By Mark Schlabach
ESPN.com

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida quarterback Tim Tebow took the microphone, scanned the 14 rows of grim-faced men sitting in folding metal chairs and recognized the familiar hue of blue.

“How many Gator fans do we have in the house today?” Tebow asked.

After more than half the men raised their hands, Tebow added, “All right, those who didn’t raise their hands, that’s who I’m preaching to today.”

On a balmy Saturday morning in mid-April — the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback’s first weekend away from the bright spotlight of Florida football — Tebow had never seemed more comfortable.

His playing field was a concrete basketball court in the middle of Gainesville Correctional Institute, a minimum-medium security state prison where banished major league baseball stars Doc Gooden and Darryl Strawberry once served hard time. His sideline was a 15-foot metal fence topped by razor wire and guarded by a correctional officer carrying a shotgun and driving a small pickup truck. His audience no longer was tens of thousands of Gator fans cheering his every move, but rather more than 150 inmates, many of whom are serving at least three-year prison sentences for drug-related offenses and still trying to kick the habit that put them in there.

Still, Tebow seemed as confident as when he lowers his broad shoulders into SEC defenders. He delivered his message loud and clear, as if he were barking orders in the Gators’ huddle.

“Everybody is telling me I’ve made it,” Tebow told the inmates. “They tell me, ‘Tim, you have success and you’ve made it.’ I’ve won the Heisman Trophy, so I’ve got it made, right? One day, people are going to forget about me. One day, people are going to forget about the Heisman Trophy, the jump pass and the national championship. One day, this [championship] ring is going to rust. There are only four things that are going to last forever: God, his word, people and rewards.

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Is anybody out there besides me highly upset that our Government sees the need to spend millions of our tax dollars investigating whether or not a few baseball players used a substance that is now banned but was actually legal when they supposedly used it.  Not to mention the fact that George Mitchell “expressed his hope that readers of his report will look past the players’ names that are included in the report and focus on the conclusions.”  He also stated in the report “while players that use illegal substances are responsible for their actions, that responsibility is shared by the entire baseball community for failing to recognize the problem sooner.”

Listen, I’m not saying that Roger is innocent.  I don’t know and I really don’t care.  I am saying that I’d rather my tax dollars not be spent on congressional hearings where a group of congressmen (who are getting paid by the people) sit around and try to figure out whether or not Roger Clemens used a substance that was legal when he used it…

This article contributed by Rob Wiedell
On January 24 of this year, Onslow County District Attorney Dewey Hudson announced that
Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean had been officially indicted for first degree murder in the death of a fellow Marine Maria Lauterbach. The last time Laurean was seen, a family member claimed to have spoken to him in Mexico. Because Mexico refuses to extradite prisoners facing the death penalty, Dewy Hudson is forced to capitulate to the demands of a country who has scorned our laws for decades. In fact, since America’s extradition treaty with Mexico signed in 1980, there has been an almost Bizarro-like effect on Mexico’s policy of passage across our border.

It’s time for America to get tough with Mexico.

No one can deny that illegal immigration from Mexico to the United States is out of control. By one recent estimate between 400,000 and one million “undocumented workers” enter our country each year.
It had gotten so bad for two border states by August of 2005 that the term “state of emergency” was used to describe the situation. Governors Bill Richardson of New Mexico and Janet Napolitano of Arizona thus freed state money to aid local officials with “what they describe as increasing border crime and problems related to illegal immigration”. (USA Today 8/30/05)
Congressman Duncan Hunter, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, introduced legislation in the House of Representatives to address these concerns. This legislation would “mandate the construction of at least 700 miles of double-layered border fencing in locations determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security.” (From Duncan Hunter’s website)
When the concept of a fence between our country and Mexico was discussed in 2005, (then) Mexican president Vicente Fox denounced it as “shameful and disgraceful,” and Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez called it “stupid” and said, ” Mexico…will not allow it.” (GlobalSecurity.org)
This is kind of like wanting to build a security fence around your own house to give safety and privacy to your family only to have your neighbor call you stupid and tell you he won’t let you do it.
I don’t know about you, but I’m building that fence anyway. Just to prove whose yard it is. I might even smile a little while digging the post holes.

It has become almost surreal the way Mexico treats established law. Those who would break our laws to enter our country are encouraged by Mexico to do it. It is only those like Cesar Laurean who face some real and serious punishment from our courts that are “forced” to stay in their borders.
Suddenly, we realize how urgent the need is to build that fence for our own security and privacy. Maybe even make a statement about whose yard it is, after all.
I can imagine a couple of Governors smiling as the post holes are dug.

I am torn on this issue.  What is it that the president does that really affects the quality of our lives?  As a Christian, I am most concerned with being able to live in an environment where I can pass my beliefs on to my children and where they can walk out their purpose in the Kingdom.In a society where the Judiciary more and more often legislates our behavior and morality, I am very concerned about the President’s ability to appoint federal judges for life.  In the light of this concern, I am very happy that the two most recent Supreme Court Justices were appointed by someone who shares my social values.Other than that, the next biggest concern that I have is our national security.  Drew and I had a conversation lately about the fact that the world knows that President Bush would send a Trident III up their you know where if the need arose.  There are some of these candidates who would not posses the, um, well, the….fortitude to proactively strike a threat if warranted.I am greatly concerned with the Senate and the House and the effect they have on our lives with the laws that they pass.  They are largely responsible for setting the social boundaries of our society and the quality of life that we have.  Is enough spotlight put on their races, or does the race for the Whitehouse overshadow a more important contest? 

As the election season rounds into full bloom, the question on most of our minds is very simply “who should get my vote?” For the great majority of Americans the actual election is not a hand-wringing decision between the Republican or Democratic candidate. The majority of Americans vote almost blindly for the candidate representing their political affiliation. Very few dedicated Democrats are going to realize that they just like to say “Huckabee” more than “Obama.” Similarly, the number of very conservative Republican women who decide “I am ready for a female president, and since the GOP is trotting out a bunch of testosterone-heavy candidates—Hillary gets my vote” is likely to be negligible. The candidates, of course, know this. That is why political ads are not targeted at convincing those of the other ilk to change their whole belief structure and “come vote for me.” Rather, commercials, rallies, and even yard signs are designed to remind voters that this candidate represents your core values; get out and support him/her.

The primaries, however, are a different story. In my opinion choosing the candidate to represent your party is where the voter most affects the future of the country at that highest level. In the primaries you decide whether tax reform or health care is more important to you. Are you more interested in immigration issues or education. I challenge you, however, to consider something else beyond the issues—what about the person himself? How well does this candidate handle himself under the pressure of a hostile interview? How creative and nimble of a thinker is she? How well can he answer a multi-layered question? The debates are where I feel my mind is most often made up about the candidates. When others attack your ideas, credibility, and character, how do you respond? This is vitally important. Quick mental exercise—what were George W. Bush’s key platform issues in 2000? Yeah, me neither. (I remembered educationally he had “No Child Left Behind” that is it.) How about another challenge—what thing will history remember George W. Bush for? I think most of us would say similar things for that one—he was a war-time president, or he fought terrorism, or something along those lines. Fair or not that is Bush’s historical niche. Do you have any idea where fighting terrorism fell on his campaign platform list? In 2000 there were 7 main points and 49 sub-points on Bush’s campaign platform. Fighting terrorism was the second-to-last sub-point under the last point of things that were worth mentioning. Yet, it became the focal point of his 8 years in office.

As you head out to the polls to place your vote, remember that while issues are important, people are more important. Choose a person who has the capacity to effect the changes you desire while also handling the issues for which he was not prepared. Vote for the candidate whose intelligence, character, willpower, charisma, and experience will most benefit the country that he will lead.

“Notice, please, one thing. When a Democrat talks about change they are almost always talking about change from self-sufficiency to government dependence; from free market solutions to government programs. If that’s the type of change the MoveOn Democrats are seeking, and if that’s the type of change the people want, then it’s time for those who still take some pride in self-reliance and who still have a fondness for freedom to really start working on their escape plan in earnest.”

-Neal Boortz

Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee, with the support of Chuck Norris, says that he will bust a move on the illegal immigration problem in this country. He has signed a pledge to enforce immigration laws and to make all illegal aliens go home. Huckabee has also pledged to oppose a “path to citizenship” for current illegals…we’ll call that the “get in line” pledge. He has a nine-point plan to accomplish this goal…check it out. I especially like the “Establish an Economic Border” point of his plan.

I really like this plan but I’m still not sure if Huckabee is our guy. What do you think? On a scale of 1-10 (1 being the highest) where do you think Illegal Imigration ranks on the list of issues for this election and why?

I finally bit the bullet and re-vamped my blog.  I’ve also added several other authors that will contribute content.  We are planning to focus mainly on real estate, politics and sports.