Early Voting Ending Soon!

Tennesseans are turning out in record numbers, taking advantage of early voting. If you haven't made it to the poll yet tomorrow is your last chance before the August 5 Primary. Saturday, July 31st, early voting in Tipton County ends at 12:00 pm, in Haywood County at 1:00 pm. Exercise your right!

Turnaway at South Bellevue Abortion Clinic!

Following is an email is from Donna Ferrell, Precious in His Sight Ministries. We go work with her the last Monday of the month. She is dedicated, passionate and on a mission to save babies in the name of Jesus! We were blessed to be with her when this happened.

Hello to all,

We had a turnaway this afternoon at South Bellevue abortion clinic, a couple driving from Mississippi tags. The young lady was wiping her tears as she got out of the car. She started walking toward the clinic's front door. The baby's father was still behind doing something in the car. When he closed the door of the car we spoke out to him in love and offered him our literature. He was nice and walked over to us. We spoke to him and showed him what abortion really was. He was a bit taken aback and said he had no idea it was like that. He thanked us and we saw he was going to try to talk her out of doing it. About an hour went by and they both came out!! He looked over at us with a thumbs up and they went to the car. As they were leaving he unrolled the car window and thanked us. Then he shook Jim's hand what a blessing it was.

Our second blessing came a while later. A blue car with Georgia tags rolled up along the side road. And a precious young lady said she had meet me a while back. She wanted me to see her baby. A baby boy a month old. He was so sweet. Her name was Colleen. We thanked her for stopping.

So with all that HEAT!!! It was a JOY to stand for Jesus!

Loving Him,

Donna, Jim, Deb

Thanks TN Right to Life, Tipton Co. Tea Party & The NRA

I am proud to announce that the Tipton County Tea Party has endorsed my Republican Primary candidacy for Tennessee House of Representatives, District 81. I'm also thrilled to announce that Tennessee Right to Life and The National Rifle Association have awarded me the highest ratings possible for a non-incumbent candidate in this race. It is an honor to receive such an endorsement and ratings, but the true test of the strength of our campaign will be determined first in the Primary August 5, followed by the General Election November 2 when the citizens of District 81 have the opportunity to deliver the ultimate endorsement-their votes.

We cannot take anything for granted so I will continue to work hard for each and every vote. We have knocked on over 1200 doors. Our Team has called over 2000 households. I have looked over 1500 people in the eye and asked for their vote. With all this, we have just begun. It is important that people understand the principles for which I am running and that the principles are right.

I am running on the principle that the States and the People can manage their affairs better than the Federal Government and we have the right to say no when Washington exceeds it's Constitutional boundaries. Tennesseans can stimulate their own economy by requiring State Government to buy Tennessee produced goods and services. We must reduce the size of government, reduce state debt, reduce our excessively high sales tax and put a stop to job killing regulations and frivolous law suits. Join our campaign! Start by visiting our website, electjimhardin.com

Dog Days of Summer 7/23/2010 5:30 - 7:30

Join us Friday night, July 23, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Dog Days of Summer Political Rally & Candidate Meet and Greet. In the parking lot at 99 Doctors Drive, Suite 300, Munford. Bring your Lawn Chairs. $1.00 Hot Dogs and Ice Cold Drinks. Speakers include Congressman Zack Wamp, Candidate for Governor; Dr. Ron Kirkland, Candidate for US Congress; Sheriff Pancho Chumley, Myself, Jim Hardin, Candidate for Tn State House; Rory Bricco, Candidate for TN State House; Darlene Wheeler, County Clerk; Candidates for County Commission & Constable. Music provided by recording artist Angela Dew & Band; MCed by Miss Nashville, 2010, Jennifer McCullough. Sponsored by the Law Firm of Ward Williams, PLLC. Directions or questions call 901-837-9355 or me @ 901-491-6911.

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign.

Blocking out the scenery, breaking my mind.

It must be an election year. I can tell because of the bumper crop of signs blossoming along roadways and in front yards everywhere. Love them or hate them they are a part of the political landscape (pun intended). I admit I’ve got signs too. Very nice ones, I think. Red, white & blue. Three stars over the ‘I’ in ‘Jim’. And while signs don’t vote, the people that put them in their yard after we’ve met and talked do. They’ll be gone soon, swept away like the autumn leaves. At least until 2012.

Would you like a sign for your yard? Call me! I’ll bring it myself. I’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have. 901-491-6911

Has the Unaleinable Become Alien?

The Founders of these United States devised a system of government where each state and its citizens hold "unalienable" rights beyond those functions reserved to the national government. An unalienable right is that which can neither be taken nor given as it belongs to the people naturally. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Leaving education, in-state labor and commerce, determining what is acceptable public social behavior and other innumerable issues to the 'states and the people, respectively' enables us to have a country where you can essentially have fifty different cultures--thirteen in 1791. If you don't like the education in one state, gambling in another or feel that a particular place is a poor environment in which to raise your children, you have forty-nine options.

Until the last sixty or so years, a state could bus children to parochial schools, decide how to spend all it's educational funds free from a national government's requirements, punish it's state convicted criminals and a host of other functions totally unencumbered by federal mandates and requirements.

Before the Great Depression, people looked to their state governments for a redress of grievances, social assistance and laws for what they deemed the ideal orderly society. There was a time when a state and its citizens could pass laws requiring that state-funded education and services could be reserved for legal citizens only.

There was also a time when private property could not be infringed upon by national laws designed to appease those who value a tree frog's or minnow's environment more than a family's livelihood. (ie. San Joaquin Valley in CA)

Over sixty years ago, the average citizen could decide on their own retirement system and paid about one percent of their income in national taxes. The average wage earner today pays over 25% of their income to national--otherwise known as federal--taxes...When you add up income tax, social insecurity, Medicare, fuel tax and a host of other taxes. This is on top of another 15-20% our state and local governments take. Now Washington DC wants to take away the Home Mortgage Tax Deduction and tax our employee health benefits as income.

All of the Federal programs for Welfare, Education, Health Care, etc. come with a high price. The unalienable becomes alien, the right becomes a privilege conferred by a benevolent Washington, and freedom becomes just another word in the dictionary.

Out and About

With email, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, PayPal, Youtube & smart phones that do it all, I could campaign from the comfort of home. Images of my smiling face pixelating through the internet, asking for your support, a donation, your vote. There. Done and done.

But I'm a bit old fashioned. I like to look a person in the eye, shake their hand, make a personal connection. So that's what I've been doing lateley. Walking in the neighborhoods, knocking on doors, shaking hands. Having conversations.

As I've been out & about I've met a lot of folks who share the same concerns I do. We want a better future for our children and grandchildren. The people of the 81st district deserve representation in Nashville that will stand up for the values we believe in. Representation that recognizes the sovereignty of the State of Tennessee. Representation that cares about the citizens, not special interests.

So if you have a little free time some evening come walk with me. You'll be encouraged, enlightened and engaged in way you can never be from behind a computer screen. Oh, and if I haven't made it to your door yet, may I take this opportunity to ask for your vote?

Friends,

I need your help as we push toward victory in the Primary and then on to November. Here's what you can do:

• Visit and send friends/family to my website to learn more about the campaign and my position on the issues (www.electjimhardin.com)
• Help us this Saturday, July 10, from 7 am - 12 noon in Covington in the Fun-in-the-Sun Yard Sale in the parking lot of the Bald Butcher (Hwy 51)
• we need workers, help setting up and items to sale for the campaign
• Join me Thursday, July 8, 6:00 pm in the Munford City Hall to meet with the Tipton County Tea Party
• Volunteer to walk with me, put out signs and make phone calls
• Invite 8-12 (or more) for a visit in your home with Jim Hardin
• Contribute and encourage others to contribute -
• follow "Donate" link at website or mail to:

Friends to Elect Jim Hardin

PO Box 1060

Covington, TN 38019

We have made great progress since beginning the door-to-door campaign June 1. In addition to events where I have met many good folks, I have met over 1,000 voters in the district at their homes and in their communities, handed each a card, asked for their votes, and placed over 200 signs in their yards.

Don't let up--I wont! God Bless and thank you so much for your support!

I remain at your service,

Jim Hardin
Candidate for TN State Rep
District 81 (Haywood & Tipton)

www.electjimhardin,com

901-491-6911
Pslams 1

Celebrating Independence

We celebrate Independence Day on Sunday, yet few people could recite more than five words from the document that set American freedom into motion. With the advent of Concord and Lexington, the influence of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, and Great Britain’s rejection of the Second Continental Congress’ Olive Branch Petition, Thomas Jefferson, with editing help from John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, produced a document that will go down in history as one of the greatest works of mankind- the Declaration of Independence.

In the Declaration, Jefferson writes: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

There are those who would point out that not all men were treated equally in the newly formed nation. Slaves, women and men who did not own land were generally left out of the political process. When the first elections were held under the U.S. Constitution, only about 10% of the adult population was eligible to vote.

It’s easy to criticize the Founders and charge hypocrisy, but such criticism simply illustrates the ignorance that comes from modern present mindedness. It was unheard of in the late 1700s to have 10% of the adults eligible to vote. Where elections did occur, it was generally left to less than 1% of the landed aristocracy and nobility.

Our system left open the opportunity to expand the voting franchise and liberty as the nation was willing to progress. Today, look at China, the Sudan, Cuba, and over a hundred other nations where voting is either not allowed or elections are fixed to ensure dictatorship reigns. We should also look at over one hundred other nations that adopted the American example of independence.

Jefferson wrote that all men were created equal, but he did not write that all men were equal. It was a paradox that even he seemed uncomfortable with. He was a slave owner, but his personal writings indicate that he was uneasy with the institution. Jefferson once wrote that slavery was “like holding a wolf by the ears. You don’t like it, yet you dare not let it go.” What his conscience was trying to tell him, the nation eventually advanced as liberty was offered to slaves.

The liberty our nation instituted and expanded was a catalyst for producing great men and women from a variety of backgrounds. George Washington, John Paul Jones, Eli Whitney, Harriet Tubman, Robert E. Lee, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Booker T. Washington, the Wright brothers, Helen Keller, General Douglas MacArthur, James “Jimmy” Stewart, Billy Graham, Ronald Reagan, Sandra Day O’Connor, Lieutenant Scott O’Grady and so many others. What other nation in the world can boast of such a human legacy?

With a life of independence and the freedoms afforded by liberty, Americans are in the best position to discover the happiness God endowed in each of us. We have now come to a point in our history where all Americans have access to the ideals of the Declaration. The issue is what will we choose to do with independence?

God gave Adam and Eve independence call free will and they chose to abuse it and die rather than to live in paradise for an eternity. The self-indulgent free Roman citizens, enjoying liberties beyond imagination for their time, lost their independence to barbarian invaders as they wallowed in pagan blindness. The free citizens of France misused their independence by resorting to violent anarchy, and then could only be saved and protected by the dictator Napoleon. Suffering economic distress, the Germans gave up freedom for Adolph Hitler.

You see, independence is not easy to manage. We tend to abuse it and make selfish choices, and the result of these choices can lead to a loss of freedom and destruction of paradise. The best guarantee we have for the survival of American independence is for each individual to use freedom to serve God, family, country and community. The great Americans mentions earlier, although not perfect, epitomized the responsible use of liberty in their personal lives.

Let us become better acquainted with the content and principles of the Declaration of Independence. Let us celebrate independence and enjoy freedom. But more importantly, let us pursue life, liberty and happiness---for others. God Bless America and Happy Independence Day!

Religion & Politics

Many Christians believe faith and politics can or should be separate, but that is not Biblical. Believers in Jesus are called to apply the lordship of Christ in every area of life. Home, work, play & politics.

Matthew 5:13-14; 13:33 calls us to be the salt, the light and the leaven to the world.

Salt interacts with food to flavor and preserve.

Light infiltrates and dispels darkness.

Leaven mixes with dough to make it grow.

These are metaphors that call for participation, not isolation. As citizens of the earthly and spiritual realms we have rights and responsibilities in both. Christ and the Apostles spoke of our civic responsibilities.

Mark 12:17 “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s”.

1Peter 2:17 “Fear God. Honor the Emperor.

In our system of government we are the Caesar! Just as the Old Testament kings and New Testament Pharisees and Sadducees were held to account, so must we hold ourselves and our representatives to account.

Volunteerism

Tennessee has a proud heritage of Volunteerism. Tennesseans have always been willing to stand in the gap against tyranny and it is time for us to do it again. It is time to face the wave of Federal mandates, regulations & healthcare reforms. I promise to be the man to stand in the gap for the citizens of the great state of Tennessee. I will work hard to create good jobs, a well educated work force & economic development that will benefit all citizens of the Volunteer State.

May 12, 2010

Surrounded by friends & family I formally announced my candidacy for the Office of Tennessee House of Representatives, District 81, at the Tipton County Courthouse Saturday. As I said there, this race is not about running against anyone, but rather what I’m running for. Less intrusion by the Federal Government, realizing the State of Tennessee is sovereign, and Tennesseans know best how to raise our children, manage our resources & plan for our future. I believe the State of Tennessee should support Tennessee’s industries and businesses by utilizing their skills, products and knowledge while removing punitive taxes that stifle economic growth. It is time to stand up for what we believe in. This is just the beginning, join us as we set out to make a real difference in our lives, as well as our children’s and grandchildren’s.