BIG NEWS...Do You Believe In Miracles???

"SB2517 as introduced, allows the use of locked isolation rooms and physical restraints in certain situations involving students receiving special education...."

I am very excited to announce that I have decided to run as a write-in candidate for State Senate in Tennessee, 23rd District.

My chances of winning are likely the same as my chances of getting struck by lightning (although I much prefer one over the other). What write-in candidate EVER wins? From what I can gather, there is only one other person running for the office and he is the incumbent who proposed the insane bill written above. So, it is just him and me. You might say: 50/50 chance.....no, think again.

My name will not show up on the ballot; instead, people will have to remember my name and write my name on the ballot! Can it be done? I think it can.

I have had a desire to enter politics for some time. I am an avid follower of the economy and am always amazed by governmental maneuvering. A bit of a tea partier, I dig most things "Glenn Beck" and admit to being Hannitized. I am not a typical politician, because I truly do not care about being liked or disliked, whether my core beliefs are accepted or rejected, and I do not want to take any money to run my campaign, because I fear being beholden to any organization or platform. What I do care very deeply about, however, is exhibiting honesty, living out integrity, and being who I am.

In a nutshell, this is what I believe in:

*SMALL GOVERNMENT where states can still make some decisions for themselves and individual citizens have a voice.

*LOW TAXES that give plenty of room for small businesses to birth and existing business to grow. Keeping money in the hands of the citizen means it will be spent to support our local economy.

*CUTTING THE FAT from spending and BALANCING BUDGETS in the process. Having worked in the Financial Services industry for 8 years, I understand a thing or two about the importance of spending within limits and wise investing. Chappy and I have worked hard to balance our budget at home which has resulted in the gratification of being completely out of debt.

*LISTENING TO INNOVATIVE IDEAS FROM EDUCATORS WHO ARE ON THE FRONT-LINES WITH STUDENTS EACH DAY in order to improve the public school system. In addition, I support giving parents a choice when it comes to education for their children, because every child has his/her own learning style and individuality (I currently homeschool one of our children and the rest attend public school)

*HEALTHCARE IMPROVEMENT for Tennessee, but not FEDERALIZED OBAMACARE stuffed down our throats.

*ADHERING TO THE LAW AND THE CONSTITUTION....not settling for interpretation that benefits one group over another or changes with the so-called "times".

*CARING FOR THE LEAST OF THESE....If elected as Tennessee State Senator, I would be an on-going, out-spoken advocate for ALL special needs children, Tennessee's gigantic adoption community, the unborn, and the elderly.

How intelligent is it to run in a state senate race with no money? with no party affiliation? with no political experience? without my name on the ballot? Most say I am nuts. To a certain extent I would agree....I am nuts enough to believe in miracles, but I know I have what it takes to stand up to whatever political storm may come to make a mark for all those I would have the honor to represent. On my beliefs, I absolutely will NOT waiver. NEVER.

The bill posted above is what prompted me to act NOW. Unfortunately, I didn't learn of the bill until it was too late for me to be placed on the official ballot. This detail almost kept me from running for office, but the more I thought about this type of legislation being bantered about, the more I realized my voice, on behalf of ALL parents who have special needs children, needs to be heard. And if I don't run, even as a write-in, then I am guilty of sitting by and doing nothing.

I would argue most legislators do not understand what it is like to raise a special needs child.....and have no idea what it is like to adopt a child......many will never know what it is like to have a child who faces ongoing medical issues......or what it is like to be pushed to abort your special needs child and be treated horribly for resisting the establishment.......I wonder how many know what it is like to divorce an abusive spouse and fight for the rights of the child who was a product of that failed marriage.....or how many know what it is like to fight for child support payments.......Most probably haven't exercised their right to homeschool a child.....and what do they know about the Special Education Program and the required IEPs? Me? I have been a part of all of these things. I believe I represent a great population of average America, and definitely my county: Williamson County, TN.

Perhaps a voice like mine could make a small difference. I would like to think so.

I have finally opened a Facebook account, so look me up if you get a chance. Following Sarah Palin's lead, I decided Facebook might be a good avenue for my election bid since it is FREE and I have VERY LITTLE MONEY TO CAMPAIGN!!! We'll see how it goes....this will be more than a journey; I have a feeling it will be quite an adventure!