After taking a quick look at Gabrielle Cusumano's blog page my brain went into writing mode.

What got my attention was the mention of Clint Eastwood and his comments on Political Correctness. So, I searched out the article that was linked through The Drudge Report website to Yahoo India News. Why this only showed up in India is beyond me.

Anyway, Eastwood is quoted

"People have lost their sense of humour. In former times we constantly made jokes about different races. You can only tell them today with one hand over your mouth or you will be insulted as a racist," the Daily Express quoted him as saying.

"I find that ridiculous. In those earlier days every friendly clique had a 'Sam the Jew' or 'Jose the Mexican' - but we didn't think anything of it or have a racist thought. It was just normal that we made jokes based on our nationality or ethnicity. That was never a problem. I don't want to be politically correct.

We're all spending too much time and energy trying to be politically correct about everything," he added. (ANI)

Eastwood, at 79, has had an accomplished career as actor, director, writer and producer. He is by far one of my favorites and has taken on subjects in his movies that most would not venture into. He has made many movies of his own, and financed on his own, that were not box office hits but to his fans. He has truthfully portrayed the jazz sciene with the movie Bird, a docudrama based on the life of Charlie Parker and the jazz underground of the 50's and 60's. He has brought the reality of war to the screen with Flags of our Fathers and Letters from IwoJima. And, his latest flick, Gran Torino depicts life in an urban neighborhood and the power struggle on the streets.

Political correctness and the Hollywood elite obviously found Gran Torino offensive. This movie grossed $139 million in it's debut weekend and garnered rave reviews from many who wandered into theaters to take in Eastwood's latest offering. Is it politically correct? No, but it is accurate, as is Eastwood's other, latest endeavors for the big screen.

Political correctness is destroying our freedoms, our society. Gran Torino received no nominations from within the academy, to no real surprise. But, the reason is not because it wasn't a good flick, it was politically incorrect. Eastwood's role as Walt was very good Eastwood, almost like an aging Dirty Harry.

This post isn't about the film industry, it's about where our society is headed. We are becoming an overly sensitive bunch of mealy mouthed drones. We have gotten away from calling a spade a spade (not a black comment). Our freedom of speech has been curbed like a dog with a full bladder. We are lambasted for using the term "illegal immigrant" and corrected to the term "undocumented alien" by bleeding heart liberals. They are, what they are, ILLEGAL! We are criticized when we use the term "black" when referring to our neighbors of color and told that they are "African American". This term holds true if they are actually from, or their parents were from, Africa. If you are a third generation black, you are just another one of us plan 'ol Americans. We are who we are. I was born and raised in Canada, moved to the US almost twenty years ago, proudly became a US citizen and refer to myself as an American, not a Canadian-American. Maybe it's just because it just doesn't roll of the tongue well or maybe it's just because.

We shouldn't be afraid to speak our mind and use the venaculre we choose as long it is done with respect. We shouldn't take offense to terms that dipict truth in language and speech. What ever happened to that tough American exterior, the rugged pioneers who moved from east to west exploring the North American wilderness and growing this country into the greatest country on earth. We are all Americans before we are anything or anybody else. Let's grow up and act like Americans. Let's throw political correctness out the window and get back to the basics of looking out for each other instead of taking advantage of each other. Let's fight for the values on which this country was founded and then, we will be the mighty UNITED States of America.

May God bless this great nation and our men and women in her service.

I can't stay quiet on this anymore.

I have been adding my comments to several conservative blog sites over past several years as well as reading the writings of others. I have made every effort to write with respect and dignity.

I am concerned that many so-called conservative bloggers cross the line of respectful writing each and every time they pull their chair up to their computer. I'm not talking about respect for those or the topics they write about but, more so, for themselves. I understand that blogging is commentary and opinion but quality and believability is key to attract a regular audience, at least for me. It's alright to get mad about a certain topic and write about it, it shows passion. It's alright to oppose another's opinion or stance on a topic or ask the tough questions for clarification, that's human nature. What isn't alright is when comments towards another become personal attacks and name calling. This makes us just a little less than pond scum.

I see this as a growing problem in both the conservative and republican circles. I live my life based on two primary documents of law, The United States Constitution and The Ten Commandments. Contained within those two documents is the idea of respect and tolerance for our fellow human being and respect for ourselves. As I read the many writings of others, I am finding a growing trend of slanderous fire occupying the many pages of well established and well read sites.

The dictionary defines conservative as "disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, ect., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change." "Cautiously moderate ..." "Traditional in style or manner ..."

Why are we buying into the trend of expressing our views and opinions the way the liberal left does? We need to clean up our act and become credible once again, become respectful and respected once again. Lets stop the personal attacks on each other and write with class, respect and accuracy.

Let me give and example here. During the last campaign season I was particularly active in my writing, as I usually am prior to elections. I posted in many places including here on Townhall.com, McCainSpace and yes even on Obama's campaign site. Obama's site, for those of you who may not ventured there, was a well thought out, custom made web site which provided visitors a plethora of information about the candidate and his rhetoric. I took the opportunity to register on the Obama site so that I would be able to add my posts. I took the time to read through many of the posts just to see what was being said and promptly sat down to write. My post was respectful, without attack, but did ask some tough questions as well as pointing out some discrepancies, based on supportable facts, in what I had read. Within thirty minutes I had several comments to my post. Not one of those comments addressed one single issue that I had addressed. Instead, I was personally attacked, my family was personally attacked and the makeup of the Obama supporter became clearly evident. Within forty five minutes of my post, I was blocked from posting anything more. With that, the makeup of the Obama campaign became clearly evident and more support of the facts that Obama would oppress any views other than his, censorship.

As Republican, Libertarian and Democrat Conservatives (and yes there actually are conservative Democrats) we need to step up and be better than personal attacks and name calling. Opinion, is just that, opinion. But, even with opinion must we be accountable for our words, accountable to ourselves, our consciences.

Here's what I know. The conservative movement is alive and well in the USA but, has lost much credibility. Many conservatives have lost their focus on what is true and just. We MUST BE BETTER than the radical left in order to defeat them. We must join together and reunite within the principals that this great nation was built on. We must respect ourselves, each other and the true meaning of "Free Speech". We cannot be drawn into the left's way of twisted truths and slanderous utterances.

Be factual, be respectful and be diligent, then, and only then, will we regain our great nation.

All around this great nation Americans, tired of the uncontroled spending of Obama's Washington, are gathering to voice their opinions. "Tea Parties" are organizing in cities across the country to let Washington know that we will not stand for running up the national debt for the sake of wasteful spending and growing government.

http://newamericanteaparty.com/ has a listing on their site of upcoming Tea Parties and there are oher web sites with more listings.

Stand up and be recognised! It's time to tell Washington that we won't tolorate them wasting our hard erned money.

If you follow media reports, listen to your elected officials and believe what you hear, you will surely believe the housing market has collapsed. Now, this may or may not be true depending where in the nation you live.

In the last few days it has been reported that the housing market woes have primarily effected five states, California, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan and Florida. To this I would add many localized areas that specifically include the coastal areas of the south eastern US, the beach communities.

It is true that we have a seen a dramatic decline in new housing starts and existing home sales along with a mortgage industry that has found itself in a world of financial hurt. We all now why the mortgage industry is in the state that it is in. It is however, a shame that many honest, hard working families have found themselves in the middle of this mess. This is all thanks to the lack of control by the federal government and Wall Street greed.

As for the housing industry, lets take a look at what I believe is going on here. Now, I will say that I am not a real estate professional, economist nor developer. I have however, followed the market closely over the last several years in anticipation of making a home purchase which I did last August.

The quiet before the storm came in the early years of this decade, 2000 - 2004, where the housing industry was fairly stable, as was the market pricing. Based on the S&P/Case-Shiller index, there was an increase in the index of just under ten percent in 2001 and 2002. 2003 saw an increase of just over twelve percent and 2004 about sixteen. This is where developers and homeowners saw a growing trend of sales and price increases which lead to a twenty percent jump in the index for 2005. This was driven by speculation and greed, get the most you can at any expense. Another twenty percent jump was seen by the first quarter of 2006 where the peak was reached. The market flat lined through 2006 with less than a five percent fluctuation and then the fall began. 2007 saw a decrease in the index of almost fifteen percentage points and by the end of 2008 the index had dropped a whopping thirty five points (S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices).

Here's what I know. In our free market society we strive to make as much money as we possibly can, and here it is again, at any expense. We are very short sighted when it comes to gaining wealth. It's not how we play the game but, whether we win or loose. It's that mentality that has driven the housing market into the disaster it is today. We can blame the government on the mortgage "crisis" but the housing crisis must be blamed on us.

Here's what I have seen. Housing prices soared in 2004 - 2006 at an unhealthy rate which decreased the available buyers to only those in higher income brackets. In actuality, the higher market prices blocked out the average American's ability to afford to buy a home therefore creating an abundance of homes with too few possible buyers. The result, home prices were forced down because of the large inventory of available homes. I, for one, took advantage of this price drop.

Here's what I believe has happened. The housing market has corrected itself and is now back to where it was in the first quarter of 2004. There really isn't any crisis, contrary to popular belief. The crisis only effects those, who without looking at the big picture and driven by greed, blindly jumped on the real estate band wagon to make as much as they could with the sale of thier home. Or, those who's speculative endeavors fell flat because they wanted to get rich quick.

In the movie What About Bob, the primary focus in Bob's therapy was "Baby Steps". We must think along these lines when we strive for wealth, "Baby Steps". For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. That has occurred in the housing market. We have returned to a more normal state with regard to home prices.

So there you go, no crisis, just correction.