Educating America's Children

I came across this website after seeing co-founder of Consituting America, Janine Turner and her daughter, on Fox & Friends this week.  Please take time to check it out.  Its inspiring, hopeful and educational...it is www.constitutingamerica.org .   Now is the time to educate ourselves and our chldren on the framework of America's history.  The Founding Fathers were wise men; there is a reason our great country is called The United States of America.  Constituting America offers simple fun ways to engage yourself, family, friends and your community to learn about the Constitution, Founding Fathers and founding principles.  Stand up be read....educate yourself, educate others!!

Get Rally Ready!

We've been overwhelmed with response to our apparel line and message tees. So excited that people are engaged and get it!!  We have Large and XLarge sizes still available in Abraham Lincoln 1863 & 1864, Uncle Sam, and Thomas Jefferson Question with Boldness.  All sizes are available in the Alexander Hamilton tee.  Get Rally Ready and recieve a 10% coupon on all Stand Up. Be Read.TM apparel.  Redeem your coupon using the code Rally at Check Out.  Offer ends April 30, 2010..hurry and place your order today!!  www.standupberead.com

Day 4: AAM - VOTE IN NOVEMBER

Its the last day at the Atlanta Apparel Mart.  We met so many interesting people...all of them business owners-wholesalers, designers, and buyers. The modo of day 4: VOTE IN NOVEMBER!  Over the past four days we shared stories with business owners about anxiety over the economy but also hope for the future.  In short, business owners want government out of their business, they want corporate taxes lowered, they want healthcare repealled, they want incentives to keep manufacturing jobs in the US, and they want politicians who are truthful.   Many of us are small business owners who, based on principle, use US companies to manufacture goods to support the American workforce. On the flip side we are penalized and at times not competitive because the cost to produce goods is more expensive and sets up our cost of goods to be more than the competition who don't care about 'USA made' labels and prefer to make their products overseas to take advantage of the lower costs.  
The bottom line is that there is a feeling that Washington DC talks a big story about looking after the small business owner, but they don't act on the talk...and this has been going on for years.  Policies just add to the burden in a sluggish economy.  'Where is Reagan?'
That being said, we are all hopeful that through the election process politicians will be forced to get out of the way of small business and the free market will pull the economy out of the recession.
Oh and one last note...consumers, please support the American workforce and buy products made in the USA!!  Go to this website for more information:  www.americansworking.com

Day 3: Atlanta Apparel Mart

Yesterday was day 3 at Atlanta Apparel Mart.  We continue to get great feedback from buyers and guests alike - "Great tees, great message, perfect timing."  Modo of the day: stay true to your passion and have faith in yourself.

Day 2: Atlanta Apparel

Day 2: Atlanta Apparel Mart...another fab day of runway and showing Stand Up Be Read apparel. See the runway video of Question with Boldness - Thomas Jefferson and 1863 - Abraham Lincoln Gettysburg. Modo of the day: the word 'unconditional' is totally under rated! Over the past few days we've meet so many genuine and transparent people - designers, wholesalers, buyers...we are all is this together.

Atlanta Apparel Mart Daily Strut: Freedom Butterfly

Yesterday on the runway was Freedom Butterfly.  Today is Question with Boldness - Thomas Jefferson and 1863 - Abraham Lincoln.

Day 1 at Atlanta Apparel Mart

Day 1 at the mart has been fabulous.  Butterfly debuted on the Daily Strut Runway show.  All Stand Up. Be Read.TM apparel made an impression and gained much interest.  I have photos and a video to post, but we have techincal difficulties with the laptop so I'll load them later from the office desk top.  Modo of the day - you never know where or when opportunities will arise...luck only benifits those who are prepared - I love to be lucky and I love to be prepared!!  Can't wait for day 2!! On tap for tomorrow the debut of Question with Boldness - Thomas Jefferson and 1863 - Abraham Lincoln Gettysburg...both on the Runway!

Atlanta Apparel Mart: Nichola Originals

Tomorrow starts Atlanta's Apparel Mart.  Nichola Originals and the Stand Up. Be Read.TM apparel will be featured there.  Our booth is like none other and we are very proud to be representing an awesome collection with a honorable message.  We are all very excited and plan to blog during the event so keep checking the blog or website for updates.  Thanks!!

Faces - Dinah

Her name is Dinah…On the surface Dinah appears to be like most 28 year olds in America and last week I met her when she was introduced to me by a friend. Within minutes of that meeting I realized Dinah is not like every 28 year old in America; her story is inspiring, enlightening, and must be told. Her story isn’t unique because of her past; it is unique because of how her past brought history forward in her life and is the premise for how she lives her life today.

Dinah was in the public school system until the fourth grade. At which time her mother found herself needing to re-teach her children when they came home from school and therefore decided to take on the responsibility to home school Dinah and her sister. During the next 8-10 years, Dinah completed her studies and she says she remembers that in her home there was frequent “background noise” about personal values, taxes, and peoples’ rights.

When Dinah was 21, she moved to California. As she puts it she saw some pretty scary stuff. She recalls one instance when she went to a party in a not so safe part of town and found herself in a precarious situation that she didn’t think she would get out of safely. She said that all she could think about was if she called 911 it would take the police longer to get to her than it would take for danger to become her. That was a turning point for her. Dinah survived that night and within seven months she moved back to Georgia. It was also a time when she decided to educate herself on self defense, the NRA, and gun rights.

Dinah was now in her early twenties living in Georgia trying to make a life for herself; with no car, no home, no money, but as she puts it “she had her freedom.” Within two days of moving to Georgia, Dinah found a job working in the kitchen at an exclusive country club. She found herself an affordable apartment that unfortunately was not in close proximity to the country club. To make ends meet there was a period of time when she worked double shift at the country club and took on another job as a pastry chef for a caterer. As a young adult this scheduled completely squelched her opportunity for a social life coupled with transportation challenges not owning a car. However, she managed, at times, a 31 hour shift until she was able to financially structure her life into a normal work day schedule.

Working at the country club she met Roger, a co-worker. Over the years their friendship turned into something deeper and they eventually married. Six years later, Dinah is still employed at the club and has earned additional responsibilities there.

Today, Dinah owns a home and pays a mortgage; owns a used car without a note; pays cash for everything – she learned that lesson the hard way; is an NRA supporter and owns a gun to protect herself, and supports the Fairtax plan.

When Dinah shared her story with me, I couldn’t help but smile. She had so much wisdom packed in her 28 years. I thought ‘in this world of young people feeling as if they are entitled, how and why was she spared the curse?’ So I asked her, “Dinah, you know that you are a-typical. Why do you see the world differently than so many young adults your age?”

Her response was thoughtful, provocative, and without pause. The best way I can express it is to bullet each point she made, so here they are:

• she was home schooled and learned self reliance; not indoctrination to the reliance of government and the cradle to grave mentality 
• she sacrifices her wants for her needs - until she can pay cash; she says having loans, notes, and credit cards makes her a slave to others and she prefers her freedom.
• suffering is a necessary part of life; it taught her the responsibility, ownership, and consequence that come with freedom of choice   

At the beginning of this story, I mentioned that a friend introduced me to Dinah. The reason for the introduction was not really about Dinah and ‘her story’, but that two weeks earlier, she had a tattoo sketched on her right arm - shoulder to wrist. The tattoo includes the faces of our country’s Founding Fathers. It also includes images of the bald eagle, the Constitution, the quill pen used by the Fathers to sign the Constitution, and each signature. Being involved with my company Nichola Originals and Stand Up. Be Read.TM, my friend knew I would want to see this tattoo. When I started interacting with Dinah to schedule our meeting, it became clear to me that her story and message is as powerful as the tattoo on her arm.

I spent a good 20 minutes studying the beautiful sketch and imagery of the tattoo and I asked her, “What possessed you to tattoo the Founding Fathers?” She said a well known artist was in town and extended an offer to sketch a tattoo for her. After much consideration, she took him up on his offer. She then went into research mode and took great care to choose images that best convey the respect she has for the service of the Founding Fathers. She said they exemplify freedom first and she feels in today’s political climate, they are disrespected. For three days she sat while the artist sketched the images; the thought frequently about how her generation probably doesn’t know who the Founding Fathers are and the sacrifices they made to lay the path for future generations. She said at one point she was in great pain and looked over at the photo of George Washington and thought of the pain he went through fighting for freedom.

My final question to her was, “When did you become interested in the Founding Fathers?” She responded that during the campaign of 2008, she heard someone ask then Senator Obama about his view on gun rights and his response was in favor of revoking gun ownership laws. That stopped Dinah in her tracks and she began to study the candidates and what they stand for…do their views align with the Constitution or against the Constitution. Then the bailouts of the banks brought her more concern, from both sides of the political isle. She knew right then she needed to educate herself on the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights. It was then she became intrigued with the Founding Fathers and their principles.

Dinah hopes to inspire her generation to Stand Up. Be Read.TM on the principles of the Constitution and the Founding Fathers. She believes, as I do, that once you understand the premise of freedom in the United States of America, you will realize its fragility and fight to protect it.

Thank you, Dinah, for sharing your story and being a Face of Stand Up. Be Read.TM