I feel so blessed to be living in an area, where people show such compassion toward the needs of others.

The election in Massachusetts this last Tuesday has more of a historical significance than the election of Mr. Obama in 2008. However, from the early responses of both parties, neither has grasped that importanance. We, as a country, are a Republic. There is a distinct difference between a Democracy and a Republic. There is not enough space to detail the differences here. Let me suffice to simply state there is a difference and the Founding Fathers well knew that difference. Those in Washington have forgotten exactly what form of government is framed in the Constitution. Adams, Jefferson, Madison and many others knew that government, any form of government, is inherently evil. That is to say, any government will, over time, seek to increase its authority over its citizens. Our present day government, under the guise of the “common good”, has extended itself deeper and deeper into our daily lives. Our Founding Fathers knew this would happen and framed a document to prevent it from taking place. The Constitution places strict limits on what the Federal Government can and cannot do. Over the last 75 to 100 years those limits have been slowly and methodically circumvented. The general public allowed this subjugation of the Rule of Law because they were receiving “benefits” such as Social Security, Medicare, Welfare, etc. Not one entitlement program now in force is Constitutional. If brought before the setting Supreme Court in the year 1795, all would be judged UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Herein lies the true significance of the election in Massachusetts. The voters were saying to the elected officials in Washington you are no longer adhering to the Constitution. You are overstepping the limits placed on you by that document. What happened should be a wake-up call to both Democrats and Republicans alike. Both parties need to realize that when a Republic seeks to control the day to day lives of its citizens, it is no longer a Republic but an Autocracy. Now is the time for the “Joe the Plumbers” of this nation to stand up and tell our elected officials to UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION. I see a glimmer of this in the election in Massachusetts. I pray it spreads to all 50 states and we the electorate no longer behave as sheep. We need to let our elected officials know WE THE PEOPLE are the shepherds of this country, our staff is the Constitution, our principles are the Rule of Law, and anyone who strays from either will be culled from the herd.

I would like to address you one more time and respond to what I've been reading and hearing about my unpopular decision. I have received many calls with understanding and support for my decision.

What an honor (and surprise) it was to receive the Daily Journal Citizen of the Year Award. The list of past recipients is impressive to say the least, so to even be considered for the award is a bit overwhelming to me.

First of all, I would like to thank Ms. Rawson for her concern toward the families whose loved ones were mentioned in the "Most Viewed Stories of 2009". I happen to be the mother of Mallory Hicks and I appreciate your thoughtfulness. But, I would like to clear up the fact that I was not hurt or offended by the mention of Mallory's accident in the paper. Actually, I felt just the opposite. As her mother, my greatest fear is that my beautiful daughter will be forgotten. To see her mentioned again, almost a year later, with some of her accomplishments during her short life made me very proud. Any tears that came to my eyes while reading Sunday's article were tears that came from realizing how many people cared enough to read about my girl. I am reminded of Mal's death every single day when I wake up and remember she is no longer here. That article did not make me miss her any more than I already do. Yes, sometimes seeing it in print can be a shock, but no more than seeing her favorite food in the grocery store aisle. I am very appreciative of how well the Daily Journal covered this loss in our lives. I felt it was quite the tribute to her. Please know that my family is surviving this. Our lives were changed forever, but we started our "new normal" on January 27, 2009. We are very strong Christians who have put our faith in God. He has promised us that we will see our girl again and never be separated. So, if any readers feel like we are hurt and want to do something on our behalf, please pray for the strength of our whole family. And for those of you that know my Mal, please never forget her!!

In reference to the article published on December 15th regarding the fact that there will not be a cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security this year, I wanted to let you know that I have heard from many Missourians about this issue and I understand the difficulty that many seniors in our state are facing.  Congress doesn’t vote on COLA each year, but rather it is determined by a formula that uses overall inflation. Unfortunately our economic downturn has created many hardships but has also resulted in no inflation which led to no COLA for Social Security recipients in 2010.