The Triumph of Reason

Some of you may remember, last month I was reading Costco's monthly magazine when I came across an article asking whether animals deserve the same rights as people. The argument in favor of giving animals human rights came from an uppity-up at PETA at a time when celebrities were getting in line to strip their clothes off in photo shoots for the organization. You can read the riveting commentary here. (if you missed it, at least check out the funny picture)

Today, there is good news far all logical thinkers. This month's magazine contains a poll of reader's opinions on the last issue. Ninety-three percent sided with me! Now, I freely admit that I sometimes enjoy being in the minority. It is much more meaningful to stand up for your beliefs when you're standing alone. However, I am thrilled to see what I had always suspected. This is a country full of intelligent people seeking to make moral decisions while avoiding fad-thinking.

I certainly do not listen to the opinions of celebrities when I am weighing arguments to help me achieve an opinion on anything. But, I involuntarily laughed yesterday when I read that Angie Harmon (an actress, I think...not sure) had to come out and declare to the press the fact that, even though she disagrees with President Obama, she isn't a racist. The article I read pointed out that she is in the minority among celebrities in her thinking. It quoted 4 female stars all eager to tout Obama for being "articulate and so well versed," "thoughtful and considerate," and " a wonderful leader." It all makes for a nice fuzzy feeling if we're talking about someone running for student body president of a high school, but not much else. Of course, I'm not sure whether any of the actresses in question graduated from high school. Maybe they're trying to relive what they missed. Still, people will listen to what actors say. People will watch when actors strip naked for PETA. I am proud of the fact that I will not be the only one in this country who won't notice and doesn't care.

God Bless America!!!

A History Lesson

“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.”

-Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America

Alexander Hamilton was opposed to the Bill of Rights. He felt that outlining specific rights for the people would actually limit freedom. He argued that it would be used as a tool of tyranny by excusing the restriction of rights not specifically included in the document. In answer to this concern, the ninth and tenth amendments were added. These specified, respectively, that the inclusion of a Bill of Rights was not to be used to limit individual rights and that the powers not specifically included in the constitution were to be the rights of the states and people of the country.

It’s staggering when you realize how short the constitution is. It’s mind boggling how very few powers are given specifically to the federal government. In our country, it is up to the Supreme Court to decide whether or not the laws passed by our legislature are legal under the constitution. So, we must ask ourselves, how can we possibly have so many laws when so few responsibilities are ascribed to the federal government?

Let’s take a look at one example. The federal government ruled in Roe V. Wade that it was illegal for a state to make a law forbidding abortion. How was this justified? The justices said that such a law violates the “due process” clause of the constitution (located in both the 5th and 14th amendments). It states, “No person shall be ... deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” The Supreme Court decided that statement inferred a right of privacy, which inferred a right to abortion. Now, I am not looking at all at the moral implications of this extremely divisive subject. I simply want you to understand the legal ones. It is why so many people consider abortion (whether morally right or wrong) to be a state issue.

You see, despite their 5th grade history classes, Americans have forgotten that the power to legislate in this country is far from absolute. Just because the legislature wants to do something and votes to do it, does not make it legal. Every law that our legislature passes has to be within the powers specifically given to the Federal Government by the Constitution.

This post comes at a time when Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is pleading for broader powers. The government is growing at an unprecedented rate and I'm wondering where they are getting the extra authority. I checked today and found that the constitution is exactly the same number of words as it was when I was in the 5th grade. I would like to share with you this video and let you decide whether you think what the government is currently doing is legal. It’s not right; but is it legal?

She Gets It

"This is Chloe with a mad face."
-Chloe

I am extremely proud of my children. Everyone knows that, but mommy brag time usually doesn't fit with the theme of this blog. That's why I'm so thrilled today. I want to share with you an experience that happened yesterday. My husband had come home from the hospital early because he was scheduled for an overnight shift starting that evening. My two older boys were at school and the baby was in bed. So, my husband and I had the rare opportunity to sit down to lunch together, with just our daughter. Chloe is an amazing little girl. She's so different from her brothers and she's been a blessing in our lives since she was born in January of 2006. It happened that my husband had Glenn Beck playing when I called him for lunch. He left the radio program on in the background.

The show was nothing but a buzz in the background until it went to commercial. The animated voices and increase in volume caught our attention and we fell silent and listened to deep man's voice saying, "Sometimes bad things happen to good people."

A female voice cut in, sounding distressed, "I don't know how it happened. I only had a few drinks at dinner and then I was charged with a DUI."

As the male voice started explaining how a certain lawyer was going to rescue the poor woman, my husband intoned a sarcastic, "Ya," and I said, "I'm feeling the sympathy."

Chloe, my precious little three-year-old, had the look that cartoons get when a light bulb appears over their heads. Very seriously, she intoned, "Mommy," She paused, as if thinking hard about it and then continued, "When you make bad choices, bad things happen." My husband and I both turned to look at her, shocked by the totally appropriate comment coming from such a tiny voice. But she wasn't done. She continued, "And when you make good choices, good things happen."

Skeptics may point out that she was just parroting things her mother says to her. And she is. But here's the point: She understands what those words mean and was able to apply them to an appropriate situation. It is never too early to teach your children about the responsibility that comes with the God-given gift of free agency. I am a very proud mom. And my greatest ambition is that the next time she hears the commercial that says, "Are you over your head in credit card debt? Well, it's not your fault..." she will know it for the lie it is.

Of course bad things happen to good people. But even children can understand that it is our choices that determine our destiny. Understanding this principle is the only way to guarantee our personal freedom and the freedom of our precious children.

(To be fair...I should point out that I left my darling girl with her daddy while I went to pick up my oldest from school. When I came home, she was in my bedroom painting the mirror, door, and carpet with my foundation cream. While I was attempting to scrub the make-up out of the carpet, she ventured into the bathroom and emptied my diaper pail into the toilet. Understanding doesn't mean obeying...but we're making good progress!)

A Victim of Victimhood

This may not seem like a funny post, but those of you who know me have learned to cope with my sense of humor. Yesterday, the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said, “This crisis was caused by the irrational behavior of white people with blue eyes, who before the crisis, appeared to know everything and now demonstrate that they know nothing.” He continued, “I do not know any black or indigenous bankers so I can only say [it is wrong] that this part of mankind which is victimized more than any other should pay for the crisis.” Excuse me while I pause to wipe the tears of hilarity from my eyes.

As a resident white person with blue eyes, let me be the first to apologize.

Dear President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva:

I wish to tell you, from the bottom of my heart, how deeply sorry I am for the current financial crisis. But I don’t believe the apology should stop there. I am much sorrier for the soft, politically correct racism that allows you to assume that there is one color of people who requires setting apart for special treatment. I am sorry for anyone who allows a child of one race to believe that they cannot become a doctor, scientist or banker. I am sorry for whatever made you think your insinuation that color is equivalent to job prestige is okay. I am sorry for subsidies, special programs, and any other unearned benefits to one race over another that taught children they are not good enough without the charity of others. I am especially sorry for the soft racism of low expectations that necessarily put you in charge of a country. I am sure there is an indigenous leader who could have done better, if people like you had not convinced him he was less than and dependent on you. On behalf of the white people, we are so, so sorry that we allowed you to be racist. But this apology isn’t for you. It’s for those people you pretend to be speaking for while you continue to condemn them to a life of believing themselves incapable victims of circumstance.

Sincerely,

Just another person who doesn’t care about color

Let’s take a quick skip down memory lane…Do you remember in May of 2005 when President Vicente Fox of Mexico said, “There is no doubt that Mexicans, filled with dignity, willingness and ability to work, are doing jobs that not even blacks want to do there in the United States.”

I honestly do not know what makes such disgusting racism acceptable, especially from people leading large countries. But I do know this: it’s time to start teaching the same curriculum to all children. It’s about choice and accountability. You reap the rewards of the actions you sow. Kids truly do have the opportunity to achieve anything they want to. The only think holding them back is leaders who teach racism and hopelessness as a matter of course.

The Misinterpretation of Heroes

"Whenever I hear any one arguing for slavery I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally."
-Abraham Lincoln

I find it hilarious how the news media loves to draw connections between pet politicians and great historical figures when it serves their causes. However, when they are presented by the actually documented philosophies of great historical figures that contradict their own, those same men become dried up old fossils who had no idea what our day would be like or what changes would be needed.

In the spirit of that, today I’m considering the comparison people have been drawing between President Barack Obama and former President Abraham Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln Once said:

"I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day."

Barack Obama once said:

"Who is Barack Obama? Contrary to the rumors you have heard, I was not born in a manger. I was actually born on Krypton and sent here by my father Jor-El to save the Planet Earth. Many of you know that I got my name, Barack, from my father. What you may not know is Barack is actually Swahili for 'That One.' And I got my middle name from somebody who obviously didn't think I'd ever run for president. If I had to name my greatest strength, I guess it would be my humility. Greatest weakness, it's possible that I'm a little too awesome."

Abraham Lincoln once said:

"Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration."

Barack Obama once said:

“I think when you spread the wealth around it's good for everybody.”

And…

“What do you think a stimulus is? It's spending - that's the whole point! Seriously.”

Abraham Lincoln once said:

"...I know that the Lord is always on the side of the right. But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord's side."

Barack Obama once said:

“You know, my faith is one that admits some doubt.”

And…

"It's not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

It occurred to me that my posts have been too serious lately. So, to prevent that, I am throwing in this video on the subject. It’s just for fun! Keep the faith and join the revolution.

A Brilliant Speech

This was directed toward the British Prime Minister. It's a message we all need to hear.

Freedom and Morality

I have a background in philosophy which, in real world speak, means trying to decide how we define right and wrong. I have spent many hours examining different theories and trying to decide what makes an action moral. Recently, I have been reading a book that defends capitalism. It argues that, regardless of the intentions of the heartless capitalists, it is what is best for society. It also defines the free market as an absence of moral principles. In other words, this author concludes that we must not be bound by morality, but by freedom. In this way, we fulfill the best interests of society.

I am deeply disturbed by the author’s assumption that freedom and morality are on opposite sides of the spectrum. You see, after years of examining different criteria for determining moral action, I came up with my own. Individual liberty IS a moral issue.

I explained to a good friend of mine that I believe that when a policy decision seeks to increase freedom, it is moral. When it seeks to take it away, it is immoral. This friend replied, “Well can’t you say that you want it to increase freedom unless that freedom hurts other people?” After some thought, the answer came to me: No. Think about all the great tyrants of history. They never came out and said, “I am a bad guy. I want to hurt people.” Their rhetoric was, “I am trying to improve society, to protect the weak from the strong, to protect individuals from their own bad choices.” Tyranny seeks to restrict individual liberty in the name of “protecting other people.”

Freedom of choice does not mean freedom from consequences, but that is a subject of another discussion. What it means is that we must allow people to choose for themselves and to live with the choices they make. Think about it this way. God does not compel us. So many people think that religion takes away freedom; it does not, unless it is enforced by a theocracy. Even then, the lack of liberty comes, not from God, but from men. Religion teaches us principles. When we choose to obey those principles, we find that we have more freedom. So, if we are taught to avoid drugs, and obey that teaching, we never become a slave to substance abuse and are free to choose again. What God does not do is strike us dead if we choose incorrectly. He allows the natural consequences of our actions to follow.

What I really want to say here is that the idea that freedom is a lack of morality is insane. Freedom is a lack of compulsion. Compulsion is the ultimate tool of Satan. Freedom is the first gift our Heavenly Father gave us. Let’s be careful not to let our choices destroy it.

Proud to Be

The newsrooms of the country have turned South to examine the drug wars on our border. This has been on my mind for some time because it seems to be what my friends and family always ask about. I haven’t had strong feelings on the matter. I still don’t. Immigration is clearly one of the most divisive issues in our country, yet I can’t bring myself to speak out on it. I live in a border town and issues of national security have been at the forefront of the national news, yet I don’t feel the urgency most writers are putting into their thoughts on the matter. I can see Mexico clearly when I drive to the local outlet mall, yet its troubles seem a world away. My husband worked with one of the victims of the recent upsurge of violence there, yet I am not concerned for the safety of my family.

Some people would conclude that I have fallen victim to the very ideals I love to speak out against. Some would argue that I am denying the reality of the situation because I am happy in my own ignorance. Perhaps they’re right. Perhaps. But I don’t think so.

My son is the only non-Hispanic in his kindergarten class. But it is not a class full of Mexicans. It is a class full of Americans, just like the millions of other classes across this amazing country. He plays with his friends, studies the curriculum, answers to his teacher’s discipline and does his homework. He does all the same things he would do no matter where he lived in America.

When I had occasion to call 911 last week, the police responded in a matter of minutes. There is no lawlessness or drug war here, no more than anywhere else. And while the federal government continues to beef up border security, the crime rate where I live remains among the lowest in the country. I constantly read about hit lists and headless bodies across the border and it feels like they might as well be across the Atlantic.

Why am I posting this? I feel like sometimes I come across as anti-government. I’m not. I believe firmly that the purpose of a government is to protect the liberties of its people. I continue to feel a great sense of pride at being an American. Whatever lawlessness exists a few miles from my home, it is the lawlessness of a land that is not part of the United States. I am profoundly grateful for this country. I hope I have passed that love on to my children.

I feel an immense sense of pride when I see a soldier in uniform. I feel an even greater sense of pride when I see the way my four-year-old's eyes light up because he noticed the solider too. We love our country know that the gratitude we have for those who fight for it requires us to show responsibility for the preservation of our freedom.

Moving Mountains...a little at a time

This may be the most important message I ever share on this blog. Yet, it is also the simplest. I read an article over the weekend that asked the question, “Is this the end of America?” It looked at the trend toward abandoning everything that this amazing country has ever stood for and wondered, unapologetically, if the culture and people have changed too much to rebound back toward a government rooted in the principles of individual liberty. I have also found that many of my family and friends are feeling hopeless at the rampant stupidity that seems to have been let loose among our citizenship. By this, I refer to the hoards of people, of late, who have been arguing that feeding, clothing, maintaining, employing, housing, educating, entertaining and justifying the individuals in this country is the responsibility of the government, without expecting any negative consequences at all. Without caring about the trade off of liberty.

I admit it’s scary. Worse, it feels very much like we’re being forced down this road by people who are the victims of the very mentality they are beginning to cling to. It’s a kind of perverse mental slavery that forces us to conclude that we cannot survive independently. We are victims of a society that holds us down, by no fault of our own. We are dependent on that same society for our very existence because we do not have the capability of fighting this discriminatory system. And those of us who know these ideas for the load of nonsense that they are, are starting to look the other way because we don’t have the strength to deal with it. We have families to take care of and we recognize that if we let ourselves become discouraged, we will be overstressed and unable to handle everything else we’re juggling. As a result, many people have just begun ignoring the world.

Last week, I explained to my husband what I had discovered about my friends. They weren’t uninterested in current events. They simply didn’t feel there was any need to focus on what they couldn’t change.

Well, I’m not going to argue that it’s possible for one person to change the course of history. What I am going to say is that small steps are the very best defense and optimism is the fuel that makes those steps possible. This is the reason I post stories of motherhood and how it relates to choice. There is no more powerful force in this country than parents. We can write our senators. We can vote on our principles. But the most important thing we can do is teach our children. Teach them that they are capable of anything. Teach them that work and faith build bridges. Teach them that they are not limited by the world they live in, but by the choices they make. Teach them to inspire, enable and assist. Make sure the message the upcoming generation hears is the antithesis of the garbage infesting the world. We must teach our children about freedom and about responsibility. And we must instill in them the love that we have for America.

Words of Wisdom from Marion G. Romney

This article is quoted from Marion G. Romney (1897–1988). His words in their entirety are featured in this month's Ensign Magazine. The online version is available here.

"I clipped the following article from the Reader’s Digest some time ago. It reads:

"'In our friendly neighbor city of St. Augustine great flocks of sea gulls are starving amid plenty. Fishing is still good, but the gulls don’t know how to fish. For generations they have depended on the shrimp fleet to toss them scraps from the nets. Now the fleet has moved. …

"'The shrimpers had created a Welfare State for the … sea gulls. The big birds never bothered to learn how to fish for themselves and they never taught their children to fish. Instead they led their little ones to the shrimp nets.

"'Now the sea gulls, the fine free birds that almost symbolize liberty itself, are starving to death because they gave in to the ‘something for nothing’ lure! They sacrificed their independence for a handout.

"'A lot of people are like that, too. They see nothing wrong in picking delectable scraps from the tax nets of the U.S. Government’s ‘shrimp fleet.’ But what will happen when the Government runs out of goods? What about our children of generations to come?

"'Let’s not be gullible gulls. We … must preserve our talents of self-sufficiency, our genius for creating things for ourselves, our sense of thrift and our true love of independence.'

"The practice of coveting and receiving unearned benefits has now become so fixed in our society that even men of wealth, possessing the means to produce more wealth, are expecting the government to guarantee them a profit. Elections often turn on what the candidates promise to do for voters from government funds. This practice, if universally accepted and implemented in any society, will make slaves of its citizens. (emphasis added)

"We cannot afford to become wards of the government, even if we have a legal right to do so. It requires too great a sacrifice of self-respect and political, temporal, and spiritual independence.

"In some countries it is extremely difficult to separate earned from unearned benefits. However, the principle is the same in all countries: We should strive to become self-reliant and not depend on others for our existence.

"Governments are not the only guilty parties. We fear many parents are making 'gullible gulls' out of their children with their permissiveness and their doling out of family resources. In fact, the actions of parents in this area can be more devastating than any government program."