Happy New Year

All,

As we turn our clocks into 2009, we have many challenges on the road ahead of us. A time of seemingly insurmountable majorities. A time of economic trouble. A time of war. There is no denying that we have a great deal of obstacles to overcome, but we can do it, if we do it together. Only when we can all unite will our strength be known. We will win together, we will lose together. Celebrate and mourn together. And defeats will be softened and victories sweetened because we will do them together.

On that note, I would like to extend warmest wishes for a happy and safe New Year from everyone at Connecticut Young Republicans. May she be a damn sight better than the old one. And may we all find home before she's over.

The Lost Christmas Eve

In recognizing this cherished day by many, I hope all of you are happy and safe this Christmas Eve. In the spirit of the season, I leave with you a poem, The narration from the song The Lost Christmas Eve, from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I hope you enjoy it.

THE LOST CHRISTMAS EVE
ANOTHER YEAR HAS COME AND PAST

LIKE MOMENTS THROUGH AN HOURGLASS

AND AT THE END OF THIS YEAR’S TRAIL

AN OFFERING, A FINAL TALE

OF LOVE, LONG LOST

AND THEN REFOUND

AND THE CHILD BY WHICH

THOSE DREAMS WERE BOUND

OF A DUSTY HOTEL

THAT WAS LONG PAST OLD

AND THE SHADOWS AND THE MEMORIES

ITS HALLWAYS STILL HOLD

FOR THINGS THAT ARE OLD

HAVE THE BEST TALES TO TELL

AND USUALLY,

THEY TELL THEM WELL

AND SO IT’S HERE, MY DEAR CHILDREN

THAT OUR STORY TRULY STARTS

WHEN THE LORD SENT ONCE MORE TO THE EARTH

AN ANGEL, WITH A CHILDLIKE HEART

AND ON THIS NIGHT HIS MISSION WAS

TO FIND SOMEWHERE ON THIS EARTH

THAT HUMAN THAT BEST REFLECTED HIS SON

AND CARRIED ON HIS WORK

AND SINCE THIS MISSION FROM HIS LORD

HAD TO BE COMPLETED ON THIS ONE NIGHT

THE ANGEL QUICKLY UNFOLDED HIS WINGS

AND TOWARDS THE EARTH TOOK FLIGHT

AND THIS NIGHT, IN CASE YOU HAVE NOT GUESSED

WAS ONCE MORE CHRISTMAS EVE

WHEN SNOW AND LIGHT AND ANGELS’ FLIGHTS

ALL TOGETHER WEAVE

BUT OF THE ANGEL’S INSTRUCTIONS

THERE WAS ONE THING MORE

THAT WOULD MAKE THIS JOURNEY TO THE EARTH

HARDER THAN ALL THE ONES BEFORE

FOR THE LORD HAD ALSO TOLD THE ANGEL

THAT HE COULD ONLY USE HIS WINGS TWICE THIS CHRISTMAS EVE

ONCE WHEN HE DESCENDED TO THE EARTH

AND ONCE MORE WHEN HE WOULD LEAVE

(NOT UNLIKE OURSELVES SOME THINK,OR AT LEAST SO I BELIEVE)

NOW THIS PUT QUITE A COMPLICATION

IN WHAT THE ANGEL PLANNED

FOR NOW HE HAD TO CHOOSE MOST CAREFULLY

EXACTLY WHERE HE WOULD LAND

HE NEEDED TO FIND A SINGLE PLACE

THAT WOULD REPRESENT ALL MANKIND

BUT HUMANS WERE SUCH A VARIED LOT

SUCH A PLACE WOULD SURELY BE HARD TO FIND

A SINGLE PLACE WHERE THERE WOULD BE

HUMANS OF EVERY RACE AND CREED

THE RICH AND POOR, THE THRILLED AND BORED

THE FAILURES WITH THOSE WHO SUCCEED

BUT AFTER A FEW MOMENTS

CAREFULLY PLACED IN THOUGHT

THE ANSWER APPEARED IN THE ANGEL’S MINDT

HE CITY CALLED NEW YORK

AND AS HE NEARED THAT CITY

WHERE ALL THOSE SOULS DID DWELL

HE FELT HIMSELF BEING DRAWN TOWARDS

AN OLD, RUNDOWN HOTEL

FOR IN A CITY THAT USUALLY HAD

GUARDS AT NEARLY EVERY SINGLE DOOR

THIS ONE JUST HAD A SIGN THAT SAID “VACANCIES,

THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM FOR ONE MORE”

NOW WHY THE ANGEL DECIDED TO STOP THERE

HE COULD NOT QUITE SAY THE REASON

BUT HE THOUGHT THE SIGN UPON THAT HOTEL

SOMEHOW FIT THE SENTIMENT OF THIS SEASON

NOW EVEN AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

THE BUILDING WAS STILL A WORK OF ART

AND THOUGH SOME FAÇADE HAD CRUMBLED HERE AND THERE

MOST STILL HAD THEIR PARTS

THE WALLS WERE MADE OF GRANITE

NOT ALUMINUM OR STEEL

AND EVERY PILLAR AND BALLISTRADE

STILL HAD ITS ARTIST’S FEEL

EVERY GUTTER HAD A GARGOYLE

EVERY GARGOYLE HAD ITS WINGS

FOR ANGELS CAN APPRECIATE

OTHER FLYING THINGS

SO HE LANDED ON A CATHEDRAL ROOF

ACROSS THE STREET FROM THAT HOTEL

AND LOOKED DOWN UPON THE WORLD BELOW

WHERE ALL THOSE SOULS DID DWELL

AND SITTING ON THAT ROOFTOP

WITH HIS FRIEND THE WINTER WIND

HE GAZED CAREFULLY AT THAT SCENE BELOW

AS HE SLOWLY TOOK IT IN

Delays

Hey everyone-

I apoligize for the lack of posts over the past week or so. It is finals time in the world of college students, so as soon as they are done, the CTYR blog will be back in all its glory.

In the mean time, please remember that the CTYR Holiday party is this Thursday, Dec. 18 at the Hardware City Tavern in New Britain (136 Main Street) at 6pm.

We ask that you bring one unwrapped gift for Toys for Tots and we'll all have some fun and do some good.


Be patient and all will return...

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I know that since November 5 not many of us have that much to be thankful for, but it is time to look forward, time to see where we can go and stop worrying about where we've been. 2010 is a short time away and we can do good and reclaim our territory. "What lays behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

We are Americans. We are patriots. We are free. And when nothing else seems to be left, at least we can be thankful for that. God bless you. God bless the United States of America.

Being Politcally Correct is a Pain in the Ass

Thanksgiving is a few short days away, which means Christmas decorations have been up in retail for about a month now. Yes. Christmas decorations. Believe in it or not, the reason for the season is Christmas and I’m not about to lessen the value and meaning of Christmas by saying anything different.

I would imagine that somewhere along the line, celebrating the fourth of July offends some illegal immigrants sitting in a slum in the inner city, quivering at any flashing blue light. But who is going to stop us from celebrating the birth of our country? I’m not saying we shouldn’t respect other religions or cultures, but let us do it in due course.

December 25th is Christmas. The large green pine trees in Times Square and the rotunda of the White House are Christmas Trees. At what point in history did tradition eradicate itself to give way to some ill conceived notion that people cannot handle a holiday specific to a particular culture? I say this not only in relation to Christmas, however.

Many colleges and universities with large Jewish populations receive multiple days off during the academic year for religious days such as Rosh Hashanah and Passover. Most colleges and universities excuse students of the Muslim faith from most academic work during the period of Ramadan. So every other religion is entitled to their Holy Days, so named, so celebrated, and so accepted, but the most time honored of all is not?

No one is trying to force the Christian religion on any other people. Beliefs are beliefs, and no one can take that way. The request we make is simple, give us our Holy Day back.

Commercialization aside, it is a day of religious observance, subordinate in religious importance only to Easter. I’ll wish you L’Chaim on Rosh Hashanah and Mazel Tov on your bar mitzvah, just wish me Merry Christmas when its time. Sometimes, being politically correct is a pain in the ass.