About Me
This blog is dedicated to my internet friend G.M. Roper. I never would have done it without his encouragement, reassurance, and example.
I came of age in the shadow of the Baby Boomers. They call my generation “X.”
I’m a lawyer, admitted in New York. I went to Cornell University undergrad and Fordham Law School. I’m unemployed at the moment, mainly because I’m staying home with my daughter, who is 2. Also because I can’t find work.
Between college and law school, I lived in Europe for about four years. I taught English in Spain for almost two years. I lived in Dublin for a year and a half, where I worked in a cafe, as a nanny, and being yelled at in Italian over the phone by rightfully angry people whose packages had gone astray. I also taught English in Italy for about four months and spent a couple of months in France.
But I have never seen anywhere more beautiful than the green fields of Central New York, where I am from. I grew up in a small college town, a village actually, with a village green. My ancestors immigrated from Ireland between the 1820s and the 1870s. They came in at Castle Garden, bypassed New York City, and headed straight upstate, which looks a lot like Ireland.
My mother’s mother’s parents were farmers. They had fifteen children: the joyful mysteries, the glorious mysteries, and the sorrowful mysteries. My grandmother was one of the sorrowful mysteries.
My mother’s paternal grandather also immigrated from Ireland. He sent all his children- including his daughter- to college: one son became a doctor, and one became a judge. My father’s grandfather who immigrated was a blacksmith, his son became a judge.
This is the typical American story. This is what is truly revolutionary. This is what is truly progressive. Honest, peaceful people who are free to attain the fruits of their hard work and thereby prosper. In the old country, they still would have worked hard, they just wouldn’t have gotten anywhere.
The American dream is about the realization of human potential.
The American dream is about self-actualization.
Americans worship opportunity for its own sake, the way Hindus worship cows.
The inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It’s human nature. It works. People love it.
Socialism means losing many of the things we take for granted as Americans. No going back to school to change careers. No changing careers. No careers. Fewer jobs. No starting a business. Fewer businesses. Less entrepreneurship. Fewer products and services. Fewer choices. Fewer opportunities. Less power. Less money. Less possibility. We are seeing that now.
What is America if you can’t make any money here?
I am convinced that if despotism ever takes hold in America, it will find conquering the habits to which liberty has given rise even more difficult than subduing the love of liberty itself.
-Alex De Tocqueville
And we don’t magically turn into Norway under socialism, by the way. Norway is a little country of not five million people sitting on vast reservoirs of black gold. No, we will become another banana republic in the Americas.
I’m trying not to sound as desperate as I feel. If this light, this liberty, this dream is extinguished, it perishes from the earth- where does it go?
The opinions expressed are my own, and I might make mistakes sometimes. Also I kid around a lot. Everything I write is mine, and you can quote me only if you attribute to me and link. I can be contacted at rositatheprole@gmail.com.
Love it.
HI Ms Rosita, I wanted to tell you how much I love your blog, I got turned on to you a couple of weeks ago as a link from somewhere else, and quickly added you to Faves, your writing is fresh, and funny and thoughtful. Thank you thank you
best regards, Holley
Just found you, and plan to read more of what you write! Ditto on the second amendment. I was never an expat but being in the service for 23 years, I saw a bit of many different cultures and have never doubted for a minute that we are blessed to have been born in this country.
Carry on!!
Kurt
I came across your blog by accident while searching for information on the pelosi protest here in Houston. I was there and thought it was probably one of the most entertaining and enlightning events I had been to. the comments were as diverse as the people who came together to voice their opinions.
the reason i am writing is because of how you wrote about the protest.. it was touching as it was so close to how it was there that day. I wanted to thank you for your writing and I even took time out to read the “about me” section you have and that itself was very interesting as i have run into very few people who put into words how i so often feel.
I hope you have a wonderful day and please keep up the writings.
hopefully you don’t mind my writing… I was actually one of the people in uniform. we tried to stay out of the way and I have to admit the singing of the national anthem by the crowd as well as the people coming up and thanking us for being there…well…it was a far cry from what we expect to deal with on these occassions. I really commend you for showing that side of the people who were out there.
We have so much in common it’s scary.
Even … Sinatra.
I stumbled across your blog while researching the Times Square July 1st Tea Party.
You are wonderful. It is so heartening to see someone younger “get it” in terms of what MAKES Americans what they are. I think you’ve found your niche. Keep writing. We need voices like yours. And I’ll keep reading you. (Also, will quote you, with attribution, on my Facebook page. That seems to be kosher.)
I, too, noticed the difference in outlook between Americans and Europeans when I travelled there. My “happiness” was actually commented upon by the locals. Telling, that.
Rosita: It is a pleasure to meet you electronically. I was born in upstate New York (Schenectady), around the same time you were. My father’s clan had been there since the Mayflower, my mom’s side were part of the late 1800’s influx from Eastern Europe. I now reside in a foreign country myself — California
!
I also have one child, a son.
I read your description of the July 1st Tea Party with some interest, as I work with the southern California agitators (you can check out my website, Temple of Mut, if you are interested — http://templeofmut.wordpress.com/). I also agree thoroughly with what you said about American spirit.
I will be returning to your blog, as I think you write with great style and I would love to know what is happening in your part of this country.
Wow! Thank you very much, I am going to be keeping up with your blog, and it’s going on my blogroll. I guess you’re one of the Mass Exodus from New York State. The only reason New York State is no longer hemorraging residents is that with the recession people are too poor to get out. Myself, I’d rather switch than fight, I dream about Texas, but I can’t take my daughter away from my parents right now. So I’m forced to fight rather than switch.
Thank you so much for contacting me and for your comments!
It was great meeting you today up in New City.
Wasn’t it fantastic to march in the parade and wave the red white and blue?
You betcha.
HI Rosita, thanks for all of your writing, your sense of humor and your timing in your writing is delightful and insightful! Your attitude is inspiring to the rest of us out here in bumcake who feel alone, Keep it up, my friend!,
Holley
Oh, thank you! I am going to go now and google “bumcake.”
Keep it up! Great site!
Young people need to read “Miracle at Philadelphia” by Catherine D. Bowen or any of Joseph Ellis books about our founding “Fathers”. Discover the courage it took and the strength of character to hammer out our new government and struggle to define the Constitution while keeping freedom the overall consideration.
Our strength as a country is in our diversity and discourse. When party politics forces agendas, we are at our worst.
Our current elected leaders are failing us. We need to keep up the pressure from the bottom!
Thank you very much! And thank you for the book tip (if I count as a “young person). I’m reading “1776″ right now. I love the history, but I find the writing style flat.
Rosita –
Start with “American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic” . Then read “Miracle At Philadelphia”.
You get a good perspective of the rough and tumble politics (much like the present day) but you really get a feel for the fact that these were real people with good points and bad. We tend to forget that nowadays when all we have is statues!
btw – I am of the last wave of boomers so yes, in my book you qualify as young!
I have fallen head-over-heels in love with the blogosphere since last year, but I haven’t seen such a refreshing blast of cool air as your blog. My heart went out to you when I read the text at the top:”Two plus two make four”, the simple statement of truth from “1984″.
God bless and Godspeed Rosita.
Aw, thank you! I figure if I get fined, like Cass Sunstein is planning, I’ll apply for political asylum somewhere freer… like Texas. God bless you too!
Dear Rosita,
I LOVE that you use “2 plus 2 = 4″.
About 20 years ago, while Poland was still under communist rule but Lech Walenska was making big waves, I worked for about a month in Crakow. At that time, faculty who were in Solidarity were still slipping down academic ladders, and those who opposed Solidarity were being promoted, but there was a great deal of public recognition that their own government had deceived and abused the entire nation. On the walls in graffiti I saw the “2 = 2 = 4″ slogan several times. I don’t speak Polish, and had translators, and there were many many things that I asked about, but I never did get around to asking why that slogan was there and what is signified. It wasn’t until about 6 months ago that I learned that what it meant to them was a shorthand statement that they intended to eliminate the pretense that reality is slippy and whatever a politically prominent person said it was. No, things are as they are, not as someone wants or says they are.
Well, in this time of massive deception at every level here in the U.S., it is the PERFECT summary of the position that says that reality is true and knowable, and that whoever uses that slogan intends to adhere to that reality. What is true is true. 2 = 2 = 4, it does not equal whatever the President says it is, it does not change from day to day, and it is the same for every person.
THANK YOU for using that wonderful summary slogan as your flag.
Thank you so much! I’m doing a little experiment. It feels great to say what you think in an atmosphere of, like you said, “massive deception.” I think about the Young Iranians all the time.
Go to mostly4us.
You need to increase your visibility and join with people who think like you.
People who think like me tend to scare me. Also people who think like me tend to be irritable misanthropes like me, so we don’t tend to meet much. But OK. I’m kind of into increasing my visibility because it will help if I get targeted. If enough people “increase their visibility” now and stand up against what is going on, then we can stop or at least put up some resistance, and it will make it better for everyone, but we can’t be free riders anymore. I have been a free-rider on American society my entire life and benefited from it without really doing anything in return- besides promoting America’s image abroad by smoking cigarettes.
Hey there are good postings on this! Thanks!
Wonderful blog and site.
Keep up the good work. What’s the difference between Socialism, Communism and Feudalism? Not much, except Communism does seem to exterminate more people more effectively.
Thanks for you passion for the truth.
Don’t stop blogging, Rosita, I read Gateway, Hot Air, and Pajamams in my pajamas (thanks for the turn on to GM’s place too, fascinating piece on political correctness), and then I get my second cup to see what you have to say about all of it…
keep truckin’ baby,
Holley Wright
Wow, that’s so kind of you- thank you so much. Yeah, I found that film on political correctness fascinating. I had no idea it was that systematic or strategic. It makes sense, though.
HI ROSITA,
Your, “About Me” article is excellent.Because it is so consistent with ideas I write about, I would be happy to post the article in its entirety, as a guest article, on my blog site, octogenariansblog.com. giving you credit as the editor.
I have almost 300 articles posted, and only twice have I invited a guest to feature on my site. Or if you would like to write another article as a guest post, I invite you, if you prefer doing that.
In either case I need your permission.
Looking forward to hearing from you
Kindly
Anne Cleveland
Thank you! I am extremely flattered!
(And I really appreciate you asking my permission! My general rule is I just like to be credited with the things I write and also linked to.)
Hi Rosita,
I too, accidently came upon your blog. So glad I did!
It is so refreshing to see someone of your generation, that truly understands, what true freedom means! I wish my daughter “got it”. Unfortunately she allowed herself to become brainwashed in college by several radical professors.
Keep up the great work! I will certainly be “tuning in” to your inciteful,intelligent,and articulate viewpoints.
Thank you! Keeping informed on both history and currently what’s going on is absolutely vital.