December 2022 Newsletter

Dear FFRW Members and Friends:

Ladies, what a great year to be a Florida Republican! We are without a doubt the freest State in the Union. Pundits will no longer be able to Lie and call us a “Swing” State. We are Red & Free & will continue to be a beacon for the rest of the USA. We have immigrants pouring in from Blue depressing Progressive states, who bolster our local economy and bring life times of entrepreneurial experience to our backyard. While the rest of the country flounders, we succeed. Our duty, our mission is to further cement our Conservative vision here in Florida and to export it to our suffering Countrymen to our north.

How do we achieve this lofty goal in the new year? First, Remember President Reagan’s 11^th Commandment... Thou Shalt Never Speak Ill of a Fellow Republican. Think of that small turncoat Liz Cheney, next time you want to complain about somebody on our team. She could have continued to rise in the House and beyond, but since she was so small & shortsighted she too is destined to be a bad footnote in the Wyoming political has been almanac. We as Republicans only have each other, to cover our “Sixes”. The Government won’t help us. They have politicized the FBI, IRS & Border Patrol. The Media will not help us, they call us Terrorists & Insurrectionists for speaking up at school board meetings and protesting at the Capitol.

We need to be nice to fellow Republicans and stop throwing stone at each other. No matter who you support for President in 2024 or who you think the next Speaker of the House should be. We are in this together, as Reagan said ...  The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally - not a 20 percent traitor.

Let’s make this year the Best ever. Our Goals are to continue increasing membership using electronic communications and social media and to not only keep Miami-Dade Red but to turn Broward Red as well.

Thank you and God Bless America.

Hispanic Heritage Month at the Governor's Mansion was held in December due to it being postponed because of Hurricane Ian. It was great to celebrate the contributions Hispanics have made to our state and recognize the winners of the art, essay and educator contests. FFRW members were present to help with the festivities.

West Orange Federated Women’s Club, Seminole Federated Women's Club, Winter Park Republican Women, and Pine Hills Federated Republican Women Unite for the Holidays

Suburban Republican Women Club Federated Help "Hope for More Foundation"

SRWCF dropped off food donations for their charity this year "Hope For More Foundation". Pictured are Julie Denmon, SRWCF  board member and Melissa Weber with the foundation. Thank you to our generous members for donating to this worthy cause!

CARING FOR AMERICA UPDATE

BFRW Joins Forces with Volunteers of America

We partner with the local Volunteers of America to provide transitional housing, support, and counseling for veterans in need (including the growing number of female veterans) to provide toiletries and paper goods. At Christmas, we collect new toys for veteran children, decorate and distribute small Christmas Trees and provide a pre-paid Gift Card to veteran families in need.

This year we presented 105 Gift Cards to Michele Cloud, Veterans of America in Cocoa, Florida for our Veterans. Also, Terri Nieves, our Legislative Liaison delivered gift cards to Fee Avenue VOA in Melbourne, Florida. Another way of serving in our Caring for

America Program in FFRW.

Jill Gentis, President

Chair of the FFRW Caring for America

Brevard Federated Republican Women

jilgentis@sbcglobal.net

An Incomplete Education

One might expect that the President of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, would know the difference between “their” and “there.” Sadly, she does not know the difference. She also misspelled Ukraine while tweeting “We #StandWithUkriane” and posing with a poster depicting the Ukrainian flag with the colors in the reverse order. 

To make matters worse, she was a U.S. history teacher who believes that America’s founders did not question slavery. Ms. Weingarten represents 1.7 million union members comprised of pre-K through 12th grade teachers. Her ignorance is a reminder that we cannot rely solely on teachers for learning. Learning must begin in the home and our quest for knowledge should continue throughout our lifetime.

Bonnie Jackson, President

Winter Park Republican Women, Federated

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

DID YOU KNOW...

• The Germans made the first artificial Christmas trees out of dyed goose feathers.

• In A.D. 350, Pope Julius I, bishop of Rome, proclaimed December 25 the official celebration date for the birthday of Christ.

• Christmas trees have been sold in the U.S. since 1850

• Alabama was the first state in the United States to officially recognize Christmas in 1836.

Pam McAloon

President Pinellas Federated Republican Women

“Stand up for Freedom”

a Study of Socialism and Communism

based on Political History of Poland

by Katarzyna “Kasia” Dominczak, Member of Pinellas FRW

Poland’s hunger to be free was ever present. The three territorial divisions between Russia, Prussia and Austria caused it to disappear from the map of Europe for 123 years with only twenty years of freedom between the First World War and the Second World War.

In 1939, just a week before WWII, Joachim von Ribbentrop representing Nazi Germany and Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich Molotov representing the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) negotiated the Treaty of Non-aggression. The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact specified the borders of both the Soviet and German “spheres of influence.” 

When Germany invaded Poland on September 1^st, 1939, Soviets waited at the other side of the Vistula (Wisła) river. Their invasion followed on September 17^th, 1939. Around 6 million Polish citizens perished during WWII. Poles hoped they defeated their biggest enemy, the German Nazis. How wrong they were! Poland suffered under socialism since the 1945 Yalta Conference, when Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill surrendered Poland to Joseph Stalin.

The communist reign was based on the Party’s absolute power, nomenklatura, propaganda, censorship, and secret service. Poland experienced hyperinflation and was the only country of the Eastern Bloc where bloodily suppressed mass protests happened not once but multiple times. Poland was the only country of the Eastern Bloc where anticommunists were able to successfully wage guerrilla war for many years. Last of the Cursed Soldiers was killed in 1963. Fidel Castro, the Prime Minister of communist Cuba, visited Poland in 1972. Cuban oranges started to appear only during Christmas time and around the 1st of May when the People's Republic of Poland celebrated Labor Day with government-endorsed parades.

There were many heroes and leaders who opposed socialism. Blessed Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński was an unquestionable spiritual leader, political prisoner, stood for country and for freedom, survived both World Wars. Pope John Paul II was instrumental, elected in 1978, experienced socialism, communism, and Marxism. He was a pilgrim of hope promoting life and campaigning against political oppression. John Paul II was the one who undermined communism on a global scale.

In 1981, Pope had survived an assassination attempt by Fundamentalist Islamist Mehmet Ali Agca. The Pope's physicians agreed that it was a miracle that he had survived. One hand pulled the trigger but another one directed the bullet. Pope John Paul II died in 2005 and was canonized in 2014.

Jack Strong was a code name invented by the CIA for Polish Colonel Ryszard Kuklinski who risked his life and volunteered to be a Cold War spy for NATO. He fought socialism, passed hundreds of top-secret documents to the CIA between 1972 and 1981, and did not demand a dime for it. Kuklinski escaped socialist Poland and lived in Palm Harbor until his passing in Tampa in 2004.

The Independent Self-governing Labor Union "Solidarity" led by Lech Wałęsa was created during strikes in 1980. Lech Wałęsa rallied the Polish citizens to reject socialism. The Russians tanks were ready to cross the Polish-Russian border. General Wojciech Jaruzelski imposed martial law on Sunday, the 13^th of December 1981. My family and I remember military presence everywhere, shortages of everything, empty shelves in stores, monthly food rationing, skyrocketing prices, curfew, restricted travel, overall deficit; and on the other hand: food, and clothes donated from the West and distributed by local churches. Roman Catholic Priest, Jerzy Popiełuszko, who opposed the Solidarity Trade union with communists in Poland, was murdered in 1984 by three Security Service agents of the Ministry of Internal affairs.

Lech Walesa received the Nobel Peace Prize the same year, in 1984. The Polish Solidarity movement operating underground eventually resulted in two waves of strikes that led to the Polish Round Table Talks and ushered in the end of the Cold War. Wałęsa led a successful pro-democratic effort which in 1989 ended the Communist rule in Poland, Berlin Wall fell in 1989 as well. After winning the 1990 election, Wałęsa became the first democratically elected President of Poland since 1926 and the first-ever Polish President elected in popular vote. People stood up for freedom, the Soviet Army left in 1993 and freedom for the people of Poland followed.

Hope all of you had a wonderful holiday season and have had time to rest up before we go full steam ahead in the new year. Let’s make our New Year’s Resolution in 2023 to focus on membership. We need to increase our troops to fight for a red wave across Florida in our next election cycle! 

Recruit and Renew

• Wear your club t-shirts out when running errands and attending events. You will be amazed at the positive comments and smiles. It’s a great way to start a conversation. If you don’t have club t-shirts message me for information and pricing.

• Start the new year with a personal phone call to touch base with members as well as reminding them to renew membership. Remind members joining our club is really a 3 in 1 membership (local, state, and national) federated organizations. 

We can keep our State RED but we need all your help. Get involved and make a difference for our families and communities. GET FIRED UP!!

Keeping the Florida Red!

Vanessa Horgan

vaneessahorgan1029@gmail.com

407-877-1199

Membership Chair

MEME OF THE MONTH