The Words of People Much Smarter than Me: Freedom

“The volition of [humanity] is free; this is a law of their existence, and the Lord cannot violate his own law; were he to do that, he would cease to be God. … This is a law which has always existed from all eternity, and will continue to exist throughout all the eternities to come. Every intelligent being must have the power of choice.”

-Brigham Young

Be Vigilant

Today’s going to be a particularly busy day for me, so this post isn’t going to be anything great. But I did want to share something with you that gave me quite a shock. There were three news stories yesterday that made my jaw and heart drop. You probably heard about them.

Vet's Patriotic Stickers Under Fire

Mansfield Flag Controversy Draws Worldwide Outrage

Couple: County Trying To Stop Home Bible Studies

Yesterday Glenn Beck did an expose on ACORN that sounded a lot like a conspiracy theory. He argued that there was a possibility some left-wing organizations are trying to overwhelm the government to the point that it will topple and socialism would rise from the ashes. I will embed the clip for your amusement. I asked my husband if he thought it was possible that there could be some enormous plan like that, or whether they were just taking a step by step approach to implementing socialist ideals. He answered that it didn’t matter. He’s right. And when I read the articles above, I realized that we are farther that direction than I had thought before. Little by little freedom is being restricted in favor of a “common good.” My friends, the greatest good comes from the greatest freedom. Speak up! Be vigilant! I desperately want my children to know the America that I love.

The Richness of Her Experience

I have not studied the decisions of President Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court, Judge Sonia Sotomayor. I will not speak about her record, because I don’t feel informed enough to help others understand it. I will point out that I disagree with her recent ruling on Ricci vs. DeStefano. The City of New Haven, Connecticut decided that their future promotion of firefighters would be based on a written test. They called in a consultant when formulating the test to be certain it was job related. The firefighters spend numerous hours and a lot of money preparing for the test. After it was over, the city decided that not enough minority candidates had passed, and denied the promotions to all the firefighters. The men who had worked so hard and earned the promotions sued. Judge Sotomayor heard the case on appeal and ruled against the firefighters. The Supreme Court has since heard the case and we’re awaiting their decision.

While the ruling offered by the appeals court is short and doesn’t offer explanation beyond upholding the decision of the lower court, it makes one wonder about this controversial statement made the Judge: "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experience would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."

I chuckled at Newt Gingrich’s response, “Imagine a judicial nominee said 'my experience as a white man makes me better than a Latina woman,' Wouldn't they have to withdraw? New racism is no better than old racism. A white man racist nominee would be forced to withdraw. Latina woman racist should also withdraw."

But the charge of racism is not what caught my attention in the statement. What caught my attention was, “with the richness of her experience.” I think this is about the most arrogant statement I can imagine. When I was young, I thought that the whole of knowledge came from your experiences. I thought that your decisions should be based on what you know. I thought I knew a lot because of the things life taught me. Experience has taught me different. I now know that it’s not just okay, it is absolutely vital to sometimes say, “I don’t know. Where can I learn more?”

This is especially true for a judge. More than any other occupation, a judge has to be open-minded and willing to hear both sides of an argument. More than anyone else, a judge has to put the “richness of her experiences” aside and look at the arguments in terms of our societal values and MOST IMPORTANTLY the affirmation of the Constitution.

I don’t know whether this woman is a racist. What I am sure of is that someone who bases her judgments on the “richness of her experiences” rather than the law and the constitution is not someone we want on the highest court in the land.

Apparently, I'm a pathetic hack

Well, once again, I am not nearly as original as I thought I was. When I started thinking about the issue of gay marriage and what was really philosophically behind it, I wondered whether the the government should be involved in marriage at all. I wanted to clarify that it's not a freedom issue the way everyone keeps insisting. Rather, it is a endorsement issue that had the potential to threaten religious freedom. Please read those thoughts here. I thought it was a pretty original idea.It came from a lot of introspection of my beliefs. Everyone I discussed it with thought it was a little nutty. Well, today I turned on a series of news clips to play while I did some half-hearted exercise. I was surprised by this one.



Anyone who reads me knows that I don't pretend to know everything. I simply want to expand the minds of anyone who reads what I write. Whether right or wrong, it's an interesting perspective.

The Root of All Evil...

...Pizza

You know, society has to have some standards. When the people are forced to deal with filth that degrades the integrity of their moral values, it is the government's job to step in and say, "We don't allow that kind of disgusting display in our community." This was why I was so pleased to hear that Washington D.C. council member is stepping up to remove the bane of society. Jim Graham recognizes the fact that there would be no crime if there was no pizza. He realizes that a carb-infested crust topped with fatty cheese and, all too often, some disgusting meat product disguised by acidic tomato mush (although mouth-wateringly delicious) is "trouble with a capital T and that rhymes with P and that stands for pizza."

Mr. Graham says that these perfectly legal businesses cause crime and "have become a nuisance." DON'T WORRY, EVERYONE! He's already spoken with the mayor AND he's drafting legislation.

Heaven save us from idiots and state legislators. Perhaps the government would like to take over the food-service industry next? I, for one, think a hamburger would be much better if I had to fill out 76 forms, provide both a primary and secondary ID, provide proof of having purchased french fries and pay 14 different fees before I could get one. Better yet, perhaps they will appoint a committee to study the feasibility of offering a dollar menu. We could vote them a tax-hike to pay for the committee and then we would know for sure our burgers are ephedrine-free.

Delicious.

Thank You

Memorial Day is an exciting day for most Americans. It's getting close to the time when school gets out. The weather is finally warm enough to play at a park or have a barbecue in the back yard. Many people are enjoying a long weekend and celebrating the start of summer with family and friends. But there are a several out there who are having their barbecue with someone missing. The irony is that those empty seats are the reason anyone is having a celebration today at all. I'm not talking about the holiday that wouldn't exist without our military; I'm talking about a way of life that couldn't exist without them. I cannot imagine the pain of losing a loved one in a war. I have a few veterans in my family, but they will still fill their seats today. I hope I am able to help them understand how much I appreciate their sacrifice. But my heart is filled with love for those families that are missing someone today, and everyday. Whether it was a sweetheart in Would War II, an uncle in Vietnam, or a child in Operation Iraqi Freedom: Thank you. I am overcome by the feelings I have for you and wish there were better words to express what's in my heart. Since there isn't, Thank you.

The Words of People Much Smarter than Me: Memorial Day

John 15: 13
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

The following was written by Abraham Lincoln to a mother. May God Bless our soldiers and their families.

“Dear Madam:

“I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the republic they died to save. I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours, to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.

“Yours very sincerely and respectfully, Abraham Lincoln.” (21 Nov. 1864; quoted in Selections from the Letters, Speeches, and State Papers of Abraham Lincoln, ed. Ida M. Tarbell, Boston: Ginn and Company, 1911, p. 109.)

My right to have my picture taken with a giant mouse

The Bill of Rights for Americans is getting longer and longer. Now we have freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom from illegal search and seizure and, let’s not forget, freedom of two weeks paid vacation. That’s right; Florida congressman Alan Grayson is proposing a paid vacation act. He believes that the world would be a better place if the government mandated that every employee receives paid vacation. He argues that studies have shown that vacation increases productivity and his legislation would stimulate the economy. Mr. Grayson came up with his brilliant idea while standing in line at Disneyland.

Listen, if paying for vacation is a smart business move (and I’m not arguing it’s not) then the businesses have the freedom to do it. If an employee wants a job where he gets his paid vacation, then he will make it a priority in his job search. But it is not the federal government’s job to mandate such measures. Indeed, the federal government does not have the RIGHT to mandate such measures. These sort of legislations simply display an inherent misunderstanding about how economics works.

But let me tell you WHY I am concerned about this. It’s not because I hate vacations. It is partially because I hate the use of the logic, “the United States is the last in the industrialized world in requiring vacation time for its workers.” France requires 30 days a year in paid vacation time and I am sure we all desire to mimic their unemployment rate. The thing that really bothers me is this: Bigger Government. Right now we have a good system. An employee is free to choose his job based on the benefits the job offers. If someone else offers a more comprehensive benefit package, that employee is free to choose another job.

What we do not need is another bureaucracy. Instead of an intelligent, independent person, free to peruse the marketplace for a job that provides the best return on his skills, we have a poor victim of society complaining to an enormous government body that his “basic human rights” are not being met by his evil employer.

People don’t understand the symbiotic relationship of worker and business. They want to paint it as a boxing match, where there has to be someone to handicap the stronger competitor. If you want to make yourself more valuable so that you have more bargaining power in choosing a job, get more skills. THAT will help the economy. Crippling the freedom of industry and strengthening the power of someone without requiring them to be more useful or productive, will just make things worse. If you want more…earn it. Giving it away for nothing hurts our economy and is primarily the reason we’re in the mess we’re in. A sense of entitlement creates less production, not more.

California without Atlas

Californians have been voting for tax increases for years. So many people have been buying into the idea that a problem can only be fixed by throwing more money into it. Unfortunately, they frequently trust the government to be the ones to throw the money at. All of this has left the state bankrupt. They have driven the wealthy and the business owners out with their ridiculous policies. It’s funny, but when the government choked the private sector, the private sector left. Suddenly, the people of our nation’s largest state are realizing that it was the business that drove their economy and kept it healthy, not the government. Ahead of this week’s election, the governor warned that unless the people vote for more taxes, the state will fail. Well, the people finally came out and told their government that more government is not the answer. This is good news. Still, I can’t help but wonder what will happen to the country as a whole as the federal government makes more and more hostile policies toward those that are still pouring their minds and effort into the economy. Perhaps Atlas will shrug?

A Research P.S.

Last week, I shared with you two pretty ridiculous studies that your tax dollars are funding. I want you to understand that this is a trend, not a one-time occurrence. You see, I am a bit odd. When the world is screaming at each other about whether or not the federal government should fund stem-cell research, when people are yelling about the moral issues involved, I'm sitting here with one eyebrow raised wondering, "Wait? Why is the government funding research? Isn't that something that should be privately funded? Does the constitution say that one of the functions of the government is to make value judgments about what should and should not be studied and then funnel the people's money (allocated for GOVERNING) into it? Please show me where it says that?"

You see private companies are at a disadvantage. They can't just vote to take money from people. When they get money from investors, they are expected to produce something with their funds. The government, on the other hand, has a free hand to fund studies such as this one:

The National Institutes of Health is funding a study to investigate the personal and cultural pressures on female and transgender prostitutes in Thailand.

I can't help but wonder why no private company wanted to fund that one. Research is the business of private companies and charities. The government has no accountability, and thus cannot be expected to make good choices about what to research. You're welcome to disagree; I suspect the Thai prostitutes do.

Ummm...Yeah!

I just found a study that shockingly shows that "the most liberal states rank the lowest for personal and economic freedom." Seriously? They're studying this? It's like studying whether the driest states have the least water. You can read the *startling* results here.

But, what I want to address this morning is the fact that the most liberal states are also the ones facing crippling financial troubles. Now, as we ask ourselves whether the federal government should be bailing them out, consider this: Do we really want the federal government to emulate the states that are failing like California? The state of Texas had more new job creation last year than the other 49 combined! Wait a minute...They're quite conservative. STOP THE GOVERNMENT SPENDING.

On that note...My husband's undergraduate degree was in mathematics. We enjoy watching the television show "Numb3rs." Last night we saw an episode that talked about capitalism in third world countries. It addressed how much better things are when the people have the money. So why are we not stimulating the economy through tax cuts? "You cannot keep squeezing the productive part of the economy to fund the unproductive." I thought you might enjoy the clip.

I Love Research!!!

Would you like to have a few extra dollars to buy healthier food for your kids? Do you think that new educational toy would be nice to have, but you simply don't have the money for it? You are probably a responsible tax payer who understands that the government is better at spending your money than you are. Check out these fun new studies your taxes are paying for!! It will make you feel better about the things you sacrificed for the good of society. If you're like me, it will also make you laugh. You know what they say...A good laugh is worth 3 million dollars.

The National Institutes of Health are paying researchers to cruise bars in Buenos Aires to find out why gay men engage in risky sexual behavior while drunk.

The National Institutes of Health is funding a 5-year study in China's Guangxi province to make sure prostitutes in a tourist town there are drinking responsibly.

The Sanctity of Life

Today is a serious day and we’re going to have a serious discussion. Yesterday I was reading the comments written about a news article when I came across this statement, “Sarah Palin is a lunatic. She claims to believe in the sanctity of life, but she loves to go hunting. It doesn’t make any sense.”

You may not see it yet, but this statement is the evidence of the worst evil I can imagine. People everywhere are perplexed by the fact that some people are against abortion because they don’t approve of killing but those same people are not lobbying for wild animals to be put on trial for eating each other. Now, most of us see this as common sense, but I’ll state this very clearly for anyone who doesn’t: humans are different from animals. Shocked? Confused? Disgusted?

From a spiritual perspective this concept is very easy to understand. Humans are children of God. Animals are his creations. If I drew a beautiful picture, I would protect it and treat it with care. But I would torch that picture gladly to save my child from harm. We should respect animals because we are rational, moral people. We should not revere them as humans. I find it absolutely shocking that anyone could think a statement that equates the worth of an animal’s life with the worth of a child’s is anything but nonsense.

I am disgusted by how quickly the value human life is being destroyed. Let me tell you what I know. Each human being is a unique being with an infinite worth. There is no value that ought to be held above that of the human life, soul and mind. I do not believe that any person has the potential to see their own worth. But, I truly wish that I could see you the way God does. Perhaps I would treat you better. Perhaps I would treat myself better. If only the world understood exactly what it's devaluing. If it did, I doubt we'd have to discuss any problems at all. If it did, I'd have nothing to write about, because no one would want to threaten personal liberty.

I'll Say it in Spanish...

Okay folks, today I have to register my little boy for kindergarten, attend my older son's wellness walk, do some shopping, go to a church meeting, and teach a bunch of teenage girls how to roast hot dogs. I'd like to try to make you all feel better about the lies, damn lies and politics going on in this country, but I'd rather spend my 3.76 minutes of free time watching my three-year-old paint the kitchen with mashed bananas (literally). Don't feel bad that I had a better offer, though. Stephen Colbert is available. I really enjoyed the first half of this video. You can watch the whole thing if you like. He days some really dumb things, but remember, "He who gets offended when no offense is intended is a fool. He who gets offended when offense is intended is probably a fool."

He Said/She Said

David Feherty said, “Despite how the conflict (in Iraq) has been portrayed by our glorious media, if you gave any U.S. soldier a gun with two bullets in it, and he found himself in an elevator with Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Osama bin Laden, there's a good chance that Nancy Pelosi would get shot twice, and Harry Reid and bin Laden would be strangled to death.”

Wanda Sykes said: “I think Rush Limbaugh was the 20th hijacker but he was just so strung out on Oxycontin he missed his flight…Rush Limbaugh — I hope the country fails. I hope his kidneys fail, how about that? He needs a waterboarding, that’s what he needs.”

What’s the difference? David Feherty was condemned by the media until he apologized. Wanda Sykes got a belly laugh from the President of the United States and a lot of hits on you tube.

Since this blog is dedicated to destroying ignorance, though, let’s clear this up for Ms. Sykes. Rush Limbaugh does not want this country to fail. President Obama, in a speech for his 100th day in office said that he is “remaking America.” Seriously? Isn’t that like the quintessential bad guy quote? “Then I will remake this world in my own glorious image! (evil laugh)”

There are a lot of people who think America was better before the “remaking” began. There are a lot of people who hope the remaking fails so that America can survive. When you wish death to these people, you wish death to the greatest country in history. You wish death to free speech. I do not. Both Wanda and David are welcome to make their jokes. I think that's what Rush wanted to preserve.

Why you don’t want the government in charge of health care (or anything else)

Everyone has heard the arguments against state-run health care. I hope to help you understand something a little different than the usual- a fundamental flaw in the way the government works. I want to share with you an experience we had recently.

Residency programs are largely funded by the local government. Sometimes, citizens get together and start a community residency themselves. Why? Well, the number one reason is this: Statistics show that doctors tend to stay where they do their residency. Any city that has a doctor shortage should be concerned about the ability of a local residency program to recruit top-level candidates. It’s their tax dollars that are primarily responsible for funding it.

My husband and I picked the residency that he is at because of its moonlighting program (that means working extra shifts for extra pay). We have a quarter of a million dollars in student loan debt and four kids. A resident’s salary (about 40k) wasn’t going to be enough for us to meet our responsibilities. Last month, the Graduate Medical Education (GME) Board at my husband’s residency voted to ban moonlighting for all residents. This was a huge blow to the residents who were recruited to this community with broken promises.

The taxpayers should be furious. This will significantly impact the ability of recruiters to bring top level candidates to their community. And, there are other reasons this decision directly affects the people who live here. First, local hospitals fill extra shifts by hiring residents. The inability to do so means longer ER wait times and more stress for the doctors that work there. Second, moonlighting helps residents get experience in a lot of different settings. It affects their education, which makes them better doctors. Third, doctors do much better work when they aren’t overly stressed about paying their loans and providing for their families. Also, working outside their specific hospital helps residents to form connections with other doctors in their community. When it comes time for them to find a job, they will be more likely to stay local. The people of this city are educating these doctors. They deserve to keep them here when their education is finished.

Then why did they do it? Are their any advantages to this plan? The GME board is made up of the residency directors of each specialty. Most of these doctors, for reasons of their own, made the decisions to not allow moonlighting within their own specialty. Should they care what the other specialties are doing? No. Does it affect them? No. But now, their residents can’t come to them and complain, “Hey the ER lets their residents moonlight. Why can’t we?” They can just claim it’s out of their hands. It was a GME decision, not theirs. It’s a purely selfish decision based on personal comfort and a power grab.

This, my friends, is the problem with government. The GME board has made a decision that will affect the well-being of every member of this community for the worse. But they did it for their own personal reasons. The problem with the people who use tax-payer money is that the taxpayers do not hold them responsible. Taxpayers pay their taxes and assume the money is being well-used. There isn’t accountability to shareholders or even the expectation of a decent profit. The government is expected to spend more than it brings in. And when the policies fail, the people vote them tax increases because obviously there isn’t enough money for success. In business, they would give the people who implemented the idiotic policies less money, or just replace them.

Here, we have a situation where policy decisions are made simply for the whims of the policy makers. This was done just so the GME board does not have to accept responsibility for and explain their own choices. How much more likely is it for government policy to be determined by lobbyists and special interest groups? Don't all policy makers look for the opportunity to say "It's not my fault...I'm on your side." In government there is no accountability.

Why, oh why, would anyone want to give these people (who are primarily concerned with self interest) to have power over more of YOUR life?

The Words of People Much Smarter than Me: Motherhood

"After observing and empathizing with three generations of mothers and thinking of my own dear mother, I surely know that there is no role in life more essential and more eternal than that of motherhood.

"There is no one perfect way to be a good mother. Each situation is unique. Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children. The choice is different and unique for each mother and each family. Many are able to be “full-time moms,” at least during the most formative years of their children’s lives, and many others would like to be. Some may have to work part-or full-time; some may work at home; some may divide their lives into periods of home and family and work. What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else."

-M. Russell Ballard

Laughing makes you live longer

Have a wonderful Saturday!!!

Selfish Giving

Child: “Mom, my friends are going to the movies, can I have some money to go with?”

Mom: “Sure, Clean the garage and I’ll give you 20 dollars.”

Child: “That’s not fair. None of the other kids have to earn the money.”

Mom: “I guess I just love you more.”

My husband and I have been married for almost nine years. Last year, he graduated from medical school. This year, he started as a resident. During our marriage, we’ve been blessed with four amazing children. Needless to say, we’ve always been completely broke. I am so grateful that I didn’t start my family with money. I am grateful we were given our children at a time when it was a huge sacrifice to raise them.

Let me explain; when my first was born, I wanted everything for him. This was selflessness, right? I never complained about not having the money to buy things for myself. I only felt bad about our finances when I couldn’t give my son the things I wanted to. As he got older, and the others started showing up, I realized the absolute agony of the words, “I can’t buy that for you; we don’t have the money.” I hated telling my kids “no.” Of course, as time went by, I realized how quickly they got over it. It was only really hard on me.

People choose to give money away for many reasons. With my kids, it was because seeing them disappointed nearly killed me and seeing them excited made me feel so good. When I see beggars at street corners, I feel guilty and want to give to them to make myself feel better. At showers, I like to be seen giving a nice, cute or creative gift. Some people like to be seen giving so much that they publicize it in any way they can. Politicians are in this category. (although the money they give is not theirs.)

This, my friends, is why liberalism is so attractive. It’s why children who don’t really understand what’s at stake, love to argue for more giving. It feels good. It makes you appear selfless and moral. It makes you feel like you are a believer in the most beloved of all human tendencies: the desire to help others.

Lately, I’ve noticed something. Every time I tell my child, “no, we can’t afford it,” or “no, you don’t need it,” or (most especially) “I’ll give you the chance to earn it,” the guilt is a little less. It was because of my love, because of my desire for good, that I wanted to say, “yes.” But it is because I want the very best for my children that I have learned to say, “no.”

This last week my six-year-old and I were leaving a grocery store where there was a lottery-like promotion going on. We have spent a lot of time talking about work, he and I. (these discussions were a natural progression from my explaining to him why he had to earn the money he wanted to buy books from the catalogues they send home from school every month) We discussed what would happen to the world if people stopped working. We talked about how the work one person does, not only earns him money, but also makes it possible for others to earn money and have the things they need. We looked backward at the path of a loaf of bread from our home to the store, to the factory, to the farm. We discussed what would happen if the farmer, grocer, or truck driver was given money for free and how it would make it so the bread didn’t come to our dinner table. So, that day at the store, when he asked me if we had won the grocery store promotion, and I told him “no,” he said, “That’s good. We should work for what we get.” Suddenly, all the agony that had come with telling him “no” time after time was worth it.

Giving can be a purely selfish act. Choosing not to give can be a selfless act of love.

On that note, you should check out this article....Hilarious (in a sick, sad, sort of way).

Cap and Trade and the Spanish

I really enjoyed this interview. If any of you are interested in finding out more about cap and trade and looking at how it will affect our economy, the Spanish can give you first-hand advice.

Steal the Pen While They Watch Their Swords

My last post was about how completely China controls its people. Today, I was distressed to see how many other countries are headed in the same direction. Britain has banned Michael Savage. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith explained:

"I think it's important that people understand the sorts of values and sorts of standards that we have here, the fact that it's a privilege to come and the sort of things that mean you won't be welcome in this country."

Seriously? People who don’t agree with your values are not welcome? Doesn’t that sound a lot like some Muslim nations? Women who wish to show their hair will be stoned? My first reaction to this was to chuckle. I saw it a lot like the Department of Homeland Security telling Americans to watch out for Veterans because they are likely to become domestic terrorists. I assumed some rogue government official had been making a list of people to ban and just threw Michael Savage in. I was wrong.

The bottom line is that I really don’t know what this man talks about on his radio program. My husband used to listen to him, occasionally. But, right after Elizabeth Smart was rescued and returned to her family, Savage said some pretty disrespectful things about the young kidnap victim. My husband didn’t tell me what they were. But, he sat down that afternoon and wrote a letter to the producer of the show, explaining that he felt the dialogue was ridiculous and he would be showing his displeasure with his radio dial. This is the way freedom works. He hasn’t listened to the program since. I must assume that the man is pretty distasteful. We won’t be inviting him to our home. But the thing about freedom is that you have to allow the idiots to have their freedom so you won’t lose yours.

This morning I read commentary by a British Journalist explaining that it was wrong to ban people for what they say. It was very well written, you can read it here. The writer eloquently explains that it is a new tactic for the government of Britain to ban someone simply because it does not like their views. In other words, this is another step toward more-fully controlling the people’s views. This made me think that I was correct about it being some silly government officials.

Then, I started reading the comments from readers. That’s when I saw the poison that is seeping into democratic systems for what it truly is. The readers were saying things like:

“Ban those American and other ecclesiastics who have expressed racist views about Africans and others who do not share their liberal sexual morality.”

And

“Banning a few people with extreme views from setting foot in the country does not curtail freedom of speech by any perceptible amount.”

And

“if you listen everyday to the preacher of hate Michael "weenie" Savage then you should also be banned from the UK ; clearly by listening to hate radio everyday you are of a racist disposition - you should stop polluting English blogs with your racist drivel and go and post instead on the forums of your Klan leader Michael "weenie" Savage.”

You see, the poison is not that the government will try to restrict the rights of the people. The real poison is when the people start willingly giving up their rights because they believe that doing so will allow them to force others to their “correct” way of thinking. The poison is a collective morality dictated by collectivism. The poison may come from the political leaders, but it is only effective when it infects the people.

I want to end these thoughts with a quote from one more poster on the commentary. He seems to say the facts better than I ever could.

“Anybody who uses the pen and not the sword, should be welcome on these shores!”

From Individual Liberty to the Common Good

(Actual Cigarette Advertisements)


In the “what?” category, today, we have a report that proves that the more government you have, the worse it is for the people. According to the report being put forth by Sky News (a British news organization), the staff at local government offices in Hubei province of China were ordered to smoke 4.5 million cigarettes a year. Why? They are supposed to be setting an example for the rest of the country. Proponents argue that the move will boost sales and, thus, income from the cigarette tax.

You can’t really consider the tax to be the only benefit, however. About a million people in China die from smoking related illnesses every year. In a country that is actively working to reduce its population, forced smoking is a win for everyone.

But what does this have to do with us? It’s very simple. America was founded on the principle of individual liberty. The Declaration of Independence and Constitution flew in the face of the emerging philosophy of the “common good.” Throughout history, politicians have always used this collectivism to justify the worst atrocities humanity has ever been known for. Sadly, since the time of the great depression, our country has been moving away from individual liberty toward common good.

The point is that whenever a civilization heads down that road, the value of the human life is always lost in the move. China is so imbedded in the collectivism philosophy that they have completely lost any sense of the moral value of their people. Please consider that as we step toward socialism, we are stepping away from the most fundamental of our values: the indisputable divine worth of a human life, mind, and soul.

The Words of People Much Smarter than Me: Optimism

"We have every reason to be optimistic in this world. Tragedy is around, yes. Problems everywhere, yes. … You can’t, you don’t, build out of pessimism or cynicism. You look with optimism, work with faith, and things happen"

-Gordon B. Hinckley

Because of all the negativity this past week, my Sunday message today is about the importance of staying positive. Remember that the fight for freedom is a just cause. Remember that the task of raising a family is a divine one. When everything else seems to overwhelm you, remember that we have something the opposition does not. We are making the right choices for the right reasons.

Advice from the late Gordon B. Hinckley:

"I am asking that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life we 'accentuate the positive.' I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment virtue and effort. I am not asking that all criticism be silenced. Growth comes of correction. Strength comes of repentance. Wise is the man who can acknowledge mistakes pointed out by others and change his course.

"What I am suggesting is that each of us turn from the negativism that so permeates our society and look for the remarkable good among those with whom we associate, that we speak of one another’s virtues more than we speak of one another’s faults, that optimism replace pessimism, that our faith exceed our fears. When I was a young man and was prone to speak critically, my father would say: 'Cynics do not contribute, skeptics do not create, doubters do not achieve.'"

Go Have a Picnic or Something, Seriously.

They’re slaughtering pigs around the world. Retailers are cashing in on the paranoia by selling everything from designer masks and emergency kits to fake vaccines and bogus advice. They’re closing down high school sports. Graduations are being cancelled and rescheduled. New York has cancelled Cinco de Mayo. Sixteen thousand American students are out of school. Hong Kong has quarantined a hotel and all of its guests. At my husband’s work, they are opening a second “emergency room” just for people who aren’t sick. AND Joe Biden won’t let his family ride the subway. (I’m guessing a private jet is okay, though?)

This is pretty serious. I would really love to write a serious post today, but I just don’t want to. Please see my posts from the previous week to truly understand why you shouldn’t be panicking. Today, we’re going to take a look at the horrible creature creating the paranoia.

Have a wonderful Saturday. Please go out and enjoy the day with your family. Staring at a computer is no way to live.

The Bail-out of Freedom

"The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of 'liberalism,' they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened."

- Norman Thomas, U.S. Socialist Party presidential candidate 1940, 1944 and 1948

I don’t think it’s a secret that I’ve been feeling rather discouraged lately. I preach and preach that people need to continue fighting, even when they feel like it’s not doing any good, and I truly need to follow my own advice. I suppose it’s helpful for me to, now and then, hear something truly horrifying, because it invigorates me. It reminds me of what I’m fighting for, whether anyone is listening or not.

I want to share a bit of hypocrisy with you. Right now the free market is going out the window. The government is making a grab for ownership of several private enterprises, claiming that these companies are too big to fail. Well, today I have some proof that the goal here is not to preserve the businesses by means of federal money. The goal is to take control of the businesses to give the government more power.

Take a look at this video. It shows exactly how the liberals feel about private enterprise.



And people are worried about the swine flu making them sick. Feel free to take a minute to swallow your bile before continuing on. I hope some of you are beginning to see how these welfare policies are about freedom vs control, not charity vs greed. I hope you are beginning to understand that the people who truly love others are on my side. Don’t let us fall into socialism without knowing how it happened. God made us free; never, never let them take it away.