Conservative Girl with a Book

As a lover of literature- political literature being my favorite, I have longed enjoyed reading books by a variety of authors. When I first started this blog, I realized there was a need to inform individuals with the truth and the facts. As a young conservative, I have been blessed to have amazing readers who inspire me each and everyday to continue writing. It is because of this and at the urging of others that I have decided to write a book targeting young conservatives and beyond. I have been amazed at the number of young people who have commented that they can really identify with me because of their conservative beliefs. In writing this book, I want to educate other young conservatives about the importance of getting involved politically and let them know that they are not alone in their conservative thinking.

There are so many "Hollywood" types out there who attempt to tell us what to believe. You do not only see this in Hollywood. Meghan McCain is a good example of a young person who basically goes out there calling herself a Republican when it is clear she is not. In typical RINO fashion, she attempts to speak for young people like myself, and whenever it is announced that she is to be a guest on a nightly news show, I immediately cringed. I did not always feel this way. There was a time when I admired Meghan McCain and the way in which she stood up for her father and his political beliefs. This admiration turned to disappointment after the election when she repeatedly spoke out against the Republican principles I firmly stand on the side of. Now, it appears that the only things I share with Meghan McCain are hair and eye color. The young conservatives I communicate with feel the same way. They are sick and tired of young people like Miss McCain who speak for them or tell them what they should believe. It is time for these young, conservative Republicans to tell their stories about what conservatism means to them, and I cannot wait to speak with young conservatives from all across the country and include their stories in the book.

As a woman from California, people I meet immediately assume I hold liberal beliefs. At first, I kind of laugh it off, but the more I think about it, I really cannot blame them for thinking this way. For years, the media and society have repeatedly played the "gender card," basically trying their best to convince us that a majority of modern-day women hold liberal ideologies. This is a misguided notion, for there are many women out there just like me who believe in conservative principles. Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann are two strong, modern-day women who have shattered this glass ceiling. These conservative, pro-life women are two of my role models, and I know I am definitely not alone in feeling this way.

I have already started the book preparation process, and I cannot wait to see where this journey takes me. Thanks so much for continuing to inspire me and for taking the time to read my blog!!! Now, let the writing begin....

(Follow me on Twitter @RachelleFriberg.)

Sarah Palin Continues to Inspire and Fascinate Americans and the Rest of the World

Happy birthday, Governor Palin!!! As many of you know, I started this blogging journey, in part, because of Sarah Palin. When I first started blogging in May 2009, I did not know how long my blogging attempts would last nor did I know the success I would have. After all, there are so many amazing common-sense conservative bloggers out there, and I thank all the bloggers out there who continue to inspire me and the millions of conservatives like me. Bloggers, writers and commentators like Michelle Malkin, Leslie Sanchez, Dan Riehl, Jedediah Bila, Robert Stacy McCain, Lisa Graas, Andrew Brietbart, Sissy Willis, Jennifer Cubachi, Adrienne Ross, Whitney Pitcher, SE Cupp, Stacy Drake, Patrick Adams, Camille Friend, Melissa Clouthier and so many others inspire me to continue to want to be a better writer, so to you I say "THANK YOU."

Finally, I want to thank Sarah Palin for all she has done in the name of freedom and liberty. Happy birthday!!!

Sarah, after blogging for nearly two years, I am still inspired by you and all you stand for. Unlike so many people of our time, you are unafraid to stand up and to speak out, doing the dirty work so many refuse to do. You is both unafraid and determined to make America that shining city on a hill.

In honor of Sarah, I have decided to take a step back into time and re-post my very first blog entry. I cannot believe everything that has happened in the time since this post. Enjoy:

The night before John McCain was to announce his running mate, speculation was running rampant. Journalists were fighting tooth and nail in an attempt to get any shred of information regarding the "top-secret" pick. For me, personally, the "night before" speculation has become a "where were you the night before the world was introduced to Sarah Palin?" Just as I am able to recall where I was when OJ Simpson, hidden away in his infamous White Ford Bronco, was being chased down the highway by police, I am able to recall where I was on, what would become, the eve Republican-Party history would be made. I was watching Hannity and Colmes with my mom, listening to the guys’ debate on who they felt would be picked. Names such as Romney, Pawlenty, Huckabee, Jindal and even Lieberman were being thrown around like a football. As a young conservative woman, I have tremendous respect for all of the men above, but I did not have the enthusiasm I would soon have when I turned the news on the next morning.

Sarah Palin IS the reason why I have centered this blog on strong, conservative female women. It was Sarah Palin who re-energized a party that was split. Before Sarah Palin, John McCain was struggling to stay afloat, struggling to keep up with the glitzy, charismatic candidate that was Barack Obama. Sarah Palin was his "hole in one." I remember saying to my mom: "Why doesn't the Republican Party have any strong, conservative female candidates?" Well, I didn't have to wait that long for my answer because it came the next morning in the form of AK Governor Sarah Palin. I will never forget hugging my mom, tears in my eyes saying that I finally had an American political role model. Here she was, a self-described hockey mom who had a loving husband and five adorable children. What was not to love about her? Like many, I have so much in common with her; she is an every woman of sorts. An individual who started out just like many Americans, who learned to work hard and in the end achieve great things. A woman who mothers can cite as an example to their young daughters that they too can have a family and be whatever they want to be. Of all the decisions John McCain made during the campaign, his choice of running mate was the best by far.

On a final note, I have to admit that it was fun to watch the mainstream media trip over themselves throughout the day of the announcement as they scrambled to uncover any little tidbit they could about the Alaskan governor: "She hunts, she fishes, she's the hottest governor in the coldest state, she was a beauty pageant contestant..." The media could not get enough of Sarah. Although the stories about her soon turned into negative tabloid journalism, it was memorable to see that for once, Barack Obama had been overshadowed. It is as if Sarah Palin and Barack Obama were characters straight from the Brady Bunch, with Barack crying out "Sarah, Sarah, Sarah."

(Follow me on Twitter @RachelleFriberg.)

***Ronald Reagan's Legacy Lives On***

UPDATE: Please visit this website to sign the petition to name the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge after Ronald Reagan. We only have until tomorrow, and we have nearly 300 signatures to go. Please the spread the word! Signing the petition is really simple and takes less than a minute out of your day!!! THANKS!!!

I miss President Ronald Reagan. As we quickly approach this coming weekend, Sunday marks what would have been President Reagan's 100th birthday. As a young conservative and a self-described "Reagan baby," I am always eager to hear stories about this dear man, father, president and all-around amazing American Patriot. Ronald Reagan will be remembered for many things- everything from how he managed to bring the country together during hard and difficult times, his conviction as he held strong to his beliefs, the way in which he had an amazing sense of humor, and the everlasting love he and his wife, Nancy, shared. Everyone has their own favorite memory of this man and his legacy. For me, it is the way in which he valued the people and did everything in his power to put their best interests first. The Reagan Library is a great resource for those who want to learn more about President Reagan's legacy. I have never had the honor of visiting the library, but it is on my bucket list of things to do this year. Until then, I will continue to read about his legacy and the important impact that he had on the country as a whole. There is a great write up I recently found on the Reagan Library Website that describes Reagan's belief in "a more perfect union." In light of this coming Sunday, I have decided to include it below as it is a classic example of just what made Ronald Reagan that "classic" brand of compassion, genuineness, integrity, and character mixed with that no-nonsense toughness that makes a successful president a great leader:

Given the dire state of the economy facing Ronald Reagan when he assumed the Presidency, it would have been understandable had he focused exclusively on those challenges. But he came to office with a broad agenda, and there were many important problems to solve. One that was of particular importance to the President was the how well the government served the people. He firmly believed that the government should work for the people, not the other way around. Governor and then President Reagan thought of the people as his boss, who, by electing him, had hired him to do the job. Throughout his career, Ronald Reagan was fond of telling true stories about the illogical and often mind-boggling – not to mention exasperating – inefficiency of the Federal bureaucracy. Although he did so with a smile, underlying the story-telling was a deep frustration. He vowed that if he ever had an opportunity to do something about it, he would. And he did. Not only did his Administration reduce the burden of excessive, redundant and unnecessary paperwork on businesses working with the government, it made changes that affected real people on a daily basis. When President Reagan took office, it took seven weeks to get a Social Security card and 43 days to get a passport. By the time he left, either one – or both – could be had in just 10 days.

As much as he used his own passport over the years, and as exotic and exciting as some of his foreign trips were, Ronald Reagan always looked forward to coming home. He genuinely loved America. From his beloved California to the New York Island, he was in awe of our country’s sheer beauty. Spacious skies, amber waves of grain, purple mountains’ majesties, oceans white with foam were not just words to him. It was how he saw America. He believed he had a special responsibility to protect the country’s environment and to preserve its natural beauty. President Reagan did more than just talk about it. The Reagan Administration was the first to establish a special unit at the Department of Justice to prosecute criminal polluters.

Polluters were not the only criminals who President Reagan intended to put out of business. Keeping people safe was always a top-of-agenda item for the Reagan Administration. It took a while, but in 1984, Congress passed the President’s Comprehensive Crime Control Act, which kept dangerous people behind bars, restricted the use of the insanity defense, reviewed Federal sentencing guidelines and toughened penalties for drug dealers and others. That same year, the President signed another very significant piece of legislation which made child pornography a separate criminal offense. The effect of the President’s work to prevent crime and put criminals where they belonged was dramatic. Nearly 2 million fewer households were hit by crime in 1987 than in 1980.

Preventing crime and locking up bad guys was only part of what President Reagan did to ensure justice for all. Another key component of his program was the appointment of judges who would faithfully interpret the Constitution rather than legislate from the bench. Of all the judicial appointments made by the President, none was more historically significant than Sandra Day O’Connor in 1981. When Ronald Reagan became the first President to nominate a woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court, he shattered a glass ceiling that had been in place since the founding of the country, forever changing not only the judiciary, but the role of women in our society. Little girls everywhere could now aspire to heights previously unavailable to them.

In many ways, President Reagan’s nomination of Sandra Day O’Connor was emblematic of how he viewed people – without an iota of prejudice. Gender, race ethnicity and religion just did not matter to him in the slightest. They were never factors in his decision making, other than when people were being discriminated against. When that happened, President Reagan was a tenacious fighter for equal rights. Under his leadership, the Federal government equaled or surpassed the number of civil rights cases filed by any previous Administration in virtually every enforcement category. Principal civil rights organizations received almost 18% more in funding.

President Reagan never forgot what it was like to grow up in a household with very limited financial means. He knew its impact on quality of life and helping the poor escape poverty was something he cared about deeply. Under his leadership, Federal spending for basic low-income assistance programs rose by 40%. The President also knew that a good education was the ticket out of poverty, and when his National Commission on Excellence in Education termed the U.S “A Nation at Risk” because of declining educational quality, he called for a variety of remedies including overall higher standards and accountability, parental choice and merit pay for teachers and principals.

Ronald Reagan was the first President to address the issue of HIV and AIDS. He established a Presidential Commission and consulted with Government agencies and private groups, after which a broad plan to fight the disease was implemented. Billions of dollars were committed for research, regulations making it difficult to get drugs to patients were eliminated and educational programs were developed, all of which were underpinned by a message of empathy for those infected. In a speech to the American Foundation for AIDS Research in May, 1987 he said:

“What our citizens must know is this: America faces a disease that is fatal and spreading. And this calls for urgency, not panic. It calls for compassion, not blame. And it calls for understanding, not ignorance. It’s also important that America not reject those who have the disease, but care for them with dignity and kindness.”

There was not a day during his eight years in the White House that Ronald Reagan did not work to ensure the domestic tranquility written about in the very first sentence of the Constitution. Forming a more perfect union was why he sought the Presidency in the first place, and was his “north star.”


Thank you, President Reagan, for instilling in us the value of character, integrity and the importance of aiming for that "north star." The more I study you, the more I am reminded just how great a country I live in. Your dream for a better, stronger America lives on, and it is my hope that Americans will realize the importance of your legacy and the way in which you restored the American dream.

I leave you with the insight from Americans, who like me, continue to be inspired by this great man:

What an amazing political leader and role model!!! He once said that the American people see themselves in him... and that we feel as if he is one of us, how true is that? He was a type of father figure to so many of us. He is definitely missed!
-Reanna

I loved Reagan because he was always positive in the face of doubt and sadness. He loved this country more than most people and would not get mad. He used humor and commonsense to win a argument.
-Brad

President Reagan was the epitome of class, of skill and of true leadership. He did not side with the special interests or the lobbyists, but rather he stood up for every man, woman and child; both the born and unborn.

As someone from outside of the United States, I'm glad to think back a few years and of course not only think of President Reagan but of Margaret Thatcher too. They really were two peas of the same pod. Strong, fearless and determined. Through everything, President Reagan and America were there with their hand out ready to help us, and the same of course went for Great Britain. We were two nations joined under the magnificent leadership of two great leaders. So not only to President Reagan, but to the USA: Thank you! Thank you for always having our backs.

People often wonder what there is left to act as a testament to President Reagan and all he stood for. I say look around! The fact that there is still freedom in the world is down to many people. And one of those people is Ronald Reagan.
-Daniel from the UK

In 1986, I was outside with my friends shooting off fireworks. As a young twenty-something, we were just having a great time. I went into my house to go to the bathroom and didn't come back out until about 45 minutes later. I watched that speech, glued to the couch with my parents, knowing that my friends were outside waiting for me. I didn't care. I was stuck to the set, watching the speech. Once they started shooting off the fireworks in New York, I went back outside. When my friend Ed asked where I was, I told him about the speech. He asked why I didn't come and get him. I told him, I couldn't move from the TV. (Watch the speechhere)
-Patrick

President Reagan, thanks for the memories!!! I would like to close this post by sharing what a friend recently told me. He said that we could really use another Ronald Reagan. Yes... yes we could!!!


(Follow me on Twitter @RachelleFriberg.)

Senator Schumer: Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?

Remember how a large number of House of Representative members took the time to read the Constitution on the House floor? Well, it looks as if the members of the Senate should consider doing the very same, well at least if your name is Chuck Schumer, that is. Recently, on CNN's State of the Union, he said the following about the three branches of government:

We Have three Branches of Government. We Have a House, a Senate and a President.

The House, the Senate and the President- yes, you read it right. Is that your final answer, Senator Schumer? Because if it is, you're wrong. Perhaps if you were listening in history class or even to your constituents, you would realize that the three branches of government are the legislative, executive and judicial. I know this, and I bet if you asked a fifth-grade class, the majority of them would know this too, but do the media choose to report this misstep? If you said, "no," then you are exactly right. Now, imagine if the tables were turned and Sarah Palin or Michele Bachmann had said such a thing. The media would turn around and make it the top story on the five o'clock news. Leftist so-called journalists like Chris Matthews would get all giddy and develop a tingling all over just describing every epic detail of what was said- everything from the way they said it, to whether or not they were looking at the camera. I guarantee it!


This is yet another example of the world we live in today. While it is perfectly all right for a liberal, senior member of the Senate to screw up, it is intolerable and down-right unintelligent if a member of the Republican party were to so much as utter the occasional "umm" during an interview. This is the world we live in today. A world in which liberals can mess up and misstate elements of American history, but everyone else better watch their "p's" and "q's." How ironic is this coming from a man who said this shortly after Palin was selected to be John McCain's running mate:

After the great success of the Democratic convention, the choice of Sarah Palin is surely a Hail Mary pass. It is a real roll of the dice and shows how John McCain, Karl Rove et al realize what a strong position the Obama-Biden team and Democrats in general are in in this election. Certainly the choice of Palin puts to rest any argument about inexperience on the Democratic team and while Palin is a fine person, her lack of experience makes the thought of her assuming the presidency troubling. I particularly look forward to the Biden-Palin debate in Missouri.

Well, Senator Schumer, I guarantee Palin never will utter the same gaffe you made this weekend. Instead of uttering ridiculous statements, I suggest Senator Schumer take a play out of Palin's playbook and brush up on the history of government- maybe it is time to brush up on the Constitution because until you do, I will be left wondering if you are smarter than the fifth graders you represent...

(Follow me on Twitter @RachelleFriberg.)