whole chicken. Years ((20+) chicken in Ghana was already over $10 each. Israel etc. have paid over $5.00/ gal for years - our turn, huh? Also we are glad we garden - but aren’t getting any of the rain or snow this spring (a concern), have firewood and fireplace, generator and hope the furnace doesn’t go out because the house is too big and not well insulated. Again wondering who I would really want to live with in hard times. I have a stockpile of new Tupperware to trade and my husband has a large Amsoil synthetic lubricants inventory to barter if necessary. Hopefully won’t get that bad.

My gut feeling of our economic shift is based in the fact that there is a great leveling coming because of our Western materialism and hording (not helping the alien Deuteronomy 28 all). I memorized as a kid “He judges men and nations by His righteous will, declared through prophets and apostles”. When Solomon dedicated the temple, his prayer was not just for Israel and the jews - they were merely a model for all nations (II Chronicles 6:33; Paul wrote in Acts 2:5-11 “from every nation under Heaven”). Too many millions do not have food, clothing and shelter while we have $300 facial massages for cats that I read on Yahoo this week. I couldn’t bring myself to spend $100 on a blouse even if I had the money. I just want to sit on the ground and hug the women of Iraq who survived such a regime and apologize for taking so long to really help at all and not USE them. We have buried ourselves (me included) in so much junk and unnecessaries. We just might have to put two families in one house and learn to get along. Some parents of the world if they have a bed have all the kids with them in it. Privacy? Huh? America’s future horizon?? TRIM TRIM TRIM WHINE GET OVER IT TRIM What I am trying to do on a “Grassroots level” is get the people in my immediate area (precinct, business, church) to even want to really talk about and plan for the seriousness of the situation. Many small businesses are closed, closing, sales are off everywhere and everyone wants to pretend their worries will go away and not bring them into the open to discuss them. For myself I might get a list from the Mormons of what they stockpile(smile). I am trying to find people who are level-headed near me to provide leadership in my circles no matter what happens- disasters or economics - still looking. I prefer to be building up Joseph-types and Daniel types who are prophetic, know their God and times and then prepare the people before the famine or whatever. Are there any statesmen to lead at home or just “get into office with my buds politicians?” I’m still looking for candidates. I’m also thinking of revisiting a book I have on “Living Together in a World Falling Apart” from the 70’s on communal living. Trouble is some of my fellow Christians don’t get it yet so not sure who to commune with.

My faith journey is a long story to tell so I’ll save most of it for another day. But, since this topic is near and dear to my heart and the focal point of most of my attention on planet earth now, I want to cover a few main points. My earliest memory of spiritual thoughts was sitting on a carpet square in a UCC church in Wisconsin at the age of three looking at a picture of Jesus with the children and thinking to myself, “He looks safe. I want to get to know him.” I, like Lily, found myself in a spiritual and personal dilemma. The spiritual things I was beginning to believe didn’t match the reality of the people I was around. My Dad was an usher in the church, my Mom a Sunday School teacher, Dad drank a lot and things were not always safe at home. My brother summed it up once on his bulletin board: Under a picture of Tim Leary(Dad) under Billy Graham(Mom). No wonder we were confused. At 23 I bragged to my Dad that I was still a virgin and he looked me square in the eyes and said, “What the ___ is wrong with you?” I snapped and went off and lost it. Of course I wanted to go to Heaven someday, but for many years it took all I had to glean faith in God and a good life here period. I was from fourth grade on, on a mission to build my own faith and God. I befriended Jews, catholics, Jehovah Witnesses, Mormans, Jesus people, agnostics, muslims, Hindus, and too many to name. I participated in activities with Mormons, lived with plain clothes nun types, went to services with women with their hair covered, to black church bench meetings, methodist and lutheran, episcopal, southern and northern baptist, charismatic, and fundamentalists services. I taught English as a Second Language to immigrants from over 19 nations in the 70’s dealing with Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotians, Serbs and Croats, Indians, and Koreans. Everyone proved to be on a God search and the afterlife always floated to the top. Sorry to hear one of you say you were always around don’t talk religion folks - I think that happened in the 80’s because in the 70’s it was all we talked about. I have met too many people coming from all of these other faith backgrounds who have taken their life in their hands to accept the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ despite great persecution, public humiliation and death(in some countries) to ever be dissuaded from my 3 year old premise,”He is safe and I want to get to know Him.” He is safe, there is an afterlife, I know him better than my husband after 27 years. One warning and it is not egotistical, just fact. He paid the price, we are invited, there is a judgment, and Hell is the best He can do for those who willingly are too ashamed to name the Name and don’t want anything to do with Him here. The Book says that to come to Him 1) Believe He exists and 2)Seek Him and believe He rewards those who seek Him. Most want his stuff, not Him. Bible was written by 40 authors on 3 continents over a 1500 year period but it all fits together and is still here and changing lives. Many do know: “My redeemer liveth”… and so will they. Another important quote,” He is NOT willing that any should perish but that all might come to repentance.” Welcome to the journey and this site is fantastic. Kathy with pseudonym Nikao(overcomer).