Why leading works better than pushing

"Lead me, Guide me, Walk beside me. Help me find the way."

As a parent, we want well-behaved children, right? We want kids who listen to us and obey what we tell them. Isn’t that the goal of parenting? Isn’t that what people are complimenting when they observe how “good” a child is? The question I want to ask is whether or not it makes a difference HOW we achieve our goal. I believe it, absolutely, does.

I believe we were put on this Earth, among other things, to learn. So, why did God grant us agency? Why does he allow us to make our own mistakes and learn the natural law of choice and accountability on our own? Why doesn’t he FORCE obedience? I believe the answer to that explains the difference between a child who is well-behaved out of fear and a child who is well-behaved out of a sense of right and wrong.

Let’s take a look at the first scenario. This parent is a cruel, harsh disciplinarian. She monitors every single thing her child does and inflicts severe punishment whenever the child steers off course. But this doesn't happen very often, because obedience is forced to the extent that it can be. The child obeys the parent because he is afraid of the consequences of disobedience. There are two possible outcomes to this kind of behavior. The one the parent desires, whether she admits it or not, is that the child will learn blind conformity and complete dependence on the parent. The child will not be able to make his own decisions. He will not be able to lead his own life. He will look for someone to tell him what to do and blindly obey what he is told. The second outcome is the child begins to understand that the only reason to avoid bad choices is to avoid punishment. The choice is not bad, it is a desirable, forbidden fruit. A young child will begin to find ways to get what he wants by stealth. An older child will openly rebel against the parent for the injustice of the punishment. Are you beginning to see why this is not the course God chose for his children?

I believe that the reason free agency is so vital is because it teaches us to make correct choices through the natural laws of choice and accountability. There are kids out there who are well-behaved because they understand the inherent value of making good choices, not simply because they are afraid of parental punishment. A parent who explains to her child why certain behaviors are wrong, helps the child to learn right from wrong. Of course, in order to achieve this end, you have to let the child choose.

This is why I am so disturbed by the current increase in the nanny-state in this country.

Today I read an article that explained how a school district in Britain is going to track children by GPS in order to discourage “anti-social behavior.” Read it here. These kids will never learn to make good choices by being forced to them. The prospects of this are very scary to me. It’s even more scary to me how quickly this country is moving in that same direction.

Perhaps the reasons behind societal ills are not a lack of government control. Perhaps the excess of control is destroying a citizen's ability to learn and grow, just like a parent does when she forces a child's obedience. Consider that over regulation makes us want to find ways around laws and seek the forbidden fruits in an attempt to have a bit of that agency that God granted us and the government is taking away.

Why we don't want to pay for more government

The Bright Light and the Black Hole

Basically, there are two sectors of the economy. One is productive. It is industry. People invest their money to make more money. This part of society creates jobs which create profit. Then, there is the unproductive sector of the economy. This is the government. It's like an empty pit. You throw money into it and nothing is produced. If it creates a few jobs, these jobs do not create products or profit. Because of this, the jobs necessarily continue to suck away money.

Picture these two sectors of the economy as a bright light and a black hole. They are necessarily at odds with one another. As the black hole of government grows, it devours the light of industry. It sucks in more money that could have been used to create more productive jobs. It sucks in the money that the good people of the country would have donated to charities. The sad thing is that as the people okay these sacrifices, they vote away their freedoms. The cause of the financial crisis is the black hole, not the bright light.

What's the point of this analogy? The point is that this black hole is self-perpetuating. Last year General Motors spent 13.1 million dollars on Washington lobbyists. You see, instead of investing their money into industry and production, they are pouring it into the black hole. They had a great return on their investment. They received a huge chunk of tax-payer dollars in exchange for their lobbying efforts. There's only one problem. The light cannot hold out against the black hole. The tax payer dollars come from those who produce. How long until they can produce no longer? And once the light goes out, who will sustain that black hole?

What is the only certainty in this situation? A whole chunk of bail out money (your money!) will be poured right back into Washington Lobbyist's pockets. It's too bad we can't eat or wear what lobbyists produce. They might be the only job left soon. I suppose we could eat politicians if we are starving. I bet they are terribly greasy.

Partison Politics and Beautiful Music

Politics are probably the most divisive thing on Earth. You have a whole group of people who love to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way. Almost daily, we have calls for “bipartisanship,” This, of course, means the person who is not preaching bipartisanship is unreasonable and needs to change his/her perspective to match that of the person who wants cooperation.

I am someone who does not like conflict at all. When I have to fight with a credit card company, I end up lying awake at night with a sick feeling in my stomach, trying not to think about the disagreement. So, there are days when reading the news is tantamount to self-inflicted torture. I get discouraged with all the hatred that is being spewed out of the mouths of those who disagree with me. I get heartsick when I hear the same coming from those who share my views.

Unfortunately, much of modern society believes that the cause of freedom is heartless. This means that I am often called bigoted, judgmental, and ignorant. It’s just the opposite. True conservatives are the only ones that embrace the trite sayings like “reach for the stars,” “be all you can be,” and “live your dreams.” Whether or not you believe that these ideas can exist in the practical world, they are the essence of what I believe and the inspiration for my actions.

I believe that anyone can accomplish anything if they are taught their own worth. I believe that the world is what we make it and our success or failure is dependent on our own choices. I believe that love is best displayed through teaching the value of hard work, because that will bring happiness. I believe in freedom, in all its forms, for all people. And most importantly, I believe that charity is an act of love, and never an act of pity.

Sacrificing these beliefs in the name of bipartisanship will never produce the happiness that is used as a justification while arguing for this sacrifice. Very often, it’s far superior to have disagreement than to have submission. We don’t disagree to disagree, we disagree because we know what’s right.

Because we can't completely avoid the negativity and because we don't want to remain discouraged, I am sharing a video today that was sent to me by a friend. It's completely irrelevant to the discussion. But! It's beautiful. It can help wipe away the sadness that sometimes comes along with our battle. The next time life gets to you, take a break, close your eyes and listen to this:

Endorsement is a Judgement

It’s not that I take much of an interest in the Miss USA pageant, but I found it interesting that so many people are saying Miss California failed to win the crown because she said she believed that marriage is between a man and a woman. She was booed for her answer. It all goes back to the idea that the popular answer to any question is necessarily the right one.

Now, my primary purpose in writing, as anyone who has had even a passing interest in this blog understands, is to talk about preserving liberty. I have had person after person ask me how, if my prevailing ideology is freedom, I can be opposed to gay marriage. I suppose it’s finally time to explain why it is simply not a freedom issue (except in reverse).

Whenever a policy question involves the rights of government vs the rights of people, I will ALWAYS side with the people. It’s very simple, I trust your ability to decide what to do with your life, talents, and resources more than I trust the government’s. In fact, whenever possible, I believe the government should have NOTHING to do with your life.

Ask me if I believe that it should be against the law to engage in gay activities. Of course not! Whatever someone wants to do in his/her private life is none of the government’s business. Now ask me whether the government should endorse homosexuality. Of course not! It is a moral decision that the government, being separate from church, should not have anything to do with. We’re not talking about whether someone has “freedom” to do what they want. We’re talking about whether the government should license and certify those moral decisions they choose to make.

So why does the government license marriage at all? Well, there is a historical context to that. Once upon a time it was considered common sense that the traditional family was good for society. The government then licensed and certified marriage as an encouragement to an institution which benefited all society through its existence. Now, it’s no longer common sense. We have all kinds of scientific evidence that the traditional family is beneficial to society. We know that it reduces crime, increases education and promotes industry. We know that it helps to reduce welfare dependence, increases life span, and makes people happier. But, we have also evolved to the point where it is no longer okay to say that the traditional family is good for society. So we must ask ourselves whether, if our moral standing has changed so we no longer feel that a traditional family is best for society, there is any reason for the government to license marriage at all? I don’t know the answer to that. Of course, I do not hold to the idea that it’s wrong to argue the societal benefits of the family.

But one thing is for certain: licensing gay marriage is not a freedom issue. It’s an endorsement issue. The scary thing is that if we allow it to become a freedom issue, it will facilitate the further government intrusion into our lives. How long until the government decides that churches who do not perform gay marriage ceremonies are discriminatory and must loose their non-profit status? How long until, like they did with the boy scouts, government starts dictating religion? You see, when you say that the government must endorse (license and certify) gay marriage, you invite the government to tell us what is and isn't moral. Once that happens, we will have more government in our lives than ever before. Of course, that's the direction we've been heading for a long time. It's just a direction that I ideologically cannot support. There is something fundamentally wrong with the idea that freedom must be legislated. By it's definition, freedom is the absence of legislation.

The words of people much smarter than me: Family

I loved this commercial. Sometimes we get so lost in the projects that we enjoy that we forget to spend time in the pursuits that are going to make the most difference. Anyone who reads my blog knows how I like to tell parents how important it is that they stay informed and continue to fight for America's freedom. But remember that the very most effective way to do that is to teach your children. Teach them about industry and hard work. Teach them about service and love. Most of all, teach them that their lives will be dictated by the choices they make. Teach them to be intelligent and empowered. Teach them to be everything they can because of their own divine worth.

Change You Can Believe In

Perhaps this is what President Obama meant by his campaign promises. I wonder what the bank fees are like?

Buying Freedom

Yesterday, liberal commentator Alan Colmes said that "Tax day is a day to celebrate, not protest." He explained that the freedom we enjoy comes at a cost and that cost is in tax dollars. This thinking exhibits a fundamental misunderstanding of what the Tea Parties were about. You see, you can fight for freedom, but you cannot BUY it. What we are buying is government programs. These are the same programs that, when needed, can be purchased privately. But, the government likes to offer them at triple the cost. First, you have to foot the bill for the actual programs. Second, you have to pay for the government bureaucracy. Third, and most disgusting, you have to surrender your freedom to choose to the governments whims. For a country that loves to enact anti monopoly laws, we are funding the biggest monopoly in history, with our freedom.

So, no, Alan, we don't have a problem funding the military to protect our freedom. We have a problem footing the bill for gratuitous spending that harms our children's futures at the same time it sucks away our freedom.

Unfortunately, for liberals, Mr. Colmes is the classiest of his kind. To see how others handled the Tea Parties take a look at this eyebrow-raising article.

Extremists Unite!

I'm feeling very revolutionary right now. I can't help it. Yesterday, just before the planned protest by conservatives, the Department of Homeland Security came out to warn the people about "rightwing extremist activity," and the state of Texas openly declared that it would not allow the Federal Government to usurp it's constitutionally granted sovereignty. I'll tell you, it all makes for a great show. Seriously, rightwing extremists? They defined that term as groups that reject federal authority in favor of state or local authority.Were they speaking to the governor of Texas, or to all of us? Today, my friends, I am so happy to be a rightwing extremist. I am going to be watching the unfolding of the Tax Day Tea Parties and posting the comments of various rightwing extremists. The Department of Homeland Security saw them as a threat and issued a warning. If we are truly threats to the cause of ripping away the liberties this country was founded on, then "rightwing extremist" is a title I will wear with pride.

EXTREME QUOTES:

"These are moms and dads, teachers and students, businessmen and women who are concerned for their country. They are worried that our nation is quickly being taken in the wrong direction by politicians who are more concerned about the next election instead of the next generation."

-Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina

"They've had enough of Democrats forcing taxpayers to pick up the tab for more wasteful spending instead of working together to make the tough fiscal decisions Americans are forced to make each and every day. They've had enough of seeing their hard-earned tax dollars wasted on pork-barrel spending that won't create jobs, rebuild their savings, or get our economy moving again. And they've had enough of Congress and the White House mortgaging our children and grandchildren's future by saddling them with mountains of debt destined to bankrupt our country."

- House Minority Leader John Boehner

Find Your Local Tea Party!!

Here's the website to find out where the tea party in you area will be held. Let's tell our government that this country was founded on principles of liberty and we won't give them up.


Tax Day Tea Party