My commentary on a variety of issues that interest me including gun rights, individual liberty, illegal immigration, politics, religion, taxes, aviation, judicial activism, journalistic bias and laziness, environmental activism, education, family, health, gardening, history, Scouting, genealogy, etc.
I am a retired international airline captain. In real life, I strike fear into the US Department of Homeland Security as a right-wing extremist (in other words, I believe in God, go to church regularly, own a gun or two, oppose Al Gore and the environmentalist fraud, expect the government to aggressively enforce immigration laws, believe English should be established as the nation's official language, believe the US Constitution says what it says, seek a return to the limited federal government described in the US Constitution, and as a military veteran have sworn to support and defend the Constitution). To quote one of my heroes, Captain Moroni: "I seek not for power, but to pull it down. I seek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God, and the freedom and welfare of my country." (Book of Mormon, Alma 60:36) In my spare time, I serve on the local Boy Scout District Training Committee. I coach a 4-H Shooting Sports club (see 4-H link below). I also teach the Utah Hunter Education Course, the Utah Concealed Firearm Course, and various other gun safety classes including most NRA courses (see Firearm Training link below).
As expected, the one thing that congress should do to control health care costs -- meaningful tort reform -- is not addressed in its 2,000 page legislation!
We commoners (whom congressmen purportedly represent) expected and demanded every congressman to fight to kill this anti-liberty legislation with all the power they could muster. I am deeply disappointed that legislator opposition to these bills was largely invisible or week or altogether non-existent. Simply making a short speech on the floor of the House or the Senate was not enough effort. Attaching a few small amendments to the bills was not enough effort. Simply casting a "no" vote was not enough effort.
I am disappointed that a majority (perhaps all) of congressmen owe their loyalty to their party and to party leaders and not to the US Constitution which they have sworn to defend. I am disgusted that many congressmen accepted bribes from party leaders in exchange for their votes.
I urge every congressman to take every possible step to see that this legislation never gets out of negotiations between the House and Senate.
Otherwise, we voters will remember this betrayal at the ballot box.
On the night of 17 December, two employees of the Home Depot in Washington City, Utah were violently attacked and injured. The employees who were assaulted could easily have been killed or permanently disabled Thursday night.
Regrettably, Home Depot prohibits employees from possessing the one instrument best suited to self defense -- a gun. It is my opinion that any entity (such as Home Depot) that refuses a person the right to self defense must be held criminally and civilly responsible for any harm resulting from that refusal.
Most States, including Utah, have in place a process of training and certifying concealed firearm permit holders to ensure that they can carry a self-defense firearm safely and that only persons with good judgment are certified. It is time for Home Depot to recognize that simple fact and allow its employees the means to protect themselves. Failing that, Home Depot has a moral obligation to provide each employee with an armed bodyguard to ensure their safety.
Because it failed to protect its employees and because it prohibits them from protecting themselves, Home Depot owes a huge apology and substantial compensation to the employees who were harmed in their anti-gun store on Thursday night.
If you think health care is expensive now (one study claims $7,600 per year per person), wait to see what it costs when it's "free!"
I defy anyone to name one program that is run by the government that runs well and is cost-effective. The root of socialism (which is what many want for our health care system) is covetousness. Instead of working for a health care program similar to mine, the have-nots simply want me to pay for a comparable program for them. They want me to pay their bills! Some power-hungry politicians, such as Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Barack Obama, simply want control of the biggest sector of the nation's economy and use that power to bribe voters.
Eight-five percent of this nation has health insurance and full access to the world's best health care because they work for it and earn it. That success story is far better than government's performance in nearly any area one can imagine. To presume that government can fix anything, let alone health care is preposterous. There is absolutely nothing about our current health care that government can or will improve except to comply with the US Constitution and butt out and allow the free market to recover. The15% without health insurance can largely be resolved by a government with the integrity to enforce immigration law. The remaining uninsured will be cared for by charity, as they have in the past, if government will allow the workers of this nation to keep the money they work hard to earn.
We have the best health care system in the world. The world comes to US for health care when they can't get it at home -- including from industrialized nations such as Canada and the UK where health care has been nationalized. The world comes to US for innovations in medicine. Our doctors (including one of my neighbors) and nurses travel around the world at their own expense (or at the expense of charitable organizations) to share their expertise with developing nations. In spite of this, power-hungry politicians say our health care system is broken and in crisis and only they can rescue it. The solution is simple to fix whatever health care "crisis" we might have:
• Determine what is actually wrong and fix only that -- don't use problems or perceived problems as an excuse to nationalize the entire health care and health insurance industries! Whatever problems exist in the health care and health insurance industries are typically caused by excessive government interference in the free market. • Get the lawyers out of the health care business! Litigation with outrageous lawsuit awards and settlements is one of two primary causes of high health care costs. We must have tort reform that will make ambulance chasers like John Edwards find honest work. Make it possible for medical practitioners to make decisions based on good medicine rather than on avoiding frivolous and excessive litigation. • Eliminate laws that unnecessarily interfere with the free market -- particularly in the health insurance business. Allowing competition (not imposing competition from government as suggested by Nancy Pelosi) in the market will drive down insurance rates. • Establish tax-free health savings accounts similar to IRAs. • Make the cost of health insurance 100% tax-credit for individuals as well as employers. • Make charitable giving a 100% tax-credit (perhaps then, even stingy people such as Barack Obama and Joe Biden will give a meaningful amount to charity). In the tax code, establish a special category of charity that would pay for medical treatment of those who cannot afford their own health care. • Stop giving anchor-baby citizenships and enforce immigration laws to force illegals out of the country. Ban tax-exempt status for any entity that gives aid to illegals. Ban the tax-deductibility of all donations given to any entity that gives aid to illegals. Impose a 100% income tax on any entity that employs illegals. These simple steps will eliminate the burden of a substantial portion uninsured health care consumers. • Many of the uninsured in the US have a low-risk of needing health care (ie college students). They are driven out of the insurance market because insurance companies are required by law to pass the cost of high-risk persons on to low-risk customers. Consequently, college students and other low risk, low-income potential customers avoid the insurance market. Congress must restore the free market and allow insurance companies to charge premiums based on risk. Congress must allow the people to help those in high-risk categories through charity. • Stop paying unmarried woment to have babies. • Eliminate all unconstitutional national programs and agencies (including Medicare, SCHIP, Medicaid, etc.) and eliminate all direct and indirect federal funding of non-profit organizations (including Planned Parenthood, AmeriCorps, ACORN, etc.) and cut taxes accordingly. That will allow consumers to keep their own hard-earned money to actually pay their own bills. • Require all congressmen and retired congressmen live with the same health care benefits the rest of the nation enjoy.
These are simple steps that Congress can and must do immediately that will shrink government, restore liberty to the people, and provide an environment in which the health care and health insurance industries can improve themselves through the free market.
Like most Americans, I prefer getting my health coverage through private channels rather than the federal government. That’s because, as other nations have shown, government healthcare always results in higher costs, rationing, and lower standards of care.
I have a right to make my own healthcare decisions that are consistent with my ethical and religious convictions. I do not want politicians and bureaucrats dictating the health care and insurance decisions of myself and my employer and imposing (at my expense) procedures (ie abortion) that are contrary to my ethical and religious convictions. Especially in these difficult economic times, I flatly reject any new government healthcare plan that imposes new taxes or burdens on individuals or businesses.
I am appalled that even congressmen from my own state are willing to "reform" (expand government's role in) health care. I view this betrayal the same as a football player who knowingly moves the ball toward the opposing team's goal. He may not move the ball as fast or as far as the opponents might, but he is helping the wrong team to win nevertheless. There is no healthcare legislation under consideration that can possibly be fixed by any amendment or compromise whatsoever.
All federal healthcare legislation must be killed immediately! No legislation is infinitely better than bad legislation with amendments that only make it less bad. There's nothing in it that's worth fine-tuning. There's nothing on the margins that could improve it. There is no need for an alternative plan! Introducing an alternative plan accepts the flawed premise that the health care and health insurance business is broken. It's not. What's broken is government! Besides, there is no constitutional authority for Congress to do what it proposes to do to health care and health insurance!
Every congressman must fight against the power grab that is underway over health care and health insurance. There can be no compromise! Any compromise is a compromise with evil and an attack on individual liberty!
Congress must restore free-market health insurance. Once Americans have freedom of choice again, state legislatures will start competing to repeal their corporate welfare mandates. Insurance companies will compete to provide better coverage at lower prices. All Americans should have free market choices in health insurance -- not government-mandated coverage! No American should have to pay corporate welfare benefits through their insurance premiums, or have to go without insurance. Our politicians should just fix the problems politicians created!
With very few exceptions, one must be a US citizen to receive a US passport.
Why then, does the State Department feel it necessary to publish documents in Spanish for passport applicants such as the one I received today?
Why are most, if not all, government documents published in Spanish and English versions? I understand why we need to make some language accommodations for tourists and business travelers. I even understand why we need to make temporary language accommodations for legal immigrants.
Why do the Whitehouse and most, if not all, congressmen have websites in in Spanish and English? This is even true of congressmen who claim oppose illegal immigration and amnesty for illegals! Surely, they aren't pandering for the vote of those who have invaded our border with Mexico!
According to a recent poll, 84 percent of Americans believe English should be the official language of the nation. Nearly 90 percent believe it's important for immigrants to speak English. More that 75 percent believe employers should have the right to require their employees to speak English while on the job.
Indeed, English is the language of success in this nation. Columnist Michael M. Bates said, "Our common language is a basis for our cultural unity. It's far from the only language spoken in the United States, but certainly it's the primary one. For folks wishing to advance here, knowledge of it is essential. We do immigrants no favors by bending over backwards trying to accommodate them in their native language, hindering their adapting to a new culture."
Without English, immigrants will always be second-class citizens. Hindering the adaptation of an immigrant to a new culture only benefits those who seek to exploit others by creating a permanent underclass in our society such as businesses seeking so-called "cheap labor" and politicians who seek more human dependence on government "entitlements." Our politicians are creating a new slave class!
Teddy Roosevelt had it right when he said: "We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language."
If we can't establish English as the nation's official language now, who will be required to learn what language if we allow 20-30 million illegal workers to become voters?
If we can't control our illegal immigration problem now, how will we control the problem if we allow 20-30 million illegal workers to become voters?
If we can't terminate the nation's "anchor baby" scam now, what will life be like in the United States if we allow 20-30 million illegal workers to become voters?
If we can't eliminate taxpayer-funded education, health-care, benefits, and entitlements for illegal immigrants now, where will the money come from to pay for those programs if we allow 20-30 million illegal workers to become voters?
If we can't control employers who give jobs and under-the-table wages to illegal immigrants now, what the job market be like if we allow 20-30 million illegal workers to become voters?
If we can't get Congress, the Whitehouse, government agencies, and even presidential candidates to take down Spanish-language websites now, will politicians need (or be allowed) websites in English if we allow 20-30 million illegal workers to become voters?
We need congressmen and a president with the courage to immediately do what is right for the future of our national sovereignty, culture, and integrity. We clearly don't have that now.
I expect Congress to immediately pass legislation to allow employers to mandate English in the workplace. Congress must immediately establish English as the official language of the United States and require all government functions be done in English. Congress must immediately ban all government services and documents in any language other than English except as necessary to serve temporary legal visitors to this nation and elderly members US indigenous peoples.
S.991 is a good start. It declares English the official language of the United States and then requires the Federal Government to conduct its operations, including all laws, public proceedings, regulations, publications, orders, actions, programs, and policies, only in English. It establishes a uniform language testing standard for naturalization that requires anyone seeking citizenship to be able to read and understand generally the English language text of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. And it requires that all naturalization ceremonies shall be conducted in English.
Every congressman and the President must set the example by immediately and permanently taking down their non-English websites. And, they must vote for S.991.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declared carbon emissions (CO2) to be an "endangerment" to human health and has claimed jurisdiction over the regulation of carbon emissions.
Since we operate an overwhelmingly carbon-based economy and since all life is carbon-based, the EPA will be regulating practically everything! This is the most intrusive grant (grab) of power to any government agency since the creation of the Internal Revenue Service.
I invite Congress and the EPA to take a look at some basic grade-school science:
The atmosphere is made up of nitrogen (about 78 percent), oxygen (about 21 percent) and several other gases (less than two percent). Planet-killing carbon dioxide comprises only 0.038 percent of the atmosphere (only 3.4 percent of which is man made)! Man could double his CO2 output and the effect on the atmosphere's CO2 levels would be insignificant by any rational measurement.
Here's some more grade-school science for the EPA bureaucrats: Animals (that includes us humans) inhale air and use the oxygen content to support life and then exhale CO2. Carbon dioxide is a natural product of life! Plants consume that atmospheric CO2 (they must have it to live) and exhale oxygen. If man's production of CO2 is a pollutant (as claimed by environmentalists and even the courts and the EPA), then, by the same logic, surely oxygen -- the waste left over from photosynthesis -- is also a pollutant.
I assume that if EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson needed CPR to save her life, she would not want rescue breathing performed on her since the rescuer's breath would contain the CO2 she has ruled is an "endangerment" to human health.
Self-proclaimed environmentalists, such as those who infest the EPA and the Department of Interior, generally seem to be people who don't know about science, don't understand economics, and won't do the math.
I have long contended that we no longer have a republic (as established in the US Constitution) nor a democracy (as claimed by those who do not follow, read, nor understand the Constitution). Instead, our government is a tyranny of bureaucracy. Meanwhile, our representatives in Congress continue to empower this bureaucratic tyranny by passing legislation which delegates far too much power to, and fails to reign in, power-hungry bureaucrats and by ignoring and even endorsing bureaucratic excesses. The current EPA power-grab over all things carbon is but one example.
Congress must immediately amend existing clean air laws and restore their original intent by excluding CO2 from EPA control and strictly limiting the power of the EPA (better yet, eliminate that rogue agency altogether).
A good first step in reining in the EPA is Senator Murkowski's resolution of disapproval (SJ Resolution 26) that will prevent the EPA from wreaking economic havoc on the American people.
Every congressman must immediately stand for the rights of all Americans who have made it clear that they do not want "climate-change" legislation, especially when it comes from an unaccountable liberal bureaucracy.
Another radical, anti-gun judge, Louis Butler, has been nominated for the federal judiciary. Sadly, he has been approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Butler is simply the latest of several admitted leftist and activist judges handpicked by Obama for coveted lifetime posts. He is so radical that he was twice rejected by the people of Wisconsin (which is, by the way, one of the most liberal states in our union).
Butler opposes the rights of gun owners. The right to bear arms in the Wisconsin Constitution expressly notes that this right is for personal security and "any other lawful purpose." But in State v. Fischer, Judge Butler was the deciding vote in 2006 to hold that a Wisconsin statute barring carrying a concealed weapon for any purpose, at any time, including in a vehicle, does not violate this right to personal security that the voters of Wisconsin chose to expressly protect in their state constitution. So he ignored the state constitution in order to impose his anti-gun views on the people of Wisconsin.
Following the 2008 US Supreme Court Heller decision on the Second Amendment, Butler said,
Gun control may ultimately be decided, and the new appointees can tip the very balance of the court. [The] background, personal beliefs and policy decisions of the justices selected will influence how they will vote on the difficult cases before them.
Butler clearly is a radical activist who wants to move the courts and our country in a new direction -- further away from the Constitution.
The authors of the US Constitution wisely provided for Senate confirmation of all presidential nominees. The purpose of this process is to protect the US Constitution and the liberties it guarantees from an activist and power-hungry administration and from activist judges such as Louis Butler. Therefore, Senators must make all decisions regarding presidential appointees based not only on the nominee's professional qualifications but more importantly on his/her respect for the Constitution and not on whether he/she is politically correct (politically cleansed).
On taking office, every Senator takes the following oath:
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.
Senators do not take an oath to any political ideology, political party, party leader, king, or president. They take an oath to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic." In recent decades -- and especially during the current administration -- the Senate has done a horrible job in protecting the US Constitution because Senators make their decisions based on political ideology -- not the nominee's qualification or his/her potential effect on liberty.
Clearly, the Senate must expedite confirmation of presidential nominees who have a solid record of applying the original intent of the Constitution and halt consideration of all nominees from any administration who do not respect the rule of law or who are hostile to any individual liberty guaranteed by the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Compromise is giving in to the enemies of liberty. There must be no compromise!
I urge the Senate to oppose the nomination of Louis Butler as US District Judge for the Western District of Wisconsin. I consider a vote for him is the same as a vote against the Constitution and my gun rights.
Last night, we got the first significant snowfall of the season. This gave me the opportunity to try out my nifty new snow blower. Meanwhile, world leaders are congregating in Copenhagen to discuss what to do about global warming, global cooling, climate change, or whatever they're calling it today (It's hard to keep up).
It is clear to me that the ultimate goal of the conference attendees is nothing more than self-enrichment, accumulation and centralization of power, and the return of us commoners to the stone age. These clowns seem to believe that the use of fossil fuel (petroleum, coal, and natural gas) is evil and all our energy needs can be met by a countryside littered with solar cells and wind turbines. They seem to think that I can remove the global-warming-caused snow from my driveway with a couple of solar cells! If that doesn't work, they expect me to move that snow with a shovel made of reeds (all snow shovels on the market are made through the exploitation of fossil fuel).
It gets even better. My aged concrete driveway is cracking and otherwise deteriorating due to the harsh winters caused by global warming. The creation of the cement to make concrete requires high heat from fossil fuel. Mixing that cement with gravel and water to make concrete requires fossil fuel. Delivering it to my home to pour a new driveway requires fossil fuel. Hauling away the old broken up driveway requires fossil energy. Since the Copenhagen conference attendees want to eliminate fossil fuel and since Henry Waxman and others in American politics (who know nothing about science and economics) want to tax fossil energy out of existence, I may soon be without a paved driveway -- let alone paved or snow-free streets in my town. (Why are political morons mostly from the land of fruits and nuts?)
How will the United States will look once nature's cyclical global cooling kicks in and no one will be able to afford to heat their homes because of carbon taxes introduced to prevent global warming?
When you need to get some real work done, you must have fossil fuel or a nuke (including to manufacture solar- and wind-power systems). There is no substitute.
What's the big deal about eliminating the use of fossil energy? It is claimed that the carbon emissions from my snow blower are what's causing climate change! Lets take a look at some basic grade-school science:
The atmosphere is made up of nitrogen (about 78 percent), oxygen (about 21 percent) and several other gases (less than two percent). The planet-killing carbon dioxide comprises only 0.038 percent of the atmosphere (only 3.4 percent of which is man made)! So, man could double his CO2 output and the effect on the atmosphere's CO2 levels would be insignificant by any rational measurement.
Here's some more grade-school science. Animals (that includes us humans) inhale air and use the oxygen content to support life and then exhale CO2. Carbon dioxide is a natural product of life! Plants consume that atmospheric CO2 (they must have it to live) and exhale oxygen. If man's production of CO2 is a pollutant (as claimed by environmentalists and even the courts and government agencies), then, by the same logic, surely oxygen -- the waste left over from photosynthesis -- is also a pollutant.
It is alleged that my SUV puts out about 19 tons of carbon dioxide annually, based on the assumption of 15,000 miles per year. Hmmm. Gasoline weights about 6.25 pounds per gallon. My Ford Bronco travels about 12 miles per gallon of gas. So, I burn about 1,250 gallons (7,812.5 pounds) of fuel per year. How in the world can my Ford produce 19 tons of carbon dioxide when I only feed it 3.9 tons of gasoline which is only part carbon (gasoline molecules also contain hydrogen)?
Having no desire to live in my own filth or that of others, I also naturally oppose any unnecessary pollution of our soil, air and water (even including the mucus and cigarette butts cads spit onto the streets and sidewalks). I abhor pollution (such as the 130+ tons of trash left behind at Obama's inaugural by his adoring worshipers) as much as anyone. But, to presume that man with his CO2 is more powerful in affecting weather or climate (no, they aren't the same thing) than ol' Mr. Sun and variations in Earth's orbit is the epitome of arrogance and manifests profound ignorance of basic science.
When people ignore or don't understand history, science, economics, mathematics, or human nature, politicians and other grifters (eg, environmentalists) can sell 'em anything -- including global warming. When a few people start to catch on to the scam, the politicians and other grifters fool 'em again by simply changing the name to something like global cooling or climate change. Fortunately for the politicians and grifters, at least half the people never catch on to the game.
The real direction the Copenhagen Conference and the anti-energy campaign is taking is back to the stone age when our ancestors did not have the technology we enjoy today which relies totally on reliable, abundant, and cheap fossil-fuel and nuclear energy. Self-proclaimed environmentalists generally seem to be people who don't know about science, don't understand economics, and won't do the math.
The "supremacy clause" of the US Constitution identifies the Constitution (and any laws made in pursuance thereof and all treaties made under the authority of the United States) as the supreme law of the land. It does not say that the central (federal) government is the supreme law of the land as power-grabbing big-government advocates would have us believe.
I just can't say it better than Sheriff Mack. See the video below.
Like almost everyone else with an email account, I get more spam than legitimate emails. Among the spam are countless chain emails forwarded to me by well-meaning people I know. Many of these are hoaxes and rumors which an endless chain of senders fail to verify.
For example, for several months there has been a flood of emails regarding HR.45 and S.2099 -- bills before Congress. These two bills are getting a lot of people fired up, but the bills are actually of no concern.
HR.45 is an enhanced "assault weapon" ban and is currently stuck in committee with no co-sponsors. Because Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid fear the gun vote more than they do Sarah Brady, this bill is going nowhere fast.
S.2099was a bill that would have required gun owners to list their guns in their tax returns and pay a tax on each one. This bill expired without passing 9 years ago and consequently is no threat.
I commend everyone for being concerned about their favorite issues (so long as they are adequately informed). More specifically, I commend the millions of people worldwide who are concerned about preserving gun rights. But we all need sound information to avoid annoying our congressmen (and other recipients of our email alerts) with invalid concerns.
Regarding gun rights, I suggest everyone to go to https://secure.nraila.org/EmailSignup.aspx to sign up for daily email alerts from the NRA so they get gun rights information from a reliable source rather than rely on rumors and hoaxes. Also, when we get emails regarding some threat to our gun rights, we need to check 'em out by going to the NRAILA website to "search" for the issue and verify it before forwarding or writing to Congress.
While we're on the subject of gun rights, join the NRA! Without their efforts, backed up by an overwhelming membership, we would have already lost everything and may yet loose not only our gun rights, but all other rights that are enforced by an armed citizenry.
"Americans need never fear their country because of the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation." — Thomas Jefferson
"When the government fears the people there is liberty. When the people fear the government there is tyranny." — Author Unknown
Over the years I've collected substantial information about my family tree. Here is what I've learned about my heritage that goes back over many generations:
My ancestors were conquered by the armies of the Arabs, Assyrians, Babylonians, Danes, Egyptians, English, French, Germans, Greeks, Irish, Moors, Norwegians, Romans, Scots, Swedes, Spanish, Turks, and Welsh.
Their possessions were plundered, their women raped, their children kidnapped, and their lands taken.
They were wrongfully imprisoned, enslaved, tortured, maimed, and blinded.
They have been ruled over by tyrants, kings, queens, judges, emperors, presidents, republicans, democrats, whiggs, even a bullmoose.
They died of disease, war, starvation, accident, murder, and even old age. They were executed without a fair trial.
They were persecuted, even driven from their homes and families because of their race and religious beliefs.
They have endured and overcome illiteracy, deep poverty, and oppression.
They were single parents and were raised in single-parent families. Some were orphans.
Who am I? I am a white Anglo-Saxon citizen of the United States of America. Ironically, many of these conditions have affected my ancestors right here in the "land of the free, home of the brave."
The point is: We all can look back into our heritage and see man's inhumanity to man as well as the effects of nature on man.
Does that make us victims of the hardships our ancestors endured? Only if we believe we are victims of the past.
Unfortunately, some members of certain groups seem to believe that they are the only ones who've had trials in their family history and therefore feel entitled to apologies and compensation from the rest of us. They believe they need not take responsibility for their own future because of evils done to persons long dead.
Victimization is not a condition imposed on one person by another. It is only a condition a person accepts, even seeks.
That is not to say that we don't have challenges in life. However, if we take responsibility for our own lives and choices, we can be students of the past -- but we need not be victims of the past.
It is up to each of us to do the best we can with the hand life and circumstances have dealt us. We all can attain success by making the best possible choices and by giving a hand to those who stumble.
The choice is mine. The choice is yours. It is not the choice of some oppressor of the past.
An overlay map showing the extent of gun-free school zones (see 18 USC 922(q)) shows how the law places anyone carrying or transporting a gun at high risk of continually committing a federal felony. Yet, this prohibition does nothing to stop crime of any kind, especially in school zones.
What the law does do is provide a safe work environment for criminals bent on harming school teachers and their students. This law has left millions of school employees and children defenseless. I believe the banning of guns in the hands of good people is criminal and that criminal act must be punished! Anyone who establishes a gun-free zone must provide absolute security and safety or be held fully liable and culpable for any violence suffered at the hands of a criminal who ignores the gun prohibition.
Fortunately, Utah law allows persons who are trained in the safe handling of firearms and in the laws related to the use of deadly force and who pass a background check to obtain a permit to carry a concealed firearm. In Utah, this permit allows the carry of a concealed firearm within these gun-free school zones -- including the classroom.
To me, common sense says the best and most cost-effective control on violent crime, whether at home, the workplace, school, or church, is the presence of law-abiding, trained citizens as provided by the Utah concealed firearm permit process. The cops invariably arrive just in time to do nothing more that conduct an investigation and hold a press conference.
Banning guns on the campuses of public schools and colleges will not keep guns off the campus. Criminals, by definition, do not obey the law -- even gun laws! If a disgruntled student or teacher chooses to shoot up the campus he or she does not care whether guns (or any other weapon) are banned or whether he or she has a concealed firearms permit.
Crimes and upset students are a behavior problem -- not a gun problem. Statistically, more crimes are averted or stopped by the mere presence of a gun than are committed by a gun -- even on college campuses. Statistically, per capita violent crime is highest in those cities and states that have banned guns. Guns are generally banned in all school zones nationwide, yet school shootings still happen. Why? Bad guys don't obey laws -- even gun laws! (Even in Great Britain and Australia, where handguns are completely banned, the criminals still manage to get them.) Imagine the difference if the bad guys knew that there was even a 1% chance of encountering a teacher or other adult trained in the use of a gun and carried it. Utah law allows for that added level of security.
Recent high profile murders in schools in Canada and the US prove that “gun-free school” laws are a delusional scheme to make hoplophobes feel good but do not deter criminal attackers. Instead they seem to lure psychopathic killers seeking to harm others, while minimizing the risk that they may encounter an armed victim. The Columbine shootings happened despite numerous state and federal laws being violated by the killers. In response, Colorado added more gun ban laws. The federal government then enacted “gun-free school” laws. Experience shows that they did no good.
We should no longer tolerate any attempts to disarm law abiding citizens with silly schemes that criminals will never obey. Tragically, there will be school shootings again, but they will happen with, or without any gun laws anyone can think of. Disarming victims is not the solution!
I discourage engaging into a hostile environment or situation. However, the ability of a school employee to carry a firearm may mitigate such situations and will, at the very least, afford individual protection for the carriers themselves. If those carriers have control or responsibility over a classroom full of children, that same protection will tend to encompass those children as well. The weapon must be under the carrier's control at all times. It must be maintained quietly and discreetly.
I recommend that if an employee (armed or not) is in her classroom or other securable location and becomes aware of a violent situation that she immediately close and lock her classroom door after gathering all adjacent students into the classroom. This will be her and the students' shelter. If that employee has access to a firearm she should only engage the intruder if her classroom shelter is breeched.
In the wake of the nation's recent rash of school weapon incidents, a couple of concealed firearms instructors in Salt Lake have begun a policy of allowing school employees to attend their concealed firearms classes at no charge. Like them, I offer my Utah concealed firearm instruction at a discount to all school employees in Utah's Iron county as well as to college students over age 21 in Iron county.
In today's news is a story about the rise of the militia movement in the US. The article refers to the concerns of the militia members: "imminent economic collapse and social chaos incited by federal bailouts and other forms of intrusion by a tyrannical government."
The news article refers to a left-wing "intelligence" assessment by the federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) which labeled me as a right-wing extremist and potential terrorist because I am a military veteran (and swore to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic), favor limited government, oppose illegal immigration, attend church services regularly, and oppose abortion. The DHS reports implies that since I have these characteristics, I am racist because I didn't vote for a black man who has opinions radically different from mine. Apparently, the news reporter has the same viewpoint as the DHS regarding my racist and terrorist proclivities.
The caption under the accompanying photo (also shown above) says that the rise of the militia movement "coincides with advent of a black Democrat in White House." The timing is only coincidental and the reporter and editor know it. The militia movement is not about race! It is all about individual liberty and opposition to a Marxist president, an out-of-control Congress, and a bloated government with millions of bureaucrats.
I am in no way condoning nor sympathizing with the radical fringe in the militia movement who are racists or who, like Timothy McVeigh, have criminal intent. Nobody in the news business or in the DHS has a right nor evidence to say I am another Timothy McVeigh.
I have never known any militia member to be as bigoted, narrow-minded, and illinformed as a substantial portions of so-called journalists.
By the way, who are the militia? According to Title 10 of the US Code, "The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section 313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard."
"Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? Congress has no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birthright of an American....[T]he unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but, where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the people." — Tench Coxe, ally of James Madison and member of the Continental Congress (Freeman's Journal, 20 Feb 20, 1778)
"Who are the militia? They consist now of the whole people, except a few public officers." — George Mason
I appreciate receiving email and snail mail from my congressmen regarding issues they are working on.
Lately, however, they have been sending me emails requesting money purportedly to fight issues they are working on such as the Democrat plan to take over the health care and health insurance industries. I am smart enough to recognized these emails as nothing more than a well-disguised solicitation for campaign funds.
We taxpayers already pay congressmen a handsome salary with benefits and a retirement plan we commoners can't even dream of.
Congressmen do not need more money to fight the issues. They are already paid very well to do that and they aren't doing a very good job of it!
I expect all congressmen stop disguising campaign contribution solicitations as solicitations for funds necessary to do their job. That only annoys me and I will not pay.
A critical gun-rights case has been appealed to the US Supreme Court in the ongoing civil-rights struggle to restore our Second Amendment rights nationwide (McDonald v. City of Chicago
A large bipartisan group of state legislators and other elected officials from all 50 states have signed an amicus curiae, or "friend of the court," brief supporting the NRA’s position that the Second Amendment is incorporated against the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.
The amicus brief bears the signatures of 891 state legislators, governors and other elected officials. I was deeply disappointed to see that the names of my own governor and legislators (Gary Herbert, Dennis Stowell, and Evan Vickers) are missing from this document which is an important weapon in our fight to restore individual liberty.
On the 18th of November, Barack Obama wrapped up a visit to China with a visit to ancient fortifications built to keep foreigners from invading China. The Great Wall of China was built to help China preserve its identity, sovereignty, borders, culture, and language.
Ironically, while Obama was walking on that wall, back home, his nation continued to be overrun by invaders passing through a porous border -- and he wants to grant amnesty and even citizenship to those invaders! The identity, sovereignty, borders, culture, and language are being destroyed while he fiddles!
"In most modern politics, unfortunately, it may truly be said that those who make history never know history." — GK Chesterton (1874-1936)
What is it about politicians in general, and liberals in particular, that make them unable or unwilling to learn from history?
David Michaels is a radical left-wing ideologue who supports junk science. He is one the nation's foremost proponents of allowing junk science to be used in jackpot-justice lawsuits. He wants to reverse the Supreme Court’s Daubert decision limiting the use of junk science. Michaels also seeks to ban useful products from the workplace based on imaginary risks.
On 18 November, the Senate Health Committee approved Michaels to head the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The vote occurred with no discussion, and no hearing was even held on his nomination, although hearings have consistently been held on nominees in the past, even for far less controversial picks. Only two Senators -- both Republicans -- had the courage and wisdom to vote against the Obama nominee.
Michaels views "gun violence" as a "public health" issue that demands more and stronger regulation. He wants to ban guns in and near workplaces, and could use his position at OSHA to do so. As more and more government officials, such as Michaels, view private gun ownership as a public health menace, it seems logical to them to use the powers of government to urge or even require employers to forbid workers from possessing guns on company premises, up to and including parking lots, ostensibly for the protection of co-workers.
OSHA already has earned a reputation of radical leftist anti-business and anti-liberty activism. For example, OSHA has authority to regulate the working conditions of various job categories associated with firearms and their use (security guards, hunting guides, sporting goods stores, shooting ranges, etc.) and could, in that capacity, do much to infringe Second Amendment liberty. For example, in mid 2007, OSHA quietly tried to implement new regulations that would have essentially banned ammunition. They came within hours of accomplishing that goal! With Michaels at the helm, OSHA will grow even more dangerous!
The authors of the US Constitution wisely provided for Senate confirmation of all presidential nominees. The purpose of this process is to protect the US Constitution and the liberties it guarantees from an activist and power-hungry administration. Therefore, Senators must make all decisions regarding presidential appointees based not only on the nominee's professional qualifications but more importantly on his/her respect for the Constitution and not on whether he/she is politically correct (politically cleansed).
On taking office, every Senator takes the following oath:
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.
Senators do not take an oath to any political ideology, political party, party leader, king, or president. They take an oath to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic." In recent decades -- and especially during the current administration -- the Senate has done a horrible job in protecting the US Constitution because Senators make their decisions based on political ideology -- not the nominee's qualification or his/her potential effect on liberty. In fact, Senator Orin Hatch wrote to me a few months ago that he believes a president should have whomever he chooses!
Clearly, the Senate must expedite confirmation of presidential nominees who have a solid record of applying the original intent of the Constitution and halt consideration of all nominees from any administration who do not respect the rule of law or who are hostile to any individual liberty guaranteed by the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Compromise is giving in to the enemies of liberty. There must be no compromise!
OSHA is an agency that desperately needs a leader with sound judgment and who knows, understands, and respects the US Constitution. David Michaels does not fit that description. He must be rejected!
According to a recent poll, 80 percent of Americans believe English should be the official language of the nation. Nearly 90 percent believe it's important for immigrants to speak English. More that 75 percent believe employers should have the right to require their employees to speak English while on the job.
Indeed, English is the language of success in this nation. Columnist Michael M. Bates said, "Our common language is a basis for our cultural unity. It's far from the only language spoken in the United States, but certainly it's the primary one. For folks wishing to advance here, knowledge of it is essential. We do immigrants no favors by bending over backwards trying to accommodate them in their native language, hindering their adapting to a new culture."
Without English, immigrants will always be second-class citizens. Hindering the adaptation of an immigrant to a new culture only benefits those who seek to exploit others by creating a permanent underclass in our society such as businesses seeking so-called "cheap labor" and politicians who seek more human dependence on government "entitlements."
Teddy Roosevelt had it right when he said: "We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language."
The EEOC took action against 200 businesses this past year because they simply wished to require their employees to speak English on the job! This campaign of federal government harassment must stop! Small businesses in America will be wrecked if the EEOC is allowed to enforce this further dismantling of America!
If we can't establish English as the nation's official language now, who will be required to learn what language if we allow 20-30 million illegal workers to become voters?
If we can't control our illegal immigration problem now, how will we control the problem if we allow 20-30 million illegal workers to become voters?
If we can't terminate the nation's "anchor baby" scam now, what will life be like in the United States if we allow 20-30 million illegal workers to become voters?
If we can't eliminate taxpayer-funded education, health-care, benefits, and entitlements for illegal immigrants now, where will the money come from to pay for those programs if we allow 20-30 million illegal workers to become voters?
If we can't control employers who give jobs and under-the-table wages to illegal immigrants now, what the job market be like if we allow 20-30 million illegal workers to become voters?
If we can't get Congress, the Whitehouse, government agencies, and even presidential candidates to take down Spanish-language websites now, will politicians need websites in English if we allow 20-30 million illegal workers to become voters?
We need congressmen and a president with the courage to immediately do what is right for the future of our national sovereignty, culture, and integrity. We clearly don't have that now.
I expect Congress to immediately pass legislation to allow employers to mandate English in the workplace and to establish English as the official language of the United States and require all government functions be done in English. Every congressman and the President must set the example by immediately and permanently taking down their non-English websites.
From its omission from the US Constitution, it is clear that the founders never intended for the Federal government to have a role in education. According to the 10th Amendment, that role is retained by the states and the people.
One area that the Constitution does allow Congress to regulate is interstate and international commerce. In order to stick its nose in education and to establish the Department of Education, Congress has said that in as much as educated people are involved in interstate and international commerce, they can therefore regulate education. This is only one of countless abuses of the Commerce Clause of the Constitution.
Congressional and Federal meddling in education is not authorized by the Constitution and therefore is unconstitutional. An ignorant public (says a lot about our Federally-controlled education system and the radical leftist influence of the NEA (National Education Association)) and a colluding Supreme Court have allowed this abuse of the Commerce Clause to continually expand Federal intrusion into individual and states' rights. It must stop.
Congress must immediately abolish the Department of Education. Congress must immediately cease all mandates on the states regarding education. The states must immediately strictly limit the NEA to the role of representing teachers as a labor union only.
I am deeply concerned by the direction in which the federal judiciary has gone in recent decades. Far too many judges have been nominated and confirmed based on some divisive "litmus test" such as gun rights or abortion rights. The only correct "litmus test" that should be applied is a deeply-held respect for the US Constitution and those laws and precedents that fully comply with the original intent of the Constitution.
I have no idea what "litmus test" Obama used in selecting David Hamilton for the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, but clearly was not sound judgement or respect for the rule of law.
Judge Hamilton, a district court judge, is Barack Obama's nominee to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. That very court has cited Judge Hamilton for abusing his power as a judge.
Hamilton was initially appointed by President Clinton to a district judgeship in Indiana in 1994. ABA gave him a “not qualified” rating.
Over a period of 7 years Hamilton proceeded to issue a series of rulings preventing Indiana from implementing its informed consent (a statute materially identical to a law held valid by the US Supreme Court) law which would have given women information about abortion's risks and alternatives. The 7th Circuit Court, (the very court to which he has now been nominated), overturned Hamilton's rulings and issued a statement rebuking him for holding up the law.
In 1994, the 7th Circuit rebuked Judge Hamilton for denying a Rabbi the right to display a Menorah as part of an Indianapolis holiday display.
Judge Hamilton stated in a 2003 speech that the role of a judge includes writing footnotes to the Constitution: "Judge S. Hugh Dillin of this court has said that part of our job here as judges is to write a series of footnotes to the Constitution. We all do that every year in cases large and small." In explaining this statement to Senator Orin Hatch, Judge Hamilton wrote that he believes the Framers intended judges to amend the Constitution through evolving case law. This is an extremely dangerous attitude! The Constitution belongs to the people -- not to unelected judges!
In 2005, Judge Hamilton prohibited the Indiana House of Representatives from praying if Jesus's name was mentioned, but said praying in Allah's name was perfectly fine! He ruled that prayers to Jesus were sectarian and unconstitutional while stating that prayers to "Allah" were acceptable.
He also is one of the most lenient judges in America when it comes to crime and criminals.
In 2007, Judge Hamilton used his opinion to request clemency for a police officer who pled guilty to two counts of child pornography. The 32 year old officer had engaged in "consensual" sex with two teenagers and videotaped his activities.
In 2008, the Seventh Circuit faulted Judge Hamilton for disregarding an earlier conviction in order to avoid imposing a life sentence on a repeat offender.
Senators must make all decisions regarding judicial nominees based on the judge's professional qualifications and his/her respect for the Constitution -- not on whether he/she is politically correct (politically cleansed).
On taking office, every Senator takes the following oath:
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.
They do not take an oath to any political ideology, political party, party leader, king, or president. They take an oath to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic."
The Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate must expedite confirmation of judicial nominees who have a solid record of applying the original intent of the Constitution and halt consideration of all pending judicial nominees from any administration who do not respect the rule of law or who are hostile to any individual liberty guaranteed by the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
The Senate must demand the president nominate only "originalist" judges who will not impose their own (or the president's) agenda on their decisions. Compromise is giving in to the enemies of liberty. There must be no compromise!
David Hamilton has demonstrated a history of being an unfit judge. Instead of being elevated to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, he should be removed from the bench.
Sadly, I can't think of much to say in encouragement regarding the current global financial crisis -- not because the financial situation is so dire, but because I don't expect governments to do the right thing to fix it. Likewise, I don't expect the people do demand the right thing of their politicians.
We all want instant gratification in everything we do. Far too often, we seek that gratification without considering the long-term consequences. That applies to eating an extra serving of ice cream (short-term gratification) and adding another 1/4 pound of never-to-be-lost weight. It applies to using the ol' credit card to buy that ice cream to add to the never-to-be-paid-off debt. It applies to banks lending money to people who cannot or will not pay it back and calling that loan an asset which is then sold to some investor. It applies to that investor (gambler) who knows that since the risk is higher, the potential for return might be higher. It applies to labor unions that make demands on employers that jeopardize the very survival of the employer. It applies to individuals and businesses that declare bankruptcy to shed some debt, but never change the behavior that got them into financial trouble. It applies to politicians who pass legislation designed primarily to satisfy everyone's desire for instant gratification while building government power over our lives.
Whether at the individual, corporate, or government level, our natural desire for instant gratification drives the way we make our decisions. That desire for gratification can be a positive motivation for growth and prosperity -- if tempered with good judgment.
Until we learn to control our desire for instant gratification, I don't see a way out of the mess we are in. However, I believe that those who have followed the instructions of the prophets (get out of debt, get an education, store some food, pay tithing, keep your family strong, etc.) will generally do fine.
I believe D&C 130:20-21 applies to everything in life, including the global financial crisis and our individual ability to survive it (and many businesses and even some banks as well): "There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated. And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated."
Our government considers me to be a "rightwing extremist."
IN April, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), under the leadership of Secretary Janet Napolitano, warned law enforcement officials about a rise in "rightwing extremist activity," labeling citizens opposed to new firearms restrictions, returning veterans and conservatives as "rightwing extremists" and associating them with white supremacists and violent antigovernment groups.
Yes, it appears that the Obama Administration, and especially the DHS, is trying to demonize and suppress political dissent. According to a report from the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis Assessment, gun-owning servicemen (who have sworn to defend the US Constitution) returning from duty in Iraq and Afghanistan are a risk to our nation's safety and security. This is particularly true if they aren't fond of gun and ammunition control, abortion, increased federal power and taxation, loss of US sovereignty, universal "volunteer" service, enviromentalism, or of people illegally sneaking across the US border. If they appreciate the 10th Amendment to the US Constitution ("The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people"), they are likewise potential terrorists.
Napolitano's concern, it appears, is true God-fearing, Constitution-loving Americans - not extremist terrorists from the Middle East. Not left-wing extremists who have bombed the Pentagon and police stations, then gone on to teach at university.
The DHS report came on the heels of a report in Missouri which made similar mischaracterizations in March, saying those who follow third party candidates like Constitution Party presidential candidate Chuck Baldwin and Libertarian Bob Barr should be suspect. The Missouri Information Analysis Center’s (MIAC) warning to law enforcement was compiled with the help of the DHS!
This sort of attention on anyone for political reasons is reminiscent of Stalinist Soviet Union, is petty, vindictive, evil, extremely dangerous to liberty, and must be opposed at all costs.
Actually, I kinda relish the idea that the government is afraid of the citizens. That's the way it's supposed to be -- not the other way around!
Statistics indicate that Democrats and Liberals, on average, contribute substantially less time and money to charity and volunteer activities than do Republicans and Conservatives. For example, President and Mrs. Obama donated about 1% of their income to charity during the years 2002 through 2004. (Virtually everyone in my relatively conservative circle of friends give to charity at ten times that rate on less than one-third the income of the Obamas.) Vice President Biden is even more stingy with his wealth.
To complement their personal stinginess, Democrats and Liberals, on average, seem to be much more likely than Republicans and Conservatives to prefer to see government filling the role traditionally filled by charity. I am astounded by the arrogance of such people whose concept of charity is forced redistribution of the hard-earned money of somebody else while accumulating power to themselves.
I believe tax policy and law should be designed to encourage self-reliance rather than reliance on government. Tax law and policy should also encourage free and generous giving of time and money to traditional charity.
But the president and many in Congress want the opposite -- they wants to punish traditional charitable giving by increasing taxes on givers!
The Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act (GIVE) continues to pull volunteerism away from traditional charities and into government control. The GIVE Act dramatically increases funding for AmeriCorps and other volunteer programs that could be done more efficiently by traditional, non-government charities. GIVE also establishes a goal of expanding from 75,000 government-supported volunteers to 250,000 -- an unacceptable growth in government size and influence.
How in the world did we arrive at the point where we self-described Christians believe that charity originates from the tax collector?
Instead of supporting GIVE and other programs which expand the reach and power of government, Congress must work vigorously to enhance the tax incentives for charitable giving of time and money to non-government-affiliated charities.
The United States built its greatness because it was founded on the ideals of free enterprise and individual sovereignty and responsibility.
The nation has lost its greatness because its citizens have elected politicians who do not honor and defend the US Constitution. Instead, politicians in the past several decades have dedicated their careers to pandering to voters who seek dependence instead of independence. This has resulted in layer upon layer of horrid legislation that punishes individual success and responsibility and rewards slothfulness. The result is a serious government-created financial crisis.
The politicians now take advantage of this crisis to impose their will on what remains of free enterprise and capitalism at the expense of the American worker. In the end, this series of so-called "bailouts" will likely cost several trillions of dollars yet have no positive effect.
I urge Congress to oppose all these economic "stimulus" bills except for legislation that is strictly limited to the following: • Impeach every politician who voted for, or supported, legislation contributing to the current economic crisis and every politician who voted for the current bailout schemes and who vote for future bailouts. • Politicians created the economic mess we are in. To presume that politicians can fix it by adding more government, regulations, and spending is ludicrous. Congress must immediately undo all legislation that put the nation into this crisis (ie regulations that are essentially Soviet-style central planning schemes telling auto manufacturers what kind of cars they can sell, legislation that endorses and even mandates lending to persons who cannot pay their debts, etc). • No bailouts! Instead, require all businesses that are struggling (ie auto industry, financial industry) go into bankruptcy to resolve their difficulties. • Taxpayers are burdened with a bloated, expensive government. Therefore, Congress must immediately begin a phase out of all federal agencies, laws, rules, executive orders, and policies that have no reasonable basis in the US Constitution. Most of these programs negate the independence and responsibilities of individual Americans and are, in fact, roles that are better filled by individuals themselves, families, charities, and communities. This reduction in government must be coupled with a corresponding cut in taxes and an honestly balanced budget. Ban deficit spending except in times of Congress-declared war. • Half of each American's labor goes to paying for government and for expenses imposed by government regulation. Congress must immediately scrap the entire tax system as it exists today and replace it where the total federal revenue comes solely from import duties plus one of the following: a flat per-capita tax assessed on the states or a flat tax assessed on the income of all US citizens (regardless of income) and residents with no deductions or credits except for a small per-capita personal exemption and a substantial credit for charitable giving (to enhance the flow of funds for replacing the government's inefficient and unconstitutional programs). (Every family must feel the bite of taxation so that every American feels the need to keep watch over the cost, power, and influence of government.) All other federal taxes which are essentially invisible to the taxpayer/consumer (corporate, excise, Alternative Minimum Tax, fuel tax, user fees, etc) must be eliminated. Corporate, excise taxes, etc are invisible to the typical voter and he does not comprehend the impact of the cost of government on him personally. If he has to write a flat-rate check each month, he'll begin to understand how much government costs him. There must be no taxes on savings or investments. • Eliminate all programs that reward failures and punishing success and eliminate all rules and regulations that unnecessarily impede prosperity (ie oil development, nuclear energy, coal/timber exploitation). • Taxpayers carry a heavy load to subsidize feel-good programs that never pay for themselves. Therefore, Congress must immediately eliminate all subsidies for anything that needs subsidies or is non-viable without subsidies such as National Public Radio, art that is created by "artists" with no talent, alternative energy (solar and wind power), electric and hybrid cars, and ethanol and other bio-fuels. • Invaders from other nations are taking jobs that are desperately needs by Americans and imposing a financial burden on taxpayers by draining our social services programs and schools. Drive all illegals out of the nation by imposing extremely harsh penalties on employers, individuals, charities, communities, and states that provide work or any other support to these invaders. Congress must establish English as the official language and abolish all government forms, websites, and services in any other language except indigenous languages for persons born before 1940. • Abolish the NEA (National Education Assn) and government schools. Transfer existing schools to private entities such as churches, parent groups, or businesses who would institute quality schools etc. Issue vouchers to parents to send children to private or commercial schools of their choice. • Forget about man-caused climate change. It isn't happening! Feed Al Gore and all other environmental extremists to the polar bears to ensure the survival of the bears. • Mandate that every congressman certify that he has personally read every word of every bill before a vote can be called. • Mandated that all legislation be limited to only one subject with no amendments that are not reasonable related to the bill. • Mandate that all new laws and agencies have an automatic sunset not later than 10 years. • Eliminate voice votes in Congress and require that every vote put every congressman on the record. • Eliminate earmarks and pork. • Add one more line to every federal ballot: "None of the above". If a majority of voters nationwide pick this opting, Congress would be disbanded and all congressmen and staffers terminated with no right of returning. A new election would be scheduled to give the nation a fresh start under strict guidance of the Constitution. • Congress must require all voters to provide a government-issued photo ID that is based on verified US citizenship and pass a basic civics test before voting in any federal election. • Congress must ban all campaign contributions from anyone who is not a registered voter.
The conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq have resulted in an alarming number of servicemen charged and convicted of serious crimes. Almost none of the cases involve criminal intent.
Instead, they involve young men and women doing a tough job in a harsh and hostile environment with extremely poor senior leadership against a terrifying enemy that hasn't the courage to wear a uniform.
Our armed forces have become so crippled by bureaucrats-wearing-stars-in-nice-clean-offices that the men and women in the trenches must each have their own attorney in tow to ensure their split-second life-or-death decisions are always in perfect compliance with the ideals of those bureaucrats-wearing-stars-in-nice-clean-offices.
What our soldiers, sailors and airmen need is leadership -- not bureaucratic Monday-morning quarterbacks. That leadership (and honest, unconditional support of the troops) needs to start with the commander-in-chief.
I think many Americans and, especially, the politicians have taken their eyes off the ball with what's most important in our elections.
I agree the war on terror is important as is supporting the troops and their mission in Southwest Asia. But, this election is about the same issues as other elections: values and morality.
• It is about preserving the Constitution and the individual liberties it guarantees such as freedom of speech (including for conservatives, students and talk radio and the muzzling effect of the McCain-Feingold Campaign Reform Act), freedom of religion (including for Christians), the right to keep and bear arms (it's not just about hunting or other sporting purposes), the right to life (abortion should not be simply another form of birth control). • It is about the protection of this nation from foreign invaders (illegal immigrants) who are unwilling to assimilate into our society. • It is about protecting our freedoms and sovereignty from the UN other anti-American entities (ie IANSA). • It is about demanding that the President, all Federal judges and all members of Congress to understand and live up to their oath to support and defend the US Constitution as written. • It is about ever expanding government and its intrusiveness. • It is about Congress' abuse of the Commerce Clause (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3) in the US Constitution in order to circumvent the 10th Amendment and to intrude into areas never authorized or intended by the Constitution. • It is about the 14th Amendment giving citizenship to freed slaves in 1868 -- not children of illegal immigrants in 2006. • It is about requiring Americans to be responsible for their own welfare whenever possible -- no more "entitlements" for able-bodied people who won't work -- make them do the work that we supposedly need "guest workers" for! • It is about pressing "1" for English and "2" for Spanish. • It is about voters who need ballots and other government forms printed in languages other than English. • It is about judicial activism. • It is about forcing Boy Scouts to accept atheism and homosexuality. • It is about protecting our children from indoctrination and our industrial base from destruction by terrorists (ie Al Gore) working under the banner of environmentalism. • It is about the systematic destruction of the family which is the basic unit of society. • It is about a dumbed-down education that produces graduates, even college graduates who are functionally illiterate -- especially with regard to our heritage and the plans our nation's founders had for us. Instead, our students are systematically brainwashed and indoctrinated in socialism and atheism at taxpayer expense.
I could go on, but suffice it to say that the war on terror is a mere side show when compared to the importance of all these other issues to America's future.
Just a few years ago, the people gave Republicans the majority in order to accomplish these goals. The Republicans failed the people and promptly lost the majority. They demonstrated that the Republican party does not deserve to be the majority party. Any Republican who loses his or her race loses because they have taken their eye off the ball. Any Republican who wins only wins by the power of incumbency. The Republican party has no moral compass -- just like th eDemocrats.
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I am deeply disappointed that both the Senate and the House have again voted to violate the US Constitution and the individual rights it protects by passing sweeping bills that impose its elitist will on the health care and health insurance sectors of private enterprise thereby exceeding the authority delegated to Congress by the States and the People.
