Combative & Feisty Goes To Raleigh June 13th. Hello Tanning Lobby!

I was ever-so nicely asked if I'm still feeling combative and feisty. Who me, combative and feisty? Maybe it should be combative and feisty? I'm not sure which. But me? All at once? Great! Cool, even.

What could I say? I really rarely get asked that question. But, yes, I am. Both. In a nice way, I hope, but I am in one of my attirude moods. Mine can settle in and last a while, which this time may prove to be a good thing. I didn't think so, at first. For a while, I had my moments as a couple of friends can testify to. (But that wouldn't be too smart of them, though). I didn't like it. But that was before June 13th became a day to mark on my calendar and plan for!

I'm going to practice what I preach and go to Raleigh that day! Let me say that I mortally despise going to Raleigh and it's the cause for great emotional anguish and trauma. The fast-pace, the idiot drivers clogging already clogged traffic, the really poor poor road signage, the complete and effortless ease at which I get lost, the ensuing finding a place to pull off the road and have a good cry, the process by which I ask for directions at least three times and still get lost an equal number more times, and finally the arriving at my destination...on time because I leave really early to accommodate all this...completely frazzled with my last nerve shot to pieces.

June 13th that will be the perfect state of mind, added to my already high-octane mind set against the tanning industry, to face their right arm...the Tanning Lobby! Somebody better warn them! I'm coming!

I'm not arranging the get-together on the Capitol steps. I'm not in charge of sounding the trumpet calling us to march forth into the building to hand out fact sheets about melanoma, skin cancer, and the dangers of tanning beds. I'm not the one coordinating who meets with which congress-people about our really weak and pathetic NC tanning "law" (and I use that word loosely). But I AM going to support the person/people who get all that together. And I finally get to work with Aim At Melanoma to push this issue in North Carolina where I'm a lifelong resident. And I'm excited. And, gee, well, I've got all this attirude building up and it just might explode.

I'm going to be good and do what Aim says do. But, I also plan one thing on my own. And that is to tell every congressperson I meet with that I want to see NC completely outlaw tanning beds completely. Can I stress completely? Not just ban them for minors, which, by the way is only about banning minors in tanning salons...it does nothing to address home use. I want to tackle that, too. Tanning beds don't discriminate. They don't hold off on melanoma if the user is in their own house.

I want to Ban The Tan. I want to tell my congresspeople about the people I've met and said good-bye to that tanned. I want to talk about the lie and encourage them not to be bought by the liars. I want them to think about themselves, their spouses and children who may tan and consider what it will be like if they vote for melanoma...I mean vote for tanning beds and stand with the tanning lobby.

I want to plant some seeds. I'm really not stupid. I know the tanning lobby is a powerful force. Right now. I know they plan to pull out their big guns. I know it's an uphill battle. I know they may well buy the votes they need. But I also know this issue isn't going away. For as long as teenagers and young adults continue to get melanoma, battle hard against melanoma, and many die from melanoma that could have been TOTALLY PREVENTED HAD THEY NOT TANNED IN A TANNING BED, had they and their parents NOT believed the people who sold them melanoma along with that tan...as long as this continues to happen in households across the land this issue will not go away.

As more families are brutally affected, this issue will not go away. Not only that, but as more and more families are affected, our numbers against the tanning lobby will grow exponentially.

And some will be people from the tanning industry as they, themselves are bitten by the snake they sold. It will happen. How do I know? Because it already is happening. Sad to say but it is. Melanoma has no friends, even those that sell it.

So I want to plant these seeds. I know I may not live long enough to see them bear fruit. But they will one day. We're in a war. Our cause is just. We stand with the truth and we tell the truth. We sell no product and are not in any business that profits off lies. We have the truth on our side and as long as we tell the truth, we'll chip away at the lies and expose them one-by-one. As we do that, the tanning industry's foundation will start to crumble. After it crumbles away enough, then the world will watch as it collapses in on itself. See, the tanning industry and their lobby puppet are just a house of cards blowing smoke. One day the smoke will blow inward and catch those cards on fire and they will burn.

It's going to happen. I was reminded today that when we take a stand with truth and life, God is in the midst. Not only that, but when truth and life are in our arsenal, God takes them and us, and fights our battle with us, through us, in us, and for us. We just have to show up and follow the battle plan. We've got to make sure we stay on the high road because that's where God is.

God knows the truth about the tanning industry and their lobby. He knows the truth about the tans they peddle and the death that's ultimately bought. He is there as His children get sick and fight. And He is there crying with their families when they finish their race. A race that crosses the finish line too early. Too young. Too needlessly. All because of a lie.

That lie is coming down. In North Carolina it starts dismantling Wednesday June 13th at 9 am. God is at work. Truth WILL prevail. Life WILL win. God WILL have the last word.

Tanning lobby, bring your best efforts to NC and everywhere else on your political agenda.

Tanning industry, keep on selling melanoma and death disguised as a "healthy tan" and "necessary vitamin D". Keep it up. Lies and death are directly opposed to God. Do you honestly think He will allow you to keep this up? (Suggestion: review your Bible history if you aren't sure of the answer. The answer is, "You're coming down. Your days are numbered.").

Word of warning: you've made a lot of people angry and they are grieving. Not good. We may seem outnumbered and out-financed.

Looks can be deceiving. We stand with God on this one. David looked weak and puny, downright hopeless when he faced Goliath. It probably looked laughable to the Philistines and "is that kid nuts?" to the Israelites. Goliath dealt in death and told lies. David spoke truth and wasn't afraid of Goliath because he knew God was with him.

Remember how that story ends?

We do.

We are grateful to be part of the army called to bring you down. We hate the circumstances in our lives that brought us to this point, but that fuels our fire.

Raleigh, NC, Capitol Building at 9 am. Be there.

Do something to speak up, make a difference, and make us opposed to the tanning industry and their minion lobby grateful.