As a landed immigrant from Canada (legal that is!!) who has lived in England as well, I consider myself so blessed to be able to associate with like-minded Americans who exercise their right to make a difference in this country as individuals as opposed to members of a party.

This consideration may seem odd to some of you who take it for granted that you can do so in this country. I find that many Americans do not realize the significance of living in a country that is a Constitutional Republic. Many think that their neighbors to the north are governed by a democratic system that must give them the same kind of individual rights that every American has. Sorry - that is not the case.

Canada, having been a colony of Great Britain and failing to do what those original Tea Party Patriots did in America, is governed under the rule of a monarch - currently the Queen of England. Although she appoints the Governor General to represent her, she retains all executive, legislative and judicial power within and over Canada. The Governor General is permitted to exercise most of this including the Royal Prerogative in the Queen's name with much of this in mostly a ceremonial fashion.

Canada is, like England, a Representative Democracy and that is very different than a Constitutional Republic. A Canadian citizen can vote for only one local representative of any one of many political parties. Which ever party receives the most representatives, the leader of that party becomes the Prime Minister of Canada in a federal election or the Premier of the Province in a provincial election. Also, the party representative receiving the majority of votes locally must govern along party lines, not as an individual if he/she wants to remain in that seat. Very seldom does any elected member vote against their party.

In short, the individual Canadian voter does not have the local muscle to make a representative vote one way or another. In contrast, the American voter has three times the muscle since he/she votes separately for President, Senator and Congressman in a federal election and Governor, Senator and House Rep in a state election. And if enough constituents band together, they can force their local representative to vote against the party line.

So as an American I consider myself very blessed that as an individual American citizen, I have the opportunity to help shape the future of America much more directly than I ever had as a citizen of Canada to shape its future. And it is this time of the year when I reflect back to the actions of our Founding Fathers and to the manner in which they celebrated their freedom by giving thanks at Thanksgiving, that I give thanks for the blessings that I have received as an immigrant to the greatest country in the world. A fact that I shall never forget.

The first Thanksgiving occurred when Captain John Woodlief led the newly-arrived English colonists to a grassy slope along the James River and instructed them to drop to their knees and pray in thanks for a safe arrival to the New World. It was December 4, 1619, and 38 men from Berkeley Parish in England vowed: "Wee ordaine that the day of our ships arrivall at the place assigned for plantacon in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually keept holy as a day of Thanksgiving to Almighty God." You'll find their vow carved on a brick gazebo marking the location believed to be where Woodlief knelt beside the James River.

Continental Congress Thanksgiving Proclamation 

This year as you consider Christmas gifts for your grandchildren, I hope you'll consider sharing America's story with them the way it used to be told. 

A grandmother I know  felt compelled several years ago--when tea parties involved cups and saucers--to start gathering stories from our heritage.   Now, it is becoming more apparent why doing that was so important.  Our grandchildren won't fight to keep their liberty if they don't love their country.  And they won't love their country without the stories of why she is worth loving. 

If you were to plant yourself in front of the children's American history section at your local public library and read what's available for our children you may be disappointed.    Aside from the fact that this section is likely very small, many of the stories are about what's wrong with America.  Missing from them are the principles of patriotism, virtue and faith that were beautifully woven into the stories written before 1923.

These stories are available to you in the Freedom Series which can be ordered at gardenofliberty.org.  Each month for the next twelve months, the children in your lives will receive a beautiful hardbound, dust-jacketed volume of these treasured stories to retell, read aloud or read alone.  There is something for every age. 

And when you ask them about their favorite story or, better yet, to sit and read one of the stories to you, you will  be making a memory as well as a lasting impression.

Please visit www.gardenofliberty.org to learn more.

Many Americans work long hours so that weekends and evenings become precious family time. However, Ohio Tea Party, 912 and other patriots volunteered countless of these valuable hours gathering signatures in all 88 counties of Ohio to force the issue of Obamacare onto their state ballot this November . Where there was a county fair, a town's parade or festival, a church social, the patriots were there filling petitions one citizen, one signature at a time.

They gathered 440,000 signatures. And the resulting ballot Issue #3 passed on Nov. 8 by a resounding vote of 2 to 1. A vote for Issue #3 was a vote against Obamacare. Ohioans were the first Americans who actually got to vote on Obamacare, and they voted NO! The 20 month effort of over 4400 volunteers resulted in every county in the state voting to reject the forced healthcare mandates of PPACA, known as Obamacare.

Ohio's rejection of Obamacare will not go unchallenged since PPACA can have no state allowed to go their own way on healthcare.  All the more then Ohioans have done an historic service to all Americans. They showed us what a determined and organized grassroots effort can accomplish.

In addition, Ohio's volunteers defined a clear narrative for political victory in 2012. Americans may disagree on tax changes and on how to best create jobs, but the Ohio vote shows overwhelming agreement against Obamacare. Politicians who supported it or are not working to repeal it are putting themselves on the wrong side of the voters' mandate.

With Thanksgiving gatherings of family and friends come more chances for us 912 Super Seniors to share the information here with others.  Be sure to have a copy or two of our pamphlet with you at all times to give to friends and discuss with them. Also, Seniors continue to give the pamphlet to doctors, leave copies in waiting rooms, post on bulletin boards, etc.

The healthcare pamphlet which can be printed here and at www.912SuperSeniors.org  continues to provide important alerts about the effects of PPACA (Obamacare).

Now that the Supreme Court will hear arguments to determine the constitutionality of the Obama healthcare law, employers and all Americans are hopeful that Ohio's choice will be the result for all Americans. 

Betsy McCaughey, a patient advocate and a constitutional scholar with a Ph.D. in Constitutional History has been a guest on national TV often to give her opinion about the Supreme Court challenge. In the article linked here she predicts a split court with a 5-4 decision against the law's requirement for everyone to purchase insuance.   

http://defendyourhealthcare.com/2011/mccaughey-supreme-court-will-strike-down-obamas-healthcare-law/

912 SUPER SENIORS